AP sources: NHL to withdraw from Olympics after COVID surge

By JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writers

The NHL is not sending players to the Beijing Olympics after all. Two people with direct knowledge of the decision tell The Associated Press the league is going to withdraw from the Beijing Olympics after its regular-season schedule was disrupted by coronavirus outbreaks. More than 40 games have been postponed over the past week and 50 total this season because of positive COVID-19 test results among players. The NHL, upon agreeing earlier to Olympic participation, reserved the right to withdraw if pandemic conditions worsened. The decision means a second consecutive Olympics without NHL players after they participated five times from 1998 to 2014.