The swedish team is surrounded by chaos and uncertainty

[Ola]

I understand completely. Forsberg isn't healthy enough to play for the Flyers, therefore he shouldn't be healthy enough to play for Sweden.

If Flyers where playing hockey at the same time as Sweden your reasoning wouldn't be idiotic. They aren't, the NHL is shut down for 3 weeks. Sorry dude...

It should be possible to ignore posters on this board younger then 14 or something, or posters age should atleast be listed next to the name.

 

[DayWalk3r]

I understand completely. Forsberg isn't healthy enough to play for the Flyers, therefore he shouldn't be healthy enough to play for Sweden.

If Flyers would have a game by friday or something like that, he would probably play also. He just needs a day or two to be healed, he wont play if he's injury isn't fully healed, he said that himself.

 

[MrAlfie]

We have a Nylander in his best form incase it whouldn't work out with Forsberg...so there is no need to be all crazy about this

actually thats why im also furious about this...
forsberg pulls out = one player less for the flyers to be worried about
nylanders comes in = one more player from the rangers to be worried about

 

[Freudian]

I understand completely. Forsberg isn't healthy enough to play for the Flyers, therefore he shouldn't be healthy enough to play for Sweden.

Flyers games and the Olympics aren't at the same time. Injuries heal you know.

With your logic Forsberg shouldn't play after the Olympic break since he didn't play before it.

 

[Tuggy]

If Flyers where playing hockey at the same time as Sweden your reasoning wouldn't be idiotic. They aren't, the NHL is shut down for 3 weeks. Sorry dude...

It should be possible to ignore posters on this board younger then 14 or something, or posters age should atleast be listed next to the name.

You can continue to insult me all you want, I'm not going to bite.

It's not like Forsberg took a "few" days off here to rest his groin. I hope he plays and gets hurt even worse to be honest. Then I'd like to see the Flyers be able to suspend his pay but I know that's not possible.

 

[Tuggy]

Flyers games and the Olympics aren't at the same time. Injuries heal you know.

With your logic Forsberg shouldn't play after the Olympic break since he didn't play before it.

I understand your point and it's a good one. But to me, Forsberg shouldn't risk re-injuring himself for someone other then the Flyers. Clearly I have a different idea of priorities then some people on here.

 

[Freudian]

I understand your point and it's a good one. But to me, Forsberg shouldn't risk re-injuring himself for someone other then the Flyers. Clearly I have a different idea of priorities then some people on here.

I'm not saying it is unproblematic, especially in light of him feeling ok and making a comeback already. And I can understand Flyers fans wanting him to rest another two weeks to be on the safe side.

But Forsberg will play in the Olympics if he feels healthy. He would never forgive himself if he sat out the tourney with no symptoms.

 

[Tuggy]

I'm not saying it is unproblematic, especially in light of him feeling ok and making a comeback already. And I can understand Flyers fans wanting him to rest another two weeks to be on the safe side.

But Forsberg will play in the Olympics if he feels healthy. He would never forgive himself if he sat out the tourney with no symptoms.

I'm not a Flyers fan, but simply a fan on the outside looking in. I just don't like the owners getting a bad rap for trying to protect their assets. But you're right, if Forsberg feels like he is capable of playing in Turin then he is going to play. No one can/will stop him.

 

[Panopticon]

The Flyers should make him sign a side contract which would state that if he got injured in the Olympics, the Flyers would only pay him a minimun wage during the time he's injured. Or not pay him at all, not even the medical bills.

It's easy to go when you know you'll be getting millions even if you're injured for the rest of the season.

 

[joshjull]

I'm not a Flyers fan, but simply a fan on the outside looking in. I just don't like the owners getting a bad rap for trying to protect their assets. But you're right, if Forsberg feels like he is capable of playing in Turin then he is going to play. No one can/will stop him.

Hang in there Tuggy, This is an emotional topic for both Swedish fans and Forsberg. Swedish fans correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Forsberg miss the last Olympics due to injury as well. He must be very frustrated to be in the same situation again.This just points out how idiotic it is to stop in the middle of an NHL season to play an international tourny. Players being forced to pick between country and employer. They (NHL) should just push the World Cup and get out of the Olympics.

 

[Freudian]

Hang in there Tuggy, This is an emotional topic for both Swedish fans and Forsberg. Swedish fans correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Forsberg miss the last Olympics due to injury as well. He must be very frustrated to be in the same situation again.This just points out how idiotic it is to stop in the middle of an NHL season to play an international tourny. Players being forced to pick between country and employer. They (NHL) should just push the World Cup and get out of the Olympics.

