Swedes win, while the NHL loses

[Tricolore#20]

I posted before the olympics started that the NHL should have given them 2 extra days at the start and gave them an extra day at the end. Bettman must not realize how hard it is to travel from Italy to the US and even worse for the Red Wings as they play in San Jose on Tuesday night. It took me like 4 days to get my sleep pattern back when I came home from Europe this summer and these guys are thrown onto the ice in a different time zone to boot.

I think part of the reason that this tournament seemed poorly coordinated by the IIHF/IOC and the NHL was because it was put together at the last minute. In the summer time, Bettman's first priority was to get the league back on ice (a process that didn't really get started until mid July), and the Olympics were the furthest thing down on the agenda.

I think that attributes for the poor NHL scheduling in general (lack of interconference play, etc.). I'll be willing to give Bettman the benefit of the doubt, considering how hard he worked over the summer to put the game back on the ice. If these issues come up down the road however, I would also support the claims of ignorance on Bettman's part.

 

[True Blue Bleed Blue]

This was a very bad idea, I agree. We need to get a nice all star weekend similar to the NBA going. A bunch of fun stuff on Friday, a Saturday filled with skills, and the game itself on sunday.

 

[VladNYC*]

Im so tired of people *****ing about the olympics. I am a HUGE rangers fan but i know that the olympic gold is ten times more important then the stanley cup so i don't wine about it like a little *****.

 

[joshjull]

Im so tired of people *****ing about the olympics. I am a HUGE rangers fan but i know that the olympic gold is ten times more important then the stanley cup so i don't wine about it like a little *****.

That is your opinion, I doubt most people share it. The problem this year was too many teams in the round robin portion. I believe in Salt Lake the teams only played 3 games in the early round instead of 5. Have the lower teams qualify in August so NHLers can participate.

 

[Towelie*]

Negatory, McCarthy's injured too

McCarthy's injured! Well its about ****ing time to hit the panic button.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

That is your opinion, I doubt most people share it. The problem this year was too many teams in the round robin portion. I believe in Salt Lake the teams only played 3 games in the early round instead of 5. Have the lower teams qualify in August so NHLers can participate.

I share it and I am as big an NHL lover as you will find. Center ice package and taping games at all hours to watch them when I have free time. 12 teams was the number the Olympics always had before NHL participation and that does not need to change. More time between games and a day or two on each end would be fine. It is easy to do just needs some planning and co-operation.

 

[Pantokrator]

They should start the games on the first day and they should make 4 brackets with
bracket A having teams 1, 8, 9, 16
Bracket B having teams 2,7,10,15
Bracket C having teams 3,6,11,14
Bracket D having teams 4,5,12,13

The top 2 teams play in the single elimination games. This way each team plays 3 games in the round robin instead of 5, thereby reducing the amount of games played hy 2. ALong with starting the games on the first day, the games are more stretched out, plus in this system, more teams qualify, increasing the games' popularity among those countries. Belarus, Austria, Lithuania, France, Japan, Norway and Ukraine would all be more likely to qualify.

I am all for NHLers playing in the olympics, BUT I like the WOrld Cup of Hockey better because all of the best players are able to play. Too many good players were missing from this tournament, such as Naslund, Pitkanen, Kim Johnsson, Michal Handzus, Scott Niedermayer. I would like it better if the games were played in the Summer olympics, just to reduce injured players from missing the games.

 

[Vikke]

Hockey during the summer Olympics is a very strange suggestion. It's like playing soccer during the winter Olympics.

 

[Wisent]

I hope they keep NHLers in the Olympics. Just start the NHL season earlier so the break is bigger. Its a win-win.

I agree. It is so simple and yet they try to make it so complicated. Everyone just has a tendency to be dramatic.

 

[Jazz]

That is your opinion, I doubt most people share it. The problem this year was too many teams in the round robin portion. I believe in Salt Lake the teams only played 3 games in the early round instead of 5. Have the lower teams qualify in August so NHLers can participate.

