NHL officially announces withdrawal from Beijing Olympics, citing COVID surge

It “is no longer feasible” for the world’s best hockey players to go to China, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

NHL players will not be participating at the 2022 Winter Olympics after all due to growing COVID-19 concerns. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

The recent world spike in Covid-19 prompted the NHL on Wednesday to back out the Beijing Olympics, removing the world’s best hockey players from the one of the Games’ showcase sports.

The National Hockey League had built in a three-week break from action to send its top players to Beijing, but Covid outbreaks throughout North America have put the sport on hold.

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Fifty NHL games have already been postponed through Dec. 23 and Commissioner Gary Bettman said sending players to Beijing “is no longer feasible.”

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