World Cup: Anyone else think the Pools are rigged?

[Barrie22]

It should be done based upon world ratings, if it was done this way it would be:

Group A: Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Europe
Group B: Russia, Sweden, Finland, North America

Yup which is funny because that is exactly how it is done lol.

Iihf world rankings.

Canada
Russia
Finland
Usa
Sweden
Czechs

Iihf world championship groupings would be.

Group A.
Canada
Usa
Czechs

Group B.
Russia
Finland
Sweden

So i am still trying to figure out just how this tournament is some how rigged?

 

[Past Considerations]

So i am still trying to figure out just how this tournament is some how rigged?

There's a difference between actually doing them based on the rankings and doing them by pulling teams out of a hat coincidentally matching the current ranking.

ps. When were the pools announced? Ranking may have even changed after that.

 

[Sorey*]

Yup which is funny because that is exactly how it is done lol.

Iihf world rankings.

Canada
Russia
Finland
Usa
Sweden
Czechs

Iihf world championship groupings would be.

Group A.
Canada
Usa
Czechs

Group B.
Russia
Finland
Sweden

So i am still trying to figure out just how this tournament is some how rigged?

This isnt a iihf tournament

 

[Barrie22]

There's a difference between actually doing them based on the rankings and doing them by pulling teams out of a hat coincidentally matching the current ranking.

ps. When were the pools announced? Ranking may have even changed after that.

The groups were announced on september 9th 2015.

And the rankings were:

Canada
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Usa
Czechs

No matter how the grouping was done a good team is going home early.

 

[Mestaruus]

Could this be the time Finland flops because people give them too much credit, Finland losing all games. What would follow is 4 years of people underestimating Finland like before and Finland placing in top-3 in each tournament including the Olympics .

 

[FinProspects]

Yes Finland has overachieved and brought the goods several times in a row. They have an excellent track record.

They will have to do it again. None of the previous tournaments matter at all.

In Euro-rink true, but in NA they have had their struggles

Post 1995, in best of the best-tournaments:

NA:
World Cup 2004 silver
Vancouver 2010 bronze
2002 salt lake city q-finals
1996 World cup q-finals..?

2/4

Euro
Nagano 1998 Bronze
Torino 2006 Silver
Sochi 2014 Bronze

3/3

Total 5/7.

Nevertheless, an impressive resume.

 

[FinProspects]

No way in hell Europe+Czech should be in the same group, that is just stupid.

Ranking:
Canada
Sweden
USA
Finland
Russia
U23
Europe
Czech
->

Group A:
1.Canada
3.USA
5.Russia
7.Europe

Group B:
2.Sweden
4.Finland
6.U23
8.Czech

U23 and Europe to the different groups.

 

[Paxton Fettel]

There is a chance that NA23 will face either the US or Canada in the semis. They will lose because they can't possibly try to beat their own countries...

 

[xxxx]

There's a difference between actually doing them based on the rankings and doing them by pulling teams out of a hat coincidentally matching the current ranking.

ps. When were the pools announced? Ranking may have even changed after that.

The groups are legitimately all right if we split them according to the IIHF rankins, so what's the problem? Doesn't matter if it seems to be "rigged" when if done properly (or rather, by the only thing we have to somehow make it "properly") the result would be the same.

On the other hand, using IIHF ranking here is a bad idea. And what should they use, relative strenght on paper? Or from previous tournaments? Who cares. I think they believed Europe would be a strong team, which if they were, would even the groups out. And they still can be. This is just exhibition they need time to get together and the second game was better from them. And no one really knows if they are weak, or team NA is just that strong. We'll find out. I think they will surprise against Sweden. Maybe they won't win, but I can see a good, motivated performance there.

 

[1865]

Are the play-offs rigged? It seems to me like it's set up to have the best two teams advance from each conference.

 

[Barrie22]

Are the play-offs rigged? It seems to me like it's set up to have the best two teams advance from each conference.

Its rigged because 1 of the 5 top teams won't make it to the playoff rounds lol.

They could of made it fair and said the top team in the round robin goes directly to the finals. And then the next 4 teams goe through the playoffs for the right to play the top team.

 

[Tom Collins]

Yes it is rigged or intentionally done but it's been a while since they decided to make these groups so now I'm OK with it.

Just imagine if U23 young guns take one of the top 2 spots, that means two of Sweden, Finland or Russia will be out.

So? If they want to make it past TNA, they'll have to beat 'em. Those teams aren't entitled to advancing just because they're representing a single nation.

I think when it comes to the World Cup of Hockey, a lot of folks are focusing on the term "World" and not "Hockey". What about the NA and EU teams is really so bad? Gives a forum to the players that wouldn't be able to be in this tourney otherwise.

The travesty.

 

[Tom Collins]

There's a difference between actually doing them based on the rankings and doing them by pulling teams out of a hat coincidentally matching the current ranking.

ps. When were the pools announced? Ranking may have even changed after that.

This made me actually laugh out loud.

So the groups are fine, lining up with what the hallowed and glorious IIHF would have done, but you still have a problem with it because... You don't think their selection process (which you have NO IDEA ABOUT) was done the way you wanted it to be?

Huh?

 

[Lempo]

Are the play-offs rigged? It seems to me like it's set up to have the best two teams advance from each conference.

You can much more comfortably try hazard to guess who those theams will be in the Group A than in the Group B though.

A has 2/5 big ones, where as B has 3/5. Of course you can't make it fair to everyone from that starting point, but it's bit funny that the NA countries should both be the lucky ones in that regard, especially as the presumably tougher of the gimmick teams also is in B.

It may well be according to the IIHF ranking, but the same end result really looks like it's expertly rigged by the first page post logic.

I didn't factor in the NA teams not having their full pool available to them though, which evens it up a bit to maybe justify the 2/5 Group.

