Ovechkin Playing in 2014 Games "Regardless"

[IniNew 53]

I guess I put mre weight on the world games then a silly league. I have a very, VERY hard time believing a 2 week break well into the season runs some "fringe fans" off.

This is the world games people, the highest competition in the world! People should show some pride and represent their country. Just like Crosby is doing for Canada now, and like Modano is doing for the U.S.A. for the umpteenth time.

[chippa13 1844]

The World Cup is the highest competition in the world. The Olympics were (and I think still should be) the greatest amateurs in the world. Professional hockey players (Soviet bloc players excluded) got by for decades without worrying about being able to represent at the Olympics. Canada refused to participate for years in protest of the Soviet teams because they were in essence sending professionals.

[dsjunior1388 81]

The World Cup is the highest competition in the world. The Olympics were (and I think still should be) the greatest amateurs in the world. Professional hockey players (Soviet bloc players excluded) got by for decades without worrying about being able to represent at the Olympics. Canada refused to participate for years in protest of the Soviet teams because they were in essence sending professionals.

Plus I think it evens the playing field with amateurs, at least in terms of predictions and expectations. We know how the best swedes stack up against the best Russians in the NHL, but it's much harder to have that kind of grasp of the not 18-24 set from these countries who havent played against each other as much yet.

[Ahriman 1]

I appreciate a star player taking a stand on an issue that means something to him. If more players were willing to take a stand on something other than making more money, the game would be a lot better off.

That said, I don't think the Olympic breaks benefit the NHL at all and I would rather see teams made up of kids and retired players than NHL players. But at least this way, you can't really cheat the system.

You can't cheat the system but some lesser nations get cheated because they have to play games before their NHLers get there and in a couple of cases played prelim round games with short benches. There were a few NHLers who got overseas too late to play at all.

Last time this came around I was in favor of the prelim rounds being played in the summer to prevent that problem. I'm still in favor of it.

I like that if the NHLers are still going to go.

Matt, not offended in any way. I understand that Olympic gold is a huge deal for Euro players, it is for N.A. players, as well. However, shutting down the league for 2 1/2 weeks is not a good thing. It sucks the life out of the season and forces home team fans to find something else to fill those hours spent attending or watching their team in action. It also loses the fringe fans who find alternatives to the NHL and then forget to check back in when the Olympics end. The NHL is the only sports league in North America that has done this for a few Olympics and, with the exception of Salt Lake, has received zippo in terms of ratings and the like in their markets.

It was my assertion that the "fringe" fans would stop watching the NHL anyways because they'd be too busy watching figure skating events anyways.

[Kevin 5]

I would rather watch the Olympics with NHL players than regular season NHL games or the Olympics without NHL players.

[goaliemanshark 6]

The World Cup is the highest competition in the world. The Olympics were (and I think still should be) the greatest amateurs in the world. Professional hockey players (Soviet bloc players excluded) got by for decades without worrying about being able to represent at the Olympics. Canada refused to participate for years in protest of the Soviet teams because they were in essence sending professionals.

When was the last time there was a world cup of hockey?

[chippa13 1844]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28708182/

The last was 2004 and the next is 2011.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

The World Cup is the highest competition in the world. The Olympics were (and I think still should be) the greatest amateurs in the world. Professional hockey players (Soviet bloc players excluded) got by for decades without worrying about being able to represent at the Olympics. Canada refused to participate for years in protest of the Soviet teams because they were in essence sending professionals.

When was the last time amateurs were used in the olympics? Carl Lewis an amateur? How about Daley Thompson?

Boxing still has amateurs but the predominant events have professional athletes and have had for decades. You think Torvil and Dean stocked shelves at their local grocery shop outside olympic season? No, they had endorsement deals that allowed them to train full time for the olympics. Usain Bolt, amateur, sure he is.

This notion that the Olympics are for the greatest amateurs in the world is dated by about 25-30 years

[Patrick67 1]

Ask any european NHL player what he ranks highest... the world cup of hockey or the olympics. I'm pretty sure the answer would be unanimous...

[chippa13 1844]

The World Cup is the highest competition in the world. The Olympics were (and I think still should be) the greatest amateurs in the world. Professional hockey players (Soviet bloc players excluded) got by for decades without worrying about being able to represent at the Olympics. Canada refused to participate for years in protest of the Soviet teams because they were in essence sending professionals.

