As the NHL Board of Governors wrapped up its meeting in sunny Florida on Friday in time for an afternoon round of golf, Bettman claimed there had been tons of problems about NHL gamers collaborating in the Olympics. But he went on to say that the NHL built an Olympic motivation to its players when the collective bargaining settlement was signed in advance of the resumption of the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 period.
Donald Fehr, the head of the NHL Gamers Association, told TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that the players are hunting forward to the Online games, but the league and the NHLPA are both equally waiting around for the arranging committee to offer the playbook that will outline the procedures for athletes’ behaviour and the COVID protocols.
There is a Jan. 10 deadline for the NHL to finalize its commitment, but deputy commissioner Invoice Daly mentioned the league could pull out of the Video games at any place due to the fact of COVID-19, despite the fact that there will be a economical penalty if it does so right after the deadline.
COVID isn’t the only challenge hanging over the Video games. Bettman was quizzed on soaring political tensions involving China and the West, human legal rights abuses and allegations of genocide from the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang province.
“Ultimately, this is going to have to be a players’ decision, except if we jointly concur with the (NHLPA) to the contrary,” Bettman claimed. “And so that’s why, for all the factors (offered), I am involved.”
Bettman also declared that league revenues are envisioned to strike $5 billion this time and that the wage cap will increase by $1 million upcoming period when the players’ escrow payments will go down. And if you harboured some fantasy about the deadbeat Arizona Coyotes moving to Quebec Metropolis, forget about it. Bettman suggests they are not heading any place.