NHL teams boycotting Olympics?

[LadyJet26]

And the players have every single right to say s.od off. I'm sure some of them did say that. It might actually be the reason there now is an Olympic break at all, since apparently some NHL owners don't like the Olympics all that much.

That's because during the Olympics, they're not making any money

 

[helicecopter]

Yeah, well, the European countries are still generally not interested in hockey, except for eastern Europe and Switzerland and such. Olympics is like a hype thing, it comes, you get excited, and after 2 weeks, it's over...

LOL!!
Like commercial spots or any other advertisement: in the best case scenario, you get excited for two SECONDS and it's over! Yet the world is infested with advertisements

Do you think the Olympics did anything to help hockey's popularity in Japan? I didn't think so. Neither will it help for Italy and other European countries that are not generally a hockey country, especially when there's a World Cup the exact same year.

Promoting the NHL itself in Europe is the key factor in generating interest, not trying to promote international play.

Amazing blindness, really.
Top level, successful ice hockey Olympics in Europe with NHL players are easily the most powerful promo the NHL can have in Europe. By far more effective in generating interest than any promotional spot they can buy.

 

[Davisian]

Amazing blindness, really.

Sigh.. Fine...

We all agree with helicecopter and feel shame for ever advancing a counter opinion.

Shame on any NHL'er who decides not to play, or any NHL owner who wishes his guys would just rest. SHAME..

 

[Ogopogo*]

Players that are dressing for their NHL teams keep withdrawing from the Olympic games to use the break as a rest/rehab period.


question: once teams' doctors suggest their players to not take part to heel a physical problem, can they suspend payments to a player (until he comes back) in the case he decides to go to Torino none the less and gets injured? Can they use this threat (be it openly or covertly) to discourage a player from taking part?

The problem is, we just had a World Cup of hockey tournament 1.5 years ago. If you have a best on best tournament every two years, it loses its lustre and players are not willing to do it.

Having both the World Cup and Olympic Tournament cheapens both. Eliminate one of them and you will see more players willing to participate. It will be something special, like the World Cup of soccer, if we have a best on best once every four years.

Too many tournaments breeds apathy. Remember how many players opted out of the World Championships last year when there was no NHL hockey?

 

[Gord]

I actually don't care either way, if NHL players go or not. I just hate how screwed up the NHL season is during an Olympic year. I also wish the plkayers on my favourite team said no to going to the Olympics, and were healthy and rested for the run at the cup. Stanley is more important to me than a Gold Medal.

 

[helicecopter]

Shame on any NHL'er who decides not to play, or any NHL owner who wishes his guys would just rest. SHAME..

I guess you are missing a key difference here.
I don't have any real problems with owners whishing their guys would just rest.. i have problems with owners pressuring their guys to rest during the Olympics while the NHL agreed to make all its players available.

 

[HockeyCritter]

I guess you are missing a key difference here.
I don't have any real problems with owners whishing their guys would just rest.. i have problems with owners pressuring their guys to rest during the Olympics while the NHL agreed to make all its players available.

Ah, there’s the rub …… the NHL doesn’t make all its players available for competition during the Olympics. If you're not a member of the "big six" you can forget about having an NHLer available for the entire tournament.

 

[helicecopter]

The problem is, we just had a World Cup of hockey tournament 1.5 years ago. If you have a best on best tournament every two years, it loses its lustre and players are not willing to do it.

Having both the World Cup and Olympic Tournament cheapens both. Eliminate one of them and you will see more players willing to participate. It will be something special, like the World Cup of soccer, if we have a best on best once every four years.

Too many tournaments breeds apathy. Remember how many players opted out of the World Championships last year when there was no NHL hockey?

Agree only partially. The two tournament are different and it's much more the importance of the Olympics hurting the importance of the World Cup than the World Cup hurting the Olympics.
The World Cup is easier to accomodate with the NHL and provides time for teams to practice together. On the other hand, it's not played in the best season for hockey (September, and players not mid season form), more importantly is not as considered and stimulating for the players as the Olympics are and it's not played on international rinks. Also, its decisive part is always in North America, giving USA and Canada an advantage thus taking away fairness and consideration from European fans.

