Dee Karl: NHL Olympic Participation Debate Continues The NHL has to answer soon for the 2018 games.

I think they should let them play, but they should stop paying them. This is the best hockey in the world and people want to stop watching this?? WHAAAAT? It's the allstar game, but with fire and determination. Nothing compared to the NHL allstar event which I find it similar the the Harlem Globetrotters YIaaark.

The best hockey in the WOLD is at our door. Im so glad it's here!!!

There is no reason not to enjoy the best vs the best. This is not an NHL all stars game. They care about the games.

The US is getting better and better. Stop being grumpy and enjoy. It's not like your NHL team will win anything this year. And this is true for most hockey fans.

I can see both sides of the argument.

while it's great hockey, and i LOVE this tournament.....there are some definite draw backs too.

i look no further then the sens in 06. they were running away with the league before the olympics that year, then hasek got hurt and the whole year went to poop.

how pissed would fans be if their star player went down, and the entire nhl season was ruined.

what happens to the rangers is lundqvist gets hurt? to the pens if crosby or malkin gets hurt? to the habs if price gets hurt? etc, etc, etc, etc

those fans, who say they love the olympics (with good cause) would get REALLY pissed REALLY fast.

Look at it this way, thats two weeks that we wont have to watch an Islanders debacle

Although I enjoy watching the best of the best...the Olympics are for amateur athletes, the NHL, MLB and NBA has no place in it.

For Hockey, they should bring back the World Cup or Canada cup.

Look at it this way, thats two weeks that we wont have to watch an Islanders debacle
- latorrem1

Panthers too

Although I enjoy watching the best of the best...the Olympics are for amateur athletes, the NHL, MLB and NBA has no place in it.

For Hockey, they should bring back the World Cup or Canada cup.
- Fakepartofme

They actually are bringing this back anyway.Seriously, hold the world cup in late August, invite players from all leagues to make it a truly global event, and only host in North America. Olympics are a bigger stage, yes, but at least the amateurs are not overshadowed by the Millionaires.

I can see both sides of the argument.

while it's great hockey, and i LOVE this tournament.....there are some definite draw backs too.

i look no further then the sens in 06. they were running away with the league before the olympics that year, then hasek got hurt and the whole year went to poop.

how pissed would fans be if their star player went down, and the entire nhl season was ruined.

what happens to the rangers is lundqvist gets hurt? to the pens if crosby or malkin gets hurt? to the habs if price gets hurt? etc, etc, etc, etc

those fans, who say they love the olympics (with good cause) would get REALLY pissed REALLY fast.
- sensarmy_11

06

They actually are bringing this back anyway.Seriously, hold the world cup in late August, invite players from all leagues to make it a truly global event, and only host in North America. Olympics are a bigger stage, yes, but at least the amateurs are not overshadowed by the Millionaires.
- Jeropotato

I love this plan. Going to freak out if Toews gets hurt in this tourney.

They actually are bringing this back anyway.Seriously, hold the world cup in late August, invite players from all leagues to make it a truly global event, and only host in North America. Olympics are a bigger stage, yes, but at least the amateurs are not overshadowed by the Millionaires.
- Jeropotato

The old world cup/Canada Cup is nothing like the Olympics.

There just isn't even close the same 'feel' to it.

They will never be able to get the same energy and emotion out of a 'winter' event held in late August. Even though the players stay in shape throughout the summer, they are not in 'game shape' in late August. Their strength is there, but not their quickness and 'hands'. That comes in training camp.

If they aren't going to the Olympics anymore, don't replace it with something stupid like a hockey tournament in the summer. It will just feel cheap.

Looking back at the old Canada Cup/World Cup, they sucked compared to the Olympics. They worked back then because we had nothing to compare it to. Now that we have been spoiled with 5 Olympics' with the NHL players there, the World Cup will pale in comparison and everyone will know it.

Let the players continue to go the Olympics. I don't think anyone can argue that it's not great exposure for the NHL and the sport in general. Any owner who whines about it clearly isn't thinking long term. Sure, you may have an injured athlete here or there, but at the end of the day, you are making way more revenue and you are pleasing your players.

The old world cup/Canada Cup is nothing like the Olympics.

There just isn't even close the same 'feel' to it.

They will never be able to get the same energy and emotion out of a 'winter' event held in late August. Even though the players stay in shape throughout the summer, they are not in 'game shape' in late August either.

If they aren't going to the Olympics anymore, don't replace it with something stupid like a hockey tournament in the summer. It will just feel cheap.

