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2014 Olympics and the NHL (UPD: NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, IOC meeting this week)
The IOC also has to realize they make millions off of the event while leaving the host city in a huge hole of debt. They don't want to lose sponsors because their meal ticket jumps ship. The real interesting fight will be what happens in 2018 when we're back in Asia. It's one thing for the NHL to shut down for the Olympics, it's another when they shut down and go play in the middle of the night overseas. It has to be as accessible as possible to North America.
Please, try googling how IOC distributes the money from the games and broadcasting rights. It's right on their site.
Any league that got truly competitive with the NHL would refuse to shutdown their business under the terms the IOC tries to force the NHL to do so now.
Not in Europe. Even Russians would shutdown KHL in a heartbeat. It's just part of the culture here.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Players Association head Donald Fehr, International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel and a representative of the International Olympic Committee are to meet Thursday and Friday, mainly about NHL participation in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
All four sides agree they want NHL players there, but there are key issues to resolve before a deal is done. No one has set a deadline, so there should still be time to reach an agreement even if it doesn't happen this week.
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The NHL and the players association have similar takes on the Games. They want to go, but they also want something in return for handing over the world's best players for 16 days in mid-season to a tournament that is one of the IOC's biggest money makers.
It is not so much a cut of the money they are after as that they'd like some things that currently are reserved for broadcast rights holders, like being able to freely use video highlights and other media from the Games on their websites, and to use the Olympic rings.
The IOC is highly protective of its logo and media availability.
The NHL would also like better accommodations and more access to tickets, and wants access for team doctors and guarantees of proper medical equipment and facilities.
The NHLPA also has concerns about insurance coverage for players at summer orientation camps.
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The group is also to discuss reviving the World Cup of Hockey, which was held in 1996 and 2004 but then vanished.
There is talk of holding it every four years, midway between Olympic years, likely in September. They may also discuss whether it is worth holding a world championship during Olympic years.
Last edited by LadyStanley: 02-13-2013 at 10:04 PM.
What the NHL is asking for isn't more than fair if you ask me and I confident that all four organisations comes to an agreement way before the games actually begins.
But hey, I never thought that we'd see another lockout this summer..
What the NHL is asking for isn't more than fair if you ask me and I confident that all four organisations comes to an agreement way before the games actually begins.
But hey, I never thought that we'd see another lockout this summer..
How familiar are you with the IOC?
The media rights is a huge issue. The NHL is giving the IOC free talent. The least the IOC can do is let the NHL (and it's media partners) use Olympic footage for the purposes of NHL broadcasts.
Honestly, I don't expect the IOC to budge one inch. This is an organization that sues independent bakeries for arranging a display of bagels in a fashion that might resemble the Olympic rings.
I love to see NHL'ers play, but I would not have much of a problem with the NHL telling the IOC to go **** themselves either.
The IOC is a disgustingly shady, quasi criminal organization that soaks up taxpayer money and channels it to a select group of chosen individuals.
I would love to see the entire Olympics movement die a painful death.
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Originally Posted by Jussi
Not in Europe. Even Russians would shutdown KHL in a heartbeat. It's just part of the culture here.
So getting worked by IOC is part of European culture?
These days the summer Games might generate $5-to-6 billion in total revenue (nearly half of which goes to the International Olympic Committee). In contrast, the costs of the games rose to an estimated $16 billion in Athens, $40 billion in Beijing, and reportedly nearly $20 billion in London.
So, the IOC gets paid roughly $3 billion dollars to have local taxpayers put on a show for them.
The IOC is a racket and anybody who gives them something for nothing is a sucker.
These days the summer Games might generate $5-to-6 billion in total revenue (nearly half of which goes to the International Olympic Committee). In contrast, the costs of the games rose to an estimated $16 billion in Athens, $40 billion in Beijing, and reportedly nearly $20 billion in London.
So, the IOC gets paid roughly $3 billion dollars to have local taxpayers put on a show for them.
The IOC is a racket and anybody who gives them something for nothing is a sucker.
Source/link? It's pretty much given that biathlon and figure skating will get bigger ratings globally at Sochi than hockey.
I'd like to see your link on that one. The peak viewers might be higher in say figure skating, but I'm pretty sure hockey provides more hours of content. Anyway the point is that hockey receives back a fraction of the revenue they generate at the Olympics.
I'd like to see your link on that one. The peak viewers might be higher in say figure skating, but I'm pretty sure hockey provides more hours of content. Anyway the point is that hockey receives back a fraction of the revenue they generate at the Olympics.
Biathlon is such a huge tv sport in Central Europe these days.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel met for about 2.5 hours on Friday after a 90-minute get-together Thursday night. No new talks were immediately scheduled, but the sides are expected to meet again.
I was all for the NHL-Olympics partnership, but the more I think of it, the more I think they NHL and PA should just form a World Cup of Hockey and can screw you to the IOC.
In a league that is looking to grow revenues, why not just do your own thing? Keep it in North America so it works for North American TV and just count the money.
