To Play or Not To Play, That Is the Question

By: Patrice L. Leonard

It seems that the question on everyone’s mind is whether NHL players should play in the Olympic Games. It is a complex question to be sure. These players have nationalistic pride for the countries from which they hail. They also have loyalties toward the teams and cities for which they play. The decision is theirs and theirs alone.

Most important to this area are the many Philadelphia Flyers who will be traveling to Italy to participate in these games. Some people agree that they should go and some do not. I, personally, am torn. The fact that players we are familiar with and watch almost on a daily basis will be playing will make the games even more exciting.

At the same time, some of the true feel of the games will be gone. It used to be that only amateurs participated in the Olympics. When we watched these athletes, you could see the desire, the heart. This was all most of them had, the furthest they would go. The thrill of the experience was evident.

Now we will be watching, in Olympic hockey, professionals who will go home to their luxury cars, mansions, and million dollar paychecks regardless of how many, if any, medals they win.

The main concern of course is injury. Most importantly, any further injury to Peter Forsberg would be lamentable. We are already getting a taste of how the Flyers play without him right now. It is not good. They are having a hard time generating any offense. Some people are stepping up, but enough. What will they do if the USA plays Sweden and Hatcher comes barreling down the ice and lays a check on Forsberg, injuring him further? Alternatively, what if Gagne gets hurt while playing for Canada? Both of the Flyers goalies will be participating in the games. What if one or both suffer injury? What will this club do? Some players are just too important to lose.

Ultimately, the decision to play in the Olympic Games is the individual players alone to make. Whether it is for love of country, love of the game, or the hunger to be the best, they will, in the end, make the right decision. We can only watch and hope for their success and health. The second and most important half of the season await them on their return from Turin, Italy.

Our support and adoration go overseas with them along with the wishes that some of our stars come back home medal winners. We just want (and need) to add a Stanley Cup to that hardware.