WC: 2024 World Championship general discussion

[Kuracmugger]

Can I just say this is an awesome WCH and the Czech bros are doing a wonderful job organizing.

The attendance is through the roof and it's great to see fans from all over filling up the arenas.

Austria fans celebrating that buzzer beater GWG vs Finland brought a tear to my eye. Vibes similar to that UK OT win over France in Slovakia 2019.

Such a stark contrast to the empty arenas of the WCH when organized in Sweden/Finland. IIHF needs to figure it out and not have that repeat.

I am really interested how it will be in Switzerland in 2026. We haven‘t had one since 2009 and the sport has grown a lot since then or gotten more popular but knowing swiss people i assume games without switzerland or a powerhouse like Canada won‘t have a big swiss attendance. I don‘t know how it was in the past but maybe there won‘t be many foreigners coming due to our country being so expensive however some hockey Countries are nearby(Germany,Austria and France/(Italy).

 

[Kuracmugger]

Same as Sweden in 2021

Came to my mind too when i thought about finland not making it. Despite trashing switzerland 7:2 that year

 

[NyQuil]

My other funny was that they were using Canada in the finals in Halifax. Can you imagine what the Prague crowd would be like if the Czechs won in OT in the gold medal match next Sunday? It won't happen but that would the comparable.

They also charge $702 to $2,500 a seat (plus taxes and fees) to watch Junior hockey. Is that comparable?

2025 IIHF World Junior Championship Priority Draw | Ottawa, Ontario

Secure your spot at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Enter the Priority Ticket Draw by Jan. 7, 2024, for a chance to purchase sought-after tickets.

www.hockeycanada.ca

 

[Czechboy]

They also charge $702 to $2,500 a seat (plus taxes and fees) to watch Junior hockey. Is that comparable?

2025 IIHF World Junior Championship Priority Draw | Ottawa, Ontario

Secure your spot at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Enter the Priority Ticket Draw by Jan. 7, 2024, for a chance to purchase sought-after tickets.

www.hockeycanada.ca

In fariness... someone has to pay those Junior hockey players their big salaries.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Ha, ha.

I remember, as a boy, sitting at the front of the school bus, listening to a Canadian game at the World Championships along with the driver. That was a LONG time ago.

I remember rushing home from school to listen to Fred Sgambati on CBC Radio call Canada's loss to the Czechs in 1978. Whenever he said "Dvorak" I thought he was saying "Horshack" (Welcome Back Kotter was big in those days). Sgambati died in 1979, games during the 1980s would have been called by Fred Walker.

 

[jj cale]

I remember rushing home from school to listen to Fred Sgambati on CBC Radio call Canada's loss to the Czechs in 1978. Whenever he said "Dvorak" I thought he was saying "Horshack" (Welcome Back Kotter was big in those days). Sgambati died in 1979, games during the 1980s would have been called by Fred Walker.

Welcome back Kotter, ah the memories.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Welcome back Kotter, ah the memories.

 

[jj cale]

I had a horshack t-shirt as a kid good times.

 

[ORRFForever]

Truly the worst show I've ever seen. It was so embarrassing....

A bunch of guys in their 20's, pretending to be teens, acting like fools. I hated it.

 

[HeyMattyB]

Just so I've got this straight: All of the World Championship games are available in the US through ESPN+, an $11/mo. streaming service that can be purchased on its own or as part of a discounted streaming-service bundle that includes other popular services such as Hulu and/or Disney.

EXCEPT for the WC games featuring Team USA and Canada, which are only available in the US through NHL Network, a third-tier sports channel that does not have its own streaming option, and is only available through outdated/bloated cable, or Fubo/SlingTV (which, IMO, are lesser streaming-cable services when compared to YouTubeTV and Hulu Live, but YMMV). AND, even those limited cases, NHL Network is not part of the normal packages (which generally cost from $40-$120/mo.), but only available as part of a $10-$12/mo. sports package add-on that is bundled with a bunch of garbage.

Does that sound about right?

 

[Uncle Rotter]

I had a horshack t-shirt as a kid good times.

