NHL Players in the Olympics?

[WingNut722]

The 2013-2014 NHL Regular Season schedule was due to be released this past Wednesday. However, according to a statement issued by Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, the schedule has been held up due to the still-open question of whether the NHL will allow its players to participate in the games, requiring a two-week break in the middle of February.

The MLB has pulled its players from competition and the NBA is considering likewise due to the possibility of injuries suffered during the games that would hamper their performance in their professional leagues.

This drives me nuts because the NHL has been disputing this question since the last games in Vancouver, almost four years ago. I know I don't have the whole story and I'm sure there must be more to it, but why has this question gone unanswered?

I say we vote now submit our decision and comments directly to the NHL.... Well...maybe not.

However, some of us Red Wing fans are trying to plan our trips to Boston and Montreal this season!!

[Haliax]

I've always liked NHL players in the Olympics. For me, to not allow them to play dilutes the talent pool and it isn't a true representation of the worlds best players. I also think that the Olympics are a great marketing opportunity for the NHL, though I don't really have concrete numbers on how this affects attendance etc. Not allowing the players to go will also run the risk of upsetting some of the Russian players that are obviously dead set on going- see Ovechkin's comments on going to Sochi whether the NHL allows it or not.

But obviously I'm speaking from a fan perspective. From an owners perspective, it makes sense to be wary of sending players to the Olympics, largely for the risk of injury.

[flyercanuck]

I'm fine with it going back to amateurs, as long as the Russians don't pretend their pro's aren't paid. I enjoy the Olympic hockey, but it iS supposed to be amateurs. Then again, so are all the other sports.

[flyerrod]

I vote yes because I like the fact that it brings more viewers to the game. EVERYONE watches the Olympics and I am for anything that increases the chance to see more games played.

[jammer2]

Like fc said, I'd be fine with amateurs playing, as long as everyone else followed suit. Don't want the kids destroyed 15-0 by the Big Russian Machine though, I'll pass on that fiasco...if that's the case, send over out best and pound those Ruskies!!!

[WingNut722]

@flyerrod is right. The League has been, however misguided it's efforts might be, to generate more viewership overall. The Olympics are a unique opportunity to showcase the players, talent, action, and gamesmanship to a massive audience on prime networks in prime timeslots. I can't imagine why they wouldn't jump at that chance at every opportunity. Stick to your business plan, already

[jammer2]

Of course it would be a huge spotlight for the NHL, but the another condensed schedule, that would suck....3 full weeks off in Feb, that's a huge shutdown...wonder if anyone can find injury stats for non Olympic years compared to the condensed schedule of an Olympic year. Of course, with our goaltending situation on the Flyers, this could actually help us, now that we have 2 legit goalies and all. Lots of back to backs coming up.

[JR Ewing]

From the standpoint of seeing the absolute best hockey, I badly want NHL players at the Olympics. I'm not bothered by the pro/amateur thing, as the Games largely lost that amateur thing a very long time ago. Would that it were true, but it's not.

JR

[jammer2]

@JR Ewing Olympic hockey, with the big spacious ice surface, the stars from every country, the nationalistic pride involved, it really is the purest form of our sport available. Playing for your home country brings out the best in these guys. No cash at stake, just unrivaled passion...although I'd bet Henderson is still making serious cash for his goal...but at least it's after the fact.

[ruxpin]

@jammer2. I hate every single minute of it. For two weeks I'll watch reruns of Mork & Mindy...the really horribe episodes with Jonathan Winters

[jammer2]

@ruxpin Well, at least we agree on one thing, the Mork and Mindy with Winters were unbearable. Even the cute puppy did not help.

May I ask what you dislike so much about the Olympics?

[ruxpin]

@jammer2

First and foremost, they bore the ever living hell out of me. Truly bore me. On the level of shootout boredom. The nationalism/cheering for the "national team" doesn't even enter the time zone for me whether it's amateur OR pro, but it's especially true with pro. I honestly could not care less.

I wrote this in the other Olympic thread, but I'll repeat it here:

I enjoy the season. I enjoy the ebb and flow of it. I enjoy the slow build. In late February, you're just getting ready to turn toward the home stretch. The races are developing, things are beginning to fall into place, the trade deadline is approaching and anticipation is starting to build about your favorite team and will they do something, etc. etc. And WHAM....let's shut the whole damn thing down for two weeks for games I couldn't give a rip **** about and so some of the players can go and get injured or overly fatigued and screw the team that actually pays them and the fans with the season tickets (oh, don't worry. the fans no longer have to wait for Olympic years to get screwed) and end up missing games that actually matter.

The sum total, jammer, is that I actually like nothing about the olympics as it pertains to hockey. I do not think it translates in any way to more than a handful of new fans, if any...which seems to be Buttman's thing. It's an entirely different sport at the olympics, and I don't find it particularly entertaining. It's two weeks of an all star game--something I stopped watching roughly 20 years ago.

I'll watch some of the skiing. Maybe if I have nothing better to do I'll suffer through figure skating with my wife. Other than that, the olympics will not be on.

[JR Ewing]

@ruxpin

I only watch the hockey tournament. That is it.

JR

[ruxpin]

I only watch the hockey tournament. That is it.

If you and others enjoy it, I'm glad someone does. It's specifically the hockey tournament I won't be watching. It just doesn't get anymore boring for me than Olympic hockey.

[NRH]

I'm fine with it going back to amateurs, as long as the Russians don't pretend their pro's aren't paid. I enjoy the Olympic hockey, but it iS supposed to be amateurs. Then again, so are all the other sports.

