MXD
Partying Hard
- Oct 27, 2005
- 52,214
- 18,195
Could the players revolt? (MOD: if no NHL participation in Pyeongchang)
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
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Remember the Glenn Anderson situation, he resigned with the Leafs, having a handshake agreement with Cliff Fletcher he could go to the Olympics and then the league stepped in and said no. The only loop hole they could find was sending him to Team Canada on a 2 week conditioning stint and he decided that would be disrespectful to the rest of the team, so in the end he did not go.
Shootmaster_44
Registered User
Seems to me the easiest thing for the NHL to do is to let the players go and keep the season running. This is what the CHL does during the World Juniors. If Ovechkin, Kopitar (Slovenia qualified again) and Crosby want to go great. If Quick, McDavid and others choose not to go that's fine too.
Ideally, the NHL would allow the players to go and stop the season to do it. But of course for some reason Gary Bettman (and him alone I suspect), fails to see the intrinsic value in the NHL going to the Olympics.
Regardless of what players go, I will still be watching and cheering on Team Canada. The 1994 Olympics were one of the most exciting hockey tournaments I remember seeing. In fact, every classroom at my elementary school had TVs in their classrooms to watch Corey Hursch fail to stop Forsberg in the shootout in the Gold Medal game.
Ideally, the NHL would allow the players to go and stop the season to do it. But of course for some reason Gary Bettman (and him alone I suspect), fails to see the intrinsic value in the NHL going to the Olympics.
Regardless of what players go, I will still be watching and cheering on Team Canada. The 1994 Olympics were one of the most exciting hockey tournaments I remember seeing. In fact, every classroom at my elementary school had TVs in their classrooms to watch Corey Hursch fail to stop Forsberg in the shootout in the Gold Medal game.
So every time a team let's a guy have time off for personal reasons they should be punished?
Won't the players association be so happy not being allowed to grieve or go witness the birth of their children. And who decides what is the best possible team? Lots of times better players are sat for different reasons.
Nashville get fined for not playing radulov?
You know Bettman is just a mouthpiece? The board of governors always have a fit every Olympics and they won't go if they have to pay.
He doesn't make the decisions tho. If the IOC doesn't pay blame them.
This has been beaten to death on here. Those who talk about how great it is for the league have not been able to provide a shred of evidence. No spike in ticket sales, ratings, merchandise following the Olympics. NONE. The Olympics bring out a sense of Patriotism in people. Sports like Gymnastics, Track, Swimming, Figure Skating do HUGE ratings in the Olympics. Even events like skiing are popular. However, once the Olympics are over, what happens to those sports? They are forgotten about for 4 years. US vs Canada doing a huge rating in the Olympics doesn't translate to the NHL. Contrary to the belief of some on here, TJ Oshie did not become a household name in the same way Jim Craig or Mike Eruzione did.
I think he is a lot more than a mouthpiece. When it comes down to it, he works for the owners. However, I think many of the owners listen to him.
When it comes to skiing, both crosscountry and alpine, I can assure you that they keeps on being huge.
I'm pretty sure that people like Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Michaela Shiffrin , Lafferty etc. Are big names even without the olympics in Usa.
Miller, and Vonn, yes. The rest? No. Secondly, skiing is seldom on tv here, and when it is shown is at a dead hour. 5pm on a saturday in february on ESPN2. 4pm on a Sunday on NBC or ABC during March Madness.
Without the Olympics nobody would know of Lindsey Vonn or Bode Miller. As a spectator sport it's irrelevant.
Then you guys are missing out. USA has some great athletes and amazing slopes, I can understand that skiing it's not as big as it is in most of Europe, but I did not think it would be that irrelevant.
Congratulation to the USA federation that manages to produce great athletes even if the sport has no followers
Congratulation to the USA federation that manages to produce great athletes even if the sport has no followers
Jussi
Registered User
In my post, I was referring to the USA. If you read the whole post, the context would make sense. About certain sports doing huge ratings in the Olympics, but do not generate interest outside the Olympics. Yes, was talking about in the US as it was in response to the other poster commenting about why Bettman doesn't see the benefit to the NHL to send players to the Olympics.
But, to get back on topic. I don't think the players could "revolt" as the NHLPA is in discussions with the league. So, an NHLPA member would not be able to just say, "Screw the NHL, I am going to the Olympics", because the IIHF would likely not allow it either. However, the compromise most likely to be met is that players who want to go could do so with permission from their team, but the league is not going to shut down. Leonisis has already said if Ovechkin wants to go, he won't stop him.
There would also have to be some caveats about injuries. If Ovie gets hurt, the Caps do not have to pay him until he can play, or something along those lines. Secondly, Ovie would be responsible for his own insurances.
The NHL may then show consideration by lightening the schedule during those two weeks. Each team has their 4-day break in there somewhere, and no back-to-backs. Maybe only 4 games over the 2 week span?
There would also have to be some caveats about injuries. If Ovie gets hurt, the Caps do not have to pay him until he can play, or something along those lines. Secondly, Ovie would be responsible for his own insurances.
The NHL may then show consideration by lightening the schedule during those two weeks. Each team has their 4-day break in there somewhere, and no back-to-backs. Maybe only 4 games over the 2 week span?
Something along that line would be probably the most reasonable compromise.
I still hope for the nhl and iihf finding a way to cooperate and have a really meaningful world cup every 4 years. How bloody difficult can it be to suck it up and come down to a compromise once every 4 years?
I still hope for the nhl and iihf finding a way to cooperate and have a really meaningful world cup every 4 years. How bloody difficult can it be to suck it up and come down to a compromise once every 4 years?
Rob
Registered User
I still think it could be possible for the NHL to continue while their best players go to the Olympics.
Nino33
Registered User
- Jul 5, 2015
- 1,828
- 441
I find this hard to believe, that star players will give up the money they make in the NHL
jj cale
Registered User
I don't see a single Canadian or American player willing to break rank with their NHL clubs and do all this, doubt many if any Swedish or Finnish players will either.
Can only see Russian and Czech players going this route and maybe a guy like Kopitar should Slovenia qualify, Swiss players might be willing to also seeing as a non nhl player olympics gives their country their best and only chance at ever winning olympic gold in hockey
Gonna be interesting to see all this shake out, it will be more interesting then the tournament itself which without the majority of the best players in the world is a complete lame duck.
just for those reasons you listed, I have my doubts whether would even Ovechkin actually go.
BruinLVGA
Just got me a Beretta 92XI Squalo!
I can guarantee you that most of the NHL fans wouldn't want to send their best players to the olympics while their teams would continue to play without them. That has nothing to do with what you somehow assume. I am all for NHL at the olympics. But this is a bad idea on many levels.
