QOTD: Do you care if the NHL does not participate in the Olympics 2018?

[jeromemorrow]

Wondering out loud...

I'll still watch the NHL because screw the Olympics. They're a joke .. and corrupt organization.

Just wondering what the NHL could even do to reprimand those who'll follow Ovechkin in going whether they're allowed to or not..

Click to read more...

 

[Hit the post]

Benning acolyte response....at least the NHL organization isn't as bad as say....FIFA..

 

[MS]

The Olympics are the only international hockey I care about and I'll be absolutely disgusted if NHL players aren't participating.

It's the biggest and best showcase for the sport in the world, and if the NHL owners flush it away because they're greedy ***** who want a bigger piece of the pie, it's just an awful result for everyone.

 

[Intoewsables]

[The Olympics are] a joke .. and corrupt organization.

The Olympics are the only international hockey I care about and I'll be absolutely disgusted if NHL players aren't participating.

Basically both of these things.

 

[jeromemorrow]

The Olympics are the only international hockey I care about and I'll be absolutely disgusted if NHL players aren't participating.

It's the biggest and best showcase for the sport in the world, and if the NHL owners flush it away because they're greedy ***** who want a bigger piece of the pie, it's just an awful result for everyone.

Olympics is definitely the bigger stage and more prestigious stage..

But on the other hand, if you're a NHL owner, your insurance coverage doesn't cover the players that get selected... and IOC ain't chipping (I presume) in to offset that cost.. so can't really blame the NHL for taking a stance.

Not sure how they'll enforce the players that opt to leave for that 3-4 week window...

 

[VanJack]

I could care less about the Olympics....didn't even watch a minute of the gold medal game in Vancouver in 2010.

I'm tired of seeing the same all-powerful hockey nations lay a beat-down on some over-matched country with five ice-rinks to their name. Wouldn't trouble me if the NHL never went to the Olympics again. And I'd rank the so-called "World Cup of Hockey" even lower in the totem poll...."Team North America" and "Team Europe"..are you kidding me?

Best international tournament every year is the World Hockey Championships in Europe by far.....generally competitive.....players get to showcase their skills on bigger ice...last year's championship was mesmerizing even if meant watching Putin hand out the trophies.

And the over-hyped WJC is passable, particularly on the bigger European ice....but you have to stomach the cloying commentary from TSN first.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I'll be very angry if the NHL doesn't go to the Olympics. A true best-on-best tournament, and the top showcase of the game on a worldwide stage.

I simply don't understand those who don't like Olympic hockey "because some teams are too good." That's just how it is. That's life. Some teams are good, other teams aren't.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I could care less about the Olympics....didn't even watch a minute of the gold medal game in Vancouver in 2010.

I'm tired of seeing the same all-powerful hockey nations lay a beat-down on some over-matched country with five ice-rinks to their name. Wouldn't trouble me if the NHL never went to the Olympics again. And I'd rank the so-called "World Cup of Hockey" even lower in the totem poll...."Team North America" and "Team Europe"..are you kidding me?

Best international tournament every year is the World Hockey Championships in Europe by far.....generally competitive.....players get to showcase their skills on bigger ice...last year's championship was mesmerizing even if meant watching Putin hand out the trophies.

And the over-hyped WJC is passable, particularly on the bigger European ice....but you have to stomach the cloying commentary from TSN first.

The WHC is awful. Teams are usually watered down, it's nowhere close to a best on best. You might prefer that because, as you say, it's sometimes more competitive; however, I, and I"m sure many others, prefer seeing best-on-best.

 

[Nomobo]

I'd prefer that NHL players didn't take part. The Olympics have strayed too far from their original meaning. It's all about money and politics now.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I'd prefer that NHL players didn't take part. The Olympics have strayed too far from their original meaning. It's all about money and politics now.

That's fair.

If you take that approach then I would be on board with completely banning all pro athletes from participating. However, then you're likely to get something stupid like when the Soviets acted like their players were amateurs.

 

[Shareefruck]

Consider me ignorant, but I've never really understood the original meaning of the Olympics. If it isn't a competition of the nations' very best competing against each other, it's just some arbitrary Canadians vs. some arbitrary Americans/Russians, what do the results really mean, and why do I care?

 

[DL44]

Can never take in afternoon games anyway so i end up missing most of the tourney.. Usually always great hockey last 3 games (the 2 semis and the final)...

2002 Final was awesome... All of 2010 was epic... 2014 - I did not care enough to free up to watch any prelim games live till the final due to interest level, work and family.

Will be even worse in 2018.. won't be able catch any of the afternoon games... will be busy with kids activities... will likely watch the final on PVR at 9 pm.

i.e. I won't miss it.

 

[Bures Elbow]

I want to see Crosby and McDavid play together, so yes.

 

[denkiteki]

Not sure how much i care... what i will say is i'm more likely to watch the hockey games NHLers are in it (tho i'll still watch the medal games regardless).

If the NHL is playing while Olympics are going on, i wouldn't watch any NHL games so it might actually end up costing owner money since i'm sure there are others (more so fans of non-playoff teams) that will just not attend or watch NHL games during that period.

