Best on Best every year: Idea to get rid of the All-Star Game

[eXile3]

International competition every two years. In between do an east vs west but make it an outdoor game. Get rid of the other outdoor games before they become over saturated.

Yes I know that will never happen because of money.

 

[Summer Rose]

haha, I was thinking Mexico because there is a large Mexican population in the U.S.

I had heard of them participating in international tournaments, but I didn't realize they were only 42nd in the IIHF rankings...

But note that if you have a 5 game tournament over two weeks, you can have brackets with 32 teams playing in it - and those would be the 32 team next best teams after the 6 best. So that's 38 teams. Mexico used to be 37th in the world...

Mexico finished in last place in Division IIIA last season, getting relegated to IIIB for next year. Better to get the likes of Turkmenistan, who beat them in their final game, in over them.

 

[LPHabsFan]

Why do you need to get rid of it? I think if it's happening every other year, then it'll be fine, especially if they keep trying to make some positive changes.

I know one thing I'd really like to see is to have them go knee deep into the 3 on 3 EA Sports style. Shrink the the rink, go ham with the showmanship and pyro, bring in some special alumni, have a mascots game. Just go nuts. The 3 on 3 on smaller ice I think will be better as well.

One thing to also keep in mind that as much as we love best on best, part of the reason it's so magical is that it doesn't happen all of the time.

Look at the 2016 WC. People sometimes needs to be reminded that it actually happened. Part of that was the timing (before the season), but certainly part of it had to do with the fact that it was just two years after Sochi. Like with most things, these corporate types are going to try and ram this down our throats until they can bleed as much money possible out of cities and players *cough* outdoor games *cough*.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

It won't have the same appeal and will lose the hype, just like outdoor games.

 

[torniojaws]

Mexico?

The third best hockey team in the equator, after the Arab Emirates and Turkey.

 

[koyvoo]

Mexico?

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

You cant have a tournament every year, but I think there could be an argument for a College Football style "cup" game between USA and Canada and one between Finland and Sweden. Sudden death OT, game 7 style.

I don't think it makes sense for them to go to the Olympics when this tournament that they had on their own arguably did way more to grow interest in the game than any of the last few Olympics, but if the players are big enough marks to work for free, and the NHLPA is willing to give consolations in the CBA for it, then whatever.

 

[Rec T]

You can't have various tournaments every year without serious pushback from the stars that suddenly have to play even more games (for free) in the middle of the season, potentially getting hurt right before the push to the playoffs. A few years of doing that & discovering that the games really aren't all 'that' special (much like the constant barrage of outdoor games have become) & you'll see the intensity level of play right back at ASG levels.

4 Nations worked because it had been so long between high level international competition, but you can't force it every year/every other year.

 

[coolboarder]

Loving the idea of using the break for international hockey only. Using the break for international hockey with World Cup qualifiers matches that runs two weeks with all Countries participate in it and maybe some viewership peaking their interests and grow the game internationally.

My vision of having a World Cup being held in February/March. Have the Stanley Cuyp playoffs being held in winter to maximum the viewership, maybe even rivals NFL playoffs with one main difference, we play every other day while NFL is once a week event. We can use Sundays day off during the NFL playoffs. Have the regular season starting in late July/early August. I recall in 2020, we have had playoffs during late July and August and we don't see any difference in term of viewership so I figure why not have the season starting in August 1st and end in mid-January and have the playoffs run until Mid-March and have the best on best World Cup.

During the Olympic year, reduce regular season from 82 games to 72 games, ending in mid-December and have the playoffs starting right after Christmas until the Olympic hockey starting with Stanley Cup Final at late January/early February.

We do have technology that can keep the building and ice cold indoor during summer so I don't see any difference in term of quality because you want to see the best ice quality in the winter for any playoff hockey. Even we have played Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final after the Summer solstice in Florida of all place and the ice quality was still good. So maybe we need to rethink the season schedule format and change around the Calendar and have one season with reduced regular season and the playoffs to prepare for new hockey calendar.

 

[Chelios]

Since they are committed to having an international tournament every 2 years going forward, I would keep the 2 week break in on those off years and just have 1-2 international friendlies like soccer does. With the increased frequency of international tournaments, I think the friendlies would be competitive as they would be the main opportunity for players on the bubble for the big competitions to make an impression. Even if it meant some of the big names stayed home/got a rest, playing younger players that are hungry to represent their countries in the big international competitions would be great to see.

 

[sbhnur]

I'm fine with every idea to add real hockey and get rid of the ASG. Could also mean to just continue the regular season and finish 2 weeks earlier.

 

[nucks88]

Russia is a non-starter. Include them and you lose the Finns, Swedes, Czechs, Germans, Latvians, etc.

I think you would lose Canada as well.....we tend to stick by our friends....

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Come on man. What you mean to say is get rid of Sweden and Finland.

 

[north21]

Then so be it. You don’t like them, beat them on the ice. 4 Nations was refereed very well, and should be the case moving forward.

Hockey is hockey. The players aren’t politicians. Regardless of their views, leave politics to politics and hockey to hockey.

No kidding, look at the cold war and past Olympics, they more often then not let everyone participate. And if they didn't then it was the countries choice to boycott the games.

Punishing athletes over their countries politics is borderline insane, even more so young athletes.

 

[north21]

Not happening any time soon - as in decades, minimum.

International sports are politics. Always have been, always will be.

European players will not get on the ice with players wearing the Russian flag - period.

Leave international hockey to the IIHF.

They play on the same teams on the same ice all season, suddenly they won't play each other? Sorry but you are wrong.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Year 1: All-Star
Year 2: World Cup
Year 3: All-Star
Year 4: Olympics

Repeat

This is something that soccer has already figured out with their cadence for the World Cup and Euros/Copa America. No need to complicate things. I also think that over-saturating with internationals will cause them to lose their shine a bit, and that having a bit of distance between All-Stars will bring some of the excitement back.

Yep that’s the way I see it as well.