NHL & Olympics: Remember 2018?
Doyle Yost
2025-05-14 08:33:43
Count answers: 7
In a nutshell, in April 2017, the NHL chose not to allow their players to compete in the 2018 Olympics because the event would require a 17-day break from their regular schedules, according to the NHL website. The longer story, though, is all kinds of drama. In a statement released by the organization, the NHL said though the majority of their clubs were opposed to disrupting the 2017-18 NHL season for Olympic participation, they were originally open to hearing from other relative organizations who might have been able to sway the issue — like the International Olympics Committee (IOC), the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) — but after months, no meaningful dialogue had happened. Reportedly, the IOC, which traditionally pays for the players' insurance, travel, and other accommodations, refused to do so in 2018.
Mallory Ferry
2025-05-10 06:09:26
Count answers: 6
Olympic Athletes from Russia came away with the gold medal in men’s hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The lack of NHL players led a wild tournament where anything could happen, including a stunning run to the final by the Germans. The decision by the NHL not to take a break during its season to participate in the Olympics sent shockwaves through the hockey world last year. The discord between the league and the International Olympic Committee forced national teams to turn elsewhere to fill their rosters for Pyeongchang, which gave this event a decidedly different feel from the past two decades. Gone was the star power that the NHL could bring to the festivities, and in its place was an opportunity for players who probably never dreamed of being here. The Russian team, which is officially being called Olympic Athletes from Russia as part of the IOC’s punishment for doping violations, fulfilled its role as the favorite by winning the gold medal.
Willow Bode
2025-04-28 01:26:02
Count answers: 6
NHL players were not part of the Winter Olympics in 2018 in South Korea. NHL players were not part of the 2018 Olympics due to a dispute between the league and the International Olympic Committee over who would cover costs such as travel, insurance and accommodations. The U.S. women had better luck by winning gold against Canada 20 years after taking home gold in 1998.
Pearlie Christiansen
2025-04-28 00:38:44
Count answers: 2
Turns out, the tournament in South Korea offered a glimpse of what was to come for a handful of players. Five years since starring for the Russians on their way to gold, Kirill Kaprizov is now a dominant force for Minnesota. Before joining the Kraken and scoring at will this season, Eeli Tolvanen was roommates with Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who along with then-17-year-old Swede Rasmus Dahlin are among the best at the position.
Few knew about Czech goaltender Pavel Francouz before he beat the U.S. in an elimination shootout in that tournament; now his name is on the Stanley Cup after helping Colorado win it last season. Claimed by the Kraken, he has since scored nine goals in 20 games. The Avalanche became the first team since 1972 to hoist the Cup after two goalies won at least five games each during their run, and they can, in part, thank Francouz’s experience five years ago for putting him on the radar.
Dahlin got into just two games with Sweden; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin played in one for the Russians; and Rangers Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin was the No. 3 goalie behind veteran national team starter Vasili Koshechkin. Now the Sabres’ top defenseman, Dahlin is playing plenty. It’s a dream come true to play there as an 18-year-old, but it’s something that for sure I want to be a part of again.
Mattie Bayer
2025-04-27 19:38:46
Count answers: 6
The National Hockey League chose not to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, which means some of the world’s greatest hockey players, including Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, were not allowed at the Games. The NHL decided in 2017 not to give its players a break during the 2017-18 season to compete for Team USA and other countries. The move puts an end to the NHL’s streak of sending its players to the Winter Olympics for the past five Games.
The NHL’s decision to pull out of the 2018 Winter Olympics came as a result of a series of disputes between the league and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the costs incurred by NHL athletes and who would cover them. The IOC had paid for the travel, insurance, accommodations and other costs for NHL players but refused to continue to do so for 2018. Top athletes who go to the Olympics in the middle of the NHL season could get injured, which could affect the outcome of the hockey season, the NHL said.
The players are extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL’s shortsighted decision not to continue our participation in the Olympics.
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