2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

[dave1381]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

My expectation is the current format will be enough to silence the critics who matter (e.g. the IOC). The NYT will ramble on about snow leopards and accuse the IIHF of covering up the problem, but whatever. Having multiple 16-0 games was the real eyesore here, and now that's gone and there's been some legitimate sharing of the coaching wealth, I am confident the threat to the sport is vastly overstated.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

It's mainly the North American media that pushes the agenda that Olympic team sports should be cut due to lack of parity, because they hate covering sports with blowouts and have nothing else to write about. I believe the IOC only got so publicly involved in threatening the sport because the bad press for 16-0 games got to be overwhelming. The new format largely fixes that problem...

This. And it's really unfortunate that some of our own people feel a need to join the knee jerk reaction.

Responding to some of the criticisms from Eeyore and others:

1. It's clearly correct that there's no entitlement to be in the Olympic games. It is beneficial to Women's Hockey, and those that care about the sport should be defending our place on the program, not undermining it. But sure, if we lose the debate, and the IOC drops the sport, it isn't some sort of violation of natural law. It's simply a political struggle. You marshal your resources, you make your best case, you court votes. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

2. Like you, my perception is the current Winter Olympic program isn't a zero sum game. The inclusion of Women's Hockey isn't keeping a more worthy sport out.

3. Timing is relevant. Maybe "feelings" don't count for much, but I do find it offensive that this debate is being forced on us during the games themselves. It's like attending a wedding, and one of the guests forces everyone to listen to his opinion that the marrying couple is poorly matched. Even if correct, it just isn't the time or place. Agreed, it's the media doing this agenda-setting, as opposed to anyone on the thread.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

My expectation is the current format will be enough to silence the critics who matter (e.g. the IOC). The NYT will ramble on about snow leopards and accuse the IIHF of covering up the problem, but whatever. Having multiple 16-0 games was the real eyesore here, and now that's gone and there's been some legitimate sharing of the coaching wealth, I am confident the threat to the sport is vastly overstated.

Appreciate your insights and obviously hope you're correct.

[ARM]

Please don't misunderstand; this is by far my first choice. My two "brainstorm" items are only desirable if the alternative is being dropped from the games.

I know that you have the best interests of the sport at heart. Personally, I'd rather see it dropped. To make an athlete sit at home and watch others proclaim themselves as the best in the world when she was not allowed to participate because she was viewed as too good contradicts the meaning behind the Olympics IMO.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

The Short Track Speed Skaters also use an Olympic Size Rink.

Figure Skating, Hockey and Short Track each have their own unique ice type requirements. Ever tried to play a hockey game or practice on ice that had been used for figure skating for several hours ?. Usually bad ice for hockey.

Based on the broadcast yesterday, the figure skating and short track competitions are being held on the same rink at Sochi.

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

The Short Track Speed Skaters also use an Olympic Size Rink.

Figure Skating, Hockey and Short Track each have their own unique ice type requirements. Ever tried to play a hockey game or practice on ice that had been used for figure skating for several hours ?. Usually bad ice for hockey.

Based on the broadcast yesterday, the figure skating and short track competitions are being held on the same rink at Sochi.

According to Wikipedia, there are seven ice sports facilities at the Olympic Park Coastal Cluster.

Curling and long track speed skating each have a separate arena with ice sheet.

Figure skating and short track speed skating are both held at the Iceberg Skating Palace.

There are TWO ice hockey arenas, one with 7,000 seat and one with 12,000 seats.

Finally, there are two training rinks, one designated for figure skating and one designated for hockey.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

I've been going after media myths on twitter since Saturday. So far responses have been 2 or 3 personal attacks (including from Ms. Snow Leopard) and at best one reasonable discussion.

Ah yes...The Perils of wide open social media.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

According to Wikipedia, there are seven ice sports facilities at the Olympic Park Coastal Cluster.

Curling and long track speed skating each have a separate arena with ice sheet.

Figure skating and short track speed skating are both held at the Iceberg Skating Palace.

There are TWO ice hockey arenas, one with 7,000 seat and one with 12,000 seats.

Finally, there are two training rinks, one designated for figure skating and one designated for hockey.

