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Dreger: NHLPA to reject CBA extension for Olympics; NHL game in China?

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Darren Dreger provides further information regarding the Panthers' decision to fire coach Gerard Gallant and the NHLPA's response to the NHL's CBA offer. Dreger says players are "perplexed" by the Olympic situation.

NHL Insider Darren Dreger covered a variety of interesting topics on Wednesday, particularly when it came to growing the sport overseas.

As you can see around the four-minute mark of the video above, Dreger notes that the NHLPA is almost certain to reject the league’s bargain to extend the CBA by three years in order to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

(Dreger also notes that such discussions were possibly more informal than some might have believed.)

The players’ union is “perplexed” by the league’s reluctance to, in their view, grow the sport from a “global perspective” by participating in the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

Speaking of overseas opportunities, Dreger also notes that there could be an exhibition game between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings in China before the 2017-18 season, though such an idea hasn’t been finalized.

Interestingly, Dreger points out that David Pastrnak* ranks among those being sponsored by China-based company O.R.G., another nod to that global growth.

On a night where the MLB locked down another CBA without a work stoppage, it’s interesting to see the NHL and NHLPA try to hammer out agreements like participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Consider this story “to be continued.”

* - Amusingly pictured in this post’s main image.