NHL to end Olympic participation after 2010

Didn't see this posted and thought it was definitely thread-worthy news.

Story (http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080916.wsptinsure1609/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home)

Sucks, but at least it's not official:

discussions about a solution will continue

This is why we can't have nice things... :shakehead

I refuse to believe in this.

Refuse.

I refuse to believe in this.

Refuse.

Tell us how you really feel. :sarcasm:

I sorta figured this would piss off European players in the NHL. Plus, if they're barred from the World Championships like the article said might happen, we could finally see that mass exodus of European talent back to Europe...

we could finally see that mass exodus of European talent back to Europe...

KHL, etc. I was thinking the same thing, actually... Not to mention the proposed Nordic League we might see in the future...

Still, NHL will be the ultimate dream for any young European players... I bet they'll be torn, since the Olympics would be another big dream... Maybe they come over to the NHL for a few years, and then return home?

I only fear that it's too much about the money these days, for the players as well. In case I'm wrong though, way to pull the trigger on yourself, NHL!

Still, NHL will be the ultimate dream for any young European players... I bet they'll be torn, since the Olympics would be another big dream... Maybe they come over to the NHL for a few years, and then return home?


I think that the NHL severing ties with the Olympics also brings about the opportunity for the return of amateur players to the forefront. That would allow younger players to compete for their country at the OGs once and then go on to play in the NHL later.

Tell us how you really feel. :sarcasm:

I sorta figured this would piss off European players in the NHL. Plus, if they're barred from the World Championships like the article said might happen, we could finally see that mass exodus of European talent back to Europe...

It would just show a bunch of stars and a couple of :rant:'s.

Not enough marketing... Who's the moneyhungry ***** now? ****ing ******** is what this is.

I think that the NHL severing ties with the Olympics also brings about the opportunity for the return of amateur players to the forefront. That would allow younger players to compete for their country at the OGs once and then go on to play in the NHL later.

That would suck though :( I'm quite content with the way it is now. The best players should play, not them little runts! :laugh:

I think that the NHL severing ties with the Olympics also brings about the opportunity for the return of amateur players to the forefront. That would allow younger players to compete for their country at the OGs once and then go on to play in the NHL later.

As I posted in the similar thread at NHL Talk, there are no amateur players anymore. Everyone in Europe gets paid, some more than they would in the NHL.

Good. I hope this means they bring the World Cup back. That is the huge international hockey event I want to see every 4 years, not the Olympics. It is in the off season, and it is far more convenient for the players. To have the Olympics sandwiched in the middle of the already tough grind of the NHL season leads to alot of injuries that affect the latter part of the NHL season. Anyway I am happy enough hockey with the NHL and the World juniors and everything else. I am happy to see the sports that you only get to see once every 4 years at the Olympics, most I wouldnt want to watch more then once every 4 years anyway, but am happy to enjoy it just for those couple weeks, and during the fall and winter I am much more interested in the NHL players with their NHL teams anyway. Flame me if you want, but it is how I feel.

I ... flame ... you!

Good. I hope this means they bring the World Cup back. That is the huge international hockey event I want to see every 4 years, not the Olympics. It is in the off season, and it is far more convenient for the players. To have the Olympics sandwiched in the middle of the already tough grind of the NHL season leads to alot of injuries that affect the latter part of the NHL season. Anyway I am happy enough hockey with the NHL and the World juniors and everything else. I am happy to see the sports that you only get to see once every 4 years at the Olympics, most I wouldnt want to watch more then once every 4 years anyway, but am happy to enjoy it just for those couple weeks, and during the fall and winter I am much more interested in the NHL players with their NHL teams anyway. Flame me if you want, but it is how I feel.

Actually, what's at stake here is all international tournaments, not just the Olympics. The World Championships would be affected and the World Cup would cease to exist.

It's ridiculous. If the game of soccer have no such problems, I don't see why a much smaller sport like hockey can't either.

Actually, what's at stake here is all international tournaments, not just the Olympics. The World Championships would be affected and the World Cup would cease to exist.

It's ridiculous. If the game of soccer have no such problems, I don't see why a much smaller sport like hockey can't either.

