But in this construct you will never have a 1980 again and I know the Cold War is over and those animosities don't exist in the same vain.
As a Penguin fan I like watching Crosby and Malkin play no matter where or when, but I can root for them 82x per year.
I'd much rather see up and coming junior leaguers play on this world stage, not for the glory of getting the medal but for the glory of playing for their country in an event they would never play in again.
Maybe I'm too nostalgic and obviously in the minority.
We all think back fondly to that 1980 Miracle on Ice game.
But the reality is, most of the time American and Canadian college kids were getting shellacked by Soviet and Czech professionals 16-2.
Between the ‘72 Canada Cup and the ‘80 Olympics they lost only ONE GAME to a North American PROFESSIONAL team (the Winnipeg Jets, led by Bobby Hull and a bunch of Swedes)
IMO if the Soviet coach probably blew that 1980 game by pulling Vladislav Tretiak, one of the most accomplished goaltenders of his era, in favor of Boris Myshkin (who???)
My youngest son is a big Pens fan. The other likes the Blackhawks. If the Pens had a goalie, I was going to have some broken furniture in the house this year. Oh well...
I thought the Vancouver Olympics was a great way for the NHL to showcase it’s talent, and to market the game in general. They almost threw that away this past year with the lockout.
Hockey did not televise well back in the 1970s, but with modern camera technique, HD broadcast and big screen TVs with surround sound, NHL games now come across very well. The problem is that not enough people have “discovered” hockey. But when you do, you fall in love with it.
I think the trend is your friend, and I think the day will come when the NHL is more popular than the NBA. I have absolutely no use for the NBA. I can’t say what I really think of it because the moderators would pull the comment. But suffice to say, the NHL is a much much better product and with NBC Sports and the various regional packages, it will become much more popular. Having NHL players in the Olympics will only help.