*ruins the olympics*

*ruins the olympics*

NBC and The Olympics are also to blame, it's stupid to think you're growing the game when you're playing at absolutely random times in the night and morning.
When the Olympics go to China they need to let the players play on US time.

Yes exactly let's play a fkn ice hockey game at 3am so American piggus can watch it at home at a time convenient for them, never mind that there's other people who exist in the world. Also, let's not bother showing it at a good time for other people in the world because that might ""grow the game"" but isn't MURICA

Can someone explain to me why don't they take a 3 week break? What do they lose exactly?

more like gary BUTTman

It's not supposed to be this way. It should bee USA and Canada playing for gold

These olympics has been a lot more fun to watch than the last one though

He's guaranteed a Russian victory

I'm sorry?

>excluding NHL players and prospects

>thinks the US is the center of all civilization

Reddit tries so hard, it's cute.

definitely not the hockey

you mean saves

Only we were able to beat the olympic champion. Feels fucking great desu, we deserve the gold more.

germany was not in your group pal

The hockey is exactly what i meant. Did you already forget how boring and defensive sochi was?

>losing to dopers 3-0

what did you zeman voters mean by this

Shekels.

i guarantee that playing the games in a time zone more applicable to the US/Canada/Europe would be better for the olympics than playing it in a time zone more suited for Japan/Australia/China

You're right about the time thing but it wont happen in china. NHL wont go to china either. Next time NHL goes it will be in the western hemisphere so maybe Calgary 2030?

The women's hockey has been terrific. Japan beating Sweden, Unified Korea not getting BTFO'd and of course USA winning gold on the 20th anniversary

Shekels.

The hockey world does run on US/Canada time.
>b-but eastern europe
Nearly every good player who honestly should be in the Olympics is adjusted to US and Canada time.
>growing the game in Asia
Yeah that won't happen, not worth the effort.

>OARussia wouldnt stand a chance if nhl player were present in pyeongchang

I guess I should say some talented players play in leagues around eastern europe, but a large majority is US canada league based.

>the greatest choker in history of sports

>Let's grow the sport in the countries that are pretty much already saturated with interest instead of expanding to other countries/markets that barely have any contact with the sport

malkin has 2 stanley cups+datsyuk

All it does is push the feminist agenda even harder in America. Now they will keep bitching about how women can do anything and should be paid as much as men.

Yes and both played on previous olympic teams who didn't even medal.

I actually don't mind the NHL not in the olympics, for once the hockey tourny is interesting besides US vs Can or Sweden.

They did not agree who would pay the player's insurance (i.e. NHL vs IOC)

Women's hockey is so boring to watch. Zero upper body strength in hockey makes for boring play.

Well that's the downside to having a country with 10x more people. Now it's 10x the coverage but realistically the women's team does deserve something. They'll never make what the men make due to tv revenue and ticket sales but they've boycotted in the past for better wages and all the US hockey people wanted was cold hard proof. Well now they have it. We'll wait and see how it turns out for them

istnt it intersting that sweden and finland had players from khl and their respective domestic league and fucked up, but russia not?
russia is beside finland the biggest choker in international tournaments

they don't want the best hockey being played outside their league with their players while getting absolutely nothing out of it, not even highlights
don't like it, not defending it, but that's what it is
international hockey needs a top-to-bottom reformation closer to something like soccer, where it's integrated with the league schedule

> doesn't show dmen
Russian forwards are no good in bulk. They are meant to be token players on lines with Canadians/Americans.

>they've boycotted in the past for better wages
they regularly lose to random teams of teenagers, sometimes you should just be happy with what you have

It's basically the same quality of hockey as the Spengler Cup, and nobody says that shit is interesting.

IIHF wooukd. Stop believing Bettman lies

This.
I mean every Canadian and their mother would be up like in Sochi. Euros can all watch it, we can show it to the rest of the world and Asia. But if the 5 hockey fans in Phoenix can't watch it without a minor inconvenience then obviously Bettman is forced to can the whole thing.

No. Russians make some of their best players play in their own league. Swedes and Finns do not.

