Gary Bettman said the Olympics is destroying the NHL

A forced break in the middle of the regular championship, associated with the participation of players in the Olympic Games, has a destructive effect for the season of the National Hockey League. Such an opinion was expressed by the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, whose words are quoted by Sportsnet .

“I think that a trip to the Olympics is a challenge for us. I know that players like to represent their countries, I know that some love a break in the middle of the season. But we believe that the break for the Olympics is incredibly destructive for our season,” Bettman said.

Olympiads with the participation of NHL players took place from 1998 to 2014, during the Olympic Games the League was forced to interrupt the regular championship for a period of two to three weeks.

- NHL forbade Alexander Ovechkin to take part in the Olympics

The League refused to suspend the championship during the 2018 Olympics in South Korean Pyeongchang, where Russian hockey players became the winners .

The next Winter Olympiad will take place in Beijing in 2022 from February 4 to 20.