Not often I agree with Strachan: "Olympic hockey needs integrity"

[Jazz]

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2006/02/23/1458889-sun.html

....When someone like Dominik Hasek gets hurt, the NHL people opposed to the Olympics say: "See? That's what we were worried about."

The issue that they neatly sidestep is that Hasek was merely making a routine save. He could have strained his abductor muscle just as easily in an NHL game. Furthermore, if Hasek hadn't been forced to play so soon after spending 10 hours on a plane in a trans-Atlantic flight, perhaps he wouldn't have strained that muscle.

The issues of national pride, integrity, honour, and similar matters are best left aside. The NHL doesn't care about such mundane concepts. The NHL cares only about money.

All the NHL wants to do is pack the maximum amount of NHL games into the shortest possible amount of time and shut down the league for a minimum Olympic period.

The Olympics should be a true best-on-best national-team tournament, akin to soccer's World Cup. But the World Cup lasts more than a month, not 12 days.

If the NHL ran the NCAA, the March Madness tournament would be staged on a long weekend.

The NHL seems to have lost sight of the goal here. The whole premise of Olympic involvement is that it puts hockey on a world stage and builds interest. If that's the case, why not leave it on that stage a little longer and insert some integrity into the process?....

To follow up on the last point - the World Cup (while I prefer hockey on smaller ice) simply does not hold anything compared to the reach of the Olympics. Hockey is no longer only Canada's game. The World Cup only holds credibility in Canada, and to a smaller extent Sweden and Finland...that's it. It is way below the radar in the USA, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, and Germany. Basically anyone trumpeting the World Cup simply wants to keep elite hockey a secret on the world stage.

Hockey is being played in more countries now than ever before (heck, even Turkey has a league!). Having the "elite" championships be the Olympics (with it's global reach), it serves the hockey world better (ie, not just Canada). Having the World Cup as the "elite" tournament will stunt hockey's growth worldwide.

Extend the Olympic break by 2 or 3 days, and shorten the exhibition schedule once every 4 years.

Despite short-sighted owners like Ed Synder (Philadelphia) who have been openly vocal about players going to Turin, there are still those who see the bigger picture. Egs include Dave Nonis (Vancouver) and Brian Burke (Anahiem). Even today with news of the Canucks potentially losing Ohlund and Salo, Nonis said in a radio interview this morning (Mojo Radio) that he thinks Olympic participation is a good thing for the growth of hockey, only that he would like to see some things changed (ie, compression of both the Olympic and NHL schedule, and to make sure the National federations involved keep the NHL teams up to date about the injuries incurred (ie, Salo and the Finnish federation)).

Click to read more...

 

[The_Eck]

Funny how he never criticizes Gretzky in any of his articles and yet he always blasts lemieux for some reason.

 

[shawn_kemp*]

I've always said the NHL cares only about money, and that's why they have those new rules, to attract more fans and make more money. Nothing else enters into consideration.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Sorry but I refuse to read anything written by Al Strachan.

 

[Leo Naphta]

Agreed. Great article for once by Mr. Strachan.

 

[Cawz]

Sorry but I refuse to read anything written by Al Strachan.

I dont know if he's losing his touch, but his articles actually are making sence lately. Maybe someone is ghost writing for him.

Will the real Al Strachan please stand up...

 

[Jazz]

I've always said the NHL cares only about money, and that's why they have those new rules, to attract more fans and make more money. Nothing else enters into consideration.

Well, everything is done with the profit in mind, otherwise these owners would not be even in the league in the first place. I have no problem with wanting a profit, but to not have the consideration for the growth of the game involved is wrong....

 

[Cawz]

I've always said the NHL cares only about money, and that's why they have those new rules, to attract more fans and make more money. Nothing else enters into consideration.

I find it funny when people personify something (the NHL) and make broad generalizations (cares only about money, nothing else enters into consideration).

Yes, I'm sure in your world, the NHL is a ominous being, that rules the hockey universe and eats the players that step out of line. Blah blah blah...

 

[Jazz]

Sorry but I refuse to read anything written by Al Strachan.

I'll be honest, I usually don't like what he has to write either (he usually has an anti____ (insert someone) agenda, but if you care about the growth of hockey worldwide, then I'd suggest you make one exception and read this one...

If you care that is...