Sergei Gonchar

© AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, archive

MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Some players of the National hockey League (NHL) will try to negotiate with their clubs and obtain permission to participate in the Olympics 2018. This opinion TASS expressed the former defender of Russian national team, coach of the Pittsburgh Sergei Gonchar.

On Monday, the NHL announced that it will not suspend the regular championship for the period of the Olympics, the hockey League will not take part in the Games. Previously, several NHL players, including Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, have expressed a desire to speak at the upcoming Olympics, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations.

“The only thing that can make the players in this situation – to go to the leadership and to try to individually agree to let them go to the Games. Some players have already expressed that they plan to do it. Perhaps this is the path they will go,” said Potter.

“It is a pity that it happened . I think that the Olympics should play the strongest players. Of course, in our sport the strongest play in the NHL, I wanted to see them in the tournament next year, it would make the competition more interesting and attractive for all fans. Honestly, until recently I had hoped that the parties will manage to agree” – said Gonchar.

The NHL first made a window in the regular season to participate, League players in the Olympics in 1998. Since then, five Olympics has played 706 NHL. Gonchar took part in four Olympic tournaments, as a player in the NHL.

Olympic games 2018 will be held in South Korean Pyeongchang from 9 to 25 February.