Does this tournament mean anything to Russia?

[Atas2000]

Nope. CSKA and SKA wouldnt waste money on, nor give precious ice time to foreigners if that was the case.

Both teams are stacked with talent due to tons of money and a dick measuring contest between Sechin and Miller.

I highly doubt Sechin and Miller have an idea about hockey.

 

[ovikovy817]

That sleepless night was worth it. What a game, with a lot of emotions. And sport is about that

 

[stampedingviking]

Because best on best matters more?

Why though?

You still have players representing their country. The only reason would be because of the name on the back of the shirt.

 

[stampedingviking]

Most of the posts are just arguing with that Viking poster who keeps making sweeping statements about North Americans

Because North Americans are acting butt hurt because their darling, superior players aren't there, thus almost guaranteeing them a gold medal. It's not hard to understand.

 

[LiveeviL]

Good for Russia, totally deserved it. Sure there was no NHL-players present, but it is what it is. It is an Olympic gold, no denying.
Also good for Germany, I hope hockey get more promotion in Germany by this and the country takes another stride up.

 

[Zaar]

Wohoo! The olympic gold medal in ice hockey is won by the russians and comes home to Moscow! Finally!​

More to Sankt Peterburg than Moscow I'd say

 

[JackSlater]

Because North Americans are acting butt hurt because their darling, superior players aren't there, thus almost guaranteeing them a gold medal. It's not hard to understand.

Are you going to get around to explaining why Canadians never valued the 1950s and earlier Olympic medals very much, or why USA barely mentions the 1960 medal? I'm still quite curious how you explain that since it demonstrates how idiotic your theory is.

 

[canuck2010]

Are you going to get around to explaining why Canadians never valued the 1950s and earlier Olympic medals very much, or why USA barely mentions the 1960 medal? I'm still quite curious how you explain that since it demonstrates how idiotic your theory is.

How about the Olympic gold that Great Britain gets credit for?

I mentioned in another post that Olympic and World Championship hockey has a long and crooked past. The only value I ascribe to pre Nagano games is the work and dedication that each and every athlete put in to get there.

In another thread, a Russian hockey supporter made claims that the Canada Cup was a fixed tournament and not a true best on best. That's fine, it means that the Soviets, the Russians whatever have never once won a best on best hockey tournament ever.

Having said all of this. There was a hockey competition that a team from Russia won. No more no less.

 

[JackSlater]

How about the Olympic gold that Great Britain gets credit for?

I mentioned in another post that Olympic and World Championship hockey has a long and crooked past. The only value I ascribe to pre Nagano games is the work and dedication that each and every athlete put in to get there.

In another thread, a Russian hockey supporter made claims that the Canada Cup was a fixed tournament and not a true best on best. That's fine, it means that the Soviets, the Russians whatever have never once won a best on best hockey tournament ever.

Having said all of this. There was a hockey competition that a team from Russia won. No more no less.

There is decent value at some of the pre-1998 tournaments, particularly those in the 1970s and 1980s when at the very least the Soviets and Czechs (later Sweden too) had world class teams with world class players. Of course generally in Canada very little value is placed in the earlier tournaments, despite Canada dominating them, given that none of the world's best players were there and the level of the opposition was so low. It is quite bizarre though that some people cannot comprehend the idea that not everyone puts significant intrinsic value in the Olympic hockey tournament (or the World Championships). You can explain the reasons, give examples but they will be ignored in favour of theorizing on some grand Canadian conspiracy. It's like coming in and declaring that Europeans actually don't care about the tournament (when clearly they do) and declaring it some big lie almost all of them participate in.

 

[canuck2010]

There is decent value at some of the pre-1998 tournaments, particularly those in the 1970s and 1980s when at the very least the Soviets and Czechs (later Sweden too) had world class teams with world class players. Of course generally in Canada very little value is placed in the earlier tournaments, despite Canada dominating them, given that none of the world's best players were there and the level of the opposition was so low. It is quite bizarre though that some people cannot comprehend the idea that not everyone puts significant intrinsic value in the Olympic hockey tournament (or the World Championships). You can explain the reasons, give examples but they will be ignored in favour of theorizing on some grand Canadian conspiracy. It's like coming in and declaring that Europeans actually don't care about the tournament (when clearly they do) and declaring it some big lie almost all of them participate in.

Revisionist history I guess.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Because North Americans are acting butt hurt because their darling, superior players aren't there, thus almost guaranteeing them a gold medal. It's not hard to understand.

We just don’t care as much when it’s not best on best. It has nothing to do with the medals. Many people have explained that to you.

 

[jj cale]

Russia easily had the best team here and it showed.

Sure., it was a c-d level tournament and winning it doesn't mean very much if anything at all but everyone still wanted to win it and they did.

They will cheer and stomp their feet. to be expected.

 

[jj cale]

Well, they are all pro. However, they have always been high up when they participate with a superior roster. Saying, "well we are playing on equal terms", fully knowing that there are ten times more arenas in one city over there than entire countries over here. Always saying "we got so much depth we can play with our K team". And now, when they played with their K team or maybe a team even outside the alphabet, it's not worth something because they can't play their superior roster.

Every tournament you play, it's best available. It's not "best vs. best". Even so, Canada was seen as arguably the 2nd best team in the tournament (At least by European media, with Sweden, Finland and the US being among that group behind Russia who were favorites). They got upset. Huge upset. They should have no business being outside the final. It's a failure. It's a failure that counts no matter how much they try saying it doesn't. A bigger failure than losing in 1998 and 2006.

It's a failure i suppose but a failure 99% of Canadians don't care about in the least. I can't find a single person talking about it here, everyone knows it was a c level or worse tournament.

