2026 Prolympics

[Chris18]

US Men's team announces their GM- Bill Guerin. Because having Stan Bowman step down right before the 2022 Prolympics over a sexual assault scandal wasn't enough, Team USA goes with a guy who still hasn't been proven innocent in the Skaldes situation while with the Penguins. Brilliant choice. Why not just put Brad Aldrich as the video coach?

[Pokecheque]

US Men's team announces their GM- Bill Guerin. Because having Stan Bowman step down right before the 2022 Prolympics over a sexual assault scandal wasn't enough, Team USA goes with a guy who still hasn't been proven innocent in the Skaldes situation while with the Penguins. Brilliant choice. Why not just put Brad Aldrich as the video coach?

Seriously. And USA Hockey still lets John Vanbiesbrouck run the show at the junior level despite the fact that the Soo Greyhounds removed his number from the rafters because of his racist behavior toward Trevor Daley.

[harmfuljays]

So if Cale Makar can't play for Canada...can he represent the US?

[Chris18]

US Men's team announces their GM- Bill Guerin. Because having Stan Bowman step down right before the 2022 Prolympics over a sexual assault scandal wasn't enough, Team USA goes with a guy who still hasn't been proven innocent in the Skaldes situation while with the Penguins. Brilliant choice. Why not just put Brad Aldrich as the video coach?

Seriously. And USA Hockey still lets John Vanbiesbrouck run the show at the junior level despite the fact that the Soo Greyhounds removed his number from the rafters because of his racist behavior toward Trevor Daley.

I forgot he was still involved! Ridiculous.

[Chris18]

Heard today that the rink in Italy is going to be smaller than an NHL rink due to some construction fuck ups.
Normal Olympic rink-200' x 99'.
Normal NHL rink- 200' x 85'.
Italy rink- 197' x 85'.

Gooooo Prolympics!!!

They should have built the rink in the Colosseum to begin with. Each country puts its best enforcer on the team and let the old school gladiators go at it on ice, like the Hockey Gods intended.

Edit- ha, I thought was our joke way of saying sarcasm. Didn't realize it does the strikethrough. Oh well. You get my point. And yes, I know Milan and Rome are about 300 miles apart.

[Pokecheque]

Um...is it possible the NHL backs out because of this?

[harmfuljays]

I don't understand this....cheapest bidder? How do they do this and then say NO PLAN B? I would imagine if they do back out that they have their own Nations tournament again (minus the russians and czechs).

I really could care less because without the Russians this all makes no sense anyway.

[Chris18]

I haven't seen anything about the NHL backing out. If anything, I'd think they'd kind of like it. The ice is closer to NHL sized, which should benefit their players. Will the rink being 3' shorter make a difference? Depends on where the put it. If it's in the O-zones, goalies will get shots a split second faster. Could lead to more goals. If they have any brains at all (and that's questionable considering they're finding out NOW that they fucked up something as basic as the overall size of the rink), they'll shorten the neutral zone by 3'. That shouldn't make much difference. I think. Least dangerous place to shorten in my opinion. If you shorten behind the goal line you get less play generated from behind, which goalies may like, but takes away some creativity. The NHL made that area larger a while back to encourage those plays. So I hope the shorten the neutral zone. Although part of me wants to see them shorten the distance from the blueline to the net, so there's more chaos and hatred of the IOC.

The Boston Garden ice was 191' x 83', so there's certainly precedent for the NHL playing on smaller ice.

[Pokecheque]

Team Canada announced. No real shocking snubs that I can see. Obviously some people were pining for Bedard but his injury all but scuttled that.

G9gzc9FWAAAHq2J.jpg (188.35 KiB) Viewed 13425 times

[Chris18]

I mean, I can think of a kid who maybe deserves a spot on D, but I'm glad he's not going. I wish Horvat wasn't going.

[Pokecheque]

I mean, I can think of a kid who maybe deserves a spot on D, but I'm glad he's not going. I wish Horvat wasn't going.

He most certainly deserves to go ahead of the Corpse of Drew Doughty, that's for sure.

I'm honestly just meh about these proceedings. It's an unwanted interruption to the regular season for me, and an injury risk to boot. And I'm not feeling particularly patriotic these days, so I just want them over with and I maybe get to see some good hockey games. Other than that, I would be okay with them going back to no Prolympics again for the next 20 some-odd years. Sorry if I'm a Debbie Downer, that's my opinion.

[Chris18]

I mean, I can think of a kid who maybe deserves a spot on D, but I'm glad he's not going. I wish Horvat wasn't going.

He most certainly deserves to go ahead of the Corpse of Drew Doughty, that's for sure.

I'm honestly just meh about these proceedings. It's an unwanted interruption to the regular season for me, and an injury risk to boot. And I'm not feeling particularly patriotic these days, so I just want them over with and I maybe get to see some good hockey games. Other than that, I would be okay with them going back to no Prolympics again for the next 20 some-odd years. Sorry if I'm a Debbie Downer, that's my opinion.

If you are, I am too, because I completely agree.

[harmfuljays]

Still no Russia.......so the best on best argument is misleading.

Looks like IOC hasn't fixed the men in women's sports competitions yet... so I am sure that provides a distraction and plenty of media fodder both ways.

Can Canada protect their sports from the Evil Empire and a bunch of Euros?



Identity Politics and Missing Russians aside it should be great!

Pasta is flag bearer for the Czechs (my pick). The Necas, Zacha, Pasta line was absolutely dominate at the World Cup.

https://www.nhl.com/news/czechia-roster ... r-olympics

Men's Hockey begins on 2/11....and these are some ass crack of dawn start times. The Olympic site has some super clear time zone details!

https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cort ... 6/schedule

[Pokecheque]

I mean, if Russia isn't allowed to go because their insane dictator invaded another country without cause and commits human rights violations on the regular...then I don't think we should be allowed there either.

This is not an argument for letting Russia in, by the way.

Apart from short track speed skating and some figure skating (maybe some skeleton) I don't really give a fuck. I'm certainly not rooting for Team USA in hockey, I just want whatever Avs players in there to not get hurt and maybe get a much-needed recharge.

[Chris18]

The first women's game, Canada vs Finland, was postponed because most of the Finns had Norovirus.

And yeah, I just hope Horvat and Palat stay healthy. I can't watch any of it anyway, because NBC and Fubo are fighting over who gets to keep more of my subscription money.

[Fogghorn]

How can Canada not have one extaordinary goalie? Binnington, Kuemper, Thompson.................Roy, Brodeur, Luongo, Price, what has happened to Canada's ability to turn out elite talent in goal?

[Pokecheque]

How can Canada not have one extaordinary goalie? Binnington, Kuemper, Thompson.................Roy, Brodeur, Luongo, Price, what has happened to Canada's ability to turn out elite talent in goal?

From what I understand, USA Hockey has made goalie development a priority. Hockey Canada has not.

Also, USA Hockey has for a very long time had a testbed/training program in the USNTDP of the USHL. Players there get to do international competitions and league play. I don't believe Canada has anything like this at the Junior level, and frankly it might be difficult to set up.

[Pokecheque]

They booed the shit outta the VP and his wife.

I got nooooooo problem with that.

[Chris18]

They booed the shit outta the VP and his wife.

I got nooooooo problem with that.

And NBC dubbed cheering over it from what I've read. Can't have people hearing that the world hates the Pedodent's top assistant.

[harmfuljays]

I don't think I have ever watched this much curling. Lots of yelling and its seems like its always on!

The horrific whirring of the drones in pursuit is an interesting feature.