NHL may rethink Sochi

[DickieDunn 2,571]

If the there were more direct threats, or an attack before the games, and they didn't cancel them entirely, the NHL would be well within their rights to tell the players that they can't go. There are clauses in contracts that can prohibit the players from engaging in activities that they know to be dangerous. If the players went anyway they could be suspended without pay and probably fined for behavior detrimental to the team.

Hopefully the threats are just bluster and that Russian security is good enough to stop anything if something is attempted.

Edited January 28, 2014 by DickieDunn

[roboturner 562]

aaaaaand of course someone deleted my post when i specifically asked that it not be deleted due to having a different opinion than the moderator....

Edit: aaaaand more of my post are being edited. Seriously Mods you don't have to run this place like a communist dictatorship.

Edited January 28, 2014 by roboturner

[frankgrimes 1,836]

aaaaaand of course someone deleted my post when i specifically asked that it not be deleted due to having a different opinion than the moderator....

They've stated the rules for this thread and if you ignore it, your post will be deleted. So I don't understand your problem.

[evilmrt 636]

aaaaaand of course someone deleted my post when i specifically asked that it not be deleted due to having a different opinion than the moderator....

It feels like Kiev in here lol

[roboturner 562]

They've stated the rules for this thread and if you ignore it, your post will be deleted. So I don't understand your problem.

and I didn't talk about politics I talked about how they generally could be relevant to the conversation in these situations and listed other HOCKEY situations in which they were

[frankgrimes 1,836]

They've stated the rules for this thread and if you ignore it, your post will be deleted. So I don't understand your problem.

and I didn't talk about politics I talked about how they generally could be relevant to the conversation in these situations and listed other HOCKEY situations in which they were

Yeah but the topic is that the NHL NHLPA might be rethinking about the sigh participations, not what happened in 1980

I know it's not easy but certainly possible

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

and I didn't talk about politics I talked about how they generally could be relevant to the conversation in these situations and listed other HOCKEY situations in which they were

Which is not the topic of the the thread.

I wasn't the mod who deleted the posts, but would have had I seen them. And it has nothing to do with differing opinions.

If you want to discuss your thoughts on whether or not you should be able to discuss politics here, feel free to PM me or any of the mods and we can explain the long history of political discussion here and decision to eliminate it from the forums. Or you could even start a thread in the appropriate forum like the water cooler.

But making an off topic post in response to a warning to stay on topic will virtually guarantee its deletion.

And to be clear, do not respond to this post in the thread. Now let's get back to the topic of the thread.

Thanks.

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO 11]

This is all about the insurance premiums that were paid to cover the NHL players' contracts. Do a google search on the subject and you will see that this was an extraordinary amount of money that needed to be paid to cover the salaries.

Now imagine what the terms of the insurance coverage are, i.e. what exactly does it cover and what does it not cover.

This is about money, not politics.

[Dabura 12,206]

I sort of feel like this is already an "unreasonably dangerous situation."

[sibiriak 84]

Holding the Olympics in a country like Russia is like having a box of chocolates...Ya never know what ya gonna get.

Like there's a country where there is no threat of terrorism? Chill out dude.

Anyway, if some NHL players want to stay home, let them. As an old Russian song says, "Only real men play hockey, cowards don't play hockey". Sans other NHLers, it's going to be a cakewalk for OV, datsyuk and Co.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Like there's a country where there is no threat of terrorism? Chill out dude.

Anyway, if some NHL players want to stay home, let them. As an old Russian song says, "Only real men play hockey, cowards don't play hockey". Sans other NHLers, it's going to be a cakewalk for OV, datsyuk and Co.

Pretty much. They just had the Olympics in London. They've had their share of terrorist attacks and threats.

[Rivalred 630]

Anyways, whatever it is best for the safety of the players, is what I want.

Edited January 29, 2014 by haroldsnepsts

[dirtydangles 1,328]

IF the NHL players were removed - which team do you think benefits/loses least? Russia?

[frankgrimes 1,836]

IF the NHL players were removed - which team do you think benefits/loses least? Russia?

