Are Canadian hockey players greedy?

[Manson's inverted cross]

I'm no sports expert, and I'm not even a sports fan. I do like a bit hockey, however, and I truly believe that it is the most exciting and intense sport to watch. To my understanding, the majority of hockey players in the NHL are Canadian.

My question is, how can Canadian players like Sidney Crosby make commercials about how important hockey is to Canada and how it's more than just a game, and yet sleep soundly at night giving his talents to an American hockey team knowing that a Canadian team has not won a Stanley cup in nearly twenty years?

How can they legitimately root for their teams in the playoffs, and play with a straight face and sound mind, knowing that their intentions are to crush Canadians' hopes to finally win a Stanley Cup? Crosby certainly knows that hockey is more important to Canadians as a whole than Americans, yet he hypocritically plays for America.

Have these players totally sold out?

What I also don't understand is how Americans can cheer for "their" teams while knowing that their best players, if not most of their players, are Canadian? They think this pride for their own city is cool, yet it's Canadians who are giving them their victories. Is that a victory at all? How can Americans continue to root for their teams knowing that the innovator of the sport - Canada - is being robbed again and again due to pure monopolistic greed and a selfish urge for stardom?

[Boquest]

Without going off, I have to remember that you obviously are not much of a hockey fan.

Number one priority of any hockey player is to play in the NHL. He doesnt care if he is on a Canadian team or American...and quite honestly, it is not there choice who they play for. They get drafted to a team, and go to it. Period. If a Canadian player gets drafted to an American team and does not go because they feel they would be a "hypocrite," then wouldnt that make them more greedy only willingly going to certain teams?

It is the NHL. Most fans have there favourite team, and they will cheer for them regardless if half there is there nationality or not. Not all Canadians have a Canadian favourite team. The only time "national pride" comes into play is when Team Canada has a team at an international tournament, whether it be the World Juniors or even the Olympics for example. Every single Canadian can be on Crosby's nuts after he wins Olympic gold for us, but the very next day he will be bashed by Canadian fans for being too soft and to much of a complainer.

I want my Edmonton Oilers to win the cup. I dont want the Detroit Red Wings to win the cup, not because there American...because there not my favourite team. I do not want Toronto Maple Leafs to win the cup for the same reason, regardless if there Canadian or not.

[Manson's inverted cross]

Thank you for your input.

I would love to be able to see hockey/NHL as you do, and perhaps I will try.

I do think, however, that many of the players are greedy and only in it for money. It certainly couldn't be true for all of them though. But I highly doubt that 100% of them love the sport and are not in it for money. Once a player is established they could always refuse to be traded to certain teams. I heard Owen Nolan said that he would only play for Canadian teams. Also I really do believe that Gretzky allowed himself to be traded to LA just because of a money issue... I think he is greedy and not a nice guy. I could be wrong, but honestly, it doesn't bother me if I'm inaccurate about hockey or if I'm wrongly judging some sports players, when sports are really insignifigant to life and seriousness.

For me personally, when I really look at it, none of the American teams really stand out to me, except maybe Avs, Wings, Devils.... and possibly Ducks. I just can't see myself favoring an American team over a Canadian team, although I certainly could see myself just enjoying the game and agreeing "may the best team win". It does make it a lot funner that way.

Any way, does anyone else have anything to say here? Do you agree or disagree with me about Canadian hockey players being greedy?

[Biff Slamkovich™]

Boquest pretty much made the most important point in answering your question Slim, when he mentioned that a player doesn't get to choose what team drafts him. Even though Crosby grew up a Habs fan, he can't NOT do his job and play his heart out for the team that pays him.

However, once a player becomes a free agent, I believe this is a good indication of a players personality and will show what they really want. During free agency, players can rather choose to play for a team they want to play for, or to sign somewhere solely based on money. I was listening to Hardcore Hockey Talk on The Score before and heard that Lee Stempniak was furious that he was traded from Toronto to Phoenix, and that he only wants to play for Canadian teams, which I can respect. But he still went out and scored something like 11 goals in 14 games with the Coyotes.

