NHL, NHLPA explores possibility of players participating in 2026 Olympics

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league and the NHLPA are “working on” the idea of players competing in the 2026 Olympics while attending the Global Series games in Sweden, according to TSN. Bettman: “We know it’s important to the players. They really want to be part of a best-on-best representing their countries, but there are logistical things that have to be taken care of by the (IOC and IIHF), but we and the players’ association are working at it very hard because we want it to happen. We wanted to be at the last Olympics and then the pandemic happened.” Bettman also addressed the prospect of staging a Hockey World Cup saying the “world’s gotten a little more complicated in terms of who can participate and when.” He said the “change in executive directors held things up a little bit, but Marty Walsh is as focused on doing international events and having an international calendar as we are. The level of cooperation between us and the players’ association may be at an all-time high.” One of the issues the league has to deal with is Russia currently being banned from IIHF competitions, with Bettman saying they “want to be flexible to an extent because we want it to happen” (TSN, 11/16).

INTERNATIONAL GOALS: THE ATHLETIC’s Chris Johnston notes this is the “13th season that the NHL has held regular-season games outside of North America and the first time it has brought four teams to the same city.” While plans are “still being finalized for 2024-25,” sources said that the league has “held discussions about returning to a two-team model at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland.” As for this week’s series of four games in four days at Avicii Arena, Bettman acknowledged that there was “some initial trepidation over whether that was too much for one market to bear.” The crowd for Thursday’s Red Wings–Senators game was “solid and enthusiastic,” but a top section on one side of the arena was “curtained off.” Johnston writes expansion “may be on the distant horizon” for the 32-team NHL, but it “doesn’t sound like it’s a pressing matter.” Bettman said, “You hear me name Quebec City, Atlanta, Houston, Salt Lake City, but we’re not in an expansion mode. We take meetings, we listen, but we’re not about to say ‘If you want an expansion team, submit your application by X date and we’ll evaluate it.’” Bettman: “We’re not doing that. That doesn’t mean at some point somebody may create a proposal that we find so intriguing that we decide to explore it and maybe pursue it. But that’s not what we’re doing now” (THE ATHLETIC, 11/16).

OTHER ORDERS OF BUSINESS: SPORTSNET.ca’s Luke Fox While specifics of Senators C Shane Pinto's “break of NHL betting protocol remain vague,” one of the by-products his 41-game suspension has been a “questioning of whether or not NHL players have been properly informed what they can and cannot do with regards to wagering.” Bettman said, “What's clear is there was no betting on NHL hockey, but there are lots of ways that you can involve yourself in sports betting that are inappropriate. Most of them are common sense, OK?” He added, “Without telling you what Shane did or didn't do, if you're in a jurisdiction where you're not supposed to be betting, you shouldn't be betting.” Bettman: “If you're betting on a platform that says you shouldn't be sharing an account, you shouldn't be sharing an account. Or in a jurisdiction where people shouldn't be placing bets for you, you shouldn't be doing that.” The commissioner said the players “get briefed on this annually by security” and the league does “briefings on it at the rookie orientation program. There's no surprise here” (SPORTSNET.ca, 11/16). Bettman also said that the league and the NHLPA are “in talks about neck guards and other protective equipment.” He said that the league “won’t make neck guards mandatory.” However, Bettman noted “players are free to wear neck guards” and he “would strongly encourage it” (TORONTO STAR, 11/16).