2 weeks every 4 weeks does sound pretty unbearable to me.
Get it in your head people.
THIS
IS
NOT
AN
INTERNATIONAL
TOURNAMENT.
Eh, I don't. Because 1) I don't see the IOC compensating ANY other league either... So it's either everybody or nobody... 2) the players are under contract to train + play 82 games + playoffs + eventually pre season games for their NHL clubs, everything else is not something that should be regulated by the NHL unless it DIRECTLY goes against the obligations the players have... it's not slavery... 3) international hockey is about the sport itself, about its growth world wide... Squabbling between a regional league and the highest authority for that competition can only be negative in that regard. Makes everyone involved lose credibility.
Lastly... 2 weeks every 4 years... That's the effort required from the NHL. It's not like asking them to carve their own hearts out and offering them to the IOC. If stopping business 2 weeks every 4 years is that unbearable, I would like to hear the explanation why they don't lose any sleep about shutting down the league for extended periods of time during lock outs, including an entire season. Making an analogy, it's like someone crying foul in disgust and outrage at being scratched by a finger nail (= two weeks stoppage every four years, with no loss of games) and then turning around and shooting someone in the head (= cancelling an entire season at a time. FYI, in a given season 1,230 games are played. Since 1994 they cancelled 1 season fully and had two seasons roughly half cancelled. That makes it over 2 THOUSAND games down the drain...). It doesn't make sense to me.
One of the current key issues with NHL players in the Olympics is who is will pay the fees to insure the players' NHL contracts against injury in the Olympics? As you point out, an NHL contract only covers the player in the NHL. If the player is injured outside the duties of their NHL contract then their NHL team would not be obligated to pay the player during that injury.
The IOC paid those fees in recent Olympics but has said they won't do so for the upcoming games. The insurance cost is estimated to be around $10m for the upcoming Olympics. The NHL is not going to go on break and pay the insurance fees if they don't feel they're getting enough value. Some players might be willing to insure their own contracts, but are the elite players going to spend $200k+ to insure their large contracts to attend the Olympics?
One of the current key issues with NHL players in the Olympics is who is will pay the fees to insure the players' NHL contracts against injury in the Olympics? As you point out, an NHL contract only covers the player in the NHL. If the player is injured outside the duties of their NHL contract then their NHL team would not be obligated to pay the player during that injury.
The IOC paid those fees in recent Olympics but has said they won't do so for the upcoming games. The insurance cost is estimated to be around $10m for the upcoming Olympics. The NHL is not going to go on break and pay the insurance fees if they don't feel they're getting enough value. Some players might be willing to insure their own contracts, but are the elite players going to spend $200k+ to insure their large contracts to attend the Olympics?
Finnish reporters predict close to 3 million would have watched the Russia-Finland semi final in Finland.
As per reporter TSN Darren Dreger.
Close to an entire country will be watching the final today.
Just like Czechs, Russians, Slovaks, and other Europeans do when their country plays in real international tournaments when meaningful games occur, they all come together and watch together.
No even knows this cash grab exists in those countries that are glued to support their nation today in Finland and the other countries that compete each year through this tournament.
See what meaningful games mean to people? See the passion of Hungary that made front news across that country as well.
Where is the tournament relevant?
In Canada?
Most people across this country are laughing at it, certainly in Quebec knowing what the nhl is after. And majority of the population I would bet doesn't even know it's on since the prime focus is on the Rio Olympics for major sporting events right now.
In America?
I don't even know if every day Americans know international tournaments exist outside Olympics.
In europe?
No as we know.
In Asia?
Don't think so.
In Africa, Australia?
Doesn't seem likely.
It's irrevelant everywhere.
The point of an international event is to gather the World's eyes like the IIHF World Championship does, with nearly 500 million people tuning in each-year perhaps more, and this cash grab won't even grab the eyes of people in Canada let alone the World.
Finnish reporters predict close to 3 million would have watched the Russia-Finland semi final in Finland.
As per reporter TSN Darren Dreger.
Close to an entire country will be watching the final today.
Just like Czechs, Russians, Slovaks, and other Europeans do when their country plays in real international tournaments when meaningful games occur, they all come together and watch together.
No even knows this cash grab exists in those countries that are glued to support their nation today in Finland and the other countries that compete each year through this tournament.
See what meaningful games mean to people? See the passion of Hungary that made front news across that country as well.
Where is the tournament relevant?
In Canada?
Most people across this country are laughing at it, certainly in Quebec knowing what the nhl is after. And majority of the population I would bet doesn't even know it's on since the prime focus is on the Rio Olympics for major sporting events right now.
In America?
I don't even know if every day Americans know international tournaments exist outside Olympics.
In europe?
No as we know.
In Asia?
Don't think so.
In Africa, Australia?
Doesn't seem likely.
It's irrevelant everywhere.
The point of an international event is to gather the World's eyes like the IIHF World Championship does, with nearly 500 million people tuning in each-year perhaps more, and this cash grab won't even grab the eyes of people in Canada let alone the World.
More. Much more: in 2015, more than 1 BILLION.
http://www.infrontsports.com/news/2...-all-previous-audience-and-spectator-records/
a World Cup with no promotion, no one telling people from Russia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia to come visit and celebrate the sport.
Finnish reporters predict close to 3 million would have watched the Russia-Finland semi final in Finland.
The Finns will watch and cheer for their World Cup team.
Over 2 million Finns watched the final against Canada yesterday. I'd be surprised if there are 300,000 watching Finland's World Cup games. They're on pay TV unlike the IIHF Worlds games.
300k would be possible for the Final if Finland is there.
The Finns will watch and cheer for their World Cup team. Anecdotally the ones I've talked to don't understand what the hell is going on with team nonsense and team Europe. It doesn't really affect their team so they will still watch.
American numbers will only be better than the world championships because of the time zone change.
Nope.
And, how do you know this? If all the best Finns are playing for Team Finland, why would Finns not watch?