Talk About Tennis 2.0

NHL shut down until at least December 26th... although I'm not 100% sure if the one game left for tonight is cancelled or not?

... and the Montreal Canadiens are desperately hoping that the entire remainder of the season is cancelled...

We may win as many games either way (...yes I'm a Habs fans ...)

ti-amie wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 9:03 pm

Can the NHL legally do that? Can the players not choose to go to represent their countries like some do for the World Championships?

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:22 pm
Can the NHL legally do that? Can the players not choose to go to represent their countries like some do for the World Championships?

Yes, they did it in 2018 too.

I'm not a legal person but I imagine the contracts they signed with their NHL teams can control when/if they play.

I had it mixed in my head about some players going in 2018, but it was just past World Championships where that happened.

When the Olympics occur in the midst of the NHL season schedule, as is the case pretty much always, I imagine that the players are first and foremost bound to their NHL teams contractually.

As well, the NHL did clear space in their schedule to accommodate the Olympics - but with so many games over the past few weeks postponed due to matters directly relating to COVID-19, they need that clear time in the schedule to make up those games (assuming the virus situation allows it).
When they cleared the space in the NHL schedule, this scenario was understood as being a possibility due to things being unpredictable owing to the pandemic.

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:22 pm Can the NHL legally do that? Can the players not choose to go to represent their countries like some do for the World Championships?

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 9:13 pm I had it mixed in my head about some players going in 2018, but it was just past World Championships where that happened.

The IIHF World Championships usually are played after the regular season of the NHL concludes so players on teams that missed the playoffs can play.

The NHL is also more accommodating to letting players play Olympics when they are in "good" time zones for North America...Asia isn't that.

Rocky Wirtz is the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks

And NHL All Star Weekend is starting (with the very odd during the Olympics timing)