2024 World Cup cancelled

[Faterson]

A pointless 2022 olympic tournament.

Not pointless. Slovakia won bronze.

(And, the tournament has generated this year's number 1 overall NHL draft pick. There's zero chance that player would have been taken first overall if the Olympics had never taken place. So, the tournament was anything but pointless.)

Olympics are never pointless. Even the depleted (through vile NHL sabotage) 2018 & 2022 Olympics are every bit as or more significant than any Stanley Cup play-offs, which are, after all, just a regional competition between cities on a single continent. Talk about pointless!

The definition of "pointless" was the 2016 Gimmick Cup, mislabeled as "World Cup".

The World Cups should die, period. They're the product of the 1970s Cold War. It's 2022 today. There is no more need for any World Cups whatsoever.

The NHL must simply abandon its decades-long practice of sabotaging Olympics and World Championships. Issue solved. (That best-on-best tourney should be played every year in February, with all top leagues around the world pausing their regular seasons for a couple of weeks, to allow that to happen every February.)

 

[MXD]

Can we forget Finland exists ? Something tells me Russia is way more marketable for an average NA viewer than boring Finnish team?

I bet Canada vs Finland or USA vs Finland is what the North American fans dreaming of

Your opinion is duly noted.

 

[JackSlater]

Not pointless. Slovakia won bronze.

(And, the tournament has generated this year's number 1 overall NHL draft pick. There's zero chance that player would have been taken first overall if the Olympics had never taken place. So, the tournament was anything but pointless.)

Olympics are never pointless. Even the depleted (through vile NHL sabotage) 2018 & 2022 Olympics are every bit as or more significant than any Stanley Cup play-offs, which are, after all, just a regional competition between cities on a single continent. Talk about pointless!

The definition of "pointless" was the 2016 Gimmick Cup, mislabeled as "World Cup".

The World Cups should die, period. They're the product of the 1970s Cold War. It's 2022 today. There is no more need for any World Cups whatsoever.

The NHL must simply abandon its decades-long practice of sabotaging Olympics and World Championships. Issue solved. (That best-on-best tourney should be played every year in February, with all top leagues around the world pausing their regular seasons for a couple of weeks, to allow that to happen every February.)

Completely pointless tournament devoid of any relevnce. The arguments are beyond tedious, but it is a new and humourous wrinkle that posters are apparently willing to openly imply that a tournament had a point because their country won it or was kind of close to winning it. The 2016 world cup was worse than pointless, it was actively a negative.

 

[JoeCool16]

The NHL must simply abandon its decades-long practice of sabotaging Olympics and World Championships. Issue solved. (That best-on-best tourney should be played every year in February, with all top leagues around the world pausing their regular seasons for a couple of weeks, to allow that to happen every February.)

I'd love to see the Olympics be the de facto "best on best" tournament because it has more prestige and history than the current iteration of the World Cup. It's also less centralized than the NHL's World Cup of Hockey, which, despite the NHL being where the best play, does seem more an extension of the league rather than the sport. IIRC the NHL wants more marketing ability that the IOC is denying, though?

I don't agree about the World Championships, though. Those tournaments can cause big injuries and having it when the NHL season is over seems a nice compromise. The Kings aren't going to want to see Anze Kopitar suffer a high ankle sprain right in the playoff hunt.

 

[Lambo]

Completely pointless tournament devoid of any relevnce. The arguments are beyond tedious, but it is a new and humourous wrinkle that posters are apparently willing to openly imply that a tournament had a point because their country won it or was kind of close to winning it. The 2016 world cup was worse than pointless, it was actively a negative.

But for Europeans it has a lot of relevance. Point!

 

[cagney]

The failure of the NHL to figure out how to organize or participate in true best-on-best tournaments for over a decade is probably the most disappointing thing in sports for me.

Them scuttling the tournament over questions about Russia's participation just seems so tone deaf. Does anyone really expect this to all just blow over with an extra year, and not have it be a controversial decision to invite them? I'm very doubtful, unless there are some major changes, which honestly don't seem very realistic at this point.

 

[Ivo]

The failure of the NHL to figure out how to organize or participate in true best-on-best tournaments for over a decade is probably the most disappointing thing in sports for me.

Them scuttling the tournament over questions about Russia's participation just seems so tone deaf. Does anyone really expect this to all just blow over with an extra year, and not have it be a controversial decision to invite them? I'm very doubtful, unless there are some major changes, which honestly don't seem very realistic at this point.

Yeah, I love the naivity. Surely, everything will be okay in 2025 and Russia will be welcomed with open arms by EU countries by then.

 

[Miro4Norris]

Can we forget Finland exists ? Something tells me Russia is way more marketable for an average NA viewer than boring Finnish team?

I bet Canada vs Finland or USA vs Finland is what the North American fans dreaming of

Yes you can do it. Have fun with Russia-Belarus-USA-Canada tournament as every other boring anti-war European nation boycotts the tournament which has Russia and not Finland. Wouldn't be surprised if some Can/US players boycott as well.

 

[jj cale]

Decided to come here and take a look at the war that this would cause complete with raging against the nhl, global politics,angst over when if ever another best on best will happen, lost generations, olympic preeminence, vociferous debates about "meaning", moral pronouncements, etc, etc.


Not disappointed, and it's only 2 pages in, conspiracy talk should begin any moment, there has been a hint of it but yet to really take off but nothing to fear, I know you won't let me down.

 

[Jaska]

I dont think it would be that big of a deal to play without Russia. They dont deserve to have a spot.

