Two Russian players have ended talks with prospective National Hockey League teams following the decision not to send athletes to Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

Two Russian players have ended talks with prospective National Hockey League (NHL) clubs following the organisation's decision not to allow its athletes to compete for their countries at next year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

The agent for Maxim Shalunov and Anton Burdasov, Shumi Babayev, told Agence France Presse that they had both opted to remain in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to boost their chances of representing Russia at the Games in South Korea.

Babayev did not reveal who Shalunov, who was the 109th overall draft pick for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011, and Burdasov had been in contact with.

Neither competitor has ever played for the Russian team.

"They were in talks with the NHL clubs about contracts for next season but the NHL decision forced them both to stay in Russia," Babayev told AFP.

"They both want to play in the world's strongest league. 

"But for many Russians, the chance to play at the Olympics is their life's dream."

Hope has been expressed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that a deal can be reached after the NHL refused to officially clear its players to take part at the Winter Olympics last week.

The decision was criticised by players, the IIHF and the IOC.

Maxim Shalunov and Anton Burdasov have opted to stay in the Kontinental Hockey League to boost their chances of being selected for Russia ©Getty Images
Maxim Shalunov and Anton Burdasov have opted to stay in the Kontinental Hockey League to boost their chances of being selected for Russia ©Getty Images

IIHF secretary general Horst Lichtner blasted the role of the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) while he also took aim at the IOC when the announcement, which came following months of deadlocked talks, was made.

The NHL said they were unwilling to disrupt their season in order to allow the players to take part at Pyeongchang 2018 and claimed "no meaningful dialogue has materialised" after a prolonged period of discussions.

The organisation also revealed the IOC had "now expressed the position that the NHL's participation in Beijing in 2022 is conditioned on our participation in South Korea in 2018".

The NHL is trying to tap into the lucrative Chinese market.

It means players from the NHL, the world's most high-profile ice hockey league, will currently not compete at the Winter Olympics for the first time since Lillehammer 1994.

Who pays for travel and insurance costs has also been a stumbling block.

It remains possible, however, that some may defy the league's stance and head to represent their country at the Games in the South Korean resort.

A number of the game's top stars, including Russia's Alexander Ovechkin, who plays for the Washington Capitals, have declared they will defy the NHL and compete regardless.