Eklund: Are You Ok With Pietrangelo Skipping 4Nations While Still Playing NHL?

Don't care, not interested. This whole thing will be a "one-and-done".

Don't care, not interested. This whole thing will be a "one-and-done".
- Pacificgem

Correct.

I am ok with I don't care comment...it will be a 2 week rest away from hockey!!!!

Shouldn’t even be a discussion. If you don’t want to play, don’t.

I see this as doing the right thing by all parties involved.

If there were no tournament, all would be business as usual right now as he's playing through an injury that he and Vegas are comfortable with him playing through and managing as issues occur - nobody would be questioning him for that considering it's January. Given he's not 100% at the moment, he's clearly unsure how he'll be feeling come the start of the tournament, so he's stepping aside and giving Canada more than enough time to evaluate the options and replace him as they see fit instead of making them scramble last minute.

He's a Stanley Cup champ and an Olympic Gold medal winner, so unlike Matthews, his perspective on country and winning will undeniably be different. Not using that as shade on Auston or anyone else who hasn't won for club and country on that "Olympic" level, just stating that they'd be viewing through different lenses which could lead to different decisions.

I think the whole event is stupid. Especially since you have no Russian team and also you have players like Draistl, Kopitar, and others who aren't in it. They call it the best of best tournament and you have no Ovechkin. No Kaprizov.

Yes i get the Russian and Ukraine thing, but in regards to hockey it is stupid leaving them out.

I fully support all players skipping the all-star game. It's a stupid waste of time that sponsors and media care about. Fans don't. Players don't.

As for this tourney, nobody is 100%. Every guy could use a break. So it's all relative. Maybe the family just booked a week in the Bahamas. That sounds better than being a 6th or 7th d-man when I have nothing left to prove. Send someone eager instead. MacKenzie Weegar can do it.

This is a stupid tournament that is meant to make up for years of missing the Olympics. You cannot replicate high stake gold medals with a meaningless tournament that wont even feature some of the best players.

Both the player not playing and all of the negative comments about the event represent a much deeper issue in society. These days no one wants to work, no one has enough money, no one has enough time, no one is happy, no one does things for other people, and all of this "fun stuff" like watching the very best hockey players in the world is "for the birds".

Go get happy people, time is ticking. When our team does financial/estate plans I always mention that "you don't have a charger". For example, if you are a 50yr old man, your batter is at approx. 40%..."and you don't have a charger".

So please tell me what exactly is wrong with taking your kid to see (or watching) the best players in the world for a week in February?

I feel the same way about Pietrangelo as well. Unless you are truly injured, you should be proud of yourself and play. You should understand that there are countless young Dmen that have a picture of you in the wall...wanting to see you play. Unfortunately, I have my doubts about Pietrangelo as he's one of the more selfish players in the league.

Life is short, we should try to remember not to be a self-righteous cynical arse sometimes.

Hope others… like maybe everyone, follows suit.

who cares, his choice. what the f is 4 nations crap anyway. Oh wait games in Mtl and Boston and no where else, so why play it. Two of the biggest markets are left out.

Agreed with what everyone else has said here. This whole thing feels like a half-cooked sham, like most things the NHL comes up with.

I've heard that the ticket prices for games are through the roof. Family friendly sport indeed.

This tournament... is a complete waste of time that interrupts the NHL season. Couldn't care less about it.

Only thing dumber than this tournament is NHL players actually playing in the Olympics. Worst idea in the history of bad NHL ideas.

This tournament... is a complete waste of time that interrupts the NHL season. Could care less about it.

Only thing dumber than this tournament is NHL players actually playing in the Olympics. Worst idea in the history of bad NHL ideas.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Couldn't*

No one should be forced to play in this stupid money grab. If they wanted to make it real at least add the Czechs, Russians, Germans, Slovaks and Swiss. Not interested. Meaningless event

I think he is making a smart decision for his team, who after all is the one who is paying him. 4 Nations is cool to the fans, but the Stanley Cup should be the goal. I'd welcome this decision if he played on the team I cheer for. A couple weeks can do wonders for nagging injuries. Keeping his eye on the real prize. That 4 nations cup means nothing.

Also it really should be the 8 nations faceoff with Russia in the mix for sure. Those athletes live in North America and pay taxes here. They shouldn't be punished for mistakes/decisions the leaders of their home countries make.

Czech, Slovakia, Russia, and another should be in too.

Vegas gettin ready for some cap circumcision

Vegas gettin ready for some cap circumcision
- glove_was_stuck

Snip snip. Win.

Vegas gettin ready for some cap circumcision
- glove_was_stuck

Gettin their Brendan Bris-on

This 4 Nations is stupid. Who cares?
No Russia
No Slovakia
No Czechia

Not a best on best tourney
It interferes with the NHL schedule

If they need something like this, go back to the old preseason World Cup of Hockey.

No, but only because I'm an Oilers fan and if McDavid is going to risk injury in this Mickey Mouse irrelevant 1 off of a tournament then I want Vegas risking their top players too. All NHL players on teams with a chance at winning the Cup should be prioritizing that over this silly non event 'tournament'. If I were the Jets, for example, I would never allow Hellebuyck to take part in this. I'm nervous about McDavid. No one's going to remember in 15 years that this tournament even happened.

His choice, this tournament doesn’t feel like it’s well planned anyway.

Feels like I’m piling on here, but I completely agree with the overriding sentiment. This tournament is quite meaningless, when compared to the Stanley Cup / playoffs.

Vegas pays this guy a LOT of $$$. As such, it’s completely reasonable of them to expect Pietrangelo to take every possible precaution to remain healthy, as they head into the stretch run.

Same goes for Matthews, or any injury-prone superstar on a competing team. Let teams like SJ, MTL and Chicago send their young guys to compete as this tourney.