Report: Has Ovechkin uncovered an Olympic loophole?

Long before the NHL dashed the Olympic dreams of players and fans by formally announcing that the league will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin has maintained that, by hook or crook, he’ll be there. And, despite news yesterday that the IIHF plans to uphold to NHL’s ruling and would ban any players under contract from participating, Ovechkin seems resolute in his stance. 

Speaking to Sport-Express in his native Russia, Ovechkin commented on the latest Olympic developments saying, "We’ll hope I’ll be allowed to participate. There’s always a chance.”

Interesting. Sounds like OV knows something we don’t? Or maybe, he’s just holding out hope for a resolution? Either way, things are bound to get messy between the NHL and the IOC as the games draw closer. With outspoken players like Ovechkin drawing attention to the matter, the NHL could face increased scrutiny for their decision over the course of the next six months.