2017 WJC Failure?

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think people are fatigued by the whole thing. There's very little spectacle to it. Maybe make it a once every two years thing.

The WCH ruined everything. Casual fans don't care about this tournament because they already had a tournament 4 months ago that was televised with national teams. To the casual fans, there's no difference between u20 and regular national teams

 

[BLNY]

Maybe some missing talent here and there, but there's a hell of a lot of talent on that Swedish team. The 16 year old defender Dahlin is a superstar in the making. Nylander has been fantastic. Then there's the increase in talent from the more non-traditional markets. Hischier is one of the best players in the tournament and he almost carried the Swiss, along with their work ethic, passed the USA. The Danish program is getting better every year.

Where Canada is lacking this year imo is in net. The rest of the group is okay. It's not dissimilar from teams that have gone all the way because of goal tending. I'd be a lot more comfortable going into the game against Sweden if I had more faith in our goalies.

 

[Gainesvillain]

ok, these 2 semi-final games have put to rest any notion of WJC "failure".

If you aren't loving this....you aren't a real hockey fan.

 

[Ciao]

nhl teams would ease on the contract signing until theyre 20 or sumting

I don't think you can do that under Canadian and US law. Restraint of trade.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Like I said, this thread is an overreaction. USA - Russia was one of the best semifinal games I can recall and the Sweden - Canada game has been excellent thus far as well.

 

[NyQuil]

Great games tonight!

 

[trilobyte]

The quality and intensity of games has improved markedly in the semifinals, though.
I think expectations are too high for the WJC most years anyways.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Man what a boring tournament!

 

[CaseyMitts37]

Man what a boring tournament!

Almost fell asleep watching tonight's game, especially in OT

 

[Statsy]

Man what a boring tournament!

Zzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Canada4Gold]

No? I mean maybe the majority doesn't like it but I think it's great. There's a lot of players missing because they're in the NHL but this tournament still has plenty of talent. Strome, Barzal, Chabot, Keller, White, McAvoy, Kaprizov, Sergachev, Samsonov, Nylander, Eriksson Ek, Grundstrom, Sandstrom, Juolevi, Tolvanen, Hischier, Seigenthaler, Spacek. And there are more off the top of my head but I didn't want the list to go too long. Not all of it has performed up to expectations, and there's been some who weren't as known that has been great to watch.

As for the games the round robin I think was the most competitive round robin ever. Maybe not on Canada's side, but the other group saw a 6-1 game to start and almost every game afterwards went down to the wire, we saw perennial underdog Denmark win 2 games to finish 2nd, we saw a shocker in Finland finishing last in their pool.

The QF games weren't as good, but the USA/Swiss game was fairly intense going down to the wire and exciting to watch the Swiss playing so well. Canada/Czech was a solid game viewing wise with the Czechs giving us a run for our money.

Sure they might be missing that 1 really elite name player, and the crowd might suck, and I guess that turns some people off from watching but as far as I've concerned this has been one of the better WJC's in recent memory. The only thing really missing for me is 1 of the underdog teams making the SF but that will probably lend itself to better SF and medal games, those should be pretty intense.

I guess I was wrong, the 4 games the past 2 days have been a complete bore

 

[Xokkeu]

Lol can't remember a better mix of semifinals and finals

 

[TaLoN]

NHLs fault. They vaccuming european and NA prospects and put them in NHL early. With players i NHL that could play WJC. Like Laine for example.
They tried to do WC. But that sucked. Boone cared about that. It was truly a boring tourney. I dont know why. But it never took off.

NHL is only taking care of NHL and that even though they get prospects almost for free developed in sweden and Russia and more. The dream of NHL is to blame. If tou bojcott NHL they have to change but untill that happens WC WJC Worlds will be worst

You mean like they get free developed Canadians and Americans too? The NHL doesn't pay to develop any player that is outsid professional hockey in North America.

If these players are NHL ready and the player WANTS to make the jump to the NHL, then the player will earn the chance. You can't blame the NHL for operating as it's own entity... whilst being the single best hockey league in the World that all the best players aspire to play in.

 

[Canuckistani]

The semifinals and medal games were phenomenal but the rest of the event was pretty meh.

 

[Xokkeu]

The semifinals and medal games were phenomenal but the rest of the event was pretty meh.

One major reason the quarters were so boring is Finland bombing out so badly. Usually you at least get one top 5 matchup like the US losing to Russia in 2 of the previous 3 tournaments in the quarters. But with Finland out it was basically four pre determined quarterfinal games.

 

[Statsy]

And those mostly average quarters are what set up the amazing semis.

 

[Jussi]

Team Finland definitely killed any interest on the rest of tournament for me. I thought the final was going to be tonight so I din't watch an of it. Ended up watching basically zero minutes of other games. Meh tournament.

 

[Jussi]

Lol can't remember a better mix of semifinals and finals

I can. Just last year.

 

[Statsy]

I can. Just last year.

But didn't you just say you didn't watch any of it?

 

[1Gold Standard]

And those mostly average quarters are what set up the amazing semis.

meh... the semis and final were good. fantastic

rest of the tournament wasn't all that compelling really.

Still dreaming of my 8 game Junior summit series with the Yanks. that will get my attention.

 

[Statsy]

meh... the semis and final were good. fantastic

rest of the tournament wasn't all that compelling really.

Still dreaming of my 8 game Junior summit series with the Yanks. that will get my attention.

Although I personally love your CanAm Summit Series idea, I wonder if the top brass of both countries would think that this would take too much of a physical toll on the players. When those countries get together on a sheet of ice it becomes war! That's what would make it so fun to watch, but the injury risk in that series would be abhorrent.

 

[Jussi]

But didn't you just say you didn't watch any of it?

Yes. I watched last year.

 

[Statsy]

Yes. I watched last year.

But not this year?

 

[scotian1]

The semi-finals and final were some of the most entertaining games I have witnessed in a long time. The final, although to me the outcome wasn't what I hoped for, was a great, great hockey game and I am sure the 20,000 plus at the Bell Centre would agree.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

meh... the semis and final were good. fantastic

rest of the tournament wasn't all that compelling really.

Still dreaming of my 8 game Junior summit series with the Yanks. that will get my attention.

The semi finals and finals turned this from a meh tournament into one of the best in the last few years. Helsinki 2016 was probably better. But in terms of quality of play and entertainment level of meaningful games, this tops 2015, and is right up there with 2010.