The lone individual fighting for NHL participation in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea has seemingly given up hope. "I can say that this is now gone. We can tick that off the list," IIHF president Rene Fasel said in an interview with Reuters. "We will have to look ahead to China and the Beijing 2022 Winter Games because there is an interest of the league and we have noted that.”
Basel is been a mediator of sorts between the NHL and IOC for months now. He has held out hope that an agreement could be made, even at the eleventh hour, but seems resigned to the fact now that the Games will go on with NHL participation. “Logistically it is practically impossible for Pyeongchang. That train has left the station,“ said Fasel defeatedly.
The Games will open February 9th, 2018 and run through February 25th, 2018. The NHL, unhappy with financial and licensing stipulations mandated by the IOC has chosen not to shut down for three weeks and risk losing its players to injury.
