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

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

The Beijing KHL team is averaging like 2000 fans a game. The Japanese didn't care more about hockey in 1998 than they did in 1997.

I think the NHL benefits when they get more Americans interested, and so that's why sending NHLers to Salt Lake City and Vancouver was valuable. Slightly less valuable when the games come on at 2am on the east coast.

Games in Pyeongchang that start at 8pm local time would be 9am EST in North America. Reasonable enough time to attract viewers and advertisers.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Matty81

I think they do make those decisions based on economics, but I think they consistently do so in a short sighted fashion. And here I don't think they care much about new fans in Asia because they can't easily monetize them in the short term. As a result they saw somebody else profiting and tried to get a piece, failed and torpedoed the enterprise.

So, what exactly do you envision here as an alternative? NHL expansion to Asia? Because I don't see how that is remotely practical in my lifetime. I think the best bet for the NHL to generate out of market income is through Game Centre and sports cable subscriptions. Over the course of the last twenty years of NHL Olympic participation these are DEFINITELY hard numbers that the NHL has access to and I assume monitors in making these decisions.

They make more money moving their product from peasantvision to premium sports cable obviously and gamecenter type packages. In the long run is that good for the health of hockey? Definitely not as far as attracting new fans (I know they've pushed games onto CBC). How about getting every team into an ultra premium luxury box filled stadium? Makes a lot more money short term but what does it do to your fanbase in the long term when it costs hundreds of dollars to take your kids to a game? Chokes out the ability of lower income and immigrant families to attend. Coupled with equipment and icetime getting crazy expensive for kids to play at the same time it's not a good recipe long term.

The market determines gate revenue. I think we are well past the point of worrying about "choking out the ability of lower income families to attend." That ship has sailed, and it is not coming back. My kids have never been to a NHL game because I cannot afford to take them, and they will likely never go, but this is not a NHL problem—this is a professional sports problem. I think you are unrealistically idealistic in your hopes that there is any recourse to making NHL games more affordable.

I think they consistently choose the path that will make them the most money over a short horizon and are unconcerned with, or too narrow to see that in the long run, hockey is not picking up new fans in other areas of the world and in fact is also losing much of the younger demographic here as a result.

I think the kind of "long term investment" that you seem to be envisioning is simply too great for anyone to realistically assume.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

There will still be hockey in the Olympics. Does a viewer in Korea or China care or even know if they're watching NHL players? If you watched rugby in the Summer Olympics, would it be more appealing and compelling to you if professionals you'd never heard of were playing instead of amateurs you'd never heard of? Even most Americans who watch Olympic hockey don't follow the NHL. It's something they tune in to every four years to cheer on their team. Like volleyball or rowing. They won't care if Auston Matthews or Ryan Suter don't play.

The people who care about NHLers being in the Olympics are Canadians. The NHL knows this. And we're already a saturated market that isn't going to turn its back on NHL hockey because they didn't participate in the Olympics.

I think that's possibly the best argument you could make as far around the best interests of the game still being met with the NHL not going.

I'd still argue that in established markets like Canada and the USA or Europe that the Olympics attracts casual or new fans and not competing with the NHL for TV/eyeball time in pubs and on family TVs, having the reputation of a best on best tournament, plus having a Sidney Crosby or Ovechkin there who those casual fans know all help a lot.

But I agree with the principle that the olympics are still promoting hockey with or without the NHL.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Games in Pyeongchang that start at 8pm local time would be 9am EST in North America. Reasonable enough time to attract viewers and advertisers.

your clock is off. 8pm in Korea is currently 7am ET. Move back an hour in Winter and it's 6am ET.

The schedule is already out. The Gold medal game will be played 3:30pm Korea time Sunday Feb 25 2018.

That's 1:30am ET, 11:30pm in Calgary which isn't the worst if you want to drink til 2am at the bar.

No advertiser is paying for anything earlier than 6pm Eastern on weeknights.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Games in Pyeongchang that start at 8pm local time would be 9am EST in North America. Reasonable enough time to attract viewers and advertisers.

That would actually start at 7am EST. which would be 5 am here, 4am west coast. And that's literally the best case scenario. The gold medal game gets played in the afternoon so that would be actually the dead of night. That's so so damaging to getting ratings and eyeballs.

Maybe you're right, I didn't bother to check daylight svaings differences. But still, you need live, primetime hockey to attract the casual fan and "grow the game". There's no way to explain away the brutal time difference,

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

You don't think the KHL would jump at the opportunity to pay millions of dollars on one-year contracts to pull stars over and grow their league. Anton Lander reportedly signed a huge deal in the KHL and he's an AHLer. You're already hearing guys with contracts (Ovechkin, Kuznetsov) saying they'll go regardless so it's definitely very important to some. Theoretically, why wouldn't an up-and-comer like Lazar or Bennett take more money in the KHL on a one year contract, get more ice time to develop, and get the chance to play for Canada in the Olympics?

First, the KHL is not going to pay someone like Bennett or Lazar (lol) the kind of money needed to lure them away from the NHL. But even if they would, why do you think these players would choose to sacrifice their NHL dream and hopes for a Stanley Cup in order to play in a tournament they wouldn't otherwise be named to participate? You are asking them to make a sacrifice on behalf of other people's principles and on behalf of your own wants. That is just totally selfish, dude.

