For the past decade it’s been common for NHL players to take a break from the league in February and head to wherever the Winter Olympics are being held. Sometimes players return to their homeland, such as Canada or Russia. But when the roster is being announced on January 1, 2010, is it enough time to form a team that’s capable of winning? For that matter, does it make it less special if a bunch of professionals win?
We all know the story of the 1980 U.S. hockey team, otherwise known as the “Miracle on Ice.” They defeated the Soviet Union and took home the gold medal. The team had good players, but none of them were players in the NHL. I think it somehow made the win more meaningful, because the team truly bonded.
With professionals taking all the glory, what happens afterwards? Sure, a team may have won a medal and brought home something for their country. But then they all go back to their separate teams, splitting them up from this common goal they shared. They have their multi-million contracts, post-season hopes, and friends that they’ve left back home.
I really hope that in the future the trend goes back to getting amateurs and college players to participate in the NHL. I think the team bonds better, thinking about what their win could mean for their country instead of what it would mean for their individual career. They’ll never be another team like in 1980, but maybe it would bring more distinction back to the Winter Games.
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