Gary Bettman spoke on the hockey Canada incident today, any also addressed using NHL players in the Olympics. Let’s start with the good news, and that will be Olympic participation for NHL players.
Bettman said that NHL players will be utilized for the 2026 and 2030 Olympics. The locations are below:
2026- Milan / Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy
2030- Nice, France
NHL players haven’t been utilized in the Olympic participation since 2014 in Sochi, so this would be the first time in 12 years that NHL players will be utilized for Olympic participation. There are some bad news to using NHL players for Olympic participation, condensed schedules will be in effect. Also, injuries are another cause of concern for using NHL players for the Olympics. Most players like playing for their respective countries, so this move may make the morale in the NHL that much higher.
Hockey Canada Incident/ Carter Hart
Bettman said that, “He would be surprised” if any of the five players associated with the Hockey Canada incident will play in the NHL while the judicial process takes its course. Essentially, some players have expiring contracts so they would become free agents. The main reason for this is, the NHL cannot suspend a player legally for an act they did not partake in, especially since they are pleading not guilty.
What does this mean for Carter Hart and the Flyers? Hart most likely has played his last game of the season for the orange and black. As a matter of fact, I will be surprised if he dawns a Flyers sweater again in the near future. This team is in rebuild, and they cannot wait approximately two years for this judicial process to play out and save a spot for Hart. That’s if in fact he is found not guilty in the court of law. I think it’s definitely come to that, “They are not with their teams and are free agents (Expiring contracts in mind). If I were them, I would focus on defending themselves if charges come down,” Bettman said.
The first court date for all involved in the Hockey Canada incident is Monday February 5, 2024. Maybe following the press conference by the London Police in Ontario on this date, as well, will offer more clarity on the charges and situation at hand. Stay with us for all the latest coverage in regards to the Hockey Canada incident.
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