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So if NHL players aren't going to the Olympics who's playing for Canada and the US?

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JuniorNelson said:
The Olympics do not generate sufficient revenue to offset the ruined season.

The best players won't go, so the Olympics will feature second rate (KHL, Swiss league, Swedish elite) guys and prospects. NBD. It's the same for everyone.
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It doesn't ruin the season.

The quality of play that you get, and the attention the sport of hockey gets during the Olympics is incredible free promotional material for the NHL. They're nuts not to take advantage of it. TJ Oshie became a media darling over what was essentially a meaningless shootout.

You have to send the players there. There are millions of potential new fans that will be turning in and brimming with pride and nationalism.
 
BiPolarBear said:
Maybe there are a few of those but a good NCAA or top 18-20 yo CHLer is better than older players who couldn't make the NHL. Young legs, similar to what the US did in 1980 with the Miracle team.
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lol wut. yeah, teenagers are better than seasoned veterans ok
 
Ducks in a row said:
I question how much of a hockey fan anyone is if he/she couldn't care less and won't watch any Olympic hockey. Olympic hockey is a very important thing.
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don't you know? the NHL is the only hockey league in the world. i can still call myself a hockey fan because nobody besides NHL players play real hockey, duh

needmorefighting said:
It doesn't ruin the season.

The quality of play that you get, and the attention the sport of hockey gets during the Olympics is incredible free promotional material for the NHL. They're nuts not to take advantage of it. TJ Oshie became a media darling over what was essentially a meaningless shootout.

You have to send the players there. There are millions of potential new fans that will be turning in and brimming with pride and nationalism.
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Exactly. There are two major reasons the NHL pulling out of the Olympics is simply the stupidest thing Bettman and company have ever done.

1) It could have finally been the year Team USA fired on all cylinders and got the job done. In other words, the best publicity the league has gotten in the states since 1980.

2) Asia. Enough said.
 
needmorefighting said:
It doesn't ruin the season.

The quality of play that you get, and the attention the sport of hockey gets during the Olympics is incredible free promotional material for the NHL. They're nuts not to take advantage of it. TJ Oshie became a media darling over what was essentially a meaningless shootout.

You have to send the players there. There are millions of potential new fans that will be turning in and brimming with pride and nationalism.
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Haha, this argument again. If you can show numbers of how it benefitted the NHL, please post them. Was there a spike in NHL ratings following the Olympics? A spike in ticket sales in markets that do not consistently sell out? A spike in merchandise sales? Anything?

TJ Oshie was forgotten about roughly 5 minutes after the US lost the semi-final game to Canada.

What you are saying is the REASON the NHL started sending players in the first place. It had nothing to do with having a true best-on-best International tournament, it had nothing to do with allowing Europeans to see their country's best playing for Olympic Gold. However, after 5 attempts, the NHL is yet to see any benefit from going. Again, if you have any real evidence that shows otherwise, there are a lot of people on here that would like to see it. BTW, simply saying, "millions will watch...." is not real evidence. I know plenty of people here in NY who watched Olympic hockey just because it was the Olympics. None of them started watching the NHL as a result.
 
needmorefighting said:
Well it's not like the other nations don't have talent, it hasn't exactly been the Canadian NHL All Stars rampaging everybody. 2010 was wonderful, and it generated that kind of buzz and excitement because it was the best vs the best. 2002 was awesome as well.
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2006 was better than 2002 and 2010.
 
It will be definetely much better than Spengler cup. What is boring is that we will see these teams in two? Euro hockey tour tourneys so we will have these mini olympics without some countries through entire first half of the season and unless they make some brutal roster experiments,nothing will change much in Olympic tourney.
 
It all makes sense now. Jagr to the Olympics, then signs as a mercenary with a team in the hunt. Keeps his legs fresh, still gets paid, and gets another shot at the Cup.
 
