Olympics: NHL participation in the 2022 Olympics

[TruePowerSlave]

I dunno why people are disagreeing with the guy who says he values Stanley Cups more than the Olympics.

The Stanley Cup requires an 82 game season + 16 wins. The Olympics is 6 games total. The NHL teams play together 82 games per year, these teams are all star teams put together once every four years or so. Each NHL club has relatively equal grounds through drafting, trades and free agents as opposed to a Canadian All Star Team. I remember Blackhawks players in 2010 that participated in both the Olympics and Stanley Cup saying the Stanley Cup was way more meaningful. I get if you're a Russian or Swedish fan it's one thing. To the players from those countries it's close, to the North American players I think the Stanley Cup is a much bigger prize.

LOL to those who disagree with this. I guess a very patriotic person can think international events mean more but thats about it.

International tournaments are short events with a few games. Players need to grind 100+ games to win a cup and give everything they have in the tank.
Players sacrifice so much more for their club teams and the celebrations says it all.

 

[Swervin81]

Don't get it twisted, very few people in the world care about Olympic Ice Hockey. You think people in England, France, Spain, Japan, Brazil, etc. care who wins an Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament?

Sure, but the olympics in general have a massive global reach. And other than figure skating, I can't think of a single winter olympic sport more popular than hockey.

 

[llwyd]

Oh, North Americans... So many of you prefer your plastic little franchises of the gigantic sports entertainment complex, but national and especially Olympic competitions are totally on a different level... There will not be better organically and traditionally formed teams with higher stakes than in the Olympics. Though of course there is a certain academic interest in playing browneyed under 25yrs Quebecers vs left handed Ontarians in the "World Cup" etc.

 

[edog37]

Team Canada curb stomps any NHL Stanley Cup champion, if you don’t know that I’m afraid you don’t know very much about hockey

not likely but cool you think that.

 

[edog37]

I dunno why people are disagreeing with the guy who says he values Stanley Cups more than the Olympics.

The Stanley Cup requires an 82 game season + 16 wins. The Olympics is 6 games total. The NHL teams play together 82 games per year, these teams are all star teams put together once every four years or so. Each NHL club has relatively equal grounds through drafting, trades and free agents as opposed to a Canadian All Star Team. I remember Blackhawks players in 2010 that participated in both the Olympics and Stanley Cup saying the Stanley Cup was way more meaningful. I get if you're a Russian or Swedish fan it's one thing. To the players from those countries it's close, to the North American players I think the Stanley Cup is a much bigger prize.

It is. Plus the Cup is far more difficult to win than some meaningless medal. Four seven game series over two months is far more grueling than done two week exhibition tournament. Great teams aren’t due to collecting all stars. They are great due to the fact that team gels at the right time & goes through its competition.

 

[edog37]

Great news. The escape hatch makes it possible that this could still be shuttered but I am elated.



"Bro", you simply don't know what you are talking about and you can just continue to pander and be relevant to a small subset of the world population while the majority of the planet widely disagrees with your incorrect assessment of "meaningless" and "importance". Do you even own a passport? Can you even name more countries than NHL teams?

I’ve traveled all over the planet & without a doubt never have seen hockey played at a level outside the NHL. Olympics are meaningless.

 

[Mathieukferland]

not likely but cool you think that.

A Team Canada fourth line has (likely) Mitch Marner, Mathew Barzal, and Mark Scheifele on it. Tampa’s fourth line this year was Patrick Maroon, Mathieu Joseph, and Ross Colton. I rest my case

 

[edog37]

A Team Canada fourth line has (likely) Mitch Marner, Mathew Barzal, and Mark Scheifele on it. Tampa’s fourth line this year was Patrick Maroon, Mathieu Joseph, and Ross Colton. I rest my case

you can rest whatever you like, but the Cup champ would annihilate any of these Olympic teams.

 

[JackSlater]

Nice to see more positive talk surrounding the NHL going to the Olympics again.

NHL's return to Olympics finally gives fans chance to see best on best

Also nice to see some passion out of McDavid. Credit to the players for giving some push to get the NHL in the Olympics again.

 

[J bo Jeans]

you can rest whatever you like, but the Cup champ would annihilate any of these Olympic teams.

you can't honestly say you're a hockey fan if you think any NHL team wouldnt get curb stomped by Team Canada. Look at the roster lmao any other outcome is just delusional.

