The inevitability sunk in for Steven Stamkos a full day before the NHL made it official that players would not be allowed to participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Left off Canada’s Olympic roster in 2010, injured after being named to the team in 2014 and unable to go in 2018 because the NHL opted out, the Tampa Bay Lightning captain crystallized what it meant that the pandemic was wiping out participation at the 2022 Beijing Games, too.

“That was my third legitimate chance of playing in the Olympics, and here I am sitting (here) probably not even going to get to play a game,” Stamkos said. “It’s disappointing, but at the same time there’s not much that we can do.”

Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement Wednesday, making official what seemed inevitable in recent days when a rash of positive COVID-19 test results caused several teams to shut down and the list of postponed games ballooned to 50. The league will use the previously scheduled Feb. 6-22 Olympic break to make up those games and others that need to be rescheduled.

“Given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events ... Olympic participation is no longer feasible,” Bettman said. “Our focus and goal have been and must remain to responsibly and safely complete the entirety of the NHL regular season and Stanley Cup playoffs in a timely manner.”