SEOUL, South Korea (AP) " South Korean Olympic organizers still hope to see NHL players competing at next year's Winter Games despite the National Hockey League's insistence it won't happen. Nancy Park, a spokeswoman for the Pyeongchang 2018 organizing committee, said Tuesday there's still time for "meaningful discussions" on Olympic participation between the NHL, NHL Players' Association, International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committee. The NHL announced it will not participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, refusing for the first time in 20 years to halt its season for three weeks so its stars can chase gold for their home countries. The NHL has not decided whether to allow teams to make decisions on a case-by-case basis about players participating in the 2018 Olympics. Pyeongchang 2018 organizers have been concerned about the possibility of NHL players skipping next year's Games as ice hockey has traditionally been a major ticket-seller during Winter Olympics.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 04, 2017 01:52 UTC