WC: 2016 Team Sweden

[canswetoxic]

Swedish hockey is by no means in crisis.
Couple of bad WC's don't mean alot.

You're still up there top 3/4

My rankings:

1. Canada
2. Russia
3. Sweden/USA
4. Finland

Finland is propably slowly closing the gap with Sweden/USA.

Hope you guys bounce back next autumn in world cup and in next years WHC.
Allways nice (and scary) to play against you.

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. USA
4. Russia
5. Finland

 

[Finnished]

I just wonder do the declined NHL and KHL stars feel at all horrible about how Sweden played vs Canada? It feels like Swedes (the players) only care about the national team when it's about the Olympics or home WHC. Canada always gets some huge stars which is great imo and good for hockey.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Swedish hockey is by no means in crisis.
Couple of bad WC's don't mean alot.

You're still up there top 3/4

My rankings:

1. Canada
2. Russia
3. Sweden/USA
4. Finland

Finland is propably slowly closing the gap with Sweden/USA.

Hope you guys bounce back next autumn in world cup and in next years WHC.
Allways nice (and scary) to play against you.

I rank Sweden, USA and Finland ahead of Russia outside of WHC.

 

[Raymones]

I just wonder do the declined NHL and KHL stars feel at all horrible about how Sweden played vs Canada? It feels like Swedes (the players) only care about the national team when it's about the Olympics or home WHC. Canada always gets some huge stars which is great imo and good for hockey.

No, I don't think they do, and see no reason to as why they should.

Look, I understand why some fans are hating on players declining Tre Kronor for "suspicious" reason. I do think they overreact though. I think this "traitor", "they should give back to their country" and "cut them from the Olympics" rants are ridiculous. And, judging by this thread, Swedes are not the only ones turning down invitations:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2072633

For whatever reasons, the WCs don't lure all players to extend their season by a month or so. I don't blame the players. As a fan of hockey I surely would like to see the best out there every year, but I also think the IIHF are digging their own grave playing every year, in May. The interest will continue to fall, IMO. The only thing that will halt that fall is playing every other year, or every third year or something like that. There's an inflation in Championships and as long as the Olympics and the World Cup is more prestigous (because they are played less regularly and always have the best of the best available) the WCs will have to get used to be 4th choice for players.

I won't go out and die defending the players who skips the WCs, but I do understand them. And I absolutely don't feel entitled to judge anyone for their decision. Nobody but themselves know about their physical/psychological health, family situation, motviation and fatigue level. It's their decision to take, and if you haven't been in their shoes, how can you judge them?

Has anybody on these forums any knowledge on how your body and mind feel having played 80-95 NHL games, missing out on a large portion of family time, have kids who miss you and want you to stay home more? I sure as hell don't, so I won't judge. And, after all, this is just hockey. There are more important things in life, like playing with your children.

 

[LiveeviL]

DP....

 

[LiveeviL]

I just wonder do the declined NHL and KHL stars feel at all horrible about how Sweden played vs Canada? It feels like Swedes (the players) only care about the national team when it's about the Olympics or home WHC. Canada always gets some huge stars which is great imo and good for hockey.

I do think that there is a decline in willingness to play for the national team in Sweden. Sure ppl might be injured or have other reasons. But if one look at the big picture there is a very big group of players who decline, moire than what I would say is motivated by injuries or personal issues. Everyone do something else, of course, something which they hold as more important. It seems as the threshold for these activities has been lowered over the years.


Why?

Hard to say. Not very popular leadership for Tre kronor is one reason, but that is minor.

I also think that snubbing the WC is something which can have reasons in a dismiss of the WC as unimportant. A notion rubbed of from the NHL-culture on the Swedes. They show with their snubbing of the WC that they are like "the others" in their organisations.

I also think that in Sweden in general there are rather weak feelings towards the nation among the younger generation of players, with more focus on themselves. There, I said it.

 

[Slimmy]

No, I don't think they do, and see no reason to as why they should.

Look, I understand why some fans are hating on players declining Tre Kronor for "suspicious" reason. I do think they overreact though. I think this "traitor", "they should give back to their country" and "cut them from the Olympics" rants are ridiculous. And, judging by this thread, Swedes are not the only ones turning down invitations:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2072633

For whatever reasons, the WCs don't lure all players to extend their season by a month or so. I don't blame the players. As a fan of hockey I surely would like to see the best out there every year, but I also think the IIHF are digging their own grave playing every year, in May. The interest will continue to fall, IMO. The only thing that will halt that fall is playing every other year, or every third year or something like that. There's an inflation in Championships and as long as the Olympics and the World Cup is more prestigous (because they are played less regularly and always have the best of the best available) the WCs will have to get used to be 4th choice for players.

I won't go out and die defending the players who skips the WCs, but I do understand them. And I absolutely don't feel entitled to judge anyone for their decision. Nobody but themselves know about their physical/psychological health, family situation, motviation and fatigue level. It's their decision to take, and if you haven't been in their shoes, how can you judge them?

Has anybody on these forums any knowledge on how your body and mind feel having played 80-95 NHL games, missing out on a large portion of family time, have kids who miss you and want you to stay home more? I sure as hell don't, so I won't judge. And, after all, this is just hockey. There are more important things in life, like playing with your children.

Fair enough. They have better things to do in life than play for their nation in the WHCs. In turn they have absolutely no right to complain if they are cut from the national team in the future. I value loyalty and think that players who actually give a **** should be first in line.

 

[Raymones]

Fair enough. They have better things to do in life than play for their nation in the WHCs. In turn they have absolutely no right to complain if they are cut from the national team in the future. I value loyalty and think that players who actually give a **** should be first in line.

I agree. They have no right whatsoever to complain about that.

I value loyalty as well, and if Tre Kronor management would chose players based on loyalty over skill, I would understand that decision. That's not the case though. To me, it seems like MÃ¥rts invites everybody playing in the NHL or KHL.

 

[Eye of Ra]

This was by far the worst Tre Kronor team I've seen during my 20+ years of watching the IHWC. This team was weak on paper, we all knew that, but somehow they managed to be even worse. I don't think we saw this team play to the best of their abilities in a single game and that is really gotta fall with the management. Really awful job done by Mårts, both in player selection and coaching. Glad he is gone, but I'm really not sold on Grönborg either. How long do we have to wait until Roger Rönnberg takes over? He is probably the best Swedish coach ATM. I don't think it's a coincidence that the time we actually one the WJC we had Rönnberg at the helm.

Sam Hallam is also very good. And Ulf Samuelsson.

 

[Eye of Ra]

It's interesting that Finland always find a way to perform great despite sub-par teams (through the years), while we have absolutely no team chemistry unless we have several stars in the lineup - period.

this is not true.

we reached semifinal something like 15 years in row before the loss against russia last tournament.

and we often have pretty bad teams in world championship on paper compared to russia, canada, finland.

 

[Eye of Ra]

It was not about energy, it was about quality.

.

yes, but they also lacked energy. they played like they dont even cared.