Bettman Floats The Idea Of Ice Hockey At Summer Olympics?

[canuck2010]

Don't think it's a good idea at all.

NHL players on good teams end up playing an incredible amount of minutes as it is. When is the Stanley awarded these days, June? Let's turn around now and go to another training camp.

Toews has probably played twice the amount of hockey that players of an earlier generation played in longer overall careers.

You think that hasn't affected him?

 

[razor8]

Toews has probably played twice the amount of hockey that players of an earlier generation played in longer overall careers.

You have a point, but don't forget sports medicine, supplements and equipment are way better than they were even 20 years ago. No one cared about concussions 20 years ago. Now they take it at least somewhat seriously, when in the past you were considered weak if you didn't play through it.

 

[canuck2010]

You have a point, but don't forget sports medicine, supplements and equipment are way better than they were even 20 years ago. No one cared about concussions 20 years ago. Now they take it at least somewhat seriously, when in the past you were considered weak if you didn't play through it.

Well, of course, Remember they still have to ask the wife if they can play right?

 

[Ciao]

Don't think it's a good idea at all.

NHL players on good teams end up playing an incredible amount of minutes as it is. When is the Stanley awarded these days, June? Let's turn around now and go to another training camp.

Toews has probably played twice the amount of hockey that players of an earlier generation played in longer overall careers.

You think that hasn't affected him?

Look, I'm not on one side or the other, but is it less games summer or winter?

 

[razor8]

Well, of course, Remember they still have to ask the wife if they can play right?

Sorry, I did not get this. Sarcasm or some kind of inside joke?

 

[Jussi]

This would take away the main event from the winter olympics. Does anyone really give a **** about cross country skiing and curling?

Figure skating. Biathlon is also bigger than the latter two.

 

[Melrose Munch]

I'm in

 

[Sensin5]

This would take away the main event from the winter olympics. Does anyone really give a **** about cross country skiing and curling?

I pity the fool that doesn't enjoy Olympic curling.

 

[Jussi]

Only Bettman would be so foolish to think that it would be good idea to require even more indoor arenas from the host city to an already high number of indoor sports and number of arenas. Not to mention GOING AGAINST THE NBA! Yeah, like the sports media is really interested in hockey players when there are NBA players around.

 

[Sensin5]

This would take away the main event from the winter olympics. Does anyone really give a **** about cross country skiing and curling?

But seriously, different countries different sports. In Norway at Lillehammer Olympics, there were over 300,000 fans trying to buy the 30,000 tickets for the cross country final. Ended up with over 100,000 lining the last couple of kilometres of the course.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I'd much rather watch best-on-best in the summer than amateur hour in the winter, so sure, why not?

 

[Caeldan]

Sounds more like posturing for the 2020 lockout than hardball with the IOC.
Gives owners a bone they can throw at the players that doesn't really cost them that much.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

The World Cup and all the other silly international competitions that FIFA puts on along the way.

That's like complaining that the taste of the steak detracts from the taste of the HP sauce.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

the stanley cup is awarded in june...

So let's play Olympic hockey in July.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

I really enjoyed the Olympic hockey this year. It gets boring seeing Canada walk all over everyone in a true best-on-best tourney nearly every single time. You won't grow the sport internationally if you have the same2-3 teams in the gold medal game every time.

Here's an idea to make a really exciting, even tournament. Canada can only use players born in March, August and November. The US can't use the sons of former NHL players. Russia, Sweden & Finland can't use players born in years ending in 1, 5 or 8. The Czechs can't use players born in a city with a name beginning with B or P. What a wild, interesting, unpredictable tournament that would be!

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Love it, been saying this for years. Would be great for national teams to hold camps, prepare for the games, and just generally build up anticipation instead of abruptly coming together for two week in the middle of the professional schedule. There's zero reason to be against this other than a stupid sense of tradition.

So this would start right after the NHL season has ended?

 

[YEM]

I really enjoyed the Olympic hockey this year. It gets boring seeing Canada walk all over everyone in a true best-on-best tourney nearly every single time. You won't grow the sport internationally if you have the same2-3 teams in the gold medal game every time.

I don't think there's any sport that has grown as much internationally over the last few decades than basketball, and a lot of that had to do with the Dream Teamers in '92, etc...and basketball is basically a "who's playing for 2nd place" type of event in the olympics almost every time

 

[Random Forest]

So this would start right after the NHL season has ended?

Which part? Teams could hold mini training camps anywhere from 1-3 weeks before the opening ceremonies to get all the players on the ice together before the tournament. The few players who played in the SCF could still have ~5+ weeks of offseason while the rest would get 8+ weeks. Doesn't sound outlandish to me.

Whether they play in the Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics, or no Olympics, there will be trade offs, and I think the deal for the NHL, the players, and the fans has the best balance of these tradeoffs with players participating in the summer.

 

[KCbus]

Wouldn't it just be easier to bring back the World Cup of Hockey in the summertime? And I don't mean with that ridiculous format they had last time -- actually send full national teams out there, and have it be for real?

 

[Soundwave]

The problem is the NHL/Bettman are not going to cover the cost of a $100 million dollar hockey arena and I don't see Olympic cities being enthusiastic. Cities bidding for the summer games want track, swimming, basketball, soccer, gymnastics ... ice hockey in one venue that can only be used for ice hockey isn't something that has big appeal to them I don't think.

The already got the "pro athletes" angle covered by the NBA stars being there, hate to say it but no one cares about Sidney Crosby when you have Steph Curry and Michael Phelps there.

 

[Butch 19]

The problem is the NHL/Bettman are not going to cover the cost of a $100 million dollar hockey arena and I don't see Olympic cities being enthusiastic. Cities bidding for the summer games want track, swimming, basketball, soccer, gymnastics ... ice hockey in one venue that can only be used for ice hockey isn't something that has big appeal to them I don't think.
.

Is there any reason you don't think it's possible for basketball and hockey to share an arena like most NA arenas do right now?

 

[Ciao]

The problem is the NHL/Bettman are not going to cover the cost of a $100 million dollar hockey arena and I don't see Olympic cities being enthusiastic. Cities bidding for the summer games want track, swimming, basketball, soccer, gymnastics ... ice hockey in one venue that can only be used for ice hockey isn't something that has big appeal to them I don't think.

The already got the "pro athletes" angle covered by the NBA stars being there, hate to say it but no one cares about Sidney Crosby when you have Steph Curry and Michael Phelps there.

Don't they already need an arena for basketball?

If it were in any North American city where an NBA and NHL team already share an arena, what would be the difference?

If it is in a place where they already have or need to build an arena for basketball, what is the big deal about putting in an ice plant as is done in other similar facilities?

 

[vorky]

Don't they already need an arena for basketball?

If it were in any North American city where an NBA and NHL team already share an arena, what would be the difference?

If it is in a place where they already have or need to build an arena for basketball, what is the big deal about putting in an ice plant as is done in other similar facilities?

That is not a problem. There are not slots for hockey at Summer Games. When do you want to play a hockey tournament if you want to switch basketball and hockey tournament at the same arena? Only solution would be to build a special arena for hockey, which is expensive & nobody would agree with it.

 

[KCbus]

Don't they already need an arena for basketball?

If it were in any North American city where an NBA and NHL team already share an arena, what would be the difference?

If it is in a place where they already have or need to build an arena for basketball, what is the big deal about putting in an ice plant as is done in other similar facilities?

And just how many games in multiple sports is each venue supposed to hold in two weeks?

 

[BlueBaron]

I think Gary is starting to see staying out of the Olympics was a public relations disaster.