Efforts Underway to Allow NHL Hockey Players to Return to Olympics

NHL hockey players have not helped their national teams in the Olympic Games since 2014, when they were held in Sochi. The head of the NHL Players’ Association, Marty Walsh, revealed that active work is currently underway to ensure that the best players can play in the Olympics again.

“My focus is on making it happen. Working with [NHL komisāru] Gary Bateman and the IIHF. Hopefully we can come to an agreement,” Walsh told ESPN.

“A lot of hockey players want to represent their countries and play against the best. They want to be a part of that,” added Walsh, who became head of the NHL Players’ Association just this year.

NHL hockey players were able to participate in five Olympic Games in a row from 1998 to 2014, but in 2018, the NHL management was unable to reach an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

On the other hand, in 2022, when NHL players were originally supposed to be able to compete in the Beijing Olympic Games, the plan was changed due to restrictions caused by the pandemic.