The U.S. men’s hockey team is marching inexorably toward the ultimate goal of an Olympic gold medal. Led by Jon Quick, TJ Oshie and Patrick Kane, the Yanks finished the group stage of the Winter Olympics’ premier team event seeded second behind only Sweden. With Wednesday’s commanding 5-2 victory over the Czech Republic, the red, white and blue appear poised to win the tournament. Russia stumbled earlier in the day and was eliminated by lowly Finland, while reigning gold medalist Canada barely snuck past Latvia. As these powerhouses struggle, the Americans’ path to the gold medal game appears wide-open.
After winning the silver medal in Vancouver and posting stellar results thus far in Sochi, U.S. hockey seems destined for a long run of success on sport’s most prestigious stage. But a potential major policy change threatens to derail this reign. The challenge comes not from foreign competition but rather from one of America’s domestic strengths: the NHL.
The NHL has suspended its regular season for two weeks every four years since 1998 in order to allow its players the opportunity to represent their countries in the hunt for an Olympic gold medal. But there are questions as to whether or not this practice will continue for the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. While the players relish the opportunity to compete for the most elusive title in their sport, owners and executives for the North American professional teams are less enthused by the risks inherent in the process.
While the teams may comprise all-star players, these are not all-star games being played in Sochi. Injuries really happen and — given the density of high-priced talent — they often strike players vital to their domestic teams’ Stanley Cup hopes. This year, in a game for his native Sweden, former Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg suffered a herniated disc, an injury that will limit his role in the Detroit Red Wings’ playoff push. Ryan Kesler, the 2011 Selke Award winner for the Vancouver Canucks, was also injured in the past week when his hand was crushed by an Alexander Ovechkin slapshot. Kesler is in the midst of a six-year, $30 million contract while Zetterberg, Detroit’s captain, is playing out a 12-year $73 million deal. Both will be paid by their NHL teams regardless of whether their injuries cause them to miss games.
Given uncertainty over whether NHL players’ participation in the Olympics boosts ratings for their pro-teams back home, owners seeking to avoid wasted financial commitments have ample motivation to keep their stars out of their international stripes. While all international teams would be impacted by any change to the NHL policy, the United States would be among the hardest hit.
Of the 12 teams competing in this year’s tournament, Canada and the United States are the only two fielding the entirety of their 25-man rosters from the ranks of current NHL professionals. Sweden only has one player who does not play in North America. These countries are first, second and third — Sweden is tied with Russia — respectively in historical men’s hockey medal counts. Together, these teams have won five of a possible 12 medals in the three NHL Olympics. Any decision from the NHL that would prevent players from leaving their teams mid-season would negatively impact these nations’ ability to compete for future medals. At the annual World Championships, a tournament for which the NHL does not stop its season, the United States has not taken home a gold medal since 1960 and boasts only three bronze medals since then.
Intensifying this potential struggle is Russia’s ability to field a strong team from its domestic league, the KHL. Only 16 of the 25 Russian players currently play in the NHL — forward Ilya Kovalchuk retired from the league after the 2012-13 season in order to play in his home country. During the Soviet years, the Russians won seven gold medals but have failed to take home the ultimate prize since 1988. Their ability to fill out the national team roster with domestic professionals in 2018 and beyond would give them a distinct advantage over their primary podium competition. While this year’s tournament may be over for the host nation, Russia’s prospects in future years could receive a distinct boost.
The 1980 gold medal won by the U.S. team at Lake Placid, N.Y., is known as the “Miracle on Ice,” because the Americans defeated Soviet professionals with a collection of college amateurs. But a victory this year for the second-seeded red, white and blue would be no miracle. The Russians are defeated, and the Canadians are scuffling. Four years ago, a similar U.S. team was narrowly bested in the gold medal game by a Sidney Crosby overtime wrist shot.
With uncertainty over American stars’ ability to compete in future games, winning time is now for the Yanks. Otherwise, the United States may have to wait for another miracle to bring them back to the top of the hockey world.
Jack Blasberg ’16 is the T.J. Oshie of column writing. Contact him at john_blasberg@brown.edu.
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