By growing the game of hockey and marketing the league's best players to the widest audience hockey ever gets.
- rmdevil313

And after the Olympics are over and done with, those people go back to not watching hockey for another 4 years. The NHL gains very little in the marketplace by the way of new fans to justify shutting down the entire league for a small percentage of its players to play for their country. Non hockey fans living in lets say Florida are not going to become fans of the blackhawks because of how much they liked Patrick Kane in the olympics nor will they start to root for the panthers or lightening because of a player on another team. The olympics end and so does their interest..... until next time.

And after the Olympics are over and done with, those people go back to not watching hockey for another 4 years. The NHL gains very little in the marketplace by the way of new fans to justify shutting down the entire league for a small percentage of its players to play for their country. Non hockey fans living in lets say Florida are not going to become fans of the blackhawks because of how much they liked Patrick Kane in the olympics nor will they start to root for the panthers or lightening because of a player on another team. The olympics end and so does their interest..... until next time.
- Daveflyers36

Just because that is true for most doesn't make it true for anybody, and doesn't lessen its impact. Its also great exposure for Europe, which is a market that has lots of potential for hockey and the NHL.

Just because that is true for most doesn't make it true for anybody, and doesn't lessen its impact. Its also great exposure for Europe, which is a market that has lots of potential for hockey and the NHL.
- rmdevil313

Well, if it is true that most people who tune into the Olympics don't watch another hockey game until the next Olympics, it absolutely lessens it's impact, as far as the NHL is concerned.

The Olympics is the one time that Hockey is a true sport and not about the coin...Removing the best players in the world from that sport is simply wrong..

Not allowing NHL players to go is a slap in the face of what the Olympics are all about..Imo the NHL owes the sport and the best players in the world the right to take part in the games every 4yrs..



All that said...

I guarantee if USA wins the Gold this yr it's a non issue and there would be no discussion about going the next games as they would absolutely be returning...

The Olympics is the one time that Hockey is a true sport and not about the coin...Removing the best players in the world from that sport is simply wrong..

Not allowing NHL players to go is a slap in the face of what the Olympics are all about..Imo the NHL owes the sport and the best players in the world the right to take part in the games every 4yrs..



All that said...

I guarantee if USA wins the Gold this yr it's a non issue and there would be no discussion about going the next games as they would absolutely be returning...
- Fruitcakenipple

Except the Olympics is supposed to be about amateur sports. They used to strip people of medals if they had been paid to play any sports, even if it wasn't the sport they got a medal in.

And the players make an average of around $1.75mm per year to play in the NHL. Not sure how they're "owed" anything.

i became a diehard hockey fan and player because of the 1980 winter olympics. i was seven. as we all know, there were no professional players on the US team. even if there were, it wouldn't have made any difference to me. i was excited by a new sport and from watching the goalies...and i think my age had a lot to do with it. it's very challenging to create interest and real fans out of adults.

i enjoy olympic hockey, i enjoy watching the pros participate in it, but i'd prefer they didn't. the olympics and the nhl are apples and oranges. i don't like shutting the league down, even if it's only once every 4 years. i would watch with just as much interest if our national development players competed rather than nhl teams - it would allow for the team to be an actual team, not an all-star team that gets to practice for 5 minutes before the tournament starts. it's going to be excellent hockey, and believe me, you'll create just as much of a fan and/or player out of kid with amateurs as you would with nhl stars.

i don't know that the games or the nhl really serve each other by partnering...but it seems clear the partnership is likely to continue.

Well, if it is true that most people who tune into the Olympics don't watch another hockey game until the next Olympics, it absolutely lessens it's impact, as far as the NHL is concerned.
- Jsaquella

Not if it is still gaining fans and growing the game. You are never going to capture all of those fans. So much of growing the game is exposure and nothing gives hockey a wider audience than the olympics.

i became a diehard hockey fan and player because of the 1980 winter olympics. i was seven. as we all know, there were no professional players on the US team. even if there were, it wouldn't have made any difference to me. i was excited by a new sport and from watching the goalies...and i think my age had a lot to do with it. it's very challenging to create interest and real fans out of adults.

i enjoy olympic hockey, i enjoy watching the pros participate in it, but i'd prefer they didn't. the olympics and the nhl are apples and oranges. i don't like shutting the league down, even if it's only once every 4 years. i would watch with just as much interest if our national development players competed rather than nhl teams - it would allow for the team to be an actual team, not an all-star team that gets to practice for 5 minutes before the tournament starts. it's going to be excellent hockey, and believe me, you'll create just as much of a fan and/or player out of kid with amateurs as you would with nhl stars.

i don't know that the games or the nhl really serve each other by partnering...but it seems clear the partnership is likely to continue.
- hammarby31

Not if the development players go in to get beat down by teams full the top European players. Just because the NHL pulls out doesn't mean Europe will.

Except the Olympics is supposed to be about amateur sports. They used to strip people of medals if they had been paid to play any sports, even if it wasn't the sport they got a medal in.

And the players make an average of around $1.75mm per year to play in the NHL. Not sure how they're "owed" anything.
- Jsaquella

Basketball?...What about that snowboard stud Shawn White??..Pretty sure there many other examples of athletes making major coin who compete in Olympics....

They owe the sport of Hockey and the players who make the game the one opportunity to compete for something other than coin..The Olympics does that....

Except the Olympics is supposed to be about amateur sports. They used to strip people of medals if they had been paid to play any sports, even if it wasn't the sport they got a medal in.

And the players make an average of around $1.75mm per year to play in the NHL. Not sure how they're "owed" anything.
- Jsaquella

That ship sailed, decades ago. Corporate sponsors, government aid......athletes now train full time for years, just to compete. There no longer is a real true amateur out there.

