USA Hockey 'hopeful' NHL players will play in 2022 Olympics
With COVID-19 outbreaks affecting sports leagues throughout the United States and Europe, there are growing concerns that NHL players will not be able to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics because of protocols and guidelines that could lead to a player having to quarantine in China for between three and five weeks if he tests positive for the virus, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.
According to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the league's website, USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said Tuesday the plan remains for NHL stars to compete in the Winter Olympics.
"We certainly are hopeful that all systems will be go by the time we get ready to go to Beijing, but there's certainly still work to be done," Kelleher explained. "There are a lot of moving parts. There are things that still have to be discussed and hopefully answered so that everybody can feel the best about sending the best players to the Olympics from the NHL."
Kelleher added USA Hockey is "still working to get finalization" on quarantine rules for players who test positive from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Meanwhile, USA Hockey assistant executive director John Vanbiesbrouck admitted there is a "Plan B" that involves using players from the American Hockey League, European competitions, college teams and from the pool used to build the 2018 Olympic squad.
NHL players did not compete in that tournament.
Multiple players, such as Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, have voiced understandable concerns over potentially having to quarantine in a foreign country for multiple weeks. A different factor entering conversations ahead of Christmas, however, are schedule disruptions.
The NHL is set to pause the season from Feb. 3-22 for All-Star weekend and the Olympics, but even one of those weeks could offer clubs valuable time to make up games lost to COVID-19 outbreaks. Just this week, the Calgary Flames had three contests postponed, and they currently have nine players and one staff member in the league's COVID-19 protocol. The Carolina Hurricanes had their matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night called off after six players tested positive for the virus.
As much as NHL Players' Association members want to represent their countries on the world's biggest stage, they might ultimately have to decide leaving North America for a midseason competition during a global pandemic isn't beneficial for anybody involved.
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