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

[NoMessi]

But c'mon, it's not like people are unaware of Ovechkin or Crosby's existence. They can stay up all night for an NHL game or follow remotely, as clearly many do (evidenced here) if they wanted to or had the option to. I've seen a trillion car commercials and I'm not going to buy one of those cars because I don't have any money. If the NHL had a way to directly monetize it, they would and they'd be doing it.

Everything in this post is wrong imo. The most obvious one is the bolded part. You actually saying that we dont get affected by commercials.

We had a test in 3rd grade 20 years ago, still remember it as if it was yesterday. The teacher asked us "do you get affected by commercials?" all of us answered no. He then asked us which was tooth paste was best and which we would buy, "Colgate or Low Key Brand". All of us answered Colgate.

Why would companies put in an almost endless amount of money for commercials if they didnt affect us?

And people were unaware of Ovechkin and Crosby before WHC or Olympics.

And no, you cant get access to free NHL games, you need to pay 50-60 dollar/month.

And no, thats the thing. If you dont know it exist, you dont know you want to stay up to watch a game.
And last but not least. NHL get paid, not at all times directly, but paid. Thats what they are missing. They are exploring a growing market in Europe with the global series and they obviously dont understand that the olympic participation correlate to it.

Lidstrom wasnt even a household name in Sweden until 2006. Forsberg was already after 1994 and are still by far the biggest hockey superstar in Sweden, only rivaled by Sundin/Salming.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Gary ain't a stupid guy at all.

... So it's a little strange that he thinks the fans are going to side with him when it's clear the players are more interested in the Olympics.

 

[Zamuz]

I saw one of the World Cup games (Canada vs. Europe, preliminary round mind you) in Toronto and it honestly felt like watching a scrimmage between great players. I can't blame them, they all wanted to be at the Olympics where they'd take in the whole experience, opening ceremonies, meeting other athletes and of course playing for a gold medal. The WC provides none of that.

Those points are lost on the NHL which sees the WC as a marketing opportunity, not a real tournament. Unfortunately, the players and fans see it the same way.

Yeah I agree.

If we compare: World Cup is like the All star games where Olympics are like the playoffs. I much rather watch the playoffs which are about winning and not about showing off.

 

[24 others]

Players have no interest in World Cup? How about organising a WORLD SERIES where a team of North American U-24s would play against European-born lefties and a team of players whose name begins with M?

Do it Gary!

 

[Atas2000]

They need a best on best world tournament of some kind. I don’t care if it’s World Cup or Olympics or whatever but there MUST be a best on best international tournament.

That's not how it works. There are more details to it. That is why WCoH failed.

I want a best on best tournament too. I don't want the NHL to have any more rights within it than any other local league. Same amount of refs, international rules, no whining about money. The Olympics would provide such a platform(with some shift away from what the NHL wants btw). That is exactly why the NHL is sabotaging it. That is why they push for their own tournament, that is as it is/was now is/was a joke with the absurd teams and total control by a local league. In other words I do see why the NHLPA is against it. Lots of players are still p...ed about what happened with the Olympics I am sure.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

He comes across like a petulant child when it comes to league vs player topics.

There's a lot of petulant children in this thread.

 

[Chimpradamus]

So, the clown show continues, holding the sport hostage. I hope the NHLPA will never agree to such a Mickey Mouse tournament ever again.

 

[Hennessy]

I want the Olympics. If the NHL also wants to hold a World Cup between those, great. Otherwise, it is a poor substitute, especially if the best they can do is have novelty teams playing.

 

[Machinehead]

No fake teams this time.

I want Latvia, Norway, and Denmark, not Europe.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

No fake teams this time.

I want Latvia, Norway, and Denmark, not Europe.

Counterpoint: Team Sweden vs The Republic of Dave would be very entertaining.

 

[Slimmy]

I understand the owners and from a business perspective I wouldn't be thrilled about letting players go to the Olympics either. But there's also no reason to vilify the players for not being interested in participating in the world cup.

