Quick Thoughts on Beijing 2022's Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
We all know the National Hockey League (NHL) - specifically the owners and league officials - doesn't like the Olympics the way they sh/could. The Winter Games, although just once every four years, interrupts the regular season and the risk of injury to players with the remainder of the season and the playoffs to come is too much to bear in the high stakes (and money) drama of the NHL season. I've previously written more on why the NHL tends to demur, so I won't belabor (much).
But it's why the confirmation that NHL players would attend Beijing 2022 - announced a few months ago - was greeted with celebration and anticipation after much de riguer hand-wringing. Ice hockey is a marquee sport at the Games, and the only true ("stick-and-ball") team sport* in the winter editions, and having elite-level players just simply raises the profile and impact of the Games.