The hockey world reacts to NHL's decision to not participate in 2018 Winter Olympics

BarDown Staff

Getty Images/Minas Panagiotakis

A big subplot that's been playing out over the course of the NHL season is whether or not the league would participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Monday, the NHL officially announced that they would not be participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

BREAKING: The #NHL announces that it will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. For more details, visit TSN.ca

A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official) on Apr 3, 2017 at 12:53pm PDT

The league released a statement on the matter shortly after the announcement was made.

BREAKING: Statement from the #NHL on not having its players participating in #PyeongChang2018 Winter Olympics #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/Wa9U1qDxNQ
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 3, 2017

Obviously the decision isn't a popular one as players have expressed interest in going to the Olympics and representing the places they call home, but as the statement says, the matter is officially closed.

For the first time since 1994, NHL players won't be at the Winter Olympics, and the hockey world reacted accordingly.

Can't wait to see Justin Pogge in goal for Canada in February.
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) April 3, 2017

The NHL statement also puts into question 2022 Beijing saying that IOC told league 2022 participation was ``conditioned'' on going in 2018
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) April 3, 2017

With no NHL players at the Winter Olympics for the foreseeable future, how will you get your International Hockey fix? #TSNHockey
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 3, 2017

Is Randy Gregg available?
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) April 3, 2017

Department of We Don't Care About The Game or our Fans: NHL not sending players to the Olympics in South Korea.
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) April 3, 2017

When you find out the NHL won't be going to the 2018 Olympics pic.twitter.com/0naUlOCpKl
— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) April 3, 2017

So can @NHL actually stop players from playing in the Olympics? Hard for me to see them stopping players like Malkin or Ovechkin from it.
— Mick Kinney (@m_mckinney) April 3, 2017

What if this is all an April Fool's joke and that the NHL will participate in the Winter Olympics?
— Andrei Poleshchuk (@Puck_Fury) April 3, 2017

Honestly this sucks for hockey it's not expanding like they want and they expect the game to grow & the Olympics are a major factor in that
— Kucherov ⚡️⚪️⚫️🔵⚡️ (@TripleK_furber) April 3, 2017

Guess I won't be watching the Olympics
— Jeremy Steylen (@jsteylen91) April 3, 2017

No NHL players in the Olympics is going to suck. Especially with the majority of the top tier Am's coming into the league at 18 now…
— Jonny Schaab (@jonnyschaab) April 3, 2017

No NHL in the Olympics is actually a joke pic.twitter.com/YSTDaxQWHb
— Will Blakely (@WillBlakely) April 3, 2017

2018 Olympics pic.twitter.com/qbkIHLNo5C
— Korben Dallas (@ZaneRyder) April 3, 2017

Guess who won't be watching the 2018 Winter Olympics now
— Nate Puhala (@natepuhala) April 3, 2017

The NHL won't be playing in the Olympics pic.twitter.com/HBYdmXjTsQ
— LWOS thomas tittley (@thomastittley) April 3, 2017

"The NHL announced Monday that it will not participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics." pic.twitter.com/A4ehJLAYlF
— Paige Burling (@PaigeBurling) April 3, 2017

Congrats to Kovalchuk, Datsyuk and the rest of the 2018 Olympics Men Gold medalists! #RussianGold pic.twitter.com/IstC16gGoe
— King Henrik (@DrCoolSexy) April 3, 2017

When the NHL says no to the Olympics... pic.twitter.com/VFEBETpfuh
— Paul Collie (@collie_paul) April 3, 2017

No NHL in the Olympics. Saw this one coming. This calls for a shame on you gif... And this is the closest we have in this department: pic.twitter.com/rjgL7iDnI1
— Amanda Bassett (@mndbsstt) April 3, 2017

Hockey is the best part of the Winter Olympics. Sad.
— x-robin (@robin__sg) April 3, 2017

The small countries that participate in the winter Olympics after hearing the news pic.twitter.com/xWn4GXThyC
— Gone Golfing (@Jaromir_Jagr) April 3, 2017

No more NHL players in the Winter Olympics. Here's what my 2018 games will look like. pic.twitter.com/AjmZPHfG3d
— Sam Benavidez (@delasam) April 3, 2017

Auston Matthews was born in September of 1997. He has never seen an Olympics without NHL players.
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) April 3, 2017

me realizing i probably won't ever see jtoews participate in another olympics pic.twitter.com/9v1iQIcuhm
— #LetsRISE (@austmatthews) April 3, 2017

Ovechkin has said multiple times he'll go to the Olympics no matter what. Leonsis has said he'll be supportive.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 3, 2017

If I'm a borderline NHL player whose contract up, which I'm not, I'm playing in Swiss league next year & repping my country in Olympics.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) April 3, 2017