
Olympic decision still pending as World Cup of Hockey approaches
TORONTO — On the eve of staging their own international tournament that will pit best on best, the leaders of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are weighing the pros and cons of returning to the Winter Olympics in 2018.
While NHLers have participated in every Games since 1998, the league has long been hesitant to shutter its season for weeks at a time, while also condensing its schedule, to accommodate the Olympic tournament.
A new wrinkle in advance of the next Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, centres around out-of-pocket payments the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation have covered, a practice the IOC has suggested stopping under president Thomas Bach.
Adding additional costs is viewed as a potential bridge too far for both the league and the union.