The National Hockey League will not send its players to compete in the men's ice hockey tournament at the Beijing Winter Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
"Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL's regular-season schedule caused by recent Covid-related events - 50 games already have been postponed through December 23 – Olympic participation is no longer feasible," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
The NHL agreed last September to pause its regular season so the world's top players could compete in Beijing with the caveat it could withdraw if COVID-19 disruptions forced games to be rescheduled during the Olympics window.
"The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL Players to represent their countries and participate in a 'best on best' tournament," Bettman said.
The league plans to have players return to clubs on Sunday to resume the season after that, with negative Covid tests required for access to facilities as the NHL continues to follow Covid health and safety protocols.
