I totally understand why the teams and union would be concerned. As a Wings fan, if Datsyuk, Zetterberg, or Lidstrom gets knocked out for the year in the Olympics, perhaps I will have MUCH stronger feelings about this. just asked Senators fans who saw Hasek get knocked out for the year 4 years ago.

But… with that said, I watched almost EVERY single game last Olympics because the skill level is so great. It’s like an All Star game where they actually TRY. It’s spectacular hockey and I, for one, can’t wait to watch it again this year. So, as a fan of the game, I think it’s great. As a fan of a team, it’s… well, scary. Would I watch every Olympic game if it were juniors and amateurs? probably not.

I guess I’m conflicted too.

Posted by perfection on 07/21/09 at 05:10 PM ET

Well, when asked this two things always come to mind.
Joe Sakic, 2002.  ‘Nuff said.

That’s the good.  Now the bad.

Dominik Hasek, 2006.
Ottawa was making a run to the playoffs riding on the back of the Dominator.  He pulls a groin representing his country at the olympics and pretty much misses the rest of the NHL season.  The Sens miss the playoffs because Hasek isn’t between the pipes.
If I were an NHL owner, I could understand a player wanting to be in the Olympics for the sake of national pride.  But, no one is saying I would let them go.
Imagine being the owner of the Caps and Ovie goes down with a wicked, season ending, career altering ACL tear representing Russia.  Or worse.  Say that happens to Kovalchuk.  I don’t know if fans in Atl would still even show if Kovie went down.
I think the North American owners are more concerned with their star players leading the way to the playoffs and eventually a Cup.  I don’t think they give a rip how the Czech Republic does in the Olympics.

Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 07/21/09 at 05:19 PM ET

...the Winter Olympics are the perfect stage to feature the best hockey players in the world which means that NHL players should be included.

I’m old enough to remember that the whole concept of the modern Olympics was to provide a showcase for the best amateur athletes in the world. The last I looked, that’s still the case for sports like boxing. I think it’s a concept we need to bring back.

We watch the pro athletes in every sport all year long. Why can’t we take one week a year to pay attention to the amateur athletes? Would that be such a burden on our media-hyped brains?

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/21/09 at 05:20 PM ET

Sorry Perfection.  I guess I took too long putting my thoughts together.  I didn’t mean for it to look like I stole your idea.
But, I guess that story is the popular one.

Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 07/21/09 at 05:21 PM ET

In 2006 the NYR took a beating the second half of the year after all the games Jags and Henrik played in the Olympics, Jags being hurt by that idiot Jaarko Ruutu.  In addition, we had five or six others who participated.  We had the best record in the league going into the break and folded in the second half. Of course I hate the Olympics, regardless of the quality of the play.

Posted by Alan from NYC on 07/21/09 at 05:47 PM ET

I want to see the best players in the Olympics every time they’re played.  I want to see professional hockey players representing their countries.

I also want my favorite NHL team to not have to suffer the problems of a player getting injured playing a non-NHL game.

My desire to watch the countries put together the best possible teams to compete on a world stage outranks my desire to make sure that my favorite Red Wings are able to compete for their team.  I understand the league’s stance, as the Olympics take away more than they give the league and, as I’ve been constantly reminded, it is a business after all.

However, I put sport above business and if it means the Red Wings never winning a Stanley Cup during an Olympic year, then I can handle that just to watch them all play together with only national pride on the line.  No salary cap; no forced parity, and significantly less worry about the governing body’s motivation behind their decision-making.  Call me an idealist, but at its core, Olympic hockey is the way the sport should be played and NHL hockey is what the players do when they’re not representing their countries, not for the rules by which they play (because I favor the NHL’s rules), but for the motivation.  I believe there is a majority of NHL players each season who truly are playing for the cup first and their salary second, and that’s something to be proud of.  But, that majority comes even greater when it comes to international competition.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/21/09 at 07:29 PM ET

J.J., very eloquently put! I totally agree. I’m actually going to the olympics in February, and can’t wait to see Ovechkin, Malkin, and Datsyuk playing together for Russia. Hopefully seeing the Staal brothers play for Canada. Sweden defying the odds, and of course, the U.S.A. icing their top talent. Not to mention Latvia, and their amazing fans. Like it’s been said, the olympics are how the All-Star game should be, with ridiculous talent, combined with physicality, on an ice surface us North Americans don’t otherwise get to see. Besides, nearly every player they interview says they want to play—there’s got to be an economic solution if that’s the case.

