NHL Schedule: 2013-14 Hockey Season Schedule Release Delayed Due To Winter Olympics Negotiations

The anticipation for the 2013-14 NHL season grows yet another day as fans are kept waiting. The fuss comes from the NHL attempting to come to an agreement regarding the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which would take some key players out of the lineup and require a two-week break from the season for the games as the representatives from each nation head for Russia. The Olympic games are set to take place in February. Thursday marks the second-straight day the NHL schedule was pushed back due to delays in negotiations, CBS Sports reported.

Not only are fans in the dark about the start of the season, but the players who will take part in Olympics teams remains a mystery as well. Negotiations are apparently in their final stages, though there is no word on when they will be finalized as contracts and scheduling issues are sorted out. Deputy Comissioner of the NHL, Bill Daly, told NHL.com Thursday that giving any details at this point would be too soon.

"There has been no final agreement on the terms of Olympic participation at this point," he said. "And unless, or until, there is, the release of the 2013-14 regular-season schedule would be premature. Having said that, we hope that a final resolution on both matters can be achieved in the very near future."

NHL players have been allowed into the winter Olympics for its previous four rounds, starting with the Nagano, Japan games of 1998. An alleged schedule for the Floria Panthers, which ran in the Miami Herald, indicated a two-week break in mid-February. The Panthers have since denied hearing any word about their playing schedule for the season.