SPORTS

Don Cherry: NHL will not send athletes to 2018 Olympics

The Canadian Press Published Saturday, March 1, 2014 10:49PM EST

Don Cherry is shown on February 15, 2011, in Toronto. Cherry made a case for his "Coach's Corner" segment on "Hockey Night in Canada" Saturday to continue untouched next year. (Darren Calabrese / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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Don Cherry is convinced that the National Hockey League has participated in its last Olympic Games.

The hockey commentator used his Coach's Corner segment of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday to express his opinion that the NHL will stay away from the next Olympics -- in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 -- and others in the future.

"(It will) never happen again," Cherry said. "They will not go to South Korea. I'll bet the farm on it. Why should they go? Three weeks to what, grow the sport in Asia? Who's kidding who?"

Cherry talked about the negative issues the league faces, such as injuries to key players, when it sends its athletes to compete at the Olympics.

He used New York Islanders captain John Tavares as an example. Tavares is out for the season after suffering a left knee injury in Canada's quarter-final win over Latvia.