NHL and NHLPA not sure if Players will Play in 2018 Olympics

The United States plays Finland for the bronze medal in men’s hockey at the 2014 Sochi Olympics on Saturday. On Sunday, Canada will meet Sweden for the gold medal.

After that, it is unknown whether NHL players will participate in the Olympics. The next winter games are scheduled for 2018 and Gary Bettman the NHL Commissioner said he would not discuss at this time whether NHL players will participate or not in 2018.

Bettman held a news conference earlier in the week with Don Fehr the executive director of the NHL Players’ Association and Rene Fasel the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Fasel told reporters that there was nothing comparable to a gold medal in the Olympic in the life of any athlete.

However, Bettman interjected and said, “Except for holding up the Stanley Cup as NHL Champions.”

The NHL and its player’s union have allowed its players to be a part of the Olympics since 1998. It has created an elite tournament and one of the most popular winter Olympics events.

South Korea will host the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang and no one can say whether NHL players will be present for those Olympics or not.

Bettman said it was up to the players. If the NHL players told the NHL they did not want to play, the league would not force them to play.

It would be shocking if the NHL players ever did say they did not want to play, as they all seem to love to have the opportunity to play on a world stage for their country for the gold medal every four years.

John Tavares a forward for Canada said the Olympics was a pinnacle in playing sports for your country and it is important to continue to find a way to participate going forward. Tavares might think differently today, as he was injured in Canada’s win against Latvia. Tavares will miss the remainder of this NHL season.

The NHLPA and NHL said they could likely decide over the next six months about playing in the 2018 Olympics, but did not want to be on a timetable.

International competitions in hockey will not go away, but it might not take place in the future at Olympics since NHL owners do not agree with it for a number of reasons.

Some owners of NHL teams do not like shutting down the NHL season for two weeks. They also know of the great risk the well-paid NHL players go through when playing for the gold.

The NHL and the Players’ Association said some form of world hockey event was in the works, but the format or when that would take place is still under discussion.

Regardless of what happens, Canada team will face Sweden on Sunday for the gold, while the U.S. faces Finland for the bronze.