Fasel unhappy with NHLers skipping Turin

[TORRUS]

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.

My cousine is one of the chemists in the anti doping lab in Torino! With one phone call I can rule the whole team Canada ineligible!

Man, I feel so powerfull!!!

 

[Metallian*]

not really. look at the Russians. very few of them showed up.

because they saw it as an inferior tournament, which it was

plus due to the lockout, there was a lot of problems obtaining insurance

 

[C-J...*]

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.

Johnsson "found out" 3 weeks ago, that he was going to have a baby during the olympics.

Poor excuse..

 

[Canuck21t]

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!

What's going on with the Finns? I thought that the Olympics were very important to Europeans. It looks like Canadians care more about this tournament then some Euros. And don't tell me that it's the NHL club's fault. Forsberg who is genuinely injured clearly wants to go and nobody can hold him back but his own injuries. Pronger has a broken foot and is still going to Turin. Shame on the Finns for letting their country down like that.

 

[NYR2]

I agree with most you guys, I'm really disappointed in the guys who decided not to go.

 

[Metallian*]

its like they all realized that the best they could possibly do is 2nd place to Canada again, so why bother?

 

[TORRUS]

Poor excuse..

Bad timing...

 

[Borlag]

What's going on with the Finns? I thought that the Olympics were very important to Europeans. It looks like Canadians care more about this tournament then some Euros. And don't tell me that it's the NHL club's fault. Forsberg who is genuinely injured clearly wants to go and nobody can hold him back but his own injuries. Pronger has a broken foot and is still going to Turin. Shame on the Finns for letting their country down like that.

For the most part the Finns still hold the Olympics as the best tournament there is. However I believe that after the incident between some players and the coaching staff at the World Cup did kind of stain the experience for many. For one, I'd be surprised if Janne Niinimaa would ever represent Finland again, even when the coach has changed since then.

At the same time, while I'm very dissappointed with Kippers decision to not go to the Olympics, I feel that if he doesn't want to play there, that he really has no place representing Finland there. No point in forcing players to go there if they're not going to give their best shot at winning.

 

[Tb0ne]

Naslund may be scoring lately, but anyone who has watched him on a regular basis over the past seasons would tell you he is struggling badly with his groin. In the end its is understandable that he thinks he couldn't help Sweden with his health as it is right now.

Plus, Sweden definatly found a great replacement.

 

[TORRUS]

For the most part the Finns still hold the Olympics as the best tournament there is. However I believe that after the incident between some players and the coaching staff at the World Cup did kind of stain the experience for many. For one, I'd be surprised if Janne Niinimaa would ever represent Finland again, even when the coach has changed since then.

Could you tell what happend? I'm not familiar with details.

 

[C-J...*]

Naslund may be scoring lately, but anyone who has watched him on a regular basis over the past seasons would tell you he is struggling badly with his groin. In the end its is understandable that he thinks he couldn't help Sweden with his health as it is right now.

Plus, Sweden definatly found a great replacement.

He has never helped the Swedish nationalteam before, even when healthy, so why even bother. He´s a floating turd who depends on Bertuzzi and Morrison in order to get those easy tap-in goals.

He´s so overrated It´s just insane.

 

[Tb0ne]

He has never helped the Swedish nationalteam before, even when healthy, so why even bother. He´s a floating turd who depends on Bertuzzi and Morrison in order to get those easy tap-in goals.

He´s so overrated It´s just insane.

You obviously havn't seen many of his goals, no offense.

 

[khy206]

I love to watch international competition, but if NHL wants to prevent this sort of thing, then they have to use their brains.

For me, playing entire 82 games with no break looks simply awful. Yes, for players who do not participate in Olympics, it's a sweet 2 week break but how about participants? Playing whole bunch of games during regular season, then playing for his country with extremely tight schedule, then playing regular season with condensed schedule? Geez, they are humans not robots. I'm not gonna say players have to withdraw from the national teams, but I can fully understand why they do it in this situation.

So if NHL wants to keep sending their players to Olympics with no objection, I suggest to shorten the regular season games during Olympic years. Maybe 65~70 games would be nice.

 

[C-J...*]

You obviously havn't seen many of his goals, no offense.

Yes I have, most of them are from within 5 feet of the goal, and an even higher percentage is eitehr rebounds or the tap-ins I talked about before.

