ALRIGHT NEXT YEAR'S WINTER
OLYMPICS WILL BE WITHOUT SOME
OF HOCKEY'S MOST TALENTED
PLAYERS. THE NHL AND ITS
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION HAVE AGREED
TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE MEN'S
HOCKEY TOURNAMENT AT THE
BEIJING OLYMPICS NEXT YEAR AND
IT'S BECAUSE OF THE LEAGUE
BEING FORCED TO RECENTLY
POSTPONED SOME OF
THAT SCHEMES BECAUSE OF A RISE
IN COVID-19 CASES AMONG PLAYERS
IN THE LEAGUE.
HERE NOW TO DISCUSS MORE ON
WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR THE
WINTER SPORT OF HOCKEY AS A
WHOLE SPORTS REPORTER FOR THE
WASHINGTON POST SAMANTHA POWER
SAMANTHA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US. CAN YOU OFFER A
LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT
WHY THE NHL IN IT
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION DECIDED NOT
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OLYMPICS
NEXT YEAR.
ABSOLUTELY YOU KNOW BOTTOM LINE
IT WAS BECAUSE
OF THIS.
>> BIKE OF CORONAVIRUS CASES
THAN THE BASICALLY LED TO 50
POSTPONE GAMES NOW THESE 50
POSTPONE
GAMES WERE BUT THE LEAGUE
DETERMINED MATERIAL AND
MATERIALLY AND BACK TO THE
SEASON SO MUCH THAT THEY COULD
NOT FINISH THE SEASON ON TIME
AND IF THEIR PLAYERS TO GO TO
THE
BASICALLY THE NHL AND THE
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
RDA GREEN, WHEN THEY DID THEIR
CBA A 17 MONTHS AGO THAT IF THE
SCHEDULE IS GOING TO BE
MATERIAL IMPACT IT WAS GOING TO
HAVE YOU KNOW HIGH ENOUGH THEM
GAMES TO BE POSTPONED IN THESE
PLAYERS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO
GO TO THE OLYMPICS AND THE
LEAGUE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN AND EVEN INDIVIDUAL
PLAYERS CANNOT GO TO THE
OLYMPICS TAKE NOT GO ROAD THEY
HAVE TO AGREE TO THEIR
CONTRACTS AND HONOR THAT
CONTRACT AND NOT GO TO THE
OLYMPICS THIS YEAR.
>> SO YOU MENTIONED THIS KIND
OF THE SOLUTION TO KEEP THE
SEASON GOING ON KSAT BECAUSE OF
COVID-19 IN THIS PANDEMIC HOW
WILL IT IMPACT THE SEASON AS
FAR AS WE KNOW AND MAYBE
POTENTIALLY IN FUTURE SEASONS.
>> FAMILIES FOR THIS YEAR THEN
THERE'S GOING TO BE NO MORE
EVEN A 3 WEEK BREAK FOR THE NHL
THERE AND HAVE TO USE
THE IS GAMES FROM FEBRUARY 6 TO
THE 22ND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
OPTING THE NHL IS NOW GOING TO
HAVE TO RESCHEDULE ALL OF THESE
POSTPONED GAMES DURING THAT
TIME. HONESTLY IT'S GOING TO BE
A BIT OF
A SCHEDULING NIGHTMARE FOR THE
NHL AND THE LEAD JUST TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT BUILDINGS AND TEAMS
AND HOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE
ABLE TO PLAY EACH OTHER IN A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME LAW SO
GIVING PLAYERS A BIT OF A BREAK
THAT THEY DO DESERVE SO
IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY
CHALLENGING AT LEAST FOR THIS
SEASON TO GET THROUGH IT WHO
KNOWS HL IS OUT OF THE WOODS
WITH COVID YET
AS WELL BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW
THEY'RE ON A SLIGHT BREAK THEY
HOPE TO START AGAIN ON MONDAY.
>> YEAH AND YOU KNOW REALLY BIG
CHALLENGE FOR THE OLYMPICS, WE
KNOW HOCKEY ONE OF THE BIGGEST
SPORTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE
WINTER GAMES. HOW DO YOU THINK
THIS WILL IMPACT THE EVENT.
