Nothing wrong with that? It is NOTHING RIGHT with that. Hockey should try to get away from these kind of nonsense tournaments.
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2022 Olympic Qualifying News
- Thread starter baronsforever
- Start date
Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
Still every tournament before 1998 had non NHL players I just prefer it that way. It give some unknown players a chance.
But it gets so watered down. In 1980 there was a lot less NHL teams than today, and you had the Soviets to actally create a miracle against, so the "amateurs" were of good quality. Now almost all the best russians play in the NHL too. Its just a second grade tournament that is worse the IIHF worlds these days.
Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
Well that is what the World Championships are good for. It is so wrong using the Olympics as a second grade tournament instead of having all the best players.
Calling the olympics without NHL players second grade is too generous.
I suppose the grading would be like this:
World Cup/Olympics with NHL players – First grade
World Championship – Second grade
Olympics without NHL players – Third grade
Euro Hockey Tour –Fourth grade
World Cup/Olympics with NHL players – First grade
World Championship – Second grade
Olympics without NHL players – Third grade
Euro Hockey Tour –Fourth grade
Let's not normalize the NHL's egotistical sabotaging of international hockey, please...
filip85
Registered User
- Feb 7, 2017
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I would put World Cup/Olympics with NHL-ers - 1A and World Championship 1B. Simply too much NHL-ers every year (sometimes better one's sometimes lesser one's) to call it second grade. Just my opinion.
Jussi
Registered User
This year's tournament I think had the highest number yet with over 120 and that's with the champion Finland having none. We're likely to have NHL players next season due to contract situations cleared up, of course depending on where their teams are in the SC playoffs, so another record will likely be set next year.
To be fair, EHT is even better quality-wise than the Olympics without NHLers since it's the top 4 out of 6 hockey nations competing
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
By the same reasoning, let's restrict the men's 100 metres to runners who've never broken 10 seconds.
Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
No I'm say more tournaments have been played with non NHL players. That's how it was originally designed and that's how it should have remained.
Name Nameless
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Amateur -sport is dead. Sorry, but to bar the best pros makes no sense, when what you get is lower tier pros instead.
Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
I disagree because college hockey has improved dramatically in recent years. The players from Europe have a lot of talent. Plus quite a few of them are former NHLers so I'm guessing they're pretty good. Also I like the unknown for an Olympic roster I find it more exciting.
Name Nameless
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Contrary to popular belief, the college-hockey players are pros to. They just get paid in form of a "free" education.
Anyhows, not much of the rest of the world has the system with college-hockey.
Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
Well theres jrs. In Canada and the European elite leagues when say "amateur" I mean levels lower than the NHL.
So you're advocating for amateur-exclusive participation but the players wouldn't actually be amateurs, but rather just professional players playing in leagues outside the NHL. Where is the sense in that?
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Thedogo
Dogs are superior to humans in every way
Like I said that's how it was back then and I like it better that way. The NHL guys already get enough fame and glory let someone else have a shot.
I guess that the olympics it self still holds some prestige, and that it's still a thrilling event to watch, even with second/third tier pros and a couple of college players. At least while its actually going on.
And the Canadian and US chances for the gold is lower with non NHLers, if you NA hockey fans are worried about getting too easy wins.
And the Canadian and US chances for the gold is lower with non NHLers, if you NA hockey fans are worried about getting too easy wins.
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vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
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"The bottom line is we are on a slippery slope if we start paying people to come to the Olympic Games," New Zealand member Barry Maister said. "It's fundamentally against the Olympic movement."
https://www.espn.com/olympics/winte...north-american-sports-leagues-attend-olympics
https://www.espn.com/olympics/winte...north-american-sports-leagues-attend-olympics
IceColdOx
Registered User
The biggest thing with the NHL spuring Asia is leaving all that money in the table. The NBA has done a great job taking that Asian dollar.
Nino33
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- Jul 5, 2015
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Actually pros/NHLers were allowed in as of 1988 (1998 is the first year the NHL stopped play for the Olympics)
The college players would be allowed, but no one who had ever played a game of pro hockey was allowed until 1988 - so the European/Russian hockey players you're mentioning wouldn't be allowed to play, nor would any former NHL player
I get the impression you don't know much about the era you're advocating a return to...
P.S. And this doesn't even touch upon the issue of state-sponsored full-time amateur athletes of the Eastern Bloc countries (who were professional in all but name)
The problem is too is that in european sports you can become pro at 17 while americans have "student-athletes"
