National Hockey League players will not participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a reversal of plans announced in September and a signal of the fears rippling through sports about how the worsening coronavirus pandemic could derail seasons and competitions worldwide. The N.H.L., which has postponed dozens of its games already, has grown especially concerned in recent days about its ability to complete its season on schedule. The league and the N.H.L. Players’ Association are expected to announce their reworked agreement as soon as Wednesday, three people familiar with the deliberations said. said it would pause its season for several days after a swelling number of players were ruled out of games after entering the league’s health and safety protocols.

Source: thestar December 23, 2021 03:02 UTC