NHL reportedly pulling out from Olympics

[Ic3Rabbit]

Possible stupid question, but is there anything inherent about hockey (or team sports in general?) that allows for COVID to spread really quickly among a bunch of vaccinated people? (is it because they're all on the ice at once?)

What others have said. The outbreaks aren't reserved to NHL, it's happening with NFL and NBA as well.

 

[zanadude]

This is a nothingburger WRT figure skating. This event is just a pit stop for the NHL; they are pulling out because it's more trouble than it's worth, and they'll need the time to make up the games they are postponing.

But the Olympics are THE main event of figure skating, and there's nothing major in the month following it, so no reason for any individual or national organization to skip it.

 

[invisiblespiral]

Random question 2: if some NHL hockey player gets named to their Olympic team, doesn't have COVID, and shows up in China, is that possible?

Edit: wait, is this the equivalent of asking if Nikolaj Majorov and Josefin Taljegard could just show up at the Olympics even if Sweden didn't send them?

 

[Azikin]

Random question 2: if some NHL hockey player gets named to their Olympic team, doesn't have COVID, and shows up in China, is that possible?

I think it was Ovechkin before the last Olympics who said he would go even if the NHL forbid it... but circumstances this time are a bit different..

 

[4everchan]

Random question 2: if some NHL hockey player gets named to their Olympic team, doesn't have COVID, and shows up in China, is that possible?

Edit: wait, is this the equivalent of asking if Nikolaj Majorov and Josefin Taljegard could just show up at the Olympics even if Sweden didn't send them?

It is not just the league that said they were not going, it was a decision made with the NHL Player's association... so the players here are also not willing to go, at least, their union agreed with the league on that front. Also, the players have contracts with the teams... so they cannot just decide to skip NHL games to go to the Olympics etc.

 

[rollerblade]

Also, the players have contracts with the teams... so they cannot just decide to skip NHL games to go to the Olympics etc.

Sure they can. The league is not gonna lock their players up and throw away the keys lol. The players will just have to deal with the consequences for violating contracts, whatever they may be (fines, voided contract, loss of salary, etc etc).

NHL players do make a minimum of $750K salary for the season, majority of them make much much more, so.........

 

[Azikin]

Sure they can. The league is not gonna lock their players up and throw away the keys lol. The players will just have to deal with the consequences for violating contracts, whatever they may be (fines, voided contract, loss of salary, etc etc).

NHL players do make a minimum of $750K salary for the season, majority of them make much much more, so.........

Well, almost no players would dream of it, of course, only such legends and patriots as Ovechkin could possible afford to do such a thing..

 

[Carolla5501]

The NHL has been hit hard, and I saw an story the other day that kind of implied they’ve also been incredibly lax in any kind of Covid protocols. At least some teams have been giving just lipservice to boosters and masking and etc. in the price maybe being paid now.

 

[4everchan]

Sure they can. The league is not gonna lock their players up and throw away the keys lol. The players will just have to deal with the consequences for violating contracts, whatever they may be (fines, voided contract, loss of salary, etc etc).

NHL players do make a minimum of $750K salary for the season, majority of them make much much more, so.........

well... let's see how many do it then...

 

[4everchan]

In October NHL commissioner stated that all personnel that comes into contact with players were vaccinated and all but 4 players were vaccinated, there is no reason for them to have been dictatorial with masking and boosters weren't recommended for the general population until the end of November. From what I've heard majority of those that are testing positive have either no symptoms or very mild symptoms (you know common cold symptoms).

well... this is where people make a mistake : a vaccine is never 100% efficient. In the case of the covid vaccines, they have been created not to prevent transmission but to prevent complications. The real defense against it is the swiss cheese effect as described by many experts : yes, people need to get vaccinated. However, they also need to wear masks, avoid close contacts, and follow proper hygiene guidelines. The vaccines alone will not prevent transmission of the disease but a number of barriers will lessen the risks. This is what a lot of epidemiologists were fearing : people would slack off on the preventive measures thinking that they have full immunity... well..... we can see in some countries where vaccination is high but there are no social distancing measures in place.. the cases are piling up.