I had a Fonzie t-shirt

 

[Czechboy]

Josi and Hischier have combined for 19 points in 5 games.lmao Slow clap.

 

[Old Man Jags]

Just so I've got this straight: All of the World Championship games are available in the US through ESPN+, an $11/mo. streaming service that can be purchased on its own or as part of a discounted streaming-service bundle that includes other popular services such as Hulu and/or Disney.

EXCEPT for the WC games featuring Team USA and Canada, which are only available in the US through NHL Network, a third-tier sports channel that does not have its own streaming option, and is only available through outdated/bloated cable, or Fubo/SlingTV (which, IMO, are lesser streaming-cable services when compared to YouTubeTV and Hulu Live, but YMMV). AND, even those limited cases, NHL Network is not part of the normal packages (which generally cost from $40-$120/mo.), but only available as part of a $10-$12/mo. sports package add-on that is bundled with a bunch of garbage.

Does that sound about right?p

Put on a non-US / Canadian VPN and watch it live for free on YouTube. I watch all the games live on YouTube

 

[Old Man Jags]

A bunch of guys in their 20's, pretending to be teens, acting like fools. I hated it.

So pretty much like every highschool movie and series ever made then..!

 

[ORRFForever]

So pretty much like every highschool movie and series ever made then..!

That's true.

 

[wetcoast]

Truly the worst show I've ever seen. It was so embarrassing....

A bunch of guys in their 20's, pretending to be teens, acting like fools. I hated it.

There was a ton of bad TV back in the 70s though and some gems like All in the Family and the Jeffersons.

 

[ORRFForever]

There was a ton of bad TV back in the 70s though and some gems like All in the Family and the Jeffersons.

Mary Tyler Moore Show was great.

 

[wetcoast]

Mary Tyler Moore Show was great.

It was although somehow I missed that must have been Happy Days.

 

[NyQuil]

There was a ton of bad TV back in the 70s though and some gems like All in the Family and the Jeffersons.

Rockford Files, Columbo

 

[Astyanax]

Why isn't Finland attractive to NHLers. Too close to Russia? Finland is now under NATO protection. We are 100% safe.

Nordic countries are socialist. 60% of income goes to taxes. Maybe that's the reason? Or Finnish females tend to be grossly overweight these days. I don't know.

As a Finn. I would rather choose Prague than Helsinki. So there's that.

Ohhh no, is this true. I remember watching the first year the nhl went to the Olympics. The camera paned across the nation's wife and girlfriends. Starting with US or Canada, but I felt it just kept getting better. And as I remember they finished on the fins. So I was thinking A+++, but I guess a lot can change in 30 years. That's a shame

 

[Astyanax]

Many years ago. Finland took gold and medals already in the 90s. The big five are Canada, Russia, Finland, Czechia, USA.

It's was the big 6!! You forgot Sweden. Now a few years back there was growing talk of a big 5 as the Czechs fell on hard times. But happily both czechia and Slovakia are back on the rise.

 

[Astyanax]

Not many care about u20 outside of Canada and US, so that’s comparing apples and oranges.

It is apple to oranges, but really??? No one in Europe loves it, because it is extra super great. The first chance to watch the future stars of the NHL against the best competition in their age group. So much fun, so much passion. Even when my wings are underrepresented, I still can't wait to watch.

 

[Astyanax]

This is why I argued when I was told Canadian U20's have a better atmosphere. Maybe for gold games but not for Den vs GBR games in round robin.lol

Agreed. That's probably not true and smacks of homerism and regional bias. Canada always thinks their the best. That being said the u20 in Canada is a major cash cow for the IIHF, which is why they get to host every other year. However, you have opened my eyes to the grand spectacle that Czechia puts on for the event, so maybe a similar pro Czech format is in order for the senior tour. I mean 3 out of 4 all time best attendance says it all.

 

[Astyanax]

So pretty much like every highschool movie and series ever made then..!

So pretty much like every highschool movie and series ever made then..!

Yeah, 20s if they were lucky. I think some of the cast in grease were in their 30, maybe even pushing 40. I'm looking at you Stockard channing!!

 

[LucaBrasil]

Rockford Files, Columbo

The Streets of San Francisco, Cannon