SOCHI, Russia -- International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel says he will do everything he can to persuade the NHL and its players to participate in the 2018 Olympics.

Ultimately, though, he acknowledges it will be up to them.

Fasel told The Associated Press on Tuesday he's looking forward to meeting with league and union officials soon.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is scheduled to arrive in Russia next week to witness what might be the last Olympics with NHL players.

The league and players' association haven't committed to going to Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.

"I'm going to work hard and do the best I can to get the NHL and NHL players in Pyeongchang,'' Fasel said Tuesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I will do everything I can -- seven days a week -- until a decision is made.

"But ultimately, that decision will be made by them.''

By "them,'' of course, he means NHL owners and its players.

Fasel says there's no chance hockey could be moved to the Summer Games -- to avoid interrupting NHL seasons -- and he's not in favor of a World Cup of Hockey replacing best-on-best hockey at the Olympics.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.