Posted by penguinsfan on 07/21/09 at 07:49 PM ET

My desire to watch the countries put together the best possible teams to compete on a world stage outranks my desire to make sure that my favorite Red Wings are able to compete for their team.

Really? You’d rather see a business that invests multi-millions of dollars every year to put a competitive team on the ice give all of that up so its players can represent their countries every four years? Really?

However, I put sport above business and if it means the Red Wings never winning a Stanley Cup during an Olympic year, then I can handle that just to watch them all play together with only national pride on the line.

Really? You personally would be willng to sacrifice everything that Mr. I. has contributed just to see Malkin, Ovechkin and Datysuk on a line for one week? Well, you’re one magnanimous SOB, JJ. I hope Mr. I sees your post and invites you to the Wings press conference when they lose in the first round next spring. I have no doubt you’ll feel really proud of your position at that time.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/21/09 at 10:33 PM ET

Jeebus OTC, was the tone of that really necessary? It’s just his opinion, that he likes the Olympics.

I like the Olympics and I love the presentation and grandeur of it and I do think it’s a great showcase for the NHL.

However I would be happy to watch amateurs play as long as all the countries were held to the same amateur status somehow. Remember when the USSR basically fielded a pro “amateur” team that played year round. True Amateur squads thrown together just for the Olympic tourney on the average couldn’t compete with that (with some notable exceptions).

Posted by moocat on 07/22/09 at 07:20 AM ET

I think the Amateur players in every country have gotten better than they were when the USSR crushed everyone throughout the 60’s and 70’s.  Now that I’ve given it some thought, maybe it would be a good thing to leave the “paid leagues” out of the olympics.

The NHL, AHL, KHL, Swiss Elite league, and others like them wouldn’t be eligible to play under the rules of amateur status.  If someone gets paid to play in any league they couldn’t be in the Olympics.  It would all be college level or junior players.  I think that would be exciting to watch.  Not only would they be giving it their all for their country, but there would also be that little extra spark to try to impress scouts from the professional leagues.  Imagine those little speed demons on an international ice surface.  Of course, that’s four years away due to the Olympics using an NHL size rink this year.

Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 07/22/09 at 09:30 AM ET

Why deny the best players in the world the opportunity to represent their countries?

Posted by Awfrick on 07/22/09 at 09:46 AM ET

My desire to watch the countries put together the best possible teams to compete on a world stage outranks my desire to make sure that my favorite Red Wings are able to compete for their team.

Really? You’d rather see a business that invests multi-millions of dollars every year to put a competitive team on the ice give all of that up so its players can represent their countries every four years? Really?

However, I put sport above business and if it means the Red Wings never winning a Stanley Cup during an Olympic year, then I can handle that just to watch them all play together with only national pride on the line.

Really? You personally would be willng to sacrifice everything that Mr. I. has contributed just to see Malkin, Ovechkin and Datysuk on a line for one week? Well, you’re one magnanimous SOB, JJ. I hope Mr. I sees your post and invites you to the Wings press conference when they lose in the first round next spring. I have no doubt you’ll feel really proud of your position at that time.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/21/09 at 11:33 PM ET

Yes, really.  That’s how I feel.  As made obvious by your snide retort, you disagree and I can appreciate that. 

Let me get one thing straight though…

I hope Mr. I sees your post and invites you to the Wings press conference when they lose in the first round next spring.

You hope the Red Wings lose in the first round just so I’ll feel badly about my opinion?  Ok then… I might have said that I’d be ok with the Wings not winning the cup every Olympic year, but I didn’t go so far as to hope that they’d lose.

Some Detroit fans are fans of the Red Wings first and hockey second.  Some Red Wings fans are fans of hockey first and the Red Wings second.  There are enough intra-NHL arguments to be had with non-Wings fans without the need to pick fights amongst ourselves for opinions which in the end, have very little impact on what actually happens.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/22/09 at 10:13 AM ET

There are enough intra-NHL arguments to be had with non-Wings fans without the need to pick fights amongst ourselves for opinions which in the end, have very little impact on what actually happens.

Yeah, I was a little “over the top” in my reaction to your position, JJ. I should never post late at night after a crappy day at work. My apologies.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/22/09 at 10:54 AM ET