The World Cup does very little to expand the popularity of hockey and NHL. The Olympics do. There is a huge difference. Perhaps not in Canada. But in most of the countries around the world.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

The Flyers should make him sign a side contract which would state that if he got injured in the Olympics, the Flyers would only pay him a minimun wage during the time he's injured. Or not pay him at all, not even the medical bills.

It's easy to go when you know you'll be getting millions even if you're injured for the rest of the season.

You're way off here. That's not the case.

Forsberg wants to go because he'd love to play for Sweden at the Olympics. Money has nothing to do with it. And I'm sure even if they made that kind of contract he'd still want to go.

 

[harper]

I reluctantly agree. The olympics are the olympics, and grant the tournament automatic respect and prestige. but with such formats, and with the timing, and definitely detracts. I wish we could find some format that didnt have a situation of one game elimination, it makes things a crapshoot. but how could a better format be found?

 

[Jester]

The World Cup does very little to expand the popularity of hockey and NHL. The Olympics do. There is a huge difference. Perhaps not in Canada. But in most of the countries around the world.

That's completely and utterly false. The Olympics do NOTHING To expand the popularity of the NHL and the numbers back this up. If you want to justify the NHL's participation in the Olympics because "it's the right thing to do" or something else, fine. However, there is ZERO tangible return for the NHL through its participation in the Olympics... especially when the games are on in the early AM when no one can watch anyway.

I enjoy the olympics and international hockey, but the NHL needs to cut ties and be a professional league and allow the Olympics to go back to an amateur tournament. The World Cup, as it is in Soccer/Football, can be the stage for the professionals... let the Olympics be the stage for younger players.

If Flyers would have a game by friday or something like that, he would probably play also. He just needs a day or two to be healed, he wont play if he's injury isn't fully healed, he said that himself.

Great in theory, but we've been hearing that in Philly for two weeks... We all KNOW if he's there and it is feeling good enough to play, but not fully healed, he's going to play... which will be a serious risk to re-aggravation as is always the case with groin injuries.

 

[joshjull]

The World Cup does very little to expand the popularity of hockey and NHL. The Olympics do. There is a huge difference. Perhaps not in Canada. But in most of the countries around the world.

Myth, Myth, Myth. I live in the States and the NHL has been in the Olympics for 3 Olympics now. The ratings for hockey have plummeted and its growth is stagnant. Remember the lockout. In Europe most of the international tourny's are popular. They followed the World Cup in Europe. The US will only grow hockey if the NHL continues to have an exciting product. But it is an uphill battle because hockey nationally gets no top billing coverage like the NFL, NBA MLB and major college sports. Unleess there is a scandal. If the US wins gold (highly unlikely)then maybe they will get a bump.

 

[jekoh]

The Flyers should make him sign a side contract which would state that if he got injured in the Olympics, the Flyers would only pay him a minimun wage during the time he's injured. Or not pay him at all, not even the medical bills.

Why in the world would Forsberg want to sign such a stupid contract ?

 

[Snap Wilson]

The juggernaut that is Kazakhstan awaits on Wednesday! Can Sweden possibly recover?

 

[SChan*]

Myth, Myth, Myth. I live in the States and the NHL has been in the Olympics for 3 Olympics now. The ratings for hockey have plummeted and its growth is stagnant. Remember the lockout. In Europe most of the international tourny's are popular. They followed the World Cup in Europe. The US will only grow hockey if the NHL continues to have an exciting product. But it is an uphill battle because hockey nationally gets no top billing coverage like the NFL, NBA MLB and major college sports. Unleess there is a scandal. If the US wins gold (highly unlikely)then maybe they will get a bump.

there are other countries in the world than the US. Hockey is growing in the rest of the world in olympics. And olympics has like 100x the viewers compard to world cup in hockey. In fact it will have 3.2 billion viewers.

 

[jekoh]

I enjoy the olympics and international hockey, but the NHL needs to cut ties and be a professional league and allow the Olympics to go back to an amateur tournament.

Even without NHL players the Olympics would not be an amateur tournament.

 

[Borlag]

there are other countries in the world than the US. Hockey is growing in the rest of the world in olympics. And olympics has like 100x the viewers compard to world cup in hockey. In fact it will have 3.2 billion viewers.

