modern world Sudden rise in Covid-19 NHL Wednesday at Back to the Beijing Olympics, by removing the best hockey players in the world from an exhibition sport.
From February 6 to 22, the National Hockey League took a break from work to send its top players to Beijing, but the surge of Covid in North America has disrupted the sport.
Fifty NHL games have already been postponed and Commissioner Gary Pittman has said sending players to Beijing “is no longer viable”.
“We certainly appreciate and appreciate the efforts of the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee to welcome the NHL players, but the current circumstances prevent us from moving forward despite the efforts of all. Bateman said in a statement. “We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026,” he added.
A pre-scheduled Olympic break will likely give NHL table makers valuable space on the postponed game schedule.
“Until recently, it seemed like we were on the right track to go to Beijing,” said Don Fehr, CEO of the NHLPA. He said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Covid-19 stepped in, forcing dozens of matches to be postponed this month alone.”
“No matter how much we wish that didn’t happen, we have to take advantage of the Olympic period to reschedule these games,” Fehr said.
He continued, “Of course the hockey players and the fans are very disappointed. But playing a full 82-game season this year, which the pandemic has prevented us from doing since the 2018-19 season, is very important. We hope the NHL players will return to the Olympics in 2026. ”
Amateurs and non-NHL pro players will likely have action rosters.
United States, Canada, Germany and China The Russian Olympic Committee, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Latvia are the 12 teams vying for gold in men’s hockey in Beijing.
President and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee David Shoemaker said on Wednesday There is an “extraordinarily rich reservoir of talent in Canadian hockey” and he is committed to building a competitive team with the hope of winning Canada’s fourth consecutive medal in men’s hockey.
The American Hockey League, the national governing body of the sport, said a list would be drawn up in mid-January.
“While we are disappointed, we certainly respect the decision of the NHL and NHLPA,” said the American Hockey Association.
Building a team with the best professional athletes has always been a difficult proposition for Olympic hockey organizers, as the best leagues in the world are held during the Winter Games.
It wasn’t until 1998 in Nagano that the pros first hit their Olympic ice and the world’s best hockey players came together in 2002 (Salt Lake City), 2006 (Turin), 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi) thanks to a complex schedule and deals with multiple international stakeholders.
These obstacles led the NHL to skip the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, But all parties came to a new deal Send the best player in the world to Beijing. The latter deal included an option for the NHL to back down if circumstances, such as the pandemic, warranted it.
The US team is not the NHL team in 2018 A mix of college stars, junior leagues and professionals who play in foreign leagues.
Harvard University Ryan Donato, now in the center with Seattle KrakenE He scored five goals for the US teamWho reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 Olympics before being Was eliminated on penalties from the Czech Republic.
The U.S. team to open the men’s Olympic game on February 10 vs. host nation China at 8:10 a.m. EST. Then the Americans play two more group matches against them Canada 11:10 PM EST February 11 and Germany at 8:10 a.m. EDT on February 13.
The Olympic Games are broadcast on United States with NBC. NBC is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
“We understand the decision, but the Olympics remain the biggest hockey tournament in the world, whether the players are from the NHL or other elite leagues around the world,” an NBC Sports representative said Wednesday.
“We are confident that hockey fans and Olympic spectators alike will once again appreciate the unique style of play that only occurs once every four years when athletes represent their country at the Olympics.
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