The NHL gains more than it loses when players participate in the Olympics

[f1nn]

So, will Canada and USA willfully just hand the Olympic metals in ice-hockey to other nations by having their best players stay back while the others bring their cream from KHL and other European leagues?

Some USA fans will lobby to get rid of ice hockey in the olympics since, you know, gold or bust

 

[Faltorvo]

Having NHL-players go to Olympics is good for the players and good for the fans, that's about it.

The NHL itself (and the individual teams), really see no benefit, and are risking their assets for some outside purpose.

If it weren't for the NHLPA, NHLers wouldn't have went this year.

"Raising the status" of the NHL isn't much of a tangible benefit. People that frequent this board are already fans and watch, but how many 'potential' fans watch the Olympics then get sucked into a full-time NHL watcher? I follow the soccer World Cup very intently every 4 years, but I don't regularly watch MLS/EPL/La Liga.

Well truth be told I follow EPL now because of the Soccer world cup.

 

[Lshap]

'Sigh' I hate these threads so much....

The problem ISN'T that players might get injured or that it screws up the NHL schedule, the problem is that the money involved (advertising, TV revenues etc...) in an Olympic best on best tournament ISN'T going to the NHL, it's going to the IOC (or some other subsidiary).

Why on earth should the NHL lend out its players for a televised best on best tournament worth potentially BILLIONS and not be able to recoup one cent of profit from it (other than extremely vague assertions of 'growing the game')?

What motive is there (other than national pride) to send the players to the Olympics, when it would enormously more profitable for the NHL to put on its OWN best on best tournament (think World Cup of Hockey) and rake in all the cash therein.

From a business perspective, it makes little to no sense to give the theoretical competition (IOC) a helping hand by sending YOUR players to THEM. The NHL would be absolutely no questions-asked best served by hosting a World Cup of Hockey on its own and completely ignoring the Olympics from now on.

Now whether from a fan's perspective this is for the best is questionable, but that's the thing about business, it doesn't take that sort of thing into consideration.

There is a legal line separating these young guys as contracted NHL players and plain 'ol hockey players. When they take part in the Olympics they're playing hockey for themselves (and their country). They do it on their off-hours, and not as a representative of an NHL team.

I know it's messier than that, given that the NHL has to bend sideways to accommodate the scheduling, but it's the rough equivalent of booking a two-week vacation from your job and choosing to do the same work on your free time. The Olympics are a negotiated 'vacation' from the players job in the NHL.

 

[cbcwpg]

"growing the game" by the Olympic participation of NHL players is a myth especially in America. If you seriously think that people in Alabama start watching N.Y. Rangers games on TV because they saw hockey in the Olympics you are kidding yourself. There is a very large portion of the American public who will never watch any hockey except in the Olympics.

I have been asking for anyone to produce one iota of evidence that having the NHL players in the Olympics has resulted in one more person becoming a season ticket holder or spending more money on the NHL because of a direct link to what they saw at the Olympics. Haven't seen any proof yet. Said it before and I will say it again.... If going to the Olympics was a guaranteed money maker for the NHL and there was no downside, they wouldn't be debating going every four years.

The whole "growing the game" is a crock and everyone knows it, especially north of the border.

Ask anyone in Canada if they want NHLers in the Olympics and the result is 100% yes. Why? To "grow the game", to make more money for their local NHL team, to make more money for the NHL, to make more money for the players? Not a chance. The ONLY reason why we want NHLers in the Olympics is so we can win GOLD. Because we know without the NHLers our chances of winning decrease substantially.

 

[Mombius]

The NHL would be better off doing its own World Cup every two years during the summer. That would get more attention that anything the Olympics could offer.

This makes no sense at all. Olympics are being followed by people around the world. World Cup in the other hand is followed only by people that really care about ice hockey. World Cup is nothing compared to the Winter Olympics.

 

[Davebo*]

If the NHL players are such a big draw in the Olympics, then why so many empty seats in the Gold Medal game?

Something I found very disappointing. Are there more hockey fans in northern Russia, that might have come to the games?

 

[LiveeviL]

The NHL would be better off doing its own World Cup every two years during the summer. That would get more attention that anything the Olympics could offer.

Who the heck plays Ice Hockey in summer? Pfff ... that'd be a letdown, NHL training tournament.

Maybe in 50 years but right now there's no chance in hell the World Cup outdraws the Olympics for anything.

