Olympics without NHLers.. Is it even worth it?

[JackSlater]

There isn't really a negative to it, so I suppose it must be worth it. Some people will enjoy it and the rest can ignore it.

 

[Gubbhornet]

Well! Ultimately, the NHL withdraws from the international tournaments and you just adapt again. I'm glad that Finland has a lot of good players in Europe too. I'm still enjoying the tournament (hopefully if it takes place in full/Corona).
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I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy it, but for me it's getting a salad after ordering a makupala after a night if drinking beer.

 

[Shawn Heins 44]

Of course it is worth it. Outside of NA the Olympic final is probably the most watched hockey game in a 4-year span.

 

[SotasicA]

I mean, we are not even talking B-team for most of the big countries... and for Canada, is it even your D-team?

About half the NHLers are Canadian, so you're right to assume you'd have to go way, way further in the alphabet to get a letter that describes this Beijing 2022 national team. What's the 17th letter in the alphabet? Assuming 32 teams in the NHL, 16 teams worth of Canadians.

EDIT: It's the Q-team. Which actually sounds very cool. They should call themselves that.

 

[Antiillafire]

Of course it is worth it. Outside of NA the Olympic final is probably the most watched hockey game in a 4-year span.

1000% agree. All these hilarious NA posters suggesting the nations be represented by their u20 squads is so rich in irony.

 

[Gubbhornet]

1000% agree. All these hilarious NA posters suggesting the nations be represented by their u20 squads is so rich in irony.

Again, I'm Swedish. For me a nations tournament should be represented by the nations best.

 

[Slimmy]

That is why U18/U20 or something would be fun. Maybe it could be a U20 + a few top players per team. Similar to olympic football.

That's actually a great idea. Let's do this.

 

[swissdude]

That's actually a great idea. Let's do this.

why not a peewee tournament then, that would be similarly relevant

 

[Slimmy]

why not a peewee tournament then, that would be similarly relevant

When the Soviet Union was around, at least their brand of hockey made olys worth watching. But, today's Russia beating up on SHL, Liiga, DEL, NLA, Extraliga players is not my cup of tea.

 

[swissdude]

When the Soviet Union was around, at least their brand of hockey made olys worth watching. But, today's Russia beating up on SHL, Liiga, DEL, NLA, Extraliga players is not my cup of tea.

and a bunch of overhyped youngsters where 50% don't make a career in pro hockey isn't mine, so all good

 

[Slimmy]

and a bunch of overhyped youngsters where 50% don't make a career in pro hockey isn't mine, so all good

And a few of them will go on to be big stars in the best hockey league on the planet. And we will all enjoy going back to that moment in their lives when those players first made a name for themselves.

 

[Hanji]

And a few of them will go on to be big stars in the best hockey league on the planet. And we will all enjoy going back to that moment in their lives when those players first made a name for themselves.

Hardcore hockey fans want to see that, but unfortuantely the rest of the world doesn't want to watch a bunch of kids playing hockey. The Olympics caters to the masses.

 

[Jahara]

At least in 1994 we had some star power. Forsberg was becoming regarded as the “best player outside of the NHL”, Loob had a case for being the best Swedish player maybe ever, both him and Mats Näslund chose to play in Sweden years before they were done as NHLers, and it was just a different era. Just recently, the tournament did mean a whole deal since it featured the mighty Soviet Union and most of the best European players were still in Europe.

People forget, but Canada were not the favorites to win that tournament, or to make the finals even. Finland were primed to win the gold, they had a better team than Sweden but chose to rest Myllys in the semifinals against Canada, which of course paved the road for their upset in the hands of exciting young stars like Kariya and Nedved.

I wouldn’t say any gold medal is worthless, but there’s a difference between international hockey in 1994 and international hockey in the last few years which makes this watered down Olympic tournament feel very empty.

Remember how much buzz it was around hockey during those years and the gold medal, even though it was just another nonsense tournament in 1994. I wonder how much celebration it would have been if Sweden won Olympic gold in 2018 or if they win this year. Not that likely that we will have a postage stamp of Mathias Bromé scoring a goal in the final. This time there is no former NHL stars like Loob, Jonsson and Näslund and probably not many future NHL:ers like Forsberg, Jönssons and Salo. Or even guys the public know much about like Joel Lundqvist, Linus Omark, Joakim Lindström, Staffan Kronwall and a talent like Dahlin.

