[News] NHL players will not participate in 2018 Olympics?

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I personally thought the Olympic tournament was great before NHL players were allowed in. It was a different type of tournament, but still very meaningful. I think having dedicated amateurs playing for the love of the sport is very much in the Olympic spirit compared to having highly paid professionals taking a vacation from their day jobs for just another accolade.

You would have to exclude professional athletes from every event. Even people like Patrick Chan,Evgeni plushenko ( russian male figure skater , 4 time olympic medalist)Haley wichinhouser(sp?), team Northern Ontario(men's curling) , mike Montgomery ( skeleton), Felix loch ( German luge 2 time gold medalist), and soooo many more . remember if you make any money in any sport, yo are considered a professional. The whole Olympic sprit is what I love but, I want to see the Best players from each country in each event. Which is what the Olympics is suppose to bring. It's entertainment. Do you think It's better to waste our taxes money broadcasting (CBC gets huge funding from us. Which is why Its avalible nation wide even if you don't pay for cable.) sub par sporting events? Let alone rating in this day and age.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

You would have to exclude professional athletes from every event. Even people like Patrick Chan,Evgeni plushenko ( russian male figure skater , 4 time olympic medalist)Haley wichinhouser(sp?), team Northern Ontario(men's curling) , mike Montgomery ( skeleton), Felix loch ( German luge 2 time gold medalist), and soooo many more . remember if you make any money in any sport, yo are considered a professional. The whole Olympic sprit is what I love but, I want to see the Best players from each country in each event. Which is what the Olympics is suppose to bring. It's entertainment. Do you think It's better to waste our taxes money broadcasting (CBC gets huge funding from us. Which is why Its avalible nation wide even if you don't pay for cable.) sub par sporting events? Let alone rating in this day and age.

No, before all else, the Olympic Games are about sport.

Where did John Montgomery, Felix Loch etc. make money beyond results and sponsorships? In amateur sport you only get paid based on where you finish. You get paid no matter what in the NHL.

When you need to take 2 jobs to sustain your life as an athlete - you're an amateur.

[troutman]

If we really want to go back to the roots, the ancient Olympics were all nude.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

how did Japan do in Nagano?

South Korea is 0-15-1 against Japan with a -127 goal differential, not even in the same league.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

South Korea is 0-15-1 against Japan with a -127 goal differential, not even in the same league.

wow that is an awful record. Although I know that Korea has improved recently and I believe Korea and Japan are in the same division now (the one below the world championships).

[Drake]

On Tuesday, NHL commission Gary Bettmann, players association chief Don Fehr and Rene Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, will meet with the media in Sochi. What they’ll say is unknown, but the league’s braintrust — Bettman and his No. 2, Bill Daly — have been saying that Sochi will be the last go-round for the NHL and there won’t be any NHL players in Pyeongchang in 2018. Their desire is to relaunch the World Cup, but they’re dreaming in technicolor if they believe that tournament would generate the kind of passion and following the Olympics inspire.

http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comme...medium=twitter

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Yoho

Won the 13th place game 4-3 over Austria in a SO.

They tied Belarus, and scored in every game.

In '98 the format was also different. The bottom eight teams played in a qualification round and the top six came in after that round so they didn't play against any NHL players.

[Alberta_Beef]

For what it matters Korea is in Division 1A of the World Championships it is the group that feeds the main Championships by having their winner promoted.

Last year Korea finished 5th of 6 teams avoiding relegation, they went 2-3-0 (with 1 win in a shootout) and a -3 in goal differential, Japan had nearly identical number except both of their wins came in regulation. One of Korea's wins was also against 3rd place Hungary.

While they are not a threat to advance to the main group anytime soon it does look like they are set to become regulars in the 2nd group and slowly working their way up.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I personally thought the Olympic tournament was great before NHL players were allowed in. It was a different type of tournament, but still very meaningful. I think having dedicated amateurs playing for the love of the sport is very much in the Olympic spirit compared to having highly paid professionals taking a vacation from their day jobs for just another accolade.

you honestly think they European countries would send amateurs, because I can guarantee they won't

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by dino7c

you honestly think they European countries would send amateurs, because I can guarantee they won't

I think when people say amateurs, they mean non-NHLers.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Drake

http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comme...medium=twitter

So stupid. Bettman's primary goal during his entire tenure as commissioner has been to grow the game in the US. And look what happened during the US-Russia game, set ratings records for NBCSN even with a 7am EST start time

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...story/related/

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So stupid. Bettman's primary goal during his entire tenure as commissioner has been to grow the game in the US. And look what happened during the US-Russia game, set ratings records for NBCSN even with a 7am EST start time

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...story/related/

Talking about growing the game, it's interesting which markets the ratings were highest in (in terms of share):

Minneapolis had the highest household ratings share at 15.7. The top-10 markets included Denver, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Ft. Myers, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Boston and Seattle.

Seattle is especially impressive, given the 4:00 a.m. start time.

[GirlySports]

Bettman isn't thinking straight. He can't flip flop back and forth. There is no way to re-launch the world cup now after it's been abandon for more than 10 years. Should have never gotten rid of it.

But since it was gotten rid of for the Olympics which is fine, he can't abandon THAT. The Olympics will be nothing without the NHLers.

If this is simply posturing to threaten the IOC once and for all then I'm behind it but if it's to re-launch the World Cup, that will fail because as others have stated only hockey fans watch a World Cup, the entire world watches the Olympics.

