Report: NHL has ‘alternate’ schedule for 2018 Winter Olympics
The NHL and the International Olympic Committee have yet to reach an agreement for NHL players to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics. Despite this, there are sources saying that the NHL has an ‘alternate’ schedule in case they decide to attend.
Despite the fact that Gary Bettman and the NHL have been playing hardball, the door hasn’t been closed on the 2018 Winter Olympics just yet. Reports are surfacing out of Russia that the NHL has an ‘alternate’ schedule in case they do decide to attend the Olympics.
It was reported earlier today by Elliotte Friedman that AHL-only contracts could be released to their respective national teams for the 2018 Winter Olympics. This did not include the two-way NHL/AHL contracts of promising prospects within each organization.
According to Sport-Express writer Alexei Shevchenko, RUS NHLers have told him the league has a backup schedule with an Olympic break.
— Slava Malamud 🇺🇦 (@SlavaMalamud) July 18, 2017
While there has been no word from the NHL to give any optimism, the door has not been closed on the NHL attending the Olympics this year. Gary Bettman has been playing hard ball with the IOC regarding payment and insurance, claiming the NHL was gaining nothing from attending the Olympics.
While many NHL players have spoken out against the move by Bettman, including the likes of Alex Ovechkin, the NHL has stood firm on their decision. But with the developments of AHL-only, and possibly two-way AHL/NHL contracts, being able to attend, accompanied by this news, there is reason to believe that the NHL and the IOC may yet come to an agreement.
When the decision was made that the NHL was not going to attend the Olympics, Ovechkin had this to say,
"“I’m going.” “I didn’t change my mind and I won’t,” Ovechkin said. “I think the situation was the same before Sochi [in 2014]. They try to do some deals … I’m pretty sure everything is going to be fine. They just want some big story about it.”"
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And when taking into account that Ovechkin, and the entire KHL, plan to attend, the NHL will have to re-think their decision if Canada or the United States are to stand a chance of winning a medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.