Bettman: NHL wants to make another world cup, players Association seems to have no interest

[Beukeboom Fan]

Yeah, I don't think anywhere close to 1 out of every 4 NHL players makes an Olympic team.

At the last Olympics with NHLers, there were 30 teams with 20 man active rosters. That translates to roughly 600 players, x 25% would be 150. Just spit-balling, but everyone from CAN/US, and 75+%ish for RUS, SWE, FIN and several for the smaller teams. Maybe 20% would have been better, but I don't think it really matters, as both are a small minority of total PA members.

 

[sting101]

Exactly.

Once every 4 years, find some way to make the Worlds a best v best.

should be the Olympics

 

[SwaggySpungo]

At the last Olympics with NHLers, there were 30 teams with 20 man active rosters. That translates to roughly 600 players, x 25% would be 150. Just spit-balling, but everyone from CAN/US, and 75+%ish for RUS, SWE, FIN and several for the smaller teams. Maybe 20% would have been better, but I don't think it really matters, as both are a small minority of total PA members.

30 teams? Wikipedia says there were only 12 teams at the 2014 winter games.

 

[Hanji]

So players aren't allowed to retire (before their NHL contract expires) from the NHL/play in the KHL (and Olympics) anymore? Isn't that what players like Kovalchuk and Datsyuk did?

NHL By-Laws Section 8
A player entered on the Voluntary Retired List: "may not re-enter organized hockey, professional or amateur, as a player for a period of three years from the date of such entry without the written consent of the Member Club making such entry."

Ovechkin never had the unilateral option to play in the olympics (nor did any other NHLer), it wasn't up to him. His participation was 100% up to the NHL.

Unlike Kovalchuk and Datsyuk (an adventageous salary dump for Lamoriello and an old man wanting to return home forever) in no parallel universe were the NHL and Caps gonna risk losing Ovechkin to the OG by allowing him the KHL option. Ovechkin never had a choice. This isn’t rocket science.

 

[Hanji]

With the IOC run by criminals and the NHL non trustworthy enough to organize a non gimmick frivolous tournament, the IIHF should assume the mantle for best v bests.

Considering NHLers are allowed to participate in the Worlds, perhaps once every 4 years it should be held right before the NHL season. Best v best.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I enjoyed the World Cup, even with the crazy bonus teams. What made the tournament worse was the fact that Canada was so dominant, some teams played poorly, Finland especially, and there could have been more games. The talent on ice was much better than in any Olympics or World Championships.

Ideally it would be a 8 team best on best tournament with only national teams. Just make the it longer and replace the 2 teams. The Olympics and Worlds always have too many piss poor teams attending that only hurts the tournament.

 

[Nino33]

I'm sorry you don't get the slang "suits & ties". I forget some people are so disconnected and uncultured from society. My apologies.

I understood it, and applied it to the players as well as the owners/etc

 

[Nino33]

NHL By-Laws Section 8
A player entered on the Voluntary Retired List list: "may not re-enter organized hockey, professional or amateur, as a player for a period of three years from the date of such entry without the written consent of the Member Club making such entry."

Retiring and playing in another league is not a unilateral right.
Unlike Kovalchuk (favorable salary dump for Lamoriello) and Datsyuk (old man who expressed his desire to retire years earlier), in no parallel universe were the NHL/Caps gonna lose Ovechkin to the OG by allowing him to play in the KHL. This isn’t rocket science.

Thanks for that

Odd that I keep reading that the EU laws make the NHL and NHL rules/contracts impossible in the EU.....but apparently the NHL contracts already supersede all other hockey leagues anywhere in the world (even amateur!) - that seems weird

 

[Hanji]

Thanks for that

Odd that I keep reading that the EU laws make the NHL and NHL rules/contracts impossible in the EU (Vorky loves to post such things).....but apparently the NHL contracts already supersede all other hockey leagues anywhere in the world (even amateur!) - that seems weird

As always, power and influence trump legality; and the NHL has all the power in the hockey world. This is particularly true as it pertains to the NHL’s influence on the IIHF in recognizing and enforcing contracts for international eligibility.
Might makes right.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

The players wear suit and ties too, and those players thought the CBA negotiations were worth missing the Olympics over...do you think the CBA is so bad for the players they were right and missing the Olympics was worth being able to renegotiate sooner?