 

[Boonk]

For a meaningless exhibition that happens once every 4 years, the players sure seem to care about going and playing at said exhibition

 

[Boonk]

you can rest whatever you like, but the Cup champ would annihilate any of these Olympic teams.

Lmfao keep dreaming.

 

[edog37]

you can't honestly say you're a hockey fan if you think any NHL team wouldnt get curb stomped by Team Canada. Look at the roster lmao any other outcome is just delusional.

they play against each other all the time. These guys know each other’s tendencies. Again the best teams aren’t a collection of All Stars. We see that at the NHL level. Does the President’s Trophy winner constantly win the Cup? No.

 

[edog37]

Lmfao keep dreaming.

If these guys on these Olympic teams are such locks, then how come they aren’t locks to win the Cup?

 

[Hierso]

Haha also Canada owns the Olympic men’s Hockey Gold when NHLers are present and I cannot wait to see Connor McDavid lace em up for Canada!

Well if this isn't a jinx i don't know what is.

 

[Boonk]

If these guys on these Olympic teams are such locks, then how come they aren’t locks to win the Cup?

A lot of guys that are locks for the Olympic teams actually have won Stanley Cups lol good try tho

 

[Mathieukferland]

A lot of guys that are locks for the Olympic teams actually have won Stanley Cups lol good try tho

Don’t bother with him he thinks a gritty 4th line with Nick Bonino and Zach Aston-Reese could hold up against MacKinnon McDavid etc

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

they play against each other all the time. These guys know each other’s tendencies. Again the best teams aren’t a collection of All Stars. We see that at the NHL level. Does the President’s Trophy winner constantly win the Cup? No.

Is the Presidents Trophy winner the Olympic team or something now? I don't see what point you're trying to make

 

[snipes]

Agree with notion above... canada could lose all 3 games (including to China) and they'd still be number 1 in hockey for awhile...

having said that.... I've been reading about potential best on best rosters for several years now and cannot wait to see how it goes.

Will the Russian goalies make up for the lack of good C depth?
How can Crosby and McDavid not win?
Will a fully stacked in all positions lineup help the US break a very long gold medal draught?
Will all these new Finns help them get a gold?
How about the Swedes and another fully stacked line in all positions? Only country that can compare D with Canada and US too. Plus some great goalies.

I can't wait to watch those 5 nations battle it out for Gold.

Congrats on the upgraded moderator status.

You’re one of the better posters here especially during international events, glad to see it.

 

[Czechboy]

Congrats on the upgraded moderator status.

You’re one of the better posters here especially during international events, glad to see it.

I definitely love my international hockey. Hopefully get the full schedule this time... juniors, hlinka, u18, world's and a best on best Olympics... plus a full nhl regular season. Oh and the Spengler!

Hope it all happens.

 

[dortt]

Bro, the Stanley Cup has been competed for long before the idea of wrongful NHL participation in the meaningless Olympics. Your entire diatribe is akin to saying NCAA football is better than the NFL. It isn’t even close. The Olympics were never about pro participation. It’s a meaningless contest for amateurs. It should remain that way. The Cup is the pinnacle, period.

The idea of the Olympics was about the best in the world competing, not amateurs. That is how it was 3,000 years ago back in Athens. It's one of the few things the IOC has done correctly

 

[garbageteam]

People will still be talking about this amateurs crap in 2300, seriously. It’s like they can’t let something go that hasn’t really been part of the ethos for several decades. Get over it.

 

[BigBadBoar]

I’ve traveled all over the planet & without a doubt never have seen hockey played at a level outside the NHL. Olympics are meaningless.

Troll alert.

 

[BigBadBoar]

It is so apparent from this discussion how big is the difference between NA fans (I suppose more US than the Canadians) and European fans when it comes to the view on international hockey. In Europe, international competition still means a lot an most of European fans don't quite understand how a league where teams can buy and sell players depending on current circumstances could ever be more than the competition between national teams. In the US it is quite the opposite, I suppose.

 

[Urbanskog]

It is so apparent from this discussion how big is the difference between NA fans (I suppose more US than the Canadians) and European fans when it comes to the view on international hockey. In Europe, international competition still means a lot an most of European fans don't quite understand how a league where teams can buy and sell players depending on current circumstances could ever be more than the competition between national teams. In the US it is quite the opposite, I suppose.

Even then it's important to note that best-on-best Olympic hockey would absolutely crush the NHL in the US and Canada as well when it comes to ratings.