Mogilny - Why did he refuse to play at 2002 Olympics?

[HockeyGuy1975]

Self-explanatory question. Zhitnik and Zubov also declined Fetisov's invitation. At this point, Mogilny already had played for Russia in the 1996 World Cup so I don't think it was leftover resentment from his defection.

Anyone have any insight?

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[Theokritos]

He declined to play for Russia, as did Larionov, Fetisov, Zubov, Malakhov, Tverdovsky, Slava Kozlov and Khabibulin. Word was that they were dissatisfied with the Russian Hockey Federation, that's all I know.

 

[Fedorov91*]

Self-explanatory question. Zhitnik and Zubov also declined Fetisov's invitation. At this point, Mogilny already had played for Russia in the 1996 World Cup so I don't think it was leftover resentment from his defection.

Anyone have any insight?

Hey! From what I gathered, at the 1996 World Cup the Russian Coaching and staff were treating the players poorly (lots behind the scenes) and Mogilny and few others vowed never to play for the national team again.

Khabibulin was the same deal except he decided to play for Russia in the 2002 Olympics. He also received his Olympic Gold Medal which was stolen from the Soviet coach in the 1992 Olympics

 

[silkyjohnson50]

He declined to play for Russia, as did Larionov, Fetisov, Zubov, Malakhov, Tverdovsky, Slava Kozlov and Khabibulin. Word was that they were dissatisfied with the Russian Hockey Federation, that's all I know.

I could have swore that Larionov not only played for Russia in 2002, but was the captain of the team.

 

[Theokritos]

I could have swore that Larionov not only played for Russia in 2002, but was the captain of the team.

Damn...I didn't read the OP properly...I was referring to the 1998 Olympics of course. My bad, sorry.

 

[Big Phil]

Well as a Canadian I can't criticize Mogilny too much. I remember him "joking" that he wouldn't make the team anyway. He knew he would have.

But we have Ray Bourque as a classic case of someone who would refuse to play for Canada. Yes Bourque played in 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. He also played in the 1998 Olympics. But he missed the 1991 Canada Cup and most importantly the 1996 World Cup. We desperately needed Bourque on that 1996 team and he refused to do it for no reason despite pleas from Gretzky. Canada wins that tournament if Bourque is on the blueline, he was still probably the best defenseman in the NHL then. I've never understood why Bourque has gotten away with that while Mario - who had legitimate injuries - got criticized.

 

[Hardyvan123]

Well as a Canadian I can't criticize Mogilny too much. I remember him "joking" that he wouldn't make the team anyway. He knew he would have.

But we have Ray Bourque as a classic case of someone who would refuse to play for Canada. Yes Bourque played in 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. He also played in the 1998 Olympics. But he missed the 1991 Canada Cup and most importantly the 1996 World Cup. We desperately needed Bourque on that 1996 team and he refused to do it for no reason despite pleas from Gretzky. Canada wins that tournament if Bourque is on the blueline, he was still probably the best defenseman in the NHL then. I've never understood why Bourque has gotten away with that while Mario - who had legitimate injuries - got criticized.

The answer quite clearly is that some guys are liked more than other.

If they are liked a plausible excuse comes into play while disliked players are criticized.

People are human after all.

 

[Seanconn*]

Well as a Canadian I can't criticize Mogilny too much. I remember him "joking" that he wouldn't make the team anyway. He knew he would have.

But we have Ray Bourque as a classic case of someone who would refuse to play for Canada. Yes Bourque played in 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. He also played in the 1998 Olympics. But he missed the 1991 Canada Cup and most importantly the 1996 World Cup. We desperately needed Bourque on that 1996 team and he refused to do it for no reason despite pleas from Gretzky. Canada wins that tournament if Bourque is on the blueline, he was still probably the best defenseman in the NHL then. I've never understood why Bourque has gotten away with that while Mario - who had legitimate injuries - got criticized.

He had no problem with playing the All-Star game in Boston that season... Mario gets criticised for not playing, and then criticized for playing in 2002 by some pittsburg fans.

Bourque really let the whole country down there.

any idea why Pronger wasn't on the squad?

 

[dafoomie]

Well as a Canadian I can't criticize Mogilny too much. I remember him "joking" that he wouldn't make the team anyway. He knew he would have.

