NHL teams boycotting Olympics?

[Davisian]

Actually it's that the only people thinking the NHL is more important than the Olympics are Americans!
Everyone aside from (not winning) Americans care more about Olympics than about the NHL.

note: everyone aside Americans basically means THE WORLD!

Which one provides the players livelihood, and which one is a 2 week tourney every 4 years?

I'd say the players care more about the NHL once they make it. the whole making a living thing..

 

[helicecopter]

You must be too young to remember the Olympics before the pro's.

The level of play was almost, that's ALMOST, on par, as the teams had been together longer and played together better..

Unfortunately, someone is old enough to remember that in the pre-PRO era the level was WAY lower than at Nagano and Salt Lake City.

 

[Davisian]

Unfortunately, someone is old enough to remember that in the pre-PRO era the level was WAY lower than at Nagano and Salt Lake City.

WAY??

Yeah, um, not so much.

 

[Piggymon]

uuuh

AMATEURS competing at the same level as the absolute best professionals is just... well I don't know what to say.

It's real easy to make something seem silly when you say stuff like "just two weeks of guys skating in a rink every four years" but the simple truth is these guys care. A LOT. They wouldn't be where they are today if they didn't favor winning over money. So we have the best hockey players in the world fighting their hearts out because they won't have another chance for 4 years, what's not to like? Nostalgia?

 

[helicecopter]

I'd say the players care more about the NHL once they make it. the whole making a living thing..

The players don't care more about NHL than about the Olympics. It's more important to win the Olympic title than to win the Stanley. The players care more about NHL money. So what? The point is just that players' money should not be jeopardized taking part in the Olympics!

 

[Davisian]

NHL players care much more for the Stanley Cup than the Olympic title.

I can see it now. Hasek wins Gold. Ottawa falls early in the playoffs.


Hasek- "Let's Party!!!!"

 

[capn89*]

I'll tell you, if Forsberg decides to play in the olympics as injury prone as he's been, I'll never respect the guy again. He's being paid by an organization to play and give his team everything he's got, not to prance around at the olympics (probably not get a medal... bronze at best) and possibly get injured and hurt his team.

 

[EHCler]

First of all players playing in Europe are not amateurs they make a good living from the sport which is there job, thus they are professionals.

The NHL has a lot to gain from Olympics, as the big European get a chance to watch the NHL stars. This in turn creates a bigger market for the NHL in Europe. This is much more effective than some silly pre season tours of NHL teams in Europe. Additionally even in the US olympics attract additional fans to hockey.

Sure you can not force players to play in the olympics but for most of them this is a dream to take part in such a sporting event.

Maybe I missed something but the NHL is not like the most important league in the US, thus they really could use some additional free marketing and TV exposure the olympics provide for hockey.

 

[helicecopter]

I'll tell you, if Forsberg decides to play in the olympics as injury prone as he's been, I'll never respect the guy again. He's being paid by an organization to play and give his team everything he's got, not to prance around at the olympics (probably not get a medal... bronze at best) and possibly get injured and hurt his team.

Your team already knew Forsberg was/is injury prone when decided to sign him for big bucks, and already knew he would have had the right to take part in the Olympics. Suck it up.

 

[MuzikMachine]

Fedorov and Samsonov are playing for their NHL teams and were not Finnish last time I checked though.

Ah yes, the Russian team. Those above mentioned players, along with others, have declined to play for Russia because of the past coaches, executives, etc that still insisted on treating the players like foot soldiers (Soviet-style) instead of professionals. The Russio-Soviet old school of coaching has not gone over very well with Russian NHLers, especially the veterans, hence why you'll see high profile Russian born players not playing for team Russia. The same thing would happen in Canada if it was Mike Keenan times 10 for every international tournament.

I'm still one of those that thinks it should be amatuers, or at least Pro's who haven't played more than, lets say, 10 NHL games..

The past Soviet teams that were always winning gold could have been considered professional teams. Those were essentially USSR-NHL equivalent skilled players playing amateur players. At least now every country is sending their best players

 

[Davisian]

Maybe I missed something but the NHL is not like the most important league in the US, thus they really could use some additional free marketing and TV exposure the olympics provide for hockey.

That's the best argument I've heard for pro's in the Olympics, but I'd still rather watch NHL'er play NHL games, and National teams play in the Olympic tourneys..

 

[Davisian]

The past Soviet teams that were always winning gold could have been considered professional teams. Those were essentially USSR-NHL equivalent skilled players playing amateur players. At least now every country is sending their best players

Absolutely true, but now that most country's best players are in the NHL, I'd like to see them all field teams of their best players NOT in the NHL.

Which would still be a very good talent pool.

 

[Injektilo]

I'd like to see them all field teams of their best players NOT in the NHL.

You know, guys who play in the AHL, the ECHL, the RSL, the SEL etc etc are no less professional than NHL players. They're just not as good.

If you went to true amaturs, you'd see CHL, CIU and NCAA players (north america anyway) playing for their countries. Oh wait, we do see that, it's called the World Junior Championships.

 

[Seph]

uuuh

AMATEURS competing at the same level as the absolute best professionals is just... well I don't know what to say.

Like in 1980, when a bunch of amateurs beat arguably the best hockey team in the world?

 

[HockeyCritter]

Players that are dressing for their NHL teams keep withdrawing from the Olympic games to use the break as a rest/rehab period.


question: once teams' doctors suggest their players to not take part to heel a physical problem, can they suspend payments to a player (until he comes back) in the case he decides to go to Torino none the less and gets injured? Can they use this threat (be it openly or covertly) to discourage a player from taking part?

