NHL, IOC, IIHF chatting about 2022 Olympic participation

[LadyStanley]

Daly visited IOC HQ this past week. (Starts about 3min in)

European federations to press for decision sooner than later

Click to read more...

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

They'll be there, to get a piece of "that China money".

 

[LadyStanley]

I do wonder how the IOC will handle the fall out from the latest craziness with NBA in China, with media access to teams eliminated.

Given the non-political nature of the IOC (and the games), will China be so hard handed in the Olympics (if athletes choose to make political statements)?

That might be enough cause for the NHL to step away from participation (without guarantees of media access to athletes, etc.).

 

[cutchemist42]

I wish we just wouldnt bother dealing with China. The relationship is just too one sided and at any moment the government can decide to make your sport disappear.

 

[Bookie21]

I don't think the NHL is going to touch China with a 10 foot pole. After this Hong Kong fiasco wraps up, nobody will want to be associated with this regime

 

[LadyStanley]

https://nypost.com/2019/10/11/what-nhl-must-learn-from-nbas-china-debacle/

NY Post editorial on what the NHL needs to consider to participate in 2022 Bejing Olympics

 

[golfortennis]

I do wonder how the IOC will handle the fall out from the latest craziness with NBA in China, with media access to teams eliminated.

Given the non-political nature of the IOC (and the games), will China be so hard handed in the Olympics (if athletes choose to make political statements)?

That might be enough cause for the NHL to step away from participation (without guarantees of media access to athletes, etc.).

Sorry, LS, but this is a statement that is not borne out by any truth. The IOC is extremely political. The whole reason they got pushed into Beijing was to try to give China a bit more credibility to the greater world.

 

[LadyStanley]

Yes, the IOC is political, especially internally. But they claim to be apolitical (in an international sense).

Corruption notwithstanding ( to "buy" votes to determine locations as well as construction fraud, skimming), it seems to be "the best" available for international sport.

 

[Herby]

Had they gone in 2018 I think they could have used the "we don't control the Olympic venue" excuse and it would have been ok for most people. But since they ditched the last one (in the same world region), it's going to look like they are only back for the Chinese $$$ and they are going to rightfully have to answer for that. If they commit to this one it better be some kind of longer commitment with the NHLPA (atleast for 2026).

 

[vorky]

Roman Rotenberg said today that the Russian Hockey Federation´s understanding is that the NHL players most likely will not participate in the Beijing Games. We will see.

 

[rojac]

As usual, I hope they don’t go. The only hockey an NHL player should play is for their NHL team. If they want to run off and do other stuff in a year, they should arrange their signings so that they’re not under contract with an NHL team that year.

 

[S E P H]

As usual, I hope they don’t go. The only hockey an NHL player should play is for their NHL team. If they want to run off and do other stuff in a year, they should arrange their signings so that they’re not under contract with an NHL team that year.

Yet every other popular sport has a World Cup or Olympic type of international aspect to it. Though hockey is not super popular on the global spectrum, it has a very good level of talent on the international spectrum so why should we waste that potential (while potentially bringing fans of other countries in the fold) simply because they have to play for their NHL teams? Hell, in football you have leagues who conduct international break for friendlies and Euro/Copa/Africa qualifying.

 

[MNNumbers]

Yet every other popular sport has a World Cup or Olympic type of international aspect to it. Though hockey is not super popular on the global spectrum, it has a very good level of talent on the international spectrum so why should we waste that potential (while potentially bringing fans of other countries in the fold) simply because they have to play for their NHL teams? Hell, in football you have leagues who conduct international break for friendlies and Euro/Copa/Africa qualifying.

And, in the case of futbol/soccer, the global federations pay the leagues for the privilege of scheduling in that way.

If the IIHF had enough money to do that, I guarantee you the NHL would go.

Expecting the leagues to let the players go out of the kindness of their hearts is folly.

 

[edog37]

As usual, I hope they don’t go. The only hockey an NHL player should play is for their NHL team. If they want to run off and do other stuff in a year, they should arrange their signings so that they’re not under contract with an NHL team that year.

whole heartedly agree.

 

[JETZZZ]

And, in the case of futbol/soccer, the global federations pay the leagues for the privilege of scheduling in that way.

If the IIHF had enough money to do that, I guarantee you the NHL would go.

Expecting the leagues to let the players go out of the kindness of their hearts is folly.