Yup, and it doesn't really take a genious to figure out that more viewers around the world means more exposure which in returns means more interest towards hockey. That obviously means more hockey players and those in return mean more potential NHL players. Sure all that doesn't happen in a year or even neccessarily in 10 years but eventually things like this will add up.

 

[Jester]

there are other countries in the world than the US. Hockey is growing in the rest of the world in olympics. And olympics has like 100x the viewers compard to world cup in hockey. In fact it will have 3.2 billion viewers.

spectacular.

that doesn't have much to do with the NHL's revenue stream... in fact, it has almost nothing to do with the NHL's revenue stream, therefore is a non-factor, or should be, in the thought process of the NHL.

btw, the Olympics have 3.2 billion viewers... someone get me the stats on what the number of TV's tuned into Olympic Hockey games... it ain't 3.2 Billion.

 

[Jester]

Yup, and it doesn't really take a genious to figure out that more viewers around the world means more exposure which in returns means more interest towards hockey. That obviously means more hockey players and those in return mean more potential NHL players. Sure all that doesn't happen in a year or even neccessarily in 10 years but eventually things like this will add up.

ratings for the NHL went DOWN since they've been participating in the Olympics... they have zero effect on the business model that is the NHL. people watch a couple Olympic hockey games... shrug their shoulders, and move on with their lives after the Olympics. there is no sustained bump in interest with hockey.

the areas of the world that like hockey, like hockey... the areas that don't... don't. there are many reasons for this, but a few games every four years being displayed on TV aren't getting it done in terms of spreading the sport.

 

[joshjull]

there are other countries in the world than the US. Hockey is growing in the rest of the world in olympics. And olympics has like 100x the viewers compard to world cup in hockey. In fact it will have 3.2 billion viewers.

Unless those fans are coming over from Europe to watch TV and buy seson tickets they do nothing for the NHL. A few jersey sales are not a reason to shut down the NHL.

 

[yarre]

That's completely and utterly false. The Olympics do NOTHING To expand the popularity of the NHL and the numbers back this up. If you want to justify the NHL's participation in the Olympics because "it's the right thing to do" or something else, fine. However, there is ZERO tangible return for the NHL through its participation in the Olympics... especially when the games are on in the early AM when no one can watch anyway.

So you have no thoughts at all about expanding the sport outside of NA then? The NHL grows in Europe when people can see their stars in tournaments, it will bring in money from TV-rights. If the sport wants to grow larger in Asia you need to have the best players on the ice to really put on a show.

How can a sport like hockey grow in countries that usually don't see the sport if it wasn't for the olympics?

I know you don't care about the rest of the world probably, since "no one" can watch it anyways (Europe = no one I guess?) but believe it or not, what is good for hockey is more countries involved, higher interest around the world will give extra incomes, more players of higher quality and you might start a fanbase in another country, if you have any knowledge of soccer, you might know of teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid etc. They have a huge fanbase in Asia, alot of income comes to the clubs from selling sportjerseys to them.
Why wouldn't NHL-teams want to tap into those markets too?

 

[joshjull]

So you have no thoughts at all about expanding the sport outside of NA then? The NHL grows in Europe when people can see their stars in tournaments, it will bring in money from TV-rights. If the sport wants to grow larger in Asia you need to have the best players on the ice to really put on a show.

How can a sport like hockey grow in countries that usually don't see the sport if it wasn't for the olympics?

I know you don't care about the rest of the world probably, since "no one" can watch it anyways (Europe = no one I guess?) but believe it or not, what is good for hockey is more countries involved, higher interest around the world will give extra incomes, more players of higher quality and you might start a fanbase in another country, if you have any knowledge of soccer, you might know of teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid etc. They have a huge fanbase in Asia, alot of income comes to the clubs from selling sportjerseys to them.
Why wouldn't NHL-teams want to tap into those markets too?

You Euro-centric view is understandable but off point. The NHL's primary job is to grow the NHL not hockey. They are actually two different goals. To give an example the US participation in the World Cup (soccer) which has a similarly large audience as the Olympics. The US national team (men's or women's) gets very good TV ratings when the play. The World Cup (men's or women's) itself gets good ratings. A women's league tried to make a go of it and failed. The MLS has struggled every year with franchises folding or moving but the participation in youth and adult soccer leagues in the US has exploded in the last 20 years. It just hasn't tranlated into interest in pro soccer.