Well answered. World Cup preaches for the choir. The Olympics on the other hand is a hell of a branding which nothing really can compete with - at all. The sport need it even if NHL isn't the sport. But NHL need the spot to be popular, being the biggest league in the world with world-wide attraction (sort of).

 

[DyerMaker66*]

A business like the NHL deals in real dollars and cents, not 'growing the game' nonsense.

I see; that must be why there's still a team in Phoenix, as well as one in Sunrise. Hell, if that was the case would there still be a team in Nashville?

 

[FuriousSenator]

There is a legal line separating these young guys as contracted NHL players and plain 'ol hockey players. When they take part in the Olympics they're playing hockey for themselves (and their country). They do it on their off-hours, and not as a representative of an NHL team.

I know it's messier than that, given that the NHL has to bend sideways to accommodate the scheduling, but it's the rough equivalent of booking a two-week vacation from your job and choosing to do the same work on your free time. The Olympics are a negotiated 'vacation' from the players job in the NHL.

Right but if the owners straight up block the players, they can only benefit from it. The Olympics are a 'missed opportunity' for the NHL owners in financial parlance. THEY could be making all that TV and ad money if they had their OWN event.

 

[FuriousSenator]

I see; that must be why there's still a team in Phoenix, as well as one in Sunrise. Hell, if that was the case would there still be a team in Nashville?

That's different because it's growing the LEAGUE's presence, not the GAME's presence. Certainly these things go hand in hand, but there's a difference between plunking a team into a city to grow the league through regular, year-in-year-out presence, and hoping a 2 week tournament will make more Finnish kids watch NHL on the pay channels...

 

[Faltorvo]

That's different because it's growing the LEAGUE's presence, not the GAME's presence. Certainly these things go hand in hand, but there's a difference between plunking a team into a city to grow the league through regular, year-in-year-out presence, and hoping a 2 week tournament will make more Finnish kids watch NHL on the pay channels...

Watch online?

 

[Jussi]

This makes no sense at all. Olympics are being followed by people around the world. World Cup in the other hand is followed only by people that really care about ice hockey. World Cup is nothing compared to the Winter Olympics.

World Cup only gets good ratings in Canada and that's only because it's built to favor them = almost guaranteed final, if not win.

Some people here keep repeating that Europeans don't matter while forgetting that without Europeans, NHL can't get a World Cup going. If they still plan on splitting all the revenue between NHL and NHLPA, there's a fat chance of Europeans taking part.

 

[Lempo]

Right but if the owners straight up block the players, they can only benefit from it. The Olympics are a 'missed opportunity' for the NHL owners in financial parlance. THEY could be making all that TV and ad money if they had their OWN event.

No chance in hell raising a fraction of the interest that Olympics do. Europeans would see it as something beneath the Skoda Cup. The Olympics have that brand history going back to the antiques... if they really want to go that way though, the oldest pair of skates was found in Finland a while back and we used to hit each other with wooden sticks because of lack of metals which may go towards explaining why we so badly want to lay our hands on some bronze. But we would of course need a sizeable cut. The first games are to be held in Finland, Kale gets to sell the tickets.

 

[Highstyx]

NHL LOSES. Some guy tore up his knee. This is a MEAN NOTHING game. I know I know it's the OLYMPICS.. that program the media pumps more than Husky pumps gas. Oh I forgot, we now pump our own. Stuck in the stone age again

Next to a Stanley Cup it means NOTHING.. and injuries in the Olympics are gonna kill a couple of teams' playoff hopes.

IMO Olympics are more for the politicians and the elitist I.O.C.

You can have it, I really don't care all that much. Good we won Gold in Hockey.

It's about money, hey? I read somewhere that the LOVE of money is the root of much evil. .. for sure it is at the root of a lot of what is so very wrong with the NHL. Our love for the game needs to exceed the $$$

Oh yeah, that hockey they play in August?? I never watch it. Don't care a whit who does what. More interested in Golf, tennis, beach babes, and swimming. You know, SUMMER stuff.

Last time Leafs won the Cup, it was APRIL. ALL OVER by end of APRIL. As it should be, although I will concede to 3 week of May. What they do now is CRAZY

 

[Jussi]

Watch online?

It's limited to hardcore fans and the internet savvy folks. The VLC script thing was very popular but seems NHL managed to get that thing sorted out. Just to clarify, pay tv market is a bit messy in Finland, you'd have pay a lot money if you want to see all of it (Liiga, Finnish national team, NHL). Rules out a lot of hardcore "average folk" fans. Ironically, the rights holders are not making much profit from them either.

