According to matching information from US-Media will find the Olympic Games in February without ice hockey professionals from the NHL instead of. The reported in addition to the US news agency AP also the “Washington Post” and the “New York Times“on Tuesday (December 21st, 2021), citing anonymous sources.
Official statement is missing
An official statement from the National Hockey League it did not initially exist, according to media reports it is planned for Wednesday. The Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing from February 4th to 20th.
The Olympic dream of the German national players Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken), Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings) and Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators) is probably just as broken as the hope of Nico Sturm from Augsburg (Minnesota Wild) on a debut in the national jersey.
50 games already canceled
the NHL and the players’ union had agreed in the collective agreement before the start of the season that, unlike in 2018, the professionals from the North American professional league may again take part in the Olympics – but the league may withdraw until January 10 if the risk of the corona pandemic should arise or the number of games postponed because of this becomes too large.
Only on Monday did the NHL the Christmas break extended and all 32 Teams It is forbidden to use their training grounds in the period from December 22nd to 25th. Teams will not be allowed to travel or train in the afternoon until December 26th. So far, a total of 50 games have been canceled. Even without a break from the Olympics in February, making up for these matches will not be easy – many halls of NHL teams have been booked for other events for the period of the games.
Hedman: “Will hurt for a while”
Even before the official announcement of the decision that the NHL according to the media reports on Tuesday already communicated to the players’ union, expressed themselves NHL-Stars disappointed. The Swede Victor Hedman from defending champion Tampa Bay Lightningwho, like Draisaitl, has never been to the Olympics, said: “It’s something you’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. That we can’t go there will hurt for a while.”
Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who was already Olympic champion with Canada in 2010 and 2014, said: “These are opportunities and life experiences that you don’t get many of as an athlete, you might just get one.”
dpa
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Status: 12/22/2021, 7:31 am