from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

There’s a potential scenario looming that’s making some people nervous right now.

The fact that so many Olympic-bound NHL players will be flying directly from the All-Star weekend in Las Vegas from Feb. 4-5 to Beijing for the Games has some concerned about the potential for COVID-19 cases landing in China.

This is why, according to sources, the NHL Players’ Association has been pushing for tighter protocols for players at All-Star weekend in Vegas to avoid that as much as possible.

Can you imagine the nightmare scenario of any NHL-laden Olympic roster facing an outbreak in Beijing because of the Vegas All-Star weekend?

So it would appear, based on what the NHLPA is pushing for, that the Vegas experience won’t be the normal Vegas experience for players. Which will be a bummer, no doubt, for players looking for some fun in Sin City. It’s also understandable.

But it also begs the question: Why the heck is there an All-Star weekend in a year the NHL is participating in the Olympic Games?

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