I honestly didn't think there was anything remotely problematic enough for NHLers that they'd give up the Olympics over it, but that's not how it worked out (I think the player's leader/Fehr probably cares less about intentional play and more about money than anyone else involved om either side)

The players need to bend over some more and take their treats like pet dogs, then. Those bad, bad players trying to look out for themselves when the NHL just wants to take, take, take.

 

[Nino33]

The players need to bend over some more and take their treats like pet dogs, then. Those bad, bad players trying to look out for themselves when the NHL just wants to take, take, take.

Patrice Bergeron making $80 million playing hockey over his career...that's not "dog treat" money

I'm not sure what you think the players did that was "looking out for themselves" - they did nothing regarding the Olympics (except miss them) and carried on as was already contracted, playing for their NHL teams

 

[Jon Riley]

Thanks for that

Odd that I keep reading that the EU laws make the NHL and NHL rules/contracts impossible in the EU.....but apparently the NHL contracts already supersede all other hockey leagues anywhere in the world (even amateur!) - that seems weird

Well, all the other leagues, amateur leagues included are mostly IIHF leagues, and the IIHF has deals in place with the NHL.
I think that if a player in that situation decided to bring his case to the Lausanne sport arbitration court will eventually win, but he would have wasted maybe 2/3 seasons in doing so, because going through the arbitration is not famous to be a quick process.

 

[gwh]

30 teams? Wikipedia says there were only 12 teams at the 2014 winter games.

Seems to garbled way of saying "the olympians don't have enough votes in the NHL players association", not about number of teams in the olympics.

 

[gwh]

What if Bettman decided to hold the World Cup as direct competition to the Olympics.. at the same time as the Olympics. 6 teams.. Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Europe. Which hockey games would you most likely end up watching? Olympic or WC? I'm betting WC.

Nobody would even know Joke Cup was ongoing. Olympics is gigantic sports event with most European countries airing full day event programs for the whole duration.

For Ice Hockey, the national team support organisations and coaches would be in the Olympics. Also applies to team USA, since Carter (the commie) nationalized the Olympic IPRs in USA with the sports act. Thus US OC has a current deal with IOC about several things, including participation and revenue sharing.

 

[Nino33]

What if Bettman decided to hold the World Cup as direct competition to the Olympics.. at the same time as the Olympics. 6 teams.. Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Europe. Which hockey games would you most likely end up watching? Olympic or WC? I'm betting WC.

Nobody would even know Joke Cup was ongoing. Olympics is gigantic sports event with most European countries airing full day event programs for the whole duration.

For Ice Hockey, the national team support organisations and coaches would be in the Olympics. Also applies to team USA, since Carter (the commie) nationalized the Olympic IPRs in USA with the sports act. Thus US OC has a current deal with IOC about several things, including participation and revenue sharing.

I think the entire hockey world would watch the best-on-best & those that watch hockey only at the Olympics would watch the Olympics

Olympic hockey would become like Olympic soccer, meaningless

EDIT - I don't see this scenario as a realistic possibility, just a hypothetical. If I do imagine it I'd think the NHL (and the IIHF) running a competing tournament might make the IOC drop hockey (assuming the winter Olympics are still being held)

 

[Faterson]

False it's also a Candian obsession

Canada is in America.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

It’s because they want the Olympics you ****ing moron.

He’ll never get it.

C'mon. You believe that?

He absolutely gets it and knows exactly why. He's playing the PR game trying to get public sympathy.

I'd be willing to bet if the NHL said yes to the Olympics, the PA woikd jave very little reservation saying yes to the world cup.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Is it just me or was the last World Cup mind numbingly boring.