When was the last time amateurs were used in the olympics? Carl Lewis an amateur? How about Daley Thompson?

Boxing still has amateurs but the predominant events have professional athletes and have had for decades. You think Torvil and Dean stocked shelves at their local grocery shop outside olympic season? No, they had endorsement deals that allowed them to train full time for the olympics. Usain Bolt, amateur, sure he is.

This notion that the Olympics are for the greatest amateurs in the world is dated by about 25-30 years

Hence why I used the past tense in my post. I still believe that the Olympics should be for the best amateurs and would love to see it go back that way in all sports. All the Olympics are these days is just another stop on whatever tour the athletes happen to be in. There is no uniqueness left to it.

"Hooray, I just won a Gold beating all the same guys I beat last month at the World Championships in [insert sport here] and the month before that at the [insert city or nation] Invitational."

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Hence why I used the past tense in my post. I still believe that the Olympics should be for the best amateurs and would love to see it go back that way in all sports. All the Olympics are these days is just another stop on whatever tour the athletes happen to be in. There is no uniqueness left to it.

"Hooray, I just won a Gold beating all the same guys I beat last month at the World Championships in [insert sport here] and the month before that at the [insert city or nation] Invitational."

I understand that but at the same time, hockey is different, different ice size, playing for your country with the players you may have beat in the "insert city here" game.

It's once every 4 years, it's not that big a deal. Bettman is just pissed about the russians not signing the IIHF agreement, so is threatening to hold NHLers out. Ovechkin (and now crosby and Martin Brodeur) are simply saying they are not going to be bargaining chips for Bettman

[chippa13 1844]

Almost exactly the same tournament as the World Cup with the exception that the World Cup doesn't screw up the NHL season.

The NHL wants to pull out because participation does nothing for the NHL. That has been covered earlier, I believe. As I've said before, pros had no problem missing the Olympics for the first 7+ decades of the NHL.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Almost exactly the same tournament as the World Cup with the exception that the World Cup doesn't screw up the NHL season.

The NHL wants to pull out because participation does nothing for the NHL. That has been covered earlier, I believe. As I've said before, pros had no problem missing the Olympics for the first 7+ decades of the NHL.

The olympics are a much bigger deal than the world cup, regardless of what it does or doesn't do for the NHL. It's about the players and national pride. Just because they are professionals now, does not diminish the honor of playing for your country on the largest stage in the world.

Add to the fact that his mother has 2 olympic golds, then for him, it doesn't matter a damn what the NHL think.

I would say if you polled European hockey players and gave them a choice, stanley cup or olympic champion, it would be a very close vote. I would say Olympics win it.

The Hockey World Cup is to the Olympic Games for hockey players what the Olympic Games are to the actual World Cup for football players, it doesn't compare.

[chippa13 1844]

Fine, then he can desert his team for 2-3 weeks of the stretch run to seek his own personal goal of winning an Olympic gold. I could care less about what trophy/medal a player would prefer to have. If you want your chance at gold then don't sign that NHL contract for that season. Spend the year with your national team and good luck to you. But if you sign that contract then you darn well better plan on playing every game that you are physically capable of playing.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

In an interview with PuckDaddy on Yahoo! , Evgeni Malkin states he will go to Olympics 'regardless' as well. Even went as far as to say if they kicked players who didnt comply out of the league, he would just go play in Russia.

[psh 25]

Fine, then he can desert his team for 2-3 weeks of the stretch run to seek his own personal goal of winning an Olympic gold. I could care less about what trophy/medal a player would prefer to have. If you want your chance at gold then don't sign that NHL contract for that season. Spend the year with your national team and good luck to you. But if you sign that contract then you darn well better plan on playing every game that you are physically capable of playing.

Since NHL players have previously been allowed to play in the Olympics, I think it's fair to assume that any NHL contract signed up until recently implicitly assumes that if a player is invited to represent his country in the Olympics, he can do so without jeopardizing the status of his contract.

[Chadd 916]

Fine, then he can desert his team for 2-3 weeks of the stretch run to seek his own personal goal of winning an Olympic gold. I could care less about what trophy/medal a player would prefer to have. If you want your chance at gold then don't sign that NHL contract for that season. Spend the year with your national team and good luck to you. But if you sign that contract then you darn well better plan on playing every game that you are physically capable of playing.