If you want to take away one of the two, it's the world cup that must go.
But the World Cup it's not the problems for the Olympics. You would still see the same numbers of players withdrawing from the Olympics while healthy enough to playing for their NHL teams..
The Olympics problem is accomodating with that redundant NHL schedule. That's where things should be fixed imo.

 

[jekoh]

Ah, there?s the rub ?? the NHL doesn?t make all its players available for competition during the Olympics. If you're not a member of the "big six" you can forget about having an NHLer available for the entire tournament.

That was true in 98 and 02 but not this year.

 

[helicecopter]

Ah, there’s the rub …… the NHL doesn’t make all its players available for competition during the Olympics. If you're not a member of the "big six" you can forget about having an NHLer available for the entire tournament.

UH?
We are not in 2002 anymore, the Olympic tournament has the same length for any team taking part.

 

[Shane]

You know, guys who play in the AHL, the ECHL, the RSL, the SEL etc etc are no less professional than NHL players. They're just not as good.

If you went to true amaturs, you'd see CHL, CIU and NCAA players (north america anyway) playing for their countries. Oh wait, we do see that, it's called the World Junior Championships.

Actually, the CHL is considered "semi-pro".

 

[helicecopter]

Hockey is still a business. The owners have every single right to tell their players that they shouldn't be playing elsewhere. Their job isn't to care about international play. Their job is to bring their team to the Cup, and if they feel that one of their employees would benefit from a rest, then that's their choice.
Is it right? No. A player shouldn't be discouraged from representing his country in ANYTHING. They should be encouraged. It's something people dream of. Do they have the right? 100% yes.

Maybe you have seen the agreement the NHL signed (with the IIHF) to let their players play in the Olympics and you have detected a caveat that allows owners to prevent players doing so?

 

[helicecopter]

Ah yes, the Russian team. Those above mentioned players, along with others, have declined to play for Russia because of the past coaches, executives, etc that still insisted on treating the players like foot soldiers (Soviet-style) instead of professionals. The Russio-Soviet old school of coaching has not gone over very well with Russian NHLers, especially the veterans, hence why you'll see high profile Russian born players not playing for team Russia.

I don't think Krikunov was the coach of the national team in the past. Anyway, Samsonov and Fedorov never declined to play for their country in the past. So they didn't have problems in the past when things were worse but they have now?

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Ah, there’s the rub …… the NHL doesn’t make all its players available for competition during the Olympics. If you're not a member of the "big six" you can forget about having an NHLer available for the entire tournament.

Is that right? This thread is just full of incorrect info today.

 

[Butchered]

Maybe you have seen the agreement the NHL signed (with the IIHF) to let their players play in the Olympics and you have detected a caveat that allows owners to prevent players doing so?

If they want to go play, they're going to go play, but owners are well within their rights to suggest that they stay put and rest up. Most players will take the advice of those providing them with a paycheck, like it or not.

 

[Piggymon]

If they want to go play, they're going to go play, but owners are well within their rights to suggest that they stay put and rest up. Most players will take the advice of those providing them with a paycheck, like it or not.

Wow, most. Guess we'll be getting a whole lot of names pulled the coming weeks then!

 

[Butchered]

Wow, most. Guess we'll be getting a whole lot of names pulled the coming weeks then!

That is assuming a majority of the owners are discouraging their players from playing. If playing in the Olympics is important to a player, they're going to be there regardless. It's not that big of a deal that some are backing out. It's just not as important to them as doing what's in the best interest for the club that provides their cash flow. They shouldn't be thought of any less because of that.

 

[daver]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't soccer players released from their club teams to play in the World Cup, and don't the leagues continue playing during the World Cup? If this is the case, couldn't the NHL consider doing the same thing. Agree to release any player to join the Olympic team or World Cup team (if they moved it to later in the year) but not shut the league down.

