1:18 pm: What the heck!
Frans Nielsen sustained a broken hand on a slash by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson during their game Saturday, according to a report by Arthur Staple of Newsday.
Things just keep going from bad to worse for the NY Islanders. Guess the best we can do is look toward the Sound Tigers and hope for their AHL playoffs.
Also, in looking at the rosters at Sochi, it is only the US and Canada that is made up of ALL NHLers. If the IOC is looking for more competitiveness in ice hockey, you would think they would WANT to keep the NHL out of the games.
http://www.tsn.ca/videohub/?collection=72&show=289688
While the 2014 Olympic games are only a few days old, the NHL has to ponder their participation in the 2018 games. It's a sort subject. It was a bone of contention in the last contract negotiation.
If the NHL decides not to participate, the IOC has some decisions to make of their own. The NHL has only been participating in the Olympics since 1998, so it isn't as if Ice Hockey would be out of the Olympics, we'd just be seeing different players.
Participation in the games is costly in so many ways. Is there another industry that just shuts down for more than two weeks? No. And while points are all important at this time of year, the NHL couldn't go on while star players were overseas playing for their countries.
This is a tough decision. From a business standpoint, I would have to side with owners who don't want to participate. These players are under contract and those contracts are costly. The risk of injury while playing elsewhere has to be taken into consideration.
Personally -- as much as I like the Olympics, I don't like the NHL being shut down. I also don't believe professional hockey players should be participating. We haven't had a 'miracle' since `1980. Let's at least test the quality of ice hockey in 2018 without the NHLers and see.
Meanwhile, John Tavares and others have begun practicing in Sochi. Hopefully JT won't get stuck in an elevator or a bathroom. Sochiproblems.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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