The NHL has more than a few concerns about participating in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Speaking with the media, including CBC’s Joshua Clipperton, following the conclusion of Friday’s Board of Governors meeting, Commissioner Gary Bettman didn’t shy away from expressing his hesitations either:
We have real concerns on a whole host of issues… We have concerns, and we’ve expressed those to the players’ association… Our concerns have only been magnified… I actually find it difficult to believe that a player would want to go…. I don’t think that this is going to be the ideal Olympic experience in terms of the lockdowns in the Olympic Village and everything else that’s going on.
The league’s apprehension is based mostly on the continued issues with the spread of the Coronavirus, not only across the league but on a global basis, China included. The NHL has seen the majority of its teams impacted by COVID-19 already this season, including at the cost of some games. Olympic participation would mean sending its biggest stars off, out of the protection of the league’s protocols and to the origin point of the virus and to protocols that have yet to be finalized and announced. In that same vein, Bettman discussed the possibility that China could mandate a three-week quarantine for any athletes who test positive for COVID and stated that he would be surprised if any NHLer would risk an additional three weeks in the country in order to play at the Olympics. Beyond the COVID conversation, there are also a number of political red flags as the governments of both Canada and the United States have become more vocal of late about the human rights violations taking place in China.
Yet, with all that said, Bettman is standing by his word. Barring a joint decision between the NHL and NHLPA – with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stating his expectation that the two sides would be on the same page should it reach this point – to disallow participation, the final decision will lie with the players themselves:
We made a promise to the players, and I’m going, to the best of our ability, adhere to it, understanding that there may be consequences that nobody’s gonna like… It’s not like we haven’t expressed our concerns. But in the final analysis, subject to some caveats, with all of the issues that are being raised… the players, for the most part, seem to continue to be saying they want to go… ultimately, this is going to have to be a players’ decision.
A return to the Olympics was in fact collectively bargained when the NHL and NHLPA agreed to a new CBA last year. The players have right to compete for gold if they so choose, though it is obvious that the league would rather they not. Bettman does note that more players have expressed their concerns of late, but will it be enough? That remains to be seen with time ticking away before the opt-out deadline of January 10 and the opening of the tournament in two months.
the right decision, as it always has been and should stay.
OK, but…
If they do NOT go to the Olympics, is there any sort of backup plan to fill those 3 empty weeks on the schedule?
I doubt there is, so there will be 3 weeks without NHL hockey either way, right?
Of course. You can’t just put a schedule together in a half hour, including plane charters, arena dates and all. I expect we’re going to be seeing a lot of AHL and college hockey games. (Alright, I’m not dismayed, given that I live in the next town over from Amherst and UMass hockey, and a dozen miles from Springfield and the Thunderbirds and AIC, but.)
What’s going on inside of China is not a mystery. These genocide Olympics are the modern equivalent of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
For any athlete that goes there this is not something that will wash off.
link to washingtonpost.com
Gotta love sportwashing. What a disgrace that money is the only thing that impacts decisions nowadays.
and like the USSR games that were protested, protesting isnt going to push the needle. China doesnt need your money, but certainly would use getting less from you as an excuse to squeeze more out of their people. yeah, we’re really gonna look back fondly on those gestures years from know…
jdgoat – “Nowadays”. It’s always been about economics (resources). From the dawn of time, before history itself.
What I think is Not about money is a Professional sports player (NHL or otherwise) choosing to attend as it has no effect on their wage. They get paid either way. Why risk it. National pride? A trophy?
What is hockey without intrigue and suspense?
Internet guess is that a majority of players say no thanks. Worst case is that players could be over there for six weeks if they test positive near the end of the games. I don’t see a lot of guys with kids taking that risk.
The NHL should have boycotted this Chinese farce. After launching the Coronavirus on the world, threatening Taiwan, and imprisoning their Muslim population, why is anyone supporting these Chinese Olympics??
Ultimately the Olympics should be for amateurs that train in each individual sport everyday of every year.. Professional hockey or basketball and I include now golf and soccer into this mix. It should be players from like leagues they don’t get paid to perform…it should not all be about who will get more money…
Except it hasn’t been about amateurs for years, look at all of the teams sent by the USSR and eastern bloc nations. And with the restrictions the AAU put on what an amateur is, many NCAA athletes would no longer be considered amateur.
“Let’s celebrate the 867th best golfer/tennis player/soccer player/hockey player in the world because they have NEVER been paid” is not that entertaining of a concept.
Yeah, Josh, that 1980 Lake Placid Olympics was a real borefest.
Thank you for citing an event made famous specifically for being the exception to this rule…literally known as a “miracle”, from 41 years ago no less, to prove my point.
And if people like you had their way, we never would’ve had that Miracle. And we wouldn’t have had the 1960 USA gold medal team either.
The NHL, if it weren’t controlled by its corporate sponsors, should’ve said no to the CCP Olympics 2 years ago. This shouldn’t be a last minute agonizing decision.
There is no agony. Players can decide for themselves. Fair enough. Let them decide if waving a flag is worth their health.
3 weeks rest to recoup from injuries etc. for those who do not go :)
I wonder if someone really goes will those people be called idiots and harassed by the woke crowd? What was that they said “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.