from Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

When the NHL announced last week it would not permit its players to take part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the news was disappointing but not surprising. The league had been swinging that stick for a while and opted to get the unpleasantness out of the way before the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Gary Bettman isn't an easy repository for pity, but the commissioner did find himself caught in an untenable position between owners who hate the Olympic tournament and players who love it. And guess who he works for?

A stronger commissioner might have been able to massage the situation, convincing owners that a 16-day annoyance every four years is less trouble in the long run than the public relations gaffe of taking a strong stand against patriotism and the flag - in this case, many flags.

Bettman has been a willing attack dog for management in several collective bargaining disputes - to the point of canceling an entire season - so, again, it wasn't a shock he took his puck and went home after the league was unable to wring concessions from both the International Olympic Committee and the players association, concessions he probably understood would never be made.

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