the "Olympics" are thousands of years old. battling for Olympic gold is something very special.

i guess by your logic all the guys that dont like the current nhl could go form another league and and play for the "Stanley Chalice" and it would mean just as much as the "Stanley Cup"
- pensfan024

lol true.

"Ovi is no more ridiculous then the NHL sending players for years and now saying they won't send players. Of course the NHL is no more ridiculous then the IOC which is a fairly detestable organization/crime syndicate. Which is of course is only slightly more ridiculous then having Donald Trump and his family syndicate in the White House. Which is all only slightly more ridiculous then Ilya Kovalchuck and his retirement/playing for Russia, returning to the NHL, not returning to the NHL, returning to the NHL, waiting to be a free agent and returning to the NHL but not until after playing in the Olympics this year soap opera... Which he may or may not be doing with Ovi. I blame Putin.... but that's me. It could all be #Fakenews. ALL OF IT BY THOUSANDS OF JOURNALIST is fake. Putin and Trump are real. Just saying. Because that's believable. And Science is fake. And clean air is fake. #Notonvacation@thegolfcourseresortinNewJersey."

Queenie - I was going to compare it to Kovy as well but you took it to a whole new level. Perfectly said.

Dead on about the olympics not being worth it. And NHL not formally allowing it's players to go should be the case all the time. But if olympics is what he wants to do then good for him. He doesnt owe the team anything. they signed a contract to pay him so much for his services, if he wants out so be it... the team doesnt pay him for said services. if the team wants to pay him for said services when he returns so be it. Saying he owes them anything is sentimental bologna.
- ChrisMS

Its not sentimental to say that if you make a commitment you should honor it.

Ovi is an avid reader of hockeybuzz, I'm almost 100% positive that he will most certainly listen to James Tanner.

This isn't a debate.

Since you could play the same game, with the same rules, and the same players, then caring about something because it's "the Olypics" is arbitrary. Its thus immature and stupid.

If the NHL holds the exact same tourny, what's the difference. If the difference is "it's the Olympics" then that person must be about five year old. It's incredible to me people don't see this.
- james_tanner1

Wow not even close to my point but nice try I guess.

Again, who determines which tourney is important and which isn't? I mean if what you said above is true, then couldn't the entire premise of the NHL much less the playoffs be a glorified World Cup of Hockey?

What are the requirements for a tourney to be considered important? Age of the tournament? Viewership? Teams participating? I mean they are all hockey games playing on generally the same rulebook so what determines importance? If you can claim the Olympics are arbitrary and not important then the question(s) above should have an easy answer

the "Olympics" are thousands of years old. battling for Olympic gold is something very special.

i guess by your logic all the guys that dont like the current nhl could go form another league and and play for the "Stanley Chalice" and it would mean just as much as the "Stanley Cup"
- pensfan024

Ovi's mom was an olympic athlete. She played basketball & won 2 Olympic gold medals. This fact likely is a big reason for why Ovi is so opinionated about the topic.

Ovi is an avid reader of hockeybuzz, I'm almost 100% positive that he will most certainly listen to James Tanner.
- PapaSquat

But OV is Russian, wouldn't that mean James is colluding?

Its not sentimental to say that if you make a commitment you should honor it.
- James_Tanner

Drouin says hi

It's not arbitrary, they are totally different tournaments. The olympics are bigger, more coverage, more noteriety. It's two weeks of the best athletes of all winter sports in the same place, the best of your country in the same place, all a part of one big team. Hockey is just one part of it. It also has a history, an emotional connection, much like the stanley cup. The hockey is also more competitve, the players value olympic gold more so they play harder. I could go on, but it should be pretty obvious.
- 13sundin13

This guy said it best.

- This blog sponsored by the NHL

I think you forgot to put ^this^ at the end of your blog

Something tells me that if OEL or Crosby was the one talking Olympics this article would have a totally different tone.

Olympics are important to Ovie. That's his right to choose. If ownership says he can go that is their choice as well. No one cares what Bettman thinks because that office is a joke. No one has a right to tell another human being what is important to them

Think about if from the player perspective:
He signed his contract with the NHL with the understanding that players could go to the Olympics...had that not been the case he might have asked for a clause to include that specifically
If he goes, and others follow, the league either has to let them go or suspend them all equally
The league created this issue flip-flopping on their stance. They either lose players to the Olympics or lose them longer via suspension. Either way they lose
If all or a majority of star players chose to go the league would have a playoffs filled with replacement players should they suspend everyone. Good call there Bettman

I hope all of the star players go leaving the NHL front office holding the bag on what to do next

Yes but the weight the Olympic gold holds is fake. It's just something you put in to it.
- james_tanner1

No that's your blogs.

