NBC explains its ice-dancing-over-U.S./Canada-hockey decision

Puck Daddy blog on Yahoo! Sports ^ | 11 Feb 2010 | Greg Wyshynski

[The Pack Knight]

VANCOUVER – From horse-racing conflicts to shuttering the big screen at Mellon Arena, NBC has given hockey fans as much anxiety and anger as watching Jay Leno sit in Conan's chair.

The latest affront to puckheads: The U.S. vs. Canada men's preliminary-round showdown Feb. 21 won't be shown on NBC, but on cable's MSNBC at 7 p.m. EST. Instead, the Peacock will bring fans an exhilarating night of ice dancing, women's speedskating, men's freestyle skiing and men's giant slalom – rather than what amounts to an NHL all-star game on an international stage.

To the surprise of no one, NBC's getting torched for this: Outspoken player agent Allan Walsh tweeted that it was "disgraceful, and Chicago Now called it inexcusable: How can the NHL cancel their all star game and postpone their season for two weeks to accommodate the Olympics without getting any major network attention during the Winter Olympiad?

[airborne]

You are on the Hockey Ping list!

GO USA!!!

[The Pack Knight]

They’re also moving the Albany River Rats, the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, to Charlotte.

[Varda]

Thanks.

USA looked good in it’s opening game, lots of energy. I also watched Canada and (some of ) Russia. I wouldn’t cheer for Alex Ovenchicken even if he were on my team. I just get the vibe from that guy that he hates Americans.

[airborne]

As a season ticket holder for the Hershey Bears, I've met several of the Capitals players when they were down in the AHL. They are a bunch of nice kids, and I know for a fact that Coach Boudreau is a good dad.

That being said, I can't stand OleBitchkin either. He's a cheap shot artist, always taking aim at opposing players knees.

[Varda]

I go to occasional games in Columbus Ohio and Pittsburgh and follow the teams on TV. I’ve never met any pro players but they’re polite in interviews and rarely come out in the news in the Pittsburgh area. They seem like really nice ordinary people. One of the Penguins who was a recipient of OVs cheap shot artistry, Sergie Gonchar never says a discouraging word about anyone except of course Ovenchicken and that’s limited to letting people know they’re not friends. I’m not sure I could be so restrained about someone whose dirty play came so close to ending a career.