Should the Olympic Hockey Tournament have been hosted in North America due to the ongoing pandemic?

[JPeeper]

Why would it be any safer being held here than in China?

I think it's more so the fact they wouldn't have to quarantine here for 3-5 weeks from a positive test. If you pop positive in China you done son for a month (pending 2 neg's in 24 hours).

As for the topic of the OP, yes. 90% of the Olympic Hockey Teams are NHL players (literally all of Canada, USA, mostly Sweden, 50% of Finland, 60+% of Russia).

 

[AB13]

I think it's more so the fact they wouldn't have to quarantine here for 3-5 weeks from a positive test. If you pop positive in China you done son for a month (pending 2 neg's in 24 hours).

As for the topic of the OP, yes. 90% of the Olympic Hockey Teams are NHL players (literally all of Canada, USA, mostly Sweden, 50% of Finland, 60+% of Russia).

What about Latvia, Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and China?

Also, the easy solution to this is just not playing NHL games. Suspend the season if necessary, just go to the Olympics with NHL players. The quarantine rules are fake news, and irrelevant since they also affect KHL/SHL/NLA/DEL/Extraliga/Liiga players as much as NHLers.

 

[GaboriklessWild]

Hosting the tournament in North America at three "bubbles" could have been done safely.

and Yeah, I get that China has much lower reported covid numbers, but the issue about NHLers going to China is primarily about the possibility of extended quarantines for players travelling to China...and how that could mess with continuing the NHL season tho, right?

In terms of the "safer option", postponing the Olympics full stop, is probably the safer option at this point... I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening, though.

First of all) NHL players are not going to the Olympics because there are covid outbreaks in North America and this has caused scheduling chaos for the NHL. This has nothing to do with 'extended quarantine'.

2) NHL players are not required to be quarantined. Only athletes who are not fully vaccinated are required to quarantine themselves for 21 days upon arrival.

It's in the Playbook - https://stillmed.olympics.com/media...Athletes-and-Team-Officials-December-2021.pdf

3) In case of a positive Covid test. Criteria for discharge and ending of isolation:
– If you are asymptomatic, you will be tested every day, beginning 24 hours after your last test
– You will be discharged once you have two consecutive negative COVID-19 (PCR) test results with at least 24 hours between the two samples and no other COVID-19 symptoms

I don't know how it works in your country. But this is the internationally accepted guideline to discharge someone from isolation after a positive Covid test. The Olympic Playbook makes no mention of the 'extended quarantine' that you wrote about in your comment - https://stillmed.olympics.com/media...Athletes-and-Team-Officials-December-2021.pdf

Btw, I'm sure if the athletes don't see the Olympics as a holiday they will be safe from Covid in China.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Are you including the women's team or something? Cuz, last time I checked, Sweden's best hockey players almost all play in the NHL...

Literally looked up the 2014 Sweden roster... and i noticed ONE non NHL player. And yes, I'm only talking about the men's team...

Dunno why things would be dramatically different now, do many Swedish players not want to play in the NHL or something?

Meant overall in the Olympics. Sweden, Canada and the US are the only teams that are all-NHLers in a "best-on-best" scenario.

 

[chauron]

Quite sure Olympics can be held only where IOC admits the rights to hold Olympics. The venues doesnt have to be in the same country but it’d be called Beijing olympics no matter what.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Olympics should be postponed to 2023.

 

[SeanConn]

In case of a positive Covid test. Criteria for discharge and ending of isolation:
– If you are asymptomatic, you will be tested every day, beginning 24 hours after your last test
– You will be discharged once you have two consecutive negative COVID-19 (PCR) test results with at least 24 hours between the two samples and no other symptoms.