Seriously, name one aspect of the game, that Näslund´s skill level is worldclass?

On top of that, hes the most boring human being since Linda Gray.

 

[Borlag]

Could you tell what happend? I'm not familiar with details.

Basically the coach at that time, Raimo Summanen, demanded alot (some thought too much) from the players and didn't want to hear any excuses for bad games. After getting yelled at for poor performance against Sweden, notorious whiner, namely Niinimaa, couldn't stand the heat and announced that he's leaving the team. After this many of the other players too had their morals down, Koivu for example started just cruising the ice in the following games and not really playing.

The board of finnish hockey fired Summanen right after the tournament, despite him being a key part in us having just about the best tournament in terms of success that we've ever had. Atleast personally I feel that silver in World Cup is infinitely better than gold at world championships back in 1995.

 

[Tb0ne]

Yes I have, most of them are from within 5 feet of the goal, and an even higher percentage is eitehr rebounds or the tap-ins I talked about before.

Seriously, name one aspect of the game, that Näslund´s skill level is worldclass?

On top of that, hes the most boring human being since Linda Gray.

'who depends on Bertuzzi and Morrison in order to get those easy tap-in goals.'

If anyone on that line is getting a majority of tap-in goals it is Morrison or Bertuzzi, and not Näslund. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I would say a majority of his goals (perhaps not this season, as he's been injured for nearly 2 months) come 7-10 feet away from the net, with the goalie in position, but unable to stop the puck because of the speed, release, and accuracy of Näslund's wrist shot which is considered worldclass by many.

I understand that some/many Swedes hate Näslund because he's never done well in international competition, but I think those performances might have to do less with a lack of skill or desire, and possibly could be a result of him having trouble in highest pressure games.

 

[khy206]

Basically the coach at that time, Raimo Summanen, demanded alot (some thought too much) from the players and didn't want to hear any excuses for bad games. After getting yelled at for poor performance against Sweden, notorious whiner, namely Niinimaa, couldn't stand the heat and announced that he's leaving the team. After this many of the other players too had their morals down, Koivu for example started just cruising the ice in the following games and not really playing.

The board of finnish hockey fired Summanen right after the tournament, despite him being a key part in us having just about the best tournament in terms of success that we've ever had. Atleast personally I feel that silver in World Cup is infinitely better than gold at world championships back in 1995.

How about bronze in Nagano?

 

[Borlag]

Olympics and World Cup are pretty much equal, considering both generally have the best players available. So while the bronze in Nagano was a great achievement, the silver from last World Cup is simply better. Pretty much the only way to top those would be to get the gold from either the World Cup or Olympics. I seriously doubt Finland's chances to be able to do that for atleast another 5-10 years or so.

 

[CSKA]

Olympics and World Cup are pretty much equal

Nope.Nope.Nope.

World Cup = North american Cup.

Olympics >>>>>>>>>> North american Cup.

 

[pihinalle]

Nope.Nope.Nope.

World Cup = North american Cup.

Olympics >>>>>>>>>> North american Cup.

Not this time. These Olympics are not even close to World Cup 2004.

 

[OilerOlli*]

Not this time. These Olympics are not even close to World Cup 2004.

And that is pretty sad!

 

[CSKA]

Not this time. These Olympics are not even close to World Cup 2004.

Yeah not even close ....i remember Russia with the best team ever

And now some good players are out and some of you stars the big whining

 

[CSKA]

And that is pretty sad!

Dont get me wrong but do you really think that Germany would win a medal with Sturm and Hecht ?

 

[LuigiStone*]

You guys do realize that guys like Kipper aren't going because the teams won't allow them to go. They can do it to European players because they don't give a damn what Finland or Sweden thinks. If a team wouldn't let Canada's number 1 goalie go, the Canadian media would be all over them.

 

[Borlag]

There's always going to be good players missing, no matter what the tournament is. That's just a simple fact of life, no matter what you do there's always going to be some players who are injured and there's always going to be some players who refuse for other reasons.

Since both the World Cup and Olympics cause a break in the NHL season, and that way free the best players for the said tournaments, I see absolutely 0 reason why those two couldn't be considered equal. The actual team selections don't change that one bit.

The only real difference is the rules used, NHL rules vs. international hockey rules. That alone is definitely not enough to change either tournament to be better than the other.