Spectacle or result: why the possible postponement of the Olympic 2022 hockey tournament for the summer could harm the Russian team

A few weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the topic of a possible postponement of the hockey tournament is being discussed more and more.

Only the head coach of the Russian national team, Alexei Zhamnov, has recently had to repeatedly answer questions from journalists about changing the timing of the competition.

And on January 20, information appeared that in the near future this could be officially announced.

“According to unconfirmed data, it is likely that in the coming days the hockey part of the Beijing Olympics tournament (men and women) and curling will be postponed to the summer of 2022.

This is due to the fact that in group sports the risk of spreading COVID-19 is much higher than in individual sports," the ArenaBreda Telegram channel said.

Given recent events, the rumor may well seem true.

The emergence of the omicron coronavirus strain and the increase in the number of infected, the cancellation of the youth world championship and the refusal of the NHL to participate in the Games - all this could well have forced the IOC and IIHF to think about taking emergency measures.

Perhaps the leaders of the organizations came to the conclusion that by the summer the situation with the pandemic could improve.

At the same time, the risk of repeating the fate of the MFM decreased, and the probability of the arrival of Enkhaelites, on the contrary, increased.

However, the information was not confirmed by officials.

Honorary President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Rene Fasel said that all participants plan to perform in Beijing in February, and he himself hears about a possible postponement for the first time.

"I do not know what to say.

As Donald Trump says, fake news.

I don't have social networks.

I don't follow what's going on there.

But there is no official statement.

All teams are preparing for the tournament.

Of course, the situation with the "omicron" is now very difficult.

As early as next week, people will start flying to China.

The fourth wave is coming.

I am sure that the Chinese government will take all precautions, ”Sport-Express quotes Fasel.

The President of the Russian Curling Federation (FKR) Dmitry Svishchev denied the rumors.

The functionary assured that the preparations for the Winter Olympics are going according to plan, and changing the dates is not discussed.

“Some kind of madness ... Yesterday we held a meeting on the preparation of the Olympic curling tournament, received the last input from the international federation.

Of course, there will be restrictions.

We act according to the plan, we understand where, where and when we move.

People who write such things take information from the ceiling.

This is not true ... The main thing is that the athletes do not get sick.

Only in this case can the competition be cancelled.

If no one brings this muck with them, then everything will be fine, ”Svishchev explained.

It is curious that in the sports community, such rumors were mostly positively received.

Former hockey players expressed the hope to see all the strongest on the ice.

“In our world, everything is possible ... In the summer we will be able to see NHL players at the Olympics.

Why not?

I want to get the positive out of every situation.

I will be the first for a solution that will keep people healthy.

No Olympic Games or World Championships are worth a single human life,” said Vyacheslav Bykov, former head coach of the Russian national team.

A similar opinion was expressed by three-time world champion Alexei Tereshchenko.

According to him, the organizers should have thought about this much earlier.

"It is high time.

The whole world is against it, but they want to play.

Why be upset?

Maybe then all the best will come, the tournament will be good, ”Championship quotes Tereshchenko.

The former president of Avangard, Maxim Sushinsky, partially agreed with the ex-ward and admitted that the arrival of athletes from across the ocean is a reason to consider this idea.

But he also noted a number of difficulties that may arise in this case.

“If it allows NHL players to participate, that would be great.

On the other hand, this is a common holiday.

But how will it all look like?

Half will be on vacation, someone will play in the Stanley Cup.

The history is hard.

You have to weigh the pros and cons.

But the KHL will be easier to hold matches, ”said Sushinsky.

Two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov also noted the obvious advantage of holding the tournament in the summer, but expressed surprise at the fact that other sports were not mentioned.

“In the summer, Enkhaelites can come. Who are we going to protect now? This means that all hockey players should now sit at home, not go anywhere. The last place to get infected is the sports arena, because there are many precautions. People get sick at home, in restaurants, on the streets, at airports. Maybe the pandemic will subside by summer. But then it is necessary to endure the entire Olympics, and not just hockey. We do not feel sorry for our skaters? Biathletes? Skiers? How can we save one, aren't others important? - the deputy of the State Duma was surprised.

Of course, the advantages of the transfer are obvious.

By the end of June, the NHL playoffs should be completed, after which hockey players playing in North America could join the national teams .. And this will have a positive effect on the prestige of the competition and the attention of the audience.

Watching the game of Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews is interesting not only for ordinary fans, but also for other athletes, as they openly declared.

Everyone managed to miss those times when the stars competed with each other at the Olympics.

In 2018, the leadership of the NHL could not agree with the organizers and refused to come to Pyeongchang.

Huge financial losses due to the stoppage of the regular season and the risk that players will be injured in anticipation of the start of the playoffs, and this will negatively affect spectator interest, were cited as the reason.

In turn, the transfer of the Olympics 2022 to the summer can not only satisfy the appetites of the fans, but also provide an opportunity to take part in such star veterans as Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.

Both have already crossed the 35-year mark, which is why the Games may be their last chance to compete for medals and trips to the Triple Gold Club.

It includes hockey players who have won the Olympics, the World Championship and the Stanley Cup.

But despite the obvious advantages, the initiative also has a number of disadvantages.

If they decide to organize the competition in the summer, they will deal a serious blow to the excitement around the Games as a whole.

Indeed, in the absence of one of the most popular sports, the interest of the spectator audience may noticeably decrease.

In addition, the participation of Enkhael players will lead to the fact that the chances of the Russian team to defend the title of champions will noticeably decrease.

According to the quotes of the bookmakers, the Russian team is by a wide margin considered the main favorite of the Olympics at the moment (2.5), ahead of Finland (4.86), Sweden (5.5) and Canada (6.9). Despite the fact that most of the domestic stars represent NHL clubs, the Continental Hockey League also has a number of very strong players who can provide results. Suffice it to recall the hero of the finals of the Olympics in Pyeongchang Nikita Gusev, the owner of the Stanley Cup in the Los Angeles Kings Vyacheslav Voinov, the ex-striker of the Chicago Blackhawks Artyom Anisimov and the best Dynamo scorer in the history of the KHL Vadim Shipachyov. Other national teams, although they have bright performers, are unlikely to have such personnel.

Participation of Enkhael players would significantly change the appearance of all the leading teams, and first of all, the North American ones.

As a result, Zhamnov's wards would hardly be called the main contenders for gold.

So, before the NHL refused to go to Beijing, the probability of the national team's triumph was estimated to be lower than the success of the Canadians or the Americans.

Do not forget that after the players from North America began to compete at the Olympic Games, the Russian team won medals only twice, and from 2006 to 2014 never got into the top three.

Therefore, in the current conditions, it is logical for experts and hockey fans to decide what is more important for them - the opportunity to watch the game of top performers or the potential triumph of the Russian team in Beijing.

After all, they hardly forgot how they rejoiced at her success in Pyeongchang and emphasized that no one was to blame for the absence of NHL representatives, except for the league representatives themselves.