Official 2018 Speculation Thread - Update - NHL says they are not participating

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I dont know if it was posted here but i think I heard Ferraro say that the Russian Olympic team will not accept players with valid contracts from leagues that have said they wont be allowing players to go to the Olympics

meaning we might be seeing some contracts terminated/voided Kovalchuk style ????

Would these guys seriously throw away their contracts and all that money just to play in an Olympics where the rest of the competition are plugs?

I mean, if so that's some kinda dedication to your cause.

(Also, there's zero chance Canada or USA hockey go against the NHL given their close relationships with the league, and I doubt any Swedes or Finns are crazy enough to do something like this either).

 

[forty_three]

No wonder he was so pissed last night.

It couldn't have been the onset of guilt for punching a rookie while someone had him in a headlock, I tell ya that.

 

[puckhead]

Would these guys seriously throw away their contracts and all that money just to play in an Olympics where the rest of the competition are plugs?

I mean, if so that's some kinda dedication to your cause.

(Also, there's zero chance Canada or USA hockey go against the NHL given their close relationships with the league, and I doubt any Swedes or Finns are crazy enough to do something like this either).

Massive pressure by mother Russia to bring home hockey medals.
Ovie has gone to the last three and come up empty each time.

As for throwing away contracts, yes, they could technically have contracts terminated for breach... ted's not gonna let ovie walk, given his support already, or it's a quick out to ufa for anyone else who does have contract terminated. I have a feeling Russia would pick up any financial shortfall for any penalties.
Don't think it will come to that, one Russian official has already been quotes as saying they wouldn't be able to take anyone in an NHL contract without NHL permission.
But for all of those Russian guys who are UFAor RFA this summer, there could be a big carrot to spend a year in the K

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Massive pressure by mother Russia to bring home hockey medals.
Ovie has gone to the last three and come up empty each time.

As for throwing away contracts, yes, they could technically have contracts terminated for breach... ted's not gonna let ovie walk, given his support already, or it's a quick out to ufa for anyone else who does have contract terminated. I have a feeling Russia would pick up any financial shortfall for any penalties.
Don't think it will come to that, one Russian official has already been quotes as saying they wouldn't be able to take anyone in an NHL contract without NHL permission.
But for all of those Russian guys who are UFAor RFA this summer, there could be a big carrot to spend a year in the K

Elliotte's 30 yesterday mentioned a couple good points - one, that the Russian team in an Olympics sans-NHLers is probably the strong favourite to win gold given the guys who currently play in the K (Federov, Kovalchuk etc.) are probably better than any list you could come up with for Canada, USA, Sweden etc. and thus a good reason for the Russians to not go after any NHLers for their team even if the players are willing to risk it, and two that like you said big carrot for pending RFA's and UFA's (specifically mentioned Washington as they could potentially lose both Orlov and Kuznetsov this summer as a result).

 

[BGDave]

Elliotte's 30 yesterday mentioned a couple good points - one, that the Russian team in an Olympics sans-NHLers is probably the strong favourite to win gold given the guys who currently play in the K (Federov, Kovalchuk etc.) are probably better than any list you could come up with for Canada, USA, Sweden etc. and thus a good reason for the Russians to not go after any NHLers for their team even if the players are willing to risk it, and two that like you said big carrot for pending RFA's and UFA's (specifically mentioned Washington as they could potentially lose both Orlov and Kuznetsov this summer as a result).

Reminiscent of the old Central Red Army days. Russia sends "pros" while the rest send amateurs.

 

[dash]

Oh man lol

VANCOUVER, B.C.—In a controversial decision, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced this week that, for the first time in since 1994, NHL professional hockey players will not attend the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.

Instead, the league will send the Vancouver Canucks, a plucky group of hockey amateurs who are expected to be happy just to be there.

Though he knows some will be disappointed by the move, Bettman says that he's extremely confident it's the right decision.

"The Olympics take place in the middle of February, in the heat of our playoff hunt. For that reason it just wouldn't be acceptable to have our best players suddenly disappear from the league at that exciting time. We can, however, part with the Vancouver Canucks, who will not be contenders, and whose players' talent level, on a scale of 1 to 10, is an 'Aw, they look like they're really having fun out there.'"

NHL to keep professionals home from Olympics, send Vancouver Canucks instead | CBC Comedy

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Oh man lol

VANCOUVER, B.C.—In a controversial decision, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced this week that, for the first time in since 1994, NHL professional hockey players will not attend the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.

Instead, the league will send the Vancouver Canucks, a plucky group of hockey amateurs who are expected to be happy just to be there.

Though he knows some will be disappointed by the move, Bettman says that he's extremely confident it's the right decision.

