NHL, NHLPA Working on Getting Players Back to Olympics for 2026

[Phil]

 

[Sharpshooter]

Please don't.

[Cash or Czech]

Literally just move the World Champs back to August.

[RichieNextel305]

While I do like it and I get the value it has to players, I think it’s a risk for the owners who, like it or hate it, are paying these guys. Look at the WBC with the Mets and Edwin Diaz. He gets hurt during a fluke celebration in a tournament that doesn’t involve the Mets and who takes it on the chin? The Mets.

 

My theory is this: want to play? Well, if you get hurt, you don’t get paid while hurt. I wish there was wording in there for that where, yeah? You love your country this much? It means this much to you? Fine. If you do get hurt there, you’re not getting paid here. Want to take the risk? Run the same risk your teams owner does letting you go.

Edited July 19, 2023 by RichieNextel305

[RangersIn7]

2 hours ago, Cash or Czech said:

Literally just move the World Champs back to August.

Yup

 

And make it a big deal.

Promote the hell out of it.

Get a major media outlet to broadcast it. 
 

Im fine with amateurs in the Olympics.

[siddious]

I don’t care about the Olympics. 
 

World Cup in august when there’s no hockey? Yepp I don’t care either but I’ll watch Canada dummy the rest of the world because I love hockey. 

[Pete]

There's only 1 reason to even think about letting players go the Olympics... It gives owners negotiation leverage. It does nothing to broaden the sport or benefit the league. Nada. Zero. 

[Albatrosss]

Love it. 

[Phil]

4 hours ago, Pete said:

There's only 1 reason to even think about letting players go the Olympics... It gives owners negotiation leverage. It does nothing to broaden the sport or benefit the league. Nada. Zero. 

 

I actually think it does broaden the sport, but not through the league, because the IOC doesn't play nice with simple things like allowing the NHL, who's players they are stealing to put on this tourney, to show any of the footage. Completely one-sided relationship at the full expense of the NHL.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

You guys are boring.

 

It's a shame there's no international hockey tournament where the best players in the world are participating. People wants to see it, I don't get how you can argue this won't benefit the sport/league. Maybe not so much in the US, but it's great for worldwide recognition.

 

Best vs Best international tournaments are usually the biggest deal in sports, just you Americans that hate it lol.

[Pete]

Yes, I can see the massive influx of Italians into the NHL after the Turin Olympics. 

[Sharpshooter]

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

43 minutes ago, Pete said:

Yes, I can see the massive influx of Italians into the NHL after the Turin Olympics. 

I thought we we're talking about fans here? I'm sure it would help the sports recognition outside of the US. I didn't watch the NHL before the 2010 Olympics.

 

Same for kids, I'm sure they would enjoy watching a star stacked Olympics more than they enjoy regular season games between October-March.

[SaveByRichter35]

@Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Idc what anyone else says either.  I loved watching NHL players in the Olympics too.

Edited July 20, 2023 by SaveByRichter35

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Sharpshooter said:

He speaks the 3rd most Italian out of us!

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

I thought we we're talking about fans here? I'm sure it would help the sports recognition outside of the US. I didn't watch the NHL before the 2010 Olympics.

 

Same for kids, I'm sure they would enjoy watching a star stacked Olympics more than they enjoy regular season games between October-March.

If you stay with the amateur players, there are more than enough high-level, talented kids from 6-8 countries, which are the only ones that have a conceivable chance at winning Gold, to make for a really good tournament. 
 

US

Canada

Sweden

Czechia

Finland

 

Obviously Russia is banned right now cause of their KGB stooge of a leader, but that can change.

 

Plus…

 

Germany- which has a vastly improving program that has produced some really excellent players recently (Draisaitl, Stutzle, Seider).

Switzerland-also a significantly improved program producing more and more NHL guys, with top-level players (Hischier, Meier, Fiala).

Slovakia- Have produced guys like Chara and Gaborik, plus the top 2 picks in the 2022 draft in Slafkovsky and Nemec.

