When the NHL built the 2021-22 season schedule, they did so knowing two very important items; 1) the COVID-19 pandemic was still raging and 2) NHL players were going to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics in mid-February. Things sure can change with a quickness though and because of the tight schedule any games being postponed meant that participation in the games was going to be at risk.
Well, the inevitable was made official this morning as the NHL and the NHLPA released a joint statement announcing that NHL players will not be participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics due to the ongoing pandemic.