Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Time To End The Olympic Participation For The NHL

12/07/2016 at 10:15am EST

from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

When the game is played on NHL-sized ice, as was the case in Vancouver, rather than on an Olympic-sized rink, the game is more enthralling. It's as simple as that.

When we talk about the Olympics in terms of growing the game, what game are we talking about growing? The NHL game and the Olympic one are sometimes mutually exclusive. Forget the time difference and the difficulties of scheduling Olympic games during North American prime time. The more important question -- and ultimate incentive for owners -- is: Did the Olympic games in Japan, Italy and Russia do anything to promote the NHL game globally?

The answer is pretty simple: No.

Olympic games played on international-sized ice, which is 15 feet wider, are not NHL quality. It's not even close. To be blunt, it's often unwatchable.

Can you name memorable moments from those non-North American Olympic tournaments?

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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