Veteran defenseman threatens the NHL!

We all remember the tough blow that took place last year: in the 2018 Winter Olympics, NHL players were not allowed to participate. We all wonder now if NHL players be allowed to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

One thing we now know if that a veteran defenseman in the league won’t stand for another ban. Florida Panthers’ new defenseman Anton Stralman went all out on Tuesday, threatening the NHL to get his point across. 

When asked about the possibility of playing for Sweden in the 2022 Winter Games by Joe Smith of The Athletic, Stralman did not hold back. 

“If I’m getting robbed again by the owners, I’ll set something on fire (laughs). (Not getting to play in the Olympics,) that was a hard kick in the nuts right there. It’s been arguably a bigger goal (for me) than making it to the NHL. I didn’t know about the NHL until I was 10 or so. We definitely didn’t have the channels. We saw it on the news once and a while. The gold medal in the ’94 Olympics, the world championships in ’91 and ’92: That’s what I grew up on. So after getting close a couple of times and not being able to go when I’d probably make the team (in 2018), it was hard. So now I have to play another three years to get a chance to do it.”

The 33-year-old might retire after his current contract with the Panthers, so a shot at an Olympic medal would be the cherry on top. 

Unless, Gary Bettman decides to steal it and eat it in his face. 

Then, Stralman might have to start his retirement by spending time in jail for setting something on fire (laughs!).