Since the NHL began sending players to the Olympics in 1998, Kimmo Timonen has been a mainstay on Finland's blue line, (Photo Courtesy of mtv3.fi)
Several Wednesdays ago, Al Morganti wrote a column on Philly.com detailing that the NHL’s decision to shut down for the upcoming Sochi Olympics downplays the importance of the Stanley Cup final.
While the NHL shuts down for two-and-a-half weeks, that doesn’t downplay the importance of the Stanley Cup by any means. Players still fight tooth-and-nail for the chance – look at the Flyers in 2010, fresh off the Vancouver Olympics. This week’s Flyers Five takes a look at the biggest pros behind allowing NHL players to participate in the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
5. Continuation of the Triple Gold Club: The Triple Gold club — players and coaches who have clinched gold at the Olympics and IIHF World Championships as well as the Stanley Cup — features some of the all-time best to play the game. All-time greats such as Joe Sakic, Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer, Peter Forsberg and Jaromir Jagr are just several names on the exclusive list. No player has gained membership since Patrice Bergeron in 2011, so the upcoming Sochi games have the potential for new names on the list.
4. They’re better than the All-Star Game: It’s nice to get the NHL’s best in one arena for a weekend of merriment, but when was the last display of quality hockey we’ve seen at the game? The game becomes a one-dimensional offensive sideshow while defense is ignored — the 2012 game featured a combined 94 shots on goal (21 of which were goals) with eight blocked shots and one hit. I understand that nobody wants to see players injured in a meaningless game, but the quality suffers as a result.
3. Non-Olympic players can rest up: No games for two-and-a-half weeks allows non-Olympic players to rest up and recover from the wear-and-tear that comes with the territory of an 82-game season. However, they don’t get off scot-free. As outlined by The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle, players only get 10 days off — still a sufficient rest period. Players can rest up and come back ready to go as the season begins to wind down and the playoff picture begins to unravel.
2. Great Olympic moments have come from NHLers: The Miracle on Ice may not have featured NHL talent, but NHL players have provided timeless Olympic moments. Whether or not it was the Czech Republic’s unlikely run for gold in 1998, two Canada-USA gold medal games (featuring the ‘Lucky Loonie’ in 2002 and — it pains me to say it — Sidney Crosby’s ‘Golden Goal’ in 2010) or Sweden and Finland’s 2006 gold medal game (where then-Flyer Antero Niittymaki was named tournament MVP), NHL players have provided priceless moments in Olympic hockey history.
1. It allows players to represent their country in a high-stakes tournament: Any player can tell you how much of a dubious honor it is to represent their country in the Olympics. This goes for any sport. The IIHF World Championship is unquestionably an honor, but that takes place during the Stanley Cup playoffs, so the best players don’t often get to play there. The World Juniors are also big-time, but are meant for young players (not to mention teams usually won’t send prized prospects to play in the tournament). The Olympics ensure the best players from around the globe compete on a grand stage.
Rob Riches is a contributor for Flyerdelphia. You can follow him on Twitter @Riches61