 

[helicecopter]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't soccer players released from their club teams to play in the World Cup, and don't the leagues continue playing during the World Cup? If this is the case, couldn't the NHL consider doing the same thing. Agree to release any player to join the Olympic team or World Cup team (if they moved it to later in the year) but not shut the league down.

SOccer leagues are not up during the World Cup. What you said indeed happens for qualifiers though.

 

[daver]

SOccer leagues are not up during the World Cup. What you said indeed happens for qualifiers though.

Thanks for the info. For what its worth if the NHL has an agreement to release their players to the Olympics, all teams should respect this. If a player is physically able to play, he should. The Olympic break should not be seen as an opportunity to rest. As someone mentioned, it is not very sportsmanlike.

 

[Slitty]

Ah yes, the Russian team. Those above mentioned players, along with others, have declined to play for Russia because of the past coaches, executives, etc that still insisted on treating the players like foot soldiers (Soviet-style) instead of professionals. The Russio-Soviet old school of coaching has not gone over very well with Russian NHLers, especially the veterans, hence why you'll see high profile Russian born players not playing for team Russia. The same thing would happen in Canada if it was Mike Keenan times 10 for every international tournament.

Lol, Fedorov has known the coach since he was 10 years old and is good buddies with him, the coach said he told him that he is injured and dosent feel like he could help the team... and also said that Fedorov wouldnt lie to him. If any of you know anything about Krikunov: if he says Fedorov wanted to play, that means Fedorov wanted to play.

Samsonov is missing Boston's every second game it seems with some sort of injury ranging from a bruise to tingling sensations. He was left-off the roster anyways and prior to its announcement said he didnt expect to be invited and would not be upset as he could use that time to recover. He has had some friction with Krikunov before I think.

Mogilny is genuinely nursing knee pain as he had it opperated on, he is in the AHL anyways. It was supposed to be a "feel good" story of him playing for Russia for the first time since 1996, alas it didnt work out.

Malakhov retired from international competition officially on account of age after the 2002 Olympics. He is retired now as it is.

Zubov declined to play as always giving a past incident as grounds for such.



Now, "expert", how many players declined to play due to friction with the coach or the Russian Hockey Federation.... 1?

 

[EHCler]

Yes NHL players are paying the players, but who is responsible for the development of that players. A lot of the responsibility is down to the national hockey federations.
Therefore the players have certain responsibilities towards their federations and the NHL also does given that they are taking these players.
For example if Germany with its NHL players play a good olympic tournament, the federation will make more money through sponsorships, merchandizing sales, which than will be reinvested in the sport at youth level.

Additionally more kids will aspire to become hockey players and start playing hockey. (One just needs to look at what Nowitzki has done to Basketball in Germany in terms of popularity). A Krupp and Schrempf were not as well known in Germany under the common public as they for various reasons barely played for the national side. Thus promote the sport and along the best league thus NHL in Germany. Sure that can not heart the NHL.

I am sure the Mavs and the Sharks (just need to look in this board to notize that Germans become interested in specific teams in the NHL because of certain German players) did not mind extra fans and merchandize sold in Germany, which surely came from the players playing for the national side. This does not only count for Germany but also other countries.

Maybe everything with the Olympics is not perfect, but it would really be a shame for the sport if the Olympics can not get incoporated into the NHL schedule, in order to take you also need to give.
Works in other sports as well.

If NHL certain NHL players do not wanna play for their country they should not be forced, but the ones who want to take part should be able to without getting acussed of selling out their NHL clubs.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The Olympics is high risk for alot of players. I can see why GM's wouldn't want their players participating merely to protect their investment. There is always the risk of injury and fatigue. After what happened to Tommy Salo is any GM gonna want their goalie to play?

 

[Phanuthier*]

The NHL teams pay salaries to make the players play in the NHL (and they are doing it), not to not play in other competition while the NHL is closed.

Just wondering, when Malakov hurt his knee with the Canadians, but went skiing anyways, was that fully within his right?

 

[Phanuthier*]

It's the morality and ethics of these employers

Wrong.

Professional sports does not have a (written) standard of morals and ethics. Doctors, lawyers and engineers do. Sports don't.