2016 World Cup?

[Stats01]

I don't know the formula, but I'd like to see each top team plays against each and after that something like play-offs with series to 3 victories. Short tournament with one elimination game, where is a chance you'll never see some countries against each other - it's not what I like.
And it would be nice to have Olympic with it's usual formula and World cup with this formula, each 2 years.

The World Championships would become irrelevant IMO which to be honest I wouldn't mind. Having Olympic participation and a World Cup in between is ideal.

It's a better formula to understand where countries rank. Each tournament would get the best on best.

You could have World Cup 2016, Olympics 2018, World Cup 2020, Olympics 2022..etc. It would be awesome.

It's like in soccer 2014 WC, 2016 Euros, 2018 WC, 2020 Euros. etc..it's ideal and a great set up with proper time in between each tournament.

 

[Xokkeu]

Meh, it could be nice.
But IIHF should demand an agreement for NHL players participating to next Olympics before sanctioning this tournament, to drop the idea that World Cup could replace Olympics in some shape or form.

I believe they will.

 

[bcrt2000]

I agree. I would hope 2016.

To be honest, if we didn't have another Best on Best for 4 years, that would be okay with me. Too much of a good thing.

I disagree... I think its disappointing to have a best-on-best international competition only once every 4 years because it doesn't feel like there's enough time for the teams to gel and be playing at their best. I feel like if you took an above-average NHL team completely intact and put them head to head against any of the teams in the Olympics in the quarterfinals, the NHL team would probably win. And that's not what we want to see-- we want to see these teams be playing their best.

Would be great if there was a World Cup in the summer olympics years, and then maybe in the non WC/Olympics years they could have a few international exhibition games in the pre-season as well. I also wouldn't mind if we saw the All Star game be replaced with a Canada vs USA game.

 

[hz]

The ideal thing would be if IIHF and NHL could cooperate and create a world cup that replaces the World Championship. It should be held every four years and contain 16 teams and 4 groups. Two best in every group goes to quarterfinal. I think the quality is better with fewer games. And different countries should be able to host it, just like current WC.

Then olympics participation should stay as it is. Then we have a big tournament every other year, just like in football.

The problem is for the teams that plays WC div 1-3. But hopefully NHL could be able to let IIHF get the biggest percent of earning made on World Cup so that the small teams can have tournaments and games every year.

 

[legendinblue]

So when is it going to take place? In February as has been speculated lately?

 

[Stats01]

So when is it going to take place? In February as has been speculated lately?

No, WC would be in late August through September before the season starts so it doesn't interrupt NHL play.

I think replacing the World Championship with a WC in between the Olympics is perfect. Like I said earlier, have a format just like soccer does. Have a tournament every 2 years. 2016 WC, 2018 Olympics, 2020 WC, 2022 Olympics. It makes so much sense, and it allows a true best on best tournament. It would be awesome.

 

[xxxx]

I would go with 8 teams, two groups in NA.

C Group (Canadian group, playing in Montreal and Toronto)

Canada, Sweden, Czechs, Switzerland

A Group (american group, playing in Chicago and Minnesota)

USA, Russia, Finland, Slovakia



The teams don't have to move from Europe to NA, and they don't have to move from european ice to NHL ice. I would like to see at least the final as a best-of-three series.

 

[WeberStreit]

I would go with 8 teams, two groups in NA.

C Group (Canadian group, playing in Montreal and Toronto)

Canada, Sweden, Czechs, Switzerland

A Group (american group, playing in Chicago and Minnesota)

USA, Russia, Finland, Slovakia



The teams don't have to move from Europe to NA, and they don't have to move from european ice to NHL ice. I would like to see at least the final as a best-of-three series.

That would be cool. I'm already excited! It probably has to do with our bad performance at the Olympics...

 

[Faltorvo]

Just curious, does Garth Snow comment like he did if JT gets hurt in a NHL run WC?

Is it still a farce, a joke?

 

[Jussi]

The ideal thing would be if IIHF and NHL could cooperate and create a world cup that replaces the World Championship. It should be held every four years and contain 16 teams and 4 groups. Two best in every group goes to quarterfinal. I think the quality is better with fewer games. And different countries should be able to host it, just like current WC.

Then olympics participation should stay as it is. Then we have a big tournament every other year, just like in football.

The problem is for the teams that plays WC div 1-3. But hopefully NHL could be able to let IIHF get the biggest percent of earning made on World Cup so that the small teams can have tournaments and games every year.

That would not for hockey development in lower divisions at all. The promotion and relegation format demands annual tournaments to test development. Also the IIHF cannot risk Germany being relegated for 4 years, too much sponsorship money involved.

 

[Shrimper]

Would be better with 8 teams but with 12 teams would be better for the game. Raise the Olympics to 16.

 

[Reindl87]

What about a best of 7 series North America vs Europe?

 

[Noutaja]

What about a best of 7 series North America vs Europe?

Two such made up polyglot teams? At least here in Europe that would probably interest absolutely nobody.