 

[Staccato]

I think when it comes to the World Cup of Hockey, a lot of folks are focusing on the term "World" and not "Hockey". What about the NA and EU teams is really so bad? Gives a forum to the players that wouldn't be able to be in this tourney otherwise.

I could accept the two gimmick teams (not enthusiastically, but anyway) if Canada and the US had a chance to pick their squads first regardless of players age. That would make it a proper best on best for the top 6 teams.

 

[westc2]

Lets keep in mind that this is not a best on best tournament as it is right now. Many teams had players back out due to "injuries", and Team USA didn't even invite some of it's best players, and has quite a few on the NA team.

Team USA is going to be sick at the 2018 Olympics.

Ghost
Jones
Eichel
Gaudreau
Larkin
Matthews

The guys in bold should easily make the team and be pretty big improvements. All that speed and skill which team USA has been lacking lately.

 

[xxxx]

Lets keep in mind that this is not a best on best tournament as it is right now. Many teams had players back out due to "injuries", and Team USA didn't even invite some of it's best players, and has quite a few on the NA team.

what does that mean? so you automatically assume, without knowing facts or details, that they somehow "withdraw" from the tournament because they "had a chance", and all that because it fits your agenda? I wanna hear what injuries or what players you question, and why they "could've played" at this tournament, since you probably know so much.

 

[Barrie22]

Lets keep in mind that this is not a best on best tournament as it is right now. Many teams had players back out due to "injuries", and Team USA didn't even invite some of it's best players, and has quite a few on the NA team.

Team USA is going to be sick at the 2018 Olympics.

Ghost
Jones
Eichel
Gaudreau
Larkin
Matthews

The guys in bold should easily make the team and be pretty big improvements. All that speed and skill which team USA has been lacking lately.

The same happens at the olympics also. Crosby wasn't at the 2006 olympics even though he was one of the best canadians in the league at the time. Players missed due to injuries.

 

[Lempo]

Lets keep in mind that this is not a best on best tournament as it is right now. Many teams had players back out due to "injuries", and Team USA didn't even invite some of it's best players, and has quite a few on the NA team.

It's a best-on-best if the teams are not by rules prevented from putting up the best possible team from their nation's talent pool. (Of course, this one isn't.)

Injuries do happen in the sport, but that's tough luck rather than legitimate reason for what-iffery to deprive the b-o-b status from a tournament. Same thing if the coaching team choose to pick up the team utterly stupidly. Building the right team is one aspect of the game, they would totes claim it was best-on-best if their longshot paid off for their benefit and thusly don't get reimbursed for a failure in the picks rationale if it doesn't pay off.

 

[Past Considerations]

This made me actually laugh out loud.

So the groups are fine, lining up with what the hallowed and glorious IIHF would have done, but you still have a problem with it because...

It can't be simplified much more than I already did, it is COINCIDENTAL. Entirely coincidental since the pools were announced in Septermber 2015, when the ranking looked different. And even if it had not looked different there is still the difference between doing them based on something that is quantitative instead of just doing "what looks right" or "how they're just supposed to be".

You don't think their selection process (which you have NO IDEA ABOUT) was done the way you wanted it to be?

Huh?

And you're going to assume they did use the rankings but they just somehow forgot to tell anyone? Not to mention the impossiblity of correctly predicting final 2016 rankings? Really?

 

[Past Considerations]

The groups are legitimately all right if we split them according to the IIHF rankins, so what's the problem? Doesn't matter if it seems to be "rigged" when if done properly (or rather, by the only thing we have to somehow make it "properly") the result would be the same.

Same answer as above to Warehammer. They're "legitimately" "all right" if we assume that Dr. Bettman has a built a time machine.

On the other hand, using IIHF ranking here is a bad idea. And what should they use, relative strenght on paper? Or from previous tournaments? Who cares.

They could have made their own ranking. Possibilities are limitless. But yeah, who cares? Lets put all good teams in same group and all bad teams in the other group. I mean, WHO CARES? Lets also let NHL just make up the future NHL Playoffs pairs, because who cares.

 

[Le Golie]

I don't think the groups are that bad. Russia is no better than the Czechs. And as much as I am cheering for Finland, I think they will struggle with their youngsters on defence.

Canada, US, U23 and Sweden are the best four teams here and they are 2 and 2. The Finns are likely a bit better than the Euro team, but it's not astronomical.

If Finland has some more magic versus Sweden it could get interesting.

 

[ulvvf]

They want a fight between USA and Canada, create attention, they do not want USA or Canada to meet the NA team, but want to split the all-star teams. That explain 3, they could maybe a have switch Czech for russia, since Russia also have some rivality with USA/Canada, but that would put USA and Canada in much higher risk of not making the playoff.

But yeah group B feels much harder. No one is safe there. 50/50 every game.

 

[ulvvf]

Lets keep in mind that this is not a best on best tournament as it is right now. Many teams had players back out due to "injuries", and Team USA didn't even invite some of it's best players, and has quite a few on the NA team.

Team USA is going to be sick at the 2018 Olympics.

Ghost
Jones
Eichel
Gaudreau
Larkin
Matthews

The guys in bold should easily make the team and be pretty big improvements. All that speed and skill which team USA has been lacking lately.

No way JG would make the team if Torts is the coach, Kane is enough for him. He passed on both Kessel and TJ even after injuries, so no signs of that he would have picked JG.

 

[xxxx]

The main reason you think the A pool isn't that strong is because Team Europe, but I think they are very underrated here. They showed a good effort in the last game, they came back from 1-5 to 4-5, that's pretty good for someone who is "not motivated", and "doesn't care" . They need these exhibition games more than anyone, and I am pretty sure their game against Sweden will open a lot of eyes here.