(CNN) -- Television viewers around the world were treated to the grudge match of the Winter Olympics as the U.S. edged Russia in a thrilling ice hockey pool match in Sochi this month. Even for those not familiar with the rules, the sheer drama of the sporting contest was gripping and it made for compulsive viewing. It's not the only time this year that ice hockey has made for a stunning spectacle and generated huge interest. In North America -- ahead of Sochi's start -- the NHL went on a big marketing blitz, with outdoor matches in massive stadiums previously used for other sports.
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NHL took a 17-day break during the Winter Olympics in Sochi
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Its top players competed for their respective countries in quest for gold
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NHL and Players' Association liaising over expansion plans
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Return of ice hockey World Cup is likely
"I think they would love the idea but in an @placeholder season you are talking about a sport where there are over 90 games in an eight-and-a-half-month period," he said.
Before each @placeholder there have been reports that the arrangement could come to an end.