Looking back at the old Canada Cup/World Cup, they sucked compared to the Olympics. They worked back then because we had nothing to compare it to. Now that we have been spoiled with 5 Olympics' with the NHL players there, the World Cup will pale in comparison and everyone will know it.

Let the players continue to go the Olympics. I don't think anyone can argue that it's not great exposure for the NHL and the sport in general. Any owner who whines about it clearly isn't thinking long term. Sure, you may have an injured athlete here or there, but at the end of the day, you are making way more revenue and you are pleasing your players.
- Charliebox

I'm going to assume you are too young to remember Canada Cup 87.

I'm going to assume you are too young to remember Canada Cup 87.
- Jeropotato

Well I was 7.

I know the event was amazing at the time, and the highlights will live on forever. I think a lot of it, too, had to do with the fact that we hadn't really seen many best-on-best tourney's up to that point. Now, we have seen a bunch of them. There weren't too many comparables before, and now there's lots.

There is also the factor that we got to see the two best hockey players of all time play on the same team.

Still, you take that tourney and make it part of the 88 Olympics, and it's that much bigger.

Well I was 7.

I know the event was amazing at the time, and the highlights will live on forever. I think a lot of it, too, had to do with the fact that we hadn't really seen many best-on-best tourney's up to that point. Now, we have seen a bunch of them. There weren't too many comparables before, and now there's lots.

There is also the factor that we got to see the two best hockey players of all time play on the same team.

Still, you take that tourney and make it part of the 88 Olympics, and it's that much bigger.
- Charliebox

The 72 Summit Series, plus 2 Canada prior to Canada Cup 87.

All the stuff your talking about is just 'fluff' though. The players cared. The hockey was great. The world cup in '96 was great too. That's all I care about. The best in the world giving 110% for national pride. I wouldn't suggest the players will only give 85% because it's not the Olympics or because it's in August.

The 72 Summit Series, plus 2 Canada prior to Canada Cup 87.

All the stuff your talking about is just 'fluff' though. The players cared. The hockey was great. The world cup in '96 was great too. That's all I care about. The best in the world giving 110% for national pride. I wouldn't suggest the players will only give 85% because it's not the Olympics or because it's in August.
- Jeropotato

Agree completely. The notion that it will be bigger if it's the Olympics might be true, but who cares? The notion of the best players in the world competing for their country is what matters. Sure, they lose some of the peripheral viewers that might not watch if it wasn't the Olympics, but even that doesn't matter. The game is in pretty good shape south of the border. I recently read that there were 6 players from Illinois on the USA world junior team. That could NEVER have happened 30 years ago. The game is growing, big time, and a revived Canada's Cup would not take long to re-capture potential lost enthusiasm of it not being the Olympics.

The 72 Summit Series, plus 2 Canada prior to Canada Cup 87.

All the stuff your talking about is just 'fluff' though. The players cared. The hockey was great. The world cup in '96 was great too. That's all I care about. The best in the world giving 110% for national pride. I wouldn't suggest the players will only give 85% because it's not the Olympics or because it's in August.
- Jeropotato

I don't know if 'caring' plays into it. I think it's more of the mystery/rivalry of nations. Sports weren't nearly as globalized then. That's the biggest difference. Once you remove the politics/mystique of the Soviet Union it doesn't appear nearly as captivating. It's good hockey for the typical fan, like most of us, but it won't draw the 'outsiders' in like it did back in those days. Back then, you hated Tretriak and the K-P-M line. Today, Ovechkin and company have fans in the US due to their NHL lives. It will never be the same.

I don't know if 'caring' plays into it. I think it's more of the mystery/rivalry of nations. Sports weren't nearly as globalized then. That's the biggest difference. Once you remove the politics/mystique of the Soviet Union it doesn't appear nearly as captivating. It's good hockey for the typical fan, like most of us, but it won't draw the 'outsiders' in like it did back in those days. Back then, you hated Tretriak and the K-P-M line. Today, Ovechkin and company have fans in the US due to their NHL lives. It will never be the same.
- keaner17

Well there will never be another Summit Series, or Miracle on Ice for the reasons you mentioned, but there is still National Pride.
The same? No...but what ever really is? Was the Turin Olympics the same as Vancouver or Salt Lake? Not even close. Who wants to watch Hockey in the Morning?
As long as the games have the same intensity, and there is nothing suggesting they won't, I don't care what it's called. They key to making a best on best tournament meaningful is to have it every 4 years. Any more than that and it becomes too common.