>> I MEAN THE NHL DID NOT
PARTICIPATE IN THE 2018 WINTER
OLYMPICS, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF
SEEING THE COMPETITION IN THE
LEVEL OF SKILL
THAT CAN HAPPEN IN OLYMPICS
WITHOUT NHL PLAYERS CLEARLY THE
NHL HAS SOME OF YOU KNOW THE
WORLD'S BEST HOCKEY PLAYERS WHO
PLAY AT THAT
SO YOU DON'T HAVE GUYS LIKE
ALEX OVECHKIN AND SIDNEY CROSBY
AND SOME OF THE BRIGHT YOUNG
STARS LIKE MCDAVID OR AUSTON
MATTHEWS SO OBVIOUSLY THESE
NAMES WILL BE GREATLY MISSED,
BUT WE DID SEE THIS IN 2018 WE
STILL HAVE A GREAT SHOWCASE AS
WELL AS THE WOMEN'S HOCKEY
TOURNAMENT TOO.
>> YEAH AS YOU MENTIONING THAT
I THINK FOLLOW-UP WHAT YOU
THINK IT MEANS FOR LESSER
KNOWN PLAYERS. I'M HAVING A
CHANCE MAYBE TO PLAY ON THE
WORLD'S
BIGGEST STAGE DURING ONE OF THE
MOST ICONIC EVENTS
PROFESSIONALS CAREER.
>> I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN THAT
HAS TO BE A DREAM COUNTRY FOR A
LOT OF THESE GUYS RIGHT YOU
KNOW YOU THINK OF
THE OVECHKIN'S AND ACROSS THE
U.S. TO MAYBE KIND OF BEEN
THERE BEFORE AND IT'S A ONCE IN
A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR EVEN
THE NHL STARS AND I'M GOING TO
GET GUYS WHO ARE IN COLLEGE
OR PLAN AND THE EURO LEAGUES
ARE PLAYING THE HL THE AMERICAN
HOCKEY
LEAGUE TOO WE'RE GOING TO GET
THEIR SHOT AT THE OLYMPICS AND
NOW HERE WE GO LOOKS LIKE THE
STAGES THAT FOR THEM TO GO
AHEAD AND YOU KNOW KIND OF
ACHIEVE THOSE TREE AND THEN
MAYBE THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D
GET A CHANCE TO HAVE.
>> YEAH AND YOU MENTIONED THAT
THIS ISN'T SOMETHING NEW FOR
THE NHL NOW BUT HAVE THERE BEEN
TIMES IN THE PAST THAT YOU CAN
KIND HIGHLIGHT IN OLYMPIC
HISTORY. WHERE AMATEUR PLAYERS.
WE'RE NOT PROS REALLY GOT THEIR
CHANCE TO SHINE AND AND WHAT
THOSE OLYMPIC GAMES ARE LIKE.
>> I MEAN THE FIRST THING THAT
COMES TO MIND ON AS THEY RECALL
ON I SAID THAT AMAZING YOU KNOW
US HOCKEY TEAM THAT CAME OUT
ALL COLLEGE
PLAYERS AND THE WAY THAT THEY
YOU KNOW REALLY DEFINED HISTORY
FROM THAT POINT MOVING FORWARD
THANK YOU GO TO ANOTHER SPORT
LIKE YOU KNOW IN BASKETBALL.
THE NBA HAD STREAM TEAM IN
1992, THE FIRST TIME THAT PROS
WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE FOR
BASKETBALL. SO YOU KNOW
OBVIOUSLY THERE HAVE BEEN
MOMENTS BUT DEFINITELY HOCKEY
AND THE MIRACLE ON ICE AND
JUST RECENTLY IN 2018 IS
PROBABLY THAT MAIN ONES THAT
EVERYONE PRETTY MUCH TALKS
ABOUT.
>> YEAH AND SAMANTHA BEFORE WE
LET YOU GO ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU
DO YOU FORSEE THAT WE COULD SEE
THIS TREE AND MOVING BEYOND
JUST HOCKEY AND MAYBE INTO
OTHER SPORTS FOR THE WINTER
OLYMPICS.
>> YEAH I THINK PRETTY
INTERESTING. I THINK FOR A LOT
OF OTHER SPORTS AND HAS BEEN
JUST THE CONCERN ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS
I THINK BUT THE NHL IS SO
PARTICULAR BECAUSE YOU KNOW
THEY'RE PLAYING AT THIS CURRENT
TIME AND YOU'RE
TRYING TO ATHLETES TO GO AWAY
FROM THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL
THEATERS AND ON PLANNING WHAT
THEY SAID, BUT THESE OTHER
SPORTS, I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING
TO BE MORE ABOUT HEALTH AND
SAFETY NET THEY WANT TO GO IN
KIND OF LOGISTICS OF
EVERYTHING SO I DON'T THINK IT
COULD HAPPEN AGAIN I THINK YOU
KNOW PLAYERS CAN OPT OUT AS
WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST SO IT IS
THAT BY