OLYMPIC BREAK IN NHL SCHEDULE

The NHL'S 2021-22 regular season schedule being released this week includes a break for the Winter Olympics in Beijing, ESPN reported Monday. Opening ceremonies in China are scheduled for Feb. 4, 2022, with preliminary round action in men's ice hockey starting around Feb. 9. The Olympic break in the NHL schedule will run from Feb. 5-22, the ESPN report says. Participation by NHL players hasn't yet been approved, however. Before the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, pictured, said there were “concerns about whether or not it's sensible to have our players participating and us shutting down for an Olympic break.” According to ESPN, an agreement between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee is still in the works. The NHL didn't allow players to take part in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.