A movement for the National Hockey League to bow out of participation in Winter Olympic competition is growing.

The Games’ lack of impact on fan interest in the NHL — along with forcing the league to cram the final 30 percent of its schedule into a tight time frame — are the primary reasons for the league considering its withdrawal.

If the NHL does pull out of the Olympics, a hockey player or two from this area could jump in.

Such a possibility isn’t at all preposterous.

Robert Morris University had one of its goaltenders — Brianne McLaughlin — on the U.S. women’s roster this year, after all.

Filling the United States roster with collegiate and/or amateur players would open the door for a lot of Olympic hopefuls.

The NHL has sent its players to the past five Winter Olympic Games. If the league had participated in none of them, former Cranberry Township resident Mike Weber might have played in one.

Now playing for the Buffalo Sabres, Weber was a stellar defenseman for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League for four years before being drafted by Buffalo.

He certainly could have been wearing a Team USA jersey as an amateur.

Center Township resident and Michigan State University sophomore goalie Jake Hildebrand would be worthy of consideration as well. He is sporting the best save percentage in Big Ten play this season and has a 2.15 goals-against average with a stellar .933 save percentage overall.

Hildebrand has played in 26 games for the Spartans this season and has been accorded Big Ten weekly honors four times.

By comparison, 1980 U.S. gold medalist goaltender Jim Craig had a 3.57 goals-against average in 19 games for Boston University in 1978-79.

Miracles can happen, when presented with opportunity.

Former Seneca Valley hockey player Nick Jones has become a top-flight defenseman for Mercyhurst University. He has six goals and 28 points this season, sharing the team lead in plus-minus with a plus 16. And that’s for a team that is 15-4-4 in conference play.

Like Hildebrand, Jones is considered a pro hockey prospect down the road. Who’s to say these guys couldn’t be Olympians if the team was comprised solely of amateurs?

Amateur hockey in the Pittsburgh area in general is producing more and more pro-caliber talent. There have been 13 players born in this region who have reached the NHL.

Among them are current NHL players R.J. Umberger (Plum), Dylan Reese (Upper St. Clair), Christian Hanson (Venetia) and Matt Barkowski (Mt. Lebanon).

Because of the NHL’s Olympic participation, the Penguins will play their final 24 regular season games in a 46-day span.

That’s a little crazy, considering an already hectic Stanley Cup playoff schedule follows.

Put the amateurs back on Olympic ice? Why not?

That notion may one day give a local kid the memory of a lifetime.