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

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Why would the IIHF care about honoring NHL suspensions anymore? NHL decided not to send players, all deals are off.

Because transfer payments from the NHL to national hockey federations are a big source of revenue for IIHF members. IIHF doesn't honour NHL suspensions? Fine, NHL won't honour European contracts and will poach players at will without compensation. That's a labour war that the IIHF would lose, and fast.

Anyway, this is a fight between the NHL and IOC, not IIHF. The IIHF is the governing body for the sport, not for the Olympics, and it's no skin off their nose whether NHLers participate at Pyeongchang or not.

[Gaudfather]

calf - did you have that handle way before the Gene Simmons calf came along? If so cool pic pickup.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by calf

I would imagine that the change in team dynamics by abandoning your teammates mid season might be enough to encourage players to stay.

I don't think this will factor in at all, I think that overall the players support Olympic participation and most probably feel as though the NHL is being unreasonable with their decision to not participate

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Domoic

I bet the IIHF would turn a blind eye to "honoring suspensions" if 100+ NHLers showed up in South Korea....

Until they also remember that the NHL players aren't insured.

While the IIHF has committed to spend the 20M to purchase NHL player insurance prior, I'm sure it's not something you can purchase the day before the tournament starts. Among the many other issues, the logistics on things like insurance need to start being looked at soon. It's not as simple as a person showing up on game day and strapping on the skates. Heck, in your scenario with NHL players breaking contract, it may be an obstacle to get insurance at all.

And while hockey Russia may not care about it's relations with the NHL, and maybe, the tiniest of maybes, the IIHF would be okay burning bridges with the NHL, Hockey Canada would never in a million years ruin its relationship by going against the NHL's wishes. So the only way that a 'deflector' like Vlasic would be suiting up is if the NHL isn't actually taking as hard of a stance as it says it is publicly.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I don't think this will factor in at all, I think that overall the players support Olympic participation and most probably feel as though the NHL is being unreasonable with their decision to not participate

Easy to support it when you are either participating or getting a nice little mid-season break.
But when you are in a tough playoff race and your best player toodles off to go win something he wants - they may not feel the same way.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by calf

Draft picks would punish the team more than the player. I would imagine that the change in team dynamics by abandoning your teammates mid season might be enough to encourage players to stay.

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

You would think the league would want to punish the players, not the owners. In ovechkins case being on a long term deal I can see where you're coming from but in the case of a player on a 1year or expiring contract how would this deter the player whatsoever? This would actually give the owners more incentive to push the league to let the players go IMO

I was just thinking that if you are actively hurting your team mates it may convince guys not to go. Sure going in itself hurts the team but taking assets away would be a bigger deal I think.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I was just thinking that if you are actively hurting your team mates it may convince guys not to go. Sure going in itself hurts the team but taking assets away would be a bigger deal I think.

Taking yourself out of the locker room and off the team hurts the team.

Players would be completely ostracized for walking out on their team mates. The only ones that might be stupid and selfish enough to do that are the Russians.

[Enoch Root]

Also, players don't care about draft picks. They care about the team, and the guys currently on the team.

Sure, players will become interested if the team sucks and is about to draft a highly talented lottery pick. But other than that, they simply don't care about draft picks as much as fans do.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I was just thinking that if you are actively hurting your team mates it may convince guys not to go. Sure going in itself hurts the team but taking assets away would be a bigger deal I think.

Players switch teams, the draft picks mean next to nothing to the players. The GMs trade them away all the time anyways, it's not as if treliving is getting heat from the flames players for having few picks over the next few drafts.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Taking yourself out of the locker room and off the team hurts the team.

Players would be completely ostracized for walking out on their team mates. The only ones that might be stupid and selfish enough to do that are the Russians.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Also, players don't care about draft picks. They care about the team, and the guys currently on the team.

Sure, players will become interested if the team sucks and is about to draft a highly talented lottery pick. But other than that, they simply don't care about draft picks as much as fans do.

I think the reason more players will be willing to go even if their team is in a playoff race is to push back at the league a little heading into negotiations. It would be more about sending the league a message, that's why I don't think their teammates would hold it against them. They are the ones risking their salaries to do so. Though it would be interesting to see how it is spoken about by the players in the media.

