2022 Olympic Qualifying News

[Jahara]

I know but like I said 1980 didn't have NHLer and that's the greatest moment in sports. Plus for year before 1998 it was played with non NHL players and I don't see anything wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with that? It is NOTHING RIGHT with that. Hockey should try to get away from these kind of nonsense tournaments.

 

[Tomas W]

I know but like I said 1980 didn't have NHLer and that's the greatest moment in sports. Plus for year before 1998 it was played with non NHL players and I don't see anything wrong with that.

1980 was 40 years ago...

 

[Thedogo]

1980 was 40 years ago...

Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.

 

[Tomas W]

Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.

But it gets so watered down. In 1980 there was a lot less NHL teams than today, and you had the Soviets to actally create a miracle against, so the "amateurs" were of good quality. Now almost all the best russians play in the NHL too. Its just a second grade tournament that is worse the IIHF worlds these days.

 

[Thedogo]

But it gets so watered down. In 1980 there was a lot less NHL teams than today, and you had the Soviets to actally create a miracle against, so the "amateurs" were of good quality. Now almost all the best russians play in the NHL too. Its just a second grade tournament that is worse the IIHF worlds these days.

To each his own.

 

[Jahara]

Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.

Well that is what the World Championships are good for. It is so wrong using the Olympics as a second grade tournament instead of having all the best players.

 

[Tomas W]

Well that is what the World Championships are good for. It is so wrong using the Olympics as a second grade tournament instead of having all the best players.

Calling the olympics without NHL players second grade is too generous.

 

[Jahara]

I suppose the grading would be like this:

World Cup/Olympics with NHL players – First grade
World Championship – Second grade
Olympics without NHL players – Third grade
Euro Hockey Tour –Fourth grade

 

[Faterson]

Let's not normalize the NHL's egotistical sabotaging of international hockey, please...

 

[filip85]

I suppose the grading would be like this:

World Cup/Olympics with NHL players – First grade
World Championship – Second grade
Olympics without NHL players – Third grade
Euro Hockey Tour –Fourth grade

I would put World Cup/Olympics with NHL-ers - 1A and World Championship 1B. Simply too much NHL-ers every year (sometimes better one's sometimes lesser one's) to call it second grade. Just my opinion.

 

[Jussi]

I would put World Cup/Olympics with NHL-ers - 1A and World Championship 1B. Simply too much NHL-ers every year (sometimes better one's sometimes lesser one's) to call it second grade. Just my opinion.

This year's tournament I think had the highest number yet with over 120 and that's with the champion Finland having none. We're likely to have NHL players next season due to contract situations cleared up, of course depending on where their teams are in the SC playoffs, so another record will likely be set next year.

 

[Exarz]

I suppose the grading would be like this:

World Cup/Olympics with NHL players – First grade
World Championship – Second grade
Olympics without NHL players – Third grade
Euro Hockey Tour –Fourth grade

To be fair, EHT is even better quality-wise than the Olympics without NHLers since it's the top 4 out of 6 hockey nations competing

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.

By the same reasoning, let's restrict the men's 100 metres to runners who've never broken 10 seconds.

 

[Thedogo]

By the same reasoning, let's restrict the men's 100 metres to runners who've never broken 10 seconds.

No I'm say more tournaments have been played with non NHL players. That's how it was originally designed and that's how it should have remained.

 

[Name Nameless]

No I'm say more tournaments have been played with non NHL players. That's how it was originally designed and that's how it should have remained.

Amateur -sport is dead. Sorry, but to bar the best pros makes no sense, when what you get is lower tier pros instead.

 

[Thedogo]

Amateur -sport is dead. Sorry, but to bar the best pros makes no sense, when what you get is lower tier pros instead.

I disagree because college hockey has improved dramatically in recent years. The players from Europe have a lot of talent. Plus quite a few of them are former NHLers so I'm guessing they're pretty good. Also I like the unknown for an Olympic roster I find it more exciting.

 

[Name Nameless]

I disagree because college hockey has improved dramatically in recent years. The players from Europe have a lot of talent. Plus quite a few of them are former NHLers so I'm guessing they're pretty good. Also I like the unknown for an Olympic roster I find it more exciting.

Contrary to popular belief, the college-hockey players are pros to. They just get paid in form of a "free" education.

Anyhows, not much of the rest of the world has the system with college-hockey.

 

[Thedogo]

Contrary to popular belief, the college-hockey players are pros to. They just get paid in form of a "free" education.

Anyhows, not much of the rest of the world has the system with college-hockey.

Well theres jrs. In Canada and the European elite leagues when say "amateur" I mean levels lower than the NHL.

 

[Urbanskog]

Well theres jrs. In Canada and the European elite leagues when say "amateur" I mean levels lower than the NHL.

So you're advocating for amateur-exclusive participation but the players wouldn't actually be amateurs, but rather just professional players playing in leagues outside the NHL. Where is the sense in that?

 

[Thedogo]

So you're advocating for amateur-exclusive participation but the players wouldn't actually be amateurs, but rather just professional players playing in leagues outside the NHL. Where is the sense in that?

Like I said that's how it was back then and I like it better that way. The NHL guys already get enough fame and glory let someone else have a shot.

 

[Tomas W]

I guess that the olympics it self still holds some prestige, and that it's still a thrilling event to watch, even with second/third tier pros and a couple of college players. At least while its actually going on.

And the Canadian and US chances for the gold is lower with non NHLers, if you NA hockey fans are worried about getting too easy wins.

 

[vorky]

"The bottom line is we are on a slippery slope if we start paying people to come to the Olympic Games," New Zealand member Barry Maister said. "It's fundamentally against the Olympic movement."
https://www.espn.com/olympics/winte...north-american-sports-leagues-attend-olympics

 

[IceColdOx]

The biggest thing with the NHL spuring Asia is leaving all that money in the table. The NBA has done a great job taking that Asian dollar.

 

[Nino33]

Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.

Actually pros/NHLers were allowed in as of 1988 (1998 is the first year the NHL stopped play for the Olympics)

No I'm say more tournaments have been played with non NHL players. That's how it was originally designed and that's how it should have remained.

Amateur -sport is dead. Sorry, but to bar the best pros makes no sense, when what you get is lower tier pros instead.

I disagree because college hockey has improved dramatically in recent years. The players from Europe have a lot of talent. Plus quite a few of them are former NHLers so I'm guessing they're pretty good. Also I like the unknown for an Olympic roster I find it more exciting.

The college players would be allowed, but no one who had ever played a game of pro hockey was allowed until 1988 - so the European/Russian hockey players you're mentioning wouldn't be allowed to play, nor would any former NHL player

I get the impression you don't know much about the era you're advocating a return to...



P.S. And this doesn't even touch upon the issue of state-sponsored full-time amateur athletes of the Eastern Bloc countries (who were professional in all but name)

 

[joelef]

The problem is too is that in european sports you can become pro at 17 while americans have "student-athletes"