Hear, hear! You have obviously understood the situation! ;)

Hmmm... but the World Championships would mainly just start sucking for Americans and Canadians methinks, since you guys don't have enough quality players over in the European leagues. (That is, to my knowledge at least)

Sweden has already proven that we can field a competitive national team even though we only take players from the SEL. (Didn't we have just two NHL-players on the roster back in 2007 for example? Too lazy to go check now but either way we still competed for the medals)

Finland would also be able to field a decent team, as would Russia... Probably the Czech Republic as well. I have my doubts about Slovakia though. So, basically, the "Big Seven" would be reduced to the "Big Four", probably with Russia dominating. Uh... then I guess Switzerland could become somewhat competitive too but now I feel like I'm drifting slightly off topic so I'll just leave it at that.

But the above is assuming that no NHL-team would release their players for the World Championship if they were out of the play-offs. I think some would. If I was a GM in the NHL I would figure that it builds character and helps the players to develop even further - especially if their team went on to win. (Edit: OK, nevermind this, I didn't realize it might actually be the IIHF that'd stop the players...)

Anyway, this would probably make me lose a lot of my passion for the sport either way. Watching the national team is half the joy and pleasure I get out of hockey...

I've always thought it'd be neat if every four years the World Junior Championships could be the Winter Olympics hockey tournament. True, that could get complicated by the fact that some countries that would host the Winter Olympics would not have very competitive U20 teams, at least compared to the larger nations; but, if there were some turn back toward amateurism, I'd certainly be interested in that.

Maybe allow the normal amount of ten teams, one more country in Olympic years, and then the host country if it's not already in the tournament, for a total of 12 teams. If the host country is already amongst the top ten, allow for another extra in addition to that 11th team. How do you determine that? Maybe a tournament amongst the two teams relegated from the elite pool the previous year and the other Division 1 Group A and B teams that did not promote up to the elite pool. If the host nation is in the Top 10, the first and second place teams from this tournament play in the Olympics. If the host nation is not in the Top 10 (and is not in the top two in the Olympic qualifying tournament), only the first-place team makes it.

Just throwing some thoughts out there... this method also eliminate the problem of amateurism in Europe (all players being paid, at least players of the caliber we have been speaking).

This is bad. As a European I'm more interested in the Olympics than the Stanley Cup, although I definitely want both. My guess is that players have more heart for their country than for a NHL team. At least you cannot get traded from your national team...

Kelley tells owners to wait till after Vancouver to make a decision (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080919.nhlpa-web/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/)

He sounds pissed...

i think this is a bad thing in the hockey overall, because more people watch olympic games than nhl.. and if there is no any nhl players, olympic tourney would be less more attractive and media could be more disinterested about it than it is now. European people doesn't like nhl that much like some people thinks, it's like north american people doesn't like to follow european leagues. I hope we will see nhl players after the 2010 games.

As I posted in the similar thread at NHL Talk, there are no amateur players anymore. Everyone in Europe gets paid, some more than they would in the NHL.

Okay, how about JUNIOR players? Is that better, Mr. Smarty Pants? :P

Actually, what's at stake here is all international tournaments, not just the Olympics. The World Championships would be affected and the World Cup would cease to exist.

It's ridiculous. If the game of soccer have no such problems, I don't see why a much smaller sport like hockey can't either.

I don't see why it would have any effect on the World Cup. It's not IIHF sanctioned and the NHL would likely be the sole beneficiary; profits would easily pay their players' insurance while the tourney served as a great display of the league's talent.

This whole debacle may just be that the NHL is sick of letting another organization benefit from its players while they assume a decent chunk of the risk.

I don't see why it would have any effect on the World Cup. It's not IIHF sanctioned and the NHL would likely be the sole beneficiary; profits would easily pay their players' insurance while the tourney served as a great display of the league's talent.

This whole debacle may just be that the NHL is sick of letting another organization benefit from its players while they assume a decent chunk of the risk.

it's a problem having world cup in august though. Players are not fully trained after resting from last season. Injuries can easily occur.

This is actually the most retarded rule there can possibly there. Russia and Sweden now automatically win. If they do this then NBA and the English Premier League shouldnt be aloud to play in their respective sports

This is actually the most retarded rule there can possibly there. Russia and Sweden now automatically win. If they do this then NBA and the English Premier League shouldnt be aloud to play in their respective sports

English Premier League is not the best Futboll league in the world at all!!

