Another problem is that the current NHL schedule has way too many games being played right now in order to be able to pause the season for 3 weeks for the Olympics. There are way too many injuries happening in the league right now because the players are getting fatigued from playing so many games in so little time.
This is an issue that goes beyond the Olympics. The NHL, theoretically, instead of playing 82 games, could have shortened the season by the 3 weeks of games they could be losing to the Olympics. It's up to the NHLPA and the players to object to being treated like cattle. If they don't object, it's presumed they accept it.
Sports leagues like the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA have all chosen longer seasons/playoffs over player safety at every turn. The leagues justify this by saying less games means less profits for everyone including the players. And the players and their representatives buy this rather than stand up to it. The only sports where this is being stood up to is tennis, and to a lesser extent golf. It's up to the players to object to being treated like cattle and if they don't object, they have to accept the injuries while getting their bigger paychecks.
