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Fasel unhappy with NHLers skipping Turin

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SChan*

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Canadian Press

2/11/2006 7:16:42 AM

TURIN, Italy (CP) - The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation is disappointed that some NHL stars will skip the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Rene Fasel said clubs should encourage players to compete at the Games because it is the biggest stage on which to promote the sport.

He was upset that players like Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff will skip the Games to avoid aggravating injuries.

"This is a platform here," said Fasel. "The Olympic Games - 3.2 billion TV spectators, 200 countries - if we want to show our game to the world and make this promotion for hockey, for the game, for the NHL, for the IIHF, for the teams, this is the best place in the world.

"I would tell anyone who has this egoism just to work for their own team or their own profit, they should forget that."


Fasel said players want to compete at the Olympics because of the Games' prestige and because it is a unique experience.

The NHL is committed to sending players to the Games through the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Fasel said he has not yet discussed extending the agreement with the NHL but is confident the league will want it to continue.
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AMEN

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=154443&hubname=nhl


Not only kipprusof, but naslund has 5p in 3 games after he withdrew from sweden.
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Kiprusoff...what a poor decision by him. He doesn't want to play for his country in an important tournament because of his personal success.
If he wanted to play for Finnland he would be still in the finn roster for the olmypics!
But he is not the only one who prefers a rest during the olmpics. Bad attitude!
 
Yes, must admit I'm a little disappointed in these games. Seems like a lot of guys are not overly interested. With the NHL schedule the way it is this year I can understand to a certain extent,but this is the Olympics and you only get one chance every four years
 
I agree.

Kipper really let me down, but at the same time, it's best for his real team. He already did the best he could for Finland at the World Cup.

Which brings me to another point: The World Cup has really diminished the Olympics significance. If we only had one tournament like this every 4 years, you bet your *** that Kipper would have gone for his country.
 
Hockey should go back to the young no-name kids instead of closing the NHL shop for 3 weeks. It didn't attract new fans in 2002, it sure ain't going to attract anymore fans in 2006.
 
ScottyBowman said:
Hockey should go back to the young no-name kids instead of closing the NHL shop for 3 weeks. It didn't attract new fans in 2002, it sure ain't going to attract anymore fans in 2006.
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Hockey Canada wouldn't allow that. then canada would go back to losing every olympics.
 
ScottyBowman said:
It didn't attract new fans in 2002, it sure ain't going to attract anymore fans in 2006.
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And how do you know that??? I know that there were many Croatians watching it! i guess that's attracting new fans... After all they said that 2002 tournament was the most interesting best-on-best tourney after 72' and 87'.
 
ScottyBowman said:
Hockey should go back to the young no-name kids instead of closing the NHL shop for 3 weeks. It didn't attract new fans in 2002, it sure ain't going to attract anymore fans in 2006.
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Well then whats even the point of having hockey in the Olympics, it becomes completely irrelevant.
 
It pains me to see Pitkanen playing every game after he withdraw, it pains me to see Naslund putting up great points after he declined and it pains me to see Kipper playing 18/19 games!
 
It is still the players decision to play in the Olympics, so I won't insult any of them for not going.

They play an 82 game season and playoffs every year that is tiring then for an Olympic year they compact the season by 2 weeks to get it all in. It is no wonder so many players are getting injured.

NHL players are professional athletes first and shouldn't be obigated to attend the Olympics. it is not like they are some amateur player that has been given training money by Canada, if the athlete doesn't go the only person that loses is them because they don't get a chance to win a medal
 
therealdeal said:
Well then whats even the point of having hockey in the Olympics, it becomes completely irrelevant.
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Exactly. The whole winter olympics is completely irrelevant but that discussion is for another forum.
 
ScottyBowman said:
Exactly. The whole winter olympics is completely irrelevant but that discussion is for another forum.
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So then you would just prefer no international hockey?
 
ScottyBowman said:
Exactly. The whole winter olympics is completely irrelevant but that discussion is for another forum.
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If you think about it that way, then professional sports in general are irrelevant too.

There are far greater issues and priorities in our lives than professional sports (unless of course, you happen to be a professional athlete).
 
therealdeal said:
So then you would just prefer no international hockey?
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I love the idea of a great international tournament. I'm so sick of hearing Europeans say that the World Cup sucks, and that they don't care about it. Yet the tournament they love, the World Championships, is held at a time when all the best players playing in North America can't attend. The Olympics were supposed to be the one tournament where all the best players could attend, and all international fans cared deeply about.
There are already so many things in place to try and make this tournament more competitive, like playing with European rules, roster limitations, etc., and still all these Euro players are dropping out.
No doubt that facing Team Canada is a daunting task, but these boys staying home to rest their boo boo's look like a pretty big bunch of sissies.

I agree that the NHL and NHLPA need to sort out whether they are in or out of this tournament. If they are going to put their professional season on hold, those players that can go, had better go!
 
Kiprusoff doesn't want to go, but does anyone know the real reason why?
Perhaps he's been nursing an injury, perhaps he is just tired and needs a rest before the Flames playoff run, or perhaps he has taken some cough syrup for a cold and knows he would test positive for the Olympics ridiculious drug program.

Look at Jagr with the Rangers, he has had a cold for a month that he couldn't shake because practically ever health care drug that you and me take without a second thought would make him ineligible to play.

The Olympic committee has made it so diffficult to follow their stupid guidelines I can understand why players might not want to go and be put under that microscope.
 
The Olympics had a different air about them in 2002, it seemed more imortant. NHL players wanted to go represent their country and win gold (except Roy). Granted they didn't have to fly halfway around the world to do so, but I don't understand why the excitement for the players isn't there in 06 as it was in 02.
 
blamebettman said:
The Olympics had a different air about them in 2002, it seemed more imortant. NHL players wanted to go represent their country and win gold (except Roy). Granted they didn't have to fly halfway around the world to do so, but I don't understand why the excitement for the players isn't there in 06 as it was in 02.
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you generalize way too much.

when you say "the players", it seems that you're talking about every single player, when in reality, it concerns only a handful of guys like Kiprusoff and Naslund.
 
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