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2014 Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Tournament | Salt on an international level

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Quick

Banned
This thread feels so empty without this guy:

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Olympic%2BMedia%2BSummit%2BDay%2B2%2BHup4hyRtriDl.jpg


[A]merica!

[A]sshole.

Duck Face Dustin.
 

Parch

Member
Yup. A lot of the mid-tier European talent has already bailed on the NHL. Cap era lowered salaries and owners aren't willing to write as many big contracts for Euros anymore. It will be a real test for an elite talent to turn down a top NHL salary though. A lot of big talk from Ovechkin doesn't mean he would.

The olympic issue could be a war between the PA and ownership, but owners are having less problems letting the European talent walk and are going to play hardball over it.
 

Quick

Banned
12,000 max seating capacity? That's going to suck so much of the excitement out of everything.

They only have a population of 343,334 (as of 2010), so building a higher capacity stadium could be pointless after the Olympics.

One thing I completely overlooked with Shayba Arena: it can be dismantled and moved around. That's actually pretty cool. It also explains the even smaller capacity of 7,000.
 

3N16MA

Banned
My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.

I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.

I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.

Hockey gold is the one Canadians go most crazy over. We see a roster made of NHL stars that we follow outside of the Olympics and it one sport where pretty much the whole country follows. However I get the feeling that those who follow the games care about all the athletes and feel proud no matter who medals. Seeing Canada on top with 7 medals right now is great.

You have the minority who only care about gold in men hockey and see the games as a failure if they do not get it.
 

Parch

Member
They only have a population of 343,334 (as of 2010), so building a higher capacity stadium could be pointless after the Olympics.
12,000 is actually pretty big compared to a lot of the other arenas in the KHL, but that population base probably doesn't make them a consideration for a franchise.
 

Quick

Banned
Yup. A lot of the mid-tier European talent has already bailed on the NHL. Cap era lowered salaries and owners aren't willing to write as many big contracts for Euros anymore. It will be a real test for an elite talent to turn down a top NHL salary though. A lot of big talk from Ovechkin doesn't mean he would.

The olympic issue could be a war between the PA and ownership, but owners are having less problems letting the European talent walk and are going to play hardball over it.

With your point: Europeans aren't as strongly sought after as before, and there's been a strong showing from North American prospects that are probably easier to deal with than Europeans.

As much as I would like to see NHL players back for Pyeongchang in 2018, injury is a huge concern, along with the huge time zone difference and putting a stop to the NHL season for a couple of weeks.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
I know lines will probably change quite a bit over the first 2-3 games for teams, but Brown starting on the 3rd line a head of Patches is ridiculous. Brown shouldn't even be on the team. Also dat Price first star.
 

Parch

Member
You have the minority who only care about gold in men hockey and see the games as a failure if they do not get it.
I believe this. It's only a minority that only cares about hockey, but it's such an elite dream team event that it attracts a lot of attention from everybody, not just olympic fans.

Winter Olympics are a big deal to a lot of Canadians though. TV ratings are extremely good, not just for hockey.
 

3N16MA

Banned
With your point: Europeans aren't as strongly sought after as before, and there's been a strong showing from North American prospects that are probably easier to deal with than Europeans.

As much as I would like to see NHL players back for Pyeongchang in 2018, injury is a huge concern, along with the huge time zone difference and putting a stop to the NHL season for a couple of weeks.

Like you said injury is always a concern. Even though it is a different sport and not the Olympics, Mark Teixeira of the Yankees hurt his wrist in the WBC before the 2013 season. Played 15 games during the season and needed surgery.

Still feeling stiffness in his wrist almost a year later and is owed 67.5M over the next 3 seasons.
 

ZeroGravity

Member
Haha, this too.

But I'm sure they'd be able to construct/configure an arena or two with enough time.
It'd still be difficult to keep the ice in playable condition during the middle of summer in a tropical country, especially when multiple games are played on the same sheet of ice during a single day. It'd be like the problems teams like Florida and Tampa have in April, only magnified.
 

