World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team North America

[Jussi]

Could this tournament be a bigger joke anymore?

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

I'd like to see MacKinnon on McDavid's wing

 

[Get North]

Dreger was saying something about an exception rule for the young guns team. Like Eichel playing for USA despite being U23. I thought it couldn't get any worse.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Hope McDavid knocks out eichel during a practice or shoots a puck at him intentionally to prove a point that no, in international tournaments, players with different passports should not be in the same locker room. Can you imagine how much hate they must have for eachother.

It'll boil out during the 2018 Olympics if they meet I'm sure. If it's anywhere near Sid-Ovy level it'll be a treat like both times they played eachother in International competition. They want to destroy eachother, it's great, hopefully those two kids have such feelings toward eachother.

 

[Canuckistani]

Dreger was saying something about an exception rule for the young guns team. Like Eichel playing for USA despite being U23. I thought it couldn't get any worse.

If the NHL had some regard for reality they would at least let Canada and USA select their best rosters irrespective of age - and then select their worthless Young Gunz team from who is left.

 

[Aceonfire*]

A lot of these Canadian and American kids hate each other from playing previous international tournaments.

It's going to be interesting to see who works well with who.

RNH/McDavid and Gaudreau/Monahan being on the same team is pretty funny.

 

[Plub]

Dreger was saying something about an exception rule for the young guns team. Like Eichel playing for USA despite being U23. I thought it couldn't get any worse.

Yeah, it was denied I believe.

As for the lines, there are a lot of choices. I'm not sure I understand any of the ones putting Eichel on the third or fourth line. Well, I understand it, but I don't think it has anything to do with his ability to play hockey.

 

[86Habs]

This team doesn't have the goaltending to compete. They'll lose by 4+ goals against the Canadians, Americans, Russians and Swedes, and 2+ against the Fins, Czechs and European left-overs.

 

[JackSlater]

Could this tournament be a bigger joke anymore?

You don't think Switzerland would ask Finland for an extra goaltender?

This team doesn't have the goaltending to compete. They'll lose by 4+ goals against the Canadians, Americans, Russians and Swedes, and 2+ against the Fins, Czechs and European left-overs.

Oh don't worry I've heard all about how this team is going to be highly competitive, goaltending included.

 

[FiLe]

This team doesn't have the goaltending to compete. They'll lose by 4+ goals against the Canadians, Americans, Russians and Swedes, and 2+ against the Fins, Czechs and European left-overs.

Good news then that they'll only have to play Russia, Sweden and Finland. When all is said and done, they'll only have around -10-12 GD instead of -25+.

 

[86Habs]

Oh don't worry I've heard all about how this team is going to be highly competitive, goaltending included.

LOL. John Gibson is currently in the AHL.

 

[1Gold Standard]

LOL. John Gibson is currently in the AHL.

So is every other U24 potential goaltender. Subban, Hellenbuck ...

is there currently a U24 goaltender starting in the NHL and playing well enough to be the #1 starter on that team?

If there is, let me know!

 

[86Habs]

So is every other U24 potential goaltender. Subban, Hellenbuck ...

is there currently a U24 goaltender starting in the NHL and playing well enough to be the #1 starter on that team?

If there is, let me know!

You're right of course....I'm just mentioning their projected #1 starter. What a joke.

 

[1Gold Standard]

You're right of course....I'm just mentioning their projected #1 starter. What a joke.

That's why this tournament is not worth watching...not even worth checking in on nhl.com in the mornings to check out the previous night's scores and game highlights.

I'll be watching baseball in September 2016. Hopefully it will be another Blue Jays pennant drive...but if it's not, I still won't be watching this NHL pre-season gimmick of a gong show.

 

[Canuckistani]

You don't think Switzerland would ask Finland for an extra goaltender?

I'll bet the Slovaks would go begging to the Czechs for a goalie as well.

Thank God Slovakia and Switzerland aren't allowed to compete or else this event would start to get silly.

 

[JackSlater]

LOL. John Gibson is currently in the AHL.

Yeah, but Hellebuyck had a good WHC. He made the media all star team, putting him in the prestigious company of players like Ty Conklin, Andrei Mezin, Johan Holmqvist, Dennis Endras and company.

 

[xxxx]

Maybe the team doesn't have a sound goalie right now, but that doesn't mean they'll lose all their games. It's a team game first, and what if Gibson or Hellebuyck get hot? On paper it looks dangerously bad when you see Rinne, Lundqvist and others, I agree, but on the ice it can be different.

