Report: NHLers want alternative to Olympics

The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association have announced that it will not send its players to participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in February. The announcement was made earlier today. 

This news came just two days after the league announced the season would be shut down for its holiday break a day early, and pause activities starting today.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, who was named one of the players named to Canada’s initial roster for the Beijing Games, expressed how disappointed he was for players who might not get another Olympic opportunity.

As the news was trending on Tuesday and fans waited for the official announcement, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman explained that NHLers could be looking for an alternative to missing out on the Winter Games, and suggests that they will want a World Cup of Hockey to replace the Olympics.

"This means eight years since the most recent best-on-best Olympic Tournament, and six years since the last World Cup of Hockey. It’s not the most immediate priority as Omicron swamps the world, but the NHL and NHLPA must find space for another World Cup, and as soon as is humanly possible," wrote Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts column on Sportsnet. 

The last World Cup of Hockey took place in 2016, 12 years after the second WCH of 2004. Canada defeated Team Europe in the best-of-three final.

It remains to be seen if NHL players can confirm that they indeed want to replace the Olympics with a tournament like the World Cup can offer.

However, for now, you heard it first from Friedman. Many other insiders and pundits are also hinting at this possibility.