Ovi's mom was an olympic athlete. She played basketball & won 2 Olympic gold medals. This fact likely is a big reason for why Ovi is so opinionated about the topic.
- Salami_Tsunami

His mom did better in April and May.

Just saying, from a purely musical standpoint, The Tragically Hip weren't that good.
- jmatchett383

Then Bob Dylan must be bottom of the barrel with nothing in it

Then Bob Dylan must be bottom of the barrel with nothing in it
- Nighthawk

I'm not a fan. Dude's a horrible singer.

This isn't a debate.

Since you could play the same game, with the same rules, and the same players, then caring about something because it's "the Olypics" is arbitrary. Its thus immature and stupid.

If the NHL holds the exact same tourny, what's the difference. If the difference is "it's the Olympics" then that person must be about five year old. It's incredible to me people don't see this.
- james_tanner1

The NHL can't hold the exact same tourney, that is the point. Nothing compares to the Olympics. You can say I am 5 all you want, but saying the Olympics is just some other tourney is ridiculous. Like someone else said, Olympics = World wide coverage, World Cup or any other NHL tournament = Only covered in North America with horrible publicity.

I'm not a fan. Dude's a horrible singer.
- jmatchett383

He must inspire rappers then lol
They don't sing either.

Just saying, from a purely musical standpoint, The Tragically Hip weren't that good.
- jmatchett383

What a random and idiotic comment. This has nothing to do with hockey and is wrong on every level. The Hip are a solid musical group that has released some great music over the years. If you ever saw them perform, you would only appreciate them that much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWlJMu-TKXk

Our local sports dude on radio suggested Summer Olympics for hockey.

Idc about the IOC or IIHF if they want the best players then bend over.
The NHL is in business & promotes hockey while the Olympics is corrupt.
Canada boycotted over Russian pros & I could care a less what OVI thinks.
He can leave & void his contract.

This isn't a debate.

Since you could play the same game, with the same rules, and the same players, then caring about something because it's "the Olypics" is arbitrary. Its thus immature and stupid.

If the NHL holds the exact same tourny, what's the difference. If the difference is "it's the Olympics" then that person must be about five year old. It's incredible to me people don't see this.
- james_tanner1

Umm, IT IS A DEBATE! That's why there are comments allowed at the end of a post. A debate is where there are opposing sides to an issue and are discussed in such a manner. After reading a few of your posts now I have come to the conclusion that you don't realize what sites like this are all about. They are not meant for a "Superior Mind" in the eye of the author, to write a post and have everyone just agree and go, WOW, that makes so much sense. There is a comment section so that people can either agree with your point of view or disagree with it. You write "Opinion" pieces. That means they are your opinion and not based on any facts. If you wrote an article and said AO has score more goals that any other player in the NHL in the last 10 years; I haven't checked that, but I am pretty sure it's correct; then no one could disagree with you. To compare the value an athlete places on winning a Gold Medal at the Olympics or winning the Stanley Cup is insane because you would need the ability to know what goes on in someone's mind. I do not believe you possess such skills, but that is my opinion and I could be wrong. Please let me know if you do have those skills and I will retract my statement. To prove that you truly do possess those powers, "Tell me what I am thinking right now, as I write this!" By the way, I have never liked the idea of professional athletes from ANY sport being involved in the Olympics. The Olympics was always meant to be the best of amateur athletes competing for their countries. The IOC allowed professionals in because they knew the money they would draw to the games. If you would have used that as part of your argument for why AO shouldn't go, I would have backed you!

lol true.
- j.boyd919

Well, no it's not.

Well, no it's not.
- james_tanner1

We need a deciding vote to break tbis deadlock

The NHL can't hold the exact same tourney, that is the point. Nothing compares to the Olympics. You can say I am 5 all you want, but saying the Olympics is just some other tourney is ridiculous. Like someone else said, Olympics = World wide coverage, World Cup or any other NHL tournament = Only covered in North America with horrible publicity.
- LAkings96

But the coverage and import of the tourny is 100% manufactured.

All I am saying - and I can't believe I have to further explain this - is the the competition, structure, and game are all the same. So any import or cache you apply to the Olympics vs a tournament that is the same in all but name is arbitrary i.e it's based on personal preference rather than reason.

No one is arguing that the Olympics aren't seen as more important or that the players might care more about them. The point is that seeing them as more important has nothing to do with the game or the participants. It's about the idea that caring more about the Olympics because they are called the Olympics is unreasonable.

- This blog sponsored by the NHL

I think you forgot to put ^this^ at the end of your blog
- dr_soiledpants

This is what an actual hilarious joke looks like.

Would you quit whining like a 7 year old girl about Trump? Nobody appreciates your political views. This is a hockey forum not The View. This crap was annoying in 2016.