International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said he needs to know by the end of April whether NHL players will be cleared to play in the South Korea Olympics next year.

Team owners have made it clear they don’t want to stop the league season again for the Winter Games and put their stars at risk of injury. The reluctance is not new, but the NHL has participated in the Olympics since 1998. This time, however, there seems to be an impasse.

Donald Fehr, head of the players association, said players want to participate and he hopes the league will take advantage of the chance to market the game in Asia.

But NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said without “material change to the current status quo, NHL players will not be participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics.”

The NHL suspended Sabres D Rasmus Ristolainen for three games following his blindside hit that led to Penguins F Jake Guentzel sustaining a concussion. The fine will Ristolainen $90,000. AP