Olympics likely to headline NHL board of governors meetings
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — James van Riemsdyk went to the Stanley Cup final with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, but he also considers his appearance with the United States at the 2014 Olympics special and career-defining in a different kind of way.
“It’s so hard to make an Olympic team,” said van Riemsdyk, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger who tied for third in scoring at the Sochi Games.
“On that stage too, it’s bigger than just the sport of hockey and just yourself; there’s so many other athletes and things there. Just to get a chance to be a part of all that was really special.”
NHL participation at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea is likely to headline the upcoming board of governors meeting, which begins Thursday in West Palm Beach. The league’s governors will need to determine the next step in the Olympic process after a recent proposal to the NHL Players’ Association — exchanging participation in the Games for an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement — was rejected.