End of NHL in the Olympics?

[DetDannyWilliams]

Enjoy watching NHL players at the Sochi Olympics because it's likely they won't be at the 2018 Games in South Korea.
The NHL won't make its decision about future Olympic participation until after it assesses what happens in Sochi. But it seems clear league officials aren't enamored with the idea of going to Pyeongchang, where hockey terms are a foreign language.

Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider said suspending the league schedule to play in the Olympics was "ridiculous." And he's not the only owner who feels this way.
This is the time of year when NHL attendance is strongest, and some markets have had trouble re-acquiring their fan base after the shutdown. Fans find other ways to spend their money. Walk-up sales aren't as strong for some teams after the Olympics.

Owners also worry about injuries affecting their playoff run. A major injury could cost a team millions of dollars in potential playoff revenue.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/09/nhl-olympics-future-column/5340525/

[SpikedLemonade]

The NHL owners clearly do not want to go but they need to finesse this carefully with the players so it looks like a mutual decision. The majority of the players like the opportunity to play with their country or enjoy the long break.

The NHL owners want to control the situation and make money directly off any tournament rather than giving both away.

I do not believe they will go in 2018.

[don137]

Barkov and zetterburg. kopitar did not return in third period in today's game. Kessler hurt his hand blocking a shot. Yea, this year may be the end of something special which sucks.

[OpIv37]

I understand the feelings of the owners and the risk involved to them, and it is one of the few situations I can think of where businesses are shut down for three weeks so the employees can go work elsewhere for free. That being said, I think the owners are underestimating the amount of publicity that hockey gets because of the Olympics. Obviously there was 1980, but there was the US vs Canada gold medal game in 2010 and this year the Americans have already beaten the Russians on their home turf.

Canada is basically as popular as anything can possibly get in Canada, but there are huge portions of the US where it's a tough sell. The Olympics gives the NHL free publicity and wins fans from people who might otherwise never check out the sport. I think it's short-sighted to keep the NHL guys out.

One strange but interesting idea I heard on SXM NHL radio: move hockey to the summer olympics. They play indoors anyway so the weather is largely irrelevant, and it's the off-season for the NHL so the guys can play without disrupting the league schedule, like the NBA players do. And if a player does get hurt during the Olympics, he'll miss the start of the season instead of the end of the season and the playoffs. I'll be shocked if it actually happens but it seems like a workable solution.

[mightysimi]

I had read that they will make a decision in the next 6 months. Regardless of what the owners want there will an extreme amount of pressure from the PA. I'm hoping we are at least 50-50.

[Uncle Jesse]

It's a shame, the product in the Olympics is better than anything the NHL rolls out.

[mightysimi]

It's a shame, the product in the Olympics is better than anything the NHL rolls out.

Not really a fair comparison. It's like saying the world cup is better than the EPL. Obviously international play is going to be better.

[trapezeus]

you have to admit this talk about bettman wanting hockey to go to the summer olympics only makes him look like a more out of touch guy than he already is.

i get both sides of the argument. if the owners are seeing that the popularity of areas of the country chatting about a sport they otherwise don't care about isn't translating into seats sold, then they have a point. there is no revenue that they get from this.

but i think with the popularity of the summer games eclipsing winter olympics in most countries, hockey would get shuffled off like an extreme game. and i don't think it would draw, it wouldn't be worth it for the host city to have to build such a large stadium to host it, because basketball would need its own stadium to host games.

it would also be interesting to see if not allowing NHL players to compete in their countries' team would affect how players view the NHL. if KHL guys are getting paid the same and allowed to play on their respective teams, maybe players keep playing in the KHL. Who knows....i think it's fine the way it is.

[OpIv37]

One other thing to think about: the summer Olympics has soccer and basketball, and there is talk of adding baseball by 2020. Those are strong spectator sports.

The only real spectator sport in the Winter Olympics is hockey. The IOC may not want to give that up.

[mightysimi]

For some unknown reason figure skating is pretty popular too.

[Meathead]

my guy friends and i used to throw 'skating parties' during the olympics - we got to hang and drink and play pool, and we got credit for doing something 'romantic' with the wives

no honey really i cant wait for the ice skating events. really

[SkateZilla]

One other thing to think about: the summer Olympics has soccer and basketball, and there is talk of adding baseball by 2020. Those are strong spectator sports.

The only real spectator sport in the Winter Olympics is hockey. The IOC may not want to give that up.

Roller Hockey... seriously

[Uncle Jesse]

Not really a fair comparison. It's like saying the world cup is better than the EPL. Obviously international play is going to be better.

I didn't say it was. The NHL product is almost impossible to watch after seeing these games.

I can't wait to see Florida and Buffalo square off after the Olympics!

[OpIv37]

For some unknown reason figure skating is pretty popular too.

My grandma loved to watch it- she'd even watch the qualifying events and holiday shows and all that nonsense.

Still, completely different demographic.....

[trapezeus]

in the winter games, hockey is one of the few team sports where it isn't won based on judges. it's won based on merit. in the summer olympics there are more win by merit things like track and field and other team sports.

hockey is great as a winter sport in my mind, and the NHL should either consider this the cost of doing business, or yank it and let young kids compete. i'm sure the russians are thinking, " i wish we had hungry kids playing than overpaid supertars who know how to choke."

[Downinfloflo]

Let the guys in the AHL go to the Olympics.

What a bad time for all the injuries when the NHL is talking about keeping it's players home.

[Uncle Jesse]

Let the guys in the AHL go to the Olympics.

What a bad time for all the injuries when the NHL is talking about keeping it's players home.

Yeah but the NHL sucks.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Tavares injured for team :canada:


The Islanders captain was injured in the second period of Team Canada’s matchup with Latvia, when Arturs Kulda checked him awkwardly into the boards. Tavares was shaken up and seemed to favor his left hip. He did not return for Canada in the third period.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/isles-tavares-leaves-canada-game-apparent-injury-article-1.1619953#ixzz2to2ocR7f

[Skooby]

Flesh wound, Tavares will be back soon.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Flesh wound, Tavares will be back soon.

Arthur Staple ‏@StapeNewsday · 15m Source says Tavares has a knee injury, done for Olympics. No word beyond that as of yet. #Isles

[Uncle Jesse]

Tavares done for the season. May be back for the start of next year, they aren't sure.

[Skooby]

Too bad about Tavares.

[mightysimi]

The only thing that does is get you guys a better draft pick.

[Skooby]

The only thing that does is get you guys a better draft pick.

Too bad for the Isles is too good for Buffalo.