The NHL has moved to prevent its players from participating in next year’s Olympics. In other news, the HBO series Hard Knocks has gotten a four-year extension, and the NFL is apparently not going to subject the Falcons to a Super Bowl rematch on opening night.
NHL Not Breaking For Olympics Next Year
- The NHL announced Monday that it will not schedule an Olympic break to accommodate next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Games, effectively ending large-scale NHL participation in the event. League owners, who largely did not approve of Olympic participation, had been seeking concessions from the IOC or the NHL players union. Individual players, including Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, have said they will participate in the Games no matter what the NHL decided. However, ESPN.com reported Monday that “league officials expect players to fulfill their contractual commitments.” In a statement, NHL and Olympics rightsholder NBC Sports expressed disappointment but said it was “confident that hockey fans and Olympic viewers will tune in” regardless. (ESPN.com 4.3)
Hard Knocks Gets Extension
- NFL Films, NFL Media and HBO Sports have reached agreement to continue the NFL training camp reality series Hard Knocks an additional four years, Sports Business Journal reported Monday, with a formal announcement said to be coming this week. Hard Knocks, which debuted in 2001, is entering its 12th season this year. (Sports Business Journal 4.3)
On Second Thought, Maybe No Super Bowl Rematch on Opening Night
- Despite previous reports to the contrary, it would now be a “major surprise” if the NFL season opened with a Falcons-Patriots Super Bowl rematch, according to an ESPN.com report. The league was apparently persuaded by the grievances of Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who publicly complained about having to open the season in Denver just months after losing to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. (ESPN.com 4.2 via Sports Business Daily 4.3)
