Men's Winter Olympic Hockey

[Steve-O]

cheering against the twins for a change

Whadda ya mean for a change? Go Flames Go!!

[Poindexter]

Lol!

Unfortunately I think there are even a few Canuck fans that cheer against them.

I agree Gord, if Rask had played the US would probably have a bronze medal from a game against the depleted swedes. And Canada would have played a team would have added a little more drama to the gold medal game. The fin's play as smothering a defense as the Canada and Selane was a man on a mission.

[Steve-O]

Did you know that when the Jets could not initially sign Selanne, that the Flames did sign him to an offer sheet but the Jets used their option to match it and signed him that way? He was that close to being a Calgary Flame. Sigh.

Would have been nice to see the Finns and Canada in the Gold Medal game.

[Poindexter]

When you look at the talent left off the Canadian roster it almost starts to look like another winning team. They should allow Canada two teams, Canada vs Canada for gold. :)

But sadly, this may be the last time NHL players can compete. Not only is there the amateur vs gaziilionaire arguement. There's the NHL GM's who from thier perspective participation makes no sense. You've got all your biggest assets basically rented for nothing and have to assume all the risk if a player gets injured. The IOCC wont be compensating any Islanders season ticket holders, as the GM there stated.

I for one hope they see the dollar value in showcasing the game of hockey on a global stage. Americans actually take notice of hockey and the US/CAN rivalry is marketing gold.

I hope I'm wrong but this Olympics could very well be the last Team Canada of that calibre. So email your local gm and make sure he knows how you feel along with a thanks.

[LoneWolf_53]

Though I'm not really a hockey fan, so wouldn't lose sleep either way, I'd view myself as a neutral/non biased opinion on the subject.

As such, I'd have to say that the "right" decision, not that there's any guarantee that the "right" one will be made, is to not allow NHL players to participate in the Olympics.

I view it as kind of a no-brainer, because the Olympics in every other aspect are non-professional amateurs. So with that being the case, how is it acceptable to suddenly stack one segment with mega-millionaire professionals?

Frankly from my perspective the question should not even require asking.

[Glacier]

Who gets to decide what constitutes an "amateur"? Many of the athletes make quite a bit of money on sponsorships and such. Canada boycotted the Olympics back in the 1970s by not sending a hockey team to the Olympics because the USSR was sending "amateur" athletes in name only, though given the wages they were getting back then, their wages were at the amateur level.

[LoneWolf_53]

Oh come now, in hockey, seriously?

Amateurs would be anyone not in the NHL, and not making 7 figures a year.

[GordonH]

Bumped

https://www.castanet.net/news/Sports/19 ... o-Olympics

Players want to go, team owners appear to have issues. Hopefully Hockey Canada can get competitive team together, since the KHL most likely will no stop there players from going like Gary appear to be.

Added later: would have been interesting to see Connor McDavid, Sydney Crosby & Carey Price along with many others

[the truth]

will be interesting

[JayByrd]

I'm interested to see, if the NHL does not send players to the Olympics, who *will* make up those hockey teams? Would NHL organizations be willing to release minor league prospects? Or would Team Canada (and Team USA and everyone else for that matter) be made up of European-based pros, and the odd minor league veteran, much the way Canada creates it's Spengler Cup entry? There's also been some suggestion that NHL players will simply pack a bag and go participate anyway. Their NHL clubs can suspend them but they can't really stop them.

[the truth]

I'm interested to see, if the NHL does not send players to the Olympics, who *will* make up those hockey teams? Would NHL organizations be willing to release minor league prospects? Or would Team Canada (and Team USA and everyone else for that matter) be made up of European-based pros, and the odd minor league veteran, much the way Canada creates it's Spengler Cup entry? There's also been some suggestion that NHL players will simply pack a bag and go participate anyway. Their NHL clubs can suspend them but they can't really stop them.

looks to me it will be like a spengler cup type players ,

[Jflem1983]

Good .

[the truth]

i think it would be fun to watch mostly non nhl players

[GordonH]

As long as teams are on somewhat of level playing field/ice. Look back from 1964 to 1988 when USSR would send a team (Red Army), who played together for years. Not professionals but not slapped together weeks before Olympics.
That could happen in 2018, not at level of Red Army but a KHL team made up of mostly regular teammates with few add ins for non Russian players.

Closes Canada would have to that is CHL team, US could have AHL team.

[the truth]

miracle on ice go canada go