For ice hockey fans, we are entering the business end of the season.
With the NHL playoffs underway, the road to the Stanley Cup Final for two teams begins. It has already been a busy year for the sport, with it being a Winter Olympics year. In both the men’s and women’s finals, the United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime.
Once the dust of the Winter Olympics settled, attention turned back to domestic action for players around the world. For those plying their trade in the NHL, focus turned to skating for the best records, divisional top spots, and playoff pushes. The Milano Cortina Olympics had already proved a slight distraction for NHL teams, with many players flying to Italy to represent their countries.
With the NHL on pause, the likes of Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid (Canada), David Pastrňák (Czechia) of the Boston Bruins, and Mikko Rantanen (Finland) of the Dallas Stars traveled to Europe as NHL players were permitted to appear at the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
For these athletes, the opportunity to represent their countries on the Olympic stage was never in doubt.
The scare is obvious. Players could get hurt in a non-NHL setting, risking their seasons playing in one tournament.
That’s what happened to Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby, who suffered a lower-body injury in the Olympics that forced him to miss 11 NHL games.
IIHF 2026 Timing May Not Be Ideal
The major tournament action is set to continue with the World Championship beginning in just a few weeks’ time. And there is already some contention and nervousness among some countries due to the scheduling of the championship. For ice hockey fans tuning in to the action from May 15, or those looking to place a bet on the IIHF World Championship, the appearance of star players will be a decisive factor.
Some countries, like Great Britain, have already announced their squad, but for countries with players in the big leagues, namely the NHL, there will be a nervous wait until the first face-offs involving Germany vs. Finland and Canada vs. Sweden. Countries will also be crossing their fingers that players avoid injury, which robbed Swedish defender Erik Karlsson of the opportunity to play in last year’s tournament.
While injuries can strike any player, the importance of the World Championship, as well as the timing of it, has been questioned, with the tournament taking place parallel to the NHL playoffs. Granted that not every team will be participating in the playoffs, there will be a number of star players who might decide to skip the World Championship to focus on domestic Stanley Cup glory. Compared to the Olympics, the World Championship appears to be second tier.
Lightning to Strike Again?
This would not be a first either with Danes, Frederik Andersen, Lars Eller, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Nikolaj Ehlers deciding to stay with their teams last year.
As the NHL playoffs continue, countries will have a clearer idea of which players are fully available. The absence of any top players at this year’s event will have a telling impact on a country’s chances of taking the trophy from the United States.
Leave a comment