The Athletic Hockey Show - How will the NHL handle a last-minute Olympic pullout?

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

Fresh of the NHL Board of Governor meetings in Colorado Springs, The Athletic and TSN NHL Insider Chris Johnston joins Sean Gentille to discuss the very latest on the ongoing Olympic rink issue in Milan, what happens to the NHL schedule if the league and the players back out and Chris provides an update on the ongoing trade rumours involving Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.Host: Sean GentilleWith: Chris JohnstonExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff DometWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic hockey show. What up, what up? This is the athletic hockey show for Thursday, December 11th. I am Sean Gentile. I am here by myself. Haley Salvin is out sick. Everyone crossed their fingers for her. She's got a bunch of stuff coming up.

She needs to be at 100% for it. I'm sure she's going to be fine. We're getting straight to brass tax here, folks. You don't have to listen to me to talk for all that long. We got Chris Johnson in the house. He's going to talk to us about the Olympic rink situation. and about some developments in the Quinthews deal as well. Those are the two things you want to hear about.

We're not going to waste any time. CJ is coming up right now, live from Toronto. All right, here's CJ. He is speaking to us from an arena. I believe it's in Toronto. Where are we catching you now, buddy? I have an idea. Yeah, it's Scotchamake Arena, pregame skate with the sharks and leaps

coming up here at an hour or so. Welcome into my nice home studio here. Yeah, I was going to say, it looks like a relatively complete arena, so I knew you didn't bop over to Milan for a pre-Olympic, for a pre-Olympic trip. We got to start there. You've been all over the story and the situation

with the size of the Olympic rink. From the outside, I personally feel concerned about this. What is the status? Have we learned anything new? Did we find out that they installed the toilets backwards or anything else crazy in the last couple days? I don't know if we learned anything new.

We do know now definitively, though, that there is no ice-mic equipment yet installed at the main arena where they're going to hopefully be playing 33 games between the men's and women's Olympic tournament. And so, you know, the fact that, that we're talking in mid-December and, you know, this tournament for the women starts February 5th in that arena. You know, I'm not a construction expert, but that's, that is certainly a sign of some trouble or potential trouble. Now, you know, the NHL seems to feel pretty optimistic that they can pull this off.

They've sent a number of their sort of ice-making experts and technicians to Milan to assist with this. So, you know, they've got to complete the construction first and foremost. You know, one of the reasons there's not any ice on the floor is there's, a bunch of materials on the floor for the construction going on in the arena. So they obviously have to get rid of that stuff, you know, lay down the ice making equipment, anchor the boards and then start actually making ice that that can withstand three games a day, you know, at basically the highest level of hockey we're supposed to expect. So it's a lot to get done in a short window.

You know, and so I think having some amount of concern, even if it's just moderate concern is fair, given the timelines and the fact that this is delayed from what it was supposed to be. We've heard from some players, and I know a lot of our folks at the athletic have talked to past Olympians and, you know, presume future Olympians about, you know, the situation in what it means and the difference between, you know, playing on the various ice services. But if you talk to anybody on the player into things, like, is there a kind of matching level of concern on their end based on what we've seen publicly? because it's, you know, it's easy for us to look at this and say like, wow, this is, this is, this is wild. How does this happen? But ultimately, it's the other end of things is that it's, it's three feet. So do you get the vibe that it's as big a deal for the players? It seemed like it is for people, for people like me on the outside of all of it? I would say no. You know, let's remember the context of this tournament. It's the first time for NHL players back at the Olympics in 12 years. It's basically going to be a completely brand new generation, say, for a few. few of the guys like a Sydney Crosby who wasn't so cheap back in 2014. But, you know, by and large,

it's going to be a first time experience for everyone. And I think these guys would play on a frozen lake if they got a chance to be at the Olympics. So I think from the player standpoint, there isn't maybe this isn't raising alarms. You know, I think they might find it kind of funny or strange, you know, because, you know, it's kind of hard to get your mind around how this happened. No one has said definitively, Bill Daley was asked about it this week. Even there was an IOC press conference and they kind of skated on how it happened. It wouldn't surprise me if really it just came down to a conversion between metric and imperial measurements. You know, the double IHF works in metric.

