The NHL was presented with little choice.
And its players — those holding onto dreams of competing at the Olympics for the first time or, in some cases, hoping for one last hurrah — are left bitterly disappointed.
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down these last 19 months, and hockey has been no different.
There was still a belief, however, that despite the numerous challenges, the NHL would find its way to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Games.
But for the second time in as many quadrennials, the best of the league’s best won’t be stepping onto the sporting world’s biggest stage.
Considering that we just saw the US and Canadian governments do a bitchmade “no bureaucrats at the Olympics,” “boycott,” which you can read about here and here, this seems extremely suspicious. But luckily the NHL is run by 4’11 jew with a heart of gold Gary Bettman, so I’m sure this isn’t political.
NHL Commissioner (((Gary Bettman)))
The NHL made the only reasonable decision on the table Wednesday, officially announcing it won’t be going to February’s Olympics amid stark coronavirus concerns across the league that has seen an explosion of cases and 45 games postponed since Dec. 13.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that “profound disruption” to the schedule caused by COVID-19 meant Olympic participation was “no longer feasible.”
“We have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option,” Bettman said. “Current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts.”
For those who aren’t aware, the NHL has this policy whereby any extremely healthy and asymptomatic 25 year old man in the NHL who tests positive for Covid-19 has to immediately “self-isolate,” and test negative for Covid-19 not once, but twice in a 48 hour period. Only then are they allowed to come back to the NHL and finally play again.
And just a few days ago, the NHL drastically increased their Covid-19 protocols.
The NHL is implementing enhanced COVID-19 protocols for all 32 teams, with the changes lasting through at least Jan. 7. After the new year, the league and NHLPA will revisit the issue and a decision will be made to either roll back the changes or extend them.
The protocols, which teams experienced last season, include daily testing (no longer every third day); masks worn inside team facilities; limited interactions away from home, hotels, and rinks; and meetings to be held virtually.
Needless to say, everybody not politically benefiting from this thinks it’s a joke.
Among others, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman drummed up debate about how the NHL might handle COVID protocol and testing with comments from the weekend.
“I really don’t know what the right thing is. At the end of the day, I think — and now I’m getting political — but at the end of the day our players are testing positive with very little symptoms, if any symptoms at all,” Yzerman said.
“I don’t see it as a threat to their health at this point. I think you might take it a step further and question why are we even testing, for guys that have no symptoms.”
Earlier this week, Blues center Ryan O’Reilly voiced similar views as Yzerman and Hellebuyck. In ROR’s opinion, the NHL should administer COVID tests to players showing symptoms.
So, with that as context we look to the supposed reason why the NHL pulled out of Beijing.
The NHL made the only reasonable decision on the table Wednesday, officially announcing it won’t be going to February’s Olympics amid stark coronavirus concerns across the league that has seen an explosion of cases and 45 games postponed since Dec. 13.
An explosion of cases that they induced through extra testing.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that “profound disruption” to the schedule caused by COVID-19 meant Olympic participation was “no longer feasible.”
Games that they missed due to their own policies of postponing games due to asymptomatic Covid-19 suspended players.
“We have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option,” Bettman said. “Current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts.”
Thanks Bettman, very cool.
Mens Hockey at the Winter Olympics is my favourite Olympic sport by far. But luckily (((Gary Bettman))) is just really looking out for player safety by increasing Covid-19 tests to daily and making sure that the players who test positive asymptomatically don’t get to play.
The decision to pull out of the 2022 Games means young superstars like Canada’s Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews of the United States and Germany’s Leon Draisaitl will have to wait for their time under the international spotlight.
Canada’s Sidney Crosby, 34, Russia’s Alex Ovechkin, 36, and a host of other veterans, meanwhile, might have just watched their last Olympic shots evaporate.
“Difficult to wrap your head around, given the fact that we thought we’d have the opportunity,” Crosby, who won gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014, said Tuesday before the Olympic news became official.
“Definitely feel for the guys who have missed numerous opportunities.”
Tampa Bay Lightning captain and Canadian hopeful Steven Stamkos — passed over in 2010 and injured in 2014 — is one of those players.
“You grow up wanting to represent your country and win a gold medal,” said the 31-year-old. “That’s something I probably won’t have a chance to do now.”
Tampa defenceman Victor Hedman, who was left behind by Sweden in 2014 and then missed out when the NHL didn’t go to Pyeongchang the same year he won the Norris Trophy in 2018, was also left with an empty feeling.
“It’s going to hurt for a while,” said Hedman, who’s also 31.
Crosby added players understand and value the uniqueness of the Olympics.
“These are opportunities and experiences of a lifetime that you don’t get very many of as an athlete,” he said. “You might only get one.”
Oh but it’s okay that these young men don’t get to represent their country anyway. Nationalism is overrated, except for Israel.
