Olympic hockey isn’t better… just ask NBC

As the games go on so do the lemmings who think this Olympic hockey is the best there is… it isn’t.

For those that can’t remember when the NHL took their momentum break from playing 4 games a week… there were six teams (Flyers, Boston, Montreal, Tampa Bay, NY Rangers, and Atlanta) battling for three playoff spots in the EAST and a battle in the WEST with seven teams fighting it out.

Challenges during this break? Oh yes… what we’ve been treated to is even the most die-hard hockey fans has been challenged to find a live broadcast which got tougher and mostly baffling when being pre-empted by women’s curling. Great decision by the NHL to allow players in the Olympics? I think not.

The question I put out there weeks before the Olympic games began remains: Do you think the Pittsburgh Penguins could have

beaten most of (if not all) of these teams? If you think that then other than the “playing for my country hype” what makes these games so special.

The NHL season ticket-holders get the raw deal with a compacted schedule… but the NHL get’s screwed also since they have no control over the games starting times… or the television broadcasts. The executives at NBC make the decisions and decided to broadcast American women losing to Japanese women in (Curling) a sport that most everyone of us wouldn’t watch if giving the choice. Not what I would call great marketing of the sport (of hockey)… is Curling really a sport?

The games coming up in Sochi in 2014 will bring major problems to the NHL and decisions are going to have to be made now in regard to players like Malkin, Gonchar (although he may be too old), Ovechkin, Semin, etc….. and what to do about them if the NHL decides not to participate. It should get interesting.

Don’t get me wrong… when these teams get down to the final four they get interesting but it has nothing to do with the Stanley Cup and the

Stanley Cup is one heck of a bigger challenge than a 4 game shootout with players thrown together at the last moment.

It’s steps above the NHL’s All-Star game. I just don’t believe it’s that many steps above it especially when I finally get to watch a game (after theCurling is finished) where the opposing team puts 15 (soft) shots on goal in an entire game.

Some of you like this stuff… some of you are even “wowed” by it…. I won’t argue the drama but for me personally… I can’t wait for the real season and real hockey to get back.