Since NHL players have previously been allowed to play in the Olympics, I think it's fair to assume that any NHL contract signed up until recently implicitly assumes that if a player is invited to represent his country in the Olympics, he can do so without jeopardizing the status of his contract.

You would be wrong. The NHL and NHLPA have not negotiated an agreement beyond the 2010 Olympics. A player leaving his team, without the team's permission, would be in breach of his contract.

[chippa13 1844]

And remember, even if the team does give permission the league can still step in and not allow it. That was the case with a couple of guys who got their team's permission to leave early to play in the prelim round of the Olympics but then were not allowed by the league.

[psh 25]

Wouldn't any contract signed prior to 2010 but with terms that reach beyond 2010 carry the pre-2010 terms forward to the extent any detail (i.e. Olympic participation) is not addressed in the contract?

If not, are you saying that every pre-2010 contact can have its terms altered by the labor agreement without the input of the player? If that is the case, it seems like an arrangement ripe for challenge by a player (perhaps Ovechkin if push comes to shove based on his recent statements). It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the NHL would prevail in that legal challenge. I've never heard of a contract that can be altered without the consent of both contracting parties unless some specific exception is set forth in the contract itself (for instance, a construction contract where certain materials are not available at the time of construction). No such exception would seem to apply here.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

It seems pretty obvious that the NHL is going to participate in the 2014 Olympics. There is no way the NHL would risk the PR involved with Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk. I would think that the games in Russia will be the last the NHL participates in.

[eric42434224 1]

There has got to be a reasonable way for the NHL to mitigate any losses it may incur during the olympics, and let the best atheletes in the sport represent their countries in the Olympics. It may take some creative thinking and mybe some concessions, but I think it is important and worth it. Business isnt always about bottom line black and white numbers....Good Will counts. The NHL should work on a way to spin this into its favor. What that is I dont know.

[chippa13 1844]

There are only 2 solutions, either make hockey a part of the summer Olympics or remove NHL participation. Halting the season for 2+ weeks and condensing the rest of the season does nobody any good.

[IniNew 53]

There are only 2 solutions, either make hockey a part of the summer Olympics or remove NHL participation. Halting the season for 2+ weeks and condensing the rest of the season does nobody any good.

No, those are not the only 2 options. It may not make you happy to go without NHL for 2 weeks, and sure it may hurt the "fringe" fan participation, but they've been doing it for a while now. I don't see a reason to change.

Note: I still think the fringe fan thing is a stupid reason to not let players play for their countries.

[dsjunior1388 81]

There are only 2 solutions, either make hockey a part of the summer Olympics or remove NHL participation. Halting the season for 2+ weeks and condensing the rest of the season does nobody any good.

No, those are not the only 2 options. It may not make you happy to go without NHL for 2 weeks, and sure it may hurt the "fringe" fan participation, but they've been doing it for a while now. I don't see a reason to change.

Note: I still think the fringe fan thing is a stupid reason to not let players play for their countries.

It's not like after the Olympics are over the average fan will just forget the NHL is there. I see it as a moot point really.

[eric42434224 1]

There are only 2 solutions, either make hockey a part of the summer Olympics or remove NHL participation. Halting the season for 2+ weeks and condensing the rest of the season does nobody any good.

Those are most certainly not the only two solutions. They may be, in a very basic way, the only two outcomes. The solutions that can benefit all involved to some degree are many and varied. The NHL can really use this opportunity to create good will, and even more exposure to new fans, if it is involved in a positive way in having its players participate in the Olympics. Lockouts lose fans....not a break for 2-1/2 weeks. Especially when they can see International hockey with many of the same players, new players, and a very different dynamic. If many months of off season isnt raising issues of fan base loss, why is 2-1/2 weeks once every 4 years? I see it as much ado about nothing.

EDIT: I do however see an issue with injuries. This has been an issue with the WBC as well. The NHL does have a legitimate concern with their players getting injured in the Olympics. But I am sure it can be worked out. Players get injured off the ice as well, and I am sure the statistical chance of injury in the short time they play in the Olympics is not a great one.