3 games means only 8 teams in the Olympic tournament - that is too little. The next tier of nations needs to get a crack at the elite-7 in order to help those nations, and to grow the sport. Otherwise a team like Switzerland would not have received the boost it's program just got with the Turin games.

I agree. It is so simple and yet they try to make it so complicated. Everyone just has a tendency to be dramatic.

Actually, it is not that simple. The problem is that in Sept/Oct, hockey is competing against the NFL and Baseball playoffs, and they would rather start the season later in order to minimize an overlap they would lose with.

 

[jekoh]

I think one of the biggest problems this year is that the NHL just came off of the lockout where everyone lost a year...there are more injuries this year than I ever remember seeing...i.e. more players hurting and a more minor injuries probably due to the one year layoff. This will hurt teams this year for the playoffs hence the concerns...it is not the players fault but it is a concern. I think next time out though hopefully everyone is conditioned better and there won't be injuries to worry about...

in 2002 maybe I am wrong but the only players I remember hearing about being injuried was Yzerman and Lemieux and from what I remember they were already injured and NOT injured in the tourny...that didn't happen this time out but I think what four-five players were injured this time out...just a thought.

Most of the injured players did play last season.

 

[jekoh]

I am all for NHLers playing in the olympics, BUT I like the WOrld Cup of Hockey better because all of the best players are able to play.

There were about as many players who pulled out of the World Cup in 2004.

 

[Wisent]

Actually, it is not that simple. The problem is that in Sept/Oct, hockey is competing against the NFL and Baseball playoffs, and they would rather start the season later in order to minimize an overlap they would lose with.

But it would only be once every four years.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

That is your opinion, I doubt most people share it. The problem this year was too many teams in the round robin portion. I believe in Salt Lake the teams only played 3 games in the early round instead of 5. Have the lower teams qualify in August so NHLers can participate.

Any person who believes in sports would agree with that phrase

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

I agree. It is so simple and yet they try to make it so complicated. Everyone just has a tendency to be dramatic.

I agree, this is a little bit of sour grapes on behalf of North American fans. Had Canada or the US done better this thread would have no legs at all. The NHL regular season is already too long, and shortening it, it or stopping it for a couple weeks is no big deal. The exposure hockey gets from the Olympics is 100 times better than what the NHL regular season gets. This was a win win for everyone!

 

[Force]

That is your opinion, I doubt most people share it. The problem this year was too many teams in the round robin portion. I believe in Salt Lake the teams only played 3 games in the early round instead of 5. Have the lower teams qualify in August so NHLers can participate.

You realize that the media in europe is writing about "unbelivable american arrogance" and celebrate canada's and USA's hockey butts getting kicked big time?

Well i realize thats unfair because it's not only the US with that sad and patetic simple minded "our national leagues is more important than the greatest even there is in sports" but Canada as well.

I suggest taking the Olympics away from Vancouver since it is clearly not appreciated.

 

[Wisent]

You realize that the media in europe is writing about "unbelivable american arrogance" and celebrate canada's and USA's hockey butts getting kicked big time?

Well i realize thats unfair because it's not only the US with that sad and patetic simple minded "our national leagues is more important than the greatest even there is in sports" but Canada as well.

I suggest taking the Olympics away from Vancouver since it is clearly not appreciated.

There is more than hockey in the Olympics.

 

[NYIsles1*]

The players wanted this as part of the new cba and it was agreed to so the fans should look ahead to 2010 because they will be participating again whether we agree or not.

Personally I do not want the NHL to shut down it's season for this any longer after 2010, I really think it's bad for the game and in several ways for the players participating also because of the wear it puts on them to participate. There are games on Tuesday night and there are players who played in Turin on Sunday, it was asking a lot to coordinate that from Utah but running back players from Turin seems impossible and some have to immediately go on roadtrips.

