re: NHL not participating in 2018 Winter Olympics

they will just take the suspension and fines to represent mother Russia


to further elaborate, this isn't the Olympics saying "no NHLers", this is the NHL saying "we aren't stopping the season for the Olympics.

Ovechkin wont even get fined because:

quote:

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And while Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk has said he would not support Erik Karlsson playing in the Games, Washington’s Ted Leonsis said he will not stand in the way of his Capitals players, a team loaded with potential Olympians.

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So maybe Malkin doesn't go because Pitt's owner doesn't let him and he doesn't want to take the fine. Ok.. Russia just fills out its roster with KHL players to supplement Ovi and Kuznetsov.. that includes PAVEL DATSYUK.

So, you can take Malkin out of my statement and add Kuzentsov and Datsyuk instead

The Caps will be rolling out the Hershey Bears for 2 weeks. Now, there free agents in this mix, but if Leonsis lets all off his players go to the Olympics, here's a list of guys who would likely go even if the full NHL was participating:

RUSSIA: Ovie, Orlov, Kuzentsov
USA: Carlson, Orpik, Oshie, Niskanen, Shattenkirk
CANADA: Holtby
GERMANY: Grubauer
SWEDEN: Backstrom, Johansson, Burakovsky
CZECH: Vrana

That's 14 guys even without accounting for teams dipping lower down the ranks if no NHL is available (step on up, Williams and Beagle!). They'd literally field an AHL team.

quote:

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watching Ovechkin and Malkin style on 19 year old amateur college kids will be fun, at least

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Am I missing something?

How will they be released from their teams if the NHL isn't taking a break?



ETA: NVM, saw the answer

Not such a big deal. Pros never played in the Olympics until the 1990s. No one cared about olympic hockey until the soviets got good with their obvious ploy of treating their hockey players like pro athletes despite having amateur status.

You'll never see another miracle on ice like 1980 and that's fine with me.

Team North America was the best under 23(?) in Canada and the US, which is very different than being 'best of the rest'. It made a lot of sense to add this team.