CBJ and the Olympics

[Iron Balls McGinty]

So, if players try to bail out on the team during the season to attend the Olympics, how would you feel? I'm not sure I like the idea of playing 3 weeks without Bob.

Click to read more...

 

[WannabeFinn]

Don't think Russia will need Bob to cruise to a gold at this point. Hopefully he doesn't leave us, but I wouldn't blame him for going.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Maybe I'm in a minority over this but I personally am a fan of the CBJ more than the US Olympic team. I hate the 3 week shutdown for most of February to squeeze in the Olympics.

Players can be upset all they want but everyone knows this is exactly why the World Cup was restarted.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I think Bob is more of a team guy. He'd stay. However it would also probably be his last chance to win/play in an Olympics. So who knows.

If the Olympics had NHL players I think...

Bjork would make Denmark
Wennberg would make Sweden
Bob would make Russia
Saad, Jones and MAYBE Cam would make USA

Nutivaara and Korpi MAY make Finland
Foligno and Werenski MAY make USA

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Werenski would go for sure.

 

[major major]

I want them to play in the Olympics. It's the best hockey there is and it's terribly sad if players back down to a bunch of corporations.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

The Olympics are a bigger corporation

 

[DarkandStormy]

Wennberg would make Sweden

It would depend on if they let the old guys give it one more go - Zetterberg, Sedins, etc.

Then there's Rakell and Backstrom, maybe Steen, ahead of Wennberg.

 

[major major]

It would depend on if they let the old guys give it one more go - Zetterberg, Sedins, etc.

Then there's Rakell and Backstrom, maybe Steen, ahead of Wennberg.

Some of those guys can play wing. Rakell is definitely a winger at this point. I don't think Wennberg is a lock but I bet he makes it.

 

[cbjfan]

The Olympics are a bigger corporation

Yep, the IOC is a mammoth, corrupt entity. As this article states, IOC basically made the NHL non-participation in the Olympics a foregone conclusion when they pulled funding of travel, accommodations, insurance as they had done for previous Olympics.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hate-t...-players-missing-2018-olympics-120841649.html

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

I think Bob is more of a team guy. He'd stay. However it would also probably be his last chance to win/play in an Olympics. So who knows.

If the Olympics had NHL players I think...

Bjork would make Denmark
Wennberg would make Sweden
Bob would make Russia
Saad, Jones and MAYBE Cam would make USA

Nutivaara and Korpi MAY make Finland
Foligno and Werenski MAY make USA

You think JJ's Team USA days are over?

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Maybe I'm in a minority over this but I personally am a fan of the CBJ more than the US Olympic team. I hate the 3 week shutdown for most of February to squeeze in the Olympics.

Players can be upset all they want but everyone knows this is exactly why the World Cup was restarted.

I agree. I wish the Olympics were amateur players again.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

You think JJ's Team USA days are over?

Yeah. Suter, Jones, McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Faulk, Trouba, Werenski, Fowler, and probably others are over him. That's just at the top of my head.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Yeah. Suter, Jones, McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Faulk, Trouba, Werenski, Fowler, and probably others are over him. That's just at the top of my head.

I think he's playing the best I have ever seen him play. Getting those personal issues behind him seemed to make a difference. I mean that goal....

 

[Geki]

The irony of that tweet. Good grief! It's literally bizarro-world.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

The irony of that tweet. Good grief! It's literally bizarro-world.

Does Fetisov really think guys are going to walk out on multi-million dollar jobs for 1 tournament? Is so he is delusional.

 

[JacketsFanWest]

Olympic Hockey is far more important to me than the NHL.

I was at the Islanders vs Nordiques game in 1994 when Sweden had just won gold right before the game. Everyone I was with had Swedish sweaters on and the Swedes on the Nords were totally more interested in the Swedish victory than anything going on in that pointless NHL game.

But with most Canadians and Americans likely staying in the NHL, I don't think the other countries will be worried about taking their top players. Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic should be fine with only players from the European leagues. So even if someone like Wennberg wanted to go, I'm not sure he would be needed.

The real question I have is how Canadians will respond to losing. Or, perhaps some UFAs decide to sign in Europe so they can have play in the Olympics?

 

[Forepar]

I want them to play in the Olympics. It's the best hockey there is and it's terribly sad if players back down to a bunch of corporations.

Maybe I'm in a minority over this but I personally am a fan of the CBJ more than the US Olympic team. I hate the 3 week shutdown for most of February to squeeze in the Olympics.

Players can be upset all they want but everyone knows this is exactly why the World Cup was restarted.

I do not think IBM is in a distinct minority, nor is MM.

This may be the most divisive issue (other than outright lockout over CBA) that we will see. Ovechkin has already said he's going. There will be more like him. And regardless of Bob's loyalty to (and contract with) CBJ, Bob will want to go and will seriously consider it. And should not be torched for going or staying, he had no say in the matter.

The USA is all over every sport, etc... but OLYMPIC HOCKEY to the Russians and many European nations is THE THING - and no World Cup or World Championship will replace it. They do not have things comparable to MLB, NBA or NFL like we
do. Maybe Premier League and similar soccer leagues. We in the US almost take the higher level of sport for granted - the Olympics are neat, but the Super Bowl, World Series, etc... are better.