They talk about rank dimensions and meters. Obviously, the NHL uses feet, you know, a 200 foot by 85 foot, you know, is a standard sizing. And I think that something might have got lost in translation through those two things, quite honestly. but how much is it going to matter? That's like that's like the that's like the joke explanation for for how for how this happened. Like if if you asked someone to write a joke like yeah, I just figured it was it was a conversion issue between between meters and feet. The fact that that's actually potentially what happened is mind,

mind-boggling. Yeah, well, I don't think they're speaking the same language. Like I mean, I realize that this is easy to overcome. Anyone with a Google with, you know, a phone, smart phone could do the conversion very accurately. But I think maybe whenever, you know, papers or proposals were passing back and forth, it just wasn't picked up by one side or the other is that small discrepancy. You know, but it is a small discrepancy. At the end of the day, what I think this issue tells us,

it just shows how sort of misaligned maybe the key stakeholders are that are organizing this tournament. But I don't think it actually is going to mean a whole lot. And certainly, basically, the NHL is going to account for that three feet in the neutral zone by shrinking that. I think the offensive zones will be. more or less, you know, standard for what we're used to. And, you know, I think when the games are being played, I just don't think we're going to notice it too much. Yeah. And in something UNPA reported on from Colorado Springs where the Board of Governors meetings were earlier this week, there is no league plan B. And I think the logic behind that is, is interesting. I wonder

if you could, you could share a little bit, a little bit more about that. Yeah, well, the reason there's no plan B being communicated, it was described to me as we, we, we, like this is already a pretty big story at this moment. You know, why create a sensation that, you know, by talking about shadow plans for what else you might do at that time. But, you know, I've actually,

and you can never be sure of me. I'm looking, I bring an upbeat attitude to my job, but I'm always a little bit, you know, paranoid about what you're not being told, right? And it's hard to, it's hard to take things at face value

when you're doing our job and you're reporting on things. But I really do truly believe there is no secret secondary plan that if, if for whatever reason, that arena in Milan isn't they can't produce ice to a level that everyone's satisfied with or something goes sideways with the construction. I mean, that there's just going to be no Olympic tournament involving NHL players. I don't know what it would mean for the women's side of things if that were to happen.

You know, right at this point, the NHL feels that it's just going to get done. I mean, that's what they've been assured time and again by the International Olympic Committee. And really, when NHL players go to an event like this and even the NHL's role, they're really guests at a bigger event, right? The Olympics is a big mess of undertaking that involves all kinds of different sporting disciplines. This specific Olympics essentially has four different kind of clusters they're calling them, like different athletes villages. You know, hockey, even though it's one of the marquee sports at the winter games, it's still just a small part of a bigger picture. And so they just feel it's not their place to even really get involved. I mean,

obviously they've lit some fires, you know, trying to get the construction sped up and wanting to make sure that things are going to be pulled off in a safe manner for the players, but there's only so much they could do. And so, you know, I personally hope, you know, I really do like the Olympic tournaments. I hope this just becomes a moot point. But it does seem like there's a 19-day window here, Sean, where if they don't have Olympic games, maybe some of the regular season games on a quick time basis might be able to get scheduled during that window. I don't know what they do, but really doesn't seem like there's a plan B. You know, I do think what it does, You know, the 2028 World Cup is a little bit off on our horizon,

but I think there's more push than ever to try to turn that into the tournament that matters most over a period of time. I don't think that's going to happen overnight. I don't think suddenly in 2028 we're all going to see what they do and say, okay, this is it. This is the most important thing. But, you know, the lesson here for the NHL, I think, is they want more control and they just don't have it in the way it works when you go to an Olympics. Yeah, I mean, I look at it too. there's I think the NHL is within their rights as it relates to this tournament at least to just say like all right like you guys have you you guys have made your bed this is up this is up to you to figure a way out and if it in if you don't we're not going to be involved involved with this like because we know that the relationship between the NHL in the double IHF and the IOC is is complicated and fraught in a lot of ways on on a good day right so I think that.

