NHL Hockey players wont be participating in Olympic games

This is big in the world of Ice Hockey right now

The NHL won't offer up its best players to go play in South Korea next year. In the past, the IOC has covered all the costs of NHL players participating, but now they are shelling out nothing. Both the NHL and IOC are money hungry businesses, but I agree with the NHL on this. Why shut down your business for 3 weeks, send off your most valuable assets over seas to risk injury in games that barely anyone in North America will watch (games will be played in the middle of the night)?

Many Canucks Are up in arms over this decision, including many NHL players. Thing is, Canada will still send excellent players to the games and will still be the favorite to win. There's nothing wrong with giving the opportunity back to the amateurs.

What say the ATS hockey fans?

www.sportsnet.ca...

gocanadago

Agreed.
It will allow some young kids in college and farm league hockey a chance to shine enough to have the suits in the NHL take notice.

I've always had a problem with the pro's playing in the Olympics for Hockey.
So I am all for it.

This hozer think that the olympics should be for the non-professionals.

I can't wait to see Canada kick the worlds butt again!

Its not about the venue or the lack of spectators, its about the friggin money.

Team owners don;t get paid to send players to nowhere for nothing, neither do the players.

Kind of like building the US Mexico wall vs. building the Dakota pipeline.

One is all expense the other, all profit.

I'm in favor of this.

Will the same happen to basketball?

a reply to: Tucket

Good, maybe we can have another "Miracle on Ice" moment.

I bet most remember that moment from 37 years ago, try and name me a historic memory from Olympic hockey since the pros started playing......

originally posted by: chiefsmom
I've always had a problem with the pro's playing in the Olympics for Hockey.
So I am all for it.

Playing devil's advocate, I've at the same time NEVER had an issue with it.

The olympics were always meant to be the best of the best. Not who could be paid the most to participate.

That being said, the best of the best now demand a salary, so the question is give 15th best their trophy, or just boycott the Olympics out of principle?

a reply to: Tucket

That will probably give a huge advantage to Russia. Don't they send their professional hockey players to the Olympics too?

Really, the Olympics should be all about new and young athletes who don't get paid for their athletic abilities. It's much more exciting watching an unknown athlete excelling in their sport.

This means we should get an All-Star Weekend and game now.
Let the farm team and college guys go play. Like one poster above me said, it should give some guys a chance to shine who may not have been noticed as much, have a better chance of making the NHL

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: Tucket

That will probably give a huge advantage to Russia. Don't they send their professional hockey players to the Olympics too?

Yes..Alex Ovechkin has already said that he's going, with or without the NHL.

I expect more than a few Euro/Russian players to defy their teams' owner and go regardless.

I'm more interested to see which North American players decide to break the rules of their contracts...

a reply to: Tucket

Professional players will play. NHL players won't. There is hockey outside the NHL. I will watch all of Finland's games and the final even if Finland wouldn't make it. Not keeping my hopes too high because the new coach has been nothing but failure. World cup, we lost all three games making one goal. If the world championships in may suck in a Finnish point of view, there is still time to fire him and get a new coach and let him set his tactics to the team before the olympics.

also sympathizing Team Canada, for being just the greatest, the current best player (Sidney Crosby) is from there, and to begin with they invented the whole sport which i happen to love

And Team Switzerland. Years in the mud, losing 8-2 and stuff, then a huge breaking into a serious contender for many years now.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: Tucket

That will probably give a huge advantage to Russia. Don't they send their professional hockey players to the Olympics too?

Really, the Olympics should be all about new and young athletes who don't get paid for their athletic abilities. It's much more exciting watching an unknown athlete excelling in their sport.

Yes, in fact every country sends players (that have them)

I'm with the NHL's decision on this one.

GO BLACKHAWKS!

originally posted by: Finspiracy
a reply to: Tucket

Professional players will play. NHL players won't. There is hockey outside the NHL.

Thanks for pointing out that distinction. Title fixed.

But some NHL players will play. Ovechkin has already said he's going.

I'd bet at least a handful more will follow suit..

As for the Fins...dangerous..always a dark horse. Good team that usually takes home a medal.

Hockey is an Olympic sport? Huh.

Sorry,
I don't like any pro athlete in the Olympics if they have higher goals elsewhere.

Nba title or gold medal? Title.
Stanley cup or gold metal? Title.
Any golf major or gold metal? Major.

Let the swimmers and runners win the gold as those are the highest goals they can achieve.

a reply to: Tucket

I think it ought to be illegal to make money from playing a game.

I would like to put both my middle fingers up to the board members, shareholders, and the die hard fans of professional sports, for being witless enough to propagate and promote a scenario in which any individual could ever get paid to play games, rather than actually produce something ubiquitously useful, like a physical take home product which has an end user benefit, besides the mindless group think that comes with sports fandom.

I mean no offence by any of this, but professional sports should go the way of the dodo with all possible speed.

a reply to: stosh64

I bet most remember that moment from 37 years ago, try and name me a historic memory from Olympic hockey since the pros started playing......

Very True! I remember living in our college dorm and it seemed like the entire college residence was in the lobby watching it on TV. If you weren't a hockey fan, or never watched a hockey game back then, you quickly became glued to the TV watching college players beating the Russians who were favored on winning the gold.

a reply to: Tucket

And what comes to this decision, i think for me there is two sides to this coin. I think olympics should be the ultimate best of the best. Money disagreements should not be an issue. So therefore i would like to see NHL players in the olympics.

On the other hand, if this decision stands and Canada will be missing players like Crosby, Burns and practically full four lines of all star material, it is an advantage for Finland.

I have mixed feelings about this whole thing.

PRO
* Makes the Olympics hockey games more exciting.
* Promotes national pride.
* Promotes the game world-wide.

CON
* Professional players should not play in the Olympics.
* Could be used by the players to get more money, promises to play in the next OLympics during the next contract negotiations.
* Forces a THREE WEEK hiatus in the NHL schedule....and plays havoc with the whole season.
* Potential for players to have injuries that will impact their teams.


ETA
Bottom line:
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Should be for semi-pro and college players.