NHL players will NOT play in 2018 Winter Olympics

[plug]

See... this piece articulates the position clearly and in an interesting way. I can see the problems with getting the owners to agree to the ridiculous demands of the IOC. I just want the players to be there. I dont care how much it costs these billionaires. They are taking something away from me that means a lot. I gain an enormous sense of pride watching our best take on the world. If NHL Players dont go, I know that it isn;t the best against the best. The competition loses much of its purpose for me. Dont get me wrong, I will likely still watch and I'll get up at 3am or whatever time the games are on as well, it just won't have as much meaning for me. I'm pissed that its being taken away from me.

I understand your position completely, but being not from Canada the games don't mean much to me because I know they are winning. Just like I stopped watching basketball when the US had the dream team. Guess I just remember 1980 too much from when I was a kid.

[Daydream Nation]

I understand your position completely, but being not from Canada the games don't mean much to me because I know they are winning. Just like I stopped watching basketball when the US had the dream team. Guess I just remember 1980 too much from when I was a kid.

Agreed.

Atomic Wedgy- you just summed up a lot of upset people's feelings. You just want the NHL players because you enjoy it for the reasons you stated. Like plug, the games don't mean as much so I'd rather they not go. Like Dobber wrote in his Ramblings, I enjoy fantasy hockey too much to put on hold the regular season for the Olympics which I don't care much about.

The simple solution is to have hockey in the summer Olympics. The NHL Finals end in June as it is. The Olympics are in August so if players want to go it will just abbreviate their offseason.

[Instant Karma]

There's a lot of controversy around it right now. It's become increasingly prevalent this year and Silver has openly stated that the rules around this will likely change in the future since it's not fair to the fans.

Yes, there is angst about it and rightly so, and naturally Silver is saying what people want him to say. But any rule that they can enact won't have any teeth, the only thing that will change is that teams will transition from openly resting players to sitting them for some phantom injury concern. The league won't do anything about that because a) what could they really do to begin with and, b) this gives them the PR cover they were after, so why actively pursue it?

[Daydream Nation]

So Ovechkin goes and misses 3 weeks and say 9 games. That is roughly 10% of the season. So he lose over 1 M in salary. Now factor in that if he is hurt the team could not pay him any of his salary if goes without their permission.

While it sounds good for a player to say he is playing, it is a terrible financial decision and he puts himself at risk to lose a lot more money. The league holds all the cards here. Plus, they win every time there is a work stoppage. The players can get all huffy but they don't have a lot of good options.

[Atomic Wedgy]

I bet you AO would pay his entire year's salary to play. I wish he was Canadian.

[The Comish]

I bet you AO would pay his entire year's salary to play. I wish he was Canadian.

Secretly, so does he.

[Rylant]

I definitely understand why Ovechkin wants to go to the Olympics. He has now been to 3 different Olympic Games, and he has yet to do a thing... he doesn't have many opportunities left...

Rylant

[2014olympicgold]

i just remembered my username is 2014olympicgold. I feel like i should be more invested in this....

[Jouko-Pouko]

So Ovechkin goes and misses 3 weeks and say 9 games. That is roughly 10% of the season. So he lose over 1 M in salary. Now factor in that if he is hurt the team could not pay him any of his salary if goes without their permission.

While it sounds good for a player to say he is playing, it is a terrible financial decision and he puts himself at risk to lose a lot more money. The league holds all the cards here. Plus, they win every time there is a work stoppage. The players can get all huffy but they don't have a lot of good options.

Players would obviously take insurance for themselves if they go play in the Olympics. They'd still lose money if they get hurt but at least not all of it.

[Daydream Nation]

Players would obviously take insurance for themselves if they go play in the Olympics. They'd still lose money if they get hurt but at least not all of it.

Going to be a hefty premium. Wonder how many countries will cover that.

[Jouko-Pouko]

Going to be a hefty premium. Wonder how many countries will cover that.

Russia pays their players enough to cover the insurance. Not sure about other countries, so players from other countries would need to pay it from their own pockets.

Insurance is expensive but it's a portion of their contract only, meaning it wouldn't make sense to take it if it was too expensive.

[rataylor22]

Is there a league that hates its own players and fans more than the NHL?

No, no there is not. I'm not even sure the league recognizes it exists solely because of the fans.

I think what they meant was along the lines that the IOC offers a pretty package for the NHL to change their mind.

The IOC or NBC. I'm sure the league's US broadcasting network, who also happens to own the Olympic broadcasting rights, can't be happy that the NHL players aren't going to the Winter Olympics marquee event.

[yougo]

i just remembered my username is 2014olympicgold. I feel like i should be more invested in this....

Told myself the same thing when reading the thread :P

[yougo]

So Ovechkin goes and misses 3 weeks and say 9 games. That is roughly 10% of the season. So he lose over 1 M in salary. Now factor in that if he is hurt the team could not pay him any of his salary if goes without their permission.

While it sounds good for a player to say he is playing, it is a terrible financial decision and he puts himself at risk to lose a lot more money. The league holds all the cards here. Plus, they win every time there is a work stoppage. The players can get all huffy but they don't have a lot of good options.

I know we're in a fantasy hockey forum, but seriously if Ovechkin wants to miss 10% of the season to play in the Olympics , he's a free man. If they call some breach of contract thing, 29 other teams will pay whatever he has to pay and sign him after because the ROI on him will great.
I can already see the league forcing him to stay, forcing Leonsis(because he already said he would let him play) to sue/breach Ovechkin contract then Ovi signs in Las Vegas and just racks up millions in sponsorship/ad money.

[agentzero]

I am actually completely fine with NHL players skipping the Olympics. The games are supposed to be for amateur athletes anyway, even if they are for "amateur" athletes now. I know I'll enjoy cheering on some Canadian rando players and it will make the experience all that more enjoyable. They will be so into it, there will be less pressure overall (even if there will be tonnes) and some new faces will gain a tonne of exposure and maybe some NHL tryouts (or even contracts) out of it.

I would love to see the NHL try and go after Ovie (through Leonsis) for some kind of silly breach of contract. I mean, breaches of contract happen all the time in sports.. players hold out.. etc.. it's by no means precedent-setting.

I look forward to seeing this all go down in a few months. Very entertaining.