Olympic Men’s Hockey

Is it really that enjoyable to watch the Olympics now that it’s inundated with NHL talent? I love watching the NHL but when I watch the Olympics I want to watch amateur talent that has yet to make the big time. 1980 US Olympics team comes to mind. Dave Christian – Warroad & Neal Broten – Roseau grew up between my home town and the mighty Lake of the Woods. Man could they play hockey…..

Canada lost to Switzerland? How odd is that?

If I was the owner of an NHL team I’d have a hard time letting players play. What an opportunity to rest up for the Stanley cup run and spend some time with family and friends or better yet go fishing!

What’s everyone think? Pure amateurs or pro’s?

Would like to agree with you, but some of the European and Russian teams have players that could play on any NHL team. Thus putting amateurs up against virtual pros is not really putting your best possible team on the ice. The miracle on ice was great, but lets face it, they did not call it a miracle for nothing. Seems to be the way it is going, same thing for basketball.

Actually if its a miracle when Daves dad Rodger, and uncles
Gorden and Bill played on the USA Olympic team that won the Gold Medal in Squaw Valley in 1960 it was amatuers against the world. I believe the Olympics have lost a lot. Speaking from my perspective in Great Falls, Montana. Rodger, Bill and Gordon Christian are my my 1st cousins and I guess that would make Dave my 2nd. That was half of the alure about the olympics is when americans who had jobs went to the olympics every 4 years. Just my 2 cents.

I’d rather have the miracle on ice than the pros playing. Remmeber how they trashed the dorms last olympics and our pro Basketball players made fools of themselves. I was at an NMU hockey game when the 1980 dream came true. NMU was #1 in the country that year now you don’t hardley see their scores in the tribune.

I have watched some of the games during this year’s Olympics, what I have seen does not even resemble a

game filled with NHL players. It looks as if these

guys are not a team. The chemistry is just not there.

Some of the other teams that do not have as much “NHL

Talent” have played together for years and they are much

better “Teams”. I would give anything to play in a game with

guys like Mike Modano, Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, Mats Sundin, Sydney Crosby, etc as long as there wasn’t money (or gold medals) on the line. In situations like that I would rather play on a team of players that have been together for a long time and know how each other plays and what their teammates are thinking when they are on the ice.

JT Bagwell

Ps: I finally reached 50 posts. It only took a year or so.

Give me good WCHA college hockey any day!