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

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

The Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of amateur sport. NHL players are far from that.

I have no idea why the NHL got involved with the Olympics in the first place. Bring back the Canada Cup. Tell the IOC to go suck an egg.

You really think guys like Shaun White, Michael Phelps, or Usain Bolt are amateurs? They get paid more than most players in the professional leagues. Where would you draw the line?

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by $ven27

If true I can only imagine how Stamkos feels.

He feels more tussin

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

The Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of amateur sport.

Seriously? I don't see how there are people who actually follow sports that would make this argument.

EDIT: Okay, with a little googling I noticed that apparently this myth still lives in the North American sports forums and discussions. Incredibly really, considering that this was a serious discussion in sports in the days when the Beatles reunion was still a possibility and punk rock wasn't yet invented.

The word amateur was removed from the olympic charter in 1972. The last time most olympic athletes were amateurs in anything but name only was before WWII. (Some are arguing that it was in the 1952 Helsinki olympics. In any case after the soviet sports system was created, every major country responded with their own sports programs, which put essentially put an end to the idea of amateur spectator sports. Which really was largely a scam even before that.)

What I'm saying is, you must be one of those people who also hate these newspangled computing machines and tele vision sets. I'm sure Ed Snyder is one of those people too. Internal politics and logistics of individual sports aside, the olympics have officially been a pro event for 40 years. (As to football, having the best soccer players in the olympics would overshadow pretty much anything else going on.)


Also, a lot of taxpayer money goes into developing youth players, not just in NA but all over the world. The Finns and Swedes didn't create those fancy goalie coaching programs to see Niemi and Lundqvist compete for the Stanley Cup. They created them to see them playing in the olympics and other international tournaments.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Looking back over the last few years, as a fan what are my best memories?

February NHL or Crosby's golden goal and the electricity and liveliness and amazing moment as a Canadian that was? Would it be less of a moment if NHLers were not present? Yeah, probably.

In fact that moment is something I'll never forget and bore my little girl with stories about. NHL in Feb? Great, sorta. It's just more like something to do but doesn't have half the magic of the best players playing Olympic hockey.

I legitimately have no idea where you're coming from if you would rather have NHL hockey over Olympic hockey with NHL players.

Originally Posted by flamesfan1297

Agreed with Mr.Coffee Olympic hockey with NHL players is way more exciting to watch than February NHL hockey

It's the NHL all-stars at the Olympics. This is what an all-star tournament or game is all about. Of course Olympic hockey 1 game playoffs will be better than the NHL games in Feb. NHL playoffs is better than the Olympics. This is debated every 4 years. It's fun to watch the Olympic hockey games but cheering for Loserongo to win, NEVER!!

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by getbak

Also, if there was a time to stop participating, 2018 would be the time. 2018 will be in Korea and the five bids for 2022 are from Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Norway, and China. None of those nations are hockey powers (there have been a few Ukrainian NHLers and Ukraine and Kazakhstan both have one team in the KHL), nor are they likely to significantly grow interest in the game there by participating.


On the other hand, by 2018, there will be kids in the NHL who weren't born the last time the NHL didn't participate...actually, there already are. Sean Monahan was born in late 1994, so he's never seen an Olympics that the NHL didn't participate in.

It's one of those things that will get discussed and debated right up until the summer or fall of 2017, but it will still likely happen.

This was debated for the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan and again in 2006 in Turin, Italy. Those nations aren't a hockey power and the game hasn't grown by leaps and bounds there. There are also NHL players from Poland, Kazakhstan, and Norway. The NHL players will be in Pyeongchang and beyond.

[Itse]

(Sorry about the tone btw, I've had some trouble sleeping so stuff just comes out that way. No intention to be so aggressive.)

[Alberta_Beef]

I much preferred Olympic hockey before the NHL started to participate. I would love to see the NHLers stop going.

What I would like to see is Hockey Canada and USA Hockey come up with an agreement AHL much like USA Hockey has with the USHL where the National Development program is a team in the league. Send this team to the World Championships, to the Olympics... etc.

NHL teams could loan players to the National programs and they could sign AHL free agents to AHL deals... etc.

[Nehkara]

There will always be a lot of chest thumping from the NHL about it because they like to hold it over the players' and (apparently) fans' heads.

But what would happen if NHL players were no longer allowed to compete in the Olympics is that some players would go AWOL from their NHL teams, and all of the players, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans would be furious with the NHL.

Not gonna happen.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by Itse

What I'm saying is, you must be one of those people who also hate these newspangled computing machines and tele vision sets.

WOW Itse. You pretty much got that one bang on. I don't own a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. Right now I am listening to Waylon Jennings greatest Hits Volume 2. On vinyl. The way music is supposed to be listened to. Also, I am learning how to sew my own clothes. If you live in Calgary look for me. I'm the guy on the LRT rocking my bright yellow SonySports walkman. (the discman skips too much) I own (and play) an intellivision.

But back to the Olympics. I can remember even in the Calgary games where athletes would have to make a decision. Should I go pro? Should I wait until the next Olympics? That decision does not exist anymore. I miss those days.

I still can't figure out why the NHL ever got involved with the IOC. If the two lockouts have taught us anything, it is that the NHL owners and the NHLPA are all a bunch of money grubbing control freaks.

So why?????, is the NHL shutting down their season every four years, to have their best players play for free, in a city of the IOC's choice, the referees that the IOC picks and the rules that the IOC wants? It makes no sense to me. Apparently the NHL is doing this for exposure. And I guess nothing else.

