While the next Winter Olympics are still more than three years away, TSN’s Gord Miller notes (Twitter link) that the IIHF has given the IOC four potential options for the 2022 competition. One is to use NHL players, another is like the most recent entry where non-NHL professionals could play, and one of the four is to simply have no tournament. The other proposed option is under-23 players (it’s not specified as to whether or not NHL players would be eligible) where some junior-aged prospects would likely get a chance to play as well.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has suggested previously that they wouldn’t mind going to the Summer Olympics where it wouldn’t interfere with the regular season. With new CBA talks on the somewhat-near horizon, there’s a decent chance that the Players’ Association looks to make this a collectively-bargained issue once again. At any rate, while these options are already out there, we’re a long way from knowing whether or not NHL players will be going back to the Olympics in Beijing.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- While Tampa Bay been active this summer signing players to extensions, they have not started discussions with center Brayden Point, reports Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required). The 22-year-old finished third on the Lightning in scoring last season with 66 points (32-34-66) in 82 games but with all of their commitments for next season already (nearly $66MM to just 12 players), it’s going to be difficult for them to work out a long-term deal without having to free up some extra room first. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team pursue a bridge contract with Point next summer.
- With the Red Wings expected to struggle next season, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that the team could look to move defenseman Trevor Daley around the trade deadline. The 34-year-old wouldn’t be a pure rental as he’s signed through 2019-20 but his offensive skill set and mobility could be enough for a contending team to be willing to take on the extra year of his deal.
So Bettman is open to the summer olympics? Did they start playing hockey in the summer now? Am I missing something?
He’s open to not interrupting the regular season schedule. And so would teams like Ottawa, who let Hasek go to the 06 Olympics and lost him for the 07 playoffs to injury, where they lost the cup final to the Ducks.
They do not play pro hockey in the summer, except for that World Cup of Hockey thing, which is why it would be a fantastic alternative actually. Except a lot of players opt for surgery in the offseason, so hopefully no one tries to play through it, should they be an Olympic hopeful haha on summer Olympic years.