Curufinwe

Member
I could definitely see this being the last Olympics with NHL players for a while. The owners aren't interested in letting them go to Korea in 2018, and none of the 2022 possibilities seem much more appealing.

Kraków, Poland

Oslo, Norway

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Lviv, Ukraine

Beijing, China
 

Socreges

Banned
Kane is more offensively skilled than Toews, but Toews is much better than Kane at... everything else. I know nationalism factors in, though, especially right now.

Ironically, Canada needs a player like Kane more and the US needs a player like Toews.
 

Quick

Banned
Like you said injury is always a concern. Even though it is a different sport and not the Olympics, Mark Teixeira of the Yankees hurt his wrist in the WBC before the 2013 season. Played 15 games during the season and needed surgery.

Still feeling stiffness in his wrist almost a year later and is owed 67.5M over the next 3 seasons.

The Jays asked Jose Bautista not to participate in the WBC because of injury concerns after having wrist surgery. It's a risk sending players to these events.

Because of the new agreement between the NHL and IOC to have NHL players play in Sochi, Team Canada couldn't practice on ice due to insurance issues in the summer during camp, so they played ball hockey instead. :lol

It'd still be difficult to keep the ice in playable condition during the middle of summer in a tropical country, especially when multiple games are played on the same sheet of ice during a single day. It'd be like the problems teams like Florida and Tampa have in April, only magnified.

Good point.

I wouldn't exaggerate on magnified, though. Rio in July/August has lower temperatures.
 

Socreges

Banned
Canada will not get Bronze. Gold or nothing, which might mean Silver.

Gold: Russia
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Sweden

The US will lose in the QF.
 

Quick

Banned
Kane is more offensively skilled than Toews, but Toews is much better than Kane at... everything else. I know nationalism factors in, though, especially right now.

Ironically, Canada needs a player like Kane more and the US needs a player like Toews.

ibtiSQUD7AMzyd.jpg
 

Smiley90

Stop shitting on my team. Start shitting on my finger.
Gold: Canada
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Sweden

US gonna lose in the Semis and then not care about the Bronze.
 

Smiley90

Stop shitting on my team. Start shitting on my finger.
Team USA's third line is Brown-Kesler-Kane?

I.... I can't even comprehend that. There is so much wrong with this line. I'm going to hate every single second of watching them, I'm sure. That line is too good and bad at the same time.
 

RC

Banned
Team USA's third line is Brown-Kesler-Kane?

I.... I can't even comprehend that. There is so much wrong with this line. I'm going to hate every single second of watching them, I'm sure. That line is too good and bad at the same time.

It's so bad that's it good. Dan Bylsma is some kind of evil genius.
 

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
A for as...

[A]sshole.

Duck Face Dustin.
Dammit, Quick!

I love Kessel and JVR but it's like cheering for a team with Marchand, or Ott, or Kaleta; therefore I hope they lose...to I dunno, the Germans or something.

In shirt, FUCK Dustin Brown.
 

Holiday

Banned
USA about to get purple mountain majestic on these chump Olympics.

Anyone who doesn't root for Slovakia after their home country is heartless. Gold for Demitra!

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Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Anyone who doesn't root for Slovakia after their home country is heartless. Gold for Demitra!

893614_pavol-demitra-rozlucka-mshokej2011-dansko-slzy-plac.jpg%3Ftime%3D1334222653%26hash%3Daa3b86744827b51c0a1ade7f1d4b9129
I can't hold all these feels :(

I'd love to see one of Slovakia, Czech Republic or Finland medal without coming at the expense of Canada.
 

Decado

Member
Kane is more offensively skilled than Toews, but Toews is much better than Kane at... everything else. I know nationalism factors in, though, especially right now.

Ironically, Canada needs a player like Kane more and the US needs a player like Toews.

On a team loaded with offensive talent...? Why?
 
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