Ovechin going to Sochi

[Ravin]

Regardless of what the National Hockey League, the NHLPA and the IIHF decide when they sit down to figure out whether or not NHLers will got to the Sochi Olympics in 2014, it appears that at least one player under contract will be there.

According to the Washington Post, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis says he will allow Alex Ovechkin to leave the Capitals and play in the next Olympics.

"If they don't and Alex still wants to go to the Olympics, I'm going to be honest, I'm going to let him go," Leonsis told the Post. "I just think it's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing for him to have something played in Russia.

"He's going to be a torchbearer and it's very important to him and his family. Who am I to get in the way of him wanting to fulfill that?"

Leonsis also acknowledged to the Post that if let Ovechin go, it could very well start a domino process with other players on the Capitals' roster.

"I know that's a slippery slope because if Nick [Backstrom] says then he wants to play for Sweden, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it.

"But I think that I'm going to lean to the side of the players in that one."

The Capitals open the season against the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Very good for Leonsis to allow this before it even becomes an issue. I think this will go a long way for the NHL to allow the players to go, because one of their biggest owners is letting one of the games biggest players go to the Olympics, so who is going to say no to someone else.

 

[killgod]

I thought it was likely they were going to let them go anyways?

 

[Ravin]

They didn't include it in the CBA, as it is suppose to be talked about after. Bettman doesn't want them to go, which I get, he wants to protect his product and keep the action going without a two week break. But I think we all know they are going. The Russians for sure will have a full NHL/KHL team, and you know the rest of the world will put the pressure on to get their stars.

 

[wr50l]

Dozens of star players will go the Olympics regardless of the NHL's stance so it is simply not something the NHL can win; the NHL would damage their product by "not allowing" players to go and by not having an official league shutdown period.

The NHL is solely concerned about media rights. When it comes to media/sponsorship and so on the IOC is incredibly domineering and the NHL is just in having a gripe about it considering the impact that the Olympics has on their schedule. Even FIFA, which is undoubtedly the most powerful sporting body in the world other than the IOC cannot even get exactly what they want - the NHL is right to try to get a fair deal but knows that it's ability to take measures against the Olympics is actually very limited.