Exceptional Status - McDavid WC 2016
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Smart Alek
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2002
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What would be the impetus/motivation for doing so?
Team North America is playing in the same tournament, isn't it? It's not like they are different levels of play.
Besides, who wouldn't want to see a line featuring McDavid, Gaudreau, and MacKinnon. That'd have a touch of zip.
Actually, I'd go so far as to say, without reservation, it'd by downright zippy.
That's right... I said it.
(clearly, this whole Trump phenomenon has emboldened me)
Team North America is playing in the same tournament, isn't it? It's not like they are different levels of play.
Besides, who wouldn't want to see a line featuring McDavid, Gaudreau, and MacKinnon. That'd have a touch of zip.
Actually, I'd go so far as to say, without reservation, it'd by downright zippy.
That's right... I said it.
(clearly, this whole Trump phenomenon has emboldened me)
1Gold Standard
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- Jun 13, 2012
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let's say for the sake of argument all USA U24 players (Eichel, Gaudreau, Larkin and Matthews) all play in this year's World Hockey Championship and play well...the U.S. reaches the Gold Medal game or, heaven forbid, wins it... against Canada. Ouch! I'll be pissed, but how pissed is USAH going to be in September when some of their best players won't be available due to these ridiculous and idiotic gimmicks? I'd say plenty pissed. The NHL really sandbagged USAH on this one...and that is surprising considering the NHL is motivated to "grow the game" in the U.S.
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Connor McDavid is basicly the North America team... theyre only chance to surprise... take him away from there and you got nothing left
Sure why not? They made up this gimmicky rules so I did not see any reason why not to change them. It is exhibition tourney after all.
habsrule4eva3089
Registered User
- Nov 22, 2008
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Players that hate each other on the same team, what a good idea, I hope McDavid accidently hits eichel to prove a point. What other sport league would even consider putting two countries together, just the sheer stupidity you must have to think of such an idiotic idea. What a dumb league.
Smart Alek
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- Jul 13, 2002
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Do you actually feel the fierce nationalism you suggest these players do? Do you think a guy from Vancouver necessarily feel a closer kinship to a guy from northern Manitoba vs. a guy from Portland? I dunno, I think the vast majority of hockey players get along pretty great, and actually feel as though they're in a type of brotherly fraternity with each other, and that they're more or less above petty nationalism.
Brad Marchand excluded on all counts, of course.
Sometimes I wonder if 'purists' ever experience epiphanies, where in a single moment they suddenly realize that sports themselves are gimmicks. That the rules weren't handed down from an omniscient creator, but instead spit-balled notions of the "how long should they have to sit out for... one minute? Two?" variety. And that along with the rules, the formats we have for tournaments, like the one we're discussing here, were just arbitrarily thought up by a couple guys one day.
Continuing my fantasy, I imagine that they'd come to understand that viewing professional sports is actually a very childish, silly activity... but sounding righteously indignant regarding a need for maintaining the traditions thereof is infinitely more so.
(And nobody take offense at the 'childish' part... there's nothing wrong with enjoying a childish escape like hockey. But taking it seriously is senseless... and pretty 'gosh darn' offensive from some perspectives.)
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1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
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While I agree the gimmicky teams were/are a stupid idea. your suggestion that one intentionally hurt the other to prove a point is what I would describe as the definition of beyond the pale sheer stupidity... in fact it is probably more disgusting than it is stupid.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
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Any chance they'll grant McDavid exceptional status and let him play for Canada instead of the North American team?
No, USA already asked for an exemption and was denied. The tournament is a farce. Incredibly, Renney was actually in favour of the incredibly stupid Young Gunz. What an idiot.
I did not really understand what is a point in your post. Maybe because I am not native speaker.
Of course fans should not take sports really seriously because it is not what matters at this world although as a hobby it is great and everybody should enjoy what he wants and likes.But there should be some rules. When it is international competition it should be about NT and not some mix NT, club ( Europe leftovers) and NT from another level of international hockey. That strange mix of teams take any relevance of tourney.
The u23 team is an abomination but I don't think McDavid would make team Canada anyway. Only McKinnon and Ekblad would have a shot imo.
It's team USA that is getting seriously sabotaged by this horrible idea.
It's team USA that is getting seriously sabotaged by this horrible idea.
As much as I wish we could have McDavid, no there's not a chance. US already asked for Eichel, the U24 management asked for older goalie, all with the same result. I think that from this point of view it's good to not do any exceptions.
I'm highly turned on for the U24 team though. As a definite fan of NA style of hockey over the european, as a definite fan of NHL ice, rules and referees over the european ones, and when the US is my 2nd favorite national team, I will be a BIG fan of this team when playing Russia, Finland, and Sweden
I'm highly turned on for the U24 team though. As a definite fan of NA style of hockey over the european, as a definite fan of NHL ice, rules and referees over the european ones, and when the US is my 2nd favorite national team, I will be a BIG fan of this team when playing Russia, Finland, and Sweden
McDavid is already better than MacKinnon, I don't know why MacK would have a better chance now, especially considering his off side is RW (stacked with Seguin, Stamkos, Perry, Bergeron), while McDavid's off side is LW (could play there over Duchene).
Maybe Ekblad is already on that level I don't know, but I don't really think he would make the team. On the other hand, it means that potentially 7 players or so could make either Team Canada or Team USA? That speaks for a strong line-up for the U24 squad then.
