2014 Olympic Winter Games Awarded to

[JRock]

Sochi, Russia!

Does this mean that NHLers will be in the Russian Riveria for the 2014 Hockey Tournament?

Click to read more...

 

[jkrdevil]

My guess is not. It is thought that the NHL wouldn't continue with the Olympics past 2010 anyways and if this Russian stuff with a transfer agreement continues that will only further cause the NHL to pull out of the olympics.

Personally I would like to see the NHL in the Olympics end. What the NHL gets out of the olympics does not offset the problems the Olympics cause to the season. The NHL despite it's players participating does not get enough promotion out of it. Players stop being NHL players and become Olympians. Take 2004 for instance whenever a player was interviewed on a sports show leading up the games they were so and so from an NHL team they were so and so from Team Canada, USA, or whatever country.

 

[Tricolore#20]

If Canada or the USA do well at the 2010 Olympics, I think the NHL will go to Russia in 2014. It seems like whenever those two countries do poorly, the Olympic movement is criticized back home. However, when Canada won in 2002 (and the US placed second), there wasn't any of that type of talk. If either North American team wins the gold in Vancouver, I think to maintain the lustre of the crown, the NHL will send its players to Russia.

 

[The Korean*]

Dammit! Im Korean, so I wanted it to be in Korea. I smell a fix here.

 

[puck57]

If Canada or the USA do well at the 2010 Olympics, I think the NHL will go to Russia in 2014. It seems like whenever those two countries do poorly, the Olympic movement is criticized back home. However, when Canada won in 2002 (and the US placed second), there wasn't any of that type of talk. If either North American team wins the gold in Vancouver, I think to maintain the lustre of the crown, the NHL will send its players to Russia.

The main reason why there will most likely not be NHL players after 2010 is because there was a lot of criticism about the travel and schedule being compacted and not benefiting the league economically to shut down for two weeks. The added mess of how the NA teams did last time with poor showings and tv ratings and most of the gms don't want to mess with the Olympics anymore. The only reason why they added on the 2010 games was because they are in Canada so travel and ratings should be better. In addition, gms are more concerned about the injuries to the players at the Olympics like with Hasek and Jagr.

 

[LadyStanley]

It will also come down to the negotiations for the next CBA.

The current CBA includes 2010 in it's scope. (And there will be no All-Star game in theh 09-10 season.)

2014 will be in the next CBA.

It will hing on the players themselves demanding participation (perhaps in exchange for something the owners want dearly).

Another reason 2006 didn't go as well was because the NHL had little/no input to the IIHF as to the format for the series. In 2010, the NHL (and probably NHLPA) will be able to help form the entire tournament.

 

[Hasbro]

If Canada or the USA do well at the 2010 Olympics, I think the NHL will go to Russia in 2014. It seems like whenever those two countries do poorly, the Olympic movement is criticized back home. However, when Canada won in 2002 (and the US placed second), there wasn't any of that type of talk. If either North American team wins the gold in Vancouver, I think to maintain the lustre of the crown, the NHL will send its players to Russia.

If the Olympics are in North America in 2018 (a strong possibility) it could also pressure the NHL to send players to Russia.

 

[puck57]

It will also come down to the negotiations for the next CBA.

The current CBA includes 2010 in it's scope. (And there will be no All-Star game in theh 09-10 season.)

2014 will be in the next CBA.

It will hing on the players themselves demanding participation (perhaps in exchange for something the owners want dearly).

Another reason 2006 didn't go as well was because the NHL had little/no input to the IIHF as to the format for the series. In 2010, the NHL (and probably NHLPA) will be able to help form the entire tournament.

All you say is true enough but I think it will involve a lot of convincing on the part the owners to allow the players to go to the Olympics after Vancouver. With the scheduling, potential injuries, and the games not being in NA I think it will be very long odds on NHLers being invloved after 2010.

 

[puck57]

If the Olympics are in North America in 2018 (a strong possibility) it could also pressure the NHL to send players to Russia.

There is absolutely no guarantee the Olympics would be back in NA for 2018- if anything there is probably the greatest chance they will be in Asia (probably Korea) since they have tried twice now and it is not just the scheduling but potential injuries among other things which the owners look at as well. I would say only a 5-10% chance after 2010.

 

[Hasbro]

Well the winter games have only been outside of Eruope or North America twice (both in Japan), NBC and US sponsors wield loads of influence of the committee and Putin probably swung the vote today.

 

[Hollywood3]

Frankly, with an annual world championship and the World Cup, the Olympic hockey tournament could easily return to the sideshow status it had pre-1998.

Sorry folks, but not even Europeans took it seriously until TV sponsorship went nuts during the 1980s. Look it up, not even the Swedes bothered to send a team in 1976 and the Czechs saved their best team for the worlds and had them play WHA teams as a warm-up rather than go the Olympics that year.

 

[Tb0ne]

Congrats to Russia and Sochi, hopefully the NHL comes to their senses and sends NHL players there too.

Dammit! Im Korean, so I wanted it to be in Korea. I smell a fix here.

Korea will probably get the 2018 Winter Olympics. Hopefully by then Team Korea (if they reunite the Olympic teams) will have made better progress in hockey so they arn't blown out every game.

 

[Trizent]

I can see the Russians using the Winter Olympics and NHL player participation as leverage when negotiating the transfer agreement.

 

[Slitty]

Dammit! Im Korean, so I wanted it to be in Korea. I smell a fix here.

Well on top of funding the Sochi bid, Gazprom is now set to become a principal sponser of the IOC. I don't think your sense of smell is that bad, but I wouldn't necessairly call it a fix; merely the IOC collectively taking its own financial comfort into consideration during the decision making process.

