from Szymon Szemberg of IIHF.com,

When an Olympic ice hockey event is planned, there are many stakeholders involved. So at Friday’s meeting in downtown Stockholm there were representatives from the IOC, Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, the National Olympic Committees, IIHF, IIHF Member National Associations, the NHL, and the NHL Players’ Association.

IIHF President René Fasel opened the meeting with the following encouraging words:

“We are working hard to putting together the last pieces to ensure NHL players’ participation in Sochi. We have some issues left, but I, as always, remain optimistic.”

Fasel did not mention a date for when a final agreement with the NHL/NHLPA needs be reached, but NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly echoed the optimism:

“We are proceeding under the assumption that the NHL will participate in Sochi. We are still working on important issues with the IIHF and the IOC, and subject to our board of governors’ consideration and approval, it remains the objective that Sochi will be the fifth consecutive Olympics with NHL participation and where the NHL shuts down for the duration of the Olympic tournament.”

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