 

[4everchan]

to get back on topic : this article is interesting to me... because that's how i feel with the NHL not going to the games... better illustrated than i would ever be able to do so

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/hockey/lost-scenarios-nhl-withdrawal-olympics-1.6294585

 

[invisiblespiral]

to get back on topic : this article is interesting to me... because that's how i feel with the NHL not going to the games... better illustrated than i would ever be able to do so

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/hockey/lost-scenarios-nhl-withdrawal-olympics-1.6294585

Stupid question 3: so there is no hockey equivalent of Worlds, then? (that all of these people would regularly show up at?)

 

[alexocfp]

Stupid question 3: so there is no hockey equivalent of Worlds, then? (that all of these people would regularly show up at?)

There is.

But it is right during the NHL playoffs so the layers in the playoffs don’t go. You get NHL players coming if they don’t make the playoffs or get eliminated from them.

There used to be Summit Series, World Cup and Canada Cup for internationals.

North America, well more Canada and the US, are more into club than country championships for the most part. Neither hockey Olympics, the World Cup of basketball, or the World Cup of baseball, are actually taken that seriously in the USA.

 

[rollerblade]

Stupid question 3: so there is no hockey equivalent of Worlds, then? (that all of these people would regularly show up at?)

There is Ice Hockey World Championship.... though I think it's less prestigious and certainly less lucrative than Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[4everchan]

Canada had withdrawn from the Spengler cup... but it ended up being canceled altogether...

La Coupe Spengler est annulée pour une deuxième année de suite

Des cas de COVID-19 ont forcé l'annulation de la Coupe Spengler pour une deuxième année de suite, ont annoncé les organisateurs par voie de communiqué samedi.

ici.radio-canada.ca

 

[snowflake]

Stupid question 3: so there is no hockey equivalent of Worlds, then? (that all of these people would regularly show up at?)

There is. Often in april/may. The players who aren't needed at the NHL play-offs can play with their national teams. Dedicated hockey fans follow worlds with a passion haha.

Today junior men's icehockey worlds starts in Canada. It's pretty prestigious, not the least in Canada . Lot's of broadcasting.

At the same time the junior women's hockey worlds was cancelled due to covid/omicron. Planned to be held in Sweden.

Money money

 

[4everchan]

more events are getting canceled.... mixed curling olympic trials were canceled in canada... i am just hoping that figure skating nationals do not get nixed next week... i also fear they may nix the novice and junior events which would suck too...

 

[4everchan]

a few more hockey news :

1) some NHL players are very upset at the league because they are bringing subs to replace players under covid protocols to make sure the matches can be played. they are saying this system could have also been used during the Olympics... so there was no reason to prevent the players from going to the games. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeux-ol...n-brad-marchand-vladimir-tarasenko-grogne-nhl

2) world juniors hockey championships are having lots of issues with covid... teams have to forfeit games... yesterday the usa https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/covid-roundup-dec-27-usa-forfeits-world-juniors-1.6299254 and today russia and czech republic... so much that they are saying the event will get canceled

Le Championnat mondial de hockey junior est annulé

Quatre jours seulement après le début de la compétition, le Championnat mondial de hockey junior a été annulé mercredi, en Alberta, en raison de la COVID-19.

ici.radio-canada.ca

 

[el henry]

a few more hockey news :

1) some NHK players are very upset at the league because they are bringing subs to replace players under covid protocols to make sure the matches can be played. they are saying this system could have also been used during the Olympics... so there was no reason to prevent the players from going to the games. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeux-ol...n-brad-marchand-vladimir-tarasenko-grogne-nhl

2) world juniors hockey championships are having lots of issues with covid... teams have to forfeit games... yesterday the usa https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/covid-roundup-dec-27-usa-forfeits-world-juniors-1.6299254 and today russia and czech republic... so much that they are saying the event will get canceled

Le Championnat mondial de hockey junior est annulé

Quatre jours seulement après le début de la compétition, le Championnat mondial de hockey junior a été annulé mercredi, en Alberta, en raison de la COVID-19.

ici.radio-canada.ca

Are these competitions being held in China? I read the article but could not figure that out.

 

[4everchan]

Are these competitions being held in China? I read the article but could not figure that out.

canada : the point is not really where the events are being held... but the fact that with team sports, one positive case means quarantine for the entire team...

ETA Spengler cup was in Switzerland...