This attitude would never be if the NHL guys were there, the best players. If Canadas best had lost to germany in a semi final game at the olympics heads would be rolling.

But this?................................people forgot about it an hour after it happened.

I know you are trying to spin this as a great tournament but Canadians aren't stupid you know, they know it isn't.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Would Russians regard a tournament that had (for whatever reasons) no KHL players as legitimate?

 

[snipes]

Why though?

You still have players representing their country. The only reason would be because of the name on the back of the shirt.

No the reason it matters is because it’s the best players in the world playing the sport against other best players from a nation. It’s the highest level of competition.

Not really a complicated concept as to why best on best matters more.

Nonetheless, not Russia’s fault the NHL was dumb and didn’t allow their players to go and congrats to Russia on the win in a great gold medal game.

 

[urgen]

Does this tournament mean anything to Russia?

yes it did

 

[JackSlater]

Would Russians regard a tournament that had (for whatever reasons) no KHL players as legitimate?

Somewhat tangential, but I do recall some people (you can guess the countries of origin) saying that the 2016 World Cup was worthless etc. because they mistakenly believed that the tournament would only have NHLers and thus no KHL content. Of course that tournament was worthless, but that wasn't the reason.

In any event, we do have an answer to the question posed in the OP, though that answer was clear from the start. For those who enjoy the tournament for what it is, enjoy.

 

[Fantomas]

The World Cup was actually a lot of fun until the latter stages of the tournament which were boring. And of course it has no prestige at all.

 

[Incognito]

I think Russians are more than capable of celebrating their win while at the same time seeing this tournament for what it is. I doubt that there are any Russians out there who will view the results of this tournament as proof that they are the best country in the world at hockey. Otherwise, you’d see Germans claiming that they’re a close second in world hockey superiority.

 

[Zine]

I think Russians are more than capable of celebrating their win while at the same time seeing this tournament for what it is. I doubt that there are any Russians out there who will view the results of this tournament as proof that they are the best country in the world at hockey. Otherwise, you’d see Germans claiming that they’re a close second in world hockey superiority.

This is very astute. Well said.

The general Russian populace is ignorant to the fact, but Russian hockey fans know very well that this victory isn't proof that we're best. Nonethesless, it doesn't stop us from celebrating because Olympic competition is a big deal, NHL or no NHL participation.

 

[Yakushev72]

There is decent value at some of the pre-1998 tournaments, particularly those in the 1970s and 1980s when at the very least the Soviets and Czechs (later Sweden too) had world class teams with world class players. Of course generally in Canada very little value is placed in the earlier tournaments, despite Canada dominating them, given that none of the world's best players were there and the level of the opposition was so low. It is quite bizarre though that some people cannot comprehend the idea that not everyone puts significant intrinsic value in the Olympic hockey tournament (or the World Championships). You can explain the reasons, give examples but they will be ignored in favour of theorizing on some grand Canadian conspiracy. It's like coming in and declaring that Europeans actually don't care about the tournament (when clearly they do) and declaring it some big lie almost all of them participate in.

I can understand why Canadians and Americans are not going to be attracted to an Olympic tournament where their odds of success are small, but why is it such a prime emotional need to try to bring the Russians and others down by enforcing your standards to belittle the tournament? Why not just not watch, and not lose a lot of pubic hair over it by making a great effort to think of various rationales for devaluing it? Where does all that get you? Every Canadian knew that the NHL was going to boycott the Olympics, so why have a baby over it? Accept the reality of it!

This Olympic Gold will have a very positive value for Russian hockey, because kids will focus on heroes who overcame all the negative branding that came with the doping stuff, which largely didn't affect hockey, and won a Gold Medal to make Russians proud. TV will be covered with images of the celebration and the medal ceremony. It was also a substantial boost for the prestige of the Russian-based KHL, whose player were most visible throughout the tournament. People around the World will want to know more about not just Datsyuk and Kovalchuk, but young stars like Gusev, Kaprizov, and Gavrikov. Also, this should give German hockey a big boost, and if the Deutschland ever started building rinks and training coaches, look out World! North American hockey didn't get much out of the Olympics, but Russia and Europe certainly did!

 

[Jussi]

The World Cup was actually a lot of fun until the latter stages of the tournament which were boring. And of course it has no prestige at all.

No it wasn't.

 

[BMann]

Face the facts. Russia has another gold medal in Olympic ice hockey. Simple as that. And as the Soviet Union too when all the players barring players like Balderis, Kasparaitis and Petrenko were Russian too. Ditto for the CIS/EUN team.

The arguments coming in to try and denigrate this are comical. Extrapolating it to other sports one might as well tell all World Cup winners in football until the eighties that their wins are meaningless because the strength of global competition was poor. In particular the pre World War Two tournaments where there were very few entrants. Or indeed tell NZ their rugby World Cup win in 1987 by extension due to the lack of depth among competing teams.

 

[Vladnyc]

Would Russians regard a tournament that had (for whatever reasons) no KHL players as legitimate?

By tournament do you mean the Olympics? Then yes, always.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Face the facts. Russia has another gold medal in Olympic ice hockey. Simple as that. And as the Soviet Union too when all the players barring players like Balderis, Kasparaitis and Petrenko were Russian too. Ditto for the CIS/EUN team.

The arguments coming in to try and denigrate this are comical. Extrapolating it to other sports one might as well tell all World Cup winners in football until the eighties that their wins are meaningless because the strength of global competition was poor. In particular the pre World War Two tournaments where there were very few entrants. Or indeed tell NZ their rugby World Cup win in 1987 by extension due to the lack of depth among competing teams.

Tell Canadians that their 1952 and earlier golds aren't as meaningful as 2002, 2010 and 2014. And they'd agree.