 

[Kitsune]

Dammit! Im Korean, so I wanted it to be in Korea. I smell a fix here.

In response to this, it was 51-47 vote for Sochi, and you can place a good chunk of blame on Tokyo 2016 lobbying a Tokyo summer games will mean a lot more money then a Korean Winter Games...

If the Olympics are in North America in 2018 (a strong possibility) it could also pressure the NHL to send players to Russia.

And to this, because it will have been 20 years since the last Asian Winter Games, its going to Asia, no if, and or but about it. And the preliminary signs on the wall point to Harbin, China being one of the favourites if they bid for it.

 

[Hasbro]

It was supposed to happen this time until Putty Poot flashed the dough and the last time it was in Asia it took a massive bribe. It was also 26 years inbetween Sapporo and Nagano

I have my doubts about the Summer games here in 2016 which would make NA's next shot '22 which would be 12 years out of NA and 20 out of the US with a new network deal coming up.

 

[rmchahn]

Korea will probably get the 2018 Winter Olympics. Hopefully by then Team Korea (if they reunite the Olympic teams) will have made better progress in hockey so they arn't blown out every game.

They can bring back Jim Paek and Richard Park out of retirement.

 

[Levizk]

I can see the Russians using the Winter Olympics and NHL player participation as leverage when negotiating the transfer agreement.

The NHL would have the leverage in that situation. Having the NHL refuse to provide players for the game would be undesirable for the country putting on the event, but if the Russians say the NHL can't participate unless it gives a better transfer agreement, then the season will just be uninterrupted. Russians would only have leverage if the NHL was putting on a tournament and all Russian NHLers refused to participate without a new agreement, but even then the NHL would just probably call up AHLers to fill their spots.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I'm happy. A distinct possibility I'll be in Russia around then.

 

[jekoh]

Another reason 2006 didn't go as well was because the NHL had little/no input to the IIHF as to the format for the series. In 2010, the NHL (and probably NHLPA) will be able to help form the entire tournament.

The only times the Olympics have a cra*py format is when the NHL has its say : 98, 02, 10.

 

[Holly Golightly]

And to this, because it will have been 20 years since the last Asian Winter Games, its going to Asia, no if, and or but about it. And the preliminary signs on the wall point to Harbin, China being one of the favourites if they bid for it.

I don't understand how you can be so sure the 2018 WOG's will go to Asia.

Although Harbin does appear to be a front runner if the COC decides to bid for the 2018 WOG's it has several key problems that the ICO and FIS would need solutions for. One being the proposed mountain (Mt. Paektu) for the downhill event. Right now there is an ongoing dispute between China and South Korea as to which contry the mountain belongs too. Mt. Paektu is also some distance away from the town of Harbin.

 

[nyrmetros]

The NHL and NHLPA and IIHF would be short sorted not to work out an agreement to allow the top hockey players in the world to repsent their country in the olypics, as well as the next IIHF World Cup of Hockey!

 

[hdw]

Frankly, with an annual world championship and the World Cup, the Olympic hockey tournament could easily return to the sideshow status it had pre-1998.

Sorry folks, but not even Europeans took it seriously until TV sponsorship went nuts during the 1980s. Look it up, not even the Swedes bothered to send a team in 1976 and the Czechs saved their best team for the worlds and had them play WHA teams as a warm-up rather than go the Olympics that year.

Uhm, I don't think you've seen the TV schedules over here.

We don't have NHL games except two games a month on a idiot charge, we don't even have the SC playoff, unless you pay an arm and a leg to watch golf, and some NHL playoff if yout lucky.

The finals might be on, unless their some important golf in the way.

Olympics and even the WC is way more important from the fan/TV audience view.

Most hockey fans/TV audience in the world (outside NA) hasn't ever seen a single NHL game.

The Stanley Cup playoff is a small note somewhere in the sportpages, Olympic hockey is 8 to 16 extra pages, with a middle spread.

There's a small number of pure hockey geeks over here that follow what happens in the NHL.

The other 99.9% couldn't care less, if it's not on TV, as in not WC or Olympics, it didn't happen.

 

[Hollywood3]

Uhm, I don't think you've seen the TV schedules over here.

We don't have NHL games except two games a month on a idiot charge, we don't even have the SC playoff, unless you pay an arm and a leg to watch golf, and some NHL playoff if yout lucky.

The finals might be on, unless their some important golf in the way.

Olympics and even the WC is way more important from the fan/TV audience view.

Most hockey fans/TV audience in the world (outside NA) hasn't ever seen a single NHL game.

The Stanley Cup playoff is a small note somewhere in the sportpages, Olympic hockey is 8 to 16 extra pages, with a middle spread.

There's a small number of pure hockey geeks over here that follow what happens in the NHL.

The other 99.9% couldn't care less, if it's not on TV, as in not WC or Olympics, it didn't happen.

I never compared the Olympic hockey tournament to the NHL. I compared the Olympic hockey tournament to the IHWC annual tournament and World Cups. IMO, the Olympic hockey tournament has only been "big time" since it started to grow in popularity in the 1980's and 1990's. It could easily slide back to 3rd rate status, a mid-ground between the IHWC and WJC.

 

[hdw]

I never compared the Olympic hockey tournament to the NHL. I compared the Olympic hockey tournament to the IHWC annual tournament and World Cups. IMO, the Olympic hockey tournament has only been "big time" since it started to grow in popularity in the 1980's and 1990's. It could easily slide back to 3rd rate status, a mid-ground between the IHWC and WJC.

Well I still can't about anywhere but here but the Olympic tournament, with or without NHL players is still much bigger than the IHWC.

Mostly because it's part of the Olympics, which in itself causes massive media hysteria. And since the national hockey team is one of few candidates for medals, or even winning, much of the hysteria is directed that way.