The Commissioner has spoken. The NHL will not shut down for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has been hot and cold the past few months when asked about his discussions with the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation. Fans have waited patiently to hear the results, and on Monday, we got their answer.
Bettman stated that shutting down for the Olympics disrupts the season. He may be right, but not shutting down may disrupt the league more. Players are now forced to choose between representing their country on the most prestigious stage in sports or staying with their teams.
It’s still unclear whether or not individual teams can stop their players from going to Pyeongchang, but rumors are flying that the NHL will create a league-wide ruling on the matter.
If a player goes to the Olympics, would they not be allowed to play the rest of the NHL season? Would their contracts be in violation? It is all still up in the air.
Bettman also cited the risk of injury. It is a valid reason, but it is just as high in the regular season. A player could be injured whether or not he goes to the Olympics.
On Tuesday, Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin made it clear that he will still represent his country of Russia next year. This came as no surprise because he has been adamant about playing for Russia since this whole discussion started.
Not only does this impact the NHL behind the scenes, but also the Olympics, which are now in jeopardy. The Olympics are supposed to be a place for the greatest athletes in the world to perform on the biggest stage. If the NHL is home to the best hockey players in the world, those players should be able to represent their country and the sport of hockey at the Olympics.
When NHL players are forced to stay behind, the sport of hockey will be wrongly represented. Not to mention that Olympic hockey ratings will suffer. Fans, especially NHL fans, look to the Olympics to see their favorite stars play on the same team representing their country.
Fans watch for T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise and Patrick Kane on Team USA. Rookie Auston Matthews was a potentially excellent addition to this squad, but the world will not have the opportunity to see him in Pyeongchang when he is stuck in Toronto.
Jonathan Toews, Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby are highlights of Team Canada and a big reason why they’ve been so successful in Winter Olympics past. Younger players with less experience will now play for Canada.
Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin represent Team Russia. Artemi Panarin would have made a great addition to the NHL stars on the team, and now he may not have the chance. Russia has not received a medal since 2002, and up-and-coming NHL players were on their way to getting their country back on top for hockey.
Even Team Sweden is widely watched with Nicklas Bäckström, Henrik Zetterberg and Henrik Lundqvist.
Stopping NHL players from playing in the Winter Olympics is a lose-lose. The Olympics will have low ratings and the NHL will have unnecessary drama.
It would not be fair to discuss this topic without bringing up the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
A team of incredible amateur American hockey players defeated an experienced Soviet Union team in an intense battle. Several great documentaries have been made depicting both teams and their struggles.
It is an inspiring story, and it would not have been possible if the NHL season stopped for the games.
Yes, if amateur players are the stars of the Winter Olympics, more moments like Miracle on Ice can occur.
That being said, times have changed. College hockey players are molding more into the basketball lifestyle, where they don’t play all four years before heading off to the major leagues.
The players that would have been in college five years ago are now already in the NHL. The average age of players on the U.S. Miracle on Ice team was 21 years old. Those players were not in the NHL yet.
Superstars Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, Patrik Laine and Matthews are all under 21, but they will not be able to play in the Olympics if the league stops them.
Bottom line, it’s a mistake to not stop the NHL during the Winter Olympics. Hopefully the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing will be different.
