If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

[Middle Street]

Isn't playing with or against pros verboten? So without a waiver any college kid who tried for the Olympics would lose eligibility. That leaves the US with a team comprised of college kids who don't mind losing their eligibility and and pros from the European leagues that release their players (KHL etc.)

You would think, but NCAA players are allowed to play in the World Junior tournament and there are times when there are NHL & AHL players on the rosters.

Not to mention all of the MJ players they play with and against.

 

[pdt1081]

Isn't playing with or against pros verboten? So without a waiver any college kid who tried for the Olympics would lose eligibility. That leaves the US with a team comprised of college kids who don't mind losing their eligibility and and pros from the European leagues that release their players (KHL etc).

Canada will be in much the same situation except they'll be able to pull from juniors as well.

In any event, the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament just went from a showcase to a snoozefest.

Ralfs Friebergs (BG) didn't lose any eligibility when he played for Latvia.

 

[Drew S.]

I agree it should be like the mens soccer tourney in the Olympics. Make it U23 and allow 2 or 3 overage players per country......done.

Was going to suggest the exact same thing. Regardless of how many NHL players go the league should keep going through the tournament. Maybe cut back a bit but don't completely shut down.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Isn't playing with or against pros verboten?

No. Absolutely no. I can't say no more emphatically.

Heck, just look at all the swimmers who win the Olympics against pros and then go to college and compete there. Not only that, the NCAA allows them to keep their medal bonuses without losing eligibility.

 

[Skate79]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

My fear of it being college players is that we see guys get nationalized and take the year off from school. But essentially a WJC team with some older players and maybe the occasional AHL/European player would be somewhat fun to watch, even if I'd rather see the NHL go for growing the sport reasons.

Al, this is the way it used to be prior to the NHL sending its players to the Olympics. Back in the eighties, we had players join Team USA on a regular basis (Laney, Scotty, Al Bourbeau, Neil Sheehy, Teddy, Pete Ciavaglia, the list goes on and on). Because the decision is coming in the spring, coaches may now have to think about recruiting extra players to compensate for those that get chosen to go to Korea.

I'm wondering if TEAM USA will consider asking the NHL to let players who sign entry level deals with NHL teams (McAvoy of the Bruins) join the US squad in January. Or sooner. There have to be a number of players who could help the national team compete against foreign competition that most assuredly will suit up pros from their home leagues.

 

[E.J. Smith]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

I agree it should be like the mens soccer tourney in the Olympics. Make it U23 and allow 2 or 3 overage players per country......done.

I really don’t like the idea of making it U-23, with or without a few overage players. It’s the Olympics, not a developmental tournament. Should Usain Bolt not run, and Jamaica can send its U-20 track team instead. It only works, kind of, for soccer because that sport has a real World Cup that players and fans actually care about, not the one step up from a celebrity golf tournament hockey World Cup we had last Summer. Plus you can’t really run a championship caliber soccer tournament in two weeks – too many countries play it and they need more off days between games.

I’ve generally dismissed the idea of putting hockey in the Summer Olympics without giving it much thought, but why not, it actually makes sense in a lot of ways. The only problem, is a place like Rio really going to build a 20,000 seat hockey arena? With a couple of other smaller rinks for practices and some games? Hard to imagine.

Plus, it’s only every 4 years. And the NHL gets a ton of exposure out of it. Only they could find the negative in this. Not to mention, does everything in life have to be about the money? Sending the best players to the Olympics is fun and just the right thing to do. The fans want to see and the players want to play in it. Literally, it comes down to 30* guys in the world who don’t want this to happen. (*Maybe 60, the GMs are probably against it, too. But truthfully, they probably want to see it, too, at least they’re hockey guys, not just bankers who bought “one of those ice hockey outfits”.

 

[alslammerz]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

Al, this is the way it used to be prior to the NHL sending its players to the Olympics. Back in the eighties, we had players join Team USA on a regular basis (Laney, Scotty, Al Bourbeau, Neil Sheehy, Teddy, Pete Ciavaglia, the list goes on and on). Because the decision is coming in the spring, coaches may now have to think about recruiting extra players to compensate for those that get chosen to go to Korea.

I'm wondering if TEAM USA will consider asking the NHL to let players who sign entry level deals with NHL teams (McAvoy of the Bruins) join the US squad in January. Or sooner. There have to be a number of players who could help the national team compete against foreign competition that most assuredly will suit up pros from their home leagues.

Oh believe me, I know. As proud and happy as I'd be to see them in a USA jersey, as a Harvard partisan I have nightmares of Donato and Fox being on Team USA all year and not in Cambridge.

 

[Skate79]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

Oh believe me, I know. As proud and happy as I'd be to see them in a USA jersey, as a Harvard partisan I have nightmares of Donato and Fox being on Team USA all year and not in Cambridge.

The price of success and blue chip recruits.

 

[joecct]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

Men's final at 1AM ET
Women's final at 7AM ET.

Yuk

 

[LTsatch]

Re: If the NHL does not go to Korea, who goes?

Oh believe me, I know. As proud and happy as I'd be to see them in a USA jersey, as a Harvard partisan I have nightmares of Donato and Fox being on Team USA all year and not in Cambridge.

But, I am sure you have NO problem with Keith Allain being away for a month.