So essentially, players could end up being isolated for 2-3 weeks or even longer AFTER the conclusion of the Olympics, if they end up getting infected right near the end of the tournament, or end up being actively infected for more than the typical 10-14 days. There's been cases of some people with active infections that last even longer than a month... these cases have been very rare, but they can happen... As for the "no other symptoms" part. Have you ever look up the list of covid symptoms? It's huge, diverse list, yo! What's to stop any athlete from being held up even further if they continue displaying some covid symptoms beyond their active infection period? Surely you know long covid exists, and that some covid symptoms could be caused by other factors..

Taking the wording of these regulations, varying incubation periods of active covid infections, and all the possible post infection-long term symptoms into account, it would at least be possible that some players, in some very specific circumstance, could end up having to isolate for upwards of a month or even longer. It's highly unlikely, but far from an impossibility. Worst case scenario for infected NHL players if the tournament took place in North America: they have to go home and isolate, or they are hospitalized in the case of a serious infection... and Finland somehow wins that gold medal, finally.

Btw, I'm sure if the athletes don't see the Olympics as a holiday they will be safe from Covid in China.

That fine for you to say, and I'd like to believe the majority of the NHL athletes would take all the precautions and safety measures seriously, but that speaks nothing of the actions of the other athletes, other sports support staff, coaches, or just any of the other people that NHL players may end up sharing the air with after they depart North America... One could be very safe about everything the entire time by being fully vaccinated, constantly wearing masks properly, respecting social distancing, etc, but still end up getting infected!

So even if all the players don't treat it as a vacation, other people may do- just that! Let alone the distinct possibility of testing failures or even testing fraud that could occur. Countries and sporting bodies have surely never tried to circumvent testing mechanisms in the history of the Olympics!

 

[adsfan]

Olympics should be postponed to 2023.

On what basis do you think that will be better? With Omicron, I don't see an end in sight.

COVID-19 has been going for 2 years so far. Why not postpone until 2024 or 2026?

 

[westc2]

what's the purpose of the mandatory vaccines if they're just gonna shut down the league and cancel Olympic participation anyways? The NHL dropped the ball on this whole thing.

 

[discostu]

The Olympics are already an unattractive event to host these days. I can't imagine it would help motivate countries to put a bid in if there's a clause that says that if a lot of athletes don't want to play in your country, that marquee events may be moved to a more desirable location.

You can't separate the Olympics from Olympic hockey. It's tied to all the economics, politics and everything else involved.

Frankly, I personally don't know how you run the Olympics with the omicron variant running rampant. I also can't think of two entities I'd trust less than the Chinese government and the IOC for the transparency needed to do so safely.

 

[teoberto]

I read a lot of questionable threads here over the years, but this takes the cake. Really mate?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I think this kind of scenario was your only realistic chance at NHL involvement. It was kind of clear for the last month and change at least. I don't really blame anyone in this scenario. Unfortunate things happen, it didn't work out. I can see why they wouldn't move it to an off-site. I can see why they are no longer going. When the players started openly questioning it including McDavid this felt like the next step.

Hopefully they come up with a plan for international hockey when it makes sense again, this one didn't. The IOC wasn't open to this solution as they have always been difficult in negotiations and they are still going to have a hockey tournament and hand out a gold medal so that makes sense for them as well. I am not as attached to Olympic hockey, I enjoy it, but I am not with that group of fans that puts it ahead of the NHL product and brand entirely so this is easier for me than most I will full on admit that.

 

[GM Armchair]

No. The olympics is more than just hockey.

 

[Metroid]

No. The olympics is more than just hockey.

Sure is
More money more greed more b.s

Bring it back old school styles. All Olympics to be done in Greece and only Greece. F everyone else.

 

[Kshahdoo]

On what basis do you think that will be better? With Omicron, I don't see an end in sight.

COVID-19 has been going for 2 years so far. Why not postpone until 2024 or 2026?

Omicron is very infectious, but weaker, than other variants. Which increases overall immunity of population. I think, COVID will be a thing of the past in a year.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Least I don’t have to watch a game, at early morning hours now.

