NHL participation in the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan?
That could move one step closer to reality with a news conference Friday in Helsinki featuring NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Rene Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The executives are expected to reconfirm their commitment to a tournament featuring the top international players in the NHL. The plan still requires the approval of the NHL Players’ Association and gaining such approval is part and parcel of labor negotiations between the NHL and the union.
Formal negotiations between the two sides are expected to resume next week. However, informal talks between Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow will undoubtedly take place while both are in Helsinki for a pre-season tournament involving the Winnipeg Jets and three Finnish club teams.
The plan is to have a two-tiered tournament in Japan, with eight countries competing for two promotion spots to a second round that would also feature Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland, the United States and the Czech Republic. Those eight would then form two four-team divisions, with the top two finishers from each advancing to the medal round.
To facilitate Olympic participation, the NHL would shut down for about 10 days.
