IIHF chief expects NHL Olympic decision by end of January

International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president René Fasel has said he is holding out hope that a deal could yet be struck for participation of stars from North American league the NHL at the 2018 winter Olympic Games, but added that any agreement must be reached by mid-July at the latest.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said “people should assume” that players from the North American ice hockey league will not be competing at next year’s winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang with talks between the relevant parties having reached an impasse.

National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner Gary Bettman has said the impact of the return of its World Cup of Hockey property will not determine whether the North American league continues its participation in the winter Olympic Games.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has said that the women’s winter Olympic Games tournament could expand to include more teams at Beijing 2022, while the sport’s global governing body also talked up the possibility of a return for the unified Korean team.