Could the players revolt? (MOD: if no NHL participation in Pyeongchang)

[BruinLVGA]

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.

Solution is simple enough: stop the season for two weeks. They already have stoppages for the ASG and lock outs, two weeks every four years for the OG should not be a problem.

 

[xxxx]

Solution is simple enough: stop the season for two weeks. They already have stoppages for the ASG and lock outs, two weeks every four years for the OG should not be a problem.

It's not that easy.

 

[BruinLVGA]

It's not that easy.

Every other pro hockey league in the world does stop for the Olympics, why can't the NHL do the same?

 

[Nino33]

Every other pro hockey league in the world does stop for the Olympics, why can't the NHL do the same?

If you ask the best players from the nations of every other pro hockey league in the world why they're playing in the NHL you'll get your answer

IMO the Olympics simply don't matter anywhere near as much as you think they do

It would be interesting to see which players pay their own way, pay their own insurance and lose the 2 weeks NHL pay. Not to mention in some cases their decision may cost their team a playoff spot.

just for those reasons you listed, I have my doubts whether would even Ovechkin actually go.

I've thought the same thing from the beginning

 

[xxxx]

Every other pro hockey league in the world does stop for the Olympics, why can't the NHL do the same?

because it's a different league and it affects them in different ways.

 

[Confucius]

Solution is simple enough: stop the season for two weeks. They already have stoppages for the ASG and lock outs, two weeks every four years for the OG should not be a problem.

Not a chance the league stops for 2 weeks because of a player revolt.

 

[BruinLVGA]

If you ask the best players from the nations of every other pro hockey league in the world why they're playing in the NHL you'll get your answer

IMO the Olympics simply don't matter anywhere near as much as you think they do



I've thought the same thing from the beginning

Yeah, the answer is $$$. Still I don't see how it is relevant to the question why all pro hockey leagues stop for the Olympics and the NHL doesn't want to do it.

because it's a different league and it affects them in different ways.

A "different league"? They all play hockey and they're all employing pro players. All stop playing for the Olympics, but for the NHL: that is the difference.

 

[Nino33]

Yeah, the answer is $$$. Still I don't see how it is relevant to the question why all pro hockey leagues stop for the Olympics and the NHL doesn't want to do it.

Actually "the answer" is not as simple as dollars. As I noted, the best players are in the NHL, so you're asking something of the NHL that isn't asked of any other League in the world.

IMO you should quit blaming the NHL, it's tiresome. The best players play in the NHL, the other Leagues are irrelevant to the discussion. IMO if you want to blame/attack, do so to the players that choose to play in the NHL over all the other Leagues

Like I said, I don't think the Olympics are anywhere near as important as you think they are (in my hockey watching lifetime thus far there have been more Olympics played without NHL players than with; it wouldn't bother me if the NHL players stopped participating in the Olympics; nationalism through sports is not necessary)

 

[Xokkeu]

Actually "the answer" is not as simple as dollars. As I noted, the best players are in the NHL, so you're asking something of the NHL that isn't asked of any other League in the world.

IMO you should quit blaming the NHL, it's tiresome. The best players play in the NHL, the other Leagues are irrelevant to the discussion. IMO if you want to blame/attack, do so to the players that choose to play in the NHL over all the other Leagues

Like I said, I don't think the Olympics are anywhere near as important as you think they are (in my hockey watching lifetime thus far there have been more Olympics played without NHL players than with; it wouldn't bother me if the NHL players stopped participating in the Olympics; nationalism through sports is not necessary)

I think you overestimate how much anybody outside North America cares about the NHL. People like to see their local players once in a blue moon. Not that much to ask and hardly starting world war 3.

 

[Nino33]

I think you overestimate how much anybody outside North America cares about the NHL

I think you underestimate how little hockey outside North America matters to those in North America (all other Leagues in the world have essentially no coverage whatsoever) & as I noted the top players from outside North America clearly seem to prefer the NHL too


The point of this thread is to discuss NHL participation in the Olympics (and the idea that players might "revolt" has been proposed), and I don't get the impression that those outside of North America don't care about the NHL...more like they're demanding the NHL "be like them" and like what they like and do what they do (and I think there's zero chance the players will revolt)

The NHL doesn't need the Olympics, but it seems some think the Olympics needs the NHL players - the NHL is not saying "don't have the Olympics" if our players aren't involved

The NHL is a business, and it's the best hockey league in the world with the best players, not sure why some think they can dictate to the NHL what it should do


I honestly don't care much either way, but I don't understand how some think they can demand/dictate to the NHL

 

[General Zodd]

...it wouldn't bother me if the NHL players stopped participating in the Olympics; nationalism through sports is not necessary)

It would ****ing bother me so they gotta keep playing. Stop the season for two weeks. Enough said. Work it all out (players and NHL) and make us purists happy!

