NHL is damaging its reputation with useless ASG and missing Olympics

[ricky0034]

i'll take the all star game any day over the olympics

I don't even remotely care about either one but the all star game has a shorter break

 

[sandysan]

Not really sure how you measure the Olympics’ impact on the growth of the game. That data just doesn’t exist. So it’s anecdotal, but I’ve had non-hockey fan friends go off about how great the gold medal game was and such. It seems to get viewers the NHL might not have gotten. Meanwhile I’d think the relative success of a team like Switzerland helps grow the sport in those countries not considered powerhouses.

The data DOES exist and the people who have access to the data ( like say one Bill Daly) are on the record as saying that the NHL has never seen a bump from participation.

People who pretend to like hockey for a week every four years and not a day in between are NOT the demographic that the league should be chasing.

The Olympics are a two decade failure at promoting the NHL.

The nhl wised up, finally.

 

[Machinehead]

They should still hold it, just send the all-star players to a bar and have cameras follow them. What could go wrong?!

Would be more structured than anything the Rangers do.

 

[Shakey Rustie]

Would be more structured than anything the Rangers do.

They could even have an event where James Dolan and his security kick Charles Oakley out of the bar!

 

[TGWL]

1. In my opinion the skills competition is a better experience to watch than the actual all-star game, and has been the case for at least the last decade. Wouldn't you prefer to see the skills competition utilize players the best in the categories they have? Is putting Kreider in the fastest skate competition (assuming they do) that bad for the NHL? I'd rather see the skill competition utilize players who make that category interesting. All the actual star players just play a lazy game anyway.

1. You lost me with the "true ASG happening once in four years". So are you referring to the gold medal game, or games like Canada beating Austria 6-0 and United States being Solvakia 7-1? I can't imagine any figure skatings skating around with sticks in that game. How about the bronze and gold medal games ending without 1 team scoring a goal

I get why fans want to see NHL players go to the Olympics. I also understand why NHL is putting their foot down. But this is about icing the best team roster for your country, not the best players in the world

 

[Sgt Schultz]

I’m old enough to remember the Olympics before they allowed professionals. It was more fun to watch, IMO. It wasn’t the country’s best; it was the country’s best amateurs. Some would go on to be professionals, some would fade into oblivion, but regardless, it might well be their shining moment in their sport. Sure, there were amateurs that were in the military of their respective country, and their job in the military was to train for the Olympics. But it was still fun to watch.

As far as the ASG damaging their reputation, the NHL may have been the last major sport to screw up its ASG. MLB has been struggling for a couple of decades to figure out how to make its ASG anything more than a night off during a long season. The Pro Bowl has been unwatchable for almost as long. The NBA tricked theirs up long ago. The NHL is a relative newcomer to making their ASG look nothing like the sport, itself. If kids like it, great. At least it serves some purpose.

I’ll miss not having games to watch for a week or so. But I’ve been married for almost 20 years, so I’m used to missing things for extended periods!

 

[SkinsFan09]

Having an All-Star game is fine. The Olympics is ultimately a bad decision BUT the IOC won't pony up either so screw them.

Big issue with the NHL growing the game is catering to old hockey fans still - you know, getting mad at players for having personality, preferring games be decided by no-name grinders rather than elite talent (especially in the playoffs), believing that marketing big stars "ruins the game" etc.

Also, enough with the after the whistle nonsense. If you watch hockey for face washes and cheap shots, that's wild.

 

[93LEAFS]

The amount of players refusing to participate in the ASG is becoming pretty overwhelming.

It’s absolutely obvious there’s very few people desiring to watch Kreider vs Bertuzzi vs Tkachuk figure skating with sticks while most fans suffer without real hockey for almost 10 days.

Now, what every hockey fan in the world is waiting for is the best on best Olympics hockey.

The ratings in the USA were amazing for Russia vs USA game despite the early game start.

The NHL needs to abolish the All Star Game whatsoever and replace it with true ASG happening once in four years.

That's pretty inaccurate. Cause, I sure as hell don't want a midseason break where the players for the Leafs risk injury for some nationalistic honor. Go back to a Canada Cup format that doesn't interfere with the season for 3 weeks. No other NA professional sports interrupts its season mid-year, the NHL shouldn't either.

 

[Pucker Factor 10]

For 20 years they tried.
It never worked.

If the 2010 Gold Medal game didn't do it, nothing will.

 

[sandysan]

If the 2010 Gold Medal game didn't do it, nothing will.

So nothing it is then?

 

[3074326]

OP wants the NHL to market towards people who already watch. Growing the game? lol what a stupid idea!!!

They're even adding events like the skills competition (obviously a while ago) and the women's 3v3 thing, they had the tournament... they're trying to appeal to a larger audience. It's clear as day. They're trying to improve the league in ways they should be and people on here are too ignorant to understand. Don't watch the game. Go do something else for a couple weeks. It's hockey. It's a game and we'll still get to see the same amount of games that we always do.

