Agreement reached for NHL players to participate in 2022 Beijing Olympics

[fletch]

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/32139847/sources-agreement-reached-nhl-players-participate-2022-olympics-beijing

 

'The NHL and NHLPA have come to an agreement with the IIHF and IOC that will allow NHL players to participate in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

 

The agreement does carry an opt-out clause: the NHL and NHLPA can pull out of the Olympics, should COVID-19 conditions worsen, or if the 2021-22 NHL schedule has been disrupted by cancelations, and the league feels it needs to use the Olympic break to make up games. The deadline for the opt out is believed to be in early January, sources told ESPN.'

 

'The NHL is scheduled to break from games from Thursday, February 3 through Tuesday, February 22. All Star weekend in Las Vegas -- beginning on Feb. 4 -- was going to happen whether players are participating in the Olympics or not.'

[phillyb]

Great news.

[SaveByRichter35]

I have a feeling this isn't going to end up happening but I am looking forward to it if it does. Thank goodness there should be new jerseys coming because these current ones are awful.

[Pete]

Just a horrible decision. Exposing players to more covid risk, travel, etc. for games that no one will watch because they'll be on at 2am live or you'll know the score by the time the replay airs.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

Just a horrible decision. Exposing players to more covid risk, travel, etc. for games that no one will watch because they'll be on at 2am live or you'll know the score by the time the replay airs.

 

A lot of people watch games at 2am :p

 

And there's hockey fans outside of the US too, you know.

 

Agree on the Covid risk, but at some point we need to continue our normal lives. The virus won't go away, and we can't hide from it forever.

[Pete]

A lot of people watch games at 2am [emoji14]

 

And there's hockey fans outside of the US too, you know.

 

Agree on the Covid risk, but at some point we need to continue our normal lives. The virus won't go away, and we can't hide from it forever.

Sorry, but the fact is that the audience outside the US doesn't have enough impact on anything at all to make a decision like this. Watching on illegal streams does nothing for ratings.

 

Regarding covid, you can't have rules in place where you can potentially be suspended for a positive covid test and then send people to the Olympics.

[Dunny]

Gonna be sweet when Canada boycotts, if we vote out Trudeau in a couple weeks.

[ThirtyONE]

Gonna be honest. I DGAF about hockey in the olympics.

[Dunny]

I sometimes do, but not when they're over there. Or Italy.

 

It's just be better to do it in their own terms. In North America.

[Karan]

Didn't give much of a fuck when they played in Sochi even though Canada won. And doubt I'll give much of a fuck if/when they play in Beijing, of all places.

[Keirik]

Gotta agree with Pete here. It’s a fairly dumb decision. And kind of selfish. I call nonsense if trying to say this is for the greater good of hockey and growing the sport. There is a time and place. The last thing this sport needs is a covid outbreak after all this time where the teams paying their salaries have lost a lot on revenue.