NHL Nixes Olympics

[notfondajane]

I heard the N.H.L will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea?  That is a fantastic thing if it's true!

[JR Ewing]

This applies only to the Penguins.

 

 

 

[notfondajane]

2 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

This applies only to the Penguins.

 

 

 

Great! We can rest our players! Lol

[radoran]

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-will-not-participate-in-2018-winter-olympics/c-288385598

 

"I think the realities of Olympic participation are more apparent to our Board now and I think it just leads to less enthusiasm about the disruption," Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during NHL All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles in January. "Quite frankly we don't see what the benefit is from the game standpoint or the League standpoint with respect to Olympic participation."

The NHL conducted polls in both Canada and the United States to determine if fans were in favor of the League taking a break in February to allow players to compete in the Olympics. In the United States, 73 percent said they were not in favor. In Canada, it was 53 percent against the break.

"I think the overwhelming sentiment of the teams is that it's very disruptive on the season and there is somewhere between fatigue and negativity on the subject," Commissioner Bettman said at the conclusion of the General Managers' meetings on March 8 in Boca Raton, Fla.

 

I can see the logic in the move.

 

Now also cancel that stupid World Cup of Hockey.

 

Oh, right. That gives the NHL tens of millions of dollars and only puts the health of players at risk.

 

Carry on.

 

In related news, this has absolutely nothing to do with the IOC canceling the payments to cover the travel, insurance and accomodations for the players and their guests. Nothing at all.

[BluPuk]

I think it should be illegal to stop anyone from participating in the Olympics. The players should negotiate this into their next CBA, and make sure that the NHL pays for the whole deal.

So, does this mean that they really don't give a damn about "growing the game"? I'm shocked.

[JR Ewing]

14 minutes ago, Hockey Forums said:

This topic has been moved from "Pittsburgh Penguins Forum" to "Around the NHL". 

 

Oh, it NOT just for the Pens?   

 

 

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

The players are going, just without the blessing of the NHL.  There will be lots of team suspensions and maybe even some players sent to the AHL but the players will be going.  It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the NHL will do to the players that go.

[notfondajane]

4 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

 

Oh, it NOT just for the Pens?   

 

 

Dann, I thought we had a corner of that thread! 

[ruxpin]

Huh. 73‰ and 53% huh? 

 

I was once told everyone loved the Olympics and was called inhuman or some crap. 

 

Good. I hate that they go. And I hope that players that break their contact to go get fined through the nose. And I hope that those that get hurt while breaking their contract have to pay for their own medical bills and don't get paid for lost time since it wasn't on the job. 

 

Lastly, it's not the NHL 's job to grow the game. It's the NHL' s job to grow the NHL. And going to the Olympics is counter to that goal. 

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

6 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

I was once told everyone loved the Olympics and was called inhuman or some crap. 

 

Nailed it!  

 

7 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Lastly, it's not the NHL 's job to grow the game. It's the NHL' s job to grow the NHL.

 

I thought it was the Long Snapper's job?!?  

[ruxpin]

19 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

Nailed it!  

 

 

I thought it was the Long Snapper's job?!?  

Lol! I always did like you! 

[J0e Th0rnton]

30 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Huh. 73‰ and 53% huh? 

 

I was once told everyone loved the Olympics and was called inhuman or some crap. 

 

Good. I hate that they go. And I hope that players that break their contact to go get fined through the nose. And I hope that those that get hurt while breaking their contract have to pay for their own medical bills and don't get paid for lost time since it wasn't on the job. 

 

Lastly, it's not the NHL 's job to grow the game. It's the NHL' s job to grow the NHL. And going to the Olympics is counter to that goal. 

Ill never agree with you on this.

 

 

[ruxpin]

3 minutes ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Ill never agree with you on this.

 

 

That's okay. I know some of you like it. That's cool. 

 

I'm happy, so stay out of my sunshine. 

[AJgoal]

Now they need to get pros out of the rest of the sports.  Of course, the pro/amateur line is so blurred nowadays that's impossible, but a guy can dream.

[yave1964]

First off, I HATE the shutting down of the season for a couple of weeks, the absolute only reason is money pure and simple. Now that the Olympics are to be held somewhere that nobody gives a damn about the sport, suddenly the league switches course. But let them be held in Finland or Sweden or one of the big three (USA, Canada or Russia) and see how quick they change course.

  Mr. Bettman, while I am glad that we do not have a two week stoppage for something that is at most barely watchable, I just wanted to point out that your hypocrisy is showing.

[Puck_Pun]

So what sort of interest is there in the Winter Olympics in general in the states and Canada, and the hockey event in particular? It barely gets a mention over here because people don't really give a crap about the sort of sports the winter Olympics has. But I know that's not the case in other countries.

[Puck_Pun]

But on the specific topic at hand, I don't see any reason why the NHL should stop for the Olympics. It has a pretty crammed schedule as it is, clearing a fortnight would just make for a more difficult schedule. As one article I read about it pointed out, no other elite competition makes way for the Olympics, so why should the NHL?

[radoran]

1 hour ago, Puck_Pun said:

So what sort of interest is there in the Winter Olympics in general in the states and Canada, and the hockey event in particular? It barely gets a mention over here because people don't really give a crap about the sort of sports the winter Olympics has. But I know that's not the case in other countries.

