Male hockey can be excluded from the Olympics-2022 program

The International Olympic Committee is considering the exclusion of a male hockey tournament from the 2022 Winter Olympic Games program in Beijing. This was reported by TSN journalist Gordrd Miller on his Twitter page with reference to the President of the International Hockey Federation Rene Fasel.

Currently, the IOC is considering four options regarding the future hockey tournament. The first option involves the participation of players from the NHL, the second - holding a tournament without the participation of hockey players who are on a contract with the NHL teams, the third involves to use only hockey players under the age of 23 to participate in games, the fourth is to refuse to hold a hockey tournament in the framework of the OI.

Now all four options are being studied. When the final decision on this issue is made, it is not reported.

Hosted a Panel Discussion in Edmonton Today with @ihfhockey President Dr. Rene Fasel. He Told the Ioc There Are 4 Options for Hockey in the Next Olympics:
1. Go with NHL Players
2. Use The Same Player Pool As 2018
3. Use Under 23 Players
4. No hockey
All Four Are on the Table

- Gord Miller (@gmillertsn) August 10, 2018

In early April 2017, the League announced that it would not suspend the regular championship in February 2018 at the Olympic hockey tournament, later the NHL Commissioner Gary Betman said that none of the league players would participate in the 2018 Olympics in South Korean Pyeongchang.

Players from the NHL did not take part in the games for the first time since 1998, the Russian team was the winner of the hockey tournament.

The male hockey tournament was first included in the program at the 1920 summer Olympics in the Belgian Antwerp, since 1924 it was transferred to winter games. Initially, only amateur athletes were allowed to participate in the Olympic hockey tournament, however, with the OI-1988, the IOC allowed professional hockey players to participate in the Olympiads, TASS recalls.

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Beijing from February 4 to 20.