But we have Ray Bourque as a classic case of someone who would refuse to play for Canada. Yes Bourque played in 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. He also played in the 1998 Olympics. But he missed the 1991 Canada Cup and most importantly the 1996 World Cup. We desperately needed Bourque on that 1996 team and he refused to do it for no reason despite pleas from Gretzky. Canada wins that tournament if Bourque is on the blueline, he was still probably the best defenseman in the NHL then. I've never understood why Bourque has gotten away with that while Mario - who had legitimate injuries - got criticized.

IIRC Bourque had a hip problem that needed constant attention in his later years. The reason he gave for declining was to spend time with his family, his sons were 10 and 5 at the time and thats perfectly reasonable to me. 98 was different because it was midseason.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Damn...I didn't read the OP properly...I was referring to the 1998 Olympics of course. My bad, sorry.

the obvious what-if: being that they lost by one goal in the gold medal game, what happens if team russia had everyone they wanted in 1998?

 

[JackSlater]

He had no problem with playing the All-Star game in Boston that season... Mario gets criticised for not playing, and then criticized for playing in 2002 by some pittsburg fans.

Bourque really let the whole country down there.

any idea why Pronger wasn't on the squad?

Pronger was not nearly good enough in 1996.

 

[Theokritos]

Pronger was not nearly good enough in 1996.

Pronger was actually in consideration in August 1996. MacInnis had fallen ill and Rob Blake suffered a groin problem, so Glen Sather had to look for replacements. After an "emergency call" to Ray Bourque went unheard, Ed Jovanovski and Chris Pronger were under discussion, but Sather finally opted for Sylvain Côté.

 

[Big Phil]

IIRC Bourque had a hip problem that needed constant attention in his later years. The reason he gave for declining was to spend time with his family, his sons were 10 and 5 at the time and thats perfectly reasonable to me. 98 was different because it was midseason.

Except for the fact that if it weren't for Ray being born and raised in Canada he'd have never been a Hall of Famer and he was so far removed from that idea that his country is the reason that he is a multi millionaire. Ray forgot about that. The guy retired at 40 years old. Hands up for anyone else who thinks they can retire at 40 years old with more than enough money? He had ample time to spend with his kids then, not to mention the summers every year. Sorry, it was a lame excuse then, and it's a lame one now.

He had no problem with playing the All-Star game in Boston that season... Mario gets criticised for not playing, and then criticized for playing in 2002 by some pittsburg fans.

Bourque really let the whole country down there.

any idea why Pronger wasn't on the squad?

Pronger sure wouldn't have looked out of place there. I mean they had Lyle Odelein on that team if that tells you anything about their defense

 

[HabsByTheBay]

Ray Bourque doesn't owe Canada anything, stop getting so butthurt about it.

 

[Seanconn*]

the obvious what-if: being that they lost by one goal in the gold medal game, what happens if team russia had everyone they wanted in 1998?

probably would have won... Mogilny, Bure, Fedorov, all pretty much in their prime... + all the soviet era vets that would have joined...

Hasek would have at least had a tougher time..

 

[Seanconn*]

Ray Bourque doesn't owe Canada anything, stop getting so butthurt about it.

im not hurt about it... Borque should be hurt tho... if he played, Canada likely wouldn't have lost to the US in the first ever World Cup... which would have taken the edge off the 1998 Olympics loss a tad

to me, it was a combination of Ray wanting to be with his kids, and removed from the desire to play for Canada. I think he valued NHL play more, and didn't want to risk injury... but lame freaking excuse. he could have played 2 games if he had a "serious" injury, and need to be with his kids.

Ray showing his true red white and blue

 

[Big Phil]

Ray Bourque doesn't owe Canada anything, stop getting so butthurt about it.

Not anymore, but he sure did owe it to Canada at that time. This isn't like turning down the World Championships which are a supplementary tournament, this was the World Cup, the mother of all tournaments

 

[Zine]

Not anymore, but he sure did owe it to Canada at that time. This isn't like turning down the World Championships which are a supplementary tournament, this was the World Cup, the mother of all tournaments

Bourque didn't owe Canada anything.....hockey is just a game. The only thing people owe their country is taxes and (when the country is threatened) military duty.

 

[Zine]

Yeah, a lot of those guys turned down invitations because the Russian Hockey Federation was still headed by 'old guard' type figures.

Ironically, Mogilny now works as a scout/consultant for Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL.

 

[Big Phil]

Bourque didn't owe Canada anything.....hockey is just a game. The only thing people owe their country is taxes and (when the country is threatened) military duty.

