Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin Still Hopeful To Play In Olympics
The NHL has already announced that the League will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Despite this, Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is still hopeful that he will be able to play in them.
The NHL has already formally announced that it will not send its players to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Regardless, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is still hopeful that he might be able to represent his country.
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has stated that it is far too deep into the offseason for the NHL to reconsider changing the schedule and allowing the NHL to participate in the Olympics.
The NHL season isn’t far from beginning and the preseason will begin next month. Melnyk has stated that it is far too close to the season’s start for the NHL to change the schedule and allow Olympic participation. Recently the NHL has announced that even minor league players cannot participate. The ruling states that AHL and ECHL players with NHL contracts also cannot participate in the Olympics.
Ovechkin Still Hopes
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Ovechkin has expressed his desire to participate in the Olympics, regardless of NHL participation, before. It is being reported that he is still voicing his optimism to play in the Olympics. Ovechkin told the media he believes that anything might happen and that he is still hopeful that he will be able to participate.
Many hockey players aspire to play in the NHL but they also aspire to play for their country when the Olympics roll around. Nothing is better, for an NHL player, than to put on their country’s colors and play for their nation.
Ovechkin wants to continue in his Olympic tradition and represent Russia when the Olympics come around. However, it doesn’t look like the NHL will be open to letting him participate.
In Review
The NHL does not want to participate in the Olympics because changing their annual schedule would prove to be an inconvenience. However, allowing the individual teams and their general managers to make a decision would prove problematic.
If you allow the NHL season to continue while some players participate in the Olympics, the teams would suffer. Some teams desperately rely on their big talents to give them success. If certain players abandon their teams it can heavily influence a team’s standing and performance.
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Regardless, the NHL has arranged the 2017-18 schedule and has absolutely no plans to attend the 2018 Olympics. The NHL then announced that even minor league players with NHL contracts may not participate.
The 2018 Olympics are quickly approaching and there is no telling what these elite players still hoping for Olympic participation will do. Though, the NHL does not want player participation by any means.