Bettman: NHL participation in Olympics will be players' decision

With the 2022 Beijing Olympics rapidly approaching and COVID-19 cases climbing globally, there's been some concern that the NHL will pull out of its participation in the Winter Games.

However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the decision will rest in the players' hands.

"In good faith, we made a promise to the players, and ultimately, this is going to have to be a player's decision," Bettman said, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.

The league committed to allowing NHLers to go to the Olympics as part of a new CBA signed during the summer of 2020. Players weren't permitted to attend the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

It's been reported that the league has until Jan. 10 to officially withdraw from the Games, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly said there's no hard deadline for the NHL to pull out.

Bettman added that "a number of players are expressing concerns" about going to Beijing and quarantine requirements, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. There are no official protocols set out yet, but players could potentially be required to quarantine in China for multiple weeks if they test positive for COVID-19 while there.

The Olympics are set to begin Feb. 4 and conclude Feb. 20.