The "world's best ice hockey players have condemned a decision" by the NHL to rule out their participation in next year's Olympics, "a move that undermines a showcase event" of the Winter Games, according to Murad Ahmed of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The NHL said that it "will not allow" its players to travel to the 2018 PyeongChang Games, "ending months of increasingly bitter negotiations" between clubs, players' groups and Olympics organizers over the issue. The NHL said that an "overwhelming majority" of its team owners were opposed to its players participating at the Olympics. The league wanted a "proportion of the revenues gained" by the IOC as compensation for "shutting down" its season. On Tuesday, the NHL Players' Association said it was "extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL’s shortsighted decision ... players are patriotic and they do not take this lightly." Swedish N.Y. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said, "A huge opportunity to market the game at the biggest stage is wasted" (FT, 4/4). REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann reported the IOC "expressed regret that the world's best ice hockey players will miss next year's Winter Games." IOC President Thomas Bach said, "I feel sorry for the athletes because for them it must be a great disappointment. Obviously, they (NHL) wanted more money or whatever; we do not know what they really wanted." The decision will impact "almost every major hockey-playing nation," with the Swedish, Finnish, Russian, U.S. and Canadian teams "almost entirely comprised of NHL representatives." However, some players said that they "would like to go to the Games irrespective of what the league had decided." Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson said, "We players knew nothing, because naturally they haven't spoken to us. It's so idiotic. Whoever did this has obviously no idea what they are doing" (REUTERS, 4/4). YONHAP reported PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizers "remained hopeful" that NHL players "will come to South Korea." If the NHL's stance does not change, PyeongChang 2018 will be the first Winter Games without the "world's best hockey players" in 20 years. PyeongChang Organizing Committee spokesperson Sung Baik-you said, "There's still some time left. And I think all parties will continue to have discussions" (YONHAP, 4/4).
