The swedish team is surrounded by chaos and uncertainty

[Tuggy]

the ironic thing is that pronger is playing injured and the oilers want him to go so he can win gold for canada. If this was a european he wouldnt be allowed to go.

How is that ironic? Last I checked Pronger played yesterday...

 

[Ola]

the ironic thing is that pronger is playing injured and the oilers want him to go so he can win gold for canada. If this was a european he wouldnt be allowed to go.

During the Stanley Cup I have no problem with organzation with "winning attitude" ect. But this is the Olympics. I don't think there is a leader/athleete outside Canada who doesn't recognize that. With them its always the same thing.

If anything Clarke would want Forsberg back into the heat instead of letting his Canadian heart run his decisions....

 

[NFITO]

the ironic thing is that pronger is playing injured and the oilers want him to go so he can win gold for canada. If this was a european he wouldnt be allowed to go.

do you have any articles where the oilers want him to go to win gold?

maybe it has something to do with Lowe being on Team Canada... but I think it's ridiculous that any NHL organization - especially one that is in a key divisional and playoff race - would want their star player going overseas hurt.

I couldn't care less if the guy is Canadian or Swedish or whatever... for me the NHL team is always more important, and if there's a player hurt on my team - especially a key guy like Pronger - I would want him rested up to help our team here, rather than the Olympics.

as a canuck fan though, I'm glad to see Pronger and Blake both go to the Olympics... also glad to see Bert go there, because it should be a good experience for him... and the Sedins, because again it should be good for their games too... I would prefer though to see both Ohlund and Salo skip the Olympics because of how much they play... they'd be better for us if they were rested, but they aren't hurt or injured at all, and want to go...

I still can't believe that the Oilers organization would want Pronger going overseas while he's hurt (and has a potential cracked bone in his foot)... if he was a canuck, I would hope that our organization would talk him out of going, and rest his injury instead.

 

[Tuggy]

During the Stanley Cup I have no problem with organzation with "winning attitude" ect. But this is the Olympics. I don't think there is a leader/athleete outside Canada who doesn't recognize that. With them its always the same thing.

If anything Clarke would want Forsberg back into the heat instead of letting his Canadian heart run his decisions....

Don't even think about bringing that into the arguement. This has NOTHING to do with Clarke being Canadian and Forsberg being European. I repeat NOTHING!

 

[Ola]

How is that ironic? Last I checked Pronger played yesterday...

If someone missed the last game before the Olympics with food poisoning, should they be allowed to go? This is getting pretty ridiculous... Some injures you can play with and be 75-80%, with some injurys you can't play at all or risk allot playing with them before they heal. Forsberg injury normally takes 7-10 days, he will have been out 21. If Forsberg plays he will be healtier then Pronger.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Well, then it would be better for everyone.

No, it wouldn't be better for Forsberg. He's entitled to play for Sweden without losing his paycheck

I just wouldn't want to let people bet with my money. Give someone 5 million dollars of your money to put on poker or blackjack and see if that's smart.

it was the Flyers' bet to put 5 million dollars on Forsberg and that doesn't change the fact that Forsberg is entitled to represent his country during the Olympic brake. The Flyers were fully aware of that when they signed him.

 

[Ola]

Don't even think about bringing that into the arguement. This has NOTHING to do with Clarke being Canadian and Forsberg being European. I repeat NOTHING!

I am sure it doesn't. Lethonen, Kronwall and Näslund and Co. are pressured not to go dispite playing, and playing really really well. Take off you glasses, its a fact. Any Canadian who can walk are sent to Turin no question asked.

 

[Jester]

If someone missed the last game before the Olympics with food poisoning, should they be allowed to go? This is getting pretty ridiculous... Some injures you can play with and be 75-80%, with some injurys you can't play at all or risk allot playing with them before they heal. Forsberg injury normally takes 7-10 days, he will have been out 21. If Forsberg plays he will be healtier then Pronger.

are you serious with that? food poisoning... really? that's just asinine.

yeah... clearly this isn't a normal one.

 

[Ola]

are you serious with that? food poisoning... really? that's just asinine.

yeah... clearly this isn't a normal one.

Flyers wouldn't risk anything with Forsberg during the regular season, right? I think that is a safe bet no matter how bad a slump they are in. I think we all can agree with that. If there where no Olympics Forsberg would be back and playing with them really soon if things keep gooing like they have so far. He is saying its getting better every day and praticipating in practises ect. If he is in a situation where he would play with the Flyers he should also play for Sweden. That is my point. Just beacause he didn't play with Flyers this saturday doesn't mean that he shouldn't play with Sweden later this week when he is healty after a minor injury.

 

[NFITO]

I am sure it doesn't. Lethonen, Kronwall and Näslund and Co. are pressured not to go dispite playing, and playing really really well. Take off you glasses, its a fact. Any Canadian who can walk are sent to Turin no question asked.

