Ok, fair enough. Obviously any problems are fair enough to point out. So far it doesn't seem very good in terms of attendance either. But again, all these things go hand in hand, this is basically a new locality for ice hockey, it's to be expected to have some issues there. I like the fact of going into new territories. This tournament is a perfect way to somehow grow the awareness of ice hockey in other parts of Europe that have hopefully potential for some growth in the future. France and Denmark are great examples of it imo.
Comments and complaints about the Paris games
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Ok, fair enough. Obviously any problems are fair enough to point out. So far it doesn't seem very good in terms of attendance either. But again, all these things go hand in hand, this is basically a new locality for ice hockey, it's to be expected to have some issues there. I like the fact of going into new territories. This tournament is a perfect way to somehow grow the awareness of ice hockey in other parts of Europe that have hopefully potential for some growth in the future. France and Denmark are great examples of it imo.
Yes. I understand the idea of getting better at things, obviously there are gonna be some difficulties with organising such tournament in a country like France, but it's also a great opportunity for them to learn.
The idea of expecting a 9/10 service there and being angry for it not happening is just simply being arrogant and uncompassionate at what the situation is.
I agree with you that if I were going to Paris I would certainly enjoy the city itself, and wouldn't expect some extraordinary service for fans like I would in Canada or perhaps in Finland or Czech republic. That's just being completely out of healthy touch with reality. Take it as it is and enjoy it and acknowledge that the French guys probably do the best they can. Plus, when going into a country like this, as a part of expanding the hockey brand which I thought many people here were all for, it is simply going to take time to overcome the "beginner's mistakes", if you want. I'm fine with that.
France has been organizing international handball tournaments indoors for decades. Likely in that very same arena before. I personally don't care about fanzones, but the complaints haven't been about bad ice, they have been about no effort and no beer.
Also hardly anyone is begrudging France hockey, but the decision for Paris might not have been the best one in retrospect.
It's a bit like going straight for Rome during the deciding phase of the national soccer league, with AS still in the running, on election day weekend, instead of Turin, which is a winter sport city closer to the Swiss border. Both are bringing hockey to Italy, but one can still be a smarter move than the other.
The also kinda cut their leg off with placing the other group in Cologne. That's the closest hockey region to Paris, from where you'd want fans to visit. Either have this in a city close to the Swiss border and Cologne or have it in Paris (with Germany in the Paris group) and Geneva or something.
Do you think the bad service in Paris is a "beginner's mistake" caused by hockey being such a small sport there? The service was crap in the Euro 2016 last summer too, and it wasn't good in the Eurobasket the year before either. That's just how the French do things. It's not because hockey is new to them, it's because they're not interested in serving paying customers.
I just talked about this with my friend today, and he said he should have taken a video of how complicated selling a beer was for the Frenchmen, cause it was so baffling. They needed three people for it: one guy was holding the pint, one guy was pouring the beer, and one guy was collecting the cash. And even with three people it took ages to get it done.
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Even if you spend most of your time seeing the city. The fanzones outside the arena pre and post game are usually the highlights of any tournament.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Not all fans come to sit in the arena. Many come for the party. A whole pile if fans have already headed to cologne. Where the organisers actual realised that part of the game
and decent smoked meat in Montreal.. 
BritainStix
Registered User
- Oct 20, 2016
- 6,725
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Not defending the poor effort from the Paris hockey officials, but the city of Paris really does have more important things to worry about right now, lets not pretend that they are in the midst of some horrific acts of humanity.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
There is an election. Big deal
Took me over an hour to get into the arena just now.
As someone was directly involved in the attack in London it is cheap of you to use that card.
Took me over an hour to get into the arena just now.
As someone was directly involved in the attack in London it is cheap of you to use that card.
They organized soccer Euro in same atmosphere? Didnt they? One would expect organizers are trying their best especially when this event is held every year and you can learn from last championships. Though I am not there so I can not evaluate it...
It's friggin Paris? What do you expect?
Such a shame awarding the games to that ****hole of a city where nobody cares about hockey anyway.
Such a shame awarding the games to that ****hole of a city where nobody cares about hockey anyway.
Death
Formerly reaping souls as Death ...
Etat d'urgence - State of emergency, because of terrorism, no fan zone. French Ice Hockey Federation wanted one but didn't have approval because of security issues. Not trying to defend the whole thing, about this they couldn't do anything. As a french, I really hate Paris, it's overly expensive, no hockey culture, bad choice but there were no other arenas large enough to host the tournament.
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French fans are also disapointed in general. We have a comparision because the final of the french cup is hosted in the same arena every year. They were disapointed for the same point given in this thread. We get pom pom girls, lot of animations in the arena before the game and it seems there is none of that, players just go out and start the game...
Some fans are pissed about the French state which did not allow fan zones. They did it for the football euro but because hockey is not a big sport here they don't want to bother with that.
