Rene Fasel, the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation, has given Gary Bettman and the NHL a deadline for the 2022 Olympics which will be hosted in Beijing.
The NHL had sent its players to every Olympic event from 1998-2014, but did not participate in the 2018 Olympics hosted in Pyeongchang. Fasel says he needs an answer by the end of August. He claims that they need 17 months, compared to the 10 months' notice they were given for 2018.
“We would like to have a decision as early as possible if they're coming to Beijing – ‘Yes' or ‘No',” said Fasel, his reasoning being that the North American teams had a tough time getting players to put out a competitive team.
Another reasoning behind the decision needing to be made before September is that the IIHF will hold its qualifying tournament in late August and early September. Having the decision will make the process easier to organize for the IIHF.
As Gary Bettman has explained before, the NHL would prefer to have its own tournament like the World Cup back in 2016. The main reasons being travel, cost, and of course the risks owners run of having the players they pay get hurt while not playing for their teams. However, as Fasel says, there is a huge untapped market in Beijing that would benefit the NHL majorly if they do decide to attend the event.
“The first mission is to promote the game of ice hockey,” Fasel explains. “The Olympic Games is the unique platform we can use, especially in Asia, with the best on best. Asia is two-thirds of the population in the world. I consider Gary a smart person.”
Many NHL players along with fans have been extremely vocal about wanting to play in the upcoming Olympics. After all, it showcases to the world just how talented the sport is. Without the NHL competing, it doesn't truly display the best on best like it does if the NHL players were involved. As of right now, the NHL committee doesn't seem overly receptive to the idea of sending their players to Beijing. However, the deadline is still many months away, and perhaps with the pressure from players, media, and the league's fans, it will be enough to have the NHL come around on the idea.
Source: Sportsnet
