The NHL and NHLPA had negotiated Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026 into the newest collective bargaining agreement after NHL players did not participate in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Sources said that rescheduling could include currently postponed games or potentially moving up games that are scheduled for later in the season, but there could be a lack of arena availability during the break.
Predators general manager David Poile told ESPN 102.5 The Game in Nashville that he believed there would be a “compromise” for the amount of time players will have off, with games being crammed into the final week of that break.
It’s not something where it’s the next year or you push it a couple of months.
“We made it a big part of our collective bargaining agreement as the players, to bring the Olympics back.
The Olympic rosters will now be filled by a combination of amateur players and professionals playing in leagues outside of the NHL.