I belive that the owners not allowing players to play in the Olympics is a clear signal to them that hockey is just a business. So the players should treat it as such. Meaning, look to yourselves and what's good for you. Get the biggest pay you can and don't put your body and health on the line for a business who ultimately only care about profitability.

 

[Havre]

Just out of curiosity. If insurance is the stumbling block when it comes to the Olympics why is it that football (or soccer if you want) players participate? I never heard about insurance being an issue (obviously it is mainly a U23 even when it comes to football, but there are still some players in it paid salaries and with "value" just as high as any ice hockey player).

As for the "not growing the game" argument I think that is false. Not that my personal history makes anything statistically significant, but for many kids in Europe the Olympics is the first exposure to "superstar" hockey. I watched the national league, but that is quite honestly a completely different sport to the quality you see in the Olympics (or the NHL). I'm not sure if I would ever have followed the NHL the way I now do without NHL players playing in the Olympics. I do believe the NHL is doing a very poor job trying to grow in Europe though - which might be where the "not growing the game" comes from. NHL is just very lucky with Europe being so disintegrated when it comes to hockey - meaning they can basically do whatever they want in the NHL and the players reluctantly just have to accept as there is no real alternative.

 

[Jon Riley]

Just out of curiosity. If insurance is the stumbling block when it comes to the Olympics why is it that football (or soccer if you want) players participate? I never heard about insurance being an issue (obviously it is mainly a U23 even when it comes to football, but there are still some players in it paid salaries and with "value" just as high as any ice hockey player).

As for the "not growing the game" argument I think that is false. Not that my personal history makes anything statistically significant, but for many kids in Europe the Olympics is the first exposure to "superstar" hockey. I watched the national league, but that is quite honestly a completely different sport to the quality you see in the Olympics (or the NHL). I'm not sure if I would ever have followed the NHL the way I now do without NHL players playing in the Olympics. I do believe the NHL is doing a very poor job trying to grow in Europe though - which might be where the "not growing the game" comes from. NHL is just very lucky with Europe being so disintegrated when it comes to hockey - meaning they can basically do whatever they want in the NHL and the players reluctantly just have to accept as there is no real alternative.

The insurance thing was a bluff and it was called quickly when the IIHF said that they would have covered the costs.
After that the "insurance problem" became a "we do not want the IIHF to use money that should go to the youth development". That was also a bluff that was called by the IIHF.
Eventually the reason not to go became a "f*** it, we do not go because reasons, no more questions".

You are right, the olympics may not boost NHL views numbers, but for sure boost the numbers of future NHL players.
Without olympics Ovechkin would not be Ovechkin, for example.
Probably, most of the european player in the league now barely new that the NHL even existed, when they were kids. It's the dream of the national team that pushed them.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I blame the IOC.

I truly love the Olympic threads when all the junior businessman come out from their basements to explain to us all about ownership, profits, growth, etc.

Plumbers by day, junior business execs on HF at night.

Are you implying plumbers aren't businessmen?

 

[Edenjung]

You are right, the olympics may not boost NHL views numbers, but for sure boost the numbers of future NHL players.
Without olympics Ovechkin would not be Ovechkin, for example.
Probably, most of the european player in the league now barely new that the NHL even existed, when they were kids. It's the dream of the national team that pushed them.

I came to hockey through the olympics. I was interested before, but i never joined a hockey club (i had only literally one train station further away and did not notice it untill after graduation. They even had the pefect name: herford ice Dragons. Man i am still angry at myself for not noticing that.)
but i would prefer it if the NHL would stay out of them.
It would be much better if we handle it like with football and the olympics.

i liked it when the little teams also have a chance to win, if there is only best on best hockey only 5 countries (canada, Usa, Sweden, russia, Switzerland) and other teams do not generate attetion.
it's better for the sport itself to have some underdog storys like in this years olympics.
That way you gather a lot more attention then when in most countries there is a little article like this " canada wins gold medal".
That way you get more people to notice the sport and that strenghtens the local leagues and that way more kids have the opertunity to play the game, because they have the mone to improve their infrastructure.

keep best on best hockey to the World cup of Hockey. If your team is not there you will not gather attention. the move with establishing an european team was good, because that way a lot of countries could relate to the team and the players.

