WalterSobchak
Blues Trololol
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=156076&hubname=nhl
so, because Canada and the US did so poorly this time around, should they not have access to NHLers for the round robin games? Imagine how well that would go over...I thought it was BS when it occured to the Slovaks in SLC.
-Gary BettmanWe're already in discussions about things that we might be able to do to make Vancouver (in 2010) a little easier for everybody...But having said that, one of the things that's not on the table is for us to take a longer break. This is as long a break that we're prepared to take (15 days). And if accommodations have to be made, they'll have to be made in how the tournament is scheduled."
The top six countries in hockey only had to play three round-robin games in Salt Lake City, a more preferable format from the NHL's point of view although it excluded Slovakia, which was unfair. The Slovaks, now ranked fourth in the world, didn't have access to most of their NHLers in the round before the main round-robin and didn't qualify.
The IIHF and IOC won't say so publicly but they would rather see the NHL lighten its schedule in an Olympic year instead. That would cost NHL owners and players money, given that their new CBA relies on both sides sharing from the same pie, so that's not a popular idea. Dropping games in the Olympics costs the IOC and IIHF money, so that's not a big seller either. Hence the current stalemate.
so, because Canada and the US did so poorly this time around, should they not have access to NHLers for the round robin games? Imagine how well that would go over...I thought it was BS when it occured to the Slovaks in SLC.