If the NHL was invited to bring the Stanley Cup by the Sochi organizing committee, then it was totally appropriate.

If he hadn't have tweeted about it, a lot of people wouldn't even have noticed the story that it had been there at all.

I would really say Brian is right, it is a little tacky for what ever reason to take the cup over there, if you are going to take it over have the bolls to put it up for grabs. Then hope the Russian don;t win it which would be funny.

There's a lot bigger things to be concerned about at the Olympics than this.

Stemmle has successfully used the Stanley Cup to get his name back in the news...and still nobody cares.

Tone it down Mr. Stemmle, you are being so so Canadian! Think you are being just a little too touchy. Luv ya by the way.

The NHL shuts down for 3 weeks to send its best to the Olympics. If they want to send the Cup over for a Russian gander, s'fine by me.

Brian who?

Nice.
So the Olympics will take the NHL's athletes - at the players' and their teams' risk, and reap the rewards via TV, gate, and merchandising. But dare allow people to touch the Stanley Cup, and you've somehow corrupted the games?
Excuse me while I puke.

The Stanley Cup is the most prized award in Canadian sports. That cup is what all the world hockey players want there name on, and it's our cup. If it was not for hockey in the Olympics, I would not even bother to look for updates on Sochi.

No one cares what Brian Stammer has to say.

Also...you just insulted a great Canadian Olympian. You should be ashamed to be a Canadian....you make me ashamed that you are.

What David McCaig said.

I don't care what Brian says either. Your opposition to freedom of expression makes me ashamed you are Canadian.

I do. He was an Olympian. What are your credentials?

Being an olympian does not mean they are immune from being wrong.

If it was the KHL trophy nobody would care.

The KHL was smart enough to realize that their trophy doesn't mean more than the Olympics. Realistically the NHL is minor league compared to every major winter sport being competed in one place. The SC has no place at any olympics just as the FIFA World Cup wouldn't have a place at a summer games. P.S. I love hockey, but I also realize the magnitude and importance of the Olympics.

The Olympics are made great because of the NHL. No other league in any other sport could do to the Olympics, Summer or Winter what the NHL does for the Winter Olympics which makes the NHL both great and major league and in this sense is beyond compare.

If it was the KHL trophy nobody would care. Maybe they should have brought that one.

If it was the KHL trophy nobody would car.

The NHL stealing the spotlight again.

Then it can't be overrated, can it be?

Welcome to Canada, all hockey all the time.

If you're pissed off now, wait till Rogers takes over.

That's OK, I don't subscribe to cable. I'm strictly Hulu, baby.

It isn't about the NHL. It is about the oldest trophy in pro sports but it started out as an amateur story. The Stanley Cup is history.

It has nothing to do with the olympics and it shouldn't be there.

The Stanley Cup is inspiring.

Funny that some of Canada's best seem to appreciate it being there. But I suppose you are Mr. Olympics and know better than our own athlete.

Good luck on Gold, BTW!

Edit: Oh yeah, I just realized you aren't in the Olympics...well maybe gold next time.

Get over yourself!! The fact that Men's Ice Hockey is the event that most people enjoy watching and anticipate watching every four years speaks for itself. It is what it is!! Instead of whining about it, celebrate it and enjoy it. If its not your "cup" of tea...no problem!! There are, as stated, many other events to watch.

Sorry not true. The men's downhill draws a much attention. Just because you - like most Canadians - don't follow any of the other sports until the Olympics doesn't mean hockey is most popular.

I seriously doubt that Men's Downhill draws as much attention that Men's Hockey does...

"Some 80 per cent of Canadians watched part of the Olympic hockey final with an average audience of 16.6 million viewers, according to CTV.
The game was broadcast live on nine television networks in eight languages, the host broadcaster said.
Some 26.5 million Canadians took in part of Canada's 3-2 overtime win over the U.S."

- The Canadian Press

Posted: Mar 01, 2010 5:44 PM ET

...however presumptuous it was of you to tell me which sports I follow or don't follow, it doesn't mean that I didn't respect your supposition and thus, I attempted due diligence in regards to finding out viewership numbers for Men's Super-G...there just wasn't any readily accessible data available..but that somehow speaks for itself.
I don't know (nor do I care) why you took it so personally that Men's Ice Hockey garners far more attention than Alpine Skiing does. That's just the way it is here in Canada. Most Canadians already know this though.

In North America (and Russia) and a great deal of Europe it's Hockey and nothing else. But it is nice to see some other sports get some recognition. But skiing? Never would have guessed.

In North America (and Russia) and a great deal of Europe it's Hockey and nothing else. But it is nice to see some other sports get some recognition as well.

I get it now. You live somewhere warm...

Ok, it all makes sense..

Hockey is a dying sport.They have to make a buzz about it.

If Hockey is dying, there shouldn't be any 'buzz' at all, and you wouldn't be here spewing your venom.
Hockey is very much a growing sport and is by far the most popular sport in the Olympics. Without NHLers playing, the Winter Olympics would be a 'dying' sport that people would care a whole lot less about. You really owe Hockey your gratitude and not your contempt.
Maybe this is the source of you envy, that 2 men bobsled is barely on the radar and Hockey makes it less so? Get over it.

Hockey's my favourite sport, but it is not growing, at least not in Canada. It's the girls who are now playing hockey that are keeping the numbers up. Boys are leaving the sport. The main reason: so many hockey parents are psycho. Hockey brings out the crazy in Canadians.

I think a lot it has to do with the cost. It's simply too expensive to enroll Junior in hockey now. Much cheaper to put him in soccer or baseball. And perhaps the fear of concussions or other permanent injuries.

HIS... you're right... but as a house hockey coach, once the kids are enrolled, it's usually the parents that kill the fun.

That's why pros are playing amateur "sport". A lack of interest.

The Olympics haven't been amateur for a long time, and for a long time before that their judgement of who was an amateur was, well....amateurish.

Registration numbers are down because the looney nanny-state left is making it boring for kids by taking bodychecking out.

What?

6 players + 18 sitting on the bench x 3 hours to play an 1 hour game=72 man hours instead of 6 man hours.That's as boring as a "sport" as curling is.

Sounds like someone got cut from their pee wee team.

Mark, we get it that you have a bad case of Hockey envy, but continually spewing venom at the greatest event in the Olympics only verifies it's true greatness. But it's your mission to remind us of how great the sport is, keep the hatred coming.

“Other sports”?

Please...skiing is what people do on a vacation for fun, its barely a sport. Don’t compare it to hockey.

Jesus, have you seen any of the skiiers? Of course many people do it for fun, but the level they are doing it at is....there is no word,,,,good? great? really really good?

Hockey is my favourite Olympic winter sport, but I wouldn't disparage the others at all. Ok, maybe figure skating, but the rest are hardcore at what they do.