2026 Winter Olympics (no NHL players.) What format would you prefer?

[Albatros]

No. The current format benefits one nation.

The current format benefits international hockey immensely, not least financially.

 

[Czechboy]

U20 tournament would give a massive edge to Canada and USA(if no nhl:ers). No wonder people here are hoping for it.

Here are the last 10 (oops 11) ... I honestly can't look at this and see anyone with a massive advantage. It's a lot of the same 5 flags everywhere.lol

No one has more than 3 golds in the last 11 years. It's not a format I want at all but it has some parity right now.

 

[Czechboy]

FTR .. I chose 'other'.

I want best on best and best on best only at the Olympics.

however, if this keeps getting shitcanned.. .then I want AHL included.

It'll never happen because of NHLPA but I think anyone in the AHL should be allowed to go. The level of play would go up immensely.

 

[Rob]

The current format benefits international hockey immensely, not least financially.

How does it benefit all nations?

 

[Albatros]

How does it benefit all nations?

More money is better than less money.

 

[ViD]

Olympics without NHLers and without Russia will be a joke tournament

 

[Albatros]

Yeah, guessing what exotic abbreviation the Russians will compete under this time was always a part of the experience, whether ROC, OAR, or EUN.

 

[Puck Dogg]

I'd prefer the same arrangement as in Olympic soccer where they have U23 teams and are allowed to have three over aged players.

 

[member 305909]

Olympics without NHLers and without Russia will be a joke tournament

I don't know how old you guys are but let's put it this way: Next time you are going to see Russia in an international tournament you'll be drawing a pension.

 

[Antiillafire]

View attachment 559347

Here are the last 10 (oops 11) ... I honestly can't look at this and see anyone with a massive advantage. It's a lot of the same 5 flags everywhere.lol

No one has more than 3 golds in the last 11 years. It's not a format I want at all but it has some parity right now.

Define “parity” lol. Slovakia is the only nation out of the top 5 to medal in the past 11 years, and it was only a bronze medal. And a lot of those tournament games were disgustingly one sided. If we make the Olympics u20, the amount of blowouts will be ridiculous. This past Olympics had at least some parity in the group stage too. U20 hockey will be unwatchable for quite a few games

 

[Czechboy]

Define “parity” lol. Slovakia is the only nation out of the top 5 to medal in the past 11 years, and it was only a bronze medal. And a lot of those tournament games were disgustingly one sided. If we make the Olympics u20, the amount of blowouts will be ridiculous. This past Olympics had at least some parity in the group stage too. U20 hockey will be unwatchable for quite a few games

I see 5 countries evenly winning 32 out of 33 medals here. I don't see a dominant nation but 5 dominant nations. This isn't like the previous decade where Canada won 6 gold's in a row and dominated the field.

Agree I don't want U20 to determine Olympics. My reply was to a poster saying it favors only 2 nations. I see 5 nations doing very well in this tourney and not 2. Almost like peak men's tennis when Nadal, Murray, Federer and Djokovic were on top except they didn't have a 5th guy that was as good as them.

 

[_vivelequebec_]

Keep the Olympics without the NHLers, but we need to have a World Cup every 4 years with 12-16 teams. And get rid of WHC.

 

[Albatros]

Keep the Olympics without the NHLers, but we need to have a World Cup every 4 years with 12-16 teams. And get rid of WHC.

The World Championships aren't going anywhere, that's not even negotiable.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I'd prefer the same arrangement as in Olympic soccer where they have U23 teams and are allowed to have three over aged players.

What a deliciously awful proposal.

 

[alko]

And get rid of WHC.

What?

 

[varsaku]

Keep the Olympics without the NHLers, but we need to have a World Cup every 4 years with 12-16 teams. And get rid of WHC.

Why would the IIHF get rid of a tournament that benefits many counties for an NHL run invitational tournament that goes only into NHL pockets.

u23 tournament

Again you would have a ton of U23 players in the NHL that wouldn't be able to go. So it would be the same issue.

 

[_vivelequebec_]

The World Championships aren't going anywhere, that's not even negotiable.

Enjoy your farmers tournament.

Why would the IIHF get rid of a tournament that benefits many counties for an NHL run invitational tournament that goes only into NHL pockets.

I don’t know, because I think the World Cup should be organized by IIHF.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I don't understand why you'd "get rid of the WC", there's no reason to... literally all I can think of is bruised North American egos because (i) Canada doesn't win a hockey tournament every single year (the horror!) and (ii) the USA generally does pretty badly in it.

It's a fine tournament and the pinnacle of international hockey for many IIHF member nations that very seldom produce NHL players to begin with. Nobody is saying the tournament as a whole is the greatest collection of hockey players in the world. Would it bruise your ego a bit more if they changed the word "championship" to "challenge"? So that it be called the IIHF World Hockey Challenge every year, because heaven forbid someone mistakenly refer to Finland as the "world champs" when "if it ain't best on best, it don't count!"

 

[_vivelequebec_]

I don’t give a flying S about the Canada.

It’s just a bad tourney. At VERY least, start it in June.

It’s a complete joke of tournament. You don’t have the best players and it gets played every year lol.

 

[Boonk]

I don’t give a flying S about the Canada.

It’s just a bad tourney. At VERY least, start it in June.

It’s a complete joke of tournament. You don’t have the best players and it gets played every year lol.

Then don't watch it. Honestly. It's been a thing in Europe for decades which is why it's there anyway. Your crying and whining about it won't make it go away lol

 

[Summer Rose]

I like the world championships and my country sucks at it.

 

[93LEAFS]

Just move it to the summer Olympics and put NHLers in. No league should be interrupted mid-year for internationals.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I don’t give a flying S about the Canada.

It’s just a bad tourney. At VERY least, start it in June.

It’s a complete joke of tournament. You don’t have the best players and it gets played every year lol.

What makes it a bad tournament and why does its existence bother you?

 

[_vivelequebec_]

Then don't watch it. Honestly. It's been a thing in Europe for decades which is why it's there anyway. Your crying and whining about it won't make it go away lol

Eh.. I don’t watch it. My point is : I want an international tournament with a little bit of decency. All you guys have tunnel vision, thinking only way to make it happen is at the Olympics. Olympics are not meant to be for pro athletes. First mistake. Second, I know its contentious atm, but IIHF could organize the World Cup.

World Cup in September every 4 years + Olympics with amateurs. Boom.

Now, if you want, keep your annual tournament of C teams. Enjoy it. But don’t go thinking it has any kind of value to determine which nation is the best.

What makes it a bad tournament and why does its existence bother you?

Doesn’t bother me at all. Don’t put words in my mouth. I just don’t see the point of having a World Cup PLUS World Championship. If there’s no World Cup, keep the World Championship. Better than nothing I guess.

 

[Albatros]

I don’t give a flying S about the Canada.

It’s just a bad tourney. At VERY least, start it in June.

It’s a complete joke of tournament. You don’t have the best players and it gets played every year lol.

The NHL also gets played every year, I don't quite get that argument. As for why not even later than now, many seasons are over in March and participating players would basically have their off-seasons shortened by three months if the tournament was to take place in June. Conflict with other major events such as soccer tournaments is also not desirable.