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

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by 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)

Owners offered to allow the players to go if they extended the CBA 2-3 years.

Players rejected it.

I'm not an expert but the current cba seems pretty fair for the players.

I think the players will be unlikely to win any big concessions during the next inevitable work stoppage so I dont have much sympathy that they want another half season to happen earlier than neccesary.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by 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)

How much did the previous Olympics benefit the NHL? No big US TV deal yet. I haven't heard of any big deals outside of NA either. I think the NHL knows how much they benefit from the Olympics and it's very little, it might even have a negative impact.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by 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!

Bill Daly is denying that this decision has been made by the NHL about players under NHL contracts in the AHL. The only decision that appears to have been made is that players on AHL only deals will be allowed to participate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.90668cdd51ad

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by 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)

The NHL has been to the Olympics six times now. It has a very good idea how good or bad for business going is. The answer, evidently, is that the risks and costs outweigh the benefits. The league has spent years trying to get a better deal from the IOC, to no avail. The players spent those same years nipping at the owners' ankles begging to go. But the players failed to support the league in negotiating with the IOC (and in fact, played against the NHL's position) and refused to negotiate with the league a deal of its own. Unlike Oil Stain, I do not blame the NHLPA for rejecting the league's CBA extension offer. I do, however, blame the NHLPA for making no effort whatsoever to negotiate. They behaved like entitled children throughout this process and got what they deserved.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

Owners offered to allow the players to go if they extended the CBA 2-3 years.

Players rejected it.

I'm not an expert but the current cba seems pretty fair for the players.

I think the players will be unlikely to win any big concessions during the next inevitable work stoppage so I dont have much sympathy that they want another half season to happen earlier than neccesary.

I simply don't see what the players would have to gain by a work stoppage. If they have delusions that the NHL will agree to get rid of escrow they are in for massive disappointment and lost wages for very little gains.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I simply don't see what the players would have to gain by a work stoppage. If they have delusions that the NHL will agree to get rid of escrow they are in for massive disappointment and lost wages for very little gains.

I guess the fact more than a few players in the top half of the pay scale will continue to get paid no matter if they play or not, because of their bonus structure in their contracts

the lower tier players might want to strike as they're sick of the top end players getting too much of the pie while they fight for the scraps.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I simply don't see what the players would have to gain by a work stoppage. If they have delusions that the NHL will agree to get rid of escrow they are in for massive disappointment and lost wages for very little gains.

The truly irritating part is that escrow could be gone almost immediately if they wanted. It only exists because the 50% HRR is set at the midpoint between the cap and the floor. All you need to do is slide 50% toward the cap, and the escrow payments not only become smaller and disappear, but the odds of owners paying top-up bonuses increases dramatically. The downside is that the cap itself would stagnate or contract for a short time while this process is happening and the players would hate that despite the fact that they collectively would not lose a single penny.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The truly irritating part is that escrow could be gone almost immediately if they wanted. It only exists because the 50% HRR is set at the midpoint between the cap and the floor. All you need to do is slide 50% toward the cap, and the escrow payments not only become smaller and disappear, but the odds of owners paying top-up bonuses increases dramatically. The downside is that the cap itself would stagnate or contract for a short time while this process is happening and the players would hate that despite the fact that they collectively would not lose a single penny.

It's like anything in that a large portion of the players probably have no idea how it all works and they just see that portion of their cheques put aside for escrow and think they are getting screwed. The union does a pretty good job of convincing the players that they are always getting the short end of the stick and are probably using escrow to rally the troops for the cause.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's like anything in that a large portion of the players probably have no idea how it all works and they just see that portion of their cheques put aside for escrow and think they are getting screwed. The union does a pretty good job of convincing the players that they are always getting the short end of the stick and are probably using escrow to rally the troops for the cause.

Seems odd to me that the players wouldn't have had these notions disabused from them by their agents over time.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by SebC

Seems odd to me that the players wouldn't have had these notions disabused from them by their agents over time.

Because it isn't in the agent's own best interest. They get a percentage cut of the contract that I would bet is independent of escrow. So it is in their own interest to perpetuate any argument that allows for a higher salary cap right now, as that allows the biggest face value contracts, and the biggest commission.

Less cynically, if you look at the commentary from a guy like Allan Walsh (assuming you are one of the three people he hasn't blocked on Twitter), it is clear that some or many of these guys are no less deluded than the players themselves are.

[transplant99]

Asked Thursday about a report from a respected Russian journalist citing Russian players are claiming the league has behind closed doors put together a second 2017-18 schedule — this one featuring an Olympic break in case NHLers go to the Games — an Eastern Conference executive put it this way. “I can’t say anything on that other than the league has already committed the all-star game to Tampa for next January and a lot of the business and promotional deals will start coming together next week. So, if they are going to scrap the all-star game in favour of the Olympics — and I personally don’t think they are — they’re running out of time to do it

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/07/20...nhl-off-season

[Gaudfather]

Ovie still wants in the Olympics. Will be interesting to see if the NHL makes exceptions. Wonder what would happen if Mr. Bettman had an unexpected phone call from Mr. Putin?

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/08/07/...2018-olympics/

[jlh2640]

Gonna be fun to watch and see how this plays out. I expect eventually not even one player NHL will play in them as money talks

[Wyguy]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Ovie still wants in the Olympics. Will be interesting to see if the NHL makes exceptions. Wonder what would happen if Mr. Bettman had an unexpected phone call from Mr. Putin?

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/08/07/...2018-olympics/

That would be absolutely hilarious!

[You Need a Thneed]

If the Caps don't want to let Ovechkin go, they would suspend him if he leaves, and the IIHF honours NHL suspensions.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

The issue with Ovie going, and any other NHL Russians, is that they would be playing in a second rate tournament with second rate teammates against second rate competition.

I get that Olympic gold is Olympic gold, but how meaningful is it gonna be if you beat a bunch of college kids and AHLers? And what if they still don't win? How embarrassing would that be?

[Resolute 14]

The Russians wont care. Putin NEEDS that gold medal to bring modern Russian sport back to the Soviet glory days as the propaganda value of that would be off the charts. Especially after the embarrassment of Sochi.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

The issue with Ovie going, and any other NHL Russians, is that they would be playing in a second rate tournament with second rate teammates against second rate competition.

I get that Olympic gold is Olympic gold, but how meaningful is it gonna be if you beat a bunch of college kids and AHLers? And what if they still don't win? How embarrassing would that be?

Putin bought them all Mercedes for winning the World Championships lol. Any Olympic gold would be, like Resolute said, a propaganda haul for Vladdy.

As for the players, well their families still live in Russia too, and being part of the team that wins gold might be a boon for them.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

The issue with Ovie going, and any other NHL Russians, is that they would be playing in a second rate tournament with second rate teammates against second rate competition.

I get that Olympic gold is Olympic gold, but how meaningful is it gonna be if you beat a bunch of college kids and AHLers? And what if they still don't win? How embarrassing would that be?

Olympic Gold is important to everyone. If the Russians go, the Swedes, Finns and Czechs will want to go too. The Finns have never won gold, this would be a great opportunity. If Ovechkin goes, that genie is out of the bottle. Would the NHL suspend everyone?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Olympic Gold is important to everyone. If the Russians go, the Swedes, Finns and Czechs will want to go too. The Finns have never won gold, this would be a great opportunity. If Ovechkin goes, that genie is out of the bottle. Would the NHL suspend everyone?

I would imagine that Bettman has a contingency in place for that. I'd love to know what it is though.