<P> Before the 1984 Winter Olympics , a dispute formed over what made a player a professional . The IOC had adopted a rule that made any player who had signed an NHL contract but played less than ten games in the league eligible . However , the United States Olympic Committee maintained that any player contracted with an NHL team was a professional and therefore not eligible to play . The IOC held an emergency meeting that ruled NHL - contracted players were eligible , as long as they had not played in any NHL games . This made five players on Olympic rosters -- one Austrian , two Italians and two Canadians -- ineligible . Players who had played in other professional leagues -- such as the World Hockey Association -- were allowed to play . Canadian hockey official Alan Eagleson stated that the rule was only applied to the NHL and that professionally contracted players in European leagues were still considered amateurs . Murray Costello of the CAHA suggested that a Canadian withdrawal was possible . In 1986 , the IOC voted to allow all athletes to compete in Olympic Games starting in 1988 , but let the individual sport federations decide if they wanted to allow professionals . </P>
<P> Before the 1984 Winter Olympics , a dispute formed over what made a player a professional . The IOC had adopted a rule that made any player who had signed an NHL contract but played less than ten games in the league eligible . However , the United States Olympic Committee maintained that any player contracted with an NHL team was a professional and therefore not eligible to play . The IOC held an emergency meeting that ruled NHL - contracted players were eligible , as long as they had not played in any NHL games . This made five players on Olympic rosters -- one Austrian , two Italians and two Canadians -- ineligible . Players who had played in other professional leagues -- such as the World Hockey Association -- were allowed to play . Canadian hockey official Alan Eagleson stated that the rule was only applied to the NHL and that professionally contracted players in European leagues were still considered amateurs . Murray Costello of the CAHA suggested that a Canadian withdrawal was possible . In 1986 , the IOC voted to allow all athletes to compete in Olympic Games starting in 1988 , but let the individual sport federations decide if they wanted to allow professionals . </P>
when did the olympics first allow professional athletes
when did the olympics first allow professional athletes
1988
1988