MILAN — As best-on-best hockey returns to the biggest stage in sports for the first time in 12 years, one notable absence continues to spark discussion, debate and even suggestions these Olympics deserve an asterisk.
Could a Russian return to international competition be on the horizon?
Not surprisingly, the touchy topic was front and centre Thursday afternoon when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh and International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif met with media in Milan.
Petr David Josek / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (left) and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said at a press conference today in Milan, alongside IIHF president Luc Tardif, that they hope to have best-on-best men’s hockey tournaments every two years.
“First of all, we follow the recommendation of (International Olympic Committee). We try to keep away the politics from our competition, but sometimes that’s not so easy,” said Tardif.
“We want, as soon as possible, Belarus and the Russians back. Because first, it will mean the world will be a little bit better. But we follow the recommendation of the IOC. And, for the team sports at the moment, they’re not allowed to participate.”
That said, the IIHF has opened the door for a potential return at the under-18 level as early as 2028 — a possibility that has stirred controversy as the invasion of Ukraine continues.
Tardif would only add that the “security of the players — including the Russians and Belarus” must be considered.
Following Canada’s 5-0 victory over Czechia on Thursday, Connor McDavid was asked for his opinion. Should the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Artemi Panarin and Andrei Vasilevskiy be here competing alongside their NHL peers?
“We’re here to play hockey. I don’t have an answer to that question,” said McDavid.
Not surprisingly, neither Bettman nor Walsh was eager to weigh in.
“We will follow what the international community is doing in terms of athletics,” said Bettman. “I don’t see any need for us to weigh in separately, and frankly, in terms of our game and our players, from wherever they’re from, if we can steer clear of geopolitical issues — not just this one but a whole host of others that are going on — I think that’s better for the game, better for our players and better for our fans.”
Added Walsh: “This is a decision based above my level of pay, and it’s something that we’ll see as you move forward here.”
Turning to other matters, Bettman and Walsh were pressed on whether the NHL might consider adopting the Olympic point system, which awards three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win and one for an overtime or shootout loss.
Don’t hold your breath.
“There isn’t much discussion. We like what we have and we like the way it plays out over our 82-game season and our playoffs, the way we do it,” said Bettman. “And I think it’s a little unfair, for lack of a better word, to compare a two-week tournament to a 10-month season…. we’re aware that there are alternatives. But we’re not in search of a problem to fix.”
The NHL is committed to participating in the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps. Plans are also underway to revive the World Cup of Hockey beginning in 2028.
“We want to be on a regular rotation of best-on-best every two years, Olympics, World Cup, Olympics, World Cup. Obviously the logistics for us are a lot different when we control the event. We come here as invited guests,” said Bettman.
That arrangement presents unique challenges, including the NHL’s inability to freely use Olympic media content for its purposes. Discussions on that front are ongoing.
“I do believe that both the IOC and IIHF have been a tad more flexible in terms of the things that we can do, particularly with respect to intellectual property and how the games are covered so that we don’t completely disappear for a couple of weeks,” said Bettman.
Details about the World Cup, including host cities, could be announced soon.
“The hockey world from the NHL/NHLPA standpoint is in a better place when The Players’ Association and the league are co-operating and, internationally, when these three organizations are collaborating,” said Bettman.
“And it gives us an opportunity to grow the game in places where we’re not as strong as, say, we are in North America and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Luc in furtherance of growing the game. That’s the goal, and the more things that we can figure out to do together, the better it will be for everybody.”
Walsh said concerns about compressed NHL schedules, and an increased injury risk, must be weighed — especially with the league expanding to 84 regular-season games next year.
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“I think as time moves on we’ll work closely with the league,” he said. “Worry about the scheduling as we move forward here. It’s been condensed in a very short period of time, the 4 Nations (Face-Off), the Olympics and the (World Cup) two years down the road. So that’s something we have conversations on and we continue to have those conversations.”
Walsh was also asked to explain why the NHLPA is offering hotel accommodations to players who choose them rather than having everyone stay in the athletes’ village. The Canadian team, for example, moved out after one night, citing a desire to maximize comfort in pursuit of a gold medal.
“We make sure we take care of our players and their families, so we have hospitality for our players’ families and we’re making sure that they’re taken care of,” he said.
“Our role always has been that way, as far as long before I was the head of the PA.”
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Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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