Russia can play with China, India and Turkey...

 

[Faterson]

I don't agree about the World Championships, though. Those tournaments can cause big injuries and having it when the NHL season is over seems a nice compromise. The Kings aren't going to want to see Anze Kopitar suffer a high ankle sprain right in the playoff hunt.

Neither do PSG want Messi or Mbappé or Neymar to get injured, nor do Manchester want Ronaldo to get injured, etc., etc.

Despite all that, the World Cup will be played in the middle of the season, because it's the no. 1 international event for the sport, and so it's the top priority.

The NHL should shut up and follow suit.

The decades-long, egotistic sabotaging of international top events by the NHL is hurting the sport of hockey.

 

[nucksflailtogether]

The answer is obvious - a Canada vs. USA summit series. Maybe simultaneously do sweden v Finland and even czechs/slovaks.you gotta do SOMETHING

 

[Albatros]

Can we forget Finland exists ? Something tells me Russia is way more marketable for an average NA viewer than boring Finnish team?

I bet Canada vs Finland or USA vs Finland is what the North American fans dreaming of

Sure you can have a singular hockey tournament with the US, Canada, Russia, and China. Easy to market when you leave the "boring" Czechs or the Finns out. Sustainable it isn't.

 

[Zine]

Them scuttling the tournament over questions about Russia's participation just seems so tone deaf. Does anyone really expect this to all just blow over with an extra year, and not have it be a controversial decision to invite them? I'm very doubtful, unless there are some major changes, which honestly don't seem very realistic at this point.

For as much as I dislike the NHL’s historical neglect of international hockey, this isn’t on them.

The NHL is a private entity who are under no obligation to even hold a tournament.
Yet in this case they extended an olive branch to the international game, going as far as to play games in half way around the world in Europe.

It’s the international game who has not reciprocated due to the political leanings of certain federations.
Nothing is prohibiting this tournament from occurring other than some countries likely choosing to not participate because of politics.

 

[Albatros]

For as much as I dislike the NHL’s historical neglect of international hockey, this isn’t on them.

The NHL is a private entity who are under no obligation to even hold a tournament.
Yet in this case they extended an olive branch to the international game, going as far as to play games in half way around the world in Europe.

It’s the international game who has not reciprocated due to the political leanings of certain federations.
Nothing is prohibiting this tournament from occurring other than some countries likely choosing to not participate because of politics.

The NHL wants European teams to play in Europe mainly because it generates more profits. The Europeans aren't that interested in the World Cup mainly because it's still not very profitable. The Russia situation is not decisive.

 

[Zine]

The NHL wants European teams to play in Europe mainly because it generates more profits. The Europeans aren't that interested in the World Cup mainly because it's still not very profitable. The Russia situation is not decisive.

So the Finnish federation would boycott because the World Cup is not profitable??
Is that what you’re saying?

Get real.

 

[Albatros]

So the Finnish federation would boycott because the World Cup is not profitable??
Is that what you’re saying?

Get real.

If there's enough money on the table no one is interested in having Russia, it's no one's red line.

 

[Zine]

If there's enough money on the table no one is interested in having Russia, it's no one's red line.

Thats on the federations.

The NHL is under no obligation to do this. They’re going above and beyond what they normally do.
If we want this tournament to occur it’s incumbent on IIHF (business partners included) and hockey federations to up their game and meet the NHL halfway.

To quote the American proverb “You can't have your cake and eat it too”.

 

[vorky]

If all signals come together, I would not be surprised by another postponement. No money is a reason. All waiting for collapse of the system allowing the NHL to be so dominant.

 

[Albatros]

Thats on the federations.

The NHL is under no obligation to do this. They’re going above and beyond what they normally do.
If we want this tournament to occur it’s incumbent on IIHF (business partners included) and hockey federations to up their game and meet the NHL halfway.

To quote the American proverb “You can't have your cake and eat it too”.

There's no halfway here, the cake is simply too small to be shared.

 

[Elvs]

This is what happens when the NHL invites a party (the IIHF) that has no business planning something this important. The NHL needs to seize control of all international hockey for the good of the sport.

The IIHF are planning more important things than the NHL all the time. So does the hockey federation in your local district.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

If people weren't woke, we would have a world cup and an actual best-on-best tournament in 2024. But they are, and hockey fans suffer as a result of it.

 

[Elvs]

If people weren't woke, we would have a world cup and an actual best-on-best tournament in 2024. But they are, and hockey fans suffer as a result of it.

Yeah, crazy European people are so woke they'll accept rampant prizes on gasoline, food and electricity to the point where winter could be a struggle. But yeah, we are sad to hear hockey fans in North America are suffering. It's a pity you can't watch Ovechkin play for Russia and must watch games of the Washington Capitals instead.

 

[Gold Standard]

Can we forget Finland exists ? Something tells me Russia is way more marketable for an average NA viewer than boring Finnish team?

I bet Canada vs Finland or USA vs Finland is what the North American fans dreaming of

For Canadian fans (most fans) if a tournament is played that excludes Russia, they would be ecstatic for a Canada vs. USA final, and would be happy with a Canada vs Finland final. Russia is becoming irrelevant and growing more irrelevant with each passing day.

 

[Garl]

If people weren't woke, we would have a world cup and an actual best-on-best tournament in 2024. But they are, and hockey fans suffer as a result of it.

Tge alt/right/light/truther movement became a mess unfit for repair in 2022. Imbecile dogmatic views and infighting

Wokeness has nothing to do with the current situation. Unless, you are talking about woke people in Russia