 

[Smif]

Well truth be told I follow EPL now because of the Soccer world cup.

This. All those European NHL fans, don't they need to buy a center ice package to watch their favourite team / players? People are fooling themselves if they think this doesn't help the NHL. They get tons of exposure and they don't pay a dime for it, the only thing the NHL loses out on is profit from the All-Star game.

 

[sandysan]

I dont know what the NHL's plan is but I'm not sure having timed delayed games from sochi or South korea is going to bring a lot of new eyes in NA. It might in europe but for how long ?

The cracks in the ownership are already starting to show, if they decide to go with a wold cup they get all the money ( after the pa gets their split) and they could market it to the thing in the NHL that differ from the IIHF ( Bettman has already said the NHL game is " better").

I loved the world cup, and if they go again I think that this is the only time that anyone would be able to test the " canada's B team" hypothesis because it sure as hell aint happening with the IOC.

if they actually go with a world cup could the national federations get involved at all or are they restricted from doing anything independent of the IIHF ?

 

[Wisp]

I think it's in the NHLs best interest to get an international World Cup going, but it needs to not be North American-centric. Host it in European countries, have fun. Viewership will follow the best talent when they are repping their countries.

I know a lot of people put the Olympics on a illustrious pedestal, but I don't think they'll feel the same way when a World Cup has their country's best players and the Olympic team is fielding scrubs.

 

[sandysan]

I think it's in the NHLs best interest to get an international World Cup going, but it needs to not be North American-centric. Host it in European countries, have fun. Viewership will follow the best talent when they are repping their countries.

I know a lot of people put the Olympics on a illustrious pedestal, but I don't think they'll feel the same way when a World Cup has their country's best players and the Olympic team is fielding scrubs.

not going to happen unless you can find an arena in Europe that can be had rent free and is willing to transfer all of the gate to the NHL ( which means its not going to happen).

If there is going to be another world cup of hockey, its going to be held in NHL arenas. The NHL knows who butters their bread and its not through time delayed games in the middle of the night.

If there were any inclination to try and develop an " NHL europe" this might be an excellent catalyst, but my guess is that NHL europe is, and will remain to be, nothing but a pipe dream.

 

[Wisp]

not going to happen unless you can find an arena in Europe that can be had rent free and is willing to transfer all of the gate to the NHL ( which means its not going to happen).

If there is going to be another world cup of hockey, its going to be held in NHL arenas. The NHL knows who butters their bread and its not through time delayed games in the middle of the night.

If there were any inclination to try and develop an " NHL europe" this might be an excellent catalyst, but my guess is that NHL europe is, and will remain to be, nothing but a pipe dream.

I think to start it's going to be in NHL arenas, but if it starts catching on, and I think it might in the absence of Olympic participation, you'd be able to have European hosts in the future.

Obviously this is not a short term endevour.

 

[badfish]

Does anyone think we might start seeing things like players negotiating clauses in their contracts to be able to participate in the Olympics or seeing players only sign 3 year contracts and going to play in Europe during the Olympic year (Kind of like Leo Komarov)??

 

[sketch22]

I think it's in the NHLs best interest to get an international World Cup going, but it needs to not be North American-centric.

Except the NHL is NA-centric. If they had to choose between making fans in Canada and the US happy or making the rest of the world happy it would be those two every single time. The NHL's best market for growth is still the US and they are going to keep trying to cater to it.

Viewership will follow the best talent when they are repping their countries.

Viewership doesn't interest the NHL unless it is coming from NA and that statement isn't always true. Especially in the US where people almost always care more about a local teams/leagues accomplishments more than a national one. Game 6 of Cup Finals last year had more viewers (almost double) in the states then Team USA did vs Canada or Russia.

 

[Lempo]

Does anyone think we might start seeing things like players negotiating clauses in their contracts to be able to participate in the Olympics or seeing players only sign 3 year contracts and going to play in Europe during the Olympic year (Kind of like Leo Komarov)??

I was asking the same thing in the previous page, and thinking exactly the same player you mentioned here when doing it.

Though I think he was wanting to get more minutes to secure the Olympic spot than he was getting in Toronto but it's close enough to tell how some players feel about the Olympics.

Silly Leksa, there really always is a spot for him in the NT, his dues are fully paid.

