from Nick Butler of inside the games,

International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) general secretary Horst Lichtner has urged the National Hockey League (NHL) to "seriously consider" committing to participating at the next two Olympic Games in order to best capitalise on the commercial opportunities provided by the Chinese market at Beijing 2022.

It comes as negotiations continue to stall between the NHL, IIHF, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other stakeholders over participation at Pyeongchang 2018.

Gruelling journey times and a time difference of at least 13 hours has created extra doubt among North American clubs.

Deciding who pays transportation and insurance costs is another major stumbling block.

The World Cup of Hockey, scheduled to run from September 17 to October 1 in Toronto, is seen as a pivotal opportunity for both sides to meet and reach a consensus.

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