Naslund has been playing hurt for a while... if you've actually seen him play over the past several weeks (over a month easily) it would be obvious that he's not 100%... he has trouble turning on the ice, isn't shooting nearly as well, and has lost a couple steps on the ice as well.

He was clearly playing hurt... and him not going to the Olympics was an excellent move because it shows that he's more committed to the canucks success than Team Sweden's - which is great to see for any canuck fan - especially after he signed a long term deal with the team.

If I were an Oilers fan or an Avs fan, I'd be disappointed that Pronger and Blake aren't doing the same... but this was Naslund's decision, and probably an easy one at that, considering how he's been treated by the Swedish media over the years, and him even saying he doesn't want to go back and play in Sweden again because of his bad experience there during the lockout.

 

[Jester]

Flyers wouldn't risk anything with Forsberg during the regular season, right? I think that is a safe bet no matter how bad a slump they are in. I think we all can agree with that. If there where no Olympics Forsberg would be back and playing with them really soon if things keep gooing like they have so far. He is saying its getting better every day and praticipating in practises ect. If he is in a situation where he would play with the Flyers he should also play for Sweden. That is my point. Just beacause he didn't play with Flyers this saturday doesn't mean that he shouldn't play with Sweden later this week when he is healty after a minor injury.

actually every quote i've seen from him is that it feels about the same and it "isn't a good situation."

Forsberg and groin injury don't equate to minor... they equate to chronic.

 

[Tb0ne]

I'd be shocked if there are as many players who have to decline to play in 2010. Location might be a factor, and considering that this is the first season back after a lockout and after a restrictive system was put on teams that are trying to contend for a Stanley Cup and where any large expenditure on a star player needs to be justified in the post season now more than ever.

 

[DayWalk3r]

Swedish superstar Peter Forsberg had an MRI on Sunday. Official results have not been made public, but there is apparently still a problem with Forsberg's groin. He is scheduled to meet with Flyers' general manager Bob Clarke today to determine his status for the Olympic Games.

A decision may not come for a week, as Forsberg can opt to sit out the round-robin portion of the tournament and suit up for the playoff round - if he's ready.

"Whatever Peter decides, he'll have our support," coach Ken Hitchcock, who is the associate coach for Canada at Turin, told PhillyBurbs.com. "He's not going to play if he's not 100 percent."

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=154781&hubname=

 

[jekoh]

they have every right to ask this of Forsberg... just like Forsberg has every right to go whatever his team wants of him.

This nonsense about the Flyers being the wrong for asking Forsberg to sit out has to stop... it's not part of the CBA that requires them to simply let their player go without voicing their concerns... and that's what they've done.

Your point was that "the contracts they sign are with the teams, and that should always be a player's priority more than anything else - Olympics or WC or whatever".

My point is that, especially since the Olympics are part of the contract, there is no reason why the NHL team should be the player's priority more than the Olympics.

and there is no nonsense about who pays his salary... Forsberg signed with the flyers, and they own his rights... as per the CBA agreement, while they don't have the right to stop him from going, they have every right to ask him not to go.

Sure, they have every right to irritate their best player and set some of the fans against him, there's no doubt it helps the team a lot.

And they are fully justified in this... this is not a player without an injury history, who's 100% right now, and hasn't missed any games for his team... we're talking about a guy that has gotten injured every year.. .even during the lockout he gets injured overseas... has been injured in every season he's played in the NHL since 95!! and especially so for the past 3 years.

Nobody forced them to sign him !

 

[Gags1288]

According to Philadelphia radio, Forsberg is going to Turin, Handzus is not. Michal hurt his shoulder in a game against Washington and has a rotator problem that will force him to miss the Olympics.

I love Peter, but this is really disconcerting me. You have two guys who are just at the complete opposites of the spectrum as far as their priorities. Handzus hasn't missed an NHL game in over 4 seasons and he's using the Olympic break to take time off, despite playing in the game against Ottawa on Saturday. Conversely, Peter missed the final 8 games before the break and is going to the Olympics, despite having chronic groin injuries (among others) throughout his career.

If Peter gets hurt in Turin, this situation is going to get really bad and Flyers fans everywhere are going to be very very upset.

 

[Gags1288]

Your point was that "the contracts they sign are with the teams, and that should always be a player's priority more than anything else - Olympics or WC or whatever".

My point is that, especially since the Olympics are part of the contract, there is no reason why the NHL team should be the player's priority more than the Olympics.

Sure, they have every right to irritate their best player and set some of the fans against him, there's no doubt it helps the team a lot.

Nobody forced them to sign him !