 

[Grub]

As a Vancouver fan seeing the Olympics live and seeing Crosby score that goal in my home town brought chills. Bring back the Olympics, it was a once in a lifetime experience for me.

 

[sandysan]

Nobody but Gary wants that stupid hockey show. Give us the olympics dip****.

This is on the ioc, the owners won't take on all the risk to enrich some third party anymore. If the ioc doesn't let the owners wet their beaks, its done.

The PA doesn't even want the Olympics. Sure some players want it but the majority of the membership will not want to make concessions ( in the absence of the ioc doing so) so that the best paid portion gets to do what they want.

If the players are under contract ( they are) the owners expect to get something. From the ioc, from the PA they don't care but both seem unlkely.

Maybe more players will threaten to breach and then not do it to force the leagues hand.

 

[sandysan]

Players wanted to go to the 2018 winter games but Bettman didn't let them. Theyre not gonna work for free so Bettman can make money off of them. What did he think was gonna happen.

But the owners will?
And unlike the Olympics, the talent got paid in the world Cup. Not much but it's not hard to beat zero.

Well, also money. Crosby and the others gave up like 3 weeks of their off season training to play and the winning side for $100k each?

Most of the team canada guys make that in 4 periods of regular season hockey.

Not really a financial windfall for them for playing.

Still demonstrably better than what they get from the IOC.

If a hundred grand isn't worth it, how's big fat bubkis sound to you?

 

[sandysan]

NHL owners want a World Cup in 2020 but the players dont care about it. NHLPA wants to go to the Olympics in 2022 but the Owners dont care about it.

...oh if only there was an incredibly obvious middle ground that could be reached... something that both sides could get what they want...oh I wonder...

Sure the pa wants to go. The question is will the pa make concessions to the owners to go.

That is the salient metric and it looks like the answer is a resounding no.

Maybe it will change.

Maybe it wont.

 

[Jon Riley]

the move with establishing an european team was good, because that way a lot of countries could relate to the team and the players.

Except they did not. Pretty much noone related to that travesty of a team. Or better, noone related positively to that travesty of a team.
For the rest I kinda agree with you, I like the olympics, but if they mange to organise a meaningful world cup of hockey, I won't complain. Somehow I doubt they will, though.

 

[Ulysses31]

olympics please...

i dont like the world cup but its better than an all-star game

edit my mistake.. seems they only cancel all-star game for olympics

 

[SotasicA]

International hockey is boring. For the most part. But I will watch if they put out something as exciting as what Team North America was the last time around. MacKinnon, McDavid, Matthews, Eichel all on the same team. It was like watching porn. Hockey porn.

Those games that team played should be released on Blu-Ray.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

World Cup was a fun way to start the season but at the same time it didn't feel like a big achievement to do well in that tournament, and the compressed schedule in the NHL really sucked. As a Jets fan i can tell you playing the most games ever in history through a 60 day period in the 1st half wasn't fun. At least with Olympics i feel like there's a bit more wiggle room.

So no to World Cup from me.

I think the Olympics are the way to go.. There's a ton of prestige and history involved. Players are in mid-season form. It's best on best. You get to represent your country and be part of the biggest sports event in the world. I feel like it's also refreshing to see something different to NHL hockey during the season.

What the owners think is not my concern, for the fans and players it's the best international tournament there is, period.

 

[Face Of Bear]

IMO its more likely the players are using this as a CBA bargaining chip then as a f***-you for opting out of the Olympics. The tournament made money, which the players love almost as much as league executives do. The tournament will happen, for the money, but on the players terms once they get something else they want.

 

[Taluss]

Good job Gary, saying that to the media is going to sway them over!