Olympics: Dreger: NHL players will not participate in 2018 Winter Olympics [NHL says undecided]

[LiveeviL]

NHL acting like this is completely in line with forbidding Y-tube compilations made by fans. Free and excellent publicity must be bad, right.

 

[Reindl87]

hardly anybody watches the nhl?

Numbers don't lie.

 

[Ducksgo*]

I totally don't agree with the ruling if this goes through

 

[MuckOG]

Will they still follow hockey once the Olympics are over, though?

Everyone gets excited for the various sports when medals and country pride are on the line. I love watching Curling during the Olympics. I've stayed up to watch every single Canadian game, men and women. But after the Olympics are over, I can't say I'll tune in to another Curling match -- until 2018.

So I'm not sure the popularity of hockey at the Olympics will actually translate to more hockey fans (at least not a significant amount) afterwards.

Not all of them, but if only even a small percentage do continue to follow hockey, that's a win, right? These new fans may decide that hockey is a game they want their kids to play and that's how the sport grows.

The 1980 games did more to spark the growth of youth hockey in the States than any marketing campaign could ever do, and while the NHL had nothing to do with it, they still reaped the rewards in the long run. If the USA team can at least advance to the gold medal game, or even win it, the impact will be large. If the NHL doesn't see that, then they are incredibly short sighted.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

I will continue to post in this thread whether people like me or not, but having the NHL not send proud Olympians to the Olympics is bs. Bettman get off your high horse. The majority of these players dream to play in the olympics. Its none sense if you think otherwise and disgraceful

This is a new "dream" if its a dream at all. The Olympics was always lumped in with international play, which was huge to the Euro's but not so much to the NA born players.

NA born players always dreamed of the Stanley Cup. I would imagine that is still the case.

It wasn't until what, 1998? that the NHL agreed to the olympics in the first place.

 

[MuckOG]

This is a new "dream" if its a dream at all. The Olympics was always lumped in with international play, which was huge to the Euro's but not so much to the NA born players.

NA born players always dreamed of the Stanley Cup. I would imagine that is still the case.

It wasn't until what, 1998? that the NHL agreed to the olympics in the first place.

If by "NA players", you're referring to Canadians, then you might be right. But after 1980, I would bet that most American born players dreamed of being Mike Eurizone and scoring that game winning goal or Jim Craig making all those unbelievable saves in the Olympics and taking home that gold medal.

1980 did more to grow the game in the USA than anything else.

 

[Xokkeu]

I know a lot of people who love watching the world cup. NONE of them watch MLS. soccer has always been huge in the US at the youth level.

... And I know people who eat horse meat. Doesn't mean it's popular. Your friends aside the rights fees and ratings for European leagues are rising and MLS is one of the highest attended leagues in the world. Your friends not withstanding.

 

[Diatomic]

Straight from Patrick Kane's mouth, from NHL

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=705325

What has this Olympic experience been like for you so far?

"The support has been overwhelming from back home. I don't think you realize how many people actually watch and tune in and are tuning in for every game. That really doesn't become evident until you get to a spot where you can have some WiFi and check your messages, but it's amazing. I think it's great for hockey. It's great for the game. It's great for the players to do this. We're having a blast. I think it's something that has to be in the game for a long time. You can see that, just how good it is for hockey in general with how many people tune in. It seems like in the Winter Olympics there is something special about ice hockey, whether it's the buildup to the tournament or as the tournament goes on you have some great matchups. I mean, how many people woke up and how many bars were open back home just for that Russia game at like 6 or 7 a.m.? It's pretty crazy. All the players want to be a part of this. I think the NHL probably knows that too. It's good for the game. The NHL knows that. The players know that. We enjoy it. We have fun with it. Once you're here and everything is settled, it's just a blast."

 

[Deuce Awesome]

Well good for them, still doesn't change the fact that hardly anybody watches the NHL. Not even in North America.

You just said in a prior post that 12% of Canada's population (your stats) watched the Stanley Cup Finals. Where do you live?

 

[ByeBye]

You just said in a prior post that 12% of Canada's population (your stats) watched the Stanley Cup Finals. Where do you live?

For the biggest games of THE national sport, this is actually pretty underwhelming.

 

[Metalcommand]

Finnish Federation leader and IIHF Vice President Kummola said he sees the chance for participation into next Olympics at 70%. Said that NHLPA and NHL have some other things to decide before making that decision and that players want to participate but 50% of owners are against it at the moment. They'll also want to see how the Sochi games go.

 

[MuckOG]

For the biggest games of THE national sport, this is actually pretty underwhelming.

Actually, Lacrosse is the national sport in Canada.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

If by "NA players", you're referring to Canadians, then you might be right. But after 1980, I would bet that most American born players dreamed of being Mike Eurizone and scoring that game winning goal or Jim Craig making all those unbelievable saves in the Olympics and taking home that gold medal.

1980 did more to grow the game in the USA than anything else.

