the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the front.
- Emperor Filonius

Slight misquote?

The part your narrow mind isn't getting is that hockey could be moved to the Summer Games without any issue so as not to interfere with the regular season. The same goes for the IIHF WC which could be easily moved to the summer and played then also.
- sambarugh

Actually hockey couldn't be moved to the summer games very easily at all. They are perhaps the biggest draw as an entire sport during the winter olympics. Its also the only team sport aside from curling and any relay event. Removing hockey from the winter olympics could cause the overall popularity in the winter olympics to dip, not to mention the popularity of hockey in the olympics itself. Then there is the issue of location. Not all the locations of the Summer olympics would have viable venues for hockey. For example, Athens does not really have a hockey specific venue. What would you use, the basketball one? I doubt you'd be able to switch from basketball to hockey and back for two weeks in the middle of the summer and not have it effect the playing surface. If they did manage a way, it would probably come at considerable cost.

Nash-Crosby-Perry
Tavares-Giroux-Stamkos
E.Stall-Toews-Kane
Hall-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
Benn-Bergeron-Seguin

Weber-Doughty
Keith-Letang
Pietrangelo-Subban
M.Stall-Schultz
Price
Luongo
Crawford
- Oilers42

No bias there......

Well, they would have 4 years to build a rink. Cities build facilities all the time to accomodate themselves hosting the Olympics.

Also, you then have a rink in cities that didn't previously have one - thus expanding the game globally.
- sambarugh

So they are going to make countries waste more money for a sport most of their country has never seen before? It does nothing to expand the game globally. Places like greece don't even have a professional league and their national team would be lucky to draw 500 spectators.

Count me in the no NHL'ers in the Olympics camp.

Its time to go back to using amateurs.

-No other major sport shuts down in midseason for the Olympics
-There are plenty of great amateur players out there in college and juniors
-People will watch, even if there are no NHL players. To quote coach Brooks, the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the front.
- Emperor Filonius

Soccer in the olympics is not as popular as the sport is internationally. They use u21s except for 3 players or something.

Slight misquote?
- cranktheradio

Lol, yes dammit. I will correct.

Soccer in the olympics is not as popular as the sport is internationally. They use u21s except for 3 players or something.
- rmdevil313

I would argue that is because Soccer has the World Cup every 4 years and that will always dwarf everything else.

I would argue that is because Soccer has the World Cup every 4 years and that will always dwarf everything else.
- Emperor Filonius

Its a small part of it, but the bigger reason is that its not the best players. If the olympics used the best players for soccer it would be a lot more popular, maybe not on the same level as the world cup, but definitely not as ignored as it is now. International soccer also has a much larger presence during the season. For all these people (not you specifically) talking about how hockey is the only sport that interrupts its season for hockey, soccer has multiple week long international breaks during its season. A world cup of hockey would not bring comparable level of enthusiasm as the world cup of soccer or that the winter olympics brings.

So they are going to make countries waste more money for a sport most of their country has never seen before? It does nothing to expand the game globally. Places like greece don't even have a professional league and their national team would be lucky to draw 500 spectators.
- rmdevil313

If you build it, they will come. Didn't Wayne's World teach you anything?

Long and short of it.... The Olympics are for the world's best athletes. Hence NHL players should play. Forget the risk or dangers. They could be hit by a bus crossing the street or crash their car (see Dany Heatley) doesn't mean they will stop walking or driving. The ability to watch the best athletes from your country on the same team is a HUGE reward for the fans and is some of the most exciting hockey in history. Just ask Paul Henderson.

Actually hockey couldn't be moved to the summer games very easily at all. They are perhaps the biggest draw as an entire sport during the winter olympics. Its also the only team sport aside from curling and any relay event. Removing hockey from the winter olympics could cause the overall popularity in the winter olympics to dip, not to mention the popularity of hockey in the olympics itself. Then there is the issue of location. Not all the locations of the Summer olympics would have viable venues for hockey. For example, Athens does not really have a hockey specific venue. What would you use, the basketball one? I doubt you'd be able to switch from basketball to hockey and back for two weeks in the middle of the summer and not have it effect the playing surface. If they did manage a way, it would probably come at considerable cost.
- rmdevil313

I would bet the viewing figures on the snowboarding finals are bigger than the hockey finals lol.

And cost? Do you know how much is invested in each Summer games and how much revenue it generates? 5.3 billion GBP was spent on BUILDING VENUES ALONE for London.

so (frank)ing stupid. the players themselves want to go. Its a tournament that puts the worlds best players against each other. taking them out of the equation just makes it mediocre, and nobody wants to see that.

If you build it, they will come. Didn't Wayne's World teach you anything?
- sambarugh

Not sure if you are being serious or not, but one tournament will not do anything. The native people will watch a game, wonder what the hell it is they are watching, and forget about it. The building would most likely be abandoned after the tournament as the cost of running the place would be far to expensive for the few events it could host after. From an olympics standpoint, moving hockey to the summer makes no sense.

