NHL will not send players to Beijing Olympics, citing the COVID-19 surge
CBSN
The NHL announced Wednesday that its players will not compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing amid a COVID-19 surge across the league. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that more than 50 regular season games have been postponed through December 23 because of recent COVID-related events, adding that for this reason, "Olympic participation is no longer feasible."
"We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee to host NHL Players but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone's best efforts," Bettman said. "We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026."
More than 15% of the league's 700-plus players are in virus protocol. Earlier this week, the NHL began its annual holiday break two days earlier than scheduled, amid a rise of positive COVID-19 test results among players. The pause is expected to end on Saturday.
