The hockey world reacts to NHL's Olympic announcement

Apr 4 2017, 3:52 am

The hockey world is not happy.

The NHL is not going to the 2018 Olympics.

The announcement doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s been something both the NHL and NHLPA have been negotiating for awhile now.

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Everyone knew it was a very real possibility. That doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking for fans and players though. Many made sure to voice their displeasure publicly.

A few were able to point out one positive of the announcement – the increased exposure for women’s hockey.

From a business standpoint, you can understand why the NHL came to this decision.

For one, the cost of sending all the players to South Korea – and being liable for them – is not very attractive. It also creates a disruption in the NHL season.

To be fair, the NHL did say they would go to the Olympics if the players agreed to extend the current CBA, but that deal never materialized.

Even with the NHL not on board, we may still see NHL players at the Olympics if the player chooses to go and gets permission from their team.

Alex Ovechkin has expressed interest in going to the Olympics, and he definitely isn’t the only player who feels that way.

Much is still unknown about how this whole situation will play out and the effects it might have on the next CBA, or a potential lockout.

One thing is clear though; Bettman is not a popular guy right now.

Bailey MeadowsBailey Meadows

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