They beat a team that was already guaranteed a spot and ya they lost to the Russians. How many games do you think they should play to get in? It's a round robin tournament
Another NHL Marketing Fail: No Canada-NA Game
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They beat a team that was already guaranteed a spot and ya they lost to the Russians. How many games do you think they should play to get in? It's a round robin tournament
Regardless of format, what exactly was the rationale for having Team North America play Team Europe twice and then Czech Republic in the pre-tournament games?
The NHL had *full* control over that, NA-Canada should've been the final pre-tournament game.
Even at my local 7-11, I'm looking at their Pepsi display (World Cup sponsor) and the Team North America Pepsi is sold out, you can buy any one of the other countries. Kids are wearing that NA jersey all over the place.
Anyone with half a brain knows looking at this tournament this is a match up a casual fan would want to see. Not to mention Crosby and McDavid have never played against each other, this would be a fun way to have that happen.
But nope, lets have them play Czech Republic and Team Europe twice. And no offence to those teams, but isn't the point of this tournament to market the NHL?
Way to sell your game guys.
Lets go out of our way to avoid a match up that could create too much excitement.
The NHL had *full* control over that, NA-Canada should've been the final pre-tournament game.
Even at my local 7-11, I'm looking at their Pepsi display (World Cup sponsor) and the Team North America Pepsi is sold out, you can buy any one of the other countries. Kids are wearing that NA jersey all over the place.
Anyone with half a brain knows looking at this tournament this is a match up a casual fan would want to see. Not to mention Crosby and McDavid have never played against each other, this would be a fun way to have that happen.
But nope, lets have them play Czech Republic and Team Europe twice. And no offence to those teams, but isn't the point of this tournament to market the NHL?
Way to sell your game guys.
Lets go out of our way to avoid a match up that could create too much excitement.
treple13
Registered User
- Sep 1, 2013
- 2,855
- 1,542
I think the main problem is that they transparently tried to guarantee Canada-US both making the knockout rounds by putting all the other best teams in one pool. It's kind of a shame that Team Europe is moving on and Team NA is done.
If I was making the pools I would have switched Team Europe and Russia. Based on how teams have been playing that would likely have set up Sweden-Russia and Canada-NA semi-finals which is much, much better.
If I was making the pools I would have switched Team Europe and Russia. Based on how teams have been playing that would likely have set up Sweden-Russia and Canada-NA semi-finals which is much, much better.
I don't give a crap about pre tournament games. They are experiments.
Anyway if the NA stuff is all sold out, which I'm sure it is. The league sold the game just fine.
They made sure USA-Canada played twice. I just don't see the logic.
Every time I think this league deserves more popularity, I remember who's running the league and then I remind myself "Yep. They're exactly where they should be, right below NASCAR and women's tennis".
I don't blame ESPN for ignoring this league at all. They have no idea how to market themselves whatsoever. Even when they do come up with a half good idea, they follow it up by botching the execution right afterwards.
Yemack
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2007
- 8,246
- 6
Yeah how dare NHL does not rig the game! Clearly team NA could not advance fair and square, dont they see they need help from the league officials?
I'm not asking they "rig" a game, though it is questionable how a team wins 2/3 of their tournament games and gets eliminated, but ok, crap format aside they have full control over pre-tournament games.
Lets have Team North America play ..... the Czechs. OMG! CONTAIN THE EXCITE!
That's surely what the people want to see!
Does this league even have a marketing department? Did no one look at that say "hey, you know, it might be fun to have the kids play the Canadians. You got Crosby and McDavid, that might get some eye balls".
Nope.
The format of the tournament, which the NHL has full control over, should have ensured at least one Canada-NAT match-up at some point in the tournament. We got three Canada-US games.
TLeafsFan
A True BeLeafer
Hockey happens. CHILL. Nobody knew what team NA was gonna be. Now they've won the hearts and minds of hockey fans around the world who can't wait to see a team like that play again.
That's a big WIN for the NHL.
They needed to hold the lead and win in regulation. They didn't.
