Bettman Floats The Idea Of Ice Hockey At Summer Olympics?

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Bettman needs to realise that we need to see the best players playing against the best players in the Olympic games no matter what. So when you debate about whether they should play in the summer or not, let them play in the winter games for now instead of not letting them play. I think it's "incredibly disruptive" to take away the medals from the players and make us fans watch lower level competition.

I really enjoyed the Olympic hockey this year. It gets boring seeing Canada walk all over everyone in a true best-on-best tourney nearly every single time. You won't grow the sport internationally if you have the same2-3 teams in the gold medal game every time.

 

[leburn98]

I really enjoyed the Olympic hockey this year. It gets boring seeing Canada walk all over everyone in a true best-on-best tourney nearly every single time. You won't grow the sport internationally if you have the same2-3 teams in the gold medal game every time.

Yep, this is precisely the issue for women's hockey. With men's hockey I feel that Canada, USA, Russia and Sweden have been producing the most consistent talent over the last two decades. However, the 2nd tier such as Finland and Czech have enough talent that they could upset any of the big four. This is something that the women's hockey lacks.

 

[Slap]

This would take away the main event from the winter olympics. Does anyone really give a shit about cross country skiing and curling?

 

[Alex Jones]

I'm not opposed to it, but I'd rather have it during the winter

 

[Hasa92]

Eh... Hockey is a winter sport and also China is the very country you want to sell the game to, the potential of that market is insane.

 

[CherryToke]

If players truly care about the Olympics as guys like Ovechkin, Karlsson and Crosby have said they
do, then yes they would be thrilled. As for spending vacation and recovery time playing more hockey, the majority of Olympic athletes have to hold a steady job on top of the training and sacrifice they have to do to be an Olympian and they do not get paid millions to do it. If they can do this, surely an NHLer can find a way to make it work.

Of course they want to play in the winter Olympics. Why wouldn't they. It's the hockey season after all. The timing around the summer Olympics is completely different. What if they are fatigued and banged up from long playoff runs and need time to recover to prepare for the next season? Or are players just gonna pack it in and not give a shit about the NHL playoffs because they want to be at their best for the Olympics?

 

[Calendal]

This would take away the main event from the winter olympics. Does anyone really give a **** about cross country skiing and curling?

Figure skating draws most viewers.

 

[48g90a138pts]

Wow this would really be a kick in the balls to the winter Olympics to lose the sport of hockey to the summer games.

 

[Not So Mighty]

We also have an obesity crisis, mass shootings, and somehow, after seventy years the threat of nuclear war persists.

Just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should. But hey, if the sport of ice hockey being in the summer Olympics makes sense to you then go for it.

Not that it matters anyways, this is Gary posturing to get himself out of any Olympic involvement. Classic misdirection people will eat up because it offers a pseudo solution to a problem him and the BOG cooked up to begin with by proclaiming themselves as bigger than the sport.

Did you just compare summer ice hockey to mass shootings and nuclear war?

Regardless, the argument is not that we should do it just because we can. The argument is we should because it's makes sense. Scheduling the Olympic ice hockey tournament during a time that NHL'ers are actually available just makes sense.

Again, it's a moot point because the IOC will never go for it.

 

[SotasicA]

So why China and not Korea?

He said he doesn't want China.

The 2020 games are in Tokyo, btw.

 

[Slap]

He said he doesn't want China.

The 2020 games are in Tokyo, btw.

Tokyo is the capital of Asia, which is in China. Learn some biology bud.

 

[SotasicA]

Tokyo is the capital of Asia, which is in China. Learn some biology bud.

Never should have let Viet Cong capture it. Now they have that little rocket man running the place.

 

[Ciao]

It's not a bad idea because it's outside the hockey season and all the best players would be available.

The 1972 Canada-Russia series was the most memorable tournament I've ever seen, and it was played him September -- late summer.

In North America, basketball is a winter sport. The NBA and US college seasons overlap with the NHL, minor-pro, college and junior seasons. They're both indoor sports that are not weather-dependent. We have no problem thinking of basketball as a summer Olympic sport, but can't wrap our heads around hockey at the summer Olympics despite the similarities.

