37 replies to this topic

[kmart890]

It hasn’t been a banner weekend for those hoping the NHL and its players will take part in the 2014 Olympic hockey tournament in Sochi.

First, there was IIHF president Rene Fasel on Hockey Night In Canada suggesting that “ego from some people in North America” was the main barrier standing in the way of NHL participation, adding, somewhat smugly, “I think Gary [Bettman] has no choice but to come to Sochi.”

And further down, when it brought up that Slovenia and Austria qualified:

Because Austria and Slovenia in Sochi means there will be no Italy. No France. And for the first time in 6o years, no Germany.

It’s not that those countries are hockey powerhouses whose presence would make for a more compelling tournament. They’re all fringe participants. None of them could have counted on bringing over a true NHL star to bolster their lineups in Sochi.

But they are economic giants compared to Slovenia and Austria. Any of those three, or even Great Britain or Japan who were in the mix recently, would have meant bigger television markets and greater marketing opportunities for the league.

Right here

[damned]

Dumb

[Imber]

I will be beyond pissed if the players don't go.

[Shakes]

I will be beyond pissed if the players don't go.

I won't- I'd like to see it go back to amateur players, and the NHL can bring back the world cup for the pros.

I think stories like Miracle on Ice are so much more compelling than what's gone on since Salt Lake.

[Shakes]

BTW- too funny hearing Rene Fasel talking about someone else's ego....

[Craig Simpson]

BTW- too funny hearing Rene Fasel talking about someone else's ego....

Made me snicker, too.

[Erik C.]

BTW- too funny hearing Rene Fasel talking about someone else's ego....

Right? The same guy that just dropped wrestling from the Summer program over other options like trampoline and the modern pentathlon.

[damned]

If there were no egos, no history of missteps and misunderstandings, no delicate political dance to maneuver …

Then this would be easy.

If hockey’s powerbrokers were simply trying to determine whether it was best for the top players in the sport to participate in the Sochi Olympics next year then there would be no reason for everyone to descend on Manhattan for two days of potentially contentious meetings.

http://www.sportsnet...delicate_dance/

[damned]

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has already given the Alex Ovechkin the green light to play for his country in Sochi, but that doesn’t mean Ovechkin’s NHL coach supports the idea of the professional league’s athletes competing in the Winter Games.

Asked by the Washington Post whether NHL players should participate in the Olympics, Capitals coach Adam Oates gave a candid if unpopular answer.

“You know what, I don’t. I don’t. My honest answer is no,” Oates told a small group of reporters in Tampa on Wednesday. “Is it good for hockey that they do it? Great. But I grew up trying to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn’t even know it existed.

http://www.sportsnet...olympics_sochi/

[damned]

A decision on whether NHL players will head to the 2014 Sochi Olympics isn't likely this week.

Discussions were set for Thursday and Friday between the NHL, the NHL players' association, and officials from the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee to see if it makes sense for North American professional hockey players to go to the Olympics for a fifth straight time.

"I don't expect any resolution or decisions this week," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email on Thursday.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=415990

[**LS**]

I've got my fingers crossed.

[Imber]

Heard the talks are progressing.

[Tashimojo]

I won't- I'd like to see it go back to amateur players, and the NHL can bring back the world cup for the pros.

I think stories like Miracle on Ice are so much more compelling than what's gone on since Salt Lake.

It's not going to go back to amateurs. It'll just be KHLers instead of NHLers and KHLers.

[**LS**]

Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning and executive director of Canada’s men’s hockey team for 2014, was adamant that the Olympics offer an unparalleled venue for the NHL to grow interest in the sport.

“It’s the biggest stage in the world for us to market our players,” Yzerman said. “The Olympics is the one time the whole world is watching and I believe we want our players there because we have the best players in the world. . . . It’s only good for our game.”

Not everyone agrees. Capitals Coach Adam Oates cited injury concerns as one of the reasons why he doesn’t want NHL players to take part in the Olympics, even though he understands the promotional benefits.

“You know what, I don’t. I don’t. My honest answer is no,” Oates said of whether he wants NHL players in the Olympics. “Is it good for hockey that they do it? Great. But I grew up trying to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn’t even know it existed.”

Read more from Katie Carrera

Adam Oates just earned himself some cool points with that soundbite.

[Avsfreak18]

Its pretty douchey to bail on the Olympics after 2 of the last 3 are held in the NHL countries....

but then again, the NHL is pretty douchey to begin with....


Let them play!

[damned]

I've got my fingers crossed.

Boooooo!!!

[damned]

The N.H.L. is expected to send its players to Sochi, Russia, next
February, marking the fifth time the world’s best players take part in
the Olympic men’s hockey tournament, but it is hardly a done deal.

 

http://www.nytimes.c...ef=hockey&_r=1

[damned]

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is in Sochi, Russia, to talk about possible participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Daly is among a group of league personnel meeting with the
International Olympic Committee, International Ice Hockey Federation and
local organizing committees this week.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=417962

[damned]

Herostratus, the ancient Greek arsonist who sought infamy by burning down the Temple of Artemis, has become a metonym for one who commits a crime in pursuit of fame.

If the National Hockey League decides not to send its players to the
2014 Sochi Games, then commissioner Gary Bettman could also become
synonymous with the executed firestarter, according to Kontinental
Hockey League president Alexander Medvedev.

 

http://www.sportsnet...an-to-arsonist/

[CoyoteQ]

FIRE!