Ovechkin, Malkin willing to risk sanctions to play in 2014 Olympics in Russia

To play or not to play
The Vancouver 2010 Olympics have not even arrived but who can blame Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin for looking ahead to 2014 Games in Russia.

Both players have said they would risk sanctions in order to leave their NHL teams to play in the Olympics in their home country.

"Nobody can tell me you can't play for your country," Ovechkin said earlier this month. "I don't care, it's my decision and I want to represent my country at the Olympic Games."

Malkin recently told Yahoo.com's "Puck Daddy" blog that he agrees completely with Ovechkin's stance.

"This is my dream. Especially because this is going to take place in Russia. There is a buzz over there already. And if I am in good form, if I am a candidate for a roster spot, and if I am invited, there is no way I will refuse," the Penguins star was quoted as saying.

Malkin added he would be prepared to forgo his NHL career if it meant playing for Russia at the Olympics.

"I would rather pay fines and still go. If there is something serious like a disqualification for a couple of years in the NHL, if there is something like this I will probably still go because I can even leave to Russia to play."

Ron Wilson, who will coach the 2010 U.S. men's hockey team, says he understands why players like Ovechkin and Malkin are taking such a hard stance.

"When their career is over they're going to go back and live in Russia, I assume, and they don't ever want to appear to having taken and never giving something back," Wilson tells TSN. "That would be from their point of view the ultimate giving back. I fully understand their sentiments."

But what about players from other countries? Would they follow their lead?

"If it's my choice, of course I would play," said Daniel Alfredsson who won gold with Sweden in 2006 in Turin. "I don't know if I would go as far as saying I would play regardless but I think there's a lot of factors that come into it. The NHL pays our salaries; they're a big part of it."

"Obviously for every hockey player the Olympics is a dream, especially if it's held in your country."

"I don't know," said Jason Blake, a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic team. "Obviously that's their decision at the end of the day. Obviously I got to go and I enjoyed it but at the end of the day, it's the NHL's decision."

The 2010 Olympics have stirred up much national pride. Wilson believes a few Canadian players in the NHL would opt to leave their team and play for their country in Vancouver if the NHL were not part of the Games.

"If the NHL said,'this year no NHL player involvement', then there would have been a few NHL players who would decide to play in the Olympics."

While Ovechkin and Malkin have put this topic front and centre, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is not in a hurry to rush to a decision, saying "we think its far to premature to speculate on a situation that may happen four years into the future. A hypothetical we may or may not have to deal with. Why cross that bridge now".

Thoughts on Ovechkin and Malkin already making comments amount the 2014 Olympics and how they'll play pretty much regardless of what it means to their career.

I think they're absolutely right about this. Both hit it right on the head. While it would obviously be a blow to the NHL if they got banned or whatever, their country comes first. It's funny because you rarely see that in the USA.

Kudos to them.

While I would agree with the decision to play for their country in '14, it is waaay to early to be yapping about it. I just don't understand why some players feel compelled to have to go to the press everytime a thought enters their head. Ovie and Malkin should focus on their teams, and not sweat what could happen in 4-5 years.

That being said I would much rather that the Olympics went back to the old way of no pro players eligible. Not just in hockey, but in all Olympic games.

Marlowe Syn wrote:

While I would agree with the decision to play for their country in '14, it is waaay to early to be yapping about it. I just don't understand why some players feel compelled to have to go to the press everytime a thought enters their head. Ovie and Malkin should focus on their teams, and not sweat what could happen in 4-5 years.

That being said I would much rather that the Olympics went back to the old way of no pro players eligible. Not just in hockey, but in all Olympic games.

I'm pretty sure they didnt just vocalize their intentions simply for the sake of yapping. I'd imagine they were asked these questions directly in their interviews. Kudos to them as I'm in the minority (Based on a poll I made last year at WMB) in thinking that NHL players, as the best at their sport, belong in the Olympics.

Speaking of Olympics, it'll be GREAT to be able to watch hockey that doesnt start at 4am eh?

Good to hear them get the ball rolling. Guys like Ovechkin and Malkin can force policy.

The sooner the issue is brought up, the sooner it can be settled, so when '14 rolls around, it won't be a last second scramble.

TaLoN wrote:

The sooner the issue is brought up, the sooner it can be settled, so when '14 rolls around, it won't be a last second scramble.

Agreed....

I'm hoping that things stay the way they are...it's fun watching the best hockey players in the world representing their countries, and it's also fun to see how much pride they take in doing so.

MuckandGrind wrote:

TaLoN wrote:

The sooner the issue is brought up, the sooner it can be settled, so when '14 rolls around, it won't be a last second scramble.

Agreed....

I'm hoping that things stay the way they are...it's fun watching the best hockey players in the world representing their countries, and it's also fun to see how much pride they take in doing so.

IMO, the league can't find better advertisement than allowing the players in the Olympics. It's like several all-star teams, only instead of playing no-contact hockey, they are playing REAL hockey and are seriously trying to win!

meh... good for them.

TaLoN wrote:

MuckandGrind wrote:

TaLoN wrote:

The sooner the issue is brought up, the sooner it can be settled, so when '14 rolls around, it won't be a last second scramble.

Agreed....

I'm hoping that things stay the way they are...it's fun watching the best hockey players in the world representing their countries, and it's also fun to see how much pride they take in doing so.

IMO, the league can't find better advertisement than allowing the players in the Olympics. It's like several all-star teams, only instead of playing no-contact hockey, they are playing REAL hockey and are seriously trying to win!

Too much fucking agreement on this board. I'm going to go off and start a new one!!

cehnehdeh wrote:

Too much fucking agreement on this board. I'm going to go off and start a new one!!

Such a crybaby!

we are all in agreement here and there should really be no arguement from the otherside with the lone exception being the NHL should have never been involved in the olympics in the first place. Of course without pro athletes the country's true best players are not represented.
Nowadays professional sports are accessible to athletes from every nation (for the most part) so chances are if you are good enough to compete then you will be on a professional team. For this reason the olympic can probably go back to amatuer status only.
They made their bed so in the words of the houston astrodome crowd "Let Them Play, Let Them Play".