NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and IIHF president Rene Fasel have gone head-to-head in the past concerning the league's involvement in the Olympics.
As discussions of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia continue, Fasel is remaining calm and quiet about the NHL's presence in the games, and is leaving the decision solely to be made by the league itself.
"I've always said our door is wide open," Fasel said Sunday. "That's in their hands. Our door is wide, wide open, that's their decision to make, if they want to come or not."
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The NHL's main concerns include missing two or three weeks in the middle of the season, as well as incovenient time zone differences. Sochi is eight hours ahead of eastern standard time, which could take a toll on players' bodies.
Negotiations between the players and Olympic games will be discussed during this summer's CBA meetings. Players say they want to go and represent their respective countries, but owners will have to feel the same.
Olympic hockey is always more exciting and profitable when big names are playing, but the league will have to consider the hit individual NHL teams would take and whether they would benefit from their players heading overseas.