Report: NHL CBA extension could lead to Olympic participation

Could the NHL's collective bargaining agreement be extended because of NHL players' desire to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics?

It at least appears to be on the table, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

NHL Players' Association executive director Don Fehr acknowledged that he has started talking about the proposition with players.

When asked about Friedman's report, Fehr stressed that there was still a long way to go.

As Friedman noted in his report, there is some precedent for this. Prior to the 1998 Olympics, the NHL and NHLPA opted to not re-open the CBA, paving the way for players to go to the Games.

This will be a development to watch closely over the next few months.