it makes sense for the league from their end of things. You just say like, all right, you guys are in charge of this. Like do what you got to do. And if it checks our box, is great. And if not, you know, see you later. Yeah. And I'll tell you, there was some talk that I heard called maybe a month ago of maybe going to Switzerland. You know, the Milan is in the northern part of Italy.

Obviously, in Switzerland, you got a pretty successful men's pro league there with some venues that theoretically, you know, could pull off an event like this. But the NHL is just like they're just not getting involved in something like that. You know, because obviously there are other arenas in other places that exist where you could theoretically hold a tournament on a short time frame. I don't know how that works with, you know, the TV aspect, the media aspect and everything. I mean, obviously it's this huge undertaking just to organize this thing, let alone to move it.

But just it really feels like it's not going to happen. You're right. I think it's you guys get this done or not. It's going to be on your shoulders ultimately if it doesn't work. And then, you know, as we sort of cast forward, you know, I think the NHL really wants to make sure that it, you know, it's actually building out a World Cup schedule. I mean, which I just think honestly makes sense. It's a revenue generator for the league and the players. And I think that there's a huge appetite for international sports and international hockey.

I mean, who would have predicted how big that four nations tournament was last February? Now, we had some pretty specific things around that that won't necessarily be replicated every time you gather. the players together. But, you know, I think it's long since past the time the league is in control of putting on these tournaments. And then, you know, you could basically play them out of NHL buildings and you wouldn't have the kind of issues we're having right now in Milan. Right. It's an issue of revenue and it's an issue of control. And if the league's running it, you can, you can bet that ice services are going to be the size that they need to be and, and all that and all that sort of thing. So if we hit worst case scenario and in NHL players don't participate in the Olympics,

is how would the league spend that break? Would it just be, would it just be an 18-day vacation for the for the rest of the league? I mean, I don't know, I don't know what else they could do beyond that. Yeah, my guess is they could stage some of the games. I mean, look, arenas like the one I'm standing in right now. The NBA's Raptors play here. There's concerts here pretty much every night that there isn't sporting events. You know, the building availability would be in a lot of cities, not just in Toronto, it would be an issue in terms of trying to maybe reschedule some games. But I would think that they would have to at least look at that.

Even if it's just a couple, you move back, you make the 19-day break, a 14-day break. You know, that makes a difference, you know, if you're able to pull that off. And obviously, maybe in some cases you could and some you couldn't. Like, it would be a mess. And again, I don't get the feeling that there's like secret backroom. dealings where they've got a shadow schedule. Like I think they just would have to adjust on the fly. You know, Bill Daly pointed out, none of us want to remember that COVID time,

but, you know, they had to be pretty flexible in that period to play the games they did. You know, I don't know what it would look like. But more likely than not, I think it's safe to say if doomsday hit, it would be pretty much not much happening in February. I mean, there's even a trade freeze, you know, during that point in time during the league, I suppose. I guess you could revoke that. But, like, you know, let's say.

this is where when I go too far down this road, I'm like, oh, man, let's just hope they, they play the Olympics and we don't even have to get into this mess. Yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't want to get to too far and talking about plan B and plan C and plan D, but that's also, you know, that's where our minds go when it comes to situations like this, right? Like, you do start thinking about, you know, contingency plans and, and, and, and, and, and, in the like. So, yeah, it's, it's tough to, it's tough to not let this, let the snowball roll down the hill a bit. But at the same time, this is just a, it's a fascinating story that's not going to end.

And anytime soon, like, like, when are we going to have an, like, when do we have an answer? Is it, is it when puck drops at the, at the first hockey game there? I think we're going to have a good idea. And January 9th, 10th, and 11th is when they're due to have a test event in that rank. So if we get to that point and they play games there and the ice is of a quality that, that's normal. and obviously we'll get more of a look inside the building then. Like, is it going to be complete?

