Olympic hockey

[jutka]

Couldn't watch the whole game because I just got too tired and had to get up for work this morning, so went to bed early.
Next week I'll probably watch more of the games with my Russian friends.

[Mariboulg]

What is going on !!
Finland is winning the game.

[ILay]

Personally, I'm totally dissatisfied with the team.

IMHO it's not a team at all.
Just a bunch of 'stars' playing to show to the NHL managers their individual skills.

No team play at all.

This is nothing like Russian hockey was:
no combinations, no passes, no brains behind the game.

It was all visible already after the World Championship in St.Petersburg '00 then the team took 11th place.

Even if this team will win the olimpics - my opinion is that Russia should finally make the team out of the players playing in Russia, not in the US and Canada.

:angry:

[Mariboulg]

ILay, but will the players get paid as much as they make in USA or Canada ?
How will Russia convince them to stay and play for the country ?

[ILay]

Mari, I have nothing against people who come to work abroad.
This is a free world.

The only thing I want to say I would prefer to see those who play in Russia to form a Russian national olimpic team.

For various reasons:
1. there are by far more possibilities to train together as an olimpic team

Players who now form the olimpic team had the first joint training a day before the games started.

2. those who now play in Russia consider the Olimpic games as a chance. They are by far more abitious to win it.

For the Russian NHL players their performance on the Games is of by far smaller value compared with their performance in, say, Stanley Cup.

3. Young players should be promoted. If a person knows that however good he plays he will get no chance to play in a national team beacause all the vacancies are felt with the NHL players he will have by far smaller motivation.

[vorosilov]

Yes Ilay I agree,

Also these NHL stars don't seem to represent Russia as they should. They should have beat Finland for sure.
But they didn't have the hearth to do so. These guys are more concerned about their forthcoming contracts.

Do they still have a chance? The Czechs are Russia's anciant enemies. Jagr is the best player in the world.
And the Czechs are going to do everything to beat Russia.

It will be a very tough game.

[Mariboulg]

Yes,

But I think it is since last Olympics that the NHL players can actually participate in the Olympics, I think it was not like this before.