NHL Pulls Out of Beijing Olympics 2022-(It Could Have Been Avoided)
...the league entered a pause following an outbreak of the Omicron variant....
It’s a huge disappointment for the NHL to be pulling out of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games which is set to begin February 4, 2022.
However, before you continue and read the article below please first read this article published just prior to the article below. You will see the TRUTH about the “Omicron Variant.” There’s a vicious cycle happening and the NHL pulling out of the Olympics in Beijing could have most likely been avoided. Multiple “vaccinations” are what causes the “Omicron Variant” and not getting them could have solved this mess.
Dec 22 (Reuters) – The National Hockey League will not send its players to compete in the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Beijing Winter Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns, commissioner Gary Bettman said on Wednesday as the league entered a pause following an outbreak of the Omicron variant.
“Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events – 50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23 – Olympic participation is no longer feasible,” Bettman said in a statement.
The NHL agreed last September to pause its regular season so the world’s top players could compete in Beijing but could withdraw from the agreement if COVID-19 disruptions forced games to be rescheduled during the Olympics window.
With COVID-19 spreading through team locker rooms, the NHL, in an attempt to combat the outbreak, brought its Christmas break forward to shut down operations from Wednesday through to Dec. 27.
The NHL had until Jan. 10 to withdraw from the Feb. 4-20 Olympics without financial penalty.
“Although we are disappointed to receive this decision by the NHL and NHLPA, we nevertheless fully understand the circumstances that forced this action to be taken,” Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, said in a statement.
“It was a shock to see how COVID-19 affected the NHL schedule almost overnight, and we understand the NHL’s decision is in the best interest of the health and safety of its players.”
The decision also comes as a huge disappointment for players, who had negotiated a return to the Olympics into the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“Since the CBA extension was reached 17 months ago, NHL players have looked forward with great anticipation to once again participating in the Winter Olympics,” said NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Don Fehr in a statement.
“Until very recently, we seemed to be on a clear path to go to Beijing.
“COVID-19 has unfortunately intervened, forcing dozens of games to be postponed this month alone. No matter how much we wish it were not the case, we need to utilize the Olympic period to reschedule these games.”
The NHL said it will use the Olympic window to reschedule postponed games.
“We know that the players were desperately keen to participate in the Beijing Games,” an International Olympic Committee spokesperson said.
“We are naturally disappointed for them.”
Read the rest of the story here.