National Hockey League stars express sadness – and a dare – over Olympics ban

As the NHL owners begin posturing in anticipation of another lockout, they have left their players with long faces, like the one that hung on Henrik Lundqvist on Tuesday afternoon when discussing the league’s decision not to allow its players to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The NHL decision effectively ends any possibility of the league playing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The game of hockey is not exclusively the NHL’s domain; it belongs to the world and the NHL is successful because it is home to the vast majority of the world’s best hockey players, and fans are willing to pay to watch them play.

That’s their unquestioned right, and all they had to do was say so.

“We appreciate their statements and are ready to render suppot, including in legal matters, as we did for other players”, he said.

“We’ve been marketing the game overseas since I’ve been in the league”.

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score’s “Bernstein and Goff Show” in afternoon drive.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has said he will take part in the Games for Russian Federation no matter what his team says.

Alex Carpenter, whose dad Bobby played 18 National Hockey League seasons, says she wouldn’t be surprised if some players decide to go anyway.

“I’m not going to be able to go anymore”, he said.

If the NHL’s stance doesn’t change, PyeongChang 2018 will be the first Winter Games without the world’s best hockey players in 20 years. The NHL and the NHLPA have had passed disagreements including the 2004-2005 lockout season, the 2013 lockout, and even all-star games.

But hockey fans have become accustomed to seeing the stars of the NHL competing in the Winter Games, and an Olympic tournament without the game’s best players will be a shell of what it was.

Money has been just one of the stumbling blocks in the negotiations between the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association and the IOC.

And he flatly refuted the NHL’s claim that there’s no tangible benefit to Olympic participation.

When Leonsis said he would allow his stars to go to Olympics, he even said he’d take on whatever punishment the National Hockey League threw his way.

That wasn’t an issue for the Vancouver Games in 2010, but discussions intensified prior to the Sochi Games in 2014.

“I’m just going to tell you I’m disappointed”.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to grow the game”, Kane said.

After the Turin Games in 2006, former Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider said he didn’t see the value in the move since the time difference prevented North American fans from seeing the games in prime time.

“That would be kind of weird to see some guys leaving, and it’s only going to be a few players, too”, Hornqvist said.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach says in the end, it’s the players and fans who miss out over decisions like the NHL’s not to allow it’s stars to compete at the Winter Games. Somebody going to tell me I don’t go. Toews and Kane made it clear they would respect the decision of Wirtz and the other owners, whether they’re happy about it or not.

When the puck drops in South Korea for Olympic hockey, something will be missing – numerous world’s best players. “Of course, Canada wants its best athletes to be there and this is making it more hard for them to do so”.

Either way, the Olympics won’t be the same and it’s the fans of hockey – particularly those in Canada – who are the biggest losers.

“Because it’s my country”, Ovechkin said.