Hockey fans won't like Gary Bettman's latest comments on NHL players participating in 2022 Olympics

BarDown Staff

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Even though Men's Hockey at the Olympics has been exciting and fun to watch without NHL players, there's no denying that fans wanted to see their favourite players at the Olympics and the players wanted nothing more than to be there.

@aleksandrovechkinofficial gives Gary Bettman a shoutout for his lack of Olympic enjoyment. . #PyeongChang2018

A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official) on Feb 13, 2018 at 12:38pm PST

Hockey fans hoping this was just a one-time thing and that NHL players will be back at the Olympics in 2022 shouldn't get their hopes up, either.

On Friday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about going to the 2022 games in China and here's what he had to say:

Bettman on '22 Olympics: "I don't know that we want to go to China. I think going to the Olympics is incredible disruptive to our season." Notes that NBA/MLB would not shut down their leagues to go the Olympics. Said the players/league would be happy to play in Summer games.
— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) February 23, 2018

Bettman on going to China: "I don't know if we want to go to China."
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) February 23, 2018

Bettman says he’d prefer to go to Summer Olympics. Would not be as disruptive to season. As far as 2022 Winter Games: “I don’t know if we want to go to China.”
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) February 23, 2018

There are still four years until the 2022 games, but Bettman's stance on if the NHL will send its players to China this far away from the next Winter Olympics is kind of alarming and the hockey world is already starting to worry.

This isn't how you grow the game, the league doesn't disappear. Hockey becomes the focus of the Olympics: "I don't know if we want to go to China. Our league disappears from the face of the Earth." – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the 2022 Winter Games
— Maco Balkovec (@MacoBalkovec) February 23, 2018

Great to see Bettman holding a grudge for the nth time in his career. Remember that when the China games happened last year, Bettman was not even present. https://t.co/neXTjX1ZZE
— Mark Dreyer (@DreyerChina) February 23, 2018

Gary Bettman: "I don't know if we want to go to China" when talking about the 2022 Olympics.

Also Gary Bettman: pic.twitter.com/aIEHy2Cm07
— Days of Y'Orr (@DaysofYOrr) February 23, 2018

We're screwed. It will be another disappointing mens tournament in four years.
— John Williams (@pirosdeathflame) February 23, 2018

It's interesting to note that Bettman was more open to hockey being played in the Summer Olympics so the NHL season wouldn't be disrupted as much as it would be during the Winter Olympics, but the likelihood of hockey being played at the Summer Olympics can't be good to say the least.

(H/T: Ian Thomas)