Make no mistake, Peter is the one that will have set the fans against him if he re-injures himself in this tournament and can't come back healthy for the Flyers after the break. If he had been healthy enough to play against Ottawa, Flyers fans wouldn't be complaining at all. The fact that he missed the final 8 games before the break and is still not 100 percent is very disconcerting. We need Peter to be 100 percent to have any chance of doing anything in the playoffs.

I don't think Peter understands the reception he's going to get in Philadelphia if he hurts himself in this tournament, he better be prepared for the consequences though because this is all on him.

 

[NFITO]

Nobody forced them to sign him !

yes... and no one is "forcing" him not to go either... by the sounds of it, he will go...

doesn't change the fact that the team has *every* right to request he doesn't go... what Forsberg decides is his own choice, but the team has a responsbility to their fans and organization to voice their concern for what's best for the franchise.

there is no denying that what's best for the franchise is for him to rest for the next 2 weeks and be that much more healthy and rested for the stretch drive.

As another poster mentioned above, if Forsberg gets hurt in the Olympics, the fans and franchise will be very disappointed, because they are the ones that lose out the most. And they have every right to be disappointed.

And what are the chances of him getting hurt in the Olympics? certainly a lot higher than the chances of the average Olympian getting hurt....

 

[SChan*]

If Peter gets hurt in Turin, this situation is going to get really bad and Flyers fans everywhere are going to be very very upset.

the playoffs doesnt start until 1.5 months later. plenty of time to rest.

 

[NFITO]

the playoffs doesnt start until 1.5 months later. plenty of time to rest.

so that means that instead of resting during the 2 weeks off the NHL, he's going to rest up during the March stretch run to the playoffs?

I'm pretty sure that points and playoff seedings will mean a lot (as it does to every team)... that's just not an excuse to risk injury because the playoffs start 6 weeks after the Olympics..

and a 6+ week injury isn't all that uncommon for Forsberg either... he's had enough of them in his career for the Flyers to be concerned.

 

[jekoh]

I don't think Peter understands the reception he's going to get in Philadelphia if he hurts himself in this tournament, he better be prepared for the consequences though because this is all on him.

If the fans are that stupid, it's their loss, not Forsberg's.

 

[Gags1288]

If the fans are that stupid, it's their loss, not Forsberg's.

That stupid? Fans being upset that their best player sits out the last 8 games before the Olympics and then decides he's ok to play for team Sweden are being stupid? If he re-injures himself in this tournament, Flyers fans have every right to be irate about his decision. We all wish him the best and will be hoping that he comes back un-scathed.

 

[jekoh]

Fans being upset that their best player sits out the last 8 games before the Olympics and then decides he's ok to play for team Sweden are being stupid?

Yes.

 

[Lindros_for_rizzle_]

Yeah all you martyres..."ohh he´s going to olympics...boooourns" hey, Phillly aint feeding Forsberg nothing. Philly aint filling his plate with food, it doesn´t matter about the wage philly gives to Forsberg, they should be happy he even chose your punk team and the fans should be happy he´s even wearing the Philly shirt. He has enough money to feed himself. If Philly didn´t want this situation they could´ve asked him about how he felt about going to olympics and if Clarke would be such a punk crybaby he shouldn´t have signed Forsberg and keep his mouth quiet such as the philly fans should.

 

[Ola]

Ten million is nothing to sneeze at but that works out to about $333,000 per team. That doesn't even reach the league minimum salary. Just to give you perspective on NHL TV money here, the sabres my home town team gets 8m USD just for their local TV coverage and they are near the bottom in TV revenue.

Its nothing I know, but they gave it away before. The SEL tv rights costs 30m, and remember only 8m people live in Sweden, TV rights are still cheap since the cable companys are just building up. The big market in hockeyeurope is Germany, where hockey is getting bigger every year. I defenitly don't think its impossible that the NHL can get about 1.5-2 teams salarys paid from the entire European TV-rights and sovenirs in 10-15 years. In the end that is a substansial amount.

I don't know how much its been talked about in North America but there are talks that as early as next fall the NHL will play a world series against the winners of the EHL, Dynamo Moscow. Things like that will make the NHL even hoter in Europe.

 

[Jester]

Its nothing I know, but they gave it away before. The SEL tv rights costs 30m, and remember only 8m people live in Sweden, TV rights are still cheap since the cable companys are just building up. The big market in hockeyeurope is Germany, where hockey is getting bigger every year. I defenitly don't think its impossible that the NHL can get about 1.5-2 teams salarys paid from the entire European TV-rights and sovenirs in 10-15 years. In the end that is a substansial amount.

I don't know how much its been talked about in North America but there are talks that as early as next fall the NHL will play a world series against the winners of the EHL, Dynamo Moscow. Things like that will make the NHL even hoter in Europe.

given that that is the first that i've heard of it... i find that highly unlikely... not to mention the NHL clubs would destroy those squads.