NHL should break for Olympics tomorrow!

[blamebettman*]

This is ridiculous, I can't believe the league is going all the way until Sunday for some teams and then it's a mad dash to Turin for the Olympics. This is denying the teams practice time as well as a chance to march in the opening ceremonies, where the ordinarily low profile hockey players will actually be the only one's recognizable amongst a mass of obscure lugers and ski jumpers. Team USA I believe only gets one practice before its first game. They should get at least 2-3, and some off ice workouts in. Would it really be so bad to have some teams off Wednesday, some Thursday, and just extend the season another week?

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[TORRUS]

It will never happen... But I feel the same way!

 

[shawn_kemp*]

yeah that sucks

but I'm glad the NHL lets them play at all at the Olympics

 

[Leo Naphta]

This is ridiculous, I can't believe the league is going all the way until Sunday for some teams and then it's a mad dash to Turin for the Olympics. This is denying the teams practice time as well as a chance to march in the opening ceremonies, where the ordinarily low profile hockey players will actually be the only one's recognizable amongst a mass of obscure lugers and ski jumpers. Team USA I believe only gets one practice before its first game. They should get at least 2-3, and some off ice workouts in. Would it really be so bad to have some teams off Wednesday, some Thursday, and just extend the season another week?

Agreed. And it also prevents some players from being standard-bearer at the opening ceremonty. I could imagine that quite a few nations would have selected hockey players, had they been available. (And yes, I know that NHL doesn't earn a cent from having hockey players present at the opening ceremony. But there are other values in life than economical ones.)

 

[octopi]

I am in total agreement. Have the Olympics suring a NHL season, fine, thats great. But for Pete's sake, have just a wee bit more down time? Some players will be in the gold medal game, have a long flight back and be expected to suit up for their NHL clubs the next night. Thats just wrong.

 

[Jester]

i think it's ridiculous that they shut the league down at all... entire thing is a mess.

 

[HockeyCritter]

i think it's ridiculous that they shut the league down at all... entire thing is a mess.

I agree ---- the worst thing the League did was to shut down for three weeks after a lockout …… I wonder if Vancouver didn't pitch a hissy fit would the NHL even be in Italy this year?

Oh, regarding the topic, [sarcasm] How dare the League look to it’s own interests before the Olympics and who do the owners think they are to put the needs of their team before a three week exercise in futility? [/sarcasm]

 

[HockeyCritter]

I am in total agreement. Have the Olympics suring a NHL season, fine, thats great. But for Pete's sake, have just a wee bit more down time? Some players will be in the gold medal game, have a long flight back and be expected to suit up for their NHL clubs the next night. Thats just wrong.

The only wrong thing here is that the league elected to shut down after a year long lockout talk about killing the momentum of the sport -- I doubt that hockey will pull in decent/good ratings (sadly); the rating kings will be (and always are) figure skating and skiing ...... With the time delay and the woeful job NBC does with sport broadcasts I have litth faith/hope that they will 1-give hockey "prime" air time in the States (you'll have to go to USA for that) and 2-do a good enough job with the sport to get a non-hockey person to watch.

Good golly it’s nearly a three week shut down and the league’s schedule is compressed enough as it is and you want they to shut down for a longer period of time? Can you only imagine the injuries caused by trying to fit the schedule in five or six fewer days?

The players made the choice to go to the Olympics, they have to live with the consequences; one only hopes that the choice doesn't cause injury or jeopardizes their team’s chance at a championship.

 

[Shoalzie]

I'm not bothered by this...the first games aren't until Wednesday. This give teams a couple days for travel. It be kind of cool to have them walk in the opening ceremonies on Friday but it's no big deal that they aren't. Do you really want to be without hockey for a week? I can at least tolerate no hockey for Monday and Tuesday and then fun starts on Wednesday.

 

[HockeyCritter]

A rather large percentage of Olympians do not participate in the opening/closing ceremonies ….. no big deal.

 

[Injektilo]

The only wrong thing here is that the league elected to shut down after a year long lockout talk about killing the momentum of the sport

I don't really give a **** what benefits the NHL gets out of it, the leagues "momentum" means nothing to me, I don't get anything out of it, and I'm not sure how many other people do either....

With their participation in the olympics though, I get to see the best NHL players in the world condensed onto 7-8 teams and play in a serious tournament. That sounds alot more appealing than watching a mid-season game between Atlanta and Toronto to me.



The players wanna play in the olympics, they asked for it as part of the CBA. They know what the risks are and how condensed the schedule is, and they still wanna do it. Sit back, and enjoy it. We had a whole year without the NHL, I think we can manage two weeks without it, especially considering the replacement.

 

[helicecopter]

This is ridiculous...

