TURIN -- Are NHL players at the Olympics to stay?

That's a question International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel can't answer with the Turin Olympics men's tournament set to open Wednesday, but he's disappointed some players have opted not to step on to the world stage.

Fasel made a plea to NHL owners to put the individual interests of their own teams aside and think about growing the game globally. Eighteen players have bowed out of the Games for medical and various other reasons.

"The Olympic Games will have 3.2 billion spectators," Fasel said at his opening news conference. "If we want to show our games to the world this is the (best) promotion for hockey and the NHL and for the IIHF and the teams ... this is the best place to (sell the game).

"I know everyone wants to look at their own team and we should not forget that. But we should really (come together) to promote the Games as we do here. And there will be many more discussions with the NHL. We will see at the end of the tournament how it worked."

While the league is committed to the Olympics through Vancouver 2010, there are no guarantees beyond that. A new collective bargaining agreement has to be negotiated after the next Games, but it appears doubtful the league will be back.

Not only is the two-week break in the schedule not ideal, owners have been putting pressure on injured players to not attend the Games because they want to make sure they're healthy for the playoffs.

Philadelphia Flyers centre Peter Forsberg, who has a groin problem, is expected to announce today he won't suit up for Sweden, agreeing to the wishes of Philly owner Ed Snider.

It doesn't stop there. Goalies Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary) and Kari Lehtonen (Atlanta) have been playing injured, but won't suit up for Finland in the Olympics. Clearly, the players' first commitment is winning a Stanley Cup, with Olympic gold coming second.

'BEST CONDITIONS'

"My information was that the players wanted to come here, in our discussions with the league," Fasel said. "We have given the players the best working conditions here. They love to come and play in the Olympics. Anyone who has ever come to the play in the Olympics is going to tell you this is something special. The Olympic Winter Games are the biggest event ... they want to come."

It's believed the NHL is here because, with the loose ends of the CBA being tied up last summer, the NHL Players' Association insisted on playing here.

"It's a difficult issue," NHL vice-president Bill Daly. "It's a very long season already and the Olympics make it even longer. At the end of the day, it's really an issue of the players' own comfort level and if they're banged up, it probably makes sense for them to rest and rehab their injuries so they will be healthier for the final portion of (the season)."

bruce.garrioch@ott.sunpub.com