 

That’s 8 National teams (Russia would make 9 if they are eligible) that can give you very good rosters composed of amateur players, with a good number of guys you’ll see in the NHL one day.

Im good with that.

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by RangersIn7

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

11 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

If you stay with the amateur players, there are more than enough high-level, talented kids from 6-8 countries, which are the only ones that have a conceivable chance at winning Gold, to make for a really good tournament. 
 

US

Canada

Sweden

Czechia

Finland

 

Obviously Russia is banned right now cause of their KGB stooge of a leader, but that can change.

 

Plus…

 

Germany- which has a vastly improving program that has produced some really excellent players recently (Draisaitl, Stutzle, Seider).

Switzerland-also a significantly improved program producing more and more NHL guys, with top-level players (Hischier, Meier, Fiala).

Slovakia- Have produced guys like Chara and Gaborik, plus the top 2 picks in the 2022 draft in Slafkovsky and Nemec.

 

That’s 8 National teams (Russia would make 9 if they are eligible) that can give you very good rosters composed of amateur players, with a good number of guys you’ll see in the NHL one day.

Im good with that.

 

But all the switz, german and slovakian players you mentioned aren’t amateurs?

 

I don’t really care about watching potential future stars, I can watch the WJC for that. I want to watch all the stars at once. I want to watch a game with USA or Canada or Sweden where their 4th line is as good as most NHL teams 1st line.

[Sod16]

With pre-season, regular season and playoffs, we've got guys playing well over 100 games a year.  Sorry, no more.  My interest in the Olympics ended the day after we beat Finland in 1980.  The World Cup of Hockey is pathetic.  I had a package of tickets for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and I ended up not being able to give them away.  15 years later, I recouped a good bit of the loses by selling the unused tickets on ebay, mostly to Europeans who care about such things.

 

Quick, who won the 2004 WC of H?  Gee, I thought you were a big hockey fan.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Sod16

[RangersIn7]

23 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

But all the switz, german and slovakian players you mentioned aren’t amateurs?

 

I don’t really care about watching potential future stars, I can watch the WJC for that. I want to watch all the stars at once. I want to watch a game with USA or Canada or Sweden where their 4th line is as good as most NHL teams 1st line.

If those countries have produced NHL stars like that, over not only a long span, but recently, it stands to reason they are still doing so and can field a very good roster of amateur players, with a number amongst them who will play in, and possibly be big stars, in the NHL.
 

You have the big 6:

USA

Canada

Sweden

Finland

Czechia

Russia*

 

Slovakia- a bit below the 6 but a good hockey tradition.

 

Germany and Switzerland are VASTLY improved and have legitimately competitive players now.

 

Two of the better Olympic tournaments I can remember were 1992 in France and 1994 in Norway.

Those tournaments featured:

Lindros

Forsberg

Kariya

Selanne

Zubov

Koivu

Kovalev

Lehtinen

 

And those are just the big names. First 5 names are HOF’ers. The rest were all-star caliber players.

Plus, many other guys from several nations went on to play in the NHL, a good number of whom had significant careers. 
 

If the talent is good, and the tournament is open and highly competitive, it doesn’t matter to me if they’re the World’s best this very moment, or in a few years.

 

Im good with that. 

Edited July 20, 2023 by RangersIn7

[LindG1000]

This all hinges on the NHL and the IOC suddenly playing nice, imo. They should, because there's an obvious mutual benefit - see IOC + NBA - but they never really do. I get why maybe you don't send the NHL to Pyeongchang, as Korea's not a growing market and it's unlikely to produce fans. Not sending them to Beijing was a stupid move from the business perspective on both sides of the coin.

 

Not sending them to Milan would be stupid enough, but not sending to what will almost assuredly be another North American Winter Olympics in 2030 is absolute madness.

 

[Phil]

3 hours ago, Sharpshooter said:

 

Damn, when did Vatrano start acting?