When Sidney Crosby scored in overtime to win the Olympic gold medal game against the United States and become Canada’s hero, Alexander Ovechkin must have been watching, wanting to do the same for his country.
But he might not get the chance.
The NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation’s agreement to send professional players to the Olympics is over. That means when the 2014 Olympic in Sochi, Russia arrive, there may be no NHL players staying in the athletes’ village.
Hockey is king in Canada, but it is also one of Russia’s most popular sports. Ovechkin has already said he plans to participate in 2014, even if there is no agreement.
Fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin has said the same. These players have already committed themselves to play in the Olympics, even though they are also committed to their professional teams.
Ovechkin and Malkin have the right idea – NHL players should be at the next Olympics.
The Vancouver Olympics hosted some of the best hockey in the world. The talent of each contending team is astounding; it’s like watching an all-star game except it has the intensity of the playoffs. Fans are able to see line combinations that would never happen in the NHL.
Reactions to the Games have been positive from all participants. Canadian coach Mike Babcock and American coach Ron Wilson have agreed that NHL players should be at the next Olympics.
IIHF President Rene Fasel said the federation wants and needs NHL players to participate in the games.
The main obstacle in the way is NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who, despite positive reviews, has not committed to any new agreement.
The NHL has to take a two-week intermission for the Olympics, pushing back the season and cancelling the all-star game. However, refusal to participate in the Games would go against Bettman’s biggest goal: increasing the popularity of hockey in America.
The Olympics are one of the most watched sporting events in the world, so it just makes sense for Bettman to promote his league by letting NHL players participate.
Bettman wants to get American fans hooked, he needs to send his players to Sochi.
The Olympics are the perfect gateway for an average fan to become addicted to hockey.
It is also time for the NHL to give something back to Russia. After all the NHL has poached so many of Russia’s star players.
For example, Malkin was supposed to play an extra year in Russia, but he managed to get himself out of the contract to play in Pittsburgh, robbing Russia of one of its most exciting young talents.
It is only fair for the league to send some of their best players, many of them Russian, for two weeks.
That’s not to say the Olympics can’t learn something from the NHL. The Vancouver Olympics have shown Olympic hockey needs to be played on a NHL-sized rink, not the bigger rink used in traditional international hockey.
NHL sized rinks were used in Vancouver to accommodate the existing facilities.
The smaller ice surface cuts down on “the neutral zone trap,” a boring style of play used by lesser teams to compete against the favourites.
A trapping team plugs their players in the neutral zone during an opponent’s rush, taking away most passing and skating lanes and slows down the game.
It may be effective but it also makes hockey painful to watch. A small rink emphasizes speed and skill resulting in a more exciting game.
But when the games are played, everyone should have to opportunity to be there.
At the beginning of the Olympics, Team Canada was not guaranteed a gold medal, but was given access to all their best players to try to capture the glory.
Russia should get the same chance.