Why did Wayne Gretzky choose to never play hockey in the Olympics?

Question

Why did Wayne Gretzky choose to never play hockey in the Olympics?

Answer 1

Wayne Gretzky, at the beginning of his career, chose not to due to the possibility of injuries, and other problems while at the Olympics. But in the 1998 Nagano Games, he chose to play on Team Canada. Although he never won a medal, placing 4th in those Olympics.

Answer 2

Until 1988, pros (NHLers) were not allowed at all. I think that 1998 at Nagano marked the first time that the NHL broke the schedule to allow for participation by NHLers.

I think that's when Brett Hull and co. trashed that hotel room after the US did nothing special at all.

I'm torn, I love the quality of Olympic hockey since '98, and actually knowing who most of the players are.  However, even without the Olympic break, the NHL season is too long.  

Answer 3

He didn't choose that.  He played in the 1998 Nagano Games.

Answer 4

He didn't.  He played in 1998 in Japan.

Answer 5

I believe that while he was playing in the NHL they were not letting the pro players play.  That is a recent thing at least for the US and Canada, Supposedly back in the 70's and 80's communist block countries were sending their pros, but that I do not know for sure.  Therefore unless there was an Olympics right around the time Gretzky was an amateur  (right after high school, he didn't play college, right??)  he would not have been eligable.

Edit:  Good answer guy above me......here is a link to a photo    

http://assets.espn.go.com/media/nhl/2001...

Answer 6

Actually prior to 1998, unless I mis-interpreted what I have been reading, there were some active NHLers who played in the Olympics including Clark Donatelli (USA 1992), Moe Mantha (also USA 1992) and Peter Stastny (SLOVAKIA 1994)

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As far as Gretzky and olympic hockey goes, yep he played in the 1998 Olympics played in Nagano, Japan.

Before that, it seems Canadian and American players were excluded from them as they were "professionals".

As far as players from communist (up to 1989) countries they were not allowed to play in the NHL unless they defected (see Petr Klima, Petr Svobada) so although many of them would have been good enough to play in the NHL, if they weren't "allowed" in and in my opinion, solely on the basis of politics, where else were they to compete?