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All-Star Break 'North America v Europe' best-of-three yearly series?

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PrimumHockeyist

PrimumHockeyist

Registered User
Apr 7, 2018
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What if the NHL tweaks this 4-Nations thing, so that Europe's best plays North America's best in three-game series during NHL all-star breaks?

If such a 'continental' series began in Montreal and Boston, next year Stockholm and London or Berlin, or some such thing. Back and forth each year. Maybe make the total series like the first continent to win 6 games, so it stretches over a few seasons. Make a kick-ass Continental Cup trophy. Think about adding a Book of Champions if it catches on, so that all the players who contributed to the victory over the seasons get permanently recognized as a group.

Personally, I'd really like to see the continent v continent format. That battles has been going on since 1972, with the first best on best series anyway. Maybe the NHL can squeeze such an idea in, alongside the World Cups and Olympics. But does anyone else like this idea?
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The Four Nations is a one-off concept related to the timing of when the league and the NHLPA came to an agreement on doing an international tournament. It's not a recurring event.

That being said, I wouldn't hate doing something like this in lieu of an all-star game in odd numbered years between Olympics and World Cups.
 
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PrimumHockeyist said:
What if the NHL tweaks this 4-Nations thing, so that Europe's best plays North America's best in three-game series during NHL all-star breaks?

If such a 'continental' series began in Montreal and Boston, next year Stockholm and London or Berlin, or some such thing. Back and forth each year. Maybe make the total series like the first continent to win 6 games, so it stretches over a few seasons. Make a kick-ass Continental Cup trophy. Think about adding a Book of Champions if it catches on, so that all the players who contributed to the victory over the seasons get permanently recognized as a group.

Personally, I'd really like to see the continent v continent format. That battles has been going on since 1972, with the first best on best series anyway. Maybe the NHL can squeeze such an idea in, alongside the World Cups and Olympics. But does anyone else like this idea?
Click to expand...
They tried this once. Europe absolutely demolished North America. I don't think they'd want that to happen again.
 
PrimumHockeyist said:
What if the NHL tweaks this 4-Nations thing, so that Europe's best plays North America's best in three-game series during NHL all-star breaks?

If such a 'continental' series began in Montreal and Boston, next year Stockholm and London or Berlin, or some such thing. Back and forth each year. Maybe make the total series like the first continent to win 6 games, so it stretches over a few seasons. Make a kick-ass Continental Cup trophy. Think about adding a Book of Champions if it catches on, so that all the players who contributed to the victory over the seasons get permanently recognized as a group.

Personally, I'd really like to see the continent v continent format. That battles has been going on since 1972, with the first best on best series anyway. Maybe the NHL can squeeze such an idea in, alongside the World Cups and Olympics. But does anyone else like this idea?
Click to expand...
No one would care for a European team, I think from the outside you maybe see Europe as an entity.
 
Yeah, sorry OP, this has been done. I was young enough at the time that I still sort of cared about it before it happened. It was... ok. You know, it was just an all-star game with a different player-selection scheme. The reason this short 4 nations tournament is more fun is because people, and therefore players, have national pride and will actually play hard for that. They typically don't, however, have continental pride. If they were playing the same way they do in an all-star game, this thing would have been a flop.
 
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No.

What made that last World Cup completely meaningless (among other things) was having a young stars team called North America and a Team Europe. No national anthems, no flags, and who is cheering for North America when they're playing Canada or the U.S.?

If you want fans invested, it has to be country vs. country, simple.
 
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kevsh said:
No.

What made that last World Cup completely meaningless (among other things) was having a young stars team called North America and a Team Europe. No national anthems, no flags, and who is cheering for North America when they're playing Canada or the U.S.?

If you want fans invested, it has to be country vs. country, simple.
Click to expand...
i was so pissed McD and Crosby didn't have a chance go go all Gretz and Lemieux. Good fantasy there for a while.
 
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jigglysquishy said:
I hate this so much.

No brotherhood with Americans in international hockey.
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I got you on this, but here's a question, from the players pov. Early in 72, everybody on Team Canada hated everybody that wasn't on their team. They all had good reasons for that, the era and all. But nowadays everybody seems so chummy on the ice. I cannot believe how little activity there is after whistles near goals now, for example. My question is if the national teams have or could have the same level of old school hate.
 
PrimumHockeyist said:
I got you on this, but here's a question, from the players pov. Early in 72, everybody on Team Canada hated everybody that wasn't on their team. They all had good reasons for that, the era and all. But nowadays everybody seems so chummy on the ice. I cannot believe how little activity there is after whistles near goals now, for example. My question is if the national teams have or could have the same level of old school hate.
Click to expand...

I think you have to look at it more positively than negatively.

National teams may not hate each other to the same degree, but they are still proud to be citizens of their countries, and I'm sure they don't mind a little light smack-talk in the dressing rooms when the NHL starts back up again.

Meanwhile, there is no real "North American" identity. You've got Canada, you've got the US and you've got Mexico, and then a few Central American countries and Caribbean countries.

South and Central Americans try to make us buy into this "América" identity but we're way up at the top and there's no special kinship with the rest of the super-continent.

"Aren't you upset that people from the United States call themselves Americans?"

"No, not really. We don't think of ourselves as "Americans" from North America, just as Canadians."

It's kind of like how Ontario doesn't really have an identity while the rest of the provinces do. We're sort of generically Canadian, and our pride is more regional (Toronto, Eastern Ontario, Southwest Ontario, Northern Ontario).

I was actually surprised to see some shoving and scrums early in the Finland-USA game so don't count it out from happening tonight.
 
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