Hockey Canada Olympic roster announcement. 10 AM MT

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well....which is it?

The League was given a raw deal by the IOC/IIHF and was given absolutely nothing by the NHLPA/Players.

At some point it cant continue to be the League's fault.

No. It is not the League's fault for not 'offering a better deal.' There was no better deal to be had. The IOC/IIHF eventually reverted to the original agreement which sucked in its own right.

I’m not even saying it’s the leagues fault, both sides couldn’t come to an agreement so the league exercised their right to not participate. They didn’t do anything wrong, I just don’t put it all on the players it takes two sides to come to an agreement. If the league offered to continue negotiations or were willing to alter their agreement and the players told them to go pound sand then I would agree it’s all on the players.

No. Nobody was willing to budge in any meaningful direction so the NHL told them to shove it and went their own way, which they have every right to do.

Where were the players able to budge if the league wasn’t willing to negotiate on their offer?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by bzoo02

Womens Olympic hockey is a true best on best. The men's is not. I'm not sure what the argument here is.

Someone said the level of play would be so bad that it wouldn't be worth watching. Others have pointed out the level of play - the skill of the players on the ice - will be much higher than the women's tournament. Best on best doesn't make the players more skilled. That's the point.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Someone said the level of play would be so bad that it wouldn't be worth watching. Others have pointed out the level of play - the skill of the players on the ice - will be much higher than the women's tournament. Best on best doesn't make the players more skilled. That's the point.

Case in point. The Canadian Women Olympic team hung on to beat the NW Midget AAA Flames 3-2 last night.

[RM14]

The majority of NHL players don't get to actually go to the Olympics. Why would all the players in the NHL take concessions for the few who actually get to play in the Olympics. And the few that do get to play are the richest players of them all.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I’m not even saying it’s the leagues fault, both sides couldn’t come to an agreement so the league exercised their right to not participate. They didn’t do anything wrong, I just don’t put it all on the players it takes two sides to come to an agreement. If the league offered to continue negotiations or were willing to alter their agreement and the players told them to go pound sand then I would agree it’s all on the players.

Actually, there are 4 sides. The IOC, the IIHF, the NHL and the NHLPA.

The IOC/IIHF said that the NHL would have to pay for everything and in return receive nothing.

Easy deal to turn down right?

The NHLPA was given a couple opportunities to go. Nothing.

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Where were the players able to budge if the league wasn’t willing to negotiate on their offer?

What offer? One has to exist for there to be a negotiation.

The League proposed an offer and the players did......nothing.

Maybe they assumed that the League would never simply deny Olympic participation.

They were wrong.

They also did a grand total of 'absolutely nothing' to secure something that they claim to be very dear to their hearts.

So the IIHF/IOC tried to screw the NHL, the NHLPA did a sum total of zero and the NHL just said:

"Okay fine then. Have fun."

And now here we are.

But yeah, its 100% on the players. If they really, truly wanted to be there they were given opportunities that they did absolutely nothing with.

Its not Bettman's fault, you cant blame 'the man' on this one for keeping the poor players down.

[FireGilbert]

Go Canada! I haven't heard of some of the players but nice to see a few Flames connections.
I will be watching as many games as possible although it's mostly because they are being played in a good time zone for me. I don't think I'd be willing to pull all nighters like I did in 2014.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Locke

Actually, there are 4 sides. The IOC, the IIHF, the NHL and the NHLPA.

The IOC/IIHF said that the NHL would have to pay for everything and in return receive nothing.

Easy deal to turn down right?

The NHLPA was given a couple opportunities to go. Nothing.

Yes and the league has the opportunity to go anyways, they didn’t think it made sense to without an extension and the players didn’t feel it made sense to take the extension in exchange for participation.

What offer? One has to exist for there to be a negotiation.

Ummm this one:

The League proposed an offer and the players did......nothing.

Maybe they assumed that the League would never simply deny Olympic participation.

They were wrong.

They also did a grand total of 'absolutely nothing' to secure something that they claim to be very dear to their hearts.

So the IIHF/IOC tried to screw the NHL, the NHLPA did a sum total of zero and the NHL just said:

"Okay fine then. Have fun."

And now here we are.

But yeah, its 100% on the players. If they really, truly wanted to be there they were given opportunities that they did absolutely nothing with.

Its not Bettman's fault, you cant blame 'the man' on this one for keeping the poor players down.

I don’t know why you continue to assume I’m blaming Bettman. I’ve made it prettt clear that my position is this is the end result of 2 sides(or 4 depending on how you look at it) not coming to an agreement.