Maybe Ekblad is already on that level I don't know, but I don't really think he would make the team. On the other hand, it means that potentially 7 players or so could make either Team Canada or Team USA? That speaks for a strong line-up for the U24 squad then.
tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
Smart Alek
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- Jul 13, 2002
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I did not really understand what is a point in your post. Maybe because I am not native speaker.
Well, I just appreciate that you tried. Thank you. I'll keep your 'English as a 2nd language' status in mind with my response.
Well, we agree on the issue that matters. But that places you (and I) in a small minority of the type of people who want to post on boards like this.
And here we disagree... oh well.
My main point was that since any rules were just 'made up' by somebody some time back, I don't really care if the people who set up tournaments change the rules in any way. If I don't end up liking new formats, I simply won't watch. But I won't considering them 'wrong' or 'stupid' for changing things that really don't matter in the first place.
ADDED LATER: Actually, to be honest, I LOVE both the idea of a 'Young Guns' team & the European team. The 'Young Guns' because often young players are passed over only because of 'seniority'... I can't wait to see how they perform against the older, more internationally experienced players. Also, I think it will be really neat to see what kind of gameplan & strategies they come up with (I'd really like to see them win, too). And I think the European team is a great idea, because usually in international tournaments, you have one of two problems. Either you have a bunch of teams (like Germany) who aren't really good enough to compete with the top teams, or you have players who don't get to play because their country doesn't have enough good players (a good enough team). With this format, you get all the positives, and remove the negatives. I think it's brilliant! I understand why it wouldn't work for the Olympics, but for a 'random' tournament like the World Cup, which has used different formats almost every time it's been held, I'm glad they're tinkering with it to make it as exciting as possible, with no boring games that draw only a few hundred fans, but still having all the best players showing up.
Maybe I just like the changes because they're the type I would have made if I were in charge. Have to be honest here.
By the way, on the topic of changes and such, I feel I can offer some insight(s) into the NHL that some of you may find interesting. Others will find the following completely obvious... but at the very least, I can offer some official (while technically completely unofficial) confirmations here. Note: I speak as somebody who worked for many years with the NHL on the video game series, though it has been quite a while (and D.R., should you still be there: If somebody (who is literate) there reads this out to you, FYI: I'm out of the industry... so it's pointless to try to identify & blackball me... lol):
The NHL will always try to appeal to the 'average fan', not the purists. They feel that the people who would be upset by changes like these (the purists) are going to watch anyways. So ultimately, they're going to make whatever changes they think will bring in more 'average', or 'casual' fans. Also, there are way, way more 'casual fans' than purists, and the way they see it, the purists are always going to be mad about something anyways, so their complaints are basically disregarded (and often a source of mirth). And if you're wondering who the purists (probably) are, there's an easy way to tell: If you have an account at hfboards.com, or you've ever complained to the NHL about ANYTHING, you probably are one, and honestly, the NHL just doesn't care a lick what you think. That is why the marketing department is the most important department for the league (or the video game maker), because they need to go out and ask 'average fans' what they want to see (average fans don't go out of their way to tell them). I won't argue that's right or wrong, but it does make a sort of business-sense, for what is, after all, a business. That said, I'm more of a Sanders guy.
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Crosbyfan
Walter Gretzky was a great Ukrainian Canadian
- Nov 27, 2003
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Oddly enough the gimmick just might work for the NHL, with a lot of focus on NA U24. They should not have any misgivings playing against their countries, since really, Team Canada O23 and Team USA O23 don't fully represent their countries anyway.
I agree with SmartAlek, the NHL is definitely more "casual"fan-oriented in this, and I'm pretty sure that this type of people won't really care about Slovakia not being there.
habsrule4eva3089
Registered User
- Nov 22, 2008
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The nhl has one purpose and one purpose only. To grow the game in the United States of America. That's its sole mission for existance.
This will attract some viewers there that don't know squat of Hockey. This isn't an international tournament. Just to get them more $ in the US of A in the future and Canada with the tournament.
The nhl like some of their fans, don't understand that Hockey is a Global game apart from the Centre of planet earth with North America, so this tournament caters to all those who bash the Worlds and can't bother to watch Olympic Hockey because the nhl shuts down. So pretty much casual viewers and non knowledgeable Hockey fans.
But then again, the viewership for this tournament will be a complete failure. And we can laugh of it once it's here. I just hope Canada loses early so the arena can be empty for the final and we can laugh about it more.
This will attract some viewers there that don't know squat of Hockey. This isn't an international tournament. Just to get them more $ in the US of A in the future and Canada with the tournament.
The nhl like some of their fans, don't understand that Hockey is a Global game apart from the Centre of planet earth with North America, so this tournament caters to all those who bash the Worlds and can't bother to watch Olympic Hockey because the nhl shuts down. So pretty much casual viewers and non knowledgeable Hockey fans.
But then again, the viewership for this tournament will be a complete failure. And we can laugh of it once it's here. I just hope Canada loses early so the arena can be empty for the final and we can laugh about it more.
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Actually it's way more interesting to see guys like McDavid and company playing for a different team.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Smart Alek
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2002
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Are you just trying to make a cheap, easy, intellectually dishonest point, or do you actually believe that the quality of hockey will be similar to a boring, no-effort exhibition game.
If anything, I expect fans to worry that their favorite team's players are trying too hard, and opening themselves up to potentially serious injuries.
Unfortunately, cheap, easy, intellectually dishonest points represent the majority of opinions on the internet... so I'm not optimistic.
Else, I'd be curious if you can come up with a single good reason why. Again, I'm not getting my hopes up.