To be fair, the IIHF did offer to pay the way for NHLers for 2018, after the IOC said they would not.
The NHL decided that wasn't good enough anymore.

 

[Jussi]

And, in the case of futbol/soccer, the global federations pay the leagues for the privilege of scheduling in that way.

If the IIHF had enough money to do that, I guarantee you the NHL would go.

Expecting the leagues to let the players go out of the kindness of their hearts is folly.

FIFA/UEFA pay the clubs, not leagues, for World Cup. I don't know where it's at right now but in 2010 it was £40 million.

 

[MNNumbers]

FIFA/UEFA pay the clubs, not leagues, for World Cup. I don't know where it's at right now but in 2010 it was £40 million.

Paying the clubs is equivalent to paying the leagues if we are talking about NHL participation, right? If. IOC and IIHF offered the NHL 40M, the players would be there.

 

[HugoSimon]

As usual, I hope they don’t go. The only hockey an NHL player should play is for their NHL team. If they want to run off and do other stuff in a year, they should arrange their signings so that they’re not under contract with an NHL team that year.

Which pretty much kills the growth of the sport.

 

[Jussi]

Paying the clubs is equivalent to paying the leagues if we are talking about NHL participation, right? If. IOC and IIHF offered the NHL 40M, the players would be there.

Nope.

 

[HugoSimon]

Yet every other popular sport has a World Cup or Olympic type of international aspect to it. Though hockey is not super popular on the global spectrum, it has a very good level of talent on the international spectrum so why should we waste that potential (while potentially bringing fans of other countries in the fold) simply because they have to play for their NHL teams? Hell, in football you have leagues who conduct international break for friendlies and Euro/Copa/Africa qualifying.

I'd argue this is why the World Juniors is the perfect tournament.

It is the perfect segway between the CHL/AHL.

It is already well established as an international tournament.

It is incredibly unpredictable.

It is a great way to see young talent.

It has a history.

It is automatically more relevant than a senior version as performance in the tournament can affect drafting. Winning the gold medal at the olympics isn't gonna do much for anyone.

It is an annual event which means the regular NHL season doesn't have a messy scedhule once every 4 years.

 

[rojac]

Which pretty much kills the growth of the sport.

Going to the Olympics may grow the sport slightly. But does it grow NHL revenues? From the point 0f view of the NHL, the latter is far more important. How many people do you think are going to become NHL fans because they watch some NHL players in the Olympics? I may watch and enjoy a Canada-US women’s Olympic basketball game but it does’t mean that I’m gonna start watching New York Liberty - Washington Mystics NBA games. Lots of people watch many sports during the Olympics and then ignore them until the next Olympics.

 

[Jumptheshark]

they need to add the NHLPA to the discussion--then is gets serious

 

[LeHab]

they need to add the NHLPA to the discussion--then is gets serious

NHLPA is involved

“We had another meeting. We’ve had many, many meetings, and there is no news to report,” Bettman told reporters. “I would suggest it was more a philosophical and procedural discussion. [NHLPA executive director] Donald Fehr also participated in the meeting, but I have nothing to report on that front.”
...
“We don’t get the opportunity — because the IOC won’t permit us — to even promote the fact that we’re going with our players and that we’re shutting down,” Bettman continued. “It’s a complicated issue, it’s something that the players’ association continues to raise with us. It’s something that Rene Fasel and the IIHF continues to raise with us. But as I said previously, there’s nothing new to report in that regard because for us, at best, it’s a mixed bag. And again, I think it has some pretty material downsides in terms of what happens to our season.”

Gary Bettman: Olympic participation 'incredibly disruptive' to NHL season - Sportsnet.ca

 

[viper0220]

I don't think the NHL is going to touch China with a 10 foot pole. After this Hong Kong fiasco wraps up, nobody will want to be associated with this regime

This really goes for a lot of country that have these kind of situation. Scotland to separate, Catalonia wants to separate, hell even Alberta wants to separate. This is more to do with the trade war, hopefully that is sorted out.

The US destroyed so many countries, they killed 5 million people in Iraq and everyone is associated with that regime.

 

[rojac]

NHLPA is involved

Gary Bettman: Olympic participation 'incredibly disruptive' to NHL season - Sportsnet.ca

And to be honest, the NHL is unlikely to say anything positive about going to the Olympics until after an extension to the CBA is agreed on. The Olympics are something that the players want, so it’s a bargaining chip for the NHL and thus they will appear not to want it.