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NHL will not commit to Olympics beyond 2010

Posted on: Friday, 17 February 2006, 10:50 CST

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."

Source: REUTERS

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