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Olympics: Bettman hints NHL won't play in 2018 and 2022

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Good news: in the Globe & Mail this morning, David Shoalts described the "all-star" World Cup idea as a "harebrained trial balloon" and that judging by an unscientific survey of players, the idea "will soon be flattened."

Bad news: the NHL is considering a six-team tournament instead of adding Slovakia and Switzerland.

The idea is supposedly to avoid "blowouts" when a top-six team plays someone else. But looking at results over the years its hard to see what blowouts they're fearful of.

Switzerland beat Canada and the Czechs in 2006, took Canada to a shootout in Vancouver before losing to the US 2-0 in the QF, and beat the Czechs 1-0 in Sochi (losing to silver-medalists Sweden by the same score).

Slovakia beat Russia, USA and Sweden in 2006, went to the semis in 2010 (with wins over Russia and Sweden), and lost in a shootout to Russia in Sochi.

And that's at the best-on-best level of play (not counting silvers at the WHC by Slovakia and the Swiss in 2012 and 2013 respectively).

Even at the last World Cup, a weak German side threw a scare into Finland in the QF (losing 2-1 in Helsinki on a late goal), just as Latvia did to Canada in Sochi.

So the whole premise of needing some mickey mouse "all-star" teams in 2016 for the sake of avoiding "blowouts" is based on total nonsense.
 
Canuckistani said:
Good news: in the Globe & Mail this morning, David Shoalts described the "all-star" World Cup idea as a "harebrained trial balloon" and that judging by an unscientific survey of players, the idea "will soon be flattened."

Bad news: the NHL is considering a six-team tournament instead of adding Slovakia and Switzerland.

The idea is supposedly to avoid "blowouts" when a top-six team plays someone else. But looking at results over the years its hard to see what blowouts they're fearful of.

Switzerland beat Canada and the Czechs in 2006, took Canada to a shootout in Vancouver before losing to the US 2-0 in the QF, and beat the Czechs 1-0 in Sochi (losing to silver-medalists Sweden by the same score).

Slovakia beat Russia, USA and Sweden in 2006, went to the semis in 2010 (with wins over Russia and Sweden), and lost in a shootout to Russia in Sochi.

And that's at the best-on-best level of play (not counting silvers at the WHC by Slovakia and the Swiss in 2012 and 2013 respectively).

Even at the last World Cup, a weak German side threw a scare into Finland in the QF (losing 2-1 in Helsinki on a late goal), just as Latvia did to Canada in Sochi.

So the whole premise of needing some mickey mouse "all-star" teams in 2016 for the sake of avoiding "blowouts" is based on total nonsense.
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I agree, but on the other hand, I can see the NHL's point. In 2006, Slovakia had Gaborik, Chara, the Hossa's in their prime. Maybe the NHL looks at their potential roster, and it is just not there. During the 2006 Olympics, didnt Canada and the Czechs dominate those game against Switzerland, but Aebischer stood on his head? Do they have another goalie of that caliber?
 
patnyrnyg said:
I agree, but on the other hand, I can see the NHL's point. In 2006, Slovakia had Gaborik, Chara, the Hossa's in their prime. Maybe the NHL looks at their potential roster, and it is just not there. During the 2006 Olympics, didnt Canada and the Czechs dominate those game against Switzerland, but Aebischer stood on his head? Do they have another goalie of that caliber?
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Apparently Switzerland still does because they beat the Czechs again in Sochi 1-0 and lost to the silver-medal Swedes by the same score. Their offence was miserable (as was almost everyone's) but they can clearly compete.

Slovakia is in an international slump, but even they have some great talent (on paper better than Switzerland) and deserve to be at the WC.
 
Canuckistani said:
Apparently Switzerland still does because they beat the Czechs again in Sochi 1-0 and lost to the silver-medal Swedes by the same score. Their offence was miserable (as was almost everyone's) but they can clearly compete.

Slovakia is in an international slump, but even they have some great talent (on paper better than Switzerland) and deserve to be at the WC.
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True, but maybe that is it, don't want 1-0 games where teams are in all-out defend mode? I don't know, just thinking and playing devil's advocate.
 
patnyrnyg said:
True, but maybe that is it, don't want 1-0 games where teams are in all-out defend mode? I don't know, just thinking and playing devil's advocate.
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Either way it would sure beat watching disinterested teams of Euro/NA rejects playing for "team other."

I can't believe anyone in a position of power would see that as viable. It's like they're actually trying to turn the WC into a total laughingstock.

Reducing the WC to six teams would be better than that.
 
Switzerland can beat any country whether small or big. This is a team that in Sochi lost only one goal games for the most part and in Vancouver should have beaten Canada in the preliminaries. They've got plenty of speed from the front and back end, and Jonas Hiller is up there with any of the other goaltenders. It would be an insult not to have them and hopefully Mr. Fasel vouches for the inclusion of Switzerland and one more nation.
 
Canuckistani said:
Either way it would sure beat watching disinterested teams of Euro/NA rejects playing for "team other."

I can't believe anyone in a position of power would see that as viable. It's like they're actually trying to turn the WC into a total laughingstock.

Reducing the WC to six teams would be better than that.
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I definitely agree.
 
Canuckistani said:
The idea is supposedly to avoid "blowouts" when a top-six team plays someone else. But looking at results over the years its hard to see what blowouts they're fearful of.
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What the hell? Does the NHL know a tiny bit about international hockey? I can only remember one "blowout" recently, it was the Sochi bronze medal match between Finland and USA.

