NHL Olympic Bound 2018? Why I Say Yes.

NHL Olympic bound 2018? Will it happen? I think it should and yes Oilers fans I, like Mike Johnson of TSN believe that if they do there will be multiple Oilers that make the trip to South Korea.

First the why. Why do I think NHL players should go to the Olympics in 2018? Plain and simple there is no tournament like it in the world. When I turn on my T.V. to watch Olympic hockey I expect to watch the best players in the world compete against one another. I know Canadians whether we are hockey fans or not will be glued to our televisions no matter what players are wearing the Canadian jerseys and when you put other countries top players on their teams, players that their viewers and fans do not get to see play 82 games a season like we do, then you can create that same atmosphere that we have here in Canada for all hockey countries involved in the Olympic tournament.

For the NHL owners marketing the NHL world-wide is beneficial. This is the only time that hockey fans from other countries may get to see some of the worlds best play hockey. Showing the rest of the world just how good the NHL players are and in turn how good the league is will help create fan base that could stretch across the globe and who knows maybe expansion into Europe one day. The owners would be crazy not to want their players in the Olympics. CBC Media sent out a press release saying that 15 million people tuned in to at least some part of the Canada and USA men’s hockey semi-final with over 8.6 million people viewing the last few minutes of the game at one time. 15 million is almost half of the country and that is just the Canadian viewers. You think the owners will want their players getting that kind of exposure? Can you imagine the revenue generated for the broadcasters? Not a bad deal for everyone there.

As for the players I think there are a few examples that I can give you to show why the players should go and want to go. The first would be the reaction of Finland’s Teemu Selanne. There is no way that his reaction would be the same winning a bronze at a World Championship. The reaction that we got to whiteness from a 43 old man was evidence enough for me that the players want to be there and care about winning an Olympic medal just that much more. Just the opposite you have the disappointment on the faces of Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane after losses for Russian and USA. Kane was almost in tears over the loss to Canada. A World Championship event cannot compare for these players. People have a very strong personal connection with the Olympics. We all growing up watching it and wishing that we could one day represent our countries and you can see how much these guys enjoyed being on the ice wearing their countries jersey and the happiness and heartbreak that follows a win or loss.

Which Oilers do I think will represent Canada if they get a chance to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics? I have to mostly agree with Mike Johnson of TSN and his team that he presented this week but there would be one noticeable change. I do think Taylor Hall, if he keeps playing the way he has this year will be on that team, although I don’t know if he plays on the to line with Sidney Crosby. The other player I have going will be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Although I don’t think he will be used a centre because of Claude Giroux. I do however see his as a winger on the fourth line with Giroux like they used Patrice Bergeron and John Tavares this year. The reason I am not including Jordan Eberle is the fact that Canada again will be deep down the middle and I think they will bring centres over wingers.

I think the Canadian coaching staff will have the most trouble deciding which goalies to take. If Ben Scrivens keeps playing the way he has been and starts to play number one minutes with the Oilers then I can see him going as the third guy. There is no doubt that Carey Price will be the starter for that team.

In the end it will come down to the almighty dollar. Can NHL players playing in the Olympics make their owner more money? Is the return worth the risk? I do believe in the end the NHL players will be playing in the 2018 Olympics. After all the owners are hockey fans too.