Gamers from the Nationwide Hockey League is not going to take part at subsequent yr’s Beijing Winter Olympic Video games amid an increase in COVID-19 circumstances, in line with media reviews.
The choice by the NHL and NHL Gamers’ Affiliation comes as COVID-19 infections within the league have exploded and 45 video games have been postponed since Dec. 13, the Canadian Press reported citing an nameless supply Tuesday.
A number of sources additionally instructed the ESPN that the NHL and NHL Gamers’ Affiliation had come to an settlement to not take part within the 2022 Winter Olympic males’s hockey match in Beijing.
An official announcement is but to be made.
Learn extra:
NHL, gamers’ affiliation announce 4-day shutdown ending Boxing Day
With a number of gamers testing constructive for COVID-19 that has pressured dozens of video games to be postponed in latest days, the league determined to pause the season early for the vacations.
A four-day shutdown goes into impact Wednesday till Boxing Day.
COVID-19 associated causes have already induced 50 NHL video games to be suspended.
Of the 50 video games postponed, 45 have occurred over the previous two weeks with the Delta and Omicron variants spreading throughout North America.
Greater than 15 per cent of the league’s 700-plus gamers are in virus protocol, an inventory that continues to develop.
If confirmed, this is not going to be the primary time the NHL has pulled out of the Winter Video games.
The league’s gamers additionally didn’t take part within the 2018 Pyeongchang Video games in South Korea due to a scheduling battle and disagreement with the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) over participant compensation.
Learn extra:
Why are international locations boycotting the Beijing Olympics? Right here’s what it’s worthwhile to know
The Beijing Olympics are scheduled to happen from Feb. 4 to twenty, 2022.
A number of international locations, together with Canada, have introduced a diplomatic boycott of the video games over issues of China’s file of human rights abuses.
A diplomatic boycott refers particularly to non-athletes.
If NHL gamers don’t compete on the Beijing Video games, the Olympic roster will function beginner gamers and professionals taking part in in leagues outdoors of the NHL.
— with recordsdata from the Related Press, The Canadian Press.
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