National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks during a news conference at Staples Center, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, in Los Angeles. The NHL All-Star Game is scheduled to be played at Staples Center on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (The Associated Press)
The National Hockey League announced Monday that it would not participate in next year's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In a statement, the NHL said "the overwhelming majority" of the league's 30 clubs were "adamantly opposed" to a 16-day break that would have allowed the NHL's best players to represent their country in the Olympics.
The league said no meaningful dialogue had materialized in talks with the NHLPA, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Even after the IIHF had agreed to pay for players' travel and insurance costs when the IOC refused, the NHL had been looking for more concessions, believed to include marketing opportunities tied to the Games. The league wanted the matter resolved before the playoffs begin April 13.
"We now consider the matter officially closed," the league's statement concluded.
Players immediately blasted the decision.
"Disappointing news, (the NHL) won't be part of the Olympics 2018. A huge opportunity to market the game at the biggest stage is wasted," tweeted New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who won the 2006 Olympic gold medal with Sweden. "But most of all, disappointing for all the players that can't be part of the most special adventure in sports."
Former NHL forward Brandon Prust, who's now playing in Germany, tweeted: "Way to ruin the sport of hockey even more Gary (hash)Olympics."
"Good to see the NHL and Gary Bettman always looking out for the good of the game," prominent agent Allan Walsh tweeted. "So much for that grand partnership with the players."
The NHL and NHLPA teamed up on the return of the World Cup of Hockey last fall and had made strides on growing the sport internationally, including games in China and Sweden later this year. The NHL has not ruled out participating in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, though the IIHF and IOC had indicated that could be conditional on the NHL going to South Korea. For now, the league is making its 2017-18 schedule without a break for the Olympics.
The league has cited the 13-hour difference from Pyeongchang to the Eastern time zone as one of its concerns. There was 13-hour difference to Nagano in 1998, six to Turin in 2006 and nine to Sochi in 2014. Team owners have long complained that stopping the NHL season every four years wasn't worth it and they have been wary of injuries to star players.
Still, many players expressed a strong desire to go, and Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has said he plans to go regardless of NHL participation.
"I think the players know it's very important for us to represent our countries," Ovechkin said last month. "Everybody wants to go there."
The NHL has not decided whether to allow teams to make decisions on a case-by-case basis about players participating in the 2018 Olympics.
"If Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby and Nick Backstrom tell us, `We want to go play for our country,' how am I going to say no?" Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in February. "I might get fined, I might get punished in some way, but I feel I'm in partnership with Nick and Braden and Alex."
It was not immediately clear how the United States, Canada and other countries will fill Olympic rosters, though national federations have already begun planning for this possibility.
Hockey Canada said Monday that the NHL's statement was not what it was hoping for but will not change Olympic preparation.
"We knew it was a very real possibility for many months and certainly respect the decision of the NHL," USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean said. "The good news is that because of our grassroots efforts over the course of many years, our player pool is as deep as it has ever been and we fully expect to field a team that will play for a medal."
NBC Sports, which televises both the Olympics and the NHL in the U.S., said it was "confident that hockey fans and Olympic viewers will tune in to watch the unique style of play that occurs at the Olympic Winter Games when athletes are competing for their country."
Months ago, the league offered the NHLPA a deal allowing Olympic participation in exchange for a three-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. Players turned that down.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk, who represented the United States in Sochi, said he didn't think players should give up anything to go in 2018.
"We're not going to give up something ridiculous," Faulk said recently. "I'm sure they would take anything that's ridiculous for the Olympics. It's kind of like making a bad trade, and they would do it and we're not going to do it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.