Time running out on Olympic decision

PALM BEACH, FLA. — While Gary Bettman says time is running short for the NHL to determine whether it will participate in the 2018 Olympics, the next step for the league isn’t entirely clear.

The board of governors meetings wrapped in Palm Beach on Friday with no clear direction regarding participation in the Pyeongchang Games.

It was clear, however, that there is a collective distaste among owners for players attending a sixth consecutive Games. “There’s nothing right now,” Bettman said when asked what the next step was in regard to the Olympics. “We’ll see what happens. There’s nothing new from (Thursday) when we discussed it.”

Thursday’s session revealed “strong negative sentiment” toward the Olympics among the league’s owners. Bettman said the group collectively failed to see the upside of attending again and believed it to be more of an impediment than benefit. “I think after doing five of these, I don’t know, fatigue might be a word (to describe it),” Bettman said.

The league’s recent proposal to the NHL Players’ Association, which included a long-term plan for international tournaments, was rejected. Bettman had hoped the idea, which might have offered two Olympics, two World Cups and two Ryder Cup-style events, would have helped change the minds of owners who are against attending the 2018 Games.

Wayne Gretzky, now a member of the Edmonton Oilers management team, attended the meetings and hoped the league ultimately chose to attend. “I’m a big believer in the Olympic Games,” said Gretzky, who played in the 1998 Games and built the team that won gold said. “I happen to love everything about the Olympic Games.”

Even Gretzky, though, could see the logistical challenges of attending the South Korea Games, noting the difficulty of travel from Japan in ’98, he ultimately thought it was was an almost unparalleled “spectacle.”

Bettman said the recently completed World Cup of Hockey was deemed a big success internally, though some owners were concerned by injuries suffered during the event, including Dallas Stars centre Tyler Seguin, Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray.

“The final take is I think we were able to re-establish this event in a very big, major way.”