Did you enjoy the tournament without NHLers?

[sandysan]

How did it favor Russia? They had 5 candidates banned! The whole distraction with bans, doping controversy, extra checks, being stripped of your flag and anthem... I don't see much favoritism!

It WAS a 2nd rate tournament. Russia brought a 2nd rate team, most other countries including Canada and US brought a worse team than 2nd rate. They didn't take the tournament as seriously (as even Germany) and lost.

Maybe next time they should bring a better team. The way it stands right now is: outside of NHL, Russia is best. If some don't like it, it's their problem to bring a better team and prove otherwise.

outside of players with nhl contracts, which excludes the AHL.

But go ahead and crow about the KHL being the next best league outside of the nhl, but please mind the gap ( psssssst it's huge)

 

[Daeni10]

As a German I obviously enjoyed the tournament and I would have enjoyed it even more if we didnt manage to f*** this up in the final, that being said I am well aware that the only reason we got to the final was because there were no NHL players. When I watch the olympics I wanna see the best players going head to head. I wanna see our German players going up against the best in the world and not against Canadas R team. So yeah I enjoyed it but I probably wouldn't have watched if not for Germany making a run and I would be more than happy to see NHL players attending in 2022

 

[Jez]

I enjoyed watching Germany do so well and the genuine excitement of the players. That was the one big positive for me. I was really surprised by the overall poor level of play of most teams whilst a team like Sweden was still reluctant to play a guy like Dahlin! I'm now convinced that the gap between the NHL and the European leagues is understated if anything.

It was (once again) a hard tournament to be a USA Hockey fan. The management there seems to be doing everything they can to disappoint the fans when it comes to building the senior men's team. I think if the last few years have proven one thing in the NHL it's that talent is much more important than age and experience.

Not only was there the constant "what if" question hovering over the entire tournament (Gaudreau, Matthews, Kane, Eichel, Wheeler...) but the product on the ice was disappointing too. Terry and Donato were dominant and proved that genuine NHL prospects are better players than many of the vets who ply their trades in the SHL, KHL and NLA. If only USAH had brought players like Gaudette, Fox, Schuldt and Brickley it could have made that US roster much better and much easier to root for.

Hopefully the NHL and the NHLPA reach an agreement to add olympic participation back into the next CBA but if they don't I really hope that teams privilege youth and talent before any other intangible qualities.

 

[DetroitRed]

It would have been great if the tournament had included no former or current professional players.

 

[Spirit of 67]

I don't really care about the Olympics. When the NHL players are there, it's just a best on best tournament.

So I enjoyed the NHL without the Olympic interruption.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

I watched all the games by team Finland. During all the games i had this thought; "Yeah, it's nice if they win but if i don't care if they lose"

Team Finland losing usually makes me angry. Sad. Something. Didn't do anything for me this time.

 

[dr robbie]

I had zero interest in it without the NHL players so I didn't even turn on a single game.

 

[Zaddy]

Didn't watch a single minute of it. The World Championships tend to be uninteresting but at least it has some draw due to the few NHLers that actually go, but the Olympics without a single NHLer? Zero interest.

 

[jj cale]

There was still some decent games to watch with good excitement but the downgrade in play was obvious 5 minutes into watching the first game.

No NHL players took a terrible toll on the quality of what we got to watch, that was really dissapointing.

Looking forward to this years skoda cup because the level of play will be much higher.

This was a C-D level tournament in terms of talent level and it showed.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

This tournament had the same effect as if the NHL ever used AHL/ECHL players to fill in if there was a strike/lockout. It's still hockey, but sure as heck not at the same level we're used to.

 

[Pilky01]

Where is the option for 'about the same'?

I have no strong preference. This tournament, and especially Canada's semi, the bronze and the gold medal game were all wildly entertaining. More so than anything we saw at the lock-down Sochi games.

 

[Rob]

Didn't watch a minute of Canada's games. It was just too depressing.

 

[NSHPreds1835]

Didn't pay much attention to the men's tournament. I watched the US beat Slovakia and that was it, was actually more interested in seeing the US women play this time around.

 

[Sticksandsun]

This poll is closer than expected

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

It was definitely a 2nd rate tournament that favoured Russia. From the start I thought that they would win and I don't think that thought was any kind of stretch at all amongst hockey fans.

That being said it was still interesting to follow & I still enjoyed it as a hockey fan. I voted the middle option.

 

[HanSolo]

Not even kind of a little

 

[helax]

Either best on best with the NHL included or amateur only would be my preference.

Frankly, I think the later would be more interesting overall.

Amateur only does not exist anymore, it just a great memory from the past.

 

[1Gold Standard]

I only watched 1 period of a Team Canada opening round game ...I can't really remember who the opponent was..so, I guess that means I wasn't all that impressed.

 

[SirKillalot]

It was definitely a 2nd rate tournament that favoured Russia. From the start I thought that they would win and I don't think that thought was any kind of stretch at all amongst hockey fans.

That being said it was still interesting to follow & I still enjoyed it as a hockey fan. I voted the middle option.

I feel the argument with the NHL is the same. It would be a 1st rate tournament that favoures Canada and everyone would think they would win and it wouldn't be any kind of stretch at all among hockey fans.

So whether it's a 1st rate or 2nd rate. I agree with your second paragraph to a certain degree. The annoying part for us from Europe is that a lot of the games were around 4am+, which is the worst time and makes the games less enjoying. Because "no one" will go to bed early to watch a lot of games at that hour. Later games were better, but also collided with events were our nations had gold favorites/outsiders. Also why western teams in the NHL don't have that many fans compared to other teams, because of the time issue. Easier for most to watch that 1am game with a "power nap" than going to bed at 9-10 pm.

 

[rt]

Didn't watch a shift. What's the point? I wouldn't watch an ECHL game either.

 

[rt]

The U20 WJCs are the Hockey Olympics.

 

[RandV]

I caught the second and third last Canada game, and the Russia-Germany final. Did enjoy it overall as a change of pace but not as much as if NHL players were involved. My last impression of the semi-finals game was that while some guys were fun to watch and I don't want to take anything away from the players but it was kind of painful seeing guys like Raymond, Vey, and Ebbett out there when we needed offense.

 

[Yakushev72]

The best part of the Olympics was the sheer emotion and tears of overwhelming joy that flowed down the faces not only of every Russian fan, but the players as well. Particularly when they joined with the fans, tears of joy streaming down their faces, and sang the "forbidden" National Anthem of Rossiya in unison with their fans to shout their victory to the top of the arena. It was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishing something really special, from their perches on top of the hockey mountain as kings of the sport!

 

[DFAC]

Nope, enjoy the free gold medal Russia

 

[bsu]

First Olympics I watched more womens than men hockey.