Olympic Hockey is the crown jewel of the Olympics. The NHL gets exposure and it translates into dollars and sense from the growth in the interest of hockey, but in the end there is huge risks to owners in the NHL. The Olympics don't want to share the gravy train and cite the whole spirit of the games BS. Olympics are big business, and hockey is integral to exposure especially in North America.
My opinion is frankly I'd rather watch a real world championship every four years. A 5-6 game round robin, with a sudden death quarter and semis, and 3 game final. A real world tourney played in North America and Europe. I watch the Olympic hockey, and thats what is available. Too many NHL owners will say the heck with the Olympics because they won't go to the next Nagano or Turin or Lillehammer.
Lastly why is Rick Nash and Carter on the team. Only Canada can afford to leave some of its top players at home.
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