While hockey fans enjoy every minute of this Olympic hockey tournament in Sochi, it's hard to ignore the distinct possibility that this is the last time we see NHL players in the Olympics.

The NHL's participation in the Olympics is always a hotly contested issue, especially when the Games aren't in North America as will be the case again in 2018 when the Olympics head to South Korea. Flyers owner Ed Snider made his position known and it was hardly favorable toward the Olympic Games; the league and its teams get very little benefit if any.

It's why Gary Bettman and the NHL have been talking about a return of the World Cup of Hockey, which at this point seems certain to happen. That was reaffirmed when Bettman, NHLPA head Donald Fehr and IIHF President Rene Fasel spoke in Sochi.

Most have assumed that this means the NHL would be done with the Olympics and the World Cup would be a replacement for an international best-on-best tournament that right now only the Olympics truly provides. Nevermind that it's nearly impossible to replace the Olympics, it would be something that the NHL would have more say in and just as importantly, it wouldn't overlap with the NHL season.

However one might not preclude the other. No decision has been made yet on 2018 even if the World Cup is all but a go at this point, the Olympics aren't out of the question yet. It doesn't seem likely but the game isn't over.

http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/eye-on-olympics/24447142/nhl-decision-on-2018-may-come-in-six-months-world-cup-soon

Olympics gives the NHL something their own World Cup never could. Publicity.

There are countries all over the world (Australia included) that don't get to see many NHL matches. During the Olympics though, we get to see lots of Ice Hockey played.

Taking Ice Hockey out of the Olympics just to try and create another World Cup seems like a big loss for a little gain.