[speede5]

Ovechkin should shut up and put his energy into winning a cup for the team that has made him a very rich man.


The rest of this discussion is hinged on a whole lot of "ya but....." every time someone brings up another sound reason why this just won't happen

[Locke]

Originally Posted by speede5

Ovechkin should shut up and put his energy into winning a cup for the team that has made him a very rich man.

The rest of this discussion is hinged on a whole lot of "ya but....." every time someone brings up another sound reason why this just won't happen

I've mentioned this a number of times and I'll reiterate that I have no proof, its just a feeling, an impression that I get, but Ovechkin almost has a suspicious level of National Pride.

Like if he doesnt answer Russia's call Uncle Vlad will kill his dog or something.

[Resolute 14]

He's also carrying water for the union. The NHLPA has been consistently having players whine in the media to try and ramp up fan discontent against the owners and mask the fact that the union itself both failed to negotiate its own deal with the owners and actively impeded the NHL's hopes of getting a new deal with the IOC. This little dog and pony show is going to continue right up to February.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

He's also carrying water for the union. The NHLPA has been consistently having players whine in the media to try and ramp up fan discontent against the owners and mask the fact that the union itself both failed to negotiate its own deal with the owners and actively impeded the NHL's hopes of getting a new deal with the IOC. This little dog and pony show is going to continue right up to February.

How did they impede the NHL from getting a new deal with the IOC?

[Muffins]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

How did they impede the NHL from getting a new deal with the IOC?

NHL said they would agree to go to the Olympics if the NHLPA agreed to extend the CBA. They said no.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Muffins

NHL said they would agree to go to the Olympics if the NHLPA agreed to extend the CBA. They said no.

I don't really consider that a real offer. The NHL knew there was zero chance they would accept that.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Muffins

NHL said they would agree to go to the Olympics if the NHLPA agreed to extend the CBA. They said no.

While true, that's not what I was getting at. Nor do I fault the union for that.

The NHL was trying to get the IOC to negotiate a deal but had the union rushing out to declare how badly it wanted to go and how players like Ovechkin were going to go anyway. It undermined the NHL's bargaining position as people on the IOC side would have seen the division and decided to gamble on the league caving to its own players.

This was actually a good opportunity for the union and league to go to the IOC jointly as partners. The union took the complete opposite direction.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Absolutely it would. If for no other reason than to not have to pay players who have gone AWOL for three weeks. Also to put pressure on the IIHF to follow through on honouring the suspensions.

The better question is - how many players would seriously consider lighting up to a half million dollars in salary on fire just to go?

Will be a non factor. The IIHF has always honoured NHL suspensions and those players would be ineligible to play. I actually expect an announcement sometime in the future from the IIHF stating that any player with an NHL contract will be ineligible to play in the upcoming Olympics.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Domoic

I bet the IIHF would turn a blind eye to "honoring suspensions" if 100+ NHLers showed up in South Korea....

I will take that bet every day of the week. The IIHF absolutely wants a great relationship with the NHL, they would be in big trouble without it. There is also the legal side of it to take into consideration as well and the main factor why the IIHF has always upheld league suspensions. NHL players are in a legally binding contract to play during those dates for their NHL teams, if the IIHF told players who wanted to go that they could participate regardless of contract the NHL would be in a very strong position to sue the IIHF.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I think the reason more players will be willing to go even if their team is in a playoff race is to push back at the league a little heading into negotiations. It would be more about sending the league a message, that's why I don't think their teammates would hold it against them. They are the ones risking their salaries to do so. Though it would be interesting to see how it is spoken about by the players in the media.

They're hockey players, not union ladies fighting for an extra 50 cents an hour

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

While true, that's not what I was getting at. Nor do I fault the union for that.

The NHL was trying to get the IOC to negotiate a deal but had the union rushing out to declare how badly it wanted to go and how players like Ovechkin were going to go anyway. It undermined the NHL's bargaining position as people on the IOC side would have seen the division and decided to gamble on the league caving to its own players.

This was actually a good opportunity for the union and league to go to the IOC jointly as partners. The union took the complete opposite direction.

It's not as if it was some big secret that the players wanted to go badly. The IOC knew the league would make the final call, if they were trying to use the players desire to go as leverage they should have probably done their homework regarding the league's history on giving in to PA.