Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby finally playing together on hockey’s biggest stage?
Not so fast.
NHL participation at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is still up in the air and the Games start in under two months.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee stated that in accordance with Chinese law, athletes at the Games who test positive for COVID-19 could potentially wind up having to quarantine for up to five weeks.
The NHL Players’ Association is waiting for the IOC to officially update the 2022 Olympic Playbook with all guidelines and measures related to the pandemic, testing and potential quarantines before surveying players on each country’s shortlist about whether or not to participate.
McDavid would be one of the headliners at this year’s tournament if NHL players go to Beijing, as it would be his first time representing Canada at the Olympics.
How does he feel about the idea of a five-week quarantine? He said it was “unsettling.”
McDavid also said that he’d still like to play in the Olympics and that players should gather all information possible and make an informed decision.
“I’m still a guy that’s wanting to go play in the Olympics,” McDavid said. “But we also want to make sure it’s safe for everybody, and for all the athletes, not just for hockey players.
“I’m not in the position to make that decision today. Again, we’ve got to gather all the facts and information and go from there.”
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner has already stated that he won’t join Team Sweden in Beijing because he didn’t believe it would be ideal for his mental health.
“Reality is that what [has] been said about how it’s going to be is not ideal for my mental health,” Lehner said via Twitter. “My well-being [has to] come first, and being locked down and not knowing what happens if you test positive (for COVID-19) is [too] much of a risk for me. Sweden will have a great team, and Markstrom is a beast. Hope people understand.”
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