Way Looks Open For Nhl Dream Teams

Facing a deadline less than two weeks away, the National Hockey League appears ready to shut down the league for two weeks in 1998 to allow players to compete in the Olympics.

NHL board chairman Harley Hotchkiss told The Canadian Press the league governors have discussed the two-week shutdown - four more days than originally planned - to field Canadian and American dream teams at the next Winter Games.

“That seems to be the direction we’re headed,” said Hotchkiss, part-owner of the Calgary Flames.

There is a July 10 deadline to have arrangements in place. The NHL sees the Winter Olympic dream teams as a prime vehicle to enter the U.S. sports mainstream.

The NHL, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee brokered a deal last year that called for a 10-day suspension of league play. The NHL Players Association, however, said the players needed more time off.

The deal calls for the hockey tournament in Nagano, Japan, to be divided in two stages. In the first round, eight countries compete for two places in the second round, where they join teams from Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic.

The lack of a consensus has been the major pitfall is setting plans. The NHL did not invite the NHLPA to participate in negotiations with the IIHF.