The NHL Players' Association, as anticipated, has rejected the league's proposal to extend the collective bargaining agreement three years in exchange for Olympic participation.
The news was the result that was largely expected from the very moment the NHLPA received a verbal offer from the league, in large part because of players' unhappiness with escrow payments in the CBA.
The NHLPA discussed the offer internally in a number of calls before making its decision. The union informed the NHL officially on Friday of the offer's rejection, an NHLPA spokesman told ESPN.com.
NHLPA executive director Don Fehr told The Canadian Press the players had very little interest in the league's offer, but that he still hopes "we'll still be able to conclude an agreement to go to the Olympics.