NHL turnaround “means everything to me”
German superstar raves about the Olympic decision
February 3, 2024, 1:52 p.m
For many athletes, the Olympic Games are the greatest thing of all. But the NHL’s ice hockey professionals have to watch as the league refuses to allow the players to participate. Things will be different in the future, which German superstar Leon Draisaitl is happy about.
Ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl has welcomed the return of the North American professional league NHL to the Olympic stage. “The NHL’s decision to release players for the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games means everything to me,” said the Edmonton Oilers forward: “For me personally, it is what I want most besides the Stanley Cup.”
The league, the players’ association NHLPA and the world association IIHF had agreed that the players would take part in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Games. The announcement was made Friday at a press conference ahead of the NHL’s All-Star Weekend. Accordingly, the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF have outlined key principles related to player participation. Details are expected to be finalized in the coming months.
Participation in the Olympics for NHL professionals is rare
This would mean that national coach Harold Kreis would also have the German NHL stars Draisaitl, Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider available for the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The venue for the 2030 Games has not yet been finally determined; France is the only candidate in the so-called “targeted dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out to take part in the last few years, but now I’m even more pleased that it will be possible at the next two Olympic Games,” said Draisaitl: “I’m really looking forward to it.” The Cologne native was eliminated at the start of the All-Star Weekend in the skills competition in the first round. His club colleague Connor McDavid won the competition, which, among other things, determined the fastest skater, the hardest hit and the best penalty taker and received prize money of one million dollars.
It is the first time since 2014 and only the sixth time overall that NHL players have competed in the Olympics. Previously, this had only happened in Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake City in 2002, Turin in 2006, Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014. The NHL has decided not to take part in the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games.
Sports
Not all messages on the site express the site’s point of view, but we automatically transmit and translate these messages using programmatic technology on the site, rather than by a human editor
2024-02-03 14:04:25
#NHL #turnaround #means #German #superstar #raves #Olympic #decision
