[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Itse

I don't think any of that is true. I think the NHL needs the olympics much more than they realize. No other team sports gets the kind of exposure from that hockey gets from the winter olympics, because they're the lone major team sport there. I also don't see there being any "alternative methods" that are even on the same ballpark than the olympics.

The NHL no doubt knows that it is beneficial to be part of the Olympics, but they have gone enough times that continuing to go without any type of compensation for shutting down their league and risking their valuable players to injury, which could end up hurting a team by the end of the season, may not be worth it if they don't get some return from it. Exposure can only get you so far.

At the end of the day, it's up to the NHL to make their game more noticeable around the world. Not the Olympics, since it's only active for two weeks every four years. How's that momentum going to carry over the next four years?

People talk about the world cup as if it's a comparative. From my experience, in Finland it rates effectively on par or probably somewhat below the World Championships. Most people didn't watch it in 2004, not even the final. And we're pretty much the second most hockey crazy country in the world. Sure, true hockey fanatics made/would make a big deal out of it, but they're a minority even among hockey fans here.

It's been noted that the World Cup doesn't have the prestige, and will take a while to build up, but the NHL wouldn't mind if they're getting money in return, and the schedule works on their terms. The execution of the World Cup hasn't been good either since the consistency of the event has been very sporadic. You can't build up hype for an event if it's all over the map on when it occurs.

The perspective here is wrong. The olympics don't need the NHL. They don't need to "work with" the NHL any more than they already are. They most certainly are not going to give hockey any special privileges, that would open up such a huge can of worms, with every other sport starting to want things.

They don't need the NHL, but they much prefer to have the best players available if they can get them, because it will develop more hype and interest in those events. I'm sure the Olympics would love to have the best soccer players for their games, but I'm assuming FIFA prefer to keep those player for the World Cup and not take anything away from it.

The IIHF wants NHL in the olympics in a bad way, but they're just the middleman. And really, I'm sure many in the IIHF, which is mostly a European body, would be just fine if the olympics was about showcasing players from the European leagues. The Finnish League certainly could use the boost.

I'm sure the IIHF would prefer to have their European players that are playing in the NHL participate in the Olympic games though; since some take part in the annual World Championships if their season is over. The IIHF wants to put on the best hockey possible, since it will yield the best results for them.

The NHL is not going to get anything from the IOC. They might get things from Hockey Canada/Finland/US etc. But they don't have anything near the kind of money that the NHL wants, not unless the NHL gives it to them, which is just moving money from one pocket to another.

Or, you could have taxpayers ultimately footing the bill. What a great plan that would be.

I don't know what the NHL really wants. Possible money may be involved, but I'm assuming they also want more access and rights to content, so the NHL can continue to interact with their players for their marketing, and use the Olympic content in the future.

The NHL owners are viewing this as a bad investment currently, which is why they have had and owner speaking out publicly against it, executive using an injury to a marquee player as an platform, and the commissioner threatening to not go to future Olympic games. The IOC/IIHF is going to have to give them more if they want to have NHL participation continue.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Is there any evidence to support the bolded statement?

As for your question about luge - look at Slovenia, Austria, Germany and Switzerland now contributing to the NHL. Hockey continues to grow around the world. How much can be attributed to the Olympics is impossible to gauge. But it is indisputable that the game is growing globally.

Your question was how many lugers there would be without the Olympics, and my question was what sport structure is there that is the equivalent to the NHL, that engages people interest outside of two weeks every four years? The pinnacle of the sport itself is the Olympics, and there nothing else in comparison; at least as far as I know.