If there was any lingering hope of the NHL participating in the 2018 Olympic Games, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has put it to rest, according to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News.
Back in April, the league issued a formal statement that it would not participate in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The NHL released its schedule for the upcoming season last month, but a recent online report out of Russia suggested that an alternate 2017-18 schedule had been prepared—one that would accommodate an Olympic break.
Daly cleared up those rumours on Monday and reiterated the league’s initial ruling, saying the NHL’s participation in the Games “is not an available option.”
“I’m happy to be on the record,” Daly told The Hockey News via email. “There is not an alternative schedule. Having NHL players participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games is not an available option. All of the international federations are planning appropriately for constructing teams that will not include NHL players. I anticipate there will be federation announcements in the coming days that should eliminate any and all continuing doubt or skepticism about the issue.”
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