Just think of it as:

"Once you go black, you can't go back"

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Talking about growing the game, it's interesting which markets the ratings were highest in (in terms of share):



Seattle is especially impressive, given the 4:00 a.m. start time.

Seeing Seattle and Kansas City on that list is encouraging for the expansion potential.

Salt Lake City is another city that intrigues me, they have a rich minor league history but the Maverik Center only seats 10k for hockey and the Energy Solutions Arena only 14k for hockey and with the oldest only being 23 years old the odds of another new arena are extremely slim.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

"Once you go black, you can't go back"

Must be a chick thing?

Anyway, my guess the IOC and the rights holders will make it financially extremely difficult for the NHL to turn their backs on the next games.

[getbak]

Friedman's Twitter summary of the IIHF/NHL/NHLPA Press Conference. As expected, they didn't make any commitments about 2018, either way...

• Bettman avoids question on NHL's future participation in Olympics
• Says he will no discuss it here...but says if players don't want to go, they won't force them
• Of course, players have made it very clear they want to go...have had a great time here
• Fehr says premature to discuss it...there is a review process NHLPA will go through first
• Fasel says women's hockey will never be eliminated
• Bettman and Fasel are arguing about which means more: Olympic gold or Stanley Cup. They are like Statler and Waldorf
• Good press conference. Bettman and Fasel have an entertaining dynamic. Would like to see them in a negotiation.
• Other news: Fehr indicated official World Cup announcement is coming in the not-too-distant future...
• Bettman said that 20 years ago, he asked former IOC President Samaranch about putting hockey in Summer Games, but IOC was not interested.
• And, as initially reported by @SlavaMalamud, IIHF will change its net-off-the-moorings rule to NHL version in May.
• But biggest news was undoubtedly Fasel promise that women's hockey is safe. Bettman said he would have been "distressed" to see otherwise.

----------------------------
Interesting that Bettman put it on the players, when it's clear the players enjoy going to the Games more than the owners like sending them.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by getbak

Interesting that Bettman put it on the players, when it's clear the players enjoy going to the Games more than the owners like sending them.

He probably wants to avoid a situation where he needs to start arguing against the people he works for. Much better better for him if this is seen as something the players want, and not something that he wants.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by getbak

Friedman's Twitter summary of the IIHF/NHL/NHLPA Press Conference. As expected, they didn't make any commitments about 2018, either way...

• Bettman avoids question on NHL's future participation in Olympics
• Says he will no discuss it here...but says if players don't want to go, they won't force them
• Of course, players have made it very clear they want to go...have had a great time here
• Fehr says premature to discuss it...there is a review process NHLPA will go through first
• Fasel says women's hockey will never be eliminated
• Bettman and Fasel are arguing about which means more: Olympic gold or Stanley Cup. They are like Statler and Waldorf
• Good press conference. Bettman and Fasel have an entertaining dynamic. Would like to see them in a negotiation.
• Other news: Fehr indicated official World Cup announcement is coming in the not-too-distant future...
• Bettman said that 20 years ago, he asked former IOC President Samaranch about putting hockey in Summer Games, but IOC was not interested.
• And, as initially reported by @SlavaMalamud, IIHF will change its net-off-the-moorings rule to NHL version in May.
• But biggest news was undoubtedly Fasel promise that women's hockey is safe. Bettman said he would have been "distressed" to see otherwise.

----------------------------
Interesting that Bettman put it on the players, when it's clear the players enjoy going to the Games more than the owners like sending them.

Fasel was immature at that conference and was outclassed by Bettman and Fehr. I'm not a Bettman fan but the IIHF should be embarrassed to have Fasel as their #1 guy. The fighting comment by Fasel was childish to say the least. Thank goodness Samaranch said no to Bettman for hockey in the summer games. Bettman had no choice to avoid the 2018 question, this happened 4 years ago too. The owners (Snider and others) are telling Bettman to basically shut up to any 2018 questions. Fehr is being diplomatic on this subject knowing the momentum of these games will have the NHL players heading to South Korea.

[FlameZilla]

I like the NHL players at the Olympics, but I'd be up for bringing back the World Cup format tourney in the offseason instead.

What might make the Olympics more interesting would be if each country was only allowed 5 professional players & the rest had to be amateurs, or young prospects/pros.

In Olympic soccer the teams are only allowed 3 'over-aged' players, and all the rest have to be under the age of 23.

It might even the playing field a bit... but who wants that anyway?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Bettman isn't thinking straight. He can't flip flop back and forth. There is no way to re-launch the world cup now after it's been abandon for more than 10 years. Should have never gotten rid of it.

Of course the NHL can re-launch the World Cup. Why on earth would you think they couldn't?

But since it was gotten rid of for the Olympics which is fine, he can't abandon THAT. The Olympics will be nothing without the NHLers.

Of course the NHL can abandon the Olympics. And if the Olympics are nothing without the NHLers, why is that Bettman/the NHL's problem? That's more a problem for the IIHF and IOC. Also, no, the World Cup was not gotten rid of for the Olympics. The 2004 WCH was played after the NHL had been to the Olympics twice.

If this is simply posturing to threaten the IOC once and for all then I'm behind it but if it's to re-launch the World Cup, that will fail because as others have stated only hockey fans watch a World Cup, the entire world watches the Olympics.

The World Cup of Hockey will fail because of subjective and biased opinions about who would watch the event?