Olympic hockey came to a close last night with the Canadians taking down the U.S.A in an overtime thriller. The next Olympics are another 4 years away, but I promise you Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL will be in the news plenty concerning these very games before then. At this point in time, we’ve heard rumors and speculation NHL players may not take part in the next Olympics.

“This costs us money, this disrupts our season and we’re here (only) because we think it helps our game,” the commissioner said Thursday. “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to and it doesn’t mean we are going to go.”

I’m not a huge hockey fan. I follow it just to keep up to date, and see what’s what. I watched every Olympic Hockey game the U.S.A. was in, and viewed other games as well. I thought the hockey was tremendous, but will it be a spring board for the second half of the NHL season? TBD. I will say this; the Olympics showcased many players I don’t see on a regular basis. Zach Parise, Ryan Miller, and Bobby Ryan are just a few guys that I got to see up close and are a few guys I will casually follow simply because I loved the way the US played. I can say without a doubt that Olympic Hockey was good publicity for the NHL.

So, here’s the nut. How does the NHL logistically and financially keep it’s players as part of the Olympics? Unfortunately,  the Olympic games are somewhat sacred and aren’t interested in whoring themselves out for mega-dollars via advertising. I simply just don’t think it’s possible, and I fear this may become a larger conflict than we think for players, owners, and the NHL.   For those who want to continue to see pro’s in the Olympics, our hope starts with an increase in viewing and attendance in the second half of the season. I just don’t know if it will be enough, and at the end of the day we may see amateurs in 4 years.

As an aside, what a performance by Ryan Miller. It was as tough as sports viewing gets seeing him after the loss.