Report: IOC slams Bettman for NHL’s Olympic decision

Last week International Olympic Committee senior member Dick Pound raised some eyebrows when he criticized the NHL’s decision to forgo the Winter Olympics in 2018. This week, Pound went after the NHL even harder during an appearance on Toronto’s Prime Time Sports radio show.

“I think ultimately they have betrayed their fan base, their global fan base, and they’ve betrayed the players that would like to have this unique chance to represent their country in the Olympics,” said Pound, referring to the NHL. “I think that ultimately translates into bad business because there’s a price for ignoring your players and your fans and they’ve got to think about that. I don’t think they have.”

While Pound’s criticism may seem harsh, you’d be hard pressed to find a hockey fan that would argue against that statement. No matter how you look at it, the NHL simply hasn’t considered their fanbase at all with their decision to stay home. 

“I think it’s all money and I think the approach by the NHL scared the IOC and they could see the potential of a floodgates situation where by okay so now hockey insists on being paid for its players to come, what about tennis? What about beach volleyball? What about basketball?” Pound asked. “At that point the IOC says, ‘Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, we’re delighted to have you here and participating but you’ve got to participate on the same basis as everybody else.’”

To be fair, the IOC is just as culpable as the NHL in this matter. If the IOC weren’t so stingy with intellectual property rights, the NHL may have been able to come to an arrangement. As it is, both sides are left without anything to show for months of negotiation and it’s the fan who are really left to pay the price.