Doubts Loom for NHL Players at 2018 Winter Olympics

(ATR) The National Hockey League and International Olympic Committee appear further than ever on reaching an agreement to participate at the PyeongChang 2018 Games.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly tells Around the Rings discussions with the IOC have not been positive on the major issues that will keep the NHL players away.

"To this point, we understand that the discussions have not been positive in the sense that the IOC has suggested it may not be willing to pay the same expenses that have historically been paid [since Nagano in 1998] to facilitate the involvement of NHL Players," Daley said.

"We have not had any direct contact or communications with the IOC regarding the terms of possible participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, so we can only speak to what the IIHF has told us," Daly toldAround the Rings.

Last week International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel said that the IOC will no longer cover transportation or insurance costs as they have for previous Games.

Fasel said that a deal will be "even more difficult" and "the prognosis is really not good."

The IOC has contributed to costs for all five Olympic Games that NHL players have competed in since the debut of the elite league’s players in Nagano 1998.

Fasel said he was notified of the news by the IOC at its March executive board meeting.

It is estimated that the IOC paid the NHL around $14 million for transportation and insurance for Sochi 2014. The IIHF contributed around $18 million. Fasel believes the costs can be minimized for 2018.

"We are of course disappointed, but also surprised," Fasel told ATR. "It has never been easy to reach an agreement to secure NHL participation, and this development certainly makes it more difficult for us, as the IIHF does not have the financial means to manage these kinds of costs."

The IOC and NHL came to an agreement in July 2013 for the league’s players to participate in Sochi, just seven months prior to the Games. PyeongChang 2018 is just under two years away.

"It’s too bad because ice hockey, along with curling are the only team sports at the Winter Olympics, and one should not apply the same standards to the Winter Games as to the Summer Games," the IIHF chief and IOC executive board member said.

Previous Olympic hockey tournaments have showcased the star power of names like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Teemu Selanne and Henrik Lundqvist, among others, all playing a leading role helping to boost worldwide exposure for the sport.

"Hockey is an important part of the Winter Olympic experience and the NHL ensures that we get a best-on-best tournament that helps to increase the profile of the Games," Fasel said.

The North American league has shut down its season for two weeks ever since NHL players first took the ice in Nagano ‘98. Owners have expressed concern over lost ticket revenues and threat of players suffering injuries at the Olympics.

If the world’s elite hockey players are not on the ice in PyeongChang, it would substantially hurt the credibility and buzz surrounding the Olympic tournament.

Fasel and Daly advised there are currently no further talks scheduled between any of the parties. The NHL executive said the league "does not have any expectations one way or the other" moving forward.

The NHL is currently in post-season play with the second of four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs just underway. The IIHF is busy preparing for its annual world championships which begin in Moscow and St. Petersburg on May 6.

"For sure we will work together do all that we can to bring the NHL, even though the challenges are significant," pledged Fasel.

Written by Brian Pinelli

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