Amateurs and college kids more than likely. I'm looking forward to seeing amateurs in Olympic hockey again. Made for some good Olympic hockey back in the day.
 
tony d said:
Amateurs and college kids more than likely. I'm looking forward to seeing amateurs in Olympic hockey again. Made for some good Olympic hockey back in the day.
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It isn't going to be amateurs. It's going to be professional players outside of the NHL, primarily those based in Europe.
 
needmorefighting said:
Really takes a lot of the intrigue and interest out of it. What's the point of hockey in the Olympics then if it's not the best in the world vs. the best in the world? The quality of play will be lower than we're accustomed to seeing in the Olympics.
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For me it's the opposite. I'm actually more interested now because there are no true favourites now. It'll be fun to root for Team Canada when the outcome isn't more or less decided before puck drop.
 
USA team maybe


Anders Bjork-Ryan Stoa-Troy Terry
Mark Acrobello-Jeff Taffe-Dan Sexton
Bryan O'Neill-Chad Rau-Bobby Butler
Greg Mauldin-TJ Hensick-Rob Schremp
Jim Slater (C)-Casey Middelstadt


Adam Fox-Matt Gilroy(A)
Ryan Lindgren-Cade Fairchild
Jonathan Blum-Matt Lashoff
Jordan Gross

Thatcher Demko
Ryan Zapolski
Jake Oettinger
 
Canada's 2016 Spengler Cup Team:

Jacob Micflikier-Marc-Antoine Pouliot-Chris Didomenico
Andrew Ebbett-Mason Raymond-David McIntyre
Gregory Campbell-Francis Pare-James Sheppard
Colby Genoway-Nick Spaling-Mark Katic
Cory Emmerton

Brandon Gormley-Maxim Noreau
Chay Genoway-Shaun Heshka
Blake Parlett-Mark Floord
Daniel Vukovic

Zach Fucale
Drew MacIntyre

Off the bat Canada would be losing DiDomenico and Zach Fucale. Canada will probably look to add Brandon Kozun, Chris Lee, Matt Ellison and Ben Scrivens at least. I think Scrivens would be a good add relative to the type of goalies available and would probably have the inside track on the starting job. Canada is a bit lucky that they have a few decent players playing abroad. I don't really see any CHLers or NCAA players that they'd add though. Maybe Nolan Patrick if he gets sent back.

Having trouble getting excited for a Spengler Cup+ roster personally. I love hockey so I'll try to watch but it'll hurt watching knowing we could be doing so much better than what we see on the screen.
 
Watching the US will be brutal. Watching Canada lose will give me no satisfaction. I think I'll transfer all my hate for team Canada to Russia.
 
The only guys on the Canada's 2016 Spengler Cup Team I know (beside Fucale whom is said not to return) are:

Mason Raymond
Gregory Campbell
Nick Spaling
Brandon Gormley

Ugh.
 
Guys saiyin' they won't watch Olympics because the NHLers won't be there should question their love for hockey.
 
Zobitembois said:
Guys saiyin' they won't watch Olympics because the NHLers won't be there should question their love for hockey.
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I don't think that's fair. Different hockey fans love different levels of hockey for different reason. You don't have to love every part of hockey to be a hockey fan. Just like you don't have to love the prequels to be a Star Wars fan.
 
Zobitembois said:
Guys saiyin' they won't watch Olympics because the NHLers won't be there should question their love for hockey.
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They may watch far more hockey than Olympic supporters (just not the hockey Olympic supporters demand they do)

It seems I regularly see Olympic supporters imply/claim the NHL is terrible/evil/etc and they don't watch it, support it, care about it,etc.....you think these people are better fans?



Virtually nobody watches tournaments like the Spengler Cup because the quality of competition is so low...why would you expect an Olympics with similar quality to be watched by every hockey fan?

There's LOTS of lower quality hockey available worldwide, the Olympics don't make it more appealing to watch (for me a "local connection" is far more of a draw than 2nd/3rd tier quality competition trying to pass itself of as mattering like best-on-best)
 
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