from Jeff Blair of Sportsnet,

At some point, NHL players will need to grow up and treat themselves as professionals as opposed to looking at times like guys who really would play the game for nothing.

The first step? Get over this love affair with the Olympics, a competition that makes other people and organizations richer despite the fact the players assume all the risk. Without that, we’re going to see more silliness like the clock “running out” on a potential 2020 World Cup, which has effectively made it even more difficult for this event to gain legitimacy. It’s like two steps back and the next event – whenever it’s held – won’t be taken seriously because continuity is absolutely crucial to maximizing an event’s impact.

Now, I get it: there are great, wide swaths of this country where weekend warriors and Beer League dudes think “man, I’d do that for nothing,” and they’ll be shaking their heads because – dammit – those NHL guys owe it to us to play for the Maple Leaf. Except they don’t, of course. That’s why they’re professionals....

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