Insane NHL schedule makes Olympics hard to accomodate

[kurt]

IMO, the NHL plays far too many regular season games, which allows too short of a break for the Olympics, and too much wear and tear on the athletes, leading to injury after injury during the season.

The NHL should embrace the Olympics, as it's a free opportunity to showcase their sport and their talent on a worldwide stage. It's a free ticket to market growth. Why on earth would there be any antagonism? It doesn't make any sense, from a cultural, emotional, or business perspective.

I asked a friend of mine, who is a fellow Canadian, and a fanatical NFL fan, why he prefers the NFL to the NHL. He said he likes it because every single game in the season means something, which really raises the intensity of play. You can hardly say that about the NHL. Teams can go on a 10-game losing skid and get away with it, and players can coast from time to time. Those aren't the ingredients for an exceptional on-ice product.

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[steafo]

I like the current length of the schedule, its kind of nice that if you have a star go down your whole entire team isnt screwed...using the football analogy See : Chad Pennington. Because there is enough time to come back and make up for lost points. Also shortening the game would change history books yet again, i'm pretty ok with record books not containing nothing but asterix's and bullet's for footnotes explaining the rules were completely different the amount of games were completely different etc.

 

[Kearney]

I think the NHL would be a LOT more popular if there were much fewer games (maybe 40-50), and they were regularly scheduled (maybe Thursday and Saturday nights).

Then it would be similar to football: games would be a big deal you would look forward to each week. Rivalries would intensify. A lot more "marginal" fans would become interested.

 

[HockeyCritter]

One could argue that the silly Olympics are making the NHL schedule exceeding difficult.

 

[helicecopter]

COMPLETELY agree kurt.

the NHL plays far too many regular season games, which allows too short of a break for the Olympics, and too much wear and tear on the athletes, leading to injury after injury during the season.

The NHL should embrace the Olympics, as it's a free opportunity to showcase their sport and their talent on a worldwide stage. It's a free ticket to market growth. Why on earth would there be any antagonism? It doesn't make any sense, from a cultural, emotional, or business perspective

He said he likes it because every single game in the season means something, which really raises the intensity of play. You can hardly say that about the NHL.

82 games, only to qualify for the playoffs. And to make it even worse, with the new CBA the same teams face each others so many times.. while some season ticket holders won't even get the chance to see once Crosby or Ovechkin..
the argument has been discussed several times in the past and many, to my abashment, think otherwise.
Personally when i watch most NHL regular season games i don't feel much real interest in the final result (unless those really important games to decide if a team will make it to the playoffs or not), it's usually more like watching what the players can do than anything.. and that's an obvious limit for the interest a game can draw, not to say it usually also diminishes the level of the play.

 

[Hire Sather]

One could argue that the silly Olympics are making the NHL schedule exceeding difficult.

 

[kurt]

One could argue that the silly Olympics are making the NHL schedule exceeding difficult.

Look at what the Olympics and the US "Dream Team" has done for the international popularity of the NBA. Every continent has bona-fire NBA superstars these days, and the world watches. However, the NBA can manage the scheduling a lot better because basketball is a Summer game. It's a huge success.

COMPLETELY agree kurt.

Thanks!

 

[LPHabsFan]

Look at what the Olympics and the US "Dream Team" has done for the international popularity of the NBA. Every continent has bona-fire NBA superstars these days, and the world watches. However, the NBA can manage the scheduling a lot better because basketball is a Summer game. It's a huge success
Thanks!

Yes and that had to do with sending NBA players to the Olympics, which is what the NHL has been doing for the past three olympics. Making an argument for shortening the schedule is one thing but were talking about a completely seperate tournament. You also forget that Basketball is part of the summer olympics and therefore not even an issue for the NBA. But forget even that, you constantly hear about players wanting to train or heal from surgery, etc...

And we've allready seen increased popularity in the exposure of NHL'ers in the olympics from both the Salt Lake City games and the enjoyment of the skill to the craziness in Nagano when it was the first time NHL'ers were there. I mean seriously, Nagano, it's such a hockey hotbed and look at the comotion that went on there in 98.

One thing that I think will make this year MUCH better is that teams like Slovakia and Germany and Switzerland will be able to have their NHL'ers unlike the last Olympics. Especially Slovakia, they are part of the Elite 8 of hockey nations and didn't make it past the qualification round because the NHL'ers weren't there.

 

[kurt]

You also forget that Basketball is part of the summer olympics and therefore not even an issue for the NBA.

Umm... I think I clearly pointed that out in my last post. I didn't overlook anything.

The Nagano Olympics aren't going to make Japan a major hockey market overnight. But sending the Ducks there in pre-season with Kariya, and the remote possibility of players like Fukufuji being successful will help.