First: I feel insulted as a Slovak hockey fan.
Second: The Slovak ice-hockey association should officialy prostest this tournament or something like that.
Third and mostly: I do believe, nonono, I do know, that the most of eligible slovak players - probably all of them - will boycott this tournament. Suddenly they start to be injured, families, whatever.
Book it.
it is world cup!
not Nations cup.
You have the old school soccer mentality.
The winnable depth in Hockey is structured properly for Nation participation depth.
look at the winnable depth in Soccer.
World cup Finals:
2014 GER-ARG
2010 SPN-NET
2006 ITL-FRA
2002 BRZ-GER
1998 FRA-BRZ
1994 BRZ-ITL
1990 GER-ARG
1986 ARG-GER
1982 ITL-GER
1978 ARG-NET
1974 GER-NET
1970 BRZ-ITL
The reality is lesser countries like England are not in the class of the elite group of 6
Germany 8 of last 16 finals 50%
Brasil 6 of last 16 finals 37.5%
Italy 4 of Last 16 finals 25%
Argentina 4 of last 16 Finals 25.%
Netherlands 3 of last 16 finals 18.8%
France 2 of 16 12.5%
27 of last 32 finalists 84.4%
you see the the odd blip (unusual high talent for cup) team.
Since 1954 blip teams have won 2 of 16 World cups.
England 1966
Spain 2010
Hockey did what soccer knows but refuses to Admit!