Let the Olympic tournament be like soccer where its limited by age. Perhaps have the World Junior tourny suspended every four years, and let those kids play on the Olympic stage. Or let them get guys from the Spangler Cup.
I was all for the NHL-Olympics partnership, but the more I think of it, the more I think they NHL and PA should just form a World Cup of Hockey and can screw you to the IOC.
In a league that is looking to grow revenues, why not just do your own thing? Keep it in North America so it works for North American TV and just count the money.
Let the Olympic tournament be like soccer where its limited by age. Perhaps have the World Junior tourny suspended every four years, and let those kids play on the Olympic stage. Or let them get guys from the Spangler Cup.
Dont the NHL get more fans in USA and the rest of the world if there is a olympic with NHL-players? Then i really think they do benifit from it. By the way its's a pretty disgusting point-of-view that everything must benifit you. Every year the NHL takes the best players from Europe for money much less then what they´re worth, is it so much to ask that they repay those countries by allowing their players to play a olympics every fourth year?
In every other sports they understand that in order to get the sport to grow , you must have a big national team tournament with the best players. World cup of hockey wont do it, as it felt pretty biased. Canadian referees during canadian games if i remember correctly. Also there was no qualification, so it's kinda of irrelavant for pretty good hockey countries like Slovenia, Belarus, Norway, and big countries like France, Ukraine, Poland, GB, even Italy and Spain and so on where people probably would watch the olympics hockey because it's the olympics. And at national team tournament should not be played in so many locations.
If the NHL choose not to parcipitate in the olympics i think they shoot themselves in the foot because it's a great way to increase NHL-interest worldwide.
Dont the NHL get more fans in USA and the rest of the world if there is a olympic with NHL-players? Then i really think they do benifit from it. By the way its's a pretty disgusting point-of-view that everything must benifit you. Every year the NHL takes the best players from Europe for money much less then what they´re worth, is it so much to ask that they repay those countries by allowing their players to play a olympics every fourth year?
Hey, if European players want to come play in the NHL, it's their choice. Don't make it sound like the NHL is kidnapping players off the streets of Euoropean cities.
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In every other sports they understand that in order to get the sport to grow , you must have a big national team tournament with the best players. World cup of hockey wont do it, as it felt pretty biased. Canadian referees during canadian games if i remember correctly.
I'm not sure the NHL wants grow interest in hockey. They want to grow interest in NHL hockey. And I question whether making the league secondary to anything is a good approach. If the Olympics occurred during the NHL offseason, maybe it might make sense to let players pursue a hobby like playing in the Olympics.
So, you assume that professional referees are incapable of being objective? When watching an NHL game, do you also assume that a referee from Montreal will be biased towards the Canadiens?
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Also there was no qualification, so it's kinda of irrelavant for pretty good hockey countries like Slovenia, Belarus, Norway, and big countries like France, Ukraine, Poland, GB, even Italy and Spain and so on where people probably would watch the olympics hockey because it's the olympics. And at national team tournament should not be played in so many locations.
I can kind of see the point about qualification. I'm not sure I get what you're saying about locations at all.
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If the NHL choose not to parcipitate in the olympics i think they shoot themselves in the foot because it's a great way to increase NHL-interest worldwide.
Really? It might create interest in a few players who play in the NHL. But otherwise, it has little to do with NHL hockey, especially when played on the wide ice.
Really? It might create interest in a few players who play in the NHL. But otherwise, it has little to do with NHL hockey, especially when played on the wide ice.
The non-hockey sports fans won't recognize the difference between big and small ice, it's the players their focus is on. "This player X is really good, what is his club team? Oh, I will try to follow that team more closely now..."
I think NHL sees letting players to olympics benefiting NHL. I dont think they have let them play there just for goodwill last 4 times. Now they just try to get even better deal out of it and its completely fine with me. That said both can live easily without each other so I'm always little worried. Fans have the most to lose here.
I think NHL sees letting players to olympics benefiting NHL. I dont think they have let them play there just for goodwill last 4 times. Now they just try to get even better deal out of it and its completely fine with me. That said both can live easily without each other so I'm always little worried. Fans have the most to lose here.
Certainly, as a fan, I feel lose a lot if the NHL continues to interrupt its schedule every four years so its players can go off to play in a meaningless to week exhibition tourney with made-up teams.
I think it can be hard for a "home" ref to be fair in a game where his own nation is involved. Maybe he tries do be objective and overdoes it and thereby givse the other nation some advantage. And if there is a 50/50 there is a risk he might favour his own nation. But the most important thing is that there cant be a room for doubt in so important games. If there are som doubtful call the referee is going to be critizised in a way a neutral ref would not.
Certainly, as a fan, I feel lose a lot if the NHL continues to interrupt its schedule every four years so its players can go off to play in a meaningless to week exhibition tourney with made-up teams.
You still get your super-important 82 regular season games each olympic year. Meaningless olympics are just extra fun for me and one or two other fans.
