Why the NHL staying away from the Olympics is good for hockey
The NHL is keeping its players out of the 2018 Winter Olympics, but here’s why that’s good for hockey overall.
For the first time since the 1994 Winter games in Lillehammer, Norway, NHL players will not be playing for their countries in the Olympics. The decision by the league has been met with some controversy, and some players that become accustomed to representing their country have gone public with their displeasure.
Having recognizable names playing for virtually every country has brought more notoriety to men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics, and created appointment viewing for marquee matchups. But the NHL choosing to stay out of it, at least for this year in PyeongChang, South Korea, is good for the sport overall and here’s why.
The NHL has an obligation to protect its product, above all else. Having players in the Olympics means a required break in the schedule, in February when the NFL and college football seasons are over, baseball hasn’t started and competition for sports viewing eyeballs and/or attention is low. For a league that generally lacks for wide attention, being idle in mid-February is not good for business.
During the 2014 Winter games in Sochi, Russia, four players sustained season-ending injuries (John Tavares, Henrik Zetterberg, Aleksander Barkov and Tomas Kopecky) and others sustained injuries that led to missed games when they returned to their NHL teams. There is also a wide range in the number of players each team sends, with a few teams having as many as 10 players in the last couple Winter Olympics.
A look at Team USA’s Olympic roster shows a bunch of no-names. 38-year Brian Gionta, who played in the NHL last season but is eligible to play in the Olympics since he’s been a practice squad player in the AHL this season, is serving as team captain. Chris Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, has 51 NHL games under his belt but has played strictly in the AHL for the last four seasons. Beyond that, current KHL player Ryan Stoa might be a recognizable name to some NHL fans on the Team USA roster.
Other countries probably have similar situations, with a roster mostly full of unknowns. So plenty of players who would have been kept out of the Olympics by NHL players will now get an opportunity to represent their country. That’s good for the sport, no doubt about it.
In terms of international exposure brought by the Olympics, the NHL doesn’t need it from that stage specifically. The league played games (preseason and regular season) in Shanghai and Beijing, China and Stockholm, Sweden earlier this season, with games in 2018 and 2019 recently announced for Germany, Sweden and Finland.
The presence of big names would be nice, but men’s hockey will still be one of the most recognizable and popular sports in the 2018 Winter Olympics. For all of Gary Bettman’s faults as commissioner, he has led the charge to the right decision to keep NHL players out of Olympic competition this year.