I think it will be the smaller countries and some underdogs like Swiss or Finland, who are very good just not as elite as Can and so on

but winning gold would not be the same because every hockeyfan would know, that the best players did not participate

[RedWingsRox 614]

Forgot who it was on 1040 but he had a point, if you wanted to cause shat and make a statement in Sochi ... the NHL players are probably the biggest stars/athletes so they might be a target.

Edited January 29, 2014 by RedWingsRox

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

To everyone managing to actually discuss the topic, kudos.

As said earlier, I realize it's not easy to discuss the Olympics without delving into political issues, but please keep the discussion away from the political arena and relevant to hockey. Most of you have managed to do that. Thank You.

[BottleOfSmoke 5,965]

I would really hate to see the NHL tell the players they can't compete, and without a big, terroristic "event" I don't see that happening. However, if something substantial does go down, I could definitely see how pulling the players' participation would be justified. Not only are we talking about people's lives, we're talking about an entire league's investments. They're not about to gamble with the health/safety of their most talented/well-known players.

[sibiriak 84]

I would really hate to see the NHL tell the players they can't compete, and without a big, terroristic "event" I don't see that happening. However, if something substantial does go down, I could definitely see how pulling the players' participation would be justified. Not only are we talking about people's lives, we're talking about an entire league's investments. They're not about to gamble with the health/safety of their most talented/well-known players.

Once the players are there, even if a terrorist attack happens, the NHL will have no say in the matter. It would be up to IOC to decide if the Games were to continue, and up to individual countries' Olympic committees to decide if they want to continue taking part. The NHL could only ask nicely at that point. Given the history of the IOC (Munich 1972, Atlanta 1996) the Games would probably go on and the players will most likely want to play on.

[sibiriak 84]

IF the NHL players were removed - which team do you think benefits/loses least? Russia?

If that came to pass, they might as well cancel all the games and just play Finland-Sweden for the gold.

But Russian NHLers will go. I would bet money that of all Russian NLers who are healthy, 2 out of 3 will go even if the NHL tries to stop them. And if the other countries don't have their top players and Russia does, the gold is Russia's to lose.

[BottleOfSmoke 5,965]

Once the players are there, even if a terrorist attack happens, the NHL will have no say in the matter. It would be up to IOC to decide if the Games were to continue, and up to individual countries' Olympic committees to decide if they want to continue taking part. The NHL could only ask nicely at that point. Given the history of the IOC (Munich 1972, Atlanta 1996) the Games would probably go on and the players will most likely want to play on.

I was referring to something happening prior to the beginning of the games. I really don't see the NHL pulling participation over the possibility of maybe could be what if there's a threat. If something starts to look legitimate and probable, not just possible, then I could see them making that decision.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

I'm gonna be 100% selfish for a minute.

All the games start between 0700 and 1200 local, I will be at work aside from weekend games, the Wings players are all beat up and could use a 3 week gap in the schedule to just rest and work on the goddamn PP. So if I can't watch most of the games, and the Wings need to not go and rest, I could really not care less if the NHL pulls out, cause it's the best thing for the Detroit Red Wings, and PVR takes away the excitement, as does someone yelling out scores and such.

Now from another standpoint, my 2 favourite players, though injured, are captains of their teams, so for their sake, I hope they get to go and battle for gold with Canada and USA fighting for bronze.

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Given the history of the IOC (Munich 1972, Atlanta 1996) the Games would probably go on and the players will most likely want to play on.

That right there. It was would take something massive for the IOC to cancel games. I remember watching videos of the Munich games and you see athletes running back and forth to events in the background of kidnappers holding AK's. If Im a player and something happens but the IOC says the games go on then Id tell the power hungry midget he can stuff it Im playing in the games. Country > Club. Always will be. Players are just as likely to get blown up by a madman playing an NHL game as they are during the Olympics. In fact Id venture to say that if someone wanted to blow up an arena a run of the NHL game would be a far easier target than the Olympics with its heavy security.

[esteef 2,679]

This is all just a ploy to keep US hockey from winning gold!!

esteef

[YMHC 23]

Edited January 29, 2014 by YMHC

[Dabura 12,206]

Country > Club. Always will be. Players are just as likely to get blown up by a madman playing an NHL game as they are during the Olympics.

I think both of these are debatable. Mostly the latter. How many NHL games have been threatened by terrorists, let alone actually hit? I mean, moot point, I guess. But I just wanted to say.