[News] NHL will not participate in 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

[Love]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Which leads us to what was posted in post #337 of this thread:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...&postcount=337

This just makes me want to see it happen that much more.

[Samonadreau]

I get why they arent going but as a fan of Hockey, the Olympics and everything team Canada - it sucks.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by SOMBRI2

Interesting read from the POV of Vlasic:
http://www.cbc.ca/playersvoice/entry...o-the-olympics

Boohoo Vlasic. You're part of the NHLPA, you could have fought for this in the CBA. You didn't, instead you guys squabbled over what you really care about...money. Both sides were and are greedy, but the NHL had every right to do what they're doing. If the NHLPA was willing to give something back, like a CBA extension, they would be going to the Olympics, tit for tat, but the NHLPA has been just as big of a greedy baby with the NHL. Throw in the IIHF and IOC and it's really surprising the NHL has gone at all.

Also, I can't believe Vlasic was that surprised on April 3, 2017. How uninformed is the NHLPA? We, as spectators, had heard Bettman speak out against the Olympics for months, he told us to assume they wouldn't be going in February. In 2016 he said they wouldn't go without a CBA extension, that was declined. I suppose we all hoped it would not come to pass, but it was always a realistic option. Imagine if your boss repeatedly told you for an entire year he was taking away the offices and having the company move into cubicles, and then be surprised the day it's announced you need to clean up your office to move...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Boohoo Vlasic. You're part of the NHLPA, you could have fought for this in the CBA. You didn't, instead you guys squabbled over what you really care about...money. Both sides were and are greedy, but the NHL had every right to do what they're doing. If the NHLPA was willing to give something back, like a CBA extension, they would be going to the Olympics, tit for tat, but the NHLPA has been just as big of a greedy baby with the NHL. Throw in the IIHF and IOC and it's really surprising the NHL has gone at all.

Also, I can't believe Vlasic was that surprised on April 3, 2017. How uninformed is the NHLPA? We, as spectators, had heard Bettman speak out against the Olympics for months, he told us to assume they wouldn't be going in February. In 2016 he said they wouldn't go without a CBA extension, that was declined. I suppose we all hoped it would not come to pass, but it was always a realistic option. Imagine if your boss repeatedly told you for an entire year he was taking away the offices and having the company move into cubicles, and then be surprised the day it's announced you need to clean up your office to move...

I agree. What a dumb statement.

[Resolute 14]

This is just part of the union's PR push to try and build sympathy for the labour war Fehr is going to start in a couple years.

When push comes to shove, the league was willing to negotiate with the union on this. The union was not. All these pr tears from the players doesn't change that fact.

[Phaneufenstein]

https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/sta...00561510567938

Slava Malamud‏ @SlavaMalamud Jul 18
More
According to Sport-Express writer Alexei Shevchenko, RUS NHLers have told him the league has a backup schedule with an Olympic break.
13 replies 238 retweets 223 likes
Reply 13 Retweet 238 Like 223 Direct message


According to Shevchenko, the league is facing a fierce pushback from, among others, Sidney Crosby on Olympic participation, may yet cave.

EDIT: sorry don't know how to embed Tweets

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Phaneufenstein

https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/sta...00561510567938

Slava Malamud‏ @SlavaMalamud Jul 18
More
According to Sport-Express writer Alexei Shevchenko, RUS NHLers have told him the league has a backup schedule with an Olympic break.
13 replies 238 retweets 223 likes
Reply 13 Retweet 238 Like 223 Direct message


According to Shevchenko, the league is facing a fierce pushback from, among others, Sidney Crosby on Olympic participation, may yet cave.

EDIT: sorry don't know how to embed Tweets

There was a discussion about this yesterday on the Fan 960 - someone had touched base with Elliott Friedman after Slava's tweet - but Elliott said he doesn't see anything to it - pretty sure the NHL isn't going. There is some talk apparently about letting NHL teams send their AHL guys if asked.

[TheIronMaiden]

Honestly, my interest in the Olympics has gone up because of the NHL backing out. I am excited to see if team Canada can win without its NHL players. Otherwise its a foregone conclusion that Canada would win.

[The Yen Man]

Didn't they already schedule the All Star game for next year? I can't see the NHL backtracking on that.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Locke

I agree. What a dumb statement.

My wife watches that Hockey Wives show so from time to time, so i get sucked in from time to time and I wouldn't expect anything else from this guy. His wife and him (well mostly his wife) spent one of the entire episodes of the few I watched bitching about how hard it was on them to have to live in a mansion San Jose for 8 months when their "life" was back in Montreal.

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Honestly, my interest in the Olympics has gone up because of the NHL backing out. I am excited to see if team Canada can win without its NHL players. Otherwise its a foregone conclusion that Canada would win.

Dare I remind you of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano or the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino? this is far from a foregone conclusion.

[Muta]

The Olympics are a showcase of the best athletes in the world, so anything less than showing the best would be a disappointment IMO. NHLers should be able to go if they want to.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Muta

The Olympics are a showcase of the best athletes in the world, so anything less than showing the best would be a disappointment IMO. NHLers should be able to go if they want to.

If they forfeit their NHL salary and any future NHL salary if they get injured, i'm sure if they they really wanted to go, some teams may let them. Doubt they're willing to do that though.

I want the NHL in the Olympics as a fan, but the NHL is a business and that's just the way it is. Players should have fought for the Olympics in their collective bargaining agreement if it was that important to them.

[DiracSpike]

The NHL players get paid tons of money, all have rocket wives, get all the recognition and fame, and to boot most have them have played in and won multiple olympics. Maybe it's time to give the amateur guys a shot at glory, I know I'll be excited to cheer on our relatively anonymous team.

[The Yen Man]

In addition to former Flames greats Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes, we have the real possibility of cheering for Denis Wideman on team Canada lol.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

If they forfeit their NHL salary and any future NHL salary if they get injured, i'm sure if they they really wanted to go, some teams may let them. Doubt they're willing to do that though.

I want the NHL in the Olympics as a fan, but the NHL is a business and that's just the way it is. Players should have fought for the Olympics in their collective bargaining agreement if it was that important to them.

Obviously I get the business part, hence one of the reasons why they're not going. The players should have negotiated that into their last agreement. However, my point still stands. The best players in the world should be going. Otherwise the Olympics isn't the showcase of the best.

[sureLoss]

CBC reporting that NHL players on 2 way contracts in the AHL may be loaned to the Olympics:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/...ssia-1.4211722

One caveat being that those players can be loaned only for the Olympic games and not for any of the exhibition games leading up to the Olympics.

So... good luck Jankowski! Bring home that gold!

[Dan02]

Does that include everyone on a ELC then?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Dan02

Does that include everyone on a ELC then?

Would assume so, as all ELCs are 2 way but the way the CBC is reporting it sounds like the player must also be in the AHL as well.

[dobbles]

Really baffled by all the responses that blame the greedy players over this. It's not like the owners are any better. If anything it's short sighted by not participating. If the nil wants to grow it's fan base it has to look outside north America and the Olympics are a prime way to do that. Additionally, ratings for the nhl games those 2 weeks will suffer. Even though the Asian time difference makes viewing live unlikely, I am sure there will be lots of households watching replays of figure skating, curlinf, etc.

I guess I just see it as a bad business decision to not participate. I get the problems it causes, bit seems worth it to me. But the greedy owners can't be bothered to do anything that doesn't directly benefit them. (See how easy it is to play that card)