Hmmm yeah that was big for you guys. I suppose for hockey in general in the USA. To me though the olympics were always a celebration of amateur sport until the NBA and NHL got into it. The Miracle on Ice to me was always lumped in with the international stuff, as only a handful of those guys made successful NHL careers out of that event.

Having said that, I was two years old in 1980 and yes do live in Canada, so Im sure your memories of the event would be far different than my own.

Canada's version of the 1980 team was the 72 Summit Series. I think both series had the same effect on the respective nations due to the Cold War. Us against Them. Freedom vs Commies.

 

[ByeBye]

Actually, Lacrosse is the national sport in Canada.

Is that so? Well then, I stand corrected. I was always told that hockey is above everything else.

 

[MuckOG]

Is that so? Well then, I stand corrected. I was always told that hockey is above everything else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacrosse_in_Canada

You're only partially wrong, or partially right. Hockey is the national winter sport.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

For the biggest games of THE national sport, this is actually pretty underwhelming.

I just used his provided "stats" to point out the irony.

A quick search turned up this

MOST-WATCHED STANLEY CUP FINAL ON RECORD THROUGH FOUR GAMES
Bruins-Blackhawks Is Also Most-Watched Stanley Cup Final Game 4 Ever

Game 4 Averaged 6.459 Million Viewers, Up 120% from Second NBC Game Last Year

Game 4 Peaked with 8.192 Million Viewers in Overtime

NBC Wins Night

NEW YORK – June 20, 2013 – With three of the first four games needing overtime, the 2013 Stanley Cup Final is averaging 5.356 million viewers per game, making it the most-watched Final through four games on record (data available since 1994), according to The Nielsen Company.


And for CBC (Canada)
CBC's Hockey Night in Canada set an audience record Monday night after more than 5.1 million viewers tuned in during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime after overcoming a three-goal deficit in the third period.

The game in Boston crushed all previous records for any Toronto Maple Leafs playoff game broadcasted on CBC since metered measurement began.


So not surprisingly, Junior's stats are well off.

5.1 million viewers, 35 (give or take) million residents of Canadakhastan is close to 15% of the population. Not to shabby.

 

[MuckOG]

Hmmm yeah that was big for you guys. I suppose for hockey in general in the USA. To me though the olympics were always a celebration of amateur sport until the NBA and NHL got into it. The Miracle on Ice to me was always lumped in with the international stuff, as only a handful of those guys made successful NHL careers out of that event.

Having said that, I was two years old in 1980 and yes do live in Canada, so Im sure your memories of the event would be far different than my own.

Canada's version of the 1980 team was the 72 Summit Series. I think both series had the same effect on the respective nations due to the Cold War. Us against Them. Freedom vs Commies.

If I have time, I'll try and dig up the stats...but the numbers of youth hockey players in the States skyrocketed after USA took gold in 1980. What you're seeing on the ice representing the Americans in Sochi is a byproduct of that.

 

[Reindl87]

You just said in a prior post that 12% of Canada's population (your stats) watched the Stanley Cup Finals. Where do you live?

Not my stats but TV ratings.

Of 360 Million people living in North America on average a whooping 10 millionen people watch the stanleycup final according to TV ratings. I don't think that puts you into a position to act like the centere of the world. When you combine the viewers of the finals of the major European leauges surely you won't get a number much lower than that. If not higher.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

Is that so? Well then, I stand corrected. I was always told that hockey is above everything else.

It is believe me. Lacrosse has a league that Im not even sure still exists.

In my hockey car collection I have a few tobacco cards from 1910 that contained lacrosse players alongside hockey players. I think at the turn of the century they may have been closer in popularity but obviously since then things have changed.

So while Lacross may be Canada's "official sport" the page than contains that information is wrote in Old English and is slightly yellowed.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

If I have time, I'll try and dig up the stats...but the numbers of youth hockey players in the States skyrocketed after USA took gold in 1980. What you're seeing on the ice representing the Americans in Sochi is a byproduct of that.

Fair enough, makes sense though. For sure a huge increase in the number of US born players since that event.

 

[LadyJet26]

Actually, Lacrosse is the national sport in Canada.

Wrong. It's one of the national sports. It's the national summer sport. Hockey is the national winter sport.

 

[MuckOG]

Wrong. It's one of the national sports. It's the national summer sport. Hockey is the national winter sport.

I made that distinction in a later post.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

Wrong. It's one of the national sports. It's the national summer sport. Hockey is the national winter sport.

Stand corrected.

I wonder what our fall and spring sports are

 

[mcleex]

Can someone explain to me why the NHL won't let its players participate in future Olympics. I don't feel like digging up for the answer as I am at work

 

[MuckOG]

Can someone explain to me why the NHL won't let its players participate in future Olympics. I don't feel like digging up for the answer as I am at work

They haven't made that decision yet. At some point, it will be put up for a vote by the owners. From what I've heard, Bettman is on board with continuing to send them.