2022 Olympic Qualifying News

[beowulf]

Also gotta remember NHL have an interest in growing hockey in China. Also gotta remember China is known for handing out money under the table.

Two excellent reasons why NHL players will play in the 2022 olympics.

And this is how you end up like FIFA scandals...

I hope the NHL stays away from China.

 

[kabidjan18]

Right, but the qualifiers are to be held next year. The Old Guard is still going to be around at the time.

Their old guard was guys like Anders Bastiensen, Per-Age Skroder, Mads Hansen, Morten Ask, Mats Trygg, Ole Kristian Tollefsen, Marius Holtet, and before them even guys like Tore Vikingstad and Anders Myrvold. As Baltic Warrior mentioned above, other younger members of the old guard are aging, such as Mathis Olimb and Patrick Thoresen. They may still be around in one year, but their performance levels are already diminished, and one more year will not make things easier. Their best forward is a naturalized Swedish player, Tobias Lindstrom.

Never count anyone out over 60 minutes right? But realistically, I think Denmark is a favorite here. Yes, they have some aging guys too, but their youth are much better.

 

[Namejs]

Latvia is getting a free pass to the Olympics here.

France is better than what they showed this year. With Da Costa, Auvitu, Texier they are no mickey mouse team. It's not a free pass by any means.

 

[BalticWarrior]

France is better than what they showed this year. With Da Costa, Auvitu, Texier they are no mickey mouse team. It's not a free pass by any means.

If all of our best guys show up we still should be the better team by quite a bit. The key word being "if"

 

[Namejs]

If all of our best guys show up we still should be the better team by quite a bit. The key word being "if"

Sure, but it's not going to be a free pass. They can beat us 1 out of 4 times if not more.

 

[Urbanskog]

France is better than what they showed this year. With Da Costa, Auvitu, Texier they are no mickey mouse team. It's not a free pass by any means.

France is pretty good with their best lineup, but they desperately need their NA-based players.

 

[crobro]

Don’t forget Roussel and that DMan in Vegas

 

[Uncle Rotter]

And this is how you end up like FIFA scandals...

I hope the NHL stays away from China.

So the pure NHL doesn't get corrupted?

 

[kabidjan18]

I love the Olympic Qualifications process. Give you a lot of chances to look at the smaller teams, sometimes against opponents they would not normally face, and coaches can be more creative with lineups and sometimes call exciting players who don't usually show up at other times. That and a chance to look at a lot of matchups between mid-major and mid-minor nations. Always a pleasure.

 

[kaiser matias]

I love the Olympic Qualifications process. Give you a lot of chances to look at the smaller teams, sometimes against opponents they would not normally face, and coaches can be more creative with lineups and sometimes call exciting players who don't usually show up at other times. That and a chance to look at a lot of matchups between mid-major and mid-minor nations. Always a pleasure.

Indeed.

And since there's no where else to put it, will note that Georgia wanted to take part (they played the first qualification game for 2018, a 9-1 lost to Bulgaria), but they had no funding from the government. A real shame as these guys probably would have done relatively well, considering they managed to stay in their promoted division this year.

 

[FabricatedArbitrage]

Almost all of the players on the Chinese team are going to be imports. A decent goalie is what they are still indeed missing though.

Regardless, the team is going to consist of KHL and VHL players, they should be better than Korea.

Due to their inflexible immigration policies, I don't think China is going to be able to bring in the same caliber of imports as Korea did. According to this article, any prospective foreign-born import will need to have Chinese ancestry in order to be naturalized.

 

[Urbanskog]

Due to their inflexible immigration policies, I don't think China is going to be able to bring in the same caliber of imports as Korea did. According to this article, any prospective foreign-born import will need to have Chinese ancestry in order to be naturalized.

They already have Brandon Yip, Zach Yuen, Victor Bartley, Cory Kane, Greg Squires, Alex Riche, Brayden Jaw, Mikaël Tam, Sam Hu, Luke Lockhart, Chris Seto, Derek Dun and Jordan Liem, all players of Chinese descent. The immigration policies are indeed strict which is why these players have not managed to obtain passports, but I certainly think it's just a matter of time. China is hosting the Olympics and they want to ice as competitive of a team as possible, they don't want to be humiliated badly in front of the home crowd.

 

[kabidjan18]

Signed Jason Fram! Building that blue line one piece at a time.

 

[ORRFForever]

What are the odd of the NHL players being in China?

 

[DoubleGold]

What are the odd of the NHL players being in China?

Quite poor. NHL hasn't shown any interest.

 

[ORRFForever]

Quite poor. NHL hasn't shown any interest.

TBH, I don't care. International hockey is great but when they do it to death, it gets old fast.

 

[Albatros]

TBH, I don't care. International hockey is great but when they do it to death, it gets old fast.

The tournament is every four years, hard to see why it should be any less often.

 

[Jahara]

The tournament is every four years, hard to see why it should be any less often.

It is embarrassing that we might have a period of TEN YEARS without a best-vs-best tournament. NHL should be ashamed of this and the fans should strike back.

 

[Thedogo]

It is embarrassing that we might have a period of TEN YEARS without a best-vs-best tournament. NHL should be ashamed of this and the fans should strike back.

I disagree I like it better without NHL players in the Olympics that's how the Miracle on Ice was.

 

[Albatros]

I disagree I like it better without NHL players in the Olympics that's how the Miracle on Ice was.

Technically yes, nine Team USA players played in the NHL that season though.

 

[Thedogo]

Technically yes, nine Team USA players played in the NHL that season though.

After the Olympics though. But like I said I prefer that way but to each his own.

 

[Tomas W]

I disagree I like it better without NHL players in the Olympics that's how the Miracle on Ice was.

A very strange opinion. A tournament with the BEST hockey players is of course a lot more attractive for normal hockey fans.

 

[Thedogo]

A very strange opinion. A tournament with the BEST hockey players is of course a lot more attractive for normal hockey fans.

I know but like I said 1980 didn't have NHLer and that's the greatest moment in sports. Plus for year before 1998 it was played with non NHL players and I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[filip85]

I know but like I said 1980 didn't have NHLer and that's the greatest moment in sports. Plus for year before 1998 it was played with non NHL players and I don't see anything wrong with that.

For you, me, and some other (hard)core hockey fans there is nothing wrong with that, but for casual fan(s) or for getting new fans into hockey tournament without best players may not be appealing.

 

[Thedogo]

For you, me, and some other (hard)core hockey fans there is nothing wrong with that, but for casual fan(s) or for getting new fans into hockey tournament without best players may not be appealing.

I guess, but I'm more worried about hardcore fans. But that's just me