NHLers last played Olympic hockey at the '14 Sochi Games, with a star-studded Team Canada taking Goldgetty images
IIHF President Rene Fasel is "encouraged after learning the NHL's pending labor deal opens the possibility of the world's best players returning to the Olympics," according to John Wawrow of the AP. Fasel said that he "doesn't foresee any major stumbling blocks that could derail negotiations leading up to the 2022 Beijing Games." Fasel: "There are a lot of challenges. But I think in principle, I would say the news that that's in the CBA, for me and especially international hockey, is very good news." A source said that the CBA "includes a provision that would allow NHL players to compete at the next two Winter Games, including the 2026 Olympics in Italy." Fasel said that he was "encouraged after the parties had what he called 'a very positive meeting' in N.Y. in early February. He added, "We do not have leverage, and we just have to get the PA and the NHL to understand this is good for the promotion of the sport, especially in Asia" (AP, 7/8). THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ryan Kennedy wrote this is "undoubtedly great news for hockey fans (and the IOC's wallets), as we will truly get best-on-best hockey in 2022 and 2026." The '18 Pyeongchang Games "will always have an asterisk next to them because the NHL skipped the proceedings and the results in no way reflected the state of the international game at the time" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 7/7).
FOLLOWING THROUGH: In Chicago, Ben Pope notes a possible CBA extension was an "even more notable, impressive and important development to come out of the NHL's announcement Monday." No major North American professional league has been as "frequently interrupted and seen its popularity and revenue growth as slowed by labor disputes as the NHL has." To see a CBA that "could have expired as soon as September extended through 2026, pending an official vote, is encouraging for the future." The NHL and NHLPA "laid the groundwork for this cooperation last fall," and it turns out those "rosy statements weren't just for show" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/8).