The 1994 triumph was celebrated maybe even more than the gold medal in 2006, which is a bit odd. Sweden won the 1994 Olympics and the 1992 World Championship but those were quite weak tournaments and lacked several good players if you compare them. The 1992 Olympics had a bunch of quality players and in 1994 Canada brought one of their best WC squads ever.

 

[Slimmy]

Hardcore hockey fans want to see that, but unfortuantely the rest of the world doesn't want to watch a bunch of kids playing hockey. The Olympics caters to the masses.

I don't think the Olympic body really care much beyond if the best players can play. If not, then I'd wager they're open for pretty much anything?

 

[Lartsaman]

Remember how much buzz it was around hockey during those years and the gold medal, even though it was just another nonsense tournament in 1994.

Maybe that was because it was your first olympic gold? First one is always the special one. And as many people here have said already, times were different.

 

[HamburgerSK]

It is worth it from the perspective that in countries like Lithuania, where I live, the final/medal round of the Olympics is the only time people will tune in to watch hockey because it's on the major TV network and the Olympics and all that. Hockey will have 100 times bigger exposure than it would have otherwise (which is basically 0). And some people will pick up legitimate interest in it. Germany is the biggest example in recent history. More people watched the Finals in 2018 than know that Draisaitl exists.

Other than that, for big hockey nations, and especially in NA, no, it's not worth it. But you can always just not care about it, no harm done.

Yes, I see it exact the same way. One NHL game has in average 424.000 people watching, maximum being the 7. game of 2018/2019 finals with a peak of 9.000.000. Olympic games watch in average 40.000.000 watchers pro minute (average throughout all sports, hockey being certainly above average) with a peak being probably a magnitude higher. So, from that point of view one hockey game at olympics will be seen by at least 100x people more than one NHL game. I doubt that the absence of the NHL will change anything in the terms of OG hockey games popularity.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Why on Earth would there be a U20 tournament instead?

The Olympics don't have to be canceled just because the NHL only cares about money. If you are a North American hockey fan, go on and watch NHL games during the Olympics.

Problem solved.

Shocking that a business cares about money.

 

[cowboy82nd]

1000% agree. All these hilarious NA posters suggesting the nations be represented by their u20 squads is so rich in irony.

There's a tournament already for that. Too bad that it was cancelled.

 

[Terrier]

I'd watch the Olympic tournament regardless of which players are sent, but as someone who lives just outside Boston, I'm going to have fun rooting for the local collegians and ex-collegians on the roster, i.e., Drew Commesso of B.U., who missed the 2021 WJC because of a quarantine issue and was participating in the 2022 tourney only to see it scrapped.


US men’s hockey team will send a squad stocked with collegians to Beijing - The Boston Globe


2022 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team Unveiled

 

[Atas2000]

I mean, we are not even talking B-team for most of the big countries... and for Canada, is it even your D-team?

IIHF WC is in general even more exciting since atleast a few stars tend to show up. For me they could skip it or make a U20 tournament out of it.

Is the NHL even worth it now after what they did to Olympics? My answer is no and I am paying money to anyone who invests any energy into making the NHL go down for that.

 

[Shockmaster]

Is the NHL even worth it now after what they did to Olympics? My answer is no and I am paying money to anyone who invests any energy into making the NHL go down for that.

You might as well just toss your money in a garbage can then. The NHL isn't "going down" for pulling out of the Olympics - especially this year given the circumstances and host country.

 

[Atas2000]

You might as well just toss your money in a garbage can then. The NHL isn't "going down" for pulling out of the Olympics - especially this year given the circumstances and host country.

What circumstances and host country? It's the best host country imaginable. And multiple tournaments were held during far worst COVID times. NHL just continues being cancer to hockey. It should be surgically removed.

 

[vorky]

What circumstances and host country? It's the best host country imaginable. And multiple tournaments were held during far worst COVID times. NHL just continues being cancer to hockey. It should be surgically removed.

It will be as soon as the world changes, which is happening now. The USA global power has been going down, dollar will follow. It will have a direct effect on NHL´s position.

 

[Gold Standard]

LOL. some truly comedic posts this fine a.m.

Thanks guys! hilarious.

 

[Gold Standard]

There isn't really a negative to it, so I suppose it must be worth it. Some people will enjoy it and the rest can ignore it.

generally not a fan of the Olympics, but I do enjoy a NHL Olympic tournament. The only Olympic hockey game I'll make room for this year in my schedule is the Canada-USA woman's GMG.