Sharks' Defenseman Not Going To Olympics
There's no question that there's a real possibility that the NHL will decide not to send its players to the Olympics in February. With the rise of COVID cases from the new variant, we may have to wait until 2026 for them to participate. However, if the NHL still allows players to go, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson will likely not be one of them. Karlsson noted that he will not play in the Olympics if the three to five week quarantine period is enforced.
Erik Karlsson says if the 3-5 week quarantine period is true he won't be going to Beijing.
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 16, 2021
Well, it is true, so no EK65 in Beijing.#SJSharks 🇸🇪
For those who are unaware, if the NHLers do go to the Olympics, they will have to quarantine there that long if they test positive for COVID-19. That's a significant amount of time, so one can understand why Karlsson isn't open to taking on the risk.
Karlsson is a major loss for Team Sweden, as he's one of the best defenseman from the country. Although he had a down year during the 2020-21 campaign, he's rebounding significantly this season. In 23 games, he has eight goals, 18 points and a plus-4 rating. That's not bad production at all from the 31-defenseman.
Nevertheless, no Olympics for Karlsson. Don't be surprised to see more players back because of the quarantine rule if the NHL still lets its players go this February.
Photo Credit: © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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