 

[sandysan]

I think to start it's going to be in NHL arenas, but if it starts catching on, and I think it might in the absence of Olympic participation, you'd be able to have European hosts in the future.

Obviously this is not a short term endevour.

even if its not, the nhl is in the drivers seat. If for whatever reason the world Cup ends up being a flop, the IOC would let bygones be bygones and welcome the NHL back with open arms no matter what.

The IOC is in a tough position, they dont want a succesful world cup because the olympics gets less interest than the world championships, if they play hard ball the nhl will grind them under the heel of their boot. So like the bass player in a succesful band, when the lead singer says they are going to take a hiatus to work on solo projects, you let them go and hope that they come back ( unless you are van halen).

The question is, would eropean players want to play ? The demand for a US-canada series ( kinda like the summit series) IS there, so if the europeans balk initially Its not a death blow.

 

[Astoria]

The NHL would be better off doing its own World Cup every two years during the summer. That would get more attention that anything the Olympics could offer.

I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you. The Olympics would out-trump an NHL sponsored World Cup any day. I’d be willing to bet that a majority of the World Cup audience would already be fans of the game. Whereas with an international stage like the Olympics, you’re going to not only get the die-hard fan but the “casual fan” to tune in as well.

"growing the game" by the Olympic participation of NHL players is a myth especially in America. If you seriously think that people in Alabama start watching N.Y. Rangers games on TV because they saw hockey in the Olympics you are kidding yourself. There is a very large portion of the American public who will never watch any hockey except in the Olympics.

Will NHL players in the Olympics grow the game so much that it will rival the NFL, NBA, or MLB? No, which is something we all should know by now. But if anything is going to “grow the game”, having NHL players in the Olympics, best vs. best if you will, is your best marketing tool... The Olympics give hockey (and the NHL) the world-wide stage for two weeks every four years. Will it make that Alabama barstool jockey an avid NHL fan… who knows… maybe, maybe not. But the exposure the Olympics do give the sport and to the NHL isn’t going to hurt the game either.

For example, after the US beat the Russians in the preliminaries, you could find highlights of the game on just about every news source… NBC (of course), ABC, CBS, CNN… If I recall correctly, it was actually the opening story for ABC evening news. Now that’s a US non-hockey network leading their national broadcast with hockey highlights. The re-airing of the shoot-out also drew a very large audience. TJ Oshie pretty much became an overnight sensation (adding around 130,000 Twitter followers and even a shout-out from President Obama). Several Team USA players were also on The Today Show. That’s national exposure in a country where the NFL and NASCAR reign supreme. Do you think that would happen with the World Cup?

So, will Canada and USA willfully just hand the Olympic metals in ice-hockey to other nations by having their best players stay back while the others bring their cream from KHL and other European leagues?

I wonder what the players would say if you asked them which would mean more to them:

Winning a Gold Medal (or Trophy… or some other chachka) in the World Cup or winning a Gold Medal in the Olympics.​

Some people here keep repeating that Europeans don't matter while forgetting that without Europeans, NHL can't get a World Cup going. If they still plan on splitting all the revenue between NHL and NHLPA, there's a fat chance of Europeans taking part.

Excellent point! What’s the incentive for the Europeans to participate in the World Cup if all revenues go to the NHL and the NHLPA? I suppose something would be worked out where European teams would see their fair share of revenue, however if all those countries get a piece of the pie, how much is left for the NHL? And is it enough to be worth it? At least with the WOG’s, the IOC and various nations are picking up the tab. It’s free exposure on an international stage…

And as far as the NHL and the owners having to suspend the season for a few weeks every four years… All I have to ask them is, “how many times (and for how long) have you shut down the NHL while you and the NHLPA bickered about money.” (Not trying to start anything or taking any sides here, just stating what has happened in the past ). At least this season (one that includes a hiatus for the WOG’s), unlike last season, you’re getting in all 82 games without having to extend the regular season. As far as the league and the owners not having any rights to photos/video/merchandising in regards to their players, I think the IOC needs to “give a little” in this department. The IOC needs to step off its high-horse and start acknowledging and giving the league and the owners the respect and gratitude they deserve.


I’ll admit that I’m biased, I love the Olympics, always have… always will. So of course I want to see my country being represented by the nation’s best (in all disciplines, not just hockey). While I would watch a World Cup series, I don’t know if it would provide me with the feelings and emotions I feel during the WOG’s. I mean c’mon…. It’s the Olympics.

Fire away!