OT - NO POLITICS Winter Olympics - NO politics - Peter Cehlarik eliminates Team USA

[Gee Wally]

Might as well start a thread to discuss.

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[Gee Wally]

 

[McGarnagle]

As fun as good Olympic hockey can be, am I the only one who prefers that the NHL doesn't take a three week pause in the middle of the season?

 

[Bruinaura]

I hope Bergeron wears an A. I'm guessing they'll give McDavid the C to signify the "new era" of Canadian hockey. Crosby with the other A.

But who knows....

 

[Bruinaura]

As fun as good Olympic hockey can be, am I the only one who prefers that the NHL doesn't take a three week pause in the middle of the season?

I have mixed feelings.

I do hate shutting down mid-season. If your team is on a roll, you lose momentum. Then again, if you have a lot of injuries, players who aren't at the Olympics have time to recover.

I love best on best hockey though, when something is at stake. Alternatively they could do world cup instead of Olympics, but then you're running up mileage on the best players and there might be a significant injury before the season even gets started.

Guess I'll just enjoy whatever we get since I can't control any of it.

 

[Bruinaura]

If Marchand wins gold with Canada, he'll be a Triple Gold member.

 

[lopey]

I have mixed feelings.

I do hate shutting down mid-season. If your team is on a roll, you lose momentum. Then again, if you have a lot of injuries, players who aren't at the Olympics have time to recover.

I love best on best hockey though, when something is at stake. Alternatively they could do world cup instead of Olympics, but then you're running up mileage on the best players and there might be a significant injury before the season even gets started.

Guess I'll just enjoy whatever we get since I can't control any of it.

I'm with you. I love the competition of the Olympics but hate that they have to stop the season to attend.

 

[Gator Mike]

For what it's worth, I wish International Hockey was a LOT more like International Soccer in terms of scheduling/cooperation and how seriously the players take major international tournaments.

 

[Aeroforce]

When the Olympics are in North America, NHL participation is great; not so much in a different time zone, even though I am nocturnal.

I also dislike the condensed schedule to accommodate.

I get that 'normal' as we once knew it, may never be the same. But I was still hoping for a 'normal' NHL season since the last two weren't (and the previous one had such an unsatisfying conclusion ).

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I'm with you. I love the competition of the Olympics but hate that they have to stop the season to attend.

I've always liked the Olympics, even pre-pros.

Now that the pros are there, I like it on a different level, like an extended international All-Star series break.

I know certain Nations tend to dominate, but always really enjoyed the 'fantasy' element of, what would be like if Player A and Player B from rival teams played on the same line. We get to see it in action.

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

The most predictable turn of events every. The NHL had no interest in pausing their season for Pyongang, and Bettman blamed it on the players. Now they will compete in Beijing because the players are passionate about representing their countries. And of course, no mention about expanding the NHL's presence in China.

I could care less about their decision making but I wish they would at least own their real motivations.

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

For what it's worth, I wish International Hockey was a LOT more like International Soccer in terms of scheduling/cooperation and how seriously the players take major international tournaments.

I would love that. Having the NHL have schedule breaks so that there could be a champions league format would be awesome IMO. I'd much rather see the B's play a game against a Russian SuperLeague or SEL team a few times a year than see Minnesota or Phoenix.

 

[Fenway]

NBC has sent feelers out to the crew that worked the NHL games

I did China 3 years ago and it took my body a month to get back to normal

 

[Bruinaura]

NBC has sent feelers out to the crew that worked the NHL games

I did China 3 years ago and it took my body a month to get back to normal

But you're going again..... right? We need our insider behind the scenes!

..... she says, selfishly...

 

[McGarnagle]

Something that doesn't get talked about enough and may just be coincidental is that every time there is NHL participation in the Olympics, the Stanley Cup playoffs end up going really screwy with all the big teams getting upset early.

