Hossa is 38 next year and still are world class player for Slovakia plus nhl teams.
No problems.
No problems.
World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team Europe
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I meant that Sekera is likely already a better defenceman than Višňovský today, and almost certainly will be ibetter in September 2016 (if Višňovský hasn't retired by then).
Anyway, it's a Mickey Mouse team and a Mickey Mouse tournament, so it diesn't matter to me whether (and which) Slovaks join it.
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Well said. And to teach them this lesson, the best "Leftover" team players should boycott this silly Mickey Mouse event.
I haven't been following this thread, but this is exactly what I hope will happen.
this is so bad. SO BAD. what on earth were they thinking? I'm glad we're almost universally against this. This might get changed, the way things are going.
Seriously, it's the stupidest thing I've heard in hockey all year.
More Teams for Gary Bettman's 1st annual wacky world cup.
Team Under 5'8 - (St.Louis, Gerbe)
Team over 6'5 - (Chara, Bishop)
Team Latino - (S.Gomez, Montoya)
Team Bros.- (Sedin Twins, Staal Bros.)
Team Simpsons ( Skinner, Lovejoy, Burns )
Team Under 5'8 - (St.Louis, Gerbe)
Team over 6'5 - (Chara, Bishop)
Team Latino - (S.Gomez, Montoya)
Team Bros.- (Sedin Twins, Staal Bros.)
Team Simpsons ( Skinner, Lovejoy, Burns )
Jussi
Registered User
Neil Hamburger
Five Bagger!
I hate this idea... this tournament is such a blatant cash grab by the NHL, but that's not what bothers me. Why not just run a normal tournament, with normal teams made-up of players of one nationality?
The only reason I see is that some teams, like Slovakia or Switzerland wouldn't have near enough NHL players to fill a team, and this is a tournament run by the NHL.
Say Canada's going up against "Team Rest of Europe", or "North America under 23" in the finals.... me, as a proud Canadian hockey fan would pretty much not give a **** about the outcome of the game. Canada would have already solidified itself as "the best hockey country on Earth".
This tournament has pretty much become a joke to me, and I have no interest in it. I hope its a huge failure in 2016, and the NHL is forced to go back to the Olympics with their tail between their legs.
The only reason I see is that some teams, like Slovakia or Switzerland wouldn't have near enough NHL players to fill a team, and this is a tournament run by the NHL.
Say Canada's going up against "Team Rest of Europe", or "North America under 23" in the finals.... me, as a proud Canadian hockey fan would pretty much not give a **** about the outcome of the game. Canada would have already solidified itself as "the best hockey country on Earth".
This tournament has pretty much become a joke to me, and I have no interest in it. I hope its a huge failure in 2016, and the NHL is forced to go back to the Olympics with their tail between their legs.
That whole World Cup thing looks like a circus on ice.
Other countries should ignore it. Let team Nova Scotia compete against team Newfoundland for this world cup.
Other countries should ignore it. Let team Nova Scotia compete against team Newfoundland for this world cup.
The only hope this event has of failing is for one of two things to happen.
1) Players decide to take a pass or show up not give a damn. I can easily see Slovak and Swiss players deciding not to embarrass themselves by skiping the opposrtunity to wear the Leftover jersey.
2) Toronto fans see this for the joke that it is and stay away.
[Mod] option 2 is hightly unlikely. [Mod]
1) Players decide to take a pass or show up not give a damn. I can easily see Slovak and Swiss players deciding not to embarrass themselves by skiping the opposrtunity to wear the Leftover jersey.
2) Toronto fans see this for the joke that it is and stay away.
[Mod] option 2 is hightly unlikely. [Mod]
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seventieslord
Student Of The Game
I feel like it's a slap in the face to Switzerland and Slovakia who can truly compete with the big six.
What if they made it a ten-team tournament? I don't hate the "rest of europe" idea as much as I hate the "young north americans" idea. If Switzerland, Slovakia and Germany got to send teams, leaving a "best of the rest" as the 10th team, who would be on it?
What if they made it a ten-team tournament? I don't hate the "rest of europe" idea as much as I hate the "young north americans" idea. If Switzerland, Slovakia and Germany got to send teams, leaving a "best of the rest" as the 10th team, who would be on it?