Prices are also pointed out. When Finland and Sweden, two big hockey countries, were hosting the WC, they spoke about arenas being empty, looks like they didn't made any effort here, price look the same. 8000 people for the France game against Norway while the French Cup sell out this arena a month before...The least expensive seats for team France 39€... For 30€, I got a seat in Bordeaux for first row right in front of the crease a week before the WC with France and Belarus definitive rosters.
Nearly all french fans say they should enjoy this big chance to get the WC but are kinda bittersweet because they expected better, because they attend a better hockey event every year in this arena.
We don't know what is the problem as fans, the French state occupied about the presidential election today, the IIHF which must impose some rules the organiser don't have to deal with usually, or the organizers because holding a 2 week international competition is not the same thing than a one game event. Probably a little of the three combined.
I don't even want to speak about price increase near the arena. In Bordeaux during the euro, the Ibis hostel prices near my place went up being litteraly 2.5 times higher, like all hostels in town. I'm not suprised in the bar price increase near the arena but I can't stop throwing up when hearing this. Don't know if it happens in other countries but I just see a group of vultures.
Some fans are pissed about the French state which did not allow fan zones. They did it for the football euro but because hockey is not a big sport here they don't want to bother with that.
Prices are also pointed out. When Finland and Sweden, two big hockey countries, were hosting the WC, they spoke about arenas being empty, looks like they didn't made any effort here, price look the same. 8000 people for the France game against Norway while the French Cup sell out this arena a month before...The least expensive seats for team France 39€... For 30€, I got a seat in Bordeaux for first row right in front of the crease a week before the WC with France and Belarus definitive rosters.
Nearly all french fans say they should enjoy this big chance to get the WC but are kinda bittersweet because they expected better, because they attend a better hockey event every year in this arena.
We don't know what is the problem as fans, the French state occupied about the presidential election today, the IIHF which must impose some rules the organiser don't have to deal with usually, or the organizers because holding a 2 week international competition is not the same thing than a one game event. Probably a little of the three combined.
I don't even want to speak about price increase near the arena. In Bordeaux during the euro, the Ibis hostel prices near my place went up being litteraly 2.5 times higher, like all hostels in town. I'm not suprised in the bar price increase near the arena but I can't stop throwing up when hearing this. Don't know if it happens in other countries but I just see a group of vultures.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
The French open will have a fan zone and other stuff.
The arena in s nice. But it took some people a long time to get in. I got here at 10 to 11 and did not get to my seat till 5 minutes after the game started
doug88
Registered User
I won't complain since it's a short trip from Switzerland but France just isn't a hockey country. This is insane to host this event in a country which has zero hockey culture. This would be as if the basketball World Cup was held in Switzerland, where nobody cares about that sport. As for the prices, I can't really complain; it's still cheaper than an average NLA game. 
Then I totally understand that France is in a state of emergency but if you don't organize a fan zone, you might as well want to stay locked in your house and don't do anything. Terror attacks can happen anywhere at anytime so fan zone or not, it won't change a thing IMO.
Then I totally understand that France is in a state of emergency but if you don't organize a fan zone, you might as well want to stay locked in your house and don't do anything. Terror attacks can happen anywhere at anytime so fan zone or not, it won't change a thing IMO.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Even the French in the arena are saying the organisers have done little in the way of in house entertainment and making this tourny special in any way
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Btw. As someone who has been in Paris when a state of emergency was actually going on. There is no unusual police or military presence on the street
IDiO
Registered User
- May 6, 2017
- 45
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Then expand it, damn it! How does it help hockey's popularity to just plop some of the world's top teams in a city where nobody even knows that they're there? I'm all for actual expansion of hockey's horizons, but it has to be done in a smart way, not just to put a check mark next to yet another country where IHWC has now also been held. Stupid....
Fanzones are nice in cities where is little to see, like Ostrava in past, or Cologne now, no offence meant, but once you see the Dome your Cologne adventure is over, that's exactly place where such a fanzone might come handy. Honestly don't think someone goes to Paris to spend his time in fanzone but rather uses this opportunity for some sightseeing or whatever else.
I went to eight games and I think I saw about 2 games too where everything was OK. Don't know if I could say the same, had I needed to use the ticket collection point at those games.
8 games wow you are some football fan
Had my tickets ordered directly from uefa so no collection point necessary, food & beer okay, security checks fast, they even turned their heads other way when smoking in no smoking area, intetaction with oppoment fans also trouble free, so all was good. Endless police maneuvers but that's quite understandable, we live in turbulent times, no complaints whatsoever.
Vipers31
Advanced Stagnostic
Count yourself lucky you were sorted into our group.
Germany is definitely a beer country, and Cologne would have a solid claim at being the beer capital. Not because of the beer itself (I like it, but more often than not, I prefer a Bavarian Helles), but because of the way beer drinking is rooted in our entire culture. There's these mini-supermarkets selling beer on every corner until pretty late at night, and you can drink outside everywhere. Every few years, some politicians get the idea to do something about it, but at the latest the courts more or less politely tell them to **** off, because drinking in public areas is part of the culture here.
Nino33
Registered User
- Jul 5, 2015
- 1,828
- 441
You didn't answer where you got the 80K number from...