But that is our view, not the world's view. Yes, the IOC has its big issues...- but the Olympics present the chance to participate in Olympic sport with thousands of athletes in different sports...with the entire world watching. Not many remember who won the World Championship of whatever sport you pick (except soccer's World Cup, which is spread out over 2 years of qualifying and 4-5 weeks of final play) - only fans of that particular sport are engaged. Olympic champions, however, are remembered forever -including the USA's Miracle on Ice in 1980, Mary Lou Retton, Peggy Flemming (I was 7 I think), etc.... by an entire nation, not just sports fans and certainly not just by fans of that particular sport. I could not watch gymnastics for 5 seconds - except for the Olympics. I watch bobsledding, biatholon, etc... when at the Olympics. Otherwise, wouldn't care. Maybe I'm old, maybe too naieve, but the Olympic Games are still very special for me, and I guess I presume for many. The fact that Olympic hockey is now professionals may jade some of us in the States, but that has not changed the perception for the Europeans and Russians - or for me.

If this were a new thing, it might be a different story. However, the Olympic cat was let out of the bag in 1998, and will be hard to put it back in the bag. Oh, the NHL can contractually force the issue, but what are teams going to do with top stars that go? Maybe not pay them for the period missing, but they are not going to terminate contracts over it. They are not going to go get restraining orders.

The IHF (or some similar acronym) was going to pick up travel cost, insurance, etc... after IOC balked. That's a red herring. The NHL wanted this done before PO's started - and did not get its way, so will throw its weight around. Is this a final final statement, or was this an attempt to get a response now. If final final, this is stupid - there is not one NHL player who will like this, and it will be enough to cause many top players to consider the KHL or other European leagues as alternatives to NHL, and a few to leave. Including one of our own. The money may not be the same, but it isn't bad.

 

[Viqsi]

(Adapted from another post of mine elsewhere on the subject)

From http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hate-t...-players-missing-2018-olympics-120841649.html (emphasis added);

So the NHL was prepared to ask for more. They had, before Sochi, asked for increased marketing opportunities and increased access to video highlights. The IOC asked them to kiss the ring and then kiss … well, you know.

Then the IOC, under new president Thomas Bach, made a decision in 2016 that really sent this thing off the rails: The IOC would no longer fund NHL players to attend the Winter Olympics, as they had in the previous five events.

According to Nick Butler of Inside the Games, it’s believed the IOC paid approximately $14 million on top of $18 million contributed by the IIHF on transportation and insurance to have NHL players attend the Sochi Games in 2014. IIHF President Rene Fasel believed those costs could be reduced to $10 million for PyeongChang, but the fact remained that the IOC wasn’t paying them any longer, and obviously wouldn’t be sharing any revenues with the NHL, either.

The NHL and its owners went from asking for more from the IOC, to getting nothing. And the IOC asked the hockey community to pay $32 million as, basically, an entrance fee to their party.

Whatever your position on the NHL wanting more from the IOC, the fact is that the IOC's response to the NHL inquiring was to take away what they already were getting. That's one hell of a "**** you". And the IIHF tried to cover it by pulling cash from developmental leagues around the world. So, yeah, given that, this decision isn't shocking at all.

 

[Forepar]

(Adapted from another post of mine elsewhere on the subject)

From http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hate-t...-players-missing-2018-olympics-120841649.html (emphasis added);



Whatever your position on the NHL wanting more from the IOC, the fact is that the IOC's response to the NHL inquiring was to take away what they already were getting. That's one hell of a "**** you". And the IIHF tried to cover it by pulling cash from developmental leagues around the world. So, yeah, given that, this decision isn't shocking at all.

V, agree as between IOC and NHL. Not surprising. But players bolting to play shouldn't be surprising either.

 

[major major]

(Adapted from another post of mine elsewhere on the subject)

From http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hate-t...-players-missing-2018-olympics-120841649.html (emphasis added);



Whatever your position on the NHL wanting more from the IOC, the fact is that the IOC's response to the NHL inquiring was to take away what they already were getting. That's one hell of a "**** you". And the IIHF tried to cover it by pulling cash from developmental leagues around the world. So, yeah, given that, this decision isn't shocking at all.

Apparently a bunch of rich ****** shafted each other.

That's hardly newsworthy.

The most meaningful tournament to many players and fans - the pinnacle of the sport to many of us - is being sacrificed.

That's the story I'm interested in.

 

[Geki]

Does Fetisov really think guys are going to walk out on multi-million dollar jobs for 1 tournament? Is so he is delusional.

What's ironic is, he was one of the first, if not the first, to flee the soviet union to play for the NHL. It was a huge deal at the time (during the cold war). He literally did the opposite of what he's telling players to do today.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

What's ironic is, he was one of the first, if not the first, to flee the soviet union to play for the NHL. It was a huge deal at the time (during the cold war). He literally did the opposite of what he's telling players to do today.

Yes, and from what I had read, its almost like he's trying to put the red Army back together again to try and keep players from leaving to go to the NHL. Pretty ironic.

 

[Old Guy]

So if the NHL is not going to release players, will the AHL release players to play? Is it determined by if they have a NHL contract (50 roster limit) contract or not?

 

[WannabeFinn]

Nutivaara and Korpi MAY make Finland

Ristolainen, Vatanen, Maata, Lepisto, and Hietanen are all playing well and were on the last Finnish Olympic team.

Then there's guys the up and coming young guys like Lindell and Juolevi. I think Nutivaara would have a chance at that #7/8 spot, but only because the next wave of Finnish defenseman are too young/raw (Honka, Pokka, Rasanen, Saarijarvi, Niemelainen, Valimaki, Jokiharju, Heiskanen, Vaakanainen).

But really, Finnish national team D in 2022 would be scary. Risto, Vatanen, Maata in their primes plus all those young guns

Truly a golden generation of Finnish skaters alongside Laine, Pulju, Aho, etc.