Official Hockey discussion thread

Well, the NHL wants to not interrupt their season; the IIHF doesn't want to pay for the insurance; the IOC doesn't much help.
 
That's the thing though. So, I totally get the NHLs point of view. They don't want to interrupt the season, they don't want to fatigue their star players or risk injury. But if a country still asked for a player to go, is the IIHF still responsible for the insurance at that point? If it is on the onus of the player and their team? Like with the Ovechkin situation? He asked Leonis if he could go, he said yes... problem solved. So if a player asks and is told no for the aforementioned reasons, what does the IIHF care if Ovechkin and others go?
 
The NHL going to the Olympics has been great for the game of hockey, though. Yes, there's an impediment to the season, but long term the teams do much better with a bigger pool of athletes to pick from. Auston Matthews never plays hockey if there's no push for it in Arizona and the US - remember he was just a kid, like legitimately 3-4 years old, during the Salt Lake City Olympics. South Korea has a massive population with growing wealth that has a climate conducive to hockey. The NHL is going to want to be in China in 2022, and all the reasons for that should have been applied to 2018 Pyongchang. This is short term greed.
 
Oh, I agree about it being short term greed. In his statement, Ovechkin mentions that his entire life professionals have been able to play in the olympics, it was his reality.

As for China and NHL expansion... At this rate the league may grow so much it may do something similar to MLB. No interconference play (which sucks for fans) and the only East v. West showdown would be the Stanley Cup final. Don't know about these "world domination" plans of having teams in Europe and China... would they be their own league? What's the point? Specially in Europe where very competent leagues already exist?
 
In the "I cannot believe people are paid to look this up" category. McDavid is the first reigning Hart Trophy winner to score a hat trick in the first game of the season since Bobby Hull on Oct 23rd, 1965 ... speaking of Bobby .. looking at the autographed stick of his hanging on my wall

Happy the Hawks start up tonight and I will be watching .. but like last season, I doubt I will be watching much of them while the Cubs are still in the playoffs .. which hopefully lasts into November again :)
 
McDavid is a pretty special guy, so that just confirms it to some extent.

Hawks should have a good start!
 
LooseCannon said:
McDavid is a pretty special guy, so that just confirms it to some extent.

Hawks should have a good start!
Click to expand...

Not so sure about the good start. Many changes on the Defense and really all 4 lines. Might take a bit to gel. But they have $3M im cap room this year ... so they can add
 
Or a real fast start ... 4 goals im the first 10 mins. Saad with 2 of them

They had a nice tribute to Brian Bickell before the game. He suited up and was announced with the team
 
On a serious note, that's what my brother and I were discussing. They had a short summer, lost key depth pieces in Kunitz, Bonino, Hainsey, Fleury, etc. Between little rest and back filling those positions it might take a while for them to gel. I still see them as a playoff team though. My brother also pointed out as being repeat champs everyone and their grandmother is gunning for them, playing in playoff mode against them to knock 'em down a peg or two.
 
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