Basically, if things go really wrong there, then we're talking about two weeks before the tournament or three weeks maybe to maybe try to correct those issues, it might be too late. So I think basically that that's the next major checkpoint for me. You know, they have said they're going to start making ice by the end of December. So maybe we'll get some interim kind of like, did that actually happen to construction, you know, go well over the holidays and they actually got to the point they said they would be, but really we have to see what this thing looks like, you know, as a test event.

And I should remind you, even though there was lots of problems in Sochi back in 2014 in terms of finishing some things late, they opened that rink a year before for a test event. So they had a major international tournament. I think it was a under 20 type of tournament. So it wasn't with pro players. But they had a tournament in the building a year out. And that gave them a chance to see, you know, maybe things that didn't work as expected or what have you, gave them a full year to get the arena ready.

and there was no issues at all there that at least that I was made aware of I was at that Olympics. You know, so this is not the usual course of business. Even though there is always venue challenges, I think with every Olympics, whether it's summer or winter,

because of just how much infrastructure needs to get built out, it's not normal to have it be this last minute. And there's a bit of hope in that because if something goes wrong, there's just not a lot of time to correct it. All right, Before I let you go, CJ, we need to ask about Quinn Hughes.

Obviously, that situation continues to grow and continues to evolve. We had Elliott Friedman over the weekend report that the Devils and Canucks had a conversation about him. We talk about talking about stories that aren't going away. And anytime soon, we're going to be talking about Quinn Hughes until his teachers actually decided. So I just wanted to know on your end of things, what have you heard and where does that situation? stand as you, as you understand it at the moment? Well, you know, where it stands now is the caducs certainly aren't of a mind that they're trading them.

You know, they'd still, their preference, as it has been all along, would be to extend Quinn Hughes. You know, they can't do that by the letter of the law of the CBA until July 1st. So, you know, there is a, there's a timeline or an option here where this just plays out. But given where there's seasons at, second straight year, they're underperforming their own expectations. I think injuries this season have played a huge. role in that. I mean, last I checked, David Camp as their second line center and they only signed him mid-season after he had a contract terminated. I mean, they're patching it together

a little bit in other parts of the lineup and dealing with the Patrick Demko injury issue as well. But, you know, where they're at is, I think teams are calling. And, you know, they put themselves open for business, you know, two weeks back when they sent out a Memelton League saying, you know, they were looking to talk about other players. I think they were thinking their key for Sherwood, for example, is a pending UFA. You will probably move, you know, almost certainly before with the March 6th trade deadline, so they wanted to have those conversations. But, you know, you have that conversation

and you start asking about other players in the roster, and I think that's where it's at. Teams want to know what this might look like. I don't know that anyone's been given the sort of the asks if they ever got to where they're trading queen, you know, but you can't put your head in the sand for too long. I mean, this guy, you can see the frustration in his body language. There's already been so much open conversation about him one day,

you know, playing with his brothers. who just happened to be in New Jersey at this point in time and both on long-term contracts there. You know, so I think this is going to come to ahead at some point, but it doesn't feel, you know, we're about a week out from the NHL's holiday trade freeze right now. I don't think it's going to come to ahead before then. That would be a surprise if that was the outcome.

I think this is going to take a little longer, but, you know, the Canucks, if they get to the point they're trading them, they have some experience in this. Like, look, they shopped J.T. Miller and Eliza, Pedersen last year. They ultimately moved Miller to the Rangers. but, you know, these are big type of trades on the NHO. You know, we don't see these type types of moves just every day in this league.

So, you know, they have to get it right if they're going to do it. And, you know, I don't think that they're not at the stage where they're definitely going to do it. But, you know, they might get their hand force if the team doesn't turn it around and maybe give Quinn a little bit more reason to want to be there, if you know what I mean. Is there a sense on what they're looking for in terms of the return? Because that's also a fascinating question. Because yes, of course, if you're Vancouver, you won't. to sign Quinn Hughes long term, have them there forever.