Obviously you are right. Ridiculous is the right word.

 

[blamebettman*]

And for all the contraction mongers out there (I'm one of them) now's your chance to see what a true 6-7 team league looks like. The skill excitement, all star rosters. It's awesome.

 

[mug3n]

I'm not bothered by this...the first games aren't until Wednesday. This give teams a couple days for travel. It be kind of cool to have them walk in the opening ceremonies on Friday but it's no big deal that they aren't. Do you really want to be without hockey for a week? I can at least tolerate no hockey for Monday and Tuesday and then fun starts on Wednesday.

It's not about the opening ceremonies and travel times or any of that, it's about practice time. It's quite hard for teams to get team chemistry if they're just thrown onto the ice for like 2 days before the first game.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

Bettman is going to do a lot more to accomodate Vancouver 2010 than Turin. He really dropped the ball on this one!

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

It's not about the opening ceremonies and travel times or any of that, it's about practice time. It's quite hard for teams to get team chemistry if they're just thrown onto the ice for like 2 days before the first game.

Practice time will be the games against Kazakhstan, Latvia, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

 

[missK]

Would it really be so bad to have some teams off Wednesday, some Thursday, and just extend the season another week?

You do realize that everyone would have to leave no later than Wednesday night to have the opportunity to march in the Opening Ceremony? Italy is 6 hours ahead timewise of the East coast which makes it 9 hours from the West coast. And it will take multiple flights for most players to Italy which will take a whole day or more. So the NHL is supposed to shut down for 20 days even though the hockey competition only takes 12 days?

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Not too late to place a bet with Rick Tocchet to see how many games it takes for the teams to get acclimated to the time change and new teammates.

 

[sabresfan65]

And for all the contraction mongers out there (I'm one of them) now's your chance to see what a true 6-7 team league looks like. The skill excitement, all star rosters. It's awesome.

Make those same rosters play 80 games and see how exciting the game are in november.

 

[Namso]

And for all the contraction mongers out there (I'm one of them) now's your chance to see what a true 6-7 team league looks like. The skill excitement, all star rosters. It's awesome.

not really, there are only 4 good teams out there (canada, russia, czech and sweden) that have a chance and even those teams aren't that equal.

Sorry but the Olympics will be good once other countries shorten the gap in hockey talent, until then I'd rather take the NHL playoffs.

 

[TORRUS]

not really, there are only 4 good teams out there (canada, russia, czech and sweden) that have a chance and even those teams aren't that equal.

Sorry but the Olympics will be good once other countries shorten the gap in hockey talent, until then I'd rather take the NHL playoffs.

Yeah, rather boring and mediocre tournament...

And only 4 good teams??? Gimmie a break...

I guess you'd rather watch Atlanta-Toronto then?

 

[Jester]

Bettman is going to do a lot more to accomodate Vancouver 2010 than Turin. He really dropped the ball on this one!

we are one major superstar blowing a knee out in this tournament away from the NHL not participating at all... for example, if Forsberg goes over and shreds his groin Snider is going to friggin flip out. there has already been a movement among the higher levels to stop the practice of participating in the olympic, don't be shocked if that continues as we head towards 2010.

 

[Holly Golightly]

Why can't we just be that the NHL agreed to allow the players to go to Turin in the first place. It's not something the NHL had to agree to in the first place. They could have easily have said, "Ummmmm, NHLPA, we are going to have to say 'NO' to the NHL shutting down for two weeks and 'NO' to allowing our athletes to got over there. Sorry, but you're going to just have to deal with it."

I'm sorry, but you can't expect the NHL to shut down for a month for the Olympics. Some folks are already griping about the back-to-back schedule mess. I think we should just be that we are getting well, what we are getting.

 

[WalterSobchak]

I'm not going to argue this point, but the Olympics are as good a place as anywhere for the NHL to market it's product to a wider audience. Bettmen knows this and I believe he wants players there...it is the owners who see their "assets" leaving in the middle of a tight season to play a some-what competitive tournament that could result in injuries who are against this.

NHL players in Vancouver in 2010 is a good thing for the NHL if done right. This year has not been done right.

I would actually be pissed off if I was the IIOC Chairman...I wouldn't want the NHL players if it becomes this much of a headache for them. The pressure is on the NHL Stars "not" to go so the Olympics aren't benifitting much.

 

[SChan*]

we are one major superstar blowing a knee out in this tournament away from the NHL not participating at all... for example, if Forsberg goes over and shreds his groin Snider is going to friggin flip out. there has already been a movement among the higher levels to stop the practice of participating in the olympic, don't be shocked if that continues as we head towards 2010.

forsberg yadda yadda yah, stop bring him up in every thread. It's not the end of the world if he is going.