I'm hoping that Dan Hamhius of the Nashville Predators signs with the Canucks this July when he becomes a free agent, but I doubt it will happen because Nashville has a ton of capspace and I'm sure he likes playing with fellow BC boy Shea Weber, and playing on a contending team too.

[Boquest]

If you view hockey the way you are right now, you might as well look at all sports the same way. Hockey players are payed nothing compared to other sports. In every single sport, from MMA to soccer, money makes everything turn. Hell, look at life in general...people go where the money goes.

[Manson's inverted cross]

May 12, 2010 15:21:02 GMT -5 Boquest said:

If you view hockey the way you are right now, you might as well look at all sports the same way. Hockey players are payed nothing compared to other sports. In every single sport, from MMA to soccer, money makes everything turn. Hell, look at life in general...people go where the money goes.

Well, I am trying to learn to sit back and enjoy the game now, and look at hockey differently.

But I certainly do view all sports the same way.... they are almost always greedy, selfish industries (including pro wrestling) run by corrupt people.

However, it is clear that the NHL is a very different situation. NHL still has six Canadian teams left, and maybe even a seventh coming. The NFL has no Canadian teams. NBA as far as I know, has only one Canadian team. And the MLB I think only has one or two. So the competition in Canada isn't nearly as great.

Most importantly, the majority of NHL players are *Canadian*. So it doesn't sit well for me that many of them play for American teams through their own free will, or even prefer to play for them just to put their names "on the map". I heard that a great number of players want to stay away from the Oilers just because they don't like the revenue and city.

But I will try to look at it differently. However, some facts cannot be ignored.

[Mr. PerpetuaLynch Motion]

Alot of players don't want to play in Edmonton because it's a in' cold city to live in... I don't blame them really. Not to mention I'd rather get paid peanuts and play for a cup contender than go to Edmonton get overpayed and finish last in the league.

[Kemp2k]

In the future, Sidney Crosby will be playing for the Habs.

[HandsomeHollywood]

there's nothing wrong with Canadians playing for American teams. it's all up in the air and i like the draft system.

i remember way back in the day when they first introduced the entry draft Montreal had first dibs on any players coming out of french Canada. that sounds terrible. i'd hate for there to be unfair advantages like that.

it's wrong to hold out on a team and refuse to play for them. look at Quebec. Eric Lindross (i might be wrong here, not bothering with fact checking) was drafted by Quebec. he said he refused to play for a french-speaking team and would hold out on his contract. the management of the Nordiques then was quoted as saying "as long as Lindross holds out on his obligations to Quebec, he won't have an NHL career."


Lindross held out until the team folded i think, or they eventually traded him. either way, that's a stupid avoidable mess.

i wouldn't say Canadians are greedy. if i were as good as Crosby or Heatly i would want to get as much money as possible too, and play where i'm selected/traded to.

also, no team's intention is to "crush" other teams' dreams. every team's intention is to win the Stanley Cup, and they'll go through who they have to to do it.

as far as how can Americans cheer for their teams knowing that they're mostly Canadian, because it's their team. it doesn't matter who plays for your team, so long as you have a team. this year, the cup came to the Chicago Blackhawks, not the Chicago Jonathan Toews'. players play, it doesn't matter where.

i would also find it hard to believe a player who trained playing hockey their entire life made the decision when young (because you really have to start young if you want to be good) that someday they want to make a lot of money playing hockey. of course, they'll go where they can make the most money but so what? that's their right and if they're good enough to do it, then more power to them.

i also, would hate to play on a team in a city i wouldn't want to live. i wouldn't want to live in Calgary or Vancouver. there, i said it. i don't blindly follow Canadian teams. my favorite teams are original 6 and teams with rich histories.