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Has your stance on the World Cup changed for the better?

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Howboutthempanthers said:
It's a lot more to it than that.
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Meh trying out some lines and giving the stars a skate but the only people really going are the ones scared of not making the teams and the ones trying to make it.

More likely for your star to be injured when he's playing half speed getting hit by some goon trying to make the team than your star in a tourney actually trying playing against other mostly skilled people.

Better as a warmup too. The guys will be used to real hockey before the season starts. Sure your teams won't be able to blend lines for whatever small portion of players you miss for the START of training camp if they go far into the cup.

Maybe if it's a new coach or a player on a new team missing the training camp would suck for learning systems but that's an even fewer amount of players
 
Penosity said:
Team NA has made this a great tourney.
The rest hasn't been very exciting.
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This. Professional hockey is so over-coached (towards defensive systems and the "safe" play) that it is less enjoyable watching most games.

Team NA appears to bring the creative offense that makes hockey worth watching, for me. Sad that Ekblad is out, wondering if they beat Russia with him in the lineup.
 
Seanaconda said:
Meh trying out some lines and giving the stars a skate but the only people really going are the ones scared of not making the teams and the ones trying to make it.

More likely for your star to be injured when he's playing half speed getting hit by some goon trying to make the team than your star in a tourney actually trying playing against other mostly skilled people.

Better as a warmup too. The guys will be used to real hockey before the season starts. Sure your teams won't be able to blend lines for whatever small portion of players you miss for the START of training camp if they go far into the cup.

Maybe if it's a new coach or a player on a new team missing the training camp would suck for learning systems but that's an even fewer amount of players
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Say what you will, but this is not better for teams to have their players playing in this tournament. It's still a lot better for the team to have all of their players in training camp than to have some of their players missing the majority of it.
All I care about is what's best for my NHL team. If this tournament has no affect on my team's NHL season, then I don't care either way what happens here. I'll watch the hockey if it's good, but not much more I'll get out of it than that.
 
Howboutthempanthers said:
Say what you will, but this is not better for teams to have their players playing in this tournament. It's still a lot better for the team to have all of their players in training camp than to have some of their players missing the majority of it.
All I care about is what's best for my NHL team. If this tournament has no affect on my team's NHL season, then I don't care either way what happens here. I'll watch the hockey if it's good, but not much more I'll get out of it than that.
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Let's see how the players that played in it start the season. But anyways better to get injured now than in the middle of the season at the Olympics
 
Hutton said:
After watching some of the games I've done a complete 180.

Initially I viewed the World Cup reincarnation as a money-grab All-Star esque tournament but that's not the case anymore as games with Europe and NA U23 have been fantastic.

Team USA's roster decisions is a downer but that's it.



Also, does anyone know what kind of monetary incentives the players are getting for cutting their summer break?
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yah I thought it was the dumbest thing ever, but now i love it, not really because of the uniqueness with the weirdo teams but just damn good hockey...ive missed that so much
 
Great entertainment ! I like the youngsters.
I am less happy about team Europe.
I regret Switzerland is not their as a nation, with this type of hockey, the players of our league wouldn't have looked out of place at all. Fast and gritty with limited physicality.

As long as it doesn't challenge IIHF and Olympics. NHL is not an international league. It is a privately owned very lucrative business.
(here we have an opposition of style ... the US is privately owned corporation driven while the rest of the world is more socialist in style meaning that these things should be organised by public owned organisations. We see as a need that the money made on these opportunities serve to finance youth and development and ... and... ... and structurally ... not on will ! )

Actually it turned into something that is more than a way to heat up and start of season, so we will have to see how the team's owners react onto the impact it will have on their best players ;-) ... !
 
ESPN is far worse than I expected. Ice level volume is too low, the play by play guys are boring, and Barry Melrose is annoying as hell.

As for the games themselves, only the NA-Russia game has had any intensity and emotion. Expect USA-Canada to be the same tonight but the other games for the most part have had as much intensity and emotion as regular season games in January.
 
Posted this in the USA thread...I was originally "anti-tournament, this is stupid", but I took a chance to go up for the weekend to catch the USA Europe game and see TO again.

Ok I went to the tournament this weekend and would like to share my thoughts:

1) Above everything, Toronto is an amazing