Even when the NHL was in the Olympics, there was no evidence it ever did anything to leverage its participation into something more. It would just show up, put on a spectacular spectacle from an entertainment standpoint, and leave, expecting all those international revenues to follow it home. No attempt was made to market in Europe or set up an NHL office there. And then it pulls out of the Olympics after warring with the International Olympic Committee and saying that the returns from participating aren’t worth the risk of injury and the disruption to the schedule once every four years. Well, as the kids say, duh.

Hockey is the greatest game in the world. It’s also one of the world’s best-kept secrets. And as long as the league has its current international “strategy” there is nothing to worry about. Because it’s going to stay that way.

-Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. Read more on this topic.