Vancouver 2010 to be on NHL Ice

[ItalianSpartan 0]

TSN article

Interesting, I wonder when the last time was when the Olympics were played on an NHL-sized ice surface. Can't imagine the Europeans will be too happy.

BTW, barring any changes, both men's and women's ice hockey will be played at GM Place and the new UBC winter sports complex that should be completed in 2008.

[hockechamp14 0]

LOL count on the canadiens to change the rules of the game in order to help thier team win after they got owned this year on the oly. sized ice.

Hopefully they'll take some younger players this time around.

[jrhky36 1]

TSN article

Interesting, I wonder when the last time was when the Olympics were played on an NHL-sized ice surface. Can't imagine the Europeans will be too happy.

i posted this prior to reading the link provided

last time i checked most otf the rosters were made up of nhlers. by removing that many seats would reduce profits. and think about the time it would take to remove and replace all those seats. not to mention the modification (leveling) the concrete (teired seating) it just can't be done at gm place in a short amount of time.

[Quintin 16]

Wow, SOMEBODY wants US and Canada to win Olympics to maintain their pride...

Kinda sucks really. The Olympics comes around every 4 years and is a total different game with a larger ice surface. If it's NHL ice size, it's just like watching another NHL game (not saying it sucks - just would prefer something different, that's all)

[crutesie 0]

Wow, SOMEBODY wants US and Canada to win Olympics to maintain their pride...

Kinda sucks really. The Olympics comes around every 4 years and is a total different game with a larger ice surface. If it's NHL ice size, it's just like watching another NHL game (not saying it sucks - just would prefer something different, that's all)

Seconded

[shnuggs 0]

Double Post -- Delete this

[shnuggs 0]

Wow, SOMEBODY wants US and Canada to win Olympics to maintain their pride...

Kinda sucks really. The Olympics comes around every 4 years and is a total different game with a larger ice surface. If it's NHL ice size, it's just like watching another NHL game (not saying it sucks - just would prefer something different, that's all)

Seconded

Thirded

[PBRyan 0]

yea but who's to say what the "world's" hockey rink dimensions are, just cause its been the status quo doesn't mean its the only correct size. Yes, an 'olympic size' rink is what europe uses but it is not what a substantial portion of the hockey world uses (see North America). I'm by no means saying the change is not a biased decision towards North Americans, but the NHL rink is the same sized rink that many of the players in the Olympics, and the elite players in the world for that matter, play. Many Europeans grow up playing on larger rinks and come over to the NHL, minors or juniors and gain experience playing on the smaller rinks, US and Canadian players only play on the large sheets when they play in the world comps.

[whbd18 0]

, US and Canadian players only play on the large sheets when they play in the world comps.

Thats not entirely true, the Hartford Wolfpack(AHL) practice on an olympic sized rink and Im sure there are other teams minor or pro who do too, although they may not be in the olympics.

[PBRyan 0]

I'm sure there are exceptions in Europe as well. I've played on 3 separate Olympic sized rinks in the US but in general most NA players don't spend much time at all playing on Olypmic size ice surfaces.

[jjtt99 0]

The European NHL guys think the game is better on the smaller rinks, so I'm game for that.

- Alfredson

- Sundin

- Naslund

- Sedin twins

[crutesie 0]

yea but who's to say what the "world's" hockey rink dimensions are, just cause its been the status quo doesn't mean its the only correct size.  Yes, an 'olympic size' rink is what europe uses but it is not what a substantial portion of the hockey world uses (see North America).  I'm by no means saying the change is not a biased decision towards North Americans, but the NHL rink is the same sized rink that many of the players in the Olympics, and the elite players in the world for that matter, play.  Many Europeans grow up playing on larger rinks and come over to the NHL, minors or juniors and gain experience playing on the smaller rinks, US and Canadian players only play on the large sheets when they play in the world comps.

I'm not to say what the worlds rink dimensions are but i just prefer to watch the games on the bigger rink. Its different and thats what i like.

And...

The majority of countries in the olympics/WCOH/WC play on the bigger pad

[domileafs28 0]

i don't like the olympic sized ice. it eliminates too much of the body contact. i thought the olympic hockey was pretty boring.

you wouldn't think that 4 meters would make a big difference, but it does. when i played on an olympic ice (once) it felt huge out there, much harder to get passes off and less board play.

I HATE the way the clock counts the wrong way in the olympics too.

I never understood why NHL clocks show time remaining in the period, but penalties and goals are recorded as time elapsed in the period... confusing.

[crutesie 0]

i agree with you with the clock thing but thats about it.

[sabre09923 0]

i don't like the olympic sized ice.  it eliminates too much of the body contact.  i thought the olympic hockey was pretty boring.

you wouldn't think that 4 meters would make a big difference, but it does.  when i played on an olympic ice (once) it felt huge out there, much harder to get passes off and less board play.

I HATE the way the clock counts the wrong way in the olympics too.

I never understood why NHL clocks show time remaining in the period, but penalties and goals are recorded as time elapsed in the period... confusing.

I played on Olympic sized ice when I was in squirts. It was hard. But then, last season, we went back to the same rink and it was a lot of fun, since my team was a realatively good skating team. The bigger ice makes it a better game, it makes for more skating and it's much more open. It makes the Olympics much more of a skill game, which hockey is supposed to be. Brute force isn't going to get you to the podium on the bigger sheet of ice.

[theone96 0]

Olympics is international hockey and it should be played on International sized ice... it adds to the appeal of the olympics

[hockechamp14 0]

, US and Canadian players only play on the large sheets when they play in the world comps.

Thats not entirely true, the Hartford Wolfpack(AHL) practice on an olympic sized rink and Im sure there are other teams minor or pro who do too, although they may not be in the olympics.

WHBD, the cromwell ice is oly. sized? I skated at both rinks in the last month or so, and I didn't realize either surface being olympic.

Anyhow, I think this will create more exciting hockey, I felt that the last olympics was too defense oriented the way the fins were able to run the trap. I really don't care as long as it's good hockey, but canada is SO trying to take advantage... I actually thought about this a few months ago when the olympics was first announced for Vancouver.

[whbd18 0]

, US and Canadian players only play on the large sheets when they play in the world comps.

Thats not entirely true, the Hartford Wolfpack(AHL) practice on an olympic sized rink and Im sure there are other teams minor or pro who do too, although they may not be in the olympics.

WHBD, the cromwell ice is oly. sized? I skated at both rinks in the last month or so, and I didn't realize either surface being olympic.

Anyhow, I think this will create more exciting hockey, I felt that the last olympics was too defense oriented the way the fins were able to run the trap. I really don't care as long as it's good hockey, but canada is SO trying to take advantage... I actually thought about this a few months ago when the olympics was first announced for Vancouver.

Top rink is. I havent played their since last summer so I dont know if they changed it.

[aoes812 0]

International sized ice makes the game more boring, IMO. the players have way too much room.

[hockechamp14 0]

International sized ice makes the game more boring, IMO. the players have way too much room.

exactly... it makes it like soccer. Low scoring, a lot of room and not altogether very exciting.

[crutesie 0]

International sized ice makes the game more boring, IMO. the players have way too much room.

exactly... it makes it like soccer. Low scoring, a lot of room and not altogether very exciting.

i disagree.

i would rather see a 2-1 great game than a 7-6 crap game. it makes it slow and boring because the north american style of play doesnt suit the ice size. Euros seem to be alot faster mostly because the fact they use the bigger ice more reguarly.

im saying the euro pros tend to be faster, not all euros.

[crutesie 0]

Olympics is international hockey and it should be played on International sized ice... it adds to the appeal of the olympics

Got it in one.