Gaborik - Kopitar - Hossa
Tatar - Nielsen - Vanek
Boedker - Girgensons - Zuccarello
Niederreiter - Gabrovski - Hansen
Eller
Josi - Sekera
Chara - Streit
Seidenberg - Ehrhoff
Visnovsky
Andersen
Halak
Hiller
Tatar - Nielsen - Vanek
Boedker - Girgensons - Zuccarello
Niederreiter - Gabrovski - Hansen
Eller
Josi - Sekera
Chara - Streit
Seidenberg - Ehrhoff
Visnovsky
Andersen
Halak
Hiller
I'd rather they do a Canada east and Canada west than have a young stars team.
The only thing I don't understand is why some people are getting so emotional and "insulted" by this tournament. Everyone needs to calm down.
The only thing I don't understand is why some people are getting so emotional and "insulted" by this tournament. Everyone needs to calm down.
It's easy to get upset when the game you love is poised to have no best-on-best event for the first time in 40 years. And all because some idiots in the NHL head office decided to drop acid at the worst possible time.
I think Marincin makes this team. He has international experience already and they need a young guy. That blue line is ancient. 
scotian1
Registered User
It is obvious that the NHL wants a tournament where as many of their players are involved as possible. With the NHLPA firmly behind it, I believe that it will be very difficult for any NHL player to turn down playing. Bettman and Fehr were both on Rogers the other day singing the praises of the format. It simply is an attempt at a money grab by the League which is obvious considering where they are going to play all their games. That is Toronto, a market starved for good hockey.
I think Marincin makes this team. He has international experience already and they need a young guy. That blue line is ancient.
He may make the team because the old-timers may not bother to show up, and good for them. If they can't avoid the mickey-mouse tourney officially, there will likely occur a spate of undisclosed upper-body injuries just before the event. Very understandable for veteran players.
So how would you feel if someone replaced the Stanley Cup play-offs with an all-star tourney? Makes sense, doesn't it? Why should Giroux, Nugent Hopkins, Seguin, Kessel, Ekblad and many other outstanding players be golfing in May?
So here's my proposal. After the first 2 Stanley Cup play-off rounds, let's make a special team out of all players who didn't get a chance to play for the Stanley Cup this season, because their teams were just too weak. The drop-off between Anaheim and Edmonton is just too big, but we don't wanna miss out on all those Edmonton stars and first-overall draft picks, do we. I mean, they deserve to be at the event, too! Wow! It's gonna be great! Just imagine, Ekblad with Kessel and Giroux and Seguin on the same team! Very competitive.
Also, from among those teams that do make it past the 2nd play-off round (the dreaded "Big 4", you know), let's strip all players younger than 24, and create a special team out of those. They will get a chance to fight for the Stanley Cup, too. Absolutely terrific.
So, there will be no more Western and Eastern Conference Finals, just the "Big 4" teams (minus players younger than 24), then a team composed from the finest players from weak teams, and a "Young NHL Stars" team. And it's gonna be a true best-on-best round-robin NHL hockey tourney, with all games played in Toronto.
I really hope you love this proposal as much as I do. It would make the fight for the Stanley Cup so much more interesting.
This is totally different. World Cup is there like two times in 20 years. I don't see anything wrong with trying a new thing. If it doesn't work, go back to normal formal.
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
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The problem is, there is no if. There is no way its gonna work. Of course many people will watch real games (national team against national team) in this tournament, but these things they're trying aren't going to work. And they just eat the value of the victory of the tournament.
I don't have anything against changing the formats if the goal is to make the tournament better. But you can't just generate ideas with random number generator and try everything you get.
There will be no "real games" involving Canada or the US in this tourney, either. Canada and the US are not allowed to pick the very best players for their roster – only those aged 24+. By the time he was 24, Drew Doughty had won 1 Olympic gold and 1 Stanley Cup, and he added another Olympic gold and another Stanley Cup when he was 24.
This silly tourney is not going to be "best-on-best", but "gimmick-on-gimmick", just an extended All Star weekend. Enjoy!
Jussi
Registered User
Have the organizers even realized there's virtually zero depth in this team? If a few Slovaks decline and/or there's injuries to other players, the team will be even more of a joke.
Are players even allowed to decline? If it's an NHL event (and not IIHF), they'll probably have to play due for contractual reasons.
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