I think the point totally went over your head. If not for Canada Bourque wouldn't have been in the NHL. Had he been born in Ohio which is not a hockey hotbed, he'd almost certainly not have made the NHL. He owes the Canadian coaches, the junior program, etc. The money Bourque made playing in the NHL is something he owes to his country for teaching him the game so well. By 1996 Bourque had been in Boston for 17 years and it's safe to say he forgot about his roots as to what got him there in the first place. The Canada Cup was played in 1991. The World Cup was in 1996. He couldn't sacrifice part of a summer every 5 years?

 

[timbitca]

The guy retired at 40 years old. Hands up for anyone else who thinks they can retire at 40 years old with more than enough money? He had ample time to spend with his kids then, not to mention the summers every year. Sorry, it was a lame excuse then, and it's a lame one now.

I'm sorry for your family if that's the way you value them. Sure it would have been nice of Ray to play for Canada, but he certainly had no obligation to do so nor did he then or does now owe anything to Canada. But if he did indeed decline to play because he wanted to spend time with his family, power to him, I can respect that a lot.

You can never spend enough time with your kids growing up, the more you can the better it is. I don't have any kids of my own yet, but I do have 5 year old brother and 3 year old sister and it amazes me every time I'm away for a few days how much they change/grow up.

 

[Zine]

I think the point totally went over your head. If not for Canada Bourque wouldn't have been in the NHL. Had he been born in Ohio which is not a hockey hotbed, he'd almost certainly not have made the NHL. He owes the Canadian coaches, the junior program, etc. The money Bourque made playing in the NHL is something he owes to his country for teaching him the game so well. By 1996 Bourque had been in Boston for 17 years and it's safe to say he forgot about his roots as to what got him there in the first place. The Canada Cup was played in 1991. The World Cup was in 1996. He couldn't sacrifice part of a summer every 5 years?

It's easy to sit behind a keyboard and chastise a person for not doing what you want them to do.
At the end of the day, hockey is a meaningless game.....the world will keep spinning with or without it.

The time, effort, money put into Bourque's development was likely recouped from ticket sales from people who wanted to see him play. Hockey in Canada isn't some charity that Bourque owes a debt of service to; it's a business.
The only people Bourque owes is his family members.

 

[CrazyCanucks]

Except for the fact that if it weren't for Ray being born and raised in Canada he'd have never been a Hall of Famer and he was so far removed from that idea that his country is the reason that he is a multi millionaire. Ray forgot about that. The guy retired at 40 years old. Hands up for anyone else who thinks they can retire at 40 years old with more than enough money? He had ample time to spend with his kids then, not to mention the summers every year. Sorry, it was a lame excuse then, and it's a lame one now.



Pronger sure wouldn't have looked out of place there. I mean they had Lyle Odelein on that team if that tells you anything about their defense

I am guessing you dont have kids. So what if he wanted to spend the time with his kids instead of playing in the summer? He owes it to his kids that he spends as much time as possible. He doesnt owe anyone in Canada anything. He certainly doesnt owe you anything

 

[Big Phil]

I am guessing you dont have kids. So what if he wanted to spend the time with his kids instead of playing in the summer? He owes it to his kids that he spends as much time as possible. He doesnt owe anyone in Canada anything. He certainly doesnt owe you anything

Boston was eliminated in the first round in 1996. This was in April. Bourque had 4 months to spend time with his family free of work. Can you have done that? Nope. Neither could I. The guy wouldn't have been to training camp until August. He couldn't find time in those 4 months to take his family to Disney World? Sorry, hockey players are a privileged bunch. They will make enough money that they can retire at 40 years old comfortably. Heck, even 25. Bourque has had 10 years of retirement and all the money in the world. I think the guy could have helped his country out when they needed him. A lame excuse.

 

[Rydgar]

I think the point totally went over your head. If not for Canada Bourque wouldn't have been in the NHL. Had he been born in Ohio which is not a hockey hotbed, he'd almost certainly not have made the NHL. He owes the Canadian coaches, the junior program, etc. The money Bourque made playing in the NHL is something he owes to his country for teaching him the game so well. By 1996 Bourque had been in Boston for 17 years and it's safe to say he forgot about his roots as to what got him there in the first place. The Canada Cup was played in 1991. The World Cup was in 1996. He couldn't sacrifice part of a summer every 5 years?

I think he owes his family far more than he owes some stupid invisible lines we've divided amongst ourselves when it comes to both life and hockey.