The NHL had said it would do everything possible to keep its pledge that players could return to the Olympics.
But with COVID cases surging and games being postponed, the league and players association accepted the inevitable and are pulling the plug, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement hasn't been made.
That announcement is expected within 24 hours, the person said.
When the NHL reached the agreement on the 2022 Winter Games, it said it would depend on whether the COVID-19 situation would create so many postponements that the league would need to use the Feb.