SDS Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Bob said on his show today that this may be the last Olympics for NHL players due to the injuries (and poor performances by USA and Canada). Something has to change. One practice and throwing the guys on the ice, does not make a "team". It is nice to see the best, but I don't think this is the way to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Bob said on his show today that this may be the last Olympics for NHL players due to the injuries (and poor performances by USA and Canada). Something has to change. One practice and throwing the guys on the ice, does not make a "team". It is nice to see the best, but I don't think this is the way to do it. If Bob is talking about it and no one else is, there is little to no chance of it happening. In my experience with his column, he tends to babble random blather far more often than anything useful as "news". I'm not sure why, but I have always looked at him as the Rhona Barrett of sports. While his column is often entertaining, it is more often than not, just his random "gossip". Without him providing a source for this "news", I chalk it up to his dislike of the NHL season being shut down for 2 weeks and wishing it to be so more than any real possibility of occurring. There is probably too much money involved for the IOC, IIHF, & NHL to agree to not send NHLers to the Olympics. While I expect the 3 to perform their quadrennial game of chicken over this issue; when all is said and done I don't see the NHL getting out of the Olympics. I agree that the current system could stand modification. One possible solution to the problem of shutting down the NHL for 2-3 weeks is to move the hockey to the summer Olympics. That creates other issues of its own. Another possibility is to have the "play in" tournament in the September prior to the Olympics and then just have the "medal round" during the winter Olympics. The NHL could shut down for 1-1/2 to 2 weeks, have the All-Star weekend in the middle of it (with the players making the All-Star game that are on the 4 finalists not attending obviously) and the players could practice together for 1 week - 1-1/2 weeks prior to their 2 games. Included in this 1 - 1-1/2 weeks, could be an exhibition game (w/ seed 1 playing seed 3, and seed 2 playing seed 4) although I would probably pass on the exhibition game. The NHL shutdown could be as short as 1 week in this scenario, and if the ASG is still played, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Of course, if the shutdown is only 1 week, the issue of players not being used to playing with each other resurfaces. Personally, I would love to see the Olympics go entirely amateur, but don't ever see it happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I'd love this solution, but doubt it will happen: World Cup (f/k/a Canada Cup): Summertime, like it is now. Every 4 years. Countries can use pros, and clubs can't ban their players from participating. Countries get a few weeks of practice time before the Cup begins; players get a few weeks between the season, the Cup, and the beginning of the next season. Works for soccer. Olympics: Wintertime, like it is now. Amateurs only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I'd love this solution, but doubt it will happen: World Cup (f/k/a Canada Cup): Summertime, like it is now. Every 4 years. Countries can use pros, and clubs can't ban their players from participating. Countries get a few weeks of practice time before the Cup begins; players get a few weeks between the season, the Cup, and the beginning of the next season. Works for soccer. Olympics: Wintertime, like it is now. Amateurs only. I'd be perfectly happy with that solution. The only problem is, the politics of it will keep the World Cup from growing in stature to where it should be. The '87 finals were, IMHO, the best series of hockey ever played. I don't see Canada (nor the US, for that matter) being willing to play games in Europe without modifications to the current World Championships format and the Europeans don't want to give it the stature of the World Championships because the World Championships occur while the NHL playoffs are still on-going. With the stature of the World Cup being much lower than the Olympics, the BIG money will be there for the Olympics and not the World Cup. Also, hockey in September is a VERY tough sell in the Southern US, which also contributes to the World Cup being almost an after thought on the sports scene. (Even though it is one of the greatest international competitions ever put together.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 My only problem is the World Cup being played in NHL size rinks. I prefer the International rinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 My only problem is the World Cup being played in NHL size rinks. I prefer the International rinks. My guess is they COULD find enough barns that would hold an Olympic rink (Saddledome, Salt Lake City, there have to be a few others) to do it if they wanted to, but I don't know that for certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffalOhio Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 My guess is they COULD find enough barns that would hold an Olympic rink (Saddledome, Salt Lake City, there have to be a few others) to do it if they wanted to, but I don't know that for certain. What about Lake Placid? Ooooohhhhh, Lake Placid. Good memory.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 What about Lake Placid? Ooooohhhhh, Lake Placid. Good memory.... It only seats 7,700. If the organizers think that barn is big enough, then cool, but I doubt that they'd want to play games there due to capacity and lack of "luxury seating" for corporate sponsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePolishSabre Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Let's face it. The only reason why people are talking about not allowing the NHL's to play in the olympics is because US and Canada sucked out. If The US won a medal we would not be having this convo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blugold43 Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 am i the only one who thinks there is nothing wrong with olympic hockey, and that all these guys are bitching because it's their job to find something to bitch about? there are so many great players from all over the world on these teams...why SHOULD we expect one team to dominate? and how the hell can you draw any sort of conclusion on a team based on 5-6 games. jesus h. christ, i dunno what people expect. should we just shut down the nhl every 4 years so the teams have lots of time to "mesh?" i've had a ball watching these games. my only complaint is that they don't use the same rink in the nhl! ps...go finland...they were my pick from the start! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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