IIHF President Says Winter Olympics Would Be Devalued By NHL's Absence

An Olympic hockey tournament without the particiaption of the world's best players would devalue the whole Winter Games, Int'l Ice Hockey Federation President René Fasel said. The NHL's participation at the 2018 PyeongChang Games was thrown into serious doubt this week after the IOC decided it will no longer contribute toward travel and insurance costs of NHL players. “There’s a risk that we will not have NHL players in PyeongChang,” Fasel told SBD Global. “The value of the Winter Olympics would be so different, but this is not our call. It’s the call of the IOC.” NHL players have participated in five consecutive Olympics dating back to the 1998 Nagano Games. Ahead of the 2014 Sochi Games, the NHL reached a deal with the IOC and IIHF in which both organizations contributed $14M and $18M, respectively, toward the league's Olympic-related costs. The recent news has created a “headache” for the IIHF, Fasel said, but the governing body is still working on finding a solution. “I would say this is like a hockey game and it will go into overtime and shootout until a decision is made,” he said. The 66-year-old dentist, who has been the head of the IIHF since ‘94, expects a final decision by January at the latest. The IIHF is keen on having NHL players travel to South Korea in ’18 as it considers Asia the region with the biggest growth potential for the sport. “The NHL is a very important partner, especially when we go to Asia,” Fasel said. “The NHL brand is much more ‘sexy,’ more attractive than any other brand.” Even more important than South Korea for the sport's growth is China, which will host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Of China's roughly 1.3 billion people, only around 2,000 currently play organized hockey, according to Fasel. The IIHF views the ’18 and ’22 Olympics as a catalyst for the sport’s growth in Asia.