That said what I dislike the most is it restricts a very good vehicle for young players outside of NHL circles to make a name for themselves and then go directly into the NHL which only adds publicity to the league. When players like Morrow, LaFontaine and Flatley joined the Islanders straight from their Olympic teams it was like having another draft with a new crop of talent and it only increased interest in the sport because of what they did in the Olympics.

Today this is just NHL players well-known going back to their NHL teams whether they win or lose.

 

[Ola]

8 games in 12 days sounds crazy. But besides the Finns who worked like crazy the entrire tournament the scheduele was much softer then it seems.

I am a Ranger fan and we had a ton of players on the Czech team. However I doubt their combined 8 games even can be compared with 5 games in the NHL from a physical standpoint. They played Italy, Swiss and Germany. They will be fine!

 

[optimus2861]

I think that attributes for the poor NHL scheduling in general (lack of interconference play, etc.).

Lack of interconference play was an intentional choice made to increase the number of intradivisional and intraconference games. As a Canadiens fan, I much prefer seeing the Habs take on the Senators, Maple Leafs and Bruins 8x/year than having to sit through a couple dozen meaningless and emotionless games against the western teams that also serve to water down the natural rivalries by taking games away from them.

That's no excuse for the rest of the brutal scheduling, though. March is going to be lethal to teams in the playoff chase. They ought to just cut 6-8 games out of the schedule in Olympic years if they're going to keep going.

 

[sarge88]

You realize that the media in europe is writing about "unbelivable american arrogance" and celebrate canada's and USA's hockey butts getting kicked big time?

Well i realize thats unfair because it's not only the US with that sad and patetic simple minded "our national leagues is more important than the greatest even there is in sports" but Canada as well.

I suggest taking the Olympics away from Vancouver since it is clearly not appreciated.

Better yet, just keep NHL'ers out of the Olympics and keep it in Vancouver. It is a very beautiful city afterall.

 

[HockeyCritter]

Funny, I'm a Red Wings fan, and I sure don't feel like a loser today. The performance our players put in should help to inspire them throughout the rest of the season. I'm very happy for all our Olympians and their success.

Funny how all these articles like this weren't popping up in 2002. Even Bob McKenzie posted one with a lame "I'm not just saying this because Canada and the USA are out, I felt the same way in 2002" excuse, which raises the question as to why he didn't write the same thing in 2002.

Actually there were quite a few articles back in 2002 as well as 1998 ------ their primary focus was the forced shutdown of the league for two/three weeks while the Olympics were going on (basically stating how it was a bad thing because in February there is little else to compete with NHL attention). It has been a battle since the NHLPA allowed its players to go to the Olympics.

The NHL is only committed through 2010 ----- I think it's a better than good chance that the 2010 Games will be the last time you see NHL players participating.

 

[HockeyCritter]

The players wanted this as part of the new cba and it was agreed to so the fans should look ahead to 2010 because they will be participating again whether we agree or not.

Personally I do not want the NHL to shut down it's season for this any longer after 2010, I really think it's bad for the game and in several ways for the players participating also because of the wear it puts on them to participate. There are games on Tuesday night and there are players who played in Turin on Sunday, it was asking a lot to coordinate that from Utah but running back players from Turin seems impossible and some have to immediately go on roadtrips.

That said what I dislike the most is it restricts a very good vehicle for young players outside of NHL circles to make a name for themselves and then go directly into the NHL which only adds publicity to the league. When players like Morrow, LaFontaine and Flatley joined the Islanders straight from their Olympic teams it was like having another draft with a new crop of talent and it only increased interest in the sport because of what they did in the Olympics.

Today this is just NHL players well-known going back to their NHL teams whether they win or lose.

If the league were so short sighted as to insist that NHL be allowed to participate in future games (they are only committed through 2010) ---- why not put the same restrictions on a hockey roster that you have on a soccer roster …… they’re only allowed three players over a certain age …… that would negate most of the problems with NHLers in the Olympics …. And it would allow the League to continue (the shutting down is the stupidest part of the entire NHL in the Olympic situation).