So if NHL players are considered pros, are AHL players? ECHL players? Where does the line get drawn?

Kids at 17 years old are brought up in a professional culture, wearing suits at all times immediately before and after a game, learning how to cope and talk with the media. We could argue that the only truly "amateur" players left in hockey are the under-17 year olds.

Oh wait, a player can go "pro" at 15 in Europe.

Not as cut and dry as you think, Mo.

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mechaphil

Interesting. Sounds like another reason why I should have renewed my subscription to THN. Care to expand on Sochi? link?

I don't have one certain link to give you, but it goes like this:

- NHL wants players no longer allowed to participate in the Olympics
- The players are threatening to play, suspension or no suspension

The Russians are the most vocal, with almost all of their stars siding with Alex Ovechkin, who leads the charge to play in Sochi (which is in Russia). Other players are quietly saying they'll do the same, too, without being so boisterous.

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mechaphil

We should hold the winter olympics in the offseason every year. Then there's more hockey to go around!

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

couldnt single NHL players just leave the NHLPA, since its an agreement between the NHL and PA? say, ill sign the contract, but i dont want to be in the union. then sign an agreement with previous stated plan. or is the NHL not a right to work organization?

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Didn't Michael Jordan give the finger at the NBAPA?

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mechaphil

barry bonds to the MLBPA as well.

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I don't think this analogy works very well with this in all honesty.

The Olympics don't mean nothing. Hell you're playing for your country, national pride is huge and always will be, I'm sure winning a Gold Medal feels fantastic and you will be remembered for decades if you win them.

No one in America will forget Micheal Phelps winning 8 Gold Medals, no one in America is going to forget 1980's Miracle Hockey team either.

Every Athlete would love to win a Gold Medal and their league championship. You are considered the best from your country, that is a huge honor for anyone.

I mean sure, these games mean nothing in the NHL level and such, but they all mean a lot in their hearts and for us viewers watching them.

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Section 4.1 of the CBA states that once a player is a member of the NHLPA, he must remain a member of the NHLPA in good standing to obtain employment in the league. Doesn't allow for a player to drop membership for the Olympics only, although I'd love to see it happen.

Personally, I think because Ovie has been so vocal about his intentions, the NHL will have no choice but to allow the players to participate.

shoot. thanks tom. though if i was a rookie, i wouldnt be in the PA

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There may be other rules that dictate and/or require PA membership too, I didn't look that hard.

Thanks for the briefing. What would be the NHL's motivation for this stance? It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense as far as exposure.

What if a superstar wrecks himself, and sits out to watch his team's game 7 loss of the Stanley Cup? Then his analogy DOES work very well.

From a business standpoint, I don't want any of my assets being squandered because they want to "play for their country". I pay you $8 million/year to win me a cup, and fill my seats. You owe your allegiance to me.

From an Olympic standpoint, why do they have to play the games when the others are skiing or snowboarding? Play the game after the NHL season, the fans would probably like it more anyways. IOC should have no say in what the NHL does with it's players. They don't base their LIVELIHOOD on them.

ok, I'm done.

From what I have read, the NHL considers trips to Russia to be more detrimental to the league than Vancouver. As we see this year, the NHL can run games 3 days into the Olympics before they have to shut down, since the games are at most an 8-10 hour flight from anywhere the NHL plays.

For the Russian games, they don't have that luxury. The trip is longer, players need to leave earlier, and as a result the NHL schedule gets thrown more out of whack.

For anyone who doesn't know, a player isn't required to play for their Olympic team. It's an invitation to play.

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mechaphil

I noticed that Friday when Jack Johnson (LAK) paid for his own overnight trip to be at the opening ceremonies and back (to play Saturday night). Interesting indeed. I may have to Google Soshi and renew my subscription to THN.

Two things:


---I like this idea of Olympic hockey being played in the off season. Imagine: It's ice hockey at the summer olympics! Sounds refreshing, actually!

---Many athletes, if not ALL athletes, have varying provisions in their contracts that dictate their physical behavior away from the sport they're paid to play. This, obviously, is meant to discourage reckless behavior that has a direct impact on the VALUE of the asset (player).

If I was an NHL team owner, I would be PISSSSSSED that any of my high-paid guys were playing extra (and potnetially damaging) games away from what I am paying them millions to play.

No, you cannot own someone, but you sure as shit can limit behavior when the stakes are as high as they are with some of these guys.

And while it may sound selfish, I am more concerned about an NHL team's performance than I am Team USA or Canada or Paraguay.

Nevermind about Paraguay, I don't think they have pucks there.

I mean you do have to fulfill your contract, but no owner is going to deny the right to play extra games.

If it isn't written into the contract a player can and will play extra games if he/she pleases.

Unless a GM writes in a, "You will only play at the NHL level and not at any IIHF competition." Then it would be different. So until that happens, the players will play as they please.

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and thats ok, i guess. but should they get injured, they should forfeit salary for the duration of injury. then, its all good.

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BINGO!

It is a business and an injury can have a significant impact on how much $$$ the team makes. (Think: Miller not injured last year = lucrative playoff rounds).