NHL's Olympic Hesitation Another Looming Battle With NHLPA

Bettman Argues Sochi Too Far Away To Impact N. America

STAY OR GO? In Vancouver, Tony Gallagher wrote Bettman thought being part of the Olympics was a "good idea partly because he thought the Americans would win" the Gold Medal at either the '98 Nagano or '02 Salt Lake City Games and help "revive interest in the sport." But "they didn't, and no new interest was created" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 3/29). In Ottawa, Ken Warren noted both the NHL and the IIHF Friday said that there is "plenty of time for a decision to be made on NHL participation" before the '14 Games, but some NHL GMs "don't like the idea of sending their star players to another competitive environment in the middle of the season." However, Warren noted it is "not the NHL's decision alone." The players have "made it clear they want to participate in future Olympics and the issue has all the appearances of being a contentious one" when the CBA expires in '11 (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 3/28). In N.Y., Larry Brooks wrote if the NHL does not participate in the Sochi Games, "how many Russian players do you think will either enter into NHL contracts that end following" the '12-13 season or "simply stay home and refuse to play in the NHL" during the '13-14 season in order to participate in the Olympics? (N.Y. POST, 3/29).

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