So the NHLPA has told players not to participate in any on-ice drills at the upcoming orientation camps for the Olympics. Apparently the NHL has now also sent out a memo that dissuades player involvement as well, as the memo apparently states that the league will not honour NHL contracts for a player injured at a summer camp.
Call me crazy, but wasn't it the NHL and the NHLPA that agreed to participate in the Olympics?
Well the average fan is going through players and looking at rosters and trying to figure out what the possible line combinations will be, or who will be left off, or who may be the surprise inclusion the management bodies of both the league and the players are once again finding new ways to shoot themselves in the foot... Once again we have a PERFECT opportunity to showcase the game and it's players in every hockey country playing country in the world and the message from the governing bodies in the NHL is: If you get hurt... Too bad... So don't participate.
Doesn't that seem wildly counterproductive? Wouldn't it make sense that if you agree to participate in an event that you would be participating in the orientation camps that lead up to said event as well? Didn't the PA fight hard to make sure that we had NHL players on the ice for the Vancouver Olympics?
Of course it all comes down to money. The NHL doesn't want to risk the player’s health in a non-NHL event and the PA is just looking to protect their membership from any pitfalls that could happen. Essentially it actually all comes down to insurance and the fact that there isn't what would be considered adequate coverage for a player that suffers a long-term or career threatening injury during a camp.
Ok, I get that the PA doesn't want the players to risk their careers just for a camp but the camp has been a pre-Olympic event since the league started participating at the games so how did this never come up when the membership fought so hard to be able to compete. And if the league is so dead-set against the possible risks involved in extra-curricular events then why were they willing to allow their players to participate in the event at all?
The fact is: This is something that needed to be addressed long before the league and it's players decided to participate in the Olympics because right now it's an ugly situation where everyone just comes out looking dirty and even if the players do participate against the wishes of their leadership and the league, what happens if one of them does suffer an injury that threatens their future in hockey?
The easy answer would have been to take care of this when the opportunity was discussed and not leave it hanging until it became the issue it is now. Obviously neither side wants to pay for the coverage that both sides feel is needed... Well, if they didn't want to pay the price maybe that should have been a factor in the original decision...
Have a great day!
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