NHL sets deadline for decision on participation in 2002 Games

DALLAS (Bloomberg) -- The National Hockey League established a Sept. 15 deadline to decide whether to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

The firm date was demanded by the International Ice Hockey Federation, Bettman said, so countries participating in the Olympic hockey tournament can make plans for stocking their teams if NHL players don't participate."They made it clear they need a decision by Sept. 15 and we respect that deadline," Bettman said.

Bettman didn't want to speak about whether he had been given enough concessions for the league to send its players as it did to Nagano, Japan, in 1998. Steve Solomon, the NHL's senior vice president, said, though, that the league was making a concerted effort to participate.

"If all of the elements come together, with the Olympics in this country, it might be a missed opportunity," Solomon said. "Especially after having gone all the way to Nagano for the last one. Hopefully we can work these things out."

The league wanted to get NBC to broadcast Olympic hockey games during primetime and Salt Lake organizers to move important games to a more spacious arena. It hasn't gotten commitments on either.

The NHL also hasn't received the players' approval for going back to an event that probably would force a 12-day disruption in its schedule.