It is "likely" the NHL will officially announce next
month that its players will participate in the 2002 Olympics
in Salt Lake City, according to Scott Morrison of the
TORONTO SUN, who wrote that the deal could be "linked" to
the 20th anniversary of the U.S.' gold medal win in Lake
Placid. Both sides have agreed to a 12-day break in the NHL
schedule, which would allow for a ten-day tournament from
February 15-24. Morrison: "All of that is four days shorter
than the Nagano experience, which dragged on far too long,
and the owners didn't want to shut down for a full two weeks
again." Sources said that "all that has to be resolved is
the matter of full-access credentials" for NHL execs, "many
of whom were denied" access in Nagano (TORONTO SUN, 1/9).
WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? In Calgary, Eric Bishop wrote
on a possible NHL labor dispute when the NHL CBA expires
after the 2004 season. Bishop noted that 25 of the "top" 30
NHL agents met last week in Atlanta with NHLPA Exec Dir Bob
Goodenow. Agent Art Breeze, on the meeting: "It was held
over a couple of days and the attending agents represented
75% of all NHL players. ... There were so many issues but
every business gamut was touched on" (CALGARY SUN, 1/9).