Long and short of it.... The Olympics are for the world's best athletes. Hence NHL players should play. Forget the risk or dangers. They could be hit by a bus crossing the street or crash their car (see Dany Heatley) doesn't mean they will stop walking or driving. The ability to watch the best athletes from your country on the same team is a HUGE reward for the fans and is some of the most exciting hockey in history. Just ask Paul Henderson.
- marklaprise

Actually the Olympics were built on the foundation of amateur athletes, not professional. So the idea used to be no pros until the IOC decided to make all professional athletes eligible for the Olympics (except boxing).

I love the Olympics. I love staying up until the early hours of the morning to watch two teams battle across the globe. I think the Olympics are very important not only for the game, but for fans. I hope they find a way to stay. Without the drama of Crosby defeating team USA a few years ago, the NHL isn't nearly as popular as they are today. The Olympics don't just garner views from NHL fans, they garner views from anyone watching the Olympics. People who tune in to watch cross country skiing may see a game and think to themselves "hmmm, I might just check out some NHL action". Gotta keep the NHL involved.

I would bet the viewing figures on the snowboarding finals are bigger than the hockey finals lol.

And cost? Do you know how much is invested in each Summer games and how much revenue it generates? 5.3 billion GBP was spent on BUILDING VENUES ALONE for London.
- sambarugh

So why not add on more costs for a sport the home team isn't even represented right?

And the last gold medal game for the US was widely watched and drew over 50 million viewers in the US alone. It was also one of the most watched sporting events in Canadian history.

Try playing basketball on an outdoor court in the winter.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Can I do it in Florida?

I love the Olympics. I love staying up until the early hours of the morning to watch two teams battle across the globe. I think the Olympics are very important not only for the game, but for fans. I hope they find a way to stay. Without the drama of Crosby defeating team USA a few years ago, the NHL isn't nearly as popular as they are today. The Olympics don't just garner views from NHL fans, they garner views from anyone watching the Olympics. People who tune in to watch cross country skiing may see a game and think to themselves "hmmm, I might just check out some NHL action". Gotta keep the NHL involved.
- Panthers88

Exactly. A world cup of hockey in the summer will only attract current hockey fans that don't want to watch baseball or for the Nordic region, not invested in club soccer as there, soccer is a summer sport similar to the MLS. The olympics will attract people who otherwise wouldn't watch hockey and maybe draw them in to being a casual fan of the NHL. It actually has some marketing value for the NHL.

for the sake of selling the product you fool the NBA would have never had a chance coming into existence against MLB. You play soccer out doors on grass in shorts - its a summer sport. you play basketball on ashphalt in shorts - its a summer sport.
you play hockey on skates, on ice, in winter.

its a winter sport.

frikkin americans....
- gzatron

Exactly. A world cup of hockey in the summer will only attract current hockey fans that don't want to watch baseball or for the Nordic region, not invested in club soccer as there, soccer is a summer sport similar to the MLS. The olympics will attract people who otherwise wouldn't watch hockey and maybe draw them in to being a casual fan of the NHL. It actually has some marketing value for the NHL.
- rmdevil313

yeah but the owners are more interested in instant gratification than growing the game. therefore whatever lines their pockets more in the immediate term, they will do.

Exactly. A world cup of hockey in the summer will only attract current hockey fans that don't want to watch baseball or for the Nordic region, not invested in club soccer as there, soccer is a summer sport similar to the MLS. The olympics will attract people who otherwise wouldn't watch hockey and maybe draw them in to being a casual fan of the NHL. It actually has some marketing value for the NHL.
- rmdevil313

You're right. You're right about everything.

Eklund: Source: Sochi Looks Like the Final Olympics for the NHL. Should It Be?
- Eklund

Good. I know pro athletes draw an insane amount of attention in all the olympic sports they compete in but I think they should revert to ALL AMATEURS in ALL SPORTS.

And not one single bit for the safety sake of the athletes or pro franchises, NO, I don't care about that.
But rather, for the chance it affords unknown athletes to rise above and be recognized and the whole underdog element. What could ever be more magical than the 1980 Men's Hockey Miracle on Ice? Or who knew a of pint sized gymnast named Mary Lou before she competed in 1984?
I think the Olympics can more than aptly survive without pros clogging up the press coverage and hogging all the attention. Not to mention the embarassment of the basketball dream team that despite the best talent in the world, still lost.

Maybe if the Olympics regained the mystique in once had, the attention would be focused back on the surprise of not knowing what might happen next or who might pull of the next miracle.

That's something I think a lot of people would find interesting.

This debate over what is a winter or summer sport is the hottest thing to hit hockeybuzz since the kaberle trade window deadline. Maybe they should have a Spring and Autumn Olympics too, that would be trippy

You're right. You're right about everything.
- sambarugh

You respond to this when logical points are made after you called someone else narrow minded earlier. Weak

yeah but the owners are more interested in instant gratification than growing the game. therefore whatever lines their pockets more in the immediate term, they will do.
- DoubleDown

You'd think that since this league is run like a business.. these owners would know how to..... run a business. It's not about the NOW, it's about the LATER. That candy had it right all along.....