True. The Olympics does very little for the NHL, and it taking place during the season doesn't help either.

and we see that despite the world cup being best on best, it still doesn't quite click with people, and that the olympic branding/prestige clearly matters to both the players and fans
>and it taking place during the season doesn't help either.
which is why it should be put in the summer games but it would totally overshadow everything else so it won't happen

Russia will win the Olympics now.

Now they get the glory. NHL shooting themselves in the foot, so dumb.

How many NHL players wouldn't love to play the olympics. Imagine the fucking all-star lineups. It would've been puck kino.

The World Cup is a joke. It happens pretty much during/a couple days before training camp. Feels rushed and of course tainted by the NHL greed for more money. Nobody gets an authentic feel from it; just another cheap experience.

Also no KHL. I dont want to fuck the Russians like we got fucked.
That would conflict with KHL schedule, lose lose. Just fucking man up and take the break.

Alex Ovechkin can't lead a team to save his life, Alex Ovechkin cannot do anything clutch to save his life.

Look at his Olympic performances and Stanley Cup performances... a useless sniper when clutch and leadership is needed.

People watching men's hockey only during the Olympics won't understand all this.

They'll just think think Germany and Russia must be awesome to make the final and have the best players.

i think at this point, i would rather see

>CAN/USA
>SWE/FIN
>RUS/Europe

best of 7

I don't think Russians deep down honestly take the Olympic victory and think "We are the best, we played against the greatest players in the world!" When elite Swedes, Americans, Finns, Canadians are not present.

Not even Russians are that delusional, perhaps RT viewers are.

The only part to be pissed off about is the fact that Russia will be listed as winners on Wikipedia, but there won't be a subheader stating: "THEY WON BECAUSE ELITES DID NOT PLAY."

Sad!

NHL has played pre-season games in China recent years and will do so in future... to tap into that market. Last fall it was kongs vs cantpucks in Beijing and Shanghai. I can't remember what teams is will be next summer or fall.

When it comes to Olympics, it has always been random times depending on time zone they are on.

It is actually purely about money. NHL wanted all the tv-revenue and Olympic committee to pay all expenses and OC wanted everything the other way around. Neither side was willing to compromise. Since NHL wants to get access to Chinese market, OC keep NHL out of Winter games in Beijing as retaliation for NHL staying out of Pyeongchang.

We should do that next lockout. A top 12 IIHF ranked Stanley cup final format tournament.

>elite
>Finns

I am happy with that. If Germany wins they wont understand it. Russia would at least get it.
Also this is the perfect year for this to happen. Because the banner will say that. Russian Federation will still have 0 gold. It will say OAR with an Olympic flag with an asterisk for doping. Only time in my life I will cheer OARussia on.

>international hockey needs a top-to-bottom reformation closer to something like soccer, where it's integrated with the league schedule
Integrated to schedule in way that players mostly vacation and rest on summer and every fucking league takes breaks for qualifiers for World Cup and their own regional confederation cup every couple months. Add things like UEFA Champions League
and lower international club tournaments messing up with league schedules. Not to mention minor details by national cup tournaments.

Atop this fucking meme.
How many times do I have to say it. IIHF would pay all expenses NHL just pretended they didnt hear the. The rest is correct tho. Last time Tavares got injured and NYI bitched about it. So they want money and no injury risks from a not for profit tournament.

I'll be fair to the leafs right now: the kike hurt both our teams badly by doing this.

IIHF tried to mediate, but NHL told them to fuck off on the moment they realized that basically only place where they cut the slack is money going to local hockey associations and their youth programs. It is where the profits from IIHF WC profits largely end up. Only mens adult tournament is reliable money maker to IIHF. WJC's profitability basically depends on host country too much. Younger buys junior tournaments are money loss for IIHF, but quite necessary for development juniors. Women's tournament is also a loss for them.

>The Olympics does very little for the NHL

it makes the rest of the world remember that ice hockey exists, for a start

Olympics gives them international showcase. Helps selling tv-rights on international market and merchandise. There is a reason why they play preseason matches and often season opening matches abroad.

NBA for example makes a lot of money from Asia. Even fucking NFL has played matches abroad.

but that is totally true

*ruins your quarterfinal*