I'm fine with our AHL players going, let some American youth develop, no need to go all in with our pros

After the AAU was dismantled in the 70s and they stopped choking money out of the Olympic athletes all Olympic sports benefitted greatly from it.

[jammer2]

@ruxpin I try to watch all of the Olympics, even the boring stuff I don't care for. My theory, if somebody is going to work their whole life to try and achieve something, the least I can do is watch it for a few minutes.

Funny, cause I think the opposite of you, I think the Olympics brings out the best in players. The refs call it different, so the cheap shots and the a lot of the hitting is gone, along with the fighting, that's a given, but the tenacity and will to win are unmatched. It's a shame, but some Euro's, you never see them bust ass like that going for the cup....that part sucks. The Sedin's take it to anohter level there, which tells me they are in the NHL for a paycheque. To each their own, but I love hockey at the Olympics....would not miss it for anything.

[ruxpin]

@jammer2

I think I could stomach a bit better if it didn't have to interrupt the freaking season every four years. I do think it hurts some teams.

It's not a fair comparison because of where/when hockey HAS to be played, but I don't mind NBA players being in the olympics because 1) I couldn't care less about the NBA and 2) they play during the summer and don't shut down their league.

Either the season means something or it doesn't. To just shut it down so everyone can draw up new teammates and new allegiances, etc, and risk getting hurt and all that....well, if the season doesn't matter, don't play it. They've shut down a season in its entirety and lost half of another one in the last eight years. I guess it shouldn't matter that they also deliberately undermine their own product every four.

I guess it will get me away from the television for two weeks, so I guess there's some good in it.

I'm glad you enjoy it, jammer, and I'm not trying to persuade or ruin it for you or insult you for it. It's just that for me, i'm struggling to come up with words that describe how much I actually despise olympic years.

[jammer2]

@ruxpin I understand rux, like I said, to each their own or if you wanna toss around bad 90's slogans, whatever floats yer boat!! lol.

[NRH]

Well after the AAU disbanded America was no longer limited to Amateur athletes in the Olympics, which greatly increased the overall competition level worldwide in sports.

[ruxpin]

By the way, I really have never understood the nationalistic rah rah.

I mean, places that otherwise completely suck get all "woo hoo" because their bobsled team won a bronze. I don't get it.

Jammer, I get your "people who have worked all their lives for somethng," but I truly think even that is completely destroyed by pros in the Olympics. I like the young girl who has endured 5 am skates every morning hounded by one or both her parents andsacrificed some of the idiocies of a "normal" childhood to go to the olympics and compete. The cross country or downhill skier who has done the same.

And where else would you truly do these things? There's something to that.

To the guy who's been playing for 10 or so years in the top league in the world and has a kazillion dollars for it...I really don't even want to hear about it. It doesn't sell for me and I'm not buying.

[jammer2]

@ruxpin I don't think there are many examples of pros in the Winter Olympics besides hockey...having said that, I'm sure someone will come in and give me 10 examples of how I'm wrong...ha ha.

[ruxpin]

@ruxpin I don't think there are many examples of pros in the Winter Olympics besides hockey...having said that, I'm sure someone will come in and give me 10 examples of how I'm wrong...ha ha.

I can't think of any others, though you're right someone will let us know.

I don't follow Olympic soccer (football?). But I'm guessing they have pros. Tennis has pros. Basketball.

I mean, I guess I have a very minor issue with pros playing, but in the end I really don't care. I've just never been a fan of the Olympics probably since the boycotts in the 80s. They have absolutely no luster for me.

It's funny, until just now I never really associated my feelings about the olympics with the 80s boycotts, but I wonder if there's something to that. I'm thinking I just stumbled onto something I may not have been consciously aware of.....

Nah, it just bores me.

[NRH]

Olympic soccer is relatively blown off by most pros, the World Cup is the premier event and even that is bigger than the Olympics.

Much throughout the 70s the AAU suffocated and blackmailed and controlled the track an field athletes for appearance fees. Around this time athletes like Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine were trying to get international experience again other nations big name runners, however when someone else controls your eligibility status for the Olympic Games you have to bend to their call. Situations like this and the glaring reflection that other nations were taking care of their amateurs better and treating them like pros anyways.

Track and field is dominated by pros now, the Olympics should always be about who is best at the sport not who has the strongest batch of young kids.

[flyercanuck]

@ruxpin I don't think there are many examples of pros in the Winter Olympics besides hockey...having said that, I'm sure someone will come in and give me 10 examples of how I'm wrong...ha ha.

Depends on your idea of a "pro". Shawn White has had endorsement deals since he was 7. He has his OWN halfpipe. Does this give him an up on other snowboarders living near poverty level?

Just one example of....hundreds?

[ruxpin]

@flyercanuck

That's certainly an understandable criteria for "pro," but doesn't really meet mine.

For me, there's a difference between being paid to do a task/skill and being paid to endorse something because of that task/skill.

In other words, there's a difference between being paid to endorse a product and being paid to run/skate/snowboard/whatever. I realize some think this is semantics but to me Shawn White is being paid to market. He's not being paid to snowboard. I understand he's being paid to market BECAUSE he snowboards, but technically speaking he's a professional marketeer, not a professional snowboarder (I'm not at all familiar with him, so the statement is based solely on your post. If he's paid otherwise, that's may be something entirely different).

In the end, money is still money, I suppose. But I don't have a real problem with the endorsement thing. I actually don't have a tremendous problem with pros in the Olympics. I think the "purist" in me would like amateur, but I'm not ever sure what about that is "purist." Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Ultimately, my biggest problem is a pro sports league shutting down for two weeks of amateur hour.