 

[the4thlinegrinder]

They need to make a real cup, not the stupid vase they had last time. Something bold yet classic looking, a trophy worth winning.

 

[novisor]

I'd Say 12 team is perfect, 8 too little, 16 too much.
Canada
USA
Sweden
Finland
Russia
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland
Denmark (7 NHLer's)
Germany
Norway
Slovenia/Austria/Belarus/Latvia for final spot

 

[nobuddy]

16 teams.

Pot 1: USA, Russia, Canada, Sweden
Pot 2: Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland
Pot 3: Latvia, Slovenia, Norway, Austria
Pot 4: Germany, Denmark, Italy, Belarus

Did I leave any decent Pot 4 caliber nations out?

 

[Stats01]

I would go with 8 teams, two groups in NA.

C Group (Canadian group, playing in Montreal and Toronto)

Canada, Sweden, Czechs, Switzerland

A Group (american group, playing in Chicago and Minnesota)

USA, Russia, Finland, Slovakia



The teams don't have to move from Europe to NA, and they don't have to move from european ice to NHL ice. I would like to see at least the final as a best-of-three series.

I like this idea, although I would prefer 10 teams. Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Czech's, Switzerland, Latvia, Germany. After that the quality really drops. There's no need for Norway, Denmark, Italy to be there. They would get hammered by everyone. Until certain countries get better in the the other divisions I'd leave it at 10 teams for now. There's no need to have countries there that are just going to get embarrassed.

 

[Stats01]

They need to make a real cup, not the stupid vase they had last time. Something bold yet classic looking, a trophy worth winning.

Yeah they tried way too hard last time...or maybe not enough lol. I have no idea what that thing was in 2004. Kind of embarrassing actually. How hard is it to make a decent looking trophy, wow.

 

[rojac]

How about nothing at all? NHL players play for their teams in the NHL. Players in European leagues play for their teams. And that's it. None of these phony made up "national" teams and these silly little two or three week tourneys.

Maybe they could have a best-on-best tourney every twenty or so years, but more often is just overkill.

 

[v-man]

12 teams is ideal. Just use the IIHF rankings from the year before the tournament, with no other qualifiers. 8 is much too low and makes the tournament and its results insignificant and pointless. As we saw in the Olympics, some of the lower ranked teams are playing better at the moment than some of the traditional top 8, so keeping them all out would be unfair, and even further lessen the appeal of the tournament to those outside of North America. 16 is too many, as the additional games will take up too much time and add to the number of insignificant games being played just for the hell of it. The World Championship will still be around for the 13-16 place teams to compete with the big boys.

 

[Heia Norge]

There have always been only 8 teams in former World Cups right? To make this an interesting tournament I think they should stick to 8 teams only.

 

[Stats01]

How about nothing at all? NHL players play for their teams in the NHL. Players in European leagues play for their teams. And that's it. None of these phony made up "national" teams and these silly little two or three week tourneys.

Maybe they could have a best-on-best tourney every twenty or so years, but more often is just overkill.

The Olympics are overkill..what? The Olympics is the best international hockey tournament in the world and brings players, countries and people together. Having nothing at all would be a waste IMO.

 

[Stats01]

12 teams is ideal. Just use the IIHF rankings from the year before the tournament, with no other qualifiers. 8 is much too low and makes the tournament and its results insignificant and pointless. As we saw in the Olympics, some of the lower ranked teams are playing better at the moment than some of the traditional top 8, so keeping them all out would be unfair, and even further lessen the appeal of the tournament to those outside of North America. 16 is too many, as the additional games will take up too much time and add to the number of insignificant games being played just for the hell of it. The World Championship will still be around for the 13-16 place teams to compete with the big boys.

To me 3 is tournaments is too much. It's too concentrated. Let's say 2016 WC, 2018 Olympics, where the heck does the World Championship fit in? Maybe 2016 WC, 2017 World Chamipionship, 2018 Olympics, 2019 World Championship, 2020 WC, 2021 World Championship, 2022 Olympics, etc.

 

[Pominville Knows]

They could do two tiers with six in both, where the top two teams in the second tier going to the playoffs against the top tier. Possibly the games could be played in all the countries, the us and canada starting in europe and then playing against eachother and some other nation the last games of round robin in north america. Playoffs in north america.

 

[Phrazer]

16 teams.

Pot 1: USA, Russia, Canada, Sweden
Pot 2: Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland
Pot 3: Latvia, Slovenia, Norway, Austria
Pot 4: Germany, Denmark, Italy, Belarus

Did I leave any decent Pot 4 caliber nations out?

Agreed with this, this format allows for growth of the game, and doesn't exclude any currently significant hockey nation (which I would argue that there are currently 14). To further expand on the growth of the game comment, this helps promote the game by involving less traditional hockey markets (1-2 teams) and exposing people from those countries to the best players in the world. And it also creates a format that can work unaltered long-term as we wouldn't have to expand to include more nations anytime soon.