Bettman Insists NHL Players Will Not Compete In PyeongChang Games

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday said that even if the IOC "sweetens its offer," the NHL "will not participate" in the '18 PyeongChang Games. Bettman: "We're not going. That decision has been made." Bettman added the league is "confident our players will remain with their teams" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/22). Bettman also commented on parity in the NHL, saying, "We have extraordinary competitive balance. You see it throughout the regular season. Every game seems to matter when you get to the point where you need to qualify for the playoffs. Virtually every team gives its fans hope at the start of the regular season. And I think what you've seen over the last decade or so is once the playoffs start, anything can happen" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/22).