I think moving hockey to the summer Olympics would solve a lot of problems and is worthy of consideration.

I even think we would have a better tournament.

 

[Ciao]

I really enjoyed the Olympic hockey this year. It gets boring seeing Canada walk all over everyone in a true best-on-best tourney nearly every single time. You won't grow the sport internationally if you have the same2-3 teams in the gold medal game every time.

? ? ?

Canada hasn't walked over everyone in hockey at the Olympics since the Soviets learned how to win Olympic gold before I was born.

When Canada does send its' best pros, it's competitive. That's all.

 

[Jarey Curry]

Yep, this is precisely the issue for women's hockey. With men's hockey I feel that Canada, USA, Russia and Sweden have been producing the most consistent talent over the last two decades. However, the 2nd tier such as Finland and Czech have enough talent that they could upset any of the big four. This is something that the women's hockey lacks.

Not that it matters but Sweden is way more closer to Finland than they are to Canada. And USA hasn't been in the finals enough that they should be in tier 1 obviously, their team is only winning the hype train award every year which Finland has almost never won despite the results

 

[Seanaconda]

? ? ?

Canada hasn't walked over everyone in hockey at the Olympics since the Soviets learned how to win Olympic gold before I was born.

When Canada does send its' best pros, it's competitive. That's all.

The last two Olympics were a walk even tho they played defensive hockey. And the one or two before that were a mess for sure but before that Canada / world cup was the actual tournament that mattered. Played during the summer but we all have memories of mice apparently .

 

[Spartachat]

I am angry that Eichel, Matthews and Bergeron were injured while the Olympics were on.

 

[Ciao]

The last two Olympics were a walk even tho they played defensive hockey. And the one or two before that were a mess for sure but before that Canada / world cup was the actual tournament that mattered

The outcome is in doubt at every Olympic hockey tournament.

Canada has come up big a few times, but it also gets its' clock cleaned now and again.

The days of Canadian dominance of hockey are long gone.

 

[Ciao]

I am angry that Eichel, Matthews and Bergeron were injured while the Olympics were on.

Why don't you just say what you mean instead of trying to be so clever?

If what you meant to say is that players get injured in league play even if they don't go to the Olympics, then that's true.

However, at least they are injured in games they are under contract to play.

 

[Seanaconda]

The outcome is in doubt at every Olympic hockey tournament.

Canada has come up big a few times, but it also gets its' clock cleaned now and again.

The days of Canadian dominance of hockey are long gone.

The last two Olympics Canada played in were not in doubt . Maybe Sweden but we were playing boring defensive hockey anyways . The few before that sure and now the next ones are in doubt but we would have won this one

 

[Jussi]

Everything goes to ruins in the end. Let's enjoy the ride while it lasts.

The unofficial motto for basically every Finnish government these days.

 

[Spartachat]

Why don't you just say what you mean instead of trying to be so clever?

If what you meant to say is that players get injured in league play even if they don't go to the Olympics, then that's true.

However, at least they are injured in games they are under contract to play.

They could be injured if it was in the summer too. That is why players have to be insured when they goto any tournament whether it be the Olympics or the Worlds.

 

[hatterson]

Hockey totally is a summer sport
Yeah, totally.

Basketball is played in the same season as hockey and is in the summer Olympics.

If you put American football into the olympics, it would almost assuredly be a summer sport despite being played over the winter.

 

[Ciao]

They could be injured if it was in the summer too. That is why players have to be insured when they goto any tournament whether it be the Olympics or the Worlds.

Okay.

So are you thinking they should not go to the Olympics at all due to the risk of injury?

Some pro basketball players sit out the summer Olympics for that very reason -- usually the ones who are not under contract. Risk of injury is a very legitimate reason not to play.

If the player is under contract then the risk goes to the player, the team and the insurer.

If the player is not under cont act, then all the risk goes to the player.

 

[razor8]

Well, Bettman can float the idea, but it's a completely different story to actually make it happen.

I'm torn about if this is a good idea or not. What'll happen to the winter olympics if one of the biggest draws moves to the summer?

Best case scenario, hockey stays in the winter olympics and the best players play in 2022.