Beijing 2022: rising Covid-19 cases in the US throws doubt over participation of NHL players in Winter Olympics
- Covid-19 has once again caused NHL schedule disruptions and thrown doubt on whether it will send players to the Winter Olympics
- NHL Players’ Association said the main concern was uncertainty surrounding the quarantine of a person who tests positive while at the Olympics
Bill Guerin was formally introduced as the general manager of the US men’s ice hockey team on Wednesday (Hong Kong time), which still plans to send NHL players to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
A few hours later, Minnesota Wild – the team Guerin runs as general manager in his day job – had their game against Carolina postponed because of additional Covid-19 positives on the Hurricanes.
The coronavirus pandemic is, once again, causing NHL schedule disruptions, this time also casting the Olympics excursion for NHL personnel in doubt.
Players fought for the chance to go to Beijing in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, after NHL players did not play in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
At an NHL Board of Governors meeting in Florida last week, commissioner Gary Bettman punted, saying it is “ultimately going to have to be a players’ decision” if they want to opt out of the Games – either individually or as a whole.