Well there will never be another Summit Series, or Miracle on Ice for the reasons you mentioned, but there is still National Pride.
The same? No...but what ever really is? Was the Turin Olympics the same as Vancouver or Salt Lake? Not even close. Who wants to watch Hockey in the Morning?
As long as the games have the same intensity, and there is nothing suggesting they won't, I don't care what it's called. They key to making a best on best tournament meaningful is to have it every 4 years. Any more than that and it becomes too common.
- Jeropotato

There won't be the same intensity. That's what I'm arguing.

The 96 world cup was nothing compared to the last three Olympics. The speed was nothing like the last 3 Olympics. Not even close. Turin wasn't as exciting from a Canada/US standpoint, but if you were a Swede or Fin, that was probably the most exciting finals of all of them, and international hockey tournament, of all. It isn't just about Canada/US.

Hockey in August isn't the same. The players aren't the same (game shape) and the feel isn't the same.

I obviously wasn't alive for 72, but the ONLY reason it was close is because the Canadians were fat and out of shape. It should have been a beating, and it would have been if it was mid-season.

Either way, something like that will never be replicated so all we would be left with is some crappy tourney in mid August, that only Canada and the US will care about.

Also, we female dog and moan about the times, but this is an international sporting event. I am sure the Swedes/Finns and Russians don't want to watch the games at 2am when it's played in North America, either.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous, especially from a marketing standpoint, to stop the players from going to the Olympics.

Also, if the NHL decides not to go, and Russia doesn't win, say goodbye to the few remaining Russian NHL players. You know the KHL will break for the next Olympics, so all the good Russian talent will be in the KHL in 2018. They get paid almost the same in Russia as they do in the NHL and they can go to the Olympics. It will probably be the last straw for the remaining Russians (and some other Europeans too).

We can talk all we want about professional vs amateur, but the bottom line is that if the NHL (and it's affiliates in the AHL/ECHL) decide not to go to 2018, it will be the ONLY professional hockey league not breaking for the games. How stupid is that?

There won't be the same intensity. That's what I'm arguing.

The 96 world cup was nothing compared to the last three Olympics. The speed was nothing like the last 3 Olympics. Not even close. Turin wasn't as exciting from a Canada/US standpoint, but if you were a Swede or Fin, that was probably the most exciting finals of all of them, and international hockey tournament, of all. It isn't just about Canada/US.

Hockey in August isn't the same. The players aren't the same (game shape) and the feel isn't the same.

I obviously wasn't alive for 72, but the ONLY reason it was close is because the Canadians were fat and out of shape. It should have been a beating, and it would have been if it was mid-season.

Either way, something like that will never be replicated so all we would be left with is some crappy tourney in mid August, that only Canada and the US will care about.

Also, we female dog and moan about the times, but this is an international sporting event. I am sure the Swedes/Finns and Russians don't want to watch the games at 2am when it's played in North America, either.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous, especially from a marketing standpoint, to stop the players from going to the Olympics.

Also, if the NHL decides not to go, and Russia doesn't win, say goodbye to the few remaining Russian NHL players. You know the KHL will break for the next Olympics, so all the good Russian talent will be in the KHL in 2018. They get paid almost the same in Russia as they do in the NHL and they can go to the Olympics. It will probably be the last straw for the remaining Russians (and some other Europeans too).
- Charliebox

Ha...you are dead wrong. The 96 World Cup was crazy, especially the final,3 game series. I'm sorry if you don't remember it, but I couldn't believe it when the US won.

Ha...you are dead wrong. The 96 World Cup was crazy, especially the final,3 game series. I'm sorry if you don't remember it, but I couldn't believe it when the US won.
- Jeropotato

I watched it. I was 16 for that one.. lol.. I was glued to the TV.

Maybe it was because of the 'dead puck' era, but the speed was nothing like the last 3 Olympics.

Not
Even
Close

In 96, players didn't have the same summer workout regiments as they do now. In 96, players took a few weeks (at least) to get into shape before the season. They were fat (for a hockey player..hahah) and slow.

As I said in an earlier post, the players are in better shape in the offseason now, but they still aren't in game shape.

Any hockey tournament held in August will not have the same speed and finesse as a one played in the winter. It's just the way it is.

Basically, if the NHL stops going to the Olympics, we will never see another best on best tournament again.

We may see the best players, but they won't be at their best.

Basically, if the NHL stops going to the Olympics, we will never see another best on best tournament again.

We may see the best players, but they won't be at their best.
- Charliebox

Disagree

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