from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star,

You know who really loses? Hockey. The World Cup was mostly boring fare, save for Team North America, a glittering collection of talent we won’t ever see again. It wasn’t a replacement, for the players or anybody else. People like NHL players at the Olympics. It’s the best against best, even when Canada uses the bigger rink to systematically erase scoring chances, the way it did in Sochi. It’s the biggest global stage there is.

But so much of hockey thinks small. The Olympics were a fun part of a sport that doesn’t have as much fun as it should, and now has less. Scoring remains anemic, fan-pleasing violence has been reduced to little trickles, the players’ personalities remain hidden, the trade market is more frozen than ever, and the limits of this league’s imagination apparently extends to outdoor games, 3-on-3 overtime, and smaller goalie pants. Now, the Olympics are gone, for now.

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added 7:19pm, On the other hand, Don Cherry says the right decision.

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