It was awful hockey in my view.

Not saying the rest would be but the last one was

 

[Hanji]

What if Bettman decided to hold the World Cup as direct competition to the Olympics.. at the same time as the Olympics. 6 teams.. Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Europe. Which hockey games would you most likely end up watching? Olympic or WC? I'm betting WC.

If Bettman decided to hold the World Cup during the Olympics, viewership would go down the toilet, even among hockey fans.

Note that the demographic that fills up NHL arenas in this country is, first and foremost, a fan of sports who I wouldn't necessarily consider part of the 'hockey world'. I assume the same is true in Europe.

Holding the World Cup during the Olympics ensures that only the most hardened hockey fan would watch it.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The players should say hell no. Olympics or bust.

 

[gwh]

I think the entire hockey world would watch the best-on-best & those that watch hockey only at the Olympics would watch the Olympics

Olympic hockey would become like Olympic soccer, meaningless

EDIT - I don't see this scenario as a realistic possibility, just a hypothetical. If I do imagine it I'd think the NHL (and the IIHF) running a competing tournament might make the IOC drop hockey (assuming the winter Olympics are still being held)

Nobody watched the last Joke Cup in Europe. Very few people even knew it was happening.

 

[Hanji]

Nobody watched the last Joke Cup in Europe. Very few people even knew it was happening.

What’s laughable is, in this country, the non-NHL olympic final had a higher rating than did the most watched World Cup game (US v Canada). That’s ridiculous considering we werent even playing.

Television Ratings for the World Cup of Hockey
Olympic Ratings: NBCSN, Men’s Hockey, Men’s Curling, Late Night

 

[Nino33]

What’s laughable is, in this country, the non-NHL olympic final had a higher rating than did the most watched World Cup game (US v Canada). That’s ridiculous considering we werent even playing.

Television Ratings for the World Cup of Hockey
Olympic Ratings: NBCSN, Men’s Hockey, Men’s Curling, Late Night

Interesting

The first article said the US/Canada World Cup game had a larger audience than 89 of the 93 NHL regular season games from the previous season

The second linked article said the 2018 Olympic hockey gold medal game ratings were down 74% from 2014, and they were down 96% from 2010! Also, they Olympic gold medal game barely beat a regular season NHL game that weekend (1 million viewers to 966K viewers)

 

[Hanji]

Interesting

The first article said the US/Canada World Cup game had a larger audience than 89 of the 93 NHL regular season games from the previous season

The second linked article said the 2018 Olympic hockey gold medal game ratings were down 74% from 2014, and they were down 96% from 2010! Also, they Olympic gold medal game barely beat a regular season NHL game that weekend (1 million viewers to 966K viewers)

These articles illustrate just how behind the curve hockey is coast to coast.
Non-NHL olympics, World Cup, NHL = relatively insignificant.

Furthermore, it verifies that any meaningful and mass watched best v best is limited to the Olympics with NHL participation. Anything short of that is junk, at least from the mass American viewer standpoint.

 

[Nino33]

These articles illustrate just how behind the curve hockey is coast to coast.
Non-NHL olympics, World Cup, NHL = relatively insignificant.

Furthermore, it verifies that any meaningful and mass watched best v best is limited to the Olympics with NHL participation. Anything short of that is junk, at least from the mass American viewer standpoint.

Why are you comparing an Olympic gold medal game with a regular season NHL game? The 2018 SCF averaged almost 5 million viewers (the gold medal game 1 million) Stanley Cup Finals television ratings - Wikipedia

NHL hockey is doing just fine for significance (5th highest league in revenue worldwide) List of professional sports leagues by revenue - Wikipedia and the NHL already has the best players in the world.

Best-on-best is what's meaningful, not really how many people watch (the bulk of the Olympic audience that pays attention once every 4 years is definitely insignificant to hockey & their watching doesn't do anything to make it meaningful/significant)