 

[JerseyMike34]

The amount of players refusing to participate in the ASG is becoming pretty overwhelming.

It’s absolutely obvious there’s very few people desiring to watch Kreider vs Bertuzzi vs Tkachuk figure skating with sticks while most fans suffer without real hockey for almost 10 days.

Now, what every hockey fan in the world is waiting for is the best on best Olympics hockey.

The ratings in the USA were amazing for Russia vs USA game despite the early game start.

The NHL needs to abolish the All Star Game whatsoever and replace it with true ASG happening once in four years.

Congrats! Someone else that doesn't understand that it's nothing but corporate schmoozing.

If you can't understand what that is, or what it means, then forget it. This conversation is over.

Y'know why they don't care about the Olympics? Because that's the IOC and their corporate schmoozing. It's it grand.

You don't matter. The league doesn't care that you want best on best. They only care if you stop watching and paying for items. Until you do that, the All-Star game remains!

 

[wetcoast]

Nothing beats the World Cup of Hockey!

I'll take it that you are looking forward to seeing the Chinese national team in 22?

 

[Pucker Factor 10]

So nothing it is then?

I'm in complete agreement with you on this thread. My point is that if that game didn't get everybody jacked about how great the game itself is, nothing will. What more could anyone want in a game like that, regardless of where you're from?

 

[sandysan]

I'm in complete agreement with you on this thread. My point is that if that game didn't get everybody jacked about how great the game itself is, nothing will. What more could anyone want in a game like that, regardless of where you're from?

For the nationalistic IOC fluffers?
Probably more graft, definitely more graft.

 

[Mobiandi]

They should just keep it in Vegas or LA every year. No one wants to go to St. Louis in January when they could be on vacation

 

[Stephen]

The All-Star game is for kids. It’s a fun event for young fans of the game. It’s not really surprising that adult fans skip it. Young fans matter and it’s fun for them. It helps grow the game that way.

Also, the NHL loves that it’s a huge corporate sponsorship event. It’s still good for the league, even if guys that are so die-hard that they post on hockey message boards don’t care for it.

Bottom line is that the All Stat event is good for the league, even if your average HFBoards poster doesn’t have any time for it. And that’s okay.

I agree. The All-Star Game is for 8 year olds who go and get the mini masks at McDonalds and whatever else kind of kid like ways of enjoying the game, not for HFBoards deep dives, analysis, dissection, etc.

 

[FOurteenS inCisOr]

Would rather see amateur players in the Olympics.

94 with the Swe/Can finals that featured Forsberg, Naslund, etc vs Kariya, Nedved, Hirsch was the most entertaining I’ve seen.

But the ASG is horrible. Get rid of it.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

The NHL is Santa Clause compared to the IOC. Don't blame the NHL at all for parting ways there.

True. The NHL is corrupt but the IOC is beyond corrupt.

 

[Jozay]

Asg sucks, but it'll probably stick around cause of the money.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

The data DOES exist and the people who have access to the data ( like say one Bill Daly) are on the record as saying that the NHL has never seen a bump from participation.

People who pretend to like hockey for a week every four years and not a day in between are NOT the demographic that the league should be chasing.

The Olympics are a two decade failure at promoting the NHL.

The nhl wised up, finally.

got a link? Not trying to be difficult, just honestly curious

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I have to wonder when the attitude changed. I watched the all star announcement for the NBA starers and the players seem like they are actually excited to be selected, a personal pride thing. NBA players make way more money and are more famous. So why do NHL players think they are above everything? Too much suburbs in their blood?

 

[explore]

I think the All-star game is more for kids than adults. I don't think most adults care about it, but when I was a kid, I thought it was really cool.

 

[UnSandvich]

"Especially as a kid, I loved watching the skills competition. I loved watching the game. It's an honor to be here representing the New York Rangers."
Chris Kreider seems happy enough to be there.

That said, I'd make a couple changes to how things are currently done:
1. Go back to 5-on-5
2. Keep it so that each team gets at least one player there (it'll help with getting the kids to watch imo)
3. Fan votes for the 2 captains, league picks the rest
4. Bring back the draft
5. Open bar for players & captains. Ovi getting shitfaced and begging to be picked last was priceless
6. Bring back the Breakaway Challenge, or whatever it was called, and let the players go nuts with it

 

[Crede777]

Thought this was a good blurb about the players' attitudes towards the ASG.

From yesterday's postgame on The Athletic:

“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” was blaring as the doors opened to the media after the cooling-off period. Most of the players were just hours away from taking off to South Florida or the Carribean for their break, which is why the song made sense.
On the whiteboard in the dressing room was a message for Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones: “Have fun in St. Lucia, Seth Jones!” The “Lucia” was crossed off, replaced by “Louis.”

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