Alex Ovechkin has not given up hope on playing in the 2018 Olympics.
Speaking to Sport-Express, Ovechkin said he was still hoping the NHL would allow him to participate in Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
"There's always a chance," Ovechkin said in that @sportexpress story. Added that he hasn't contacted players from other teams on the matter.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) August 7, 2017
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This statement is not due to any change in his status and Ovechkin also said he has not contacted other players about what they plan to do about the Olympics.
The NHL announced in April that it would not be participating in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Ovechkin's immediate response was to insist he still intended to participate. As his comments to Sport-Express show, however, playing in the Olympics may not be that simple.
It seems clear at this point that the NHL will not reverse its decision on the 2018 Olympics considering the full regular season schedule complete with an all-star game has been released. It is not yet known what the NHL will do if any players do leave midseason to play in the Pyeongchang, but the potential punishment is expected to be very steep.
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