"The Olympics take place in the middle of February, in the heat of our playoff hunt. For that reason it just wouldn't be acceptable to have our best players suddenly disappear from the league at that exciting time. We can, however, part with the Vancouver Canucks, who will not be contenders, and whose players' talent level, on a scale of 1 to 10, is an 'Aw, they look like they're really having fun out there.'"

NHL to keep professionals home from Olympics, send Vancouver Canucks instead | CBC Comedy

I guess this means the Canucks arent firing WillieD ... amateur team amateur coach

 

[dash]

I guess this means the Canucks arent firing WillieD ... amateur team amateur coach

If they don't, I think David Pratt might have a stroke on live radio.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

If they don't, I think David Pratt might have a stroke on live radio.

on a related note, If they dont fire WillieD, Jayson Megna wont have to stroke it cause Willie will still be around

 

[dash]

Okay, that's a pretty disturbing image lol

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Okay, that's a pretty disturbing image lol

yes but Willies deployment of JaySON Megna this season has been even more disturbing

 

[jstewismybastardson]

JaySON will certainly be crushed if Willie gets CANned

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Who makes these things?

 

[dash]

MOSCOW — Evgeni Malkin wants to go to the Olympics next February and he hopes the Pittsburgh Penguins will allow him.

Malkin told Russian sports daily Sovetsky Sport he was surprised by the NHL’s announcement Monday that it wouldn’t halt its season for players to go to South Korea. He says "there’s nothing good about this at all."

He also questions why talks didn’t continue for longer, pointing out that a final decision on the 2014 Olympics wasn’t reached until July 2013.

If Malkin is allowed to go the Olympics by Pittsburgh, he could join fellow Russian star Alex Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov, who have said they want to play in South Korea.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

this was an ok read (might be fake news from a failing organization though )... do the winter olympics need the nhl more than the nhl needs the olympics?


“For a very long time, there’s always been this race to get the Olympics, and that race might have ended,” said Johann Olav Koss, a former International Olympic Committee member and a four-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating for Norway. “The I.O.C. needs to figure out new ways to engage cities, and I think the Winter Olympics seems to be the one suffering the most.”

It does not help that figure skating, once a pillar of the Winter Olympics, has seen its popularity slump significantly outside Japan, particularly in North America and Western Europe.


/heres the rub for the IOC giving in to NHLs demands of broadcasting/image rights

For the I.O.C., dare to share the wealth with the N.H.L. and here come the N.B.A., P.G.A., L.P.G.A., A.T.P., E.T.C.

 

[BGDave]

And in related news, the NHL has released the 2017-2018 schedule. Interestingly, all teams will have 15 games scheduled during the Winter Olympics. Commissioner Bettman, at the press conference, stated "our fans don't watch figure skating". Most teams are in favo(u)r of the schedule, however one notable dissent was voiced by the Washington Capitals who are 'unhappy' with the schedule which includes a 3 game California swing followed by 2 games in Florida, and then another 3 game trek to Western Canada.

 

[Comeds]

And in related news, the NHL has released the 2017-2018 schedule. Interestingly, all teams will have 15 games scheduled during the Winter Olympics. Commissioner Bettman, at the press conference, stated "our fans don't watch figure skating". Most teams are in favo(u)r of the schedule, however one notable dissent was voiced by the Washington Capitals who are 'unhappy' with the schedule which includes a 3 game California swing followed by 2 games in Florida, and then another 3 game trek to Western Canada.

I'm a Habs fan. I have watched whole seasons of figure skating.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Just read on Richard Deitsch's column on SI that the 2014 semi between the US and Canada only drew 3.9 million viewers in the States. That was on a Friday afternoon.

I’m kinda getting now why NBC/IOC didn’t pay up for NHL players this go-round. They can probably get at least half that average with amateurs if the US gets anywhere near that point.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Just read on Richard Deitsch's column on SI that the 2014 semi between the US and Canada only drew 3.9 million viewers in the States. That was on a Friday afternoon.

I’m kinda getting now why NBC/IOC didn’t pay up for NHL players this go-round. They can probably get at least half that average with amateurs if the US gets anywhere near that point.

it was on NBCSN though, not the main network, and i think thats the highest rating for any hockey game ever on NBCSN

as far as "paying up", nbc is locked in to the olympics, i dont think they were being expected to pony up to cover any costs ... unless the IOC said to the NHL, we're not paying ... go ask NBC

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

it was on NBCSN though, not the main network, and i think thats the highest rating for any hockey game ever on NBCSN

as far as "paying up", nbc is locked in to the olympics, i dont think they were being expected to pony up to cover any costs ... unless the IOC said to the NHL, we're not paying ... go ask NBC

Ah. Well, that's dumb of them.

There were pieces where it was at least postulated that NBC might pay the NHL some money for the players to go because it's an obvious boost to their ratings. Don't know if it was ever really serious talk but I'll take it as at least plausible that discussions were had.