This is actually the most retarded rule there can possibly there. Russia and Sweden now automatically win. If they do this then NBA and the English Premier League shouldnt be aloud to play in their respective sports

if they're willing to fork the bill, why wouldnt they be allowed?

English Premier League is not the best Futboll league in the world at all!!

It is.
It's the most successful right now, plus the revenue is lightyears ahead of the rest of the leagues.

Though I agree that it's not anywhere near a status that would allow it to be mentioned in the same sentence as the NHL or NBA when it comes to this matter. In a few years, it could fall back behind the other leagues again. It's unlikely, because of the money, but it definately shows that the difference is rather small.

Comparing the NBA to the NHL is fine, and it gets even more extreme with the NFL, but football/soccer definately doesn't fit into such a discussion, as there is no truly dominant league.

This is actually the most retarded rule there can possibly there. Russia and Sweden now automatically win. If they do this then NBA and the English Premier League shouldnt be aloud to play in their respective sports

the olympics aren't kicking nhlers out of the olympics, the nhl is going to stop sending nhlers to the olympics. Also, soccer pros do not goto the olympics.

the olympics aren't kicking nhlers out of the olympics, the nhl is going to stop sending nhlers to the olympics. Also, soccer pros do not goto the olympics.

Tell that to Ronaldinho, Freddy Adu, and Lionel Messi.

the olympics aren't kicking nhlers out of the olympics, the nhl is going to stop sending nhlers to the olympics. Also, soccer pros do not goto the olympics.

Most of them don't. That's because there is the World Cup and the continental championships. Which do not exist in hockey in the same form and status.

This really sucks. And now, they will bring back the Canada Cup...sorry I mean World Cup! OG is a more fair tournament than Canada Cup(yes it´s what it is). Europe can stay out from that ridicolous competition because the hosts will do anything to give the victory to Canada or USA! :rant:

This is actually the most retarded rule there can possibly there. Russia and Sweden now automatically win. If they do this then NBA and the English Premier League shouldnt be aloud to play in their respective sports

for the most part in the olympics very few players are released from their club team to play soccer. The teams have to be under-21 with 2-3 expceptions i believe. To be honest most soccer players don't care about the olympics, the countries that are deemed to be the best is based on results in the world cup as well as Euro, and the other equivilent continental tournaments.

Don't hit the panic button just yet, gang. The NHL threatened to stay home from the Turin games too. If it's not one thing, it's another. Give this situation more attention if it's around 2013, and the league is still non-committal.

for the most part in the olympics very few players are released from their club team to play soccer. The teams have to be under-21 with 2-3 expceptions i believe. To be honest most soccer players don't care about the olympics, the countries that are deemed to be the best is based on results in the world cup as well as Euro, and the other equivilent continental tournaments.

The rule is 23 and under with 3 allowed overage exceptions (I'd disagree with the claim that players aren't released from their club teams. Yes, it was something of anissue this past Olympics, but not in years past). But the players are Pros, they're just not the elite players. It's more of a junior level tournament. So it surely doesn't have the prestige of other major tournaments. Why would it? Winning a junior level tournament just isn't the same. Still, the countries do take a lot of pride in the Olympics, particularly the African nations.

But why are the Olympics like that? Because FIFA doesn't want the Olympics to compete with the World Cup. If Hockey had something similar to the World Cup, that would be fine. But they don't, and certainly not anything with that kind of history. At best they'd have to re-create some tourney. Why bother when the Olympics serve just fine?

My guess is that this is good for the KHL :) some expansion to western countries and finnish and swedish players will bolt to europe making almost the same money as they did in the NHL, but with a chance to win the most important thing in hockey, an olympic gold.

And it will be interesting to see Canada and the US being far from the medals, since they don't have as much really good players in Europe :)

This is stupid. If NHL has to drop out then so do all the European leagues, the KHL, SEL, all of them. If only the NHL drops out then the finals will be Russia vs Sweden every single year... every one.

This is stupid. If NHL has to drop out then so do all the European leagues, the KHL, SEL, all of them. If only the NHL drops out then the finals will be Russia vs Sweden every single year... every one.

I don't know... Russia and especially sweden don't have a tradition of acceptable goaltenders in europe.. Finland and the Czech Republic also have some nice players in europe, and will continue having that I think.

