Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Gary Bettman Talked Olympics Tonight On Sportsnet

04/04/2017 at 7:33pm EDT

from Emly Sadler of Sportsnet,

“NHL clubs have not wanted to go to the Olympics and we have been saying that for months if not years,” said Bettman. “All we’ve done is confirmed it.”

“There are lots and lots of opportunities for us to grow the game internationally and they’re not dependent on us shutting down in the middle of the season to go to the Olympics.”...

“NHL clubs don’t like having to shut down at a critical part of the season and disrupt our season for anything, let alone a situation where we’re not given an opportunity to promote our presence,” he said.

The commissioner also pointed out that while Olympic attendance has been included in past collective bargaining agreements with the players' association, it is not part of the current CBA.

“We’ve tried it, but it doesn’t work,” Bettman said, citing the previous five Olympics games in which NHLers have competed.

“Not only has it not done anything for our game, particularly here in North America where our franchises play, it’s been damaging to the seasons in terms of the competitiveness, in terms of the compression of the seasons, and injuries to players.”

more and you can listen/watch the 19 minute interview too...

added 8:10pm, from Greg Wyshynski of PuckDaddy,

The owners asked to share in the windfall their assets have created for the Olympics, and the IOC responded by not only denying them that but then denying them the basic funding the NHL has received for the last five Olympics.

The NHLPA claims “this is the NHL’s decision, and its alone.” Where are we today if the IOC never pulled its funding last year?

Like we said, it’s OK to be enraged about all of this … as long as the IOC is the target of most of your ire. Because the IOC has achieved a seemingly impossible feat: Making Gary Bettman seem sympathetic by comparison.

That’s a gold medal performance if we’ve ever seen one.

much more

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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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