But more importantly, Hockey Canada names Canada's team. And Hockey Canada is heavily dependent on the NHL's good will. NHL prospects and the availability of NHL arenas drives the World Junior Championships, for instance. The NHL also directly funds junior teams on both sides of the border through draft payments and help with the US national development program. Both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey would have to tread very carefully.

[direwolf]

Not surprisingly, some pretty negative reactions from players today regarding the NHL's decision.

http://www.therecord.com/sports-stor...mpic-decision/

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by habernac

Pierre LeBrun‏Verified account @Real_ESPNLeBrun 2m2 minutes ago
More
Ovechkin on Olympics, if he's still going: "Yeah, I didn't change my mind. I'm still going "

But dissentowner said he wouldn't play. I'm pretty sure dissentowner knows more about if Ovechkin will play or not, than Ovechkin.

[The Yen Man]

Steinberg brought up a good point yesterday. I wonder what this does to locker room dynamics. If a team is in the middle of a playoff hunt, and the best players on the team abandons them for 3 weeks to go to a tournament that has nothing to do with the rest of the team, would their teammates resent them afterwards? Not to mention, are fans going to be pissed? I know if the Flames are in a crucial stretch, and Gaudreau leaves the team to play for Team USA, I'd be pissed.

[killer_carlson]

I am 100% in support of Ovechkin if he chooses to go.

But I think there will be a deal announced soon where they get to go.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I am 100% in support of Ovechkin if he chooses to go.

But I think there will be a deal announced soon where they get to go.

it better be soon, they need to make next year's schedule (book arena dates).
With a Las Vegas All-Star Game.

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

First, the KHL is not going to pay someone like Bennett or Lazar (lol) the kind of money needed to lure them away from the NHL. But even if they would, why do you think these players would choose to sacrifice their NHL dream and hopes for a Stanley Cup in order to play in a tournament they wouldn't otherwise be named to participate? You are asking them to make a sacrifice on behalf of other people's principles and on behalf of your own wants. That is just totally selfish, dude.

I think you're missing the point. This has nothing to do with other people's wants. I'm saying they may choose to do that. Laugh at the Lazar example but he's the exact type of player this decision may affect. As a RFA coming off a crappy year, he won't have any leverage in contract talks and could potentially make more money playing in the KHL/Suiss leagues on a one year deal. Getting more money, regular playing time to help him develop, and a huge opportunity to compete in the Olympics that would likely never otherwise come could outweigh his desire to sign his qualifying offer and be in/out of the lineup next year.

Lazar is just a random example but regardless how you spin it, playing overseas next year on a one year deal just got more enticing.

[dash_pinched]

I'm curious to see how much pressure NBC will put on the IOC as I'm sure NBC wants NHL players at the Olympics for men's hockey.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

But dissentowner said he wouldn't play. I'm pretty sure dissentowner knows more about if Ovechkin will play or not, than Ovechkin.

Want to bet on it? He won't be playing. You can't play if you are not eligible. Unless something changes where the NHL gets a deal done he is not going.

[Mister Yamoto]

I think it's pretty safe to say that all the parties involved are 100% in this for themselves.

The NHLPA and the IOC would not budge an inch so the NHL called their bluff. And in this instance, it's the NHL who ultimately call the shots.

The NHL players who are upset about losing out on an opportunity to "grow the game" need to give their head a shake. They could have gone to the Olympics in exchange for extending the CBA. How much is their precious 2020 lockout going to "grow the game"?

I don't believe for a second that this is done. It's just a negotiating tactic.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

But dissentowner said he wouldn't play. I'm pretty sure dissentowner knows more about if Ovechkin will play or not, than Ovechkin.

Ovechkin would be suspended without pay if he left for the Olympics. Then it would be up to the IIHF to decide if they would uphold the NHL suspension or not. Imagine if you were a Capitals fan. Ovechkin is saying he cares more about the Olympics then the Capitals and their fans.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Fire

Ovechkin would be suspended without pay if he left for the Olympics. Then it would be up to the IIHF to decide if they would uphold the NHL suspension or not. Imagine if you were a Capitals fan. Ovechkin is saying he cares more about the Olympics then the Capitals and their fans.

Only here is that viewed as weird. Country trumps Club in every single place in the world besides Canada (and I'm guessing the states).

Ovechkin has had this ingrained in him since he was a child.

[Iceman90]

I said this week on Fireside Chat, I think we'll eventually see a system like the World Juniors where an NHL team can decide if they want to loan a player to the Olympic team or not.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Fire

Ovechkin would be suspended without pay if he left for the Olympics. Then it would be up to the IIHF to decide if they would uphold the NHL suspension or not. Imagine if you were a Capitals fan. Ovechkin is saying he cares more about the Olympics then the Capitals and their fans.

The complication here is that his owner supports him.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by polak

Only here is that viewed as weird. Country trumps Club in every single place in the world besides Canada (and I'm guessing the states).

Ovechkin has had this ingrained in him since he was a child.

My only issue is that he's signed a contract with an NHL team. Him leaving mid season to go to the Olympics without permission (I assume in his case he may get permission) is like a team deciding not to pay a player under contract because his performance sucks. I simply think when you sign a contract you abide by it like a professional.

Originally Posted by habernac

The complication here is that his owner supports him.

I have a feeling that won't be universal amongst teams as there will be GM's and head coaches with their jobs on the line that will not want their best players leaving them for two weeks as well as some hard line owners.