If there is a break, it would be hard to prevent NHLers from attending. If WBC is any indication, most players will try to attend if there's no NHL hockey going on (like Ovechkin basically saying he'll fly over and skip NHL games). The only team that might not get most of their best player is Team USA (at least if you use Baseball as an indicator since most of the best baseball players around the world are representing their country while you can argue Team USA has better players not on the team than the team itself...).

 

[Labamba]

Team Canada was so dominant during the last Olympics that it wasn't entertaining. I found myself losing interest after the 1st period. The World Cup was nearly unwatchable for me. Millionaire professional athletes don't belong in the Olympics. It's a slap in the face of all the people who sacrifice everthing to complete in the Olympics.

 

[Nucker101]

Yes, only time you see best on best hockey with stacked teams actually playing at 100%. I actually wish the format was a bit longer, like a best of 3 instead of single elimination.

 

[PetterssonSimp]

Y2K has it right. Best on best on the biggest stage in the world. You have every single country watching these games and imho you can see it's strained the players. Its all greed anyways. Simple fix. Let the players who want to participate insure themselves. They wanna play they pay. Problem solved. This whole Olympics isn't for professionals is ******** at this point. Want proof, take a look at what Russia invests into their Olympic teams and tell me this isn't a professionals league. If the NHL was legit about not sending the players, they'd release an NHL schedule right now, stating games will be played in the NHL during the Olympics and anyone who goes does not receive an NHL pay cheque for those days missed while under contract. That combined with making them pay puts them on the NHL's side of the argument. But seeing as the NHL won't do this, they'll cave to the players, they'll go and the owners will cry foul. #Lockout3 in the new millennia

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

Yes.

 

[RandV]

Olympics is definitely the bigger stage and more prestigious stage..

But on the other hand, if you're a NHL owner, your insurance coverage doesn't cover the players that get selected... and IOC ain't chipping (I presume) in to offset that cost.. so can't really blame the NHL for taking a stance.

Not sure how they'll enforce the players that opt to leave for that 3-4 week window...

Not to mention the NHL can't even use any Olympic images or materials to promote their player or involvement.

Personally I don't think it's really a matter of what I 'care' about. I love seeing the NHL players in the Olympics, but I understand if the league chooses to withdraw. It's an easy choice when the games are in North America, and after having the Olympics in Canada the NHL couldn't tell it's Russian players they weren't getting their own games in Socchi. But back to back Olympics in Asia?

Some fans say the NHL is stupid and working against their own best interested if they don't go... but they've been sending the players to the Olympics for 20 years now. If the NHL doesn't believe they're seeing any real benefit out of it, I would tend to believe them here.

Another factor that I don't see anyone else mention, if you grow the game in that part of the world the most immediate beneficiary would likely be the KHL. They can make it work geographically, already have a team in China and have plans for more including South Korea. That doesn't bother me at all and as a fan I wish them the best, but from a business perspective the NHL isn't going to want help give it's biggest and only rival a leg up.

 

[RandV]

Also if the NHL does not release it's players anyone who decides to go anyways will be breaching their contract and running into that area of law. I'm pretty sure as things are now if the NHL suspends a player the IIHF will also prevent them from participating.

If they're a free agent this summer (UFA or RFA) and they wish to forego a year's salary in the NHL to play in the Olympics, then by all means they're free to go.

 

[Hammer79]

I think that almost everyone will agree that the 2016 World Cup of Hockey was a forgettable tournament. It just doesn't have the prestige of the Olympic Tournament. I do understand the owners arguments about insurance but I think the exposure that comes with the Olympics makes it worth it. Even obscure sports get their day in the sun at the Olympics.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Also if the NHL does not release it's players anyone who decides to go anyways will be breaching their contract and running into that area of law. I'm pretty sure as things are now if the NHL suspends a player the IIHF will also prevent them from participating.

If they're a free agent this summer (UFA or RFA) and they wish to forego a year's salary in the NHL to play in the Olympics, then by all means they're free to go.

Do you really think a player like Alex Ovechkin cares? He'll just retire, then go play for Russia anyway. I'm sure there are loopholes.

 

[jeromemorrow]

The Olympics prestige is waning though imo... Screw them. They portray themselves as ambassadors of sport & "fair play" but it's mired with corruption over countries paying to host the Olympics.

The NHL shouldn't take it in the chin like that especially with no financial or marketing benefits. If the NHL wants to be fair, they should just put it to a vote and outline all the facts to the NHLPA and players to vote on it. Also, yeah, I like the idea of insuring themselves.. or like a 50-50 thing with the owners...

Also, I wonder the quality of the hockey arenas in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Is it any good? How many people can it host in a hockey arena? Not being critical.. Just wondering because I don't know.

 

[m9]

I don't care about the Olympics at all aside from hockey. So if there's no NHL players, I can just ignore the entire thing.

I'm okay with that.

 

[Yossarian54]

Yep. Olympics got me into hockey in the first place.