Enough about Sochi

I’ve heard enough about whether or not the NHL will allow its players to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Not that I don’t think this is an extremely important question, and likely to be almost as big of an issue as the salary cap during the next CBA negotiations. I’m just sick of hearing people talk about this, because whenever they talk about this, they inevitably start asking Gary Bettman about this.

And that’s where I have a problem.

It’s understandable that, as Bettman often says, a decision has not been made yet, that there are many things that need to be addressed before such a decision can be made, that the NHL wants certain concessions if they are to participate.

He has argued that the past few Olympics have been held in locations that make it easier for the players and league to fit the Olympics into their season, and that Sochi’s distance from North America may pose difficulties for the players in terms of scheduling, fatigue, etc.

All valid points.

I seriously doubt, however, that Bettman’s intentions are to let any chance to grow the game globally slip through his fingers. There are a lot of issues to be addressed, of course, and he has to continue to stand up for the team owners’ concerns about player injuries, and so on, but ultimately, it’s unlikely that NHL players will not be at Sochi in 2014.

It’s also possible that he’s holding off on making a decision because he wants to use Olympic participation as a bargaining chip for the next CBA negotiations.

Either way, Bettman is not about to tell us what’s go to happen this early in the game, so we should stop asking him about it.

I’ll worry if he ever comes out and gives us a definitive “No.”

What do you think?