Well play resumes on Wednesday! And as there is nothing else gaining my attention during the week now until the Stanley Cup Playoffs start, I think I will be listening on Sirius XM on the way home and catching some Western Conference action via Pirate Sports Network.
So far the Eastern Conference looks really good to me, especially with the Leafs, Devils, Rangers and Panthers tanking though with much hockey left to play.
And wow how far the Jets, Canucks, and Blues have fallen in the Western Conference!
Breaking: Sidney Crosby will miss at least four weeks after he was moved to injured reserve, the team announced.
Crosby's playing status had been in question since he sustained a lower-body injury while playing for the Canadian men's national team at the Olympics.
I hope the Olympics were worth it as a lot of high end players were injured and now canât play for their associated NHL teams. Fiala, Rantanen, Crosby out long term McDavid nursing a hand injury and wonât play, Hedman out for who knows. I would imagine the owners and GMâs of those teams would be pissed as it might affect their chase to the playoffs and more importantly the fans of those teams who will be deprived of watching them and wonât be there to help their respective teams. I love hockey and while watching the Olympic tournament was good, iâm not a big proponent of NHL players going to the Olympics, should be amateurs imo. The cost is high, no other professional league would shut down for 3 weeks mid season, no way. If they want NHLâers in the Olympics they should play in the summer, like the 4 Nations.
I agree with you. In the past, most Olympic events and their participants were not allowed to be Professional athletes. At some point that changed. Probably in order to increase the TV ratings.
However, there is a heavy cost, since in the case of the NHL, key players can get injured. Then they canât participate with their respective NHL teams, who actually pay their salaries, but now canât get any use out of their injured asset.
Itâs a double-edged sword. Perhaps the NHL will rethink itâs strategy for the next Olympics.
Iâm sure the NHL and NBC(the American TV rights holder)
Are ecstatic with these early morning #'s
The game delivered an average live audience of 18.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, which also made it NBC Sportsâ second-most watched hockey game ever, behind only the gold medal game from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, a 3-2 overtime win for Canada against the United States.
The audience peaked at 26.0 million live viewers between 10:45 and 11 a.m. ET during the overtime period in which Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal for the United States.
Iâd love to see the eligibility expanded to see two (2) Olympic hockey teams from the Gold & Silver medal-winning teams of the prior Olympics. Canada could prolly send 3 teams and each one would have a chance to make the playoff round. Would be tough on Team Canada management to balance their selections - or perhaps avoid balance, just have one team with all the best guys, the other team stocked with the near-greats.
Yeah, Jarry isnât the answer and i donât think Ingram is either. I read on the endless trade rumors speculated about by the media that the Oilers might be interested in Binnigton. I do know that they donât have any cap space to take on his contract and i have no idea who or what would be going the other way but Binnington could be an improvement. On the other hand Edmonton seems like a goalie graveyard, not good.
The other side of âworth itâ is standing in front of a microphone and saying âno I donât want to play for my countryâ.
Alex Pietranglo got absolutely crapped all over for bowing out of the four nations, imagine now if a Connor McDavid said âya know, its mid-season NHL season, ive got bumps and bruises like everyone else, im staying home to healâ. Heâd be crucified!
A-Teams and B-Teams for two nations for the Olympics? No thanks, but you might have something here with regards to another international tournament in which NHL players are participating.
I do continue to like the idea of such a tournament in place of that damn All-Star game bullshit, but I do not think every year for such play midseason would be a good idea for the health of players.
Thatâs some nasty good thinking by you again there Nasty Nate in timely fashion on a Friday as we end February! Carry on.
Meh, it is generally the most boring time of year in sports now, but thereâs been some healthy and more chippy pond hockey action in this thread and on the new forum this year already, at the very least.
I think that NHL players going to the Olympics is all a collective bargaining chip that the NHL has over the players to get some concessions in other areas. come CBA negotiation time. If they had their druthers i donât think the NHL gives two hoots about sending their players to the games, itâs all on the players, they really really want to play in the Olympics. I think the NHL likely gets some money for allowing their players to attend the games but as i said i think they would prefer if they didnât go. Itâs as easy as asking yourself what professional league wants too shut down for 3 weeks in the middle of their season? Iâll answer that myself, none.