I say bring back the Canada Cup every three years. I'm sure that they could figure out a format where the whole tournament takes 30 games to play, meaning that every NHL city would get 1 game.

I said that the Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of amateur sport. I was wrong. What I should have said is that the Olympics USED to be a celebration of amateur sport. And I miss those days.

[vilzeh]

Olympics a celebration of amateur sport. How old are you people? (No offense, just asking). It's not a celebration of amateur sport, it's a celebration of the worlds best athletes competing with eachothers.

[TheCommodoreAfro]

As a guy living in Japan who could make a flight over to see that tourney - I am totally against them NOT participating.

[trublmaker]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

You really think guys like Shaun White, Michael Phelps, or Usain Bolt are amateurs? They get paid more than most players in the professional leagues. Where would you draw the line?

I would like to see amateurs compete but you are right in this. With endorsements and sponsors, television broadcast rights there really is no such thing as top level amateurs, they're all pros and worth millions. The line is too wide now so I guess there's no turning back.

[nemanja2306]

Winter olympics are already lame enough, take away the best hockey players away as well, I'm not sure I'm gonna even watch it. Hoceky is the only good thing about the WO. Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating... *barf*

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

But back to the Olympics. I can remember even in the Calgary games where athletes would have to make a decision. Should I go pro? Should I wait until the next Olympics? That decision does not exist anymore. I miss those days.

Why on earth? It was ridiculously hypocritical and impractical system, a relic of history that barely ever existed, and a common tool harassing and banning top athletes from countries with less political pull.

It was also a way for certain sports assocations and countries to keep their athletes in line, as they couldn't openly make a living with their talents, and thus were 100% dependant on the sports associations (who effectively payed the salaries of these "amateurs"). The associations could then take the sponsor money using the names and faces of those athletes, without giving them anything more than the bare minimum they needed to make a living and practice.

It was about as far removed from "the purity" of sport as anything, really just a breeding ground for corruption and abuse.

[Flamenspiel]

It's not accurate that the the Olympics are always the best professionals. Soccer is an under 23 tournament and the boxers are still amateurs. The soccer tournament is still a very interesting competition and generally I prefer Olympic boxing to the pro version.

I have heard talk of a World Cup being run right after the summer Olympics. That might work, I remember the Olympics in 1972 flowing quite nicely into the summit series.

[vilzeh]

Soccer is big as it is at the moment, + they have huge tournaments every 2 years (European Championships and World Cup), if they remove NHL players from Olympics, the only thing left is World Championships which is a B tourney for players. Right now Olympics is the big event for players to showcase themselves for their country and also showcase themselves to the entire world, also a way to unite countries for a brief moment (1-2 weeks).

The hockey World cup or Canada Cup or whatever doesn't have as big of an audience as the Olympic games do, it's been watched all over the world, World Cup / Canada Cup is not.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto;4614489.

But back to the Olympics. I can remember even in the Calgary games where athletes would have to make a decision. Should I go pro? Should I wait until the next Olympics? That decision does not exist anymore. I miss those days.

It is nice that you have those fond memories of the Calgary Olympics. But professionals were allowed in the Olympics by then, as evidenced by Jim peplinski playing for Canada.

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Itse

Also, a lot of taxpayer money goes into developing youth players, not just in NA but all over the world. The Finns and Swedes didn't create those fancy goalie coaching programs to see Niemi and Lundqvist compete for the Stanley Cup. They created them to see them playing in the olympics and other international tournaments.

Not to mention that any/all other international tournaments pale in comparison to the Olympics. The World Championship, for example, is mostly a mixture of some of the best players outside the NHL and the losers who couldn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs. Right now I'd be perfectly happy trading all our other medals for the hockey gold at the Olympics. It's the only one that really matters.

I'm also amused by the idea that only "amateurs" would go if the NHL barred players from going. Players in the KHL, SHL, DEL, SM-Liiga aren't exactly playing pro bono...

[Enoch Root]

Having the best players participate is the best way to promote the sport.

The problem with only allowing amateurs is that there is no way to ensure a level playing field. Not to mention, the very idea and debate about 'amateurs' is a breeding ground for politics and corruption. The idea of the Olympics being about amateurs is long past (and was always a farce).

As Itse has mentioned, the Olympics are bigger than North America and the NHL. The world participates. If the HNL doesn't want to, that is their choice. But to expect the rest of the world to suffer the NHL's choice is ridiculous. So what you would end up with is Canada and the US sending crap teams. Many Europeans would forego the NHL in Olympic years, which would just cause frustration and angst with fans.

Then, when Canada doesn't medal, fans will whine that it's only because we're not sending our best players.

Yeah, that sounds real good - way better than what the next two weeks are going to deliver, amirite?

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I much preferred Olympic hockey before the NHL started to participate. I would love to see the NHLers stop going.



What I would like to see is Hockey Canada and USA Hockey come up with an agreement AHL much like USA Hockey has with the USHL where the National Development program is a team in the league. Send this team to the World Championships, to the Olympics... etc.



NHL teams could loan players to the National programs and they could sign AHL free agents to AHL deals... etc.

I just don't see how the NHL is going to go from not wanting to send it's players to agreeing to format a whole new CBA, new development structure and a loan system just so players can go.

Out of curiosity, why do you prefer Olympic hockey without the NHL?
The NHL is the best league in the world, so is can't see why someone would prefer the Olympics without the best players in the world competing against each other.

Without the NHL it just becomes a watered down product that is hardly relevant or worth watching. It would become even less important than the World Juniors.