The owners aren't willing to budge.

Emerging on Thursday evening from the Board of Governors meetings in Florida, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed reporters on hand that the 30 owners had expressed a "strong negative sentiment" toward Olympic participation in 2018, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Dreger notes that a decision was not made inside the boardroom, but the hope that NHL players will be in Pyeongchang appears to be "fading."

This isn't a variation in stance. The NHL's owners have long been opposed to the in-season interruption and potential for stars to suffer injuries while representing their countries, but have ultimately made that concession in recent years.

Bettman also touched on escrow - another major issue loosely connected to the topic after the NHL offered international competition in exchange for an extension on the current conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He reiterated that the system depends on escrow, and it must rise as long as players continue to vote in favor of the salary cap escalator.

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