That ship sailed, decades ago. Corporate sponsors, government aid......athletes now train full time for years, just to compete. There no longer is a real true amateur out there.
- PrinceLH

Yup. Amateur practically means beer league these days, not really practical for the modern olympics.

Not if it is still gaining fans and growing the game. You are never going to capture all of those fans. So much of growing the game is exposure and nothing gives hockey a wider audience than the olympics.
- rmdevil313

Hockey enrolment for youth has exploded, in many places in the U.S. It'll take 20 years to reach critical mass, but it will happen. Canada, for now, is number one, but 20 years from now? It's going to be difficult to be the world elite in this sport. It's important to keep the spotlight on the sport of hockey, to continue the advancement.

Just because that is true for most doesn't make it true for anybody, and doesn't lessen its impact. Its also great exposure for Europe, which is a market that has lots of potential for hockey and the NHL.
- rmdevil313

There is no potential for the NHL in Europe. The NFL failed with a league in Europe and they are far more successful in what they do than the NHL. There will be no expansion there nor will their be a league there. There is no real benefit other than for the players only.

There is no potential for the NHL in Europe. The NFL failed with a league in Europe and they are far more successful in what they do than the NHL. There will be no expansion there nor will their be a league there. There is no real benefit other than for the players only.
- Daveflyers36

European fans still have money. They can buy jerseys, they watch games. Also, its shortsighted to compare a very domestic game like football to one that already has a fairly large presence in Europe like hockey.

The Olympics is the one time that Hockey is a true sport and not about the coin...Removing the best players in the world from that sport is simply wrong..

Not allowing NHL players to go is a slap in the face of what the Olympics are all about..Imo the NHL owes the sport and the best players in the world the right to take part in the games every 4yrs..



All that said...

I guarantee if USA wins the Gold this yr it's a non issue and there would be no discussion about going the next games as they would absolutely be returning...
- Fruitcakenipple

Your final statement may be true for some but for me, I did not watch one second of Olympic hockey. I didn't even know the USA lost to Canada until the next day because I did not care even a little bit. The NHL should not shutdown to allow players to participate.

Hockey enrolment for youth has exploded, in many places in the U.S. It'll take 20 years to reach critical mass, but it will happen. Canada, for now, is number one, but 20 years from now? It's going to be difficult to be the world elite in this sport. It's important to keep the spotlight on the sport of hockey, to continue the advancement.
- PrinceLH

Agreed.

European fans still have money. They can buy jerseys, they watch games. Also, its shortsighted to compare a very domestic game like football to one that already has a fairly large presence in Europe like hockey.
- rmdevil313

Fans in Europe are not going to stay up to the middle of the night to watch a regular season game like some did to watch the Olympics. To alienate the fans of North America by shutting down every 4 years just to grap a couple of bucks from the people of Europe is ridiculous.

Your final statement may be true for some but for me, I did not watch one second of Olympic hockey. I didn't even know the USA lost to Canada until the next day because I did not care even a little bit. The NHL should not shutdown to allow players to participate.
- Daveflyers36

You say that because you don't watch it, but the TV ratings tell a different story.

Basketball?...What about that snowboard stud Shawn White??..Pretty sure there many other examples of athletes making major coin who compete in Olympics....

They owe the sport of Hockey and the players who make the game the one opportunity to compete for something other than coin..The Olympics does that....
- Fruitcakenipple

I would bet that most of the money Shaun (Not Shawn) White makes is from appearances and endorsements.

You say that because you don't watch it, but the TV ratings tell a different story.
- rmdevil313

Those ratings are for the Olympics ONLY!!!!!! Hockey ratings are still at the bottom of the 4 major sports. That alone tells the story that everyday hockey doesn't benefit from the Olympics.

Fans in Europe are not going to stay up to the middle of the night to watch a regular season game like some did to watch the Olympics. To alienate the fans of North America by shutting down every 4 years just to grap a couple of bucks from the people of Europe is ridiculous.
- Daveflyers36

You are ignoring the TV ratings though, it doesn't alienate the fans. Also, ignoring Europe is a shortsighted business model. Look at the Barclays Premier League (arguably) the biggest league in the world and a large part of that is how they marketed their league globally.

Those ratings are for the Olympics ONLY!!!!!! Hockey ratings are still at the bottom of the 4 major sports. That alone tells the story that everyday hockey doesn't benefit from the Olympics.
- Daveflyers36

Just because hockey doesn't leapfrog basketball in TV ratings after the olympics doesn't mean the olympics weren't beneficial.

Your final statement may be true for some but for me, I did not watch one second of Olympic hockey. I didn't even know the USA lost to Canada until the next day because I did not care even a little bit. The NHL should not shutdown to allow players to participate.
- Daveflyers36

So because u dont care/watch it shouldn't happen??...Tell that to the millions who tuned into it...

I get the argument over it shut down the season but thats the only legit reason for it to not happening ...That seems pretty minor considering it's a stoppage every 4yrs..

So because u dont care/watch it shouldn't happen??...Tell that to the millions who tuned into it...

I get the argument over it shut down the season but thats the only legit reason for it to not happen ...Thats seems pretty minor considering it's a stoppage every 4yrs..
- Fruitcakenipple

I didn't say that it wasn't good for the ratings for the Olympics because it obviously does. But it does very very little to benefit the NHL which is why they allowed the players to leave their teams to represent their countries.

Just because hockey doesn't leapfrog basketball in TV ratings after the olympics doesn't mean the olympics weren't beneficial.
- rmdevil313

Then how are they beneficial to the league. I don't want your opinion. Just the facts that you can back up.