But they beat the 2nd biggest powerhouse nation in all of hockey right now so they can end this tournament feeling very VERY good about themselves.
That's a big WIN for the NHL.
They needed to hold the lead and win in regulation. They didn't.
But they beat the 2nd biggest powerhouse nation in all of hockey right now so they can end this tournament feeling very VERY good about themselves.
Yemack
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2007
- 8,246
- 6
You said it's a fail on NHL's part. Why is it a fail on NHL and not on team NA? or not on McLellan, Murray or whoever else?
Because they could have scheduled the tournament in a way that ensured one NA-Canada match up at least.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at those two teams and say "hey, this will be a fun game to watch".
And no, they didn't just randomly schedule the games and the pools the way they did. They ensured we got Canada-US three times minimum.
Some thought should have been put into this.
Also a format where Team NA needs to win all 3 of their games to match up to Canada, is a stupid one to begin with IMO. It's not like they were bad in this tournament at all.
It's arrogant and ridiculous to say that a team with that much firepower upfront, with solid goal-tending, and with a D which has definitely exceeded expectations so far, has NO CHANCE...
FinnLightning26
Death and no taxes
Shouldn't have lost to Russia then. I get they were the darlings of this tournament but they weren't good enough to beat the Russians. **** happens.
Past Considerations
Registered User
The format is fine (other than pulling the groups out of hat), but scoring is strange. 3 points for regulation victory, 2 for OT win and 1 for OT loss would work better. This is what is used in IIHF tournaments.
Yep, since when does out playing the other team and still losing mean anything?
FinnLightning26
Death and no taxes
The only thing that matters in hockey, or any game, is the score at the end of the game.
Chet Manley
Registered User
Another marketing fail: No Team NA vs USA. Or maybe a Team NA vs USA vs Canada three net extravaganza.
Invite? That seems too easy. Make up a gimmick eu team to cover all their bases? Yes!
lol, anyone who's saying Team North America didn't play well in this tournament is out to lunch. There's only one undefeated team in the tournament and that's Canada, so everyone else must be terrible too by that logic.
NHL's whole scheduling/set up of this tournament was stupid, plain and simple.
A league with a competent marketing team, like the NBA or NFL or MLB has would never have put together a tournament like this and come out of it without letting fans and casual fans have at least one game with a once-in-a-lifetime match up like that.
At the very least it should have been scheduled as a pre-tournament game. Argue that point, I don't think you can.
Yemack
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2007
- 8,246
- 6
I agree one exhibition game between team Canada and NA would have been interesting but it's an exhibition game. It does not matter when everything is said and done. I guess it does gets some fans hyped up though.
As for the format criticism, everyone played under same rule and the rules were not hidden from those teams. If one team does not advance, well there's not much league can do. How about team USA who clearly lost the game they should have played better and getting roasted by media? Is it fair? yeah I think so because they did know how it worked. something to think about
btw this exact format is used by FIFA World Cup. 4 teams in same group stage and 2 teams advance.
Nalens Oga
Registered User
I agree with the OP somewhat. The rest of you overcomplicate it, Team NA and Canada were the two most exciting teams to watch in the tourney which is why we wanted to see them at least once, the rest is all noise. They had the most exciting roster and tbh even though NA might have lost, I feel like they're the only team that would give Canada a run for its money so yeah the NHL did screw up by not having them in the same group.
Also blame Todd MacLellan, overrated coach with poor selection and ice time mgmt decisions.
Also blame Todd MacLellan, overrated coach with poor selection and ice time mgmt decisions.
NickLidstrom
Ottawa & Detroit fan
Have you ever considered the possibility that North American players may not have wanted to play their own country?
DRL
Registered User
hooverdam
Registered User
- Feb 21, 2013
- 2,499
- 1,748
A big oversight was thinking Team USA had any chance in this thing and rigging the pools for that USA/Canada matchup. Most fans were smart enough to look at how Team USA was being constructed and bail out for Team North America; the NHL should have done the same. It just shows that the leadership of the NHL is stuck in the stone age and that they simply don't understand their own product.