[locsofblu]

I just threw up in my mouth. Stay up all night to watch sub par hockey. I've got better things planned like sticking needles in my c#$&

[Ducay]

This will be a great tourney. Excited more than if NHL'ers were in it where we just stomp our way to the semis with no real excitement. Before it was like the WJC, where it is honestly just a battle of the top 3-4 teams. Canada vs (someone like) Belarus or Switzerland may be a good game to watch finally.

This one is far from a shoe in, and I imagine Russia will be the favorites given their depth coming from the K.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I think the quality of the hockey in this tournament is going to be quite high. Most of these guys are going to see this as a last chance audition for their last cup of NHL coffee. Should be balls to the wall.

Still looking forward to the women's tournament more than the men's though.

I look forward to both, but the womens tourney is still largely just 2 nations going at it as usual. The other matchups are kinda irrelevant unfortunately.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Because their employer wouldn’t let them go?

I can see sureloss’ point about them not making an issue of it during previous CBA negotiations, but there’s no guarantee the league would have agreed to it anyways without demanding for concessions the players didn’t want to agree to either.

Both sides could have potentially done things differently to ensure participation, but as it stands currently the league are the ones who are not allowing their players to participate, there’s no other way to put it.

All the players had to do was extend the CBA and they would be there...and honestly that was in every bodies best interests anyway.

Now they get no Olympics, a lockout, missed year of salary, only to come crawling back to the same deal as usual.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by dino7c

All the players had to do was extend the CBA and they would be there...and honestly that was in every bodies best interests anyway.

That’s like saying all the owners had to do was give them whatever was keeping them from agreeing to extend it.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

That’s like saying all the owners had to do was give them whatever was keeping them from agreeing to extend it.

except the players have way more to lose...as we have seen again, and again, and again...What is wrong with the current CBA for the players??

Troy Brouwer is making 4.5M FFS
Kris Russell Makes 4M

Owners will never cave...players will likely lose a year of salary for nothing, that'll teach em

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by locsofblu

I just threw up in my mouth. Stay up all night to watch sub par hockey. I've got better things planned like sticking needles in my c#$&

Why not both?

[FanIn80]

I wonder if letting Olympic participation fall out of the current CBA “without a word” was actually a calculated maneuver on the part of the NHLPA. It gives them a reasonable reason to not simply extend the current agreement. It’s also a potential stand that fans would support them on, and all they had to give up was participation in these particular Olympics. When you consider that these Olympics would probably have low ratings anyway, based on location and time zones, it’s not really a whole lot to give up.

Of course, in order for the plan to work, the players would have to make a big deal about it afterward and hope the NHL publicly responded with “if it was that important, why didn’t you put it in the CBA?” That way when there’s another stoppage, the players can tell the fans that they had no choice. The NHL won’t let them go to the Olympics if it’s not in the CBA...

The question is, is anyone at the NHLPA smart enough to have planned this?

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by greyshep

I look forward to both, but the womens tourney is still largely just 2 nations going at it as usual. The other matchups are kinda irrelevant unfortunately.

There's a lesbian joke to be made there...... if only I had something hard to point it out with.

[Flames89]

I am looking forward to it. These guys will play their heart out - that is guaranteed.
Men's non-NHL Olympic hockey team built to win the 'Canadian Way'http://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/mens-non-nhl-olympic-hockey-team-built-win-canadian-way/

Some good quotes here:

Then there’s Mason Raymond, a slick-skating forward who wound himself “so tight” before games because of his desperation to play in Pyeongchang, and can now play free. Desjardins talked about families, and how Hockey Canada officials let former NHLer Steve Thomas call his son Christian and break the news that he was going to the Olympics.

Finally, he brought up Wojtek Wolski, a skilled winger who after being informed that he’d made the team looked at a picture of himself in a hospital bed with a broken neck from a year ago, and cried.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Yes, that's it.

Who's upset? I just find it odd that some would continue to hope for something that was never going to happen. Renney's comments and Iginla's rehab made it abundantly clear that he would not be invited.

Sorry I misinterpreted your response. I thought you were being snippy.

[oldschoolcalgary]

SIAP, but i just realized there are 3 former flames on the team! Vey, Bourque and Raymond...

good luck to those guys; it's an amazing opportunity to play on any Olympic team...who knows if this will happen again?

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

SIAP, but i just realized there are 3 former flames on the team! Vey, Bourque and Raymond...

good luck to those guys; it's an amazing opportunity to play on any Olympic team...who knows if this will happen again?

well, '06 had Regehr, Iginla and St Louis.
But not, '10, with just Bouwmeester, & Iginla.
'14, St Louis, Bouwmeester & M. Smith.
'18, Vey, Bourque and Raymond
'22?; Monahan, Hamilton.. maybe Ferland, Jankowski or Bennett?