Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo skates with the puck under pressure from Edmonton Oilers left wing Warren Foegele during the third period on Nov. 27, 2021, in Las Vegas.The Associated Press
Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo says he hasn’t decided if he will compete at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
He has been named to Canada’s provisional Olympic team, along with forwards Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
Speaking before the Golden Knights’ game Sunday night against Minnesota, Pietrangelo said he is waiting until he gets more information before making his choice.
“There’s a lot of things, especially guys with families, that we’re taking a look at,” he said. “I’m not going to make a decision until we get all the answers, because I think those are hard to come by right now.”
The NHL has committed to sending players to Beijing but can pull out of the Games at any point. Jan. 10 is the deadline to nix the plan without financial penalty.
The International Olympic Committee has said that an athlete at the Games that tests positive for COVID-19 will need to produce two negative tests 24 hours apart.
If they’re unable to do so, the quarantine period could last from 21 days up to five weeks.
“I’ve got four kids that are under the age of three and a half,” Pietrangelo said. “For me to be potentially locked up there for five weeks plus the Olympics, that’s a long time being away from my family.”
Pietrangelo said he expects to get the answers he’s looking for “sooner than later.”
“If we’re not going to go or we are going to go, us with families, we’ve got stuff to plan,” he said.
Pietrangelo was part of the star-studded Canadian team that took home the gold medal at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. NHL players did not participate at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.
Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner has said he will not represent Sweden in Beijing due to concerns over COVID-19 protocols.