 

[JackSlater]

Maybe the team doesn't have a sound goalie right now, but that doesn't mean they'll lose all their games. It's a team game first, and what if Gibson or Hellebuyck get hot? On paper it looks dangerously bad when you see Rinne, Lundqvist and others, I agree, but on the ice it can be different.

Sure, of course anything can happen when the games are played. The NHL set this up though by creating this team and used the horrible excuse that this move was to increase competition. Now the GM of the team basically admits that his team isn't competitive.

 

[86Habs]

Maybe the team doesn't have a sound goalie right now, but that doesn't mean they'll lose all their games. It's a team game first, and what if Gibson or Hellebuyck get hot? On paper it looks dangerously bad when you see Rinne, Lundqvist and others, I agree, but on the ice it can be different.

Then maybe the tournament field should have included the two teams that (and I know this may be seen as a revolutionary idea) were actually competitive at the last two Olympics?

 

[FiLe]

Maybe the team doesn't have a sound goalie right now, but that doesn't mean they'll lose all their games. It's a team game first, and what if Gibson or Hellebuyck get hot? On paper it looks dangerously bad when you see Rinne, Lundqvist and others, I agree, but on the ice it can be different.

Heh, when the defenders of this team have been noted of the more abstract side of things such as potential lack of cohesion (it's a team game first, after all) and motivation as reasons why it may not be competitive, these arguments have basically been shrugged off. "You know, because all the talent in the team, it just must be competitive."

And now, when it's being pointed out (by the team's own management no less!) that the goaldtending department lacks said talent? "Well, if one of them gets hot..."

The irony.

 

[roto]

This also tells something about the mentality of the team management. Apparently they've got so used to artificial parity in NA pro sports that they think it's not fair if they don't have an A class goaltender.

In reality, in real sports world, teams are not equal. National teams are particularly inequal and that's one core element in national team tournaments: there are stronger teams, there are underdogs and there are those which are not supposed to win a single game.

I don't know if it's more sad, pathetic or funny that the management of artificially made up team complains that there's not enough parity. Finnish coach should complain that Finland is missing top defenders, so rules should be changed so that Canada could give few defenders from its endless pool. One goal scorer would be nice too.

 

[1Gold Standard]

This also tells something about the mentality of the team management. Apparently they've got so used to artificial parity in NA pro sports that they think it's not fair if they don't have an A class goaltender.

In reality, in real sports world, teams are not equal. National teams are particularly inequal and that's one core element in national team tournaments: there are stronger teams, there are underdogs and there are those which are not supposed to win a single game.

I don't know if it's more sad, pathetic or funny that the management of artificially made up team complains that there's not enough parity. Finnish coach should complain that Finland is missing top defenders, so rules should be changed so that Canada could give few defenders from its endless pool. One goal scorer would be nice too.

Fantastic idea. Hockey Canada should be forced to name it's 25 man roster 1st and then any NHL player can be claimed by any of the other National Federations...

It can be a whole televised draft day where Team Finland can draft Jason Spezza and Spetz can walk up onto the stage to try on his jersey and pose for media hordes...what a marketing and PR event that would be...I'm sure we'd all be riveted to our boobtubes watching it all unfold.

I'm sure he'd love to play in a best on best tournament...and the league can get even greater competitive balance... got to avoid the blowouts. This whole NHL gong show gets more ridiculous by the hour.

 

[Hardyvan123]

So is every other U24 potential goaltender. Subban, Hellenbuck ...

is there currently a U24 goaltender starting in the NHL and playing well enough to be the #1 starter on that team?

If there is, let me know!

Hellenbuck played last year at the WC and had a very good tournament, the guys calling for a -25 line on this team in GF/GA are seriously deluding themselves.

I get that the opponents hate the format but posts saying how weak this team will be is a complete joke as well.

 

[1Gold Standard]

Hellenbuck played last year at the WC and had a very good tournament, the guys calling for a -25 line on this team in GF/GA are seriously deluding themselves.

I get that the opponents hate the format but posts saying how weak this team will be is a complete joke as well.

Ya I watched, but see JackSlater's post a little earlier re: goaltenders who played well at the WHC... not a particularly strong list, so, your argument fails... as do all your arguments in defense of this gong show.

 

[roto]

Ya I watched, but see JackSlater's post a little earlier re: goaltenders who played well at the WHC... not a particularly strong list, so, your argument fails... as do all your arguments in defense of this gong show.

You need to remember that a tournament doesn't need a goalie which makes an elite goalie career. There are plenty of goalies outside NHL which are good enough for international tournament and have capability to play those few needed games even at elite level. In same way an elite goalie can perform poorly in single tournament.

This may be the only thing I agree on with Hardyvan123.