Though the National Hockey League claimed to have "turned the page on the possibility of participating" in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Int'l Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said that his organization "remains hopeful" on the league's involvement, according to TSN. Fasel told German outlet Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger that he is "still trying to broker a deal," despite the NHL's announcement last month that the league "consider[ed] the matter officially closed." An IIHF official said that there is "no direct negotiation currently" between the IIHF and the NHL, but "discussions are ongoing" between the IIHF and the NHLPA and IOC. For Fasel, the "drop-dead date for NHL participation would be no later than mid-July because of the logistics required to accommodate an NHL contingent in South Korea." Fasel said that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's demands over NHL participation have been "unrealistic." Fasel: "[Bettman] claims the same rights for the NHL as a TOP (The Olympic Programme) sponsor who pays $100 million" (TSN, 5/7).
