Are Olympics good for the NHL?

When those Canadian girls churn out how to party don't then. Everybody's all up and arms. About the fact that after the Canadian girls won the gold medal in their home country against the only team in the planet who could possibly meet them right. Two nothing in won the gold medal. After the arena completely emptied out and they went back out onto the race in an empty arena. And apparently some of them smoked cigars and drank alcoholic beverages like it.

I like you go ahead celebrate because that is one celebration that candidate can have. Over hockey.

It will laugh at and I don't know -- do not good. USA. USA.

I'm so fired up fired up about this -- an you know I would be. And really really honest with you today gala the post -- Americans really honest with you today turned over an early -- think I had it at the new thirty have a passion I have. Part of my excitement is the fact that. You have predicted that the US could lose by four goals to candidates and really wanna see you. Are really what -- use software. And on Monday. -- to cover here -- economy.

I that the product is fine that's part of the lakeside steel freight C I think commissioner the National Hockey League Gary Bettman. Is in the process of making a huge mistake. I think it's very likely that this is the last time hockey players from the National Hockey League will be participating in Winter Olympics anything that's the mistake no. I think the mistake was being their at all. I think they had a and ill conceived notion of what it would mean. For the National Hockey League and I think it's failed miserably. Because unfortunately really all -- the South Korea I think it's failed an Israeli a lot of reports I read about Olympic absolutely yeah it's failing badly here's the problem. When you go back here NHL Arenas next week or you start watching an NHL game on TV next week maybe era a peripheral sports fan. Who has been hoped by hockey during these Winter Olympics union and you say -- up you know what. I've never watched that NBC game of the week on Saturday afternoon before but man I loved what I saw in Vancouver. Watch. And you to -- you're gonna say one is that that's not what -- have been watching. Closely what I've been watching and it can't possibly be.

with the logic though what you're saying is that the game. At the game -- about the NHL got the game that apple. That the NH NHL game has broken Olympic hockey is not a failure may be the failure is. Having too many teams in NHL maybe the failure is not having an excuse me not having the style of play. That hockey gives you end and some evidence that you can't blame on Gary Bettman -- it was just the dynamic of the Olympics. You have a short tournament up -- a couple of weeks. You have the best players in the world. Playing in a round Robin at times you know of the group a group pretty. They're going at it and then they are playing for eight gold medal. That's got one round of the playoffs and another round of the playoffs. It's not game four win you're -- and place six games total and it was just you can't handle you can't replicate that atmosphere. On Long Island in February you can't replicate that atmosphere. In the garden. In January. And it doesn't matter in and no matter how no matter how great game is it's still not.

that's the problem and and now the NHL once every four years shuts down its in its entire league for for two weeks. And they give this sports landscape in North America to the NBA and they just leave everything else alone and they send their best players. From all of their teams a stock these this short roster of Olympic teams what it means is that you have these rosters of Olympic teams. -- dwarf what any team in the NHL can put on the ice.

Where's the mistake that where where super I don't have problem the problem is selling your product. To fans after you coach after you come back from this. I mean I tell you -- motivation to fix the game updated we get to most of the tape take what you can. From this momentum take what you -- from this interest in hockey and build on that this is not a failure. This is some this is your guy there on areas you're handbook there is no.

They're a way to fix this. Because the weight -- I heard Harry send it on yesterday with -- talking about this and and Harry said look the NHL make contract anyway. But whether they want to or not. Because in Harry's opinion there are some NHL franchises on the verge of bankruptcy and so that that's fine and and you know you lose some franchises you contract. What you need to do -- contract about ten or twelve teams. And you can't do that -- not how you how you gonna take a business away from a guy. What are you gonna do let's say he got a team that doesn't go bankrupt but you know what you want you want the up. Pick your team see you want that Tampa Bay Lightning the goal right all right how do you do that but tried. On what was gonna do -- they didn't do adult he moved to team how do you -- in in this country how do you take a business away from a guy. You on the Tampa Bay Lightning effect they just one under an ownership change the -- on the Tampa Bay Lightning. And I come to you and I say I really want team to go. Well then then you know what you gotta make a significant investment into my pocket and buying me out.

This is this is America jacket okay this is this is a private business. I don't have the right if I'm a business. Our I'm on the job a business guy in America. And I have the necessary income to buy into the National Hockey League have the right to do it just because I have the money.

Right so they don't have a right to this day it's a lovely -- but -- can't make them goals and really how do you do that got a board of governors don't you and and what you deal. Now on don't you just bought the Tampa Bay like about. And my hundred million dollars or whatever right paid to buy this franchise heavier on that act with your money they can't afford to do that. -- they don't have enough money to do what Michael. You can't you can't just make a team -- way. You've got to somehow reimburse them financially. And the National Hockey League at -- the money to do that some of these guys now some are gonna go away problem company will go go away on their I would guess. 345 at the -- got for highway and that is not a high number I I don't think it'll be that high for our let's say for for the sake of.