 

Canadians (correct me if I'm wrong) are mad crazy for it primarily because they went from 1952 in Oslo without a goal medal until the pros went to Salt Lake City in 2002. This is much like the reason that the USA sent pros to the Olympic basketball tournament.

 

Americans still dream about the 1980 Miracle on Ice. For the generations that came after that, the gold medal took on some added significance.

 

It's also pretty important for the European Countries that didn't grow up salivating over the Stanley Cup.

 

3 minutes ago, Puck_Pun said:

But on the specific topic at hand, I don't see any reason why the NHL should stop for the Olympics. It has a pretty crammed schedule as it is, clearing a fortnight would just make for a more difficult schedule. As one article I read about it pointed out, no other elite competition makes way for the Olympics, so why should the NHL?

 

Basketball is in the summer Olympics so sending the pros doesn't affect the schedule.

 

There are soccer/football players who don't report to their teams until the summer Olympics are done.

 

Golf adapted the schedule to accommodate the Olympics (many pros didn't attend Rio because of Zika) as did Tennis.

 

Major League Baseball is unlikely to change their schedule: http://www.mlive.com/olympics/index.ssf/2016/06/mlb_players_may_balk_as_olympi.html

 

But Japan and South Korean leagues will likely send their top pros: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/193412904/baseball-will-return-to-2020-olympics-in-tokyo/

 

Japan is, of course, the host country. South Korea is defending their 2008 medal.

[off_the_post]

11 minutes ago, Puck_Pun said:

But on the specific topic at hand, I don't see any reason why the NHL should stop for the Olympics. It has a pretty crammed schedule as it is, clearing a fortnight would just make for a more difficult schedule. As one article I read about it pointed out, no other elite competition makes way for the Olympics, so why should the NHL?

Golf did.  Basketball gets lucky with the summer games and the NBA scheduled league play.  Don't know about soccer/football but that is at least 2 sports.  I am sure other sports with circuits i.e. beach volleyball, plan around the Olympic schedule.  Don't know about tennis but believe they allow for the scheduling too. 

 

I am completely bummed the Olympics will not be the best versus the best.  If this is the case then hockey should go back to a world cup every 4 years.  Frankly half the problem with the NHL is the season is so long and the recoup time over the summer is so needed a world best on best tournament is just hard to schedule.  Maybe if the NHL season was shorter it would be easier. 

 

I wonder if this becomes a huge issue in the next CBA? 

[JR Ewing]

1 hour ago, Puck_Pun said:

So what sort of interest is there in the Winter Olympics in general in the states and Canada, and the hockey event in particular? It barely gets a mention over here because people don't really give a crap about the sort of sports the winter Olympics has. But I know that's not the case in other countries.

 

How much interest?

 

United States - Apparently, to judge by our membership here, there's not very much at all.

Canada - There is a Kobayashi-like appetite for best-on-best hockey, and the Olympics have been that for 20 years.

 

I'm utterly disappointed, because we're left solely with the World Cup now. Since that's the case, the NHL had best drop the Team North America, Europe, and Young Stars crap, and create a true best-on-best tourney. The players absolutely want this, and that's a bullet in their chamber the next time they sit down for their lockout, err, I mean CBA talks.

 

[radoran]

2 minutes ago, off_the_post said:

Golf did.  Basketball gets lucky with the summer games and the NBA scheduled league play.  Don't know about soccer/football but that is at least 2 sports.  I am sure other sports with circuits i.e. beach volleyball, plan around the Olympic schedule.  Don't know about tennis but believe they allow for the scheduling too. 

 

I am completely bummed the Olympics will not be the best versus the best.  If this is the case then hockey should go back to a world cup every 4 years.  Frankly half the problem with the NHL is the season is so long and the recoup time over the summer is so needed a world best on best tournament is just hard to schedule.  Maybe if the NHL season was shorter it would be easier. 

 

I wonder if this becomes a huge issue in the next CBA? 

 

The players want to go:

http://www.nhlpa.com/news/nhlpa-statement-on-nhls-2018-olympic-winter-games-decision

 

The players are extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL's shortsighted decision to not continue our participation in the Olympics.

Any sort of inconvenience the Olympics may cause to next season's schedule is a small price to pay compared to the opportunity to showcase our game and our greatest players on this enormous international stage.

 

[AJgoal]

3 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

United States - Apparently, to judge by our membership here, there's not very much at all.

Canada - There is a Kobayashi-like appetite for best-on-best hockey, and the Olympics have been that for 20 years.

 

That would be the SCF.

 

Edit, I apparently somehow posted early.

 

I would love to see the NHL go back to all-stars vs. Stanley cup champs. That would be best on best, IMO. I might actually watch an all-star game.

[JR Ewing]

Just now, AJgoal said:

 

That would be the SCF.

 

Nah. You know what I mean, and that's not it. I'm talking about rosters that see Art Ross winners playing 6 or 7 minutes per night, where Vezina winners are backups, and Norris Trophy winners may not even be on the top pairing.

 

[AJgoal]

Just now, JR Ewing said:

 

Nah. You know what I mean, and that's not it. I'm talking about rosters that see Art Ross winners playing 6 or 7 minutes per night, where Vezina winners are backups, and Norris Trophy winners may not even be on the top pairing.

 

 

I know what you mean, and I disagree. I think teams gelled over months and sometimes years of playing together are better and more entertaining than a bunch of all-stars thrown together for a couple weeks.

[off_the_post]

SCF had no national pride tied to it. 

 

I want to see a nation's best versus a nations's best.