Good info. I suspect that one of the reasons that Short Track and Figure skating can share the same ice facility is because they both benefit from slight softer ice. Hockey is a better game on colder/harder ice. Long track is in a different venue due to the dimensional requirements.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

I know that you have the best interests of the sport at heart. Personally, I'd rather see it dropped. To make an athlete sit at home and watch others proclaim themselves as the best in the world when she was not allowed to participate because she was viewed as too good contradicts the meaning behind the Olympics IMO.

Trying to establish which option is the most evil probably isn't all that useful, so I'll try to keep this brief:

1. I pointed out the age cap option as a conceptual possibility, but have no enthusiasm for it. It would create the problem you identify, so maybe it really would be worse than nothing at all.

2. If you sent the "Senior Women's Champions," the players would earn their trip on the ice, those left home would have had their opportunity to compete. Think of it this way. If a Patty Kaz winner's team doesn't qualify for the Frozen Four, she wasn't left home for being too good. She was left home because her team lost on the ice.

That said, I STRONGLY agree that the ideal situation is for every country to send their best, and for every country to centralize.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

I know that you have the best interests of the sport at heart. Personally, I'd rather see it dropped. To make an athlete sit at home and watch others proclaim themselves as the best in the world when she was not allowed to participate because she was viewed as too good contradicts the meaning behind the Olympics IMO.

Agree with that.

The only sport, that I'm aware off, not sending their best pro's is Men's soccer. I think that is more driven by the fact that that sport has so much exposure and that soccer has things like the European championships, a major event, the same summer as the Olympics. Pro Soccer is an almost year around sport driven by many competitions, national, club league, European club, cup runs etc etc, that drives the Olympics to be a more minor event.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

3. Timing is relevant. Maybe "feelings" don't count for much, but I do find it offensive that this debate is being forced on us during the games themselves. It's like attending a wedding, and one of the guests forces everyone to listen to his opinion that the marrying couple is poorly matched. Even if correct, it just isn't the time or place. Agreed, it's the media doing this agenda-setting, as opposed to anyone on the thread.

This debate goes on in between the Olympics as well. Even on this board it comes up from time to time. Reality is, more people pay attention to it when the Olympics are on, and more beat writers need to have something to talk about during the Olympics. Typically items that sells well are the "sensation/controversy" stories, and the "hardship/feel good" stories.

[CrazyDave]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Game results from Pool B:

Sweden 4, Germany 0 - In the battle of former Minnesota-Duluth goaltenders, Kim Martin Hasson came out ahead with a 21-save shutout. Jennifer Harss made 25 saves for Germany. Cecelia Ostberg scored a goal and an assist for Sweden.

Russia 2, Japan 1 - For the second-straight game, Japan remained in contention but fell a goal short. Alexandra Vafina's unassisted shorthanded goal with 8:24 remaining in regulation broke a 1-1 tie. Nana Fujimoto made 36 saves for Japan, while Anna Prugova made 21 saves for Russia.

[Hux]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Game results from Pool B:


Russia 2, Japan 1 - For the second-straight game, Japan remained in contention but fell a goal short. Alexandra Vafina's unassisted shorthanded goal with 8:24 remaining in regulation broke a 1-1 tie. Nana Fujimoto made 36 saves for Japan, while Anna Prugova made 21 saves for Russia.

Japan got screwed by the officials, as they had a clear goal...but NO officials took the time to wait for the goalie to get up. Once she did, it was clear that the puck was over the goal line but the officials were nowhere to be found.

[D2D]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Japan got screwed by the officials, as they had a clear goal...but NO officials took the time to wait for the goalie to get up. Once she did, it was clear that the puck was over the goal line but the officials were nowhere to be found.

Not a good moment for the officials, rather pathetic actually.

I was pulling for Japan all the way, but the better team did end up winning. Japan just didn't have the offensive skill to put enough quality shots on Russia's goaltender, who looked shaky all game.

[Hux]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Not a good moment for the officials, rather pathetic actually.

I was pulling for Japan all the way, but the better team did end up winning. Japan just didn't have the offensive skill to put enough quality shots on Russia's goaltender, who looked shaky all game.

What they really lacked was puck luck. Wide open net, two players at the top of the crease and they get tangled up with each other trying to knock home a pass from 10 feet away.