Okay. That's a good start but I just don't understand like I don't understand how you can see a problem with. Olympic hockey for the National Hockey League. They had in that first USA Canada game I think the first public that think there's going to be another one on Sunday hopes. That first game. They out rate game seven of the Stanley Cup finals. This was not even -- an elimination game. Outrage the Stanley Cup finals. You have stars from all over the National Hockey League participating in Olympic hockey people want normally excited about hockey are now excited about hockey. This is not a bad thing and I I think you gotta look at this the National Hockey League in just be honest about what the product is right now you're saying. They gave the entire landscape. The NBA.

I cannot -- to witness have a choice shouldn't have a choice. They they don't they wanted to be and they're renting players to the NH to the Olympics you know. 34 Olympics ago -- they don't have to be embarrassing you know what would happen. If they stay. And they don't senator players in the Olympics Olympic hockey still without the National Hockey League -- outbreak. NHL. He can't beat him -- I'm not sure of that you can all come on well tell me why the world junior championship doesn't drop -- is for viewership in the country. So you're saying that you just stick the word Olympics in front of it no matter what the rosters look like people want so.

Raids on -- you Britain but -- braves don't have bad boy do you have opening ceremony. You gonna do all right have you checked the Olympic ratings.

Reach this week's been less than last week you've had the burnout factor but it still are you can -- all around -- they've been great. You know they've they've certainly been ahead of a four years ago in Turin.

and and let's be real here all all the Olympic sports. Are not to I don't have you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to all of them but. Curling. Has rated well. Skiing has done well skating always does well dating has done rather well a lot of female viewer ship the number's always are very strong and I bet last night they were through the -- Ivins seen him yet into the Olympics. People like it -- not necessarily meat and potatoes sports fans the ones that we used to talking to everyday. So absolutely if you put. Men's hockey you call it men's Olympic hockey between the United States and Canada in Vancouver yes the numbers will outrage. The regular season numbers of NHL games.

I think that that ultimately. What you've done is you've teased hockey fans you've tease them with what the best your sport can be. And in this Olympic hockey competition is the best it could possibly be. You can't get a higher level of play emotion and drama. Impact everything. Well Stanley Cup final series is is almost gonna pale in comparison if you have USA Canada Sunday night. Forget about TV ratings it will far out drops the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals game itself. Will be so much better than the the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals the quality of play the caliber of roster from one to 28. It's gonna dwarf whatever the NHL can put out there on a regular basis. So what -- what -- doing is you're teasing fans with this is what it could be now but realistically could never elect.

Or are of people are much smarter than given him credit for. Yeah you see that you and you'll understand the difference that's like saying. Well why do you allow MBA players to play in the Olympics when you know. Your average NBA game doesn't look like Olympic basketball -- that's that's part of the draw -- something different. It's exciting when you see Kobe Bryant LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. And Dwyane Wade on the same team you know you're not gonna see that on an average night in the NBA but the fact that you can see it for a couple weeks and happens it's cool. It's the same thing with Olympic hockey you know you're not gonna see. Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla on the same team. If Henry Nash and and -- and drama during her short -- and write this stuff and then yet. They say what I don't like my number one goaltender Marty Brodeur. Go to my number two goaltender. Alberto long ago this is of this is a far cry from Tim Thomas to -- K okay -- this this is high level hockey and it's.

Fine. All it's a blast I mean I've loved every minute of it's fun but it's different happened the same. -- Batter but in -- I think you know what else it it makes your National Hockey League product. Look like the women's game compared to the men's game it's gonna seem so much slower. Up the pace is going to be slower the emotions gonna be lower than the quality of play is gonna be less. New York your product suffered so greatly by comparison. I'm not sure if it helps here and you act like it happens every effort for your right right. Every four years. And made -- look this is it is a hangover for a few weeks and then -- they are it's time for the playoffs and I love playoff hockey this is the perfect storm it really is the perfect storm and it's why the NHL was gonna make sure they haven't their players in this Olympics. It's in an NHL city it's in an NHL -- The times own situation is not that bad I -- you live with -- afternoon games in fact in some respects that helps because younger people can watch some of these games. As opposed -- 8:39 o'clock starts. In the playoffs about that's all good. You go to Russia four years from now and and hockey's at 4 o'clock in the morning. In your show and everything on tape delay. And and you know it's all middle of the night tight stop feeling the NHL's gonna get anywhere near the boost that they're getting right now in Vancouver four years from now -- so she Russia.

Just being unnecessarily negative I don't know what's going ultimately okay the the US flows of my four goals to Canada that was one. That sticks in my craw that bothers me. I'm really upset about that prediction. Something to say on the air and I disagree with but he's shaken by to a five to ten. This kind of -- this keeps me up the middle let's back up a abetted I'm --