NHL given deadline on 2022 Olympic hockey participation

[doniceage]

Olympic hockey officials need to know by late August whether the NHL will participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president René Fasel said Sunday that his organization needs an answer from the NHL before the last three nations qualify for the Olympic men’s hockey tournament in late August.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/...participation/

[odjickfan]

I hope to see the NHLers at the Olympic Games. It's the best hockey with the big ice and the talent on the teams.

[30ranfordfan]

Put me down on the list of people who hope they never go back, but create a permanent every-four-years best-on-best international tournament, with NO gimmick teams. 8 teams, 12 teams, whatever you want to do.

NHLers are the Olympics made for great hockey, yes, but it has nothing to do with the Olympics. It's the players. If you pit Canada's best against the USA's best, against Russia's best, etc: you're going to get a great game.

Shutting down the league in the middle of the season makes no sense to me. Never has.

[BLStryker]

I have no interest in the NHL shutting down for 3 weeks to go to the Olympics in Jan & Feb, and I much prefer the World Cup played in late September / early October every 3 years instead of 4. MacDavid needs to make up for lost time. Team North America was lousy, but I'm good with the Team Europe concept that allows great players to play on a team that at least has a chance of competing. I think it's easy for hockey fans in Canada & the US to look down on this as a gimmick, but I wonder if it truly matters to the fans in the countries who don't have the depth of players to represent it competitively. It gives the tournament 6 legit teams that can compete, and I'd even consider letting the Czechs & Slovaks re-unite on the ice.

[30ranfordfan]

I have no interest in the NHL shutting down for 3 weeks to go to the Olympics in Jan & Feb, and I much prefer the World Cup played in late September / early October every 3 years instead of 4. MacDavid needs to make up for lost time. Team North America was lousy, but I'm good with the Team Europe concept that allows great players to play on a team that at least has a chance of competing. I think it's easy for hockey fans in Canada & the US to look down on this as a gimmick, but I wonder if it truly matters to the fans in the countries who don't have the depth of players to represent it competitively. It gives the tournament 6 legit teams that can compete, and I'd even consider letting the Czechs & Slovaks re-unite on the ice.

I get what you mean by competitive teams.

I think there's currently 6 countries that could realistically have a hope to win gold in a best-on-best tourney (Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic).

The Slovaks could make the playoffs, and upset someone.... but they're not deep enough to upset two or three of those other teams.

Slovakia isn't even in the top 8 right now (they're 9th, behind Germany & Switzerland). Those teams have no chance of winning.

The problem is: The Olympics, with NHLers, is an international best-on-best tourny. If the NHL runs its own World Cup but uses combined teams - they turn it into a "best of the NHL" tournament (though there were a few KHLers in 2016).

The upcoming Olympic tournament is going to have some BAD games, even without the NHLers (which will level the playing field). 9 of the 12 slots are already set:

Group A will be Canada, USA, Germany, and China.
Group B is Russia, Cezch Republic, Switzerland, and the 3rd place qualifier
Group C is Finland, Sweden, and the top two qualifers.

Those last three spots are still to be deterimed, but the favorites are Slovakia, Latvia, and Norway.

You play everyone within your own group. That's going to lead to - at least - six blowouts of 8+ goals.

Everyone makes the playoffs (group winners get a bye, top 2nd place gets a bye). First round playoff match of China vs Czechs isn't going to be tight.


Personally, I'd rather see the World Cup limited to 6 countries, than include mixed teams. 8 is a more even number for the sake of games... but even with 8: If Leon Draisaitl has to miss the tourney because Germany has no chance, I think that's okay. 8 means the Slovaks or Swiss or Germans are going to end up in some lopsided games... but how are countries ever supposed to get better, if they don't compete?

If the NHL really wanted to take it a step farther, and make it more international: Take 8 countries (either top 8 by IIHF rankings, or top 8 by active NHL players) for the main tourney.... but take the next 4 or 6 or 8 for a secondary tournament. Promote the winner of B, and relegate the loser of A (or top / bottom two?).

I dunno. I get what you're saying. Nobody wants to see blowouts - but I think you they either need to accept the blowouts, or limit the countries.