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sports Diahuebs 23 December 2021

NHL announces players won’t be allowed to go to Olympics

(AP) - NHL players will intervened, the Olympic The U.S. and Canada could of the NHL schedule. The part of the Olympics for just
not be allowed to partici- break is now needed to make choose from a mix of pro- sheer volume of postpone- the second time since Na-
pate in the Beijing Olym- up games. fessionals from European ments forces the league to gano in 1998, Bettman, Fehr
pics after the league pulled leagues and college players. use that break for makeup and Tardif expressed opti-
the plug amid a rash of International officials and na- The lack of NHL participa- dates, rather than folding mism about a return for 2026.
postponements caused by tional federations must now tion turns the tournament later games into February The league and NHLPA have
positive COVID-19 test pivot to Plan B for a second from a competition featuring and move up the start of the a deal for Olympic participa-
results. consecutive Olympic men’s the best players in the world playoffs. tion as part of their collective
hockey tournament without back into what it looked like bargaining agreement exten-
Commissioner Gary Bett- NHL players. USA Hockey prior to 1998. Despite the NHL not being sion through that year.
man made the announce- said it will soon announce
ment Wednesday, making of- new management and coach- “Although we are disappoint-
ficial what seemed inevitable ing staffs, and Hockey Cana- ed to receive this decision by
in recent days when the list da is expected to draw from the NHL and NHLPA, we
of postponed games quickly the executives, coaches and nevertheless fully understand
grew to 50. The league will players who took part in an the circumstances that forced
use the previously scheduled international tournament in this action to be taken,” In-
Feb. 6-22 Olympic break to Moscow this month. ternational Ice Hockey Fed-
make up those games and eration president Luc Tardif
others that need to be re- Former Montreal Canadiens said in a statement. “It was a
scheduled. coach Claude Julien is the shock to see how COVID-19
leading candidate to be be- affected the NHL schedule
“Given the profound dis- hind the bench for Canada, almost overnight, and we un-
ruption to the NHL’s regu- which left with the bronze derstand the NHL’s decision
lar-season schedule caused medal in 2018 when NHL is in the best interest of the
by recent COVID-related players did not go to Py- health and safety of its play-
events ... Olympic participa- eongchang, after back-to- ers.”
tion is no longer feasible,” back gold in 2010 and 2014.
Bettman said. “Our focus The NHL’s focus is on com-
and goal have been and must Russians won gold in South pleting an 82-game regular
remain to responsibly and Korea playing under the season for the first time since
safely complete the entirety name Olympic Athletes from 2018-19. The schedule al-
of the NHL regular season Russia, part of the fallout ready was extended through
and Stanley Cup playoffs in a from years of doping dis- April, with the playoffs go-
timely manner.” putes. Expected to play in ing to the end of June, with
Beijing as the Russian Olym- more than two weeks off in
In a separate statement, Play- pic Committee, the team is between for the Olympics.
ers’ Association executive now the favorite given the
director Don Fehr said that talent available in the Konti- When Olympic participation
while there was a clear path nental Hockey League. was confirmed in September,
to Beijing before COVID-19 teams were sent two versions

Jets’ Saleh tests positive, Browns’ Stefanski returns

(AP) — The Cleveland playoff hopes. Stefanski also dleton will coach the team at the active and practice squad Sharrod Neasman; and spe-
Browns got their coach sat out the Browns’ playoff practice in Saleh’s absence. rosters, including injured cial teams ace Justin Hardee.
back on the sideline. The win at Pittsburgh last season Saleh could return as soon reserve, on the COVID-19
New York Jets might be after testing positive. as Thursday if he no longer list: wide receivers Elijah The Browns were rocked
without theirs this week- shows symptoms and tests Moore, Jeff Smith and Vyn- by the virus last week, when
end. Meanwhile, Jets coach Rob- negative. cint Smith; guard Alijah Ve- an outbreak led to 22 play-
ert Saleh tested positive for ra-Tucker; defensive linemen ers being forced to miss the
Browns second-year coach COVID-19 after feeling If Saleh doesn’t test out of Folorunso Fatukasi, John rescheduled game against
Kevin Stefanski cleared CO- symptoms in the morning, the COVID-19 protocols be- Franklin-Myers and Tan- the Raiders, which Cleve-
VID-19 protocols Wednesday the latest in what has been a fore Sunday, Middleton will zel Smart; linebackers Blake land lost. Quarterback Baker
and returned to the team after surge of coronavirus cases on also serve as the head coach Cashman, Noah Dawkins Mayfield still hasn’t pro-
missing Monday’s home loss the team. in New York’s game against and Hamsah Nasirildeen; duced a required negative test
to Las Vegas, a 16-14 setback Jacksonville. cornerbacks Michael Carter and his status for this week’s
that damaged Cleveland’s Tight ends coach Ron Mid- The Jets have 14 players from II and Lamar Jackson; safety game at Green Bay is unclear.
Browns tight end Austin
Hooper and linebacker Jacob
Phillips also returned, but
starting rookie cornerback
Greg Newsome was added
to the COVID-19 list. He’s
missed the past two games
with a concussion.

On Monday, the first day un-
der the NFL’s revised proto-
cols, 47 players were placed
on the COVID-19 list, the
most in a single day since the
pandemic began. Another 21
NFL players were placed on
the reserve/COVID-19 list
Tuesday.