If the NHL does NOT participate in 2022

[GermanNuck]

You're absolutely allowed, it was all in good humor sir.

 

[Eisen]

I'm glad I can watch my favourite NHL team like usual and tune into some Olympics at the same time personally. The hockey side is suffering for sure but that's ok because the NHL is still going without a break.

Also, nice to watch athletes that aren't winning the lottery jackpot salary wise every year they play do their thing knowing how much they must have trained for it.

I guess I'm old and maybe I'm not remembering correctly but I feel like when I was a kid the Olympics were all amateur athletes.

So non-hockey enjoying the Olympics, hockey enjoying NHL. Don't care that the NHL isn't there tbh.

Amateur on paper only.

 

[Zine]

Amateurs only? How would that work?

In such a circumstance only USA and Canada would be able to field teams, and those guys would need to be juniors/college guys.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Business versus Sports.

Are you seriously kidding me?

This is business vs much bigger business. Nothing else. Sports has nothing to do with it.

 

[Jack Butler]

Amateurs only? How would that work?

It's a question of how you define amateur, and I believe at the Olympic level, historically, there were always questions and debates. For hockey, it might be easier to define a "professional" and work backward. Eg, make a short list of leagues, NHL, KHL, SEL, etc., and declare that once a player plays in one of those leagues, he is a professional and can never be considered an amateur for the purpose of the Olympics.

 

[Faterson]

This is business vs much bigger business. Nothing else. Sports has nothing to do with it.

What do you mean? Hockey is a sport – you know, two teams trying to score more goals into the opponent's net. That little detail may have escaped you if you only see $$$ everywhere.

 

[GermanNuck]

It's a question of how you define amateur, and I believe at the Olympic level, historically, there were always questions and debates. For hockey, it might be easier to define a "professional" and work backward. Eg, make a short list of leagues, NHL, KHL, SEL, etc., and declare that once a player plays in one of those leagues, he is a professional and can never be considered an amateur for the purpose of the Olympics.

Then there would be other national programs in place where athletes would be supported one way or another. For example: Most German athletes at the Olympics (that aren't hockey players) are either sport-soldiers or policeman.

 

[Jack Butler]

Then there would be other national programs in place where athletes would be supported one way or another. For example: Most German athletes at the Olympics (that aren't hockey players) are either sport-soldiers or policeman.

There are national programs in many countries for many sports. It's not an issue. You could declare that players in US college, US development and CHL all qualify as amateurs, regardless of whether or not they are getting paid. You draw the line with professional leagues. This is just as an example.

 

[Spirit of 67]

What do you mean? Hockey is a sport – you know, two teams trying to score more goals into the opponent's net. That little detail may have escaped you if you only see $$$ everywhere.

This is about money and power. Not hockey.

 

[Faterson]

The NHL PR machine/propaganda keeps blaring otherwise. I'm not saying what it's about, but what it should be about. If you truly care about the game of hockey, you can't afford to sabotage the most important international hockey event the way the NHL does it now. OK, so $$$ are more important to them than the game of hockey as such, and that's fine with me, but then at least cut out the propaganda, please.

 

[NyQuil]

Same for me. I despise nationalism. I suppose it comes down to education – the culture in which you grow up. If you grow up in a culture that suggests there's nothing more valuable in life than money, then, of course, the NHL will be more important to you than the Olympics. But if you grow up in a culture (as I did) suggesting there's no greater honor than representing your country on the international stage (and I assure you that has nothing to do with nationalism – after all, internationalism was part of the official Communist ideology), then you will naturally value Olympics, and the World Championships, over any competition of city clubs.

What you don’t understand is that the Stanley Cup is older than any international hockey competition.

It’s not about money to Canadians. Maybe it is for foreigners in the NHL.

Winning an Olympic gold medal in ice hockey is a relatively recent accomplishment by comparison.

 

[Faterson]

The two don't need to be mutually exclusive. Anyone who claims they must be, is putting $$$ before hockey.

You frequently hear complaints about the NHL regular season being needlessly long with 82 games. It's purely a money-grab to generate additional revenue, isn't it? Why not make a 2-week mid-season break each February to facilitate a best-on-best international tourney instead of the all-star break? There's only one, hockey-unrelated reason not to do that: $$$.

 

[AveryQuietMan]

the world has seen what will happen if the NHL doesnt go to the olympics......


NHL will be there in 2022. $$$$ talks.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Amateurs only? How would that work?

In such a circumstance only USA and Canada would be able to field teams, and those guys would need to be juniors/college guys.

I think that's what the "amateurs only" crowd is after. They want two teams to play in the olympics for medals and don't want to be crippled by the NHL lockout.

Field the best possible team from the players that are available. Such a revolutionary idea, I know.

 

[Halla]

NHL is 100% going. 1 billion people in that market, compared to 50 million in Korea

 

[Northerner]

If the NHL does not participate in 2022, which format do you prefer?

What are "amateurs"? Your questions list doesn't make sense to me.

Are amateurs college players?


The format is weird I guess right now but I'm not sure how to answer the questions.

 

[Heia Norge]

If NHL players are not allowed to participate in the Olympics in 2022 then the IIHF and IOC should make it an U-23 tournament, just like the soccer tournament in the summer Olympics.
The ongoing tournament and it’s format rally suucks. I’m begging you mister Fasel! Please do something!

 

[Jack Butler]

What are "amateurs"?

Some of my thoughts on that question:
36
55
58

 

[Jon Riley]

If NHL players are not allowed to participate in the Olympics in 2022 then the IIHF and IOC should make it an U-23 tournament, just like the soccer tournament in the summer Olympics.
The ongoing tournament and it’s format rally suucks. I’m begging you mister Fasel! Please do something!

Uhm..this tournament sucks so let's make it suck more?

 

[gwh]

I d hope IIHF increases the NHL transfer fee to 4mil. The leagues producing the players need to stop NHL "using their players for free" and since NHL value goes down with the ban, the fees can go up.

The format can be Europro only. Winners matter.

 

[cbcwpg]

If no NHLers, I would rather see the World Juniors tourney shift to the Olympics every 4 years.

 

[Riddum]

I'd rather have the WJC. It's way more exciting than the crap we're seeing right now.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

I'm enjoying these Olympics more than I did the last World Cup of Hockey abortion.

 

[SCBlueLiner]

If NHL players are not allowed to participate in the Olympics in 2022 then the IIHF and IOC should make it an U-23 tournament, just like the soccer tournament in the summer Olympics.
The ongoing tournament and it’s format rally suucks. I’m begging you mister Fasel! Please do something!

This is what I would like to see is as well. I was going to say U-20, just like the World Juniors which is great hockey, IMO. I would make it a U-20 tournament but I wouldn't have a problem with U-23 so as to include the college kids too. I don't know how moving from U-20 to U-23 would effect other nations as there are international players at NCAA schools, but if it would tilt the balance to far in the US and Canada's favor then just make it U-20 and call it good.

The Olympics used to be about gathering the youth of the world in one place to compete. Would be nice if it were that way again.

 

[GermanNuck]

I wouldn't want to change a thing. If the NHL wants to do it's gimmicky tournament with random teams, let them.
I can't see why all other leagues should adjust and why all the other players that didn't made the NHL shouldn't have the chance to represent their country on a global stage.