International hockey has gotten a long way since 2004 and the skill gaps between different teams have narrowed. But instead of adding more teams, the NHL does the exact opposite.
 
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Urbanskog said:
What the hell? Does the NHL know a tiny bit about international hockey? I can only remember one "blowout" recently, it was the Sochi bronze medal match between Finland and USA.
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Blowouts in the last two Olympics involving top 8 countries (Swiss,Slovaks being 7 and 8th)

Vancouver 2010

Canada vs. Russia 7-3
USA vs. Finland 6-1

Sochi 2014

USA vs. Slovakia 7-1
Finland vs. USA 5-0
 
GlobeHockey said:
Blowouts in the last two Olympics involving top 8 countries (Swiss,Slovaks being 7 and 8th)

Vancouver 2010

Canada vs. Russia 7-3
USA vs. Finland 6-1

Sochi 2014

USA vs. Slovakia 7-1
Finland vs. USA 5-0
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USA - Finland matches seem to end in blowouts, maybe they should kick one of those teams out.
 
GlobeHockey said:
Blowouts in the last two Olympics involving top 8 countries (Swiss,Slovaks being 7 and 8th)

Vancouver 2010

Canada vs. Russia 7-3
USA vs. Finland 6-1

Sochi 2014

USA vs. Slovakia 7-1
Finland vs. USA 5-0
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To that we can add the WHC blowouts:

2010 Cologne, Germany

Denmark 6-0 Slovakia (WTF?)
Russia 5-0 Finland
Sweden 5-0 Switzerland

2011 Bratislava/Košice, Slovakia

Sweden 6-2 United States
Czech Republic 4-0 United States
Finland 6-1 Sweden

2012 Helsinki, Finland / Stockholm, Sweden

United States 5-0 Finland
Russia 7-3 Sweden
Russia 6-2 Finland
Russia 6-2 Slovakia

2013 Stockholm, Sweden / Helsinki, Finland

United States 8-3 Russia
Sweden 5-1 Switzerland

2014 Minsk, Belarus

Russia 5-0 Switzerland
Russia 6-1 United States

So it seems only Canada has escaped such a shelling in recent years. I guess that means we need to have Canada play the "world all-stars" at the World Cup since clearly no other nation team is worthy of being there, right NHL?
 
Skip this propaganda tournament and fix a permanent solution for the world championship instead. Best for all hockey community would be if NHL breaks down and disappear, it is a cancer to hockey. But since that will not happening anytime soon, I hope that iihf would have the world championship every second year and have it during the summer instead.
 
ulvvf said:
Skip this propaganda tournament and fix a permanent solution for the world championship instead. Best for all hockey community would be if NHL breaks down and disappear, it is a cancer to hockey. But since that will not happening anytime soon, I hope that iihf would have the world championship every second year and have it during the summer instead.
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Glad to see Bunny Ahearne posts on HFBoards.
 
ulvvf said:
Skip this propaganda tournament and fix a permanent solution for the world championship instead. Best for all hockey community would be if NHL breaks down and disappear, it is a cancer to hockey. But since that will not happening anytime soon, I hope that iihf would have the world championship every second year and have it during the summer instead.
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Haha, yeah ok. Without the NHL, hockey would be the equivalent of professional badmitton.
 
GlobeHockey said:
Switzerland can beat any country whether small or big. This is a team that in Sochi lost only one goal games for the most part and in Vancouver should have beaten Canada in the preliminaries. They've got plenty of speed from the front and back end, and Jonas Hiller is up there with any of the other goaltenders. It would be an insult not to have them and hopefully Mr. Fasel vouches for the inclusion of Switzerland and one more nation.
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You are right about Switzerland. But what the heck are you talking about that they should've beaten us? Because they lost the third period 3-18 on shots? That must be it. Canada had just in the third enough chances to win 6-2 , but because of Hiller, the game went into a shootout.
 
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True Hockey Fan said:
You are right about Switzerland. But what the heck are you talking about that they should've beaten us? Because they lost the third period 3-18 on shots? That must be it. Canada had just in the third enough chances to win 6-2 , but because of Hiller, the game went into a shootout.
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1932564_358244404351980_2782837199335672326_o.jpg


Canadian ice luck helped this puck flip over Lehm's stick for no reason with Brodeur beaten, if that goes in, Canada loses.
 
patnyrnyg said:
Funny how Russia likes to call themselves World Champions.
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They are World Champions.

Canada are Olympic Champions.

Funny how the winner of this planned invitational will want to call themselves World Cup champions when only one country knows it exists. :sarcasm:

The cumulative audience totals of the World Championships is more than 945 million viewers for the entire tournament, broadcast in over 150 countries.

Will 150 people out of North America know this planned tournament exists?
 
GlobeHockey said:
They are World Champions.

Canada are Olympic Champions.

Funny how the winner of this planned invitational will want to call themselves World Cup champions when only one country knows it exists. :sarcasm:

The cumulative audience totals of the World Championships is more than 945 million viewers for the entire tournament, broadcast in over 150 countries.

Will 150 people out of North America know this planned tournament exists?
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I think the proper question would be will anyone outside of Canada (excluding the about 150 HFBoards posters) watch it in NA? ESPN didn't exactly get good ratings in 2004.
 
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