 

[holyprime]

Actually "the answer" is not as simple as dollars. As I noted, the best players are in the NHL, so you're asking something of the NHL that isn't asked of any other League in the world.

Everybody releases their players for the Olympics, actually, everybody stops their entire league for this event.

No, not us! We can't schedule anything and anyway, we're special, dare i say exceptional? Asking us is something completely different than those inferior leagues we get half our players from.

 

[Nino33]

Everybody releases their players for the Olympics, actually, everybody stops their entire league for this event.

No, not us! We can't schedule anything and anyway, we're special, dare i say exceptional? Asking us is something completely different than those inferior leagues we get half our players from.

Actually 83% of NHL players are North American https://www.google.ca/#q=nhl+players+by+country

 

[Nino33]

It would ****ing bother me so they gotta keep playing. Stop the season for two weeks. Enough said. Work it all out (players and NHL) and make us purists happy!

You forgot to include the IOC among those who need to work things out; not sure what "purists" refers to (in my lifetime Olympic hockey's been played by amateurs more than by pros)

 

[holyprime]

Actually 83% of NHL players are North American https://www.google.ca/#q=nhl+players+by+country

None of the sites listed on the first paqe gets over 75%.

But great point, the NHL is a league with the majority of players coming from where it is played, while foreigners usually fill more of a top6/4 role. Something completely unique to the world of hockey leagues, and that gives it the right to pout like a little child

 

[Xokkeu]

You forgot to include the IOC among those who need to work things out; not sure what "purists" refers to (in my lifetime Olympic hockey's been played by amateurs more than by pros)

Are you 70 years old?

 

[Nino33]

Are you 70 years old?

No, 49.....are you 12?


Hopefully the attitude of some in this thread isn't the one the IOC is going with; those attacking/blaming the NHL and using the ridiculous hyperbole are the one's acting like pouty children

 

[Nino33]

None of the sites listed on the first paqe gets over 75%.

But great point, the NHL is a league with the majority of players coming from where it is played, while foreigners usually fill more of a top6/4 role. Something completely unique to the world of hockey leagues, and that gives it the right to pout like a little child

Why don't you rant about how the "foreigners" should play at home? If these other Leagues and international competition like the Olympics were so important to them, wouldn't they? Or are they just in it for the money?

 

[sandysan]

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?

why dont you ask that question to the IOC ?

 

[patnyrnyg]

I think you overestimate how much anybody outside North America cares about the NHL. People like to see their local players once in a blue moon. Not that much to ask and hardly starting world war 3.

I think you overestimate how much people in North America and the NHL cares about fans outside of North America. They can see their local players, just figure out a way for them to stay home and play professionally. Nobody is forcing any of these European born players to play in the NHL. Did the SEL kick Lundqvist out? Did Ovechkin and Malkin get deported from Russia?

 

[patnyrnyg]

I think you are overstating the leverage that the NHL has. Outside of Canada, TV viewing audiences don't give a damn whether NHL players are there or not. If they were interested in NHL players, and throughout the vast majority of the world they are not, they could just watch the NHL instead.

Some of the most memorable Olympic performances by America were during the years before the NHL got there. There would still be Olympic hockey without the NHL, and TV networks would promote it intensively with or without NHL players. In a way, it might be more interesting to see a different configuration. Especially for Europe, it might create some suspense about who gets the Gold Medal!

So, then why is it that most of the Europeans on here are so dead-set on the NHL should shut down and send their players? If it doesn't matter to those outside of NA that the NHL isn't there, then why are so many on here making an issue of it?

 

[Xokkeu]

No, 49.....are you 12?


Hopefully the attitude of some in this thread isn't the one the IOC is going with; those attacking/blaming the NHL and using the ridiculous hyperbole are the one's acting like pouty children

Pros have been in Olympic hockey 9 times. You were born in 1966. Which means that there were 4 amateur hockey tournaments. I can at least do 12 year old math!

 

[Xokkeu]

I think you overestimate how much people in North America and the NHL cares about fans outside of North America. They can see their local players, just figure out a way for them to stay home and play professionally. Nobody is forcing any of these European born players to play in the NHL. Did the SEL kick Lundqvist out? Did Ovechkin and Malkin get deported from Russia?

The NHL has clearly made international expansion one of its primary growth goals. Just like sun belt expansion.

The final bit of the paragraph is just odd

 

[Nino33]

Pros have been in Olympic hockey 9 times. You were born in 1966. Which means that there were 4 amateur hockey tournaments. I can at least do 12 year old math!

The whole thread is about NHL participation, and that started in 1998 (5 times)

 

[Nino33]

The NHL has clearly made international expansion one of its primary growth goals.

Not sure what makes you think this, I see no signs they care much at all (another point of this thread)