Olympics: Datsyuk says this medal means more than the Stanley Cup

[Kent Nilsson]

Meh, in general I find team play in Olympic events to be underwhelming. Professional leagues are usually the best stage for team sports.

Never have gotten very excited about NHL hockey in the Olympics.

I think the Canada teams in Vancouver and Sochi will be remembered as the best hockey teams ever assembled.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Yeah but everyone know it was Russia will all the Russians flags in the crowd. hehehe

History books will show different though, although it might not matter to him.

 

[Firsov99]

This should feel rather hollow for him, he didn't beat the best players in the world to get it and he didn't get to do as "Russia"

I truly doubt that he (or any other Russian player) is concerned about it. The Russian players knew that they played for Russia and not some imaginary OAR.

 

[Clrs]

I think the Canada teams in Vancouver and Sochi will be remembered as the best hockey teams ever assembled.

I saw Canadian Sochi games in person and I don't think it's the best team ever assembled.

 

[lawrence]

man, the trolls are coming out of the woodwork in force.......

you should report these trolls.

some users here have a valid point.

Olympics is an event where each country will send their best at the sport to compete.

Canada, USA, Finland etc, were not able to send their best at Mens ice hockey, whether people say "gold medal is a gold meda" no shit.

 

[inthewings]

Yes but come on we all knew that Canada and USA had an easy path to the Final. We knew it four years ago that they would meet again in the Final at the Pyeongchang Olympic. Its a 2 team tournament and its been like this since they started participating in the Olympic.

Yes, I don't find the women's tournament interesting for that reason. I'm not American, but I give their women's team full credit for winning a tournament against the best that every other country had to offer. I don't take anything away from them (or Canada) for being head and shoulders better than any other team.

 

[Lotusflower]

Datsyuk ****riders jumping off bridges en masse

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

The NHL might not be very important to Europeans, and that's fine, but it's still the league that has all of the world's best players. That's not even ego, it's an objective fact. I'm not telling Europeans how they should feel or what they should believe. I get that there's a cultural difference between Europe and North America in terms of which tournaments or championships are important. But to assign so much importance to a tournament (i.e. the 2018 Olympics) that basically none of the world's best players participated in seems a little strange to me, from a North American fan's perspective.

Datsyuk played in the NHL for almost 20 years--I think he might know a thing or two about the NHL.

 

[Clrs]

Russia didn't send the best roster either. But Olympics is Olympics. You play with those who came. If NHL didn't come, it's their problem.

 

[Firsov99]

It'd be one thing if he did it against the best in the world, but he didn't. So very odd to say the least, indeed.

What was he supposed to say? "Hey, my Russian countrymen, this medal doesn't mean much. It won't count in anyway. So, don't celebrate." Please, use common sense.

 

[Incognito]

I think the Canada teams in Vancouver and Sochi will be remembered as the best hockey teams ever assembled.

Team Canada from the Sochi Olympics played quite possibly the best defensive hockey of all time. I'll never forgot how airtight they were.

 

[Kent Nilsson]

I saw Canadian Sochi games in person and I don't think it's the best team ever assembled.

That team felt like they were in complete control for the whole tournament. They were like watching Jon Jones fight.

 

[AveryQuietMan]

you should report these trolls.

some users here have a valid point.

Olympics is an event where each country will send their best at the sport to compete.

Canada, USA, Finland etc, were not able to send their best at Mens ice hockey, whether people say "gold medal is a gold meda" no ****.

russia just iced the best team, even if they didnt send their best either. pretty sure ovi, malkin, tarasenko etc etc..... wouldve been a boost to their lineup

 

[Incognito]

Datsyuk played in the NHL for almost 20 years--I think he might know a thing or two about the NHL.

I didn't say that Datsyuk doesn't know anything about the NHL. But his comment is silly. It's not a big deal though. I'm sure it was driven by emotion and national pride. No shame in that.

 

[Firsov99]

I think the Canada teams in Vancouver and Sochi will be remembered as the best hockey teams ever assembled.

The Sochi team was phenomenal, but I think that the 1987 Canada Cup team was more star-studded.

 

[albator71]

Team Canada from the Sochi Olympics played quite possibly the best defensive hockey of all time. I'll never forgot how airtight they were.

Yes they were amazing defensively for sure but how boring was that tournament with all the best players. it was a snooze fest!!! This year's tournament was more exciting because it was unpredictable.

 

[namttebih]

Reading these comments are gross, no good reason to degrade Russia by taking their flag away. People gloating losing because the winner couldn't wave their flag? The decline of Western culture on full display.

Russia still showed up and won the event that matters most.

Does it really matter most though? These are the biggest hockey boards in the world and the GDT on the marquee events were only a few pages long. Years where it actually mattered, there were thousands of comments. If true fans don't care, does it really matter?

 

[namttebih]

I'd say it's fulling because they won against the best athletes the world has to offer.

There it is.

 

[Knave]

His comments are so typically Russian. A bunch of professionals always playing with each other playing against amateurs and washed up players from other countries and barely squeaking out a gold after being rocked year after year by the big boys like America, Canada and Sweden. It does feel great to win but I'm not sure I would be as proud if my country was banned for doping and we were Olympic Athletes from Canada and we played against lesser competition because the big boys didn't send their players.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I don't get why someone could be offended by his comment. For him, this medal means more than Lord Stanley. So what? Some other player on the team might dream about Lord Stanley as the biggest thing to achieve. Every person is different and every person has his own preferences. It would have been a different story if he would say, the NHL is a worse competition and it's harder to win an Olympic gold medal - but he didn't. So let him enjoy it and move on.

 

[VictoriaJetsFan]

I'm happy for Datsyuk and Russia. They have been targeted and smeared for years now. I have to commend a nation that will stand up to the United States.

It's no wonder in the face of everything the Russian Olympic team has faced that Datsyuk would react the way he did.

 

[Vladnyc]

His comments are so typically Russian. A bunch of professionals always playing with each other playing against amateurs and washed up players from other countries and barely squeaking out a gold after being rocked year after year by the big boys like America, Canada and Sweden. It does feel great to win but I'm not sure I would be as proud if my country was banned for doping and we were Olympic Athletes from Canada and we played against lesser competition because the big boys didn't send their players.

If Canada fell apart as a country, was constantly under attack politically by large and powerful forces, hadn't won the Olympics since 1992 and the world championship for 15 years, and lost in Vancouver and then were a victim of the biggest witch hunt in the history of the Olympics, and Canada couldn't use it's flag or anthem and you guys won anyway, you would understand. You should be ever thankful that you don't understand the Russian mindset because it comes from a cauldron of pain that you could never even imagine.

 

[Gainesvillain]

"we squeaked by a crap German team...."

 

[Zine]

Datsyuk:

HFPoster:

 

[Leaf Fans]

If Canada fell apart as a country, was constantly under attack politically by large and powerful forces, hadn't won the Olympics since 1992 and the world championship for 15 years, and lost in Vancouver and then were a victim of the biggest witch hunt in the history of the Olympics you would understand.

I think that sums it up succinctly!