There's No NHLers at the 2018 Olympics: Could That Mean No Buzz?

Bar goers watching the Canadian Olympic Men's Hockey Team win the 2014 tournament

Written by Ed Hitchins

None of Canada's big-name hockey players will be at the Olympics this year, which means Canadians might not be interested. 

If you missed the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics this morning, you're probably just like the rest of us. After all, the time difference between Toronto and Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the games are taking place is 14 hours.

Fans may want to keep track of the women's hockey team's push for another gold. Or maybe you're wondering if short-track speed skater Francois-Louis Tremblay can actually win two more medals, (which would eclipse Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes as the most decorated Canadian Olympians of all time).

Still, for most in this country, the crowning jewel of the Winter Olympiad is the men’s hockey tournament. And for the first time since 1998, there will be no “dream team” from Canada. In fact, there won’t be a “dream team” from any of the major hockey powerhouses, as the NHL has taken a pass from releasing its players for the Olympics.

Johnathan Toews celebrating a goal at the 2014 Olympic men's hockey tournament

The NHL has cited the reluctance to shut the league down to players’ resistance to just close up shop. They'd miss the NHL All-Star Game, which is a key revenue generator for the clubs during the long season.

As for the Olympics, and the pubs and restaurants that were set to bank in on the men's hockey tournament, business doesn't look promising.

An Angus Reid poll suggested that 36% of Canadians will skip the Olympic hockey tournament due to the lack of big-name players. Among the ones that will, about 43% said they won’t care as much. But, that doesn’t mean it won’t lack excitement, says  Richard Power, associate business professor at the University of Toronto.

“There will not be any recognizable names, or very few – but it is the Olympics and medals count – so the hockey games will be viewed just as much as before,” Power says. “And without any obvious stars, watch for new names to appear on the TV as announcers play up the medal chances and who to watch.”

So, while Canada chases their third consecutive Olympic Gold in men’s hockey, the celebration may not be as vibrant as it was in 2010, where we jam packed the streets of every major intersection from Vancouver to St. John’s. And then again, it just might. Who knows?