ASSUME WE ARE NOT GOING

Olympics in doubt, Bettman says

The window of hope regarding the participation of NHLers at the 2018 Winter Olympics has closed a little more, due in part to the most gloom-anddoom statement to date delivered by commissioner Gary Bettman.

Is it officially shut? No, there still remains a crack of opportunity.

“As things stand now, people should assume we are not going,” Bettman told Reuters on Tuesday, citing the fact no negotiations are ongoing with the International Olympic Committee.

The league has been clear it wants to have a form of IOC Top Sponsor Status for handing over US$3.5 billion in player contracts to participate, which would allow its platforms such as nhl.com and the NHL Network to have preferred priority when it comes to content from the Winter Games.

Because it is forced to shut down its operations for two weeks if its players take part, the NHL also has made it clear it wants the IOC to cover all incremental costs such as travel and insurance, something the Olympic governing body says it will no longer do after taking care of those expenses for NHLers in the past five Winter Games.

“From our standpoint, there may not be any next steps,” Bettman said.

Note the way Bettman words some of these phrases.

“As things stand now ...”

“... there may not be ...” Indicators? Yes. Officially closing the books on the issue? Not yet.

“If a final decision had been made, I would expect the union would release an official statement,” an NHL player rep said Tuesday night. “And we haven’t been told that yet. At least I haven’t.”

Keep this in mind, too: The NHL did not finalize its plans to send players to the 2014 Olympics until July 2013. The league already has Olympic and non- Olympic schedules ready for the 2017-18 season.