It is one country, and one country only, that cares whether the NHL participated in Olympic hockey - Canada! The United States is totally indifferent to hockey. Even hardcore American sports fan have no idea who Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid are. And having NHL players available would not have substantially improved American prospects for winning a medal. Canada is left alone to weep in their isolation in the frozen northern extremities of the North American continent.
Americans cared whether the NHL players went to the olympics, american fans that are hockey fans that is.
You saw it all over the boards here leading up to the games and especially after they were eliminated, most were moaning that the NHL's decision cost them what they thought was their best chance at gold in quite a while due to the talent they could have brought.
The general public in America that doesn't watch hockey doesn't care but the hockey fans did. The people in Canada that don't watch hockey didn't care either. But Canadians who do follow hockey cared for sure and of course Canada has more fans of hockey then anyone else.
And some other fans from other countries that are hockey fans cared too, saw plenty of them that were pissed off around here. They were far from happy the n.h.L kept their top players from participating.
Now curiously enough I noticed Russian hockey fans didn't care that there was no NHL players there and there is a good reason for that and I don't even have to say here what the reason was, everyone knows why they were not bothered by the NHL players exclusion.
And Canada doesn't have to weep about anything, they are the reigning heavyweight champ 2 time defending best on best gold medal winners, they are currently the best. This can never be said about Russia by virtue of winning the gold in hockey this year so why would Canada be weeping about anything? Some are simply stating Russias gold here counts for so very little and some are questioning how Datsyuk could value a gold won in this manner more then his stanley cup triumphs. Both are legitimate points.
As usual, you twist things to fit your agenda.
It is difficult to rain on russias parade when their gold medal win doesn't mean anything to begin with.