NHL will not commit to Olympics beyond 2010

By Steve Keating

TURIN (Reuters) – The National Hockey League said Friday it
would not commit to participating in the Winter Olympics beyond
the 2010 Vancouver Games until a number of issues are
addressed.

At the top of that list will be the brutally compressed
Olympic schedule and how it relates to the increasing number of
injuries to top players competing at the Turin Winter Games.

“There are a number of factors (in staying part of
Olympics),” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters.
“Obviously injuries are an issue and a concern of our clubs.

“There are a number of issues you deal with as you make
these decisions each time around and probably the most
significant in our experience here is players getting hurt.

“The format of this tournament is very difficult for the
players in terms in the number of games they have to play in
the small number of days.”

The Olympic experience is sure to leave a sour taste in the
mouths of several NHL team owners and general managers, who
will be without key players once the league resumes play after
taking a 16-day Winter Games break.

HASEK OUT

Ottawa Senators netminder Dominik Hasek played just 10
minutes in the Czech Republic’s tournament opener on Wednesday
before being forced from the game with a leg injury.

The two-times NHL MVP was ruled out of the Olympic
tournament on Friday as was team mate and New Jersey Devils
forward Patrik Elias with a rib injury.

Sweden’s Peter Forsberg has also made the trip to Italy
despite the objection of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Forsberg, another NHL MVP, has been bothered by a nagging
groin injury that has kept him out of the Flyers’ lineup since
January 25 but came to Turin hoping to suit up for the Swedes.

Many leg weary and jet lagged NHL players checked into the
Olympic village less than 24 hours before their opening match
and faced the prospect of playing four games in five days or
eight in 12 if they advanced all the way to the medal round.

Back in business after a bitter labor dispute wiped out the
entire 2004-2005 season, the NHL embraced the Turin Games as an
opportunity to help put the game back in the sporting
spotlight.

Ever since the IOC opened the door to the NHL at the 1998
Nagano Olympics, ice hockey has become one of the Games’
marquee events attracting some of the highest television
ratings.

“On an overall basis there has been good support coming
from the NHL owners and general managers who understand the
importance of this tournament,” said Daly. “We’re going to
review these Games together.

“We take each four years at a time and I don’t want to
speculate beyond Vancouver other than we are certainly enjoying
our participation since Nagano.”