Since I really hate the idea of NHLers in the Olympics and think it’s stupid that the entire league has t shut down for nearly three weeks (the year after a lock out to boot)! --- I’m not heartbroken by this at all.

And frankly, I don’t blame NHL teams for not wanting their players to go ------- the risk is too great .... the teams don't care about a gold medal, they care about a silver cup and will do everything within their power to ensure the safety/health of their players while improving their chances of winning it all.

 

[Piggymon]

That's the best argument I've heard for pro's in the Olympics, but I'd still rather watch NHL'er play NHL games, and National teams play in the Olympic tourneys..

How would NHLers be any less a national team? The ONLY difference between them and the best non-NHL players is... well... they're better. Other than that all players spend their time and get their paycheck from some club team, so?

 

[jekoh]

I'll tell you, if Forsberg decides to play in the olympics as injury prone as he's been, I'll never respect the guy again.

He owes the Flyers so much. Had it not been for the Flyers Forsberg would never have become the world class player he is

 

[Piggymon]

Like in 1980, when a bunch of amateurs beat arguably the best hockey team in the world?

Like in 1956 to 1988, when the Soviets won every olympics but two, yeah. That's exactly what I'm talking about. A different level then, even more now.

 

[Butchered]

Hockey is still a business. The owners have every single right to tell their players that they shouldn't be playing elsewhere. Their job isn't to care about international play. Their job is to bring their team to the Cup, and if they feel that one of their employees would benefit from a rest, then that's their choice.

Is it right? No. A player shouldn't be discouraged from representing his country in ANYTHING. They should be encouraged. It's something people dream of. Do they have the right? 100% yes.

 

[Diaboli]

You must be too young to remember the Olympics before the pro's.

The level of play was almost, that's ALMOST, on par, as the teams had been together longer and played together better.

And it was never lacking in excitement, nor viewers.

I'd rather see National teams go at it, then a bunch of Pro's take a couple weeks off for Exhibitions sake.

Do you happen to remember, that then all the best players pretty much were amateurs?

To make it it amateurs would close out all the players in Finnish, Swedish, Czech, Russian, Swiss and many of Deutsch Elite Leagues.

Just think about that before talking about amateur level.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Are they suffering from any kind of injuries?

Fedorov and Samsonov are playing for their NHL teams and were not Finnish last time i checked though.

Fedorov has no more interest in playing for Russia than he does joining the KGB. Samsonov was either left off or is sour at management or both. The Bruins have not pressured him. It is such a small % we are talking about, yet the cry against the NHL is unreal. This talk of amateurs is perhaps one of the least intelligent arguments I have witnessed on these boards. All countries were comprised of professional players for the most part. The one argument I could live with is making the tourney an under 23 tourney like soccer( with a couple of overagers allowed) The problem would be the NHL not shutting down if that was the case and teams potentially trying to withhold services to even the playing field. Canada is running into a slight problem on defense, Niedermayer, Jovo and McCabe all have problems. I am not thinking conspiracy i'm only looking at who will fill in because that is all that matters- winning with what you have. The Finns are blessed with some quality depth. Canada is going in with three goalies that have been very up and down. The Olympics are not taking place in a vacuum where all countries get every player to play and play at 100%. There are players in form, players playing like crap, players not getting the ice time they deserve, players playing hurt for their clubs because they are paid to do so. Some players are just plain injured and cannot take part and others just do not wish to participate. All countries have to show up on the first day of the tourney and do the best they can with what they have. Crying about who is missing will not help in the medal chase. Some of the posters seem to have temporarily lost their minds with the anti NHL talk. Get a grip. To the poster talking about only Canadians caring about the Olympics? That is my top 10 for worst arguments and posts of the year.

 

[Padawan]

NHL players care much more for the Stanley Cup than the Olympic title.

I can see it now. Hasek wins Gold. Ottawa falls early in the playoffs.


Hasek- "Let's Party!!!!"

Most north american players care more about the Stanley Cup and most european players care more about the Olympic gold medal/World Championship. Still, I think that the players should be to ones who decide whether they play for their national teams or not. Some may say this is the case now too but I disagree. It's the players who say that they have to decline but it's the clubs who says to the player what to say. I think that if a player who has been pressured by his team to decline to play for his country because he has a minor injury (and playing currently for his team with the injury) but decides to play anyway for his country can be dealt with and will most likely be dealt with. I think it's a big risk for the player to do something his team is opposing so I understand the players. I do not blame the players for playing safe, I blame the teams for not letting them heal while the NHL is in progress and making them miss the national games. I would understand if the players wouldn't play currently for their teams as well.

 

[jekoh]

Hockey is still a business. The owners have every single right to tell their players that they shouldn't be playing elsewhere.

And the players have every single right to say s.od off. I'm sure some of them did say that. It might actually be the reason there now is an Olympic break at all, since apparently some NHL owners don't like the Olympics all that much.

 

[SChan*]

Hockey is still a business. The owners have every single right to tell their players that they shouldn't be playing elsewhere.

not since that the NHL has allowed the players to participate in the olympics remember?

 

[mug3n]

The NHL has a lot to gain from Olympics, as the big European get a chance to watch the NHL stars.

Yeah, well, the European countries are still generally not interested in hockey, except for eastern Europe and Switzerland and such. Olympics is like a hype thing, it comes, you get excited, and after 2 weeks, it's over, and people could care less until the next one in 4 years. Do you think the Olympics did anything to help hockey's popularity in Japan? I didn't think so. Neither will it help for Italy and other European countries that are not generally a hockey country, especially when there's a World Cup the exact same year.

Promoting the NHL itself in Europe is the key factor in generating interest, not trying to promote international play.