NHL players are set for an international competition next year.
The International Ice Hockey Federation just hopes the World Cup of Hockey does not lead to the sport's best players skipping the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Federation President Rene Fasel tells The Associated Press that he, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr are trying to set a date to start discussions. NHL players have competed at the Olympics since 1998, creating an elite tournament that has become one of the Olympics' most popular events.
Bettman, Fehr and some star players are to attend a news conference Wednesday to promote the World Cup of Hockey. The eight-team international event will be held in Toronto and has not been played since 2004.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.