1998: Penguins, Flyers, Devils, and Avs all went down in the first round, Capitals make it out of the East when everyone else loses
2002: Bruins, Flyers, Devils all lose in the first round, Red Wings were really close to losing in the first round until Cloutier let in that Lidstrom shot from center ice
2006: All 4 high seeds in the west lose in round 1, Edmonton goes to the finals
2010: Montreal goes through Washington and Pittsburgh, Bruins and Flyers knock off higher seeds, Bruins blow 3-0 lead, 7 vs 8 in the ECF
2014: none of the division champs got to the conference finals (3 #3 seeds and a #2 seed). Colorado lost to a wild card Minnesota, Sharks blow a 3-0 lead

I don't know if it's caused by the 2-3 week break messing up the momentum of high seeded teams, or the combination of the physical efforts and adrenaline spent in February from star players in the Olympics causing them to come out in April/May with a low tank, or maybe it's just pure coincidence (2019 had similar rates of first round upsets and such without any Olympics that year). But it seems to happen every single time.

 

[Fenway]

But you're going again..... right? We need our insider behind the scenes!

..... she says, selfishly...

Probably

 

[McGarnagle]

Probably

I'm sure the travel and workload will suck, but gotta do it for that yuan.

 

[bbfan419]

As fun as good Olympic hockey can be, am I the only one who prefers that the NHL doesn't take a three week pause in the middle of the season?

I don't mind the break at all, the Olympics with the best players there beats anything a regular season NHL game can offer. Seeing McDavid and MacKinnon on the same line could be incredible.

 

[JAD]

I've lost interest in the Olympics since they changed the rules and allow "professionals" to participate. I would much rather see a bunch of kids/unknowns overcome (think 1980) a supposed powerhouse. But hey, maybe that's just me.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Winter Olympics gave me my introduction to hockey. Back in the 'bad old days' before streaming services and more diverse cable TV options, the only time hockey was viewable in Aus was during the Olympics. I fell in love with the sport and the rest is history.

So I get why some people don't like having the NHL season interrupted, or those who hate the risk of injury it carries for a team's star players, but in response I'd just say this - the Olympics is a terrific opportunity to showcase hockey to the world, and to places that normally don't see much of it. Most of the world's best play in the NHL, and the Olympic tournament is so much better when those guys are present. It really highlights the quality and brilliance of the sport. And I think that's important. Does it directly benefit the NHL in any way? Probably not, for the most part. But it's good for the sport to reach a wider audience, enhance its profile, and bring some excitement to new fans, and personally I find it really interesting and different seeing how star players gel and work together in a different setting from their regular teams. It's unique and a lot of fun.

BTW, to go back to Matt Porter's tweet - there's no IF about Chara playing for Slovakia. Even if he doesn't get a NHL contract this season, it's guaranteed he's suiting up in Beijing. There's no way he's missing out on that!

 

[UncleRico]

As fun as good Olympic hockey can be, am I the only one who prefers that the NHL doesn't take a three week pause in the middle of the season?

Honestly would have been perfect last year when this team was injured beyond belief

 

[UncleRico]

I've lost interest in the Olympics since they changed the rules and allow "professionals" to participate. I would much rather see a bunch of kids/unknowns overcome (think 1980) a supposed powerhouse. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Im the exact opposite. I want to see the best players in every sport competing for their countries. The best of the best. I would watch Finland VS Russia games with pros but if it was their best non pros I would never watch anything outside of the USA team

 

[Fenway]

At least the Bruins players that will be in China will resume the season on the left coast.

Tuesday, February 1 vs. Seattle
Thursday, February 24 @ Seattle
Saturday, February 26 @ San Jose
Monday, February 28 @ Los Angeles
Tuesday, March 1 @ Anaheim
Thursday, March 3 @ Vegas
Saturday, March 5 @ Columbus

 

[Helsinki city boy]

Great to see the best national teams competing each other, but because of Chinas human rights situation, i hoped that NHL would have postponed this decision to the future.

Sad to see that sports all over the world bowing toward inhuman dictatures (Football WC is played in Qatar next year also).

 

[Fenway]

The truth is Olympic hockey can be special



The seed was planted by the 1996 World Cup and Game 3 in Montreal was as good as hockey can be.

Thanks @dafoomie



I was at that game and it was wonderful.