Power brokers aim to break deadlock
NHL, NHLPA and IIHF gather in New York to tackle thorny issue of 2018 Games
Even with International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel claiming his organization is accruing enough money to cover insurance and travel costs for NHLers to go to the 2018 Winter Olympics, there are some key questions that remain. Where will the funds come from? Will they be enough? And can it persuade the National Hockey League to send players to the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 14 months?
These are the issues that will be addressed when representatives of the IIHF, NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association congregate in New York on Wednesday to discuss the potential inclusion of NHLers in the Olympics for a sixth consecutive time.
The NHL’s end game, of course, would seem to be participation in the 2022 Games in Beijing, China, a country the league sees as a potential revenue giant in terms of merchandise sales and development of players. The IIHF insists there’s no correlation between attending the Games in South Korea and China.
In Toronto the past few days for the annual Hockey Hall of Fame ceremonies, Fasel hasn’t been shy about publicly declaring that the IIHF will somehow come up with the finances needed to appease the NHL’s concerns about being at South Korea’s Games. But the associated members, such as Hockey Canada, are said to have issues with where the cash will come from. Why, they ask, should the individual hockey federations pay money into sending NHLers to an event when the funds could be invested into minor hockey?
It’s estimated it will take almost $20 million to cover the needed expenses to attend the Games. And even with that, a recent tour by NHL officials found accommodations to be nowhere near those in Sochi two years ago and in Vancouver in 2010.
As for a concept floated by Fasel that perhaps the Olympic tournament could feature under-20 players if NHLers don’t go, Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said it would be a tough time of year for teams to release their prospects to head overseas.
“It’s February, right in the middle of everyone’s seasons,” Fletcher said.
Aw, shoot!
In discussing potential modifications to the shootout setup, two interesting concepts came to mind.
St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is intrigued by the idea of the IIHF format which sees the same player have the ability to participate as many times as his coach likes in the event the score remains deadlocked after the first three shooters have made their attempts.
The 2007 World Junior Championship provided a good example of that, with Jonathan Toews proving to be the star of the show for Canada by scoring three times in the shootout.
With the U.S. and Canada deadlocked in their semifinal grudge match, each team scored once through the first three rounds of the shootout, with Toews and American Jack Johnson exchanging goals. With the event now in sudden death, Toews took two of the next four shots for Canada, scoring each time to give his team the victory.
Then there’s the legend of T.J. Oshie — or T.J. Sochi, as he was nicknamed — who scored four times on six shots in a shootout for the United States to help his country defeat host Russia 3-2 at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Another option kicked around by Red Wings GM Kenny Holland? Have a rotation of five players. If the score remains tied after all five have shot, start from the beginning of the rotation again.
Whatever the case, Armstrong said the issue of shootouts will be on the agenda at the GM’s meetings in March.
Let’s make a deal?
League officials were grilled by the GMs about the Las Vegas expansion draft next June — specifically, about potential side deals and promises that “we’ll trade you Player A if you don’t take Player B off our roster.”
According to New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero, the NHL will be monitoring such shenanigans.
“Everything’s got to pass the smell test with the league,” said Shero, adding that “there’s circumvention in the CBA and I’m pretty certain what the rules are. I certainly don’t want to be involved in that because I actually like my job and can’t afford the fine.”
Meanwhile the NHL and NHLPA have identified all those players with no-movement clauses, which makes them exempt from the expansion draft.
Last minute of play
On the topic of shrinking goaltending equipment, the issue continues to be discussed, albeit not as quickly as some would like.
For the time being, all but two NHL goaltenders have in their possession their new streamlined pants, the first step in the league’s attempt to streamline goalie gear.
“It’s still moving at a snail’s pace,” said one GM, frustrated that the process hasn’t been quicker.