Yeah, I remember the “amateurs” who played for the old USSR. They were pretty good. For amateurs. I’ll bet they weren’t as good as army officers or factory workers or whatever job it was they supposedly held.
It’s the Olympics. Let the best athletes play. I want to see Malkin line up against Crosby, Toews against Kane, and Chara against Rask. Plus, I’d like to see the Russian team. I’ll bet there are some damn good players in the KHL.