If you haven't heard much from Canadian politicians about the NHL's decision to stay out of the 2018 Winter Olympics, it's not because you've missed their reaction.  It's because they don't really care.

Canada's Minister of Sport, Carla Qualtrough, did take to twitter after the decision was announced.  But even then, it was not an angry rant, as they abound on the social media platform.  She merely expressed her support for Hockey Canada to defend our gold medals despite the announcement, which was "disappointing."  Conservative Leadership candidate Lisa Raitt denounced the minister for dealing with this issue with a tweet, by tweeting her displeasure.  On twitter.  Sigh.

When Qualtrough was pushed by the press gallery to say more, she stuck to talking points about Olympic heroes and supporting our athletes, before passing the puck back to the players, hoping that they would show up anyway, and to you, asking that you pressure the NHL and its teams.

In the Commons, only Quebec City Conservative MP Gérard Deltell raised the issue, but not in Question Period as you would expect.  During a debate on the Federal budget, Deltell told Liberal MP Wayne Long that he would like to know what he thought about the NHL's decision, but even then, he pointed out that it was not the issue being debated.  Long could have used this setup for an easy one-timer, but instead skated away.

Only Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume has expressed a strong opinion about the decision, mostly laying the blame on the International Olympic Committee and its "current reputation", a position no doubt triggered by Labeaume's own dealings with the IOC regarding a possible Winter Olympics bid by la Vieille Capitale.

But don't our politicians want our best players to represent our beloved country, you ask?  Well, yes, of course.  But they also know you don't really care, either.  And if you don't care, politicians won't care.

Because, as the NHL season is winding down, playoff fever is about to hit Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary.  This, the NHL hopes, will cure your Olympics' blues.  The Stanley Cup finals will be played in mid-June.  Then summer will come and go, and by the time you put your mind back to hockey for next season, it will be too late to reverse the decision and allow players to go travel and compete in Pyeongchang, South Korea.  Calendars will have been set, arenas booked, travel plans firmed up.

Of course, the decision for NHL players to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi came only in July 2013.  But unless the NHL is bluffing or the IOC blinks, it will be the first time the NHL has not participated in the Winter Olympics since 1994.  And it is a shame, really.  Some will argue, as one of my Twitter followers did, that we are better off with amateur players who appreciate being at the Olympics than overpaid NHL Players.  Except NHL players do appreciate it.  And this is exactly the point: the best players in the world are not being paid to play in the Olympics.  It brings the spirit of the game back to its essence.  Playing for pride.  Playing for your teammates.  Playing for your country.  Playing for everyone back home.

Alas, if money is somewhat out of the equation for hockey players, it is at the crux of the issue for both the NHL and the International Olympic Committee.  TV rights, advertising revenues, players' insurance, you name it.

The NHLPA reacted quite negatively to the news.  But will players defy Gary Bettman's edict?  Maybe some players will.  Alex Ovechkin was very clear: "Somebody going to tell me 'don't go', I don't care. I just go."  Will his Caps' teammate Evgeni Kuznetsov also represent Russia?  "Of course, if Russia needs us. Of course."  Most others, while critical, didn't commit to go.

Could 200 top NHL players follow Ovechkin and travel to Pyeongchang next February, despite the ban?  While the European Federations might not be shy to suit up NHLers, it will definitely not be the case for Hockey Canada and USA Hockey, who are relying heavily on the NHL for funding.  The NHL will not be afraid to crosscheck anyone who defies its decision: players, teams or NHLPA alike.

Which brings it back to you.  The NHL has already shown it is taking Canadian fans for granted.  Calgary Flames owner Ken King just made a passive-aggressive statement about moving the team out of town if a new arena isn't built.  The League is expanding in Las Vegas, of all places, snubbing Quebec City, assuming (rightly) that fans there will still watch hockey even without a team.  New York is big enough for two teams, but not Toronto, despite all the evidence to the contrary.  Canadian TV rights are worth 400 million a year twice as much as US TV rights, for a tenth of the population.  The NHL knows that Canadian arenas will remain full this spring.  And next year.  They, too, don't really care what you think.  They know you will show up or tune in anyway.  Who cares about the Olympics?

Photo Credit: Toronto Star