No NHLer's in Olympics?

[jkrdevil]

The Russian Hockey Federation refused to sign the NHL-IIHF transfer agreement. While the NHL and IIHF is trying to get the Russian Federation to sign off on the deal, if they don't sign it that means the NHL can not participate in the Olympics this year. That would leave a 2 week gap in the schedule and the NHL has already canceled the All-Star Game this year because of Olympic participation. Although I'm sure that can be uncanceled.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2122736

I expect the Russian Federation to sign the agreement, because if they don't the NHL can just take it's players without paying them a dime.

[Shane Does Art]

just in the 2006 olympics?

Because the only reason im going to vancouver in 2010 is for hockey

[NJTank]

Why would this effect Sweedish, Czech, Canadian, American and Finish NHLers?

[Shane Does Art]

By the way he was making it sound i thought that there was going to be no nhlers in the olympics at all.

It was just a simple mistake

[jkrdevil]

Why would this effect Sweedish, Czech, Canadian, American and Finish NHLers?

Because this deal is with the IIHF which runs the olympic tournament. If the Russain Federation, which is a part of the IIHF, doesn't sign off on it the deal it might not be able to be ratified which means no players in the NHL can play in the olympics. That's because there would be no deal in place with the IIHF.

[Shane Does Art]

oh ok so i was right. thanks jkrdevil

[jkrdevil]

The Czech's have now rejected it.

Czech teams reject NHL deal

Not looking good for Turin this year.

[BCBoy]

Yikes!

[Gary]

I say good, let's let the amateurs play in the olympics for once in a while. Also that may be good for the city of Glendale

[winters in buffalo]

Great, just what the sport needs, another snag.

[CC97]

I say good, let's let the amateurs play in the olympics for once in a while. Also that may be good for the city of Glendale

not only does this knock them out of the olympics, but every international hockey event... including the world championships and world cup.

[NJTank]

THey gotta work this out, I emean it makes nosense just because the Russians are upset.

[bulldogbarks55]

Leave it to the freakin' Russkies and their former commie buddies the canceled Czechs to muck things up. Tell the IIHF to stick it. It's Canada's game- they should set the rules. Either play by 'em or hit the road, Ivan and Jan!

[Puckguy14]

Chris is right. This not only involves the Olympics, but also the World Championships (that unknown pro tourney to us below the 48th) and the NHL-NHLPA conjunction that is the World Cup of Hockey, which if I recall, isn't an issue until 2012?

The deal is that the Russian federation (and the Czechs) want to deal with NHL teams separately themselves to negotiate transfer deals with Russian players. An example of this is the Capitals #1 overall pick from 2004, Alexander Ovechkin. The NHL and IIHF have a set in stone price for the transfer, and the Russians want to deal with the teams itself in order to get a better deal.

In the end, this could be the beginning of some players not crossing the Atlantic to go the what is known as the "world's best professional hockey league". Personally, IMHO, this sounds almost like the block the former Soviet Union put on its players when they wanted to go to the NHL in the 1980's.

You wonder, if the lockout doesn't happen, if this comes into play as federations enjoy their homegrown talent playing at home again because the NHL shuts down.

[jkrdevil]

Chris is right. This not only involves the Olympics, but also the World Championships (that unknown pro tourney to us below the 48th) and the NHL-NHLPA conjunction that is the World Cup of Hockey, which if I recall, isn't an issue until 2012?

The deal is that the Russian federation (and the Czechs) want to deal with NHL teams separately themselves to negotiate transfer deals with Russian players. An example of this is the Capitals #1 overall pick from 2004, Alexander Ovechkin. The NHL and IIHF have a set in stone price for the transfer, and the Russians want to deal with the teams itself in order to get a better deal.

In the end, this could be the beginning of some players not crossing the Atlantic to go the what is known as the "world's best professional hockey league". Personally, IMHO, this sounds almost like the block the former Soviet Union put on its players when they wanted to go to the NHL in the 1980's.

You wonder, if the lockout doesn't happen, if this comes into play as federations enjoy their homegrown talent playing at home again because the NHL shuts down.

I think in the end the Federations will sign it. Because if they try to do the negotiation with NHL route the European teams will lose out. Without this agreement the NHL could possible not have to pay the teams at all and the Euro teams would end up with nothing. The players will come to the NHL because they can still make a ton of money in the league. Much more than they can make in a Euro league.

[yankeeman161]

If NHL players can't play in the Olympics, then, it throws the NHL schedule off because then there would be no NHL hockey during that period and NHL players would have nothing to do and thus, can't represent their nations in Turin.