- The recent world spike in Covid-19 prompted the NHL on Wednesday to back out the Beijing Olympics, removing the world’s best hockey players from one of the Games’ showcases sports.
- Team USA opens the men’s Olympic play on Feb. 10 against host China at 8:10 a.m. EST.
- The Olympics are broadcast in the United States on NBC.
The NHL backed out of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, withdrawing the world’s greatest hockey players from one of the Games’ major sports due to a recent global rise in Covid-19.
The National Hockey League had planned to take a break from competition from February 6 to 22 to send its top players to Beijing, but Covid outbreaks across North America have forced the sport to pause as reported by NBC.
Games postponed
Fifty NHL games have already been postponed and Commissioner Gary Bettman said sending players to Beijing “is no longer feasible.”
“We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee to host NHL Players but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts,” Bettman said in a statement.
“Covid-19 has unfortunately intervened, forcing dozens of games to be postponed this month alone.”
“Certainly, the players and hockey fans are quite disappointed,” he continued.
“We expect that NHL players will return to the Olympics in 2026.”
Men’s hockey
Amateurs and professional players from outside the NHL will likely stock the rosters.
The United States, Canada, Germany, China, the Russian Olympic Committee, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Latvia are the 12 teams competing for men’s hockey gold in Beijing.
Canadian Olympic Committee CEO and Secretary General David Shoemaker said Wednesday there’s “an extraordinarily deep talent pool in Canadian hockey” and vowed to field a competitive team in hopes of bringing Canada its fourth consecutive men’s hockey medal.
“While we’re disappointed, we certainly respect the decision of the NHL and NHLPA,” USA Hockey said.
Fielding a team of top professional athletes has always been a tricky proposition for Olympic hockey organizers, as the world’s top leagues are running at the time of winter games.
Skipping 2018 games
Those hurdles led to the NHL skipping the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, but all parties reached a new deal to send the world’s best to Beijing.
This most recent agreement included an option for the NHL to back out if circumstances, such as the pandemic, warranted.
Team USA opens the men’s Olympic play on Feb. 10 against host China at 8:10 a.m. EST.
The Olympics are broadcast in the United States on NBC.
NBC is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
“We understand the decision, but the Olympics remain the greatest hockey tournament in the world regardless of whether the players are from the NHL or other elite leagues around the world,” an NBC Sports representative said Wednesday.
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Source: NBC
