Olympic hockey in 2018? By Kyle Haddad

    As you might know, the 2014 Winter Olympics has been a success back in Russia. Gary Bettman, the director of the National Hockey League wants to ban NHL players attending the Olympics for one simple reason:Injuries. There is alot of controversy about this decision and attitude. NHL players should be aloud to attend there favourite sport and represent there country for 3 reasons. Firstly, its the players decision to make about going or not, secondly the players are happy to go to the Olympics and represent there country and lastly its the Olympics main event.

   The players are old enough to make there own decision about going to the Olympics or not. They should not be limited by one person not wanting them to go because of the risk of injuries. If the player gets injured, the player can only blame his own decision. This year, Steven Stamkos captain of the Tampa-Bay Lightning broke his tibia after banging it on the goal post. Stamkos had been selected to go to the Olympics to represent Team Canada. His tibia healed in time for the Olympics but was not at 100%, he took no chance and decided to stay home and heal it so he could come back in strength in the regular season. This decision proved to the NHL association that the players are responsible enough to make there own decision and it also proves that they know about the risk of getting injured.

   Ever since they were a child, the players had 2 dreams. The first one was to play in the National Hockey League and the other one was to have there countries flag as a team logo and win an Olympic gold medal. For them its more than a simple tournement game, its a chance to show there pride towards there country and show there true colors. They all want to prove how strong there country is. There is nothing in the life of an athlete like winning a gold medal,” Rene Fasel, head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said after being interviewed for the upcoming winter Games. If the NHL bans players from going to the Olympics, the players dream since they were a child will disapear. Have you already been taken a dream away from you, it sucks real bad. For the players, its a privilage to go to the winter Games so why would they take it away?

   Lastly,15 million canadians turned on there TV when it came to Mens hockey. The fans go wild when it comes to the Olympic hockey games. They call friends and family over, they go down the street to there favorite pub to go cheer there team with there teams jersey on. Mens hockey is the most watched event in the Olympics, every fan is on the edge of their seat when the puck drops. If the association interdicts the players to attend the Olympics, the 2018 winter Games will lose alot of viewership, publicity and reputation. The fans dont want to lose there beloved sport that they have been watching since it started 16 years ago. They love to see all those superstars playing in one team and trying to win the game, for the fans, seeing this makes there day.

   In conclusion, if the NHL bans players from attending there favorite sport and representing there country, it will make alot of controversy and the NHL will have a bad image. The players dream will be crushed and they wont be able to show there prides towards there country. Not only the players will be affected but the fans also will be touched by this decision, so why would we take out something that only happens every 4 years and makes people happy ?