I don't know... Russia and especially sweden don't have a tradition of acceptable goaltenders in europe.. Finland and the Czech Republic also have some nice players in europe, and will continue having that I think.

We have Eremenko, Jachanov, Biryukov, Tarasov, Barulin - we can do away.

another step for NHL to self-distruction if that happens. Olympics is by far the best tournament out there.

We have Eremenko, Jachanov, Biryukov, Tarasov, Barulin - we can do away.

How sure are you that they will be in the same shape around 2014?


another step for NHL to self-distruction if that happens. Olympics is by far the best tournament out there.
Agreed.

This is stupid. If NHL has to drop out then so do all the European leagues, the KHL, SEL, all of them. If only the NHL drops out then the finals will be Russia vs Sweden every single year... every one.

Why should the other leagues care?
It's completely up to the NHL. If they don't want to participate, tough luck.

And no, the final definately wouldn't be Russia-Sweden all the time. It wasn't that way in the past, before the NHL participated, and it won't be that way in the future either.

Not participating in the Olympics wouldn't hurt the NHL much, if at all. It would hurt Canadian and American hockey and likely hockey overall, but it's not something that would lead the NHL "closer to self-destruction", a course they aren't even on to begin with. It would be nice if all the countries could play with their best players, but it's not like the NHL got some sort of huge push by allowing its players to participate.

I don't know... Russia and especially sweden don't have a tradition of acceptable goaltenders in europe.. Finland and the Czech Republic also have some nice players in europe, and will continue having that I think.

Uhhhh?????? The whole team is about the goaltenders? Well in WCH 2006 Sweden only had goaltenders from SEL and guess what?? We won the GOLD!!!!! Then, what do you mean about the goaltenders??? Is that Finland has great ones?? So what, you still only has won one gold, WCH 1995. Sweden has since 1995 won 3 golds.

But I don't know if it will be only Russia and Sweden in the finals. Since 1993 Russia only has four finals. Sweden has 9, Finland 8 and Czech Republic 7. So again, WHY so many people think Russia always will be in the final??? Their results in the last 15 years haven't impress at me at all. Russia has good players? Maybe, but a team on the PAPER is competely different than a team on the ICE.

Uhhhh?????? The whole team is about the goaltenders? Well in WCH 2006 Sweden only had goaltenders from SEL and guess what?? We won the GOLD!!!!! Then, what do you mean about the goaltenders??? Is that Finland has great ones?? So what, you still only has won one gold, WCH 1995. Sweden has since 1995 won 3 golds.

True.


But I don't know if it will be only Russia and Sweden in the finals. Since 1993 Russia only has four finals. Sweden has 9, Finland 8 and Czech Republic 7. So again, WHY so many people think Russia always will be in the final??? Their results in the last 15 years haven't impress at me at all. Russia has good players? Maybe, but a team on the PAPER is competely different than a team on the ICE.
It's like Americans almost always predicting US in the top three.

True.


It's like Americans almost always predicting US in the top three.

USA has never won a WHC gold, lol

USA has never won a WHC gold, lol
Really?
http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/men.html
USA - 2 WHC titles

Really?
http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/men.html
USA - 2 WHC titles

I only found one world champs title. I think Squaw Valley was the olympics.

I only found one world champs title. I think Squaw Valley was the olympics.
Yes, they was. My mistake.

I only found one world champs title. I think Squaw Valley was the olympics.

Back then, olympics served as the world championships during olympic years.

Uhhhh?????? The whole team is about the goaltenders? Well in WCH 2006 Sweden only had goaltenders from SEL and guess what?? We won the GOLD!!!!! Then, what do you mean about the goaltenders??? Is that Finland has great ones?? So what, you still only has won one gold, WCH 1995. Sweden has since 1995 won 3 golds.

But I don't know if it will be only Russia and Sweden in the finals. Since 1993 Russia only has four finals. Sweden has 9, Finland 8 and Czech Republic 7. So again, WHY so many people think Russia always will be in the final??? Their results in the last 15 years haven't impress at me at all. Russia has good players? Maybe, but a team on the PAPER is competely different than a team on the ICE.

I correct myself: Finland has been in 7 finals since 1993, not 8. But my point still remains though...