 

[GaboriklessWild]

So essentially, players could end up being isolated for 2-3 weeks or even longer AFTER the conclusion of the Olympics, if they end up getting infected right near the end of the tournament, or end up being actively infected for more than the typical 10-14 days. There's been cases of some people with active infections that last even longer than a month... these cases have been very rare, but they can happen... As for the "no other symptoms" part. Have you ever look up the list of covid symptoms? It's huge, diverse list, yo! What's to stop any athlete from being held up even further if they continue displaying some covid symptoms beyond their active infection period? Surely you know long covid exists, and that some covid symptoms could be caused by other factors..

Everything you wrote, how is it relevant? If someone is infected with Covid, that person should remain in isolation until he recovers. It does not matter whether he is in Beijing or not. Stay isolated and do not spread the virus. If people in the part of the world where you live find this simple rule hard to follow, it's not surprising that +100 NHL players are on the Covid protocol list rn

and no, the covid symptoms is not a huge, diverse list. The most common are fever and cough.

That fine for you to say, and I'd like to believe the majority of the NHL athletes would take all the precautions and safety measures seriously, but that speaks nothing of the actions of the other athletes, other sports support staff, coaches, or just any of the other people that NHL players may end up sharing the air with after they depart North America... One could be very safe about everything the entire time by being fully vaccinated, constantly wearing masks properly, respecting social distancing, etc, but still end up getting infected!

That's why I said that athletes should not see the Olympics as a holiday. Do not even go to the permitted destinations and do not interact with other athletes. They only need to go to practices and games.

 

[Unspecified]

Another COVID back and forth thread. Isn't there a ongoing thread for all things COVID? I think McDavid articles still outnumber COVID ones though so there is that.

 

[SeanConn]

the covid symptoms is not a huge, diverse list. The most common are fever and cough.

Nah, the list of covid symptoms really is quite long, and diverse... it's far more than just the two you've listed.

 

[LeHab]

I think it's more so the fact they wouldn't have to quarantine here for 3-5 weeks from a positive test. If you pop positive in China you done son for a month (pending 2 neg's in 24 hours).

As for the topic of the OP, yes. 90% of the Olympic Hockey Teams are NHL players (literally all of Canada, USA, mostly Sweden, 50% of Finland, 60+% of Russia).

There is no 3-5 week quarantine for vaccinated players in Beijing.

Also all athletes should be treated the same.

 

[glovesave_35]

North America = extremely high numbers of people infected with Covid
China = Zero Covid policy and very low number of Covid infections.

So why not hold Olympic hockey games in North America??? You can only laugh at the logic of some people.

Nobody has any real idea of China's Covid situation. Or any other situation.

To OP, no. That just isn't what the Olympics are. It's all in one place. It just is.

 

[rojac]

The NHL/NHLPA had the right to pull out of the deal if they had to cancel regular season games due to COVID. I suspect that they would have insisted on that clause wherever the Olympic hockey tournament was being held.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

On the plus side, if nobody goes from the NHL we can put the rescheduled games in February and maybe move some of the April games up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If we want a best on best hockey tournament, the IIHF should be hosting something that isn't during a pandemic and isn't in an authoritarian country that is oppressing millions of people.

Make a FIFA style championship instead of sending players to the Olympics.

 

[WaW]

If we want a best on best hockey tournament, the IIHF should be hosting something that isn't during a pandemic and isn't in an authoritarian country that is oppressing millions of people.

Make a FIFA style championship instead of sending players to the Olympics.

The difference between FIFA and the IIHF though is that FIFA itself is an authoritarian regime disguised as a not-for-profit, that has a monopoly of power over world footy, where every other continental and domestic association branches off of and is basically subject to it.

The IIHF is a joke and has zero power over the NHL. As much as I would love to see what you are suggesting, asking the NHL to play nicely with the IIHF is a rather lofty goal I don't see happening anytime soon.