If that's not the way it works out and you're talking about moving your captain and your best player and one of the, you know, let's say the second best defenseman in the league on most nights, is it a, does the rebuild start? Or would they be looking for, you know, NHL, like roster pieces? Or is this a situation where they would potentially really, you know, look at futures is the primary return. I don't think Dave made that determination. Yeah.

My understanding from teams that have talked to them about Kiefer Shrewood is they're having a hard time getting an example, you know, an idea of exactly what they want back for Sherwood, whether it's just a sort of typical pick-up prospect type of trade, which is I'd say the normal type of trade when you have a pending UFA or whether it's a player. And, you know, one team in particular, I know has been basically trying to put together both packages for Sherwood and they can't get a clear idea from Vancouver what they prefer. And so if they're having trouble deciding on a path on Sherwood, and I say this with respect, the guy's having a great year and there's a ton of interest in him too for some different

reasons. But I mean, making a kind of a franchise altering deal. I mean, some people in Vancouver I've seen describe Quinn Hughes as the greatest connect player of all time. No, I'm not well versed enough to say that myself, but people in the market who have followed that team and understand everything about it say that. So, I mean, if you're making that kind of trade, you know, I don't know of anyone. And I've kind of poked around on this that's gotten any sort of clear view. I, you know, it would obviously be a massive package.

But how future focused it is would be the question. You're asking the right question because they've resisted going into a true rebuild there. That's partly why we are where we are with this group at this point in time. Like they just kind of, they never went the whole way and doing the things they had to do to become a true Stanley Cup contender. And now you're caught in the middle with a player who's seeing the years on his career tick by and who's getting closer to controlling his destiny by becoming a UFO in 2027.

So, you know, this is where you lose leverage as an organization. I think that's exactly where the Canucks are today. It's fascinating, man. Well, it's going to be a big, big stretch for you in terms of Olympic prep in terms of trade prep. I know we got the freeze coming. up and coming up in eight days. So, you know, enjoy that down the road because at least, at least, you know, you can look at your phone a little bit less whenever that rolls around. Well, you didn't even account for the worst part. I haven't got my Christmas shopping,

even remotely off the ground yet. We're not, no, no, no, no. We're not, we're not going to talk about that. Yeah, we're getting like inside the window, though, where I need to start figuring that out, too. However much you have done, I have less done. Let's just, let's just, let's put it that way. We're starting at ground zero over here. All right, brother. Great talking to you. Take care and we'll catch up down the road. Sounds good. Thank, Sean. All right, we're back. A quick bit of news that broke before we started talking to CJ from the New Jersey Devils. Tim O'Meer's taking a personal leave of absence from the team as he tends to do a family matter.

Best wishes to him, obviously. That's a loss for the Devils. He's leading the team in 11 goals. Five of those came on the power play. Devils woke up Thursday morning out of the playoffs on tiebreakers too in this, in this crazy, crazy, messy, mediocre, sometimes interesting, sometimes not Eastern Conference. So that's something to watch from the standings perspective, but also from a personal perspective because Timo Meyer, as we said, leading to tend to some personal matters, all the best of him. And we'll see how that shakes out for the New Jersey Devils. That's it for me here. It's been a quick show.

Congratulations to you for not having a listen. to me drone on for 45 minutes by myself. We've got a full slate again the night. 13 of them. Gosh, which ones are we watching most closely? I'm into Carolina, Washington. That's a good one. We always love seeing some old Southeast Division Legends clash, but man, it's a full buffet for you if you want to hang out in front of the TV for a while. Enjoy that. And thank you folks again for listening to this episode of the show. The Prospect Boys are back next. They're coming on Friday. Mac and Dew and Frankie are back. week on Wednesday for one more show before the Christmas break. Stay tuned for that and have a good

weekend.