Could Leafs superstar Auston Matthews opt out of playing for Team USA at the Olympics?

With the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the strict quarantine rules in China, it appears likely that we'll see more players opt out the closer we get to the Beijing Olympics.

The 2022 Olympic Games are set to run over 3 weeks beginning in early February, but some concerns over the fact that an athlete who tests positive for COVID-19 could face a 3-5 week quarantine and would be required to produce two negative tests prior to becoming eligible to travel home could be a deal breaker for some players.

On Monday, Toronto Maple Leafs superstar forward Auston Matthews spoke briefly about the upcoming Olympic Games but appeared somewhat non-committal about whether or not he still plans to attend, given the most recent info on quarantine rules.

Matthews admitted that he and the rest of the players are awaiting further information before committing to attend the Beijing Olympics, saying that at this point, he's "playing it by ear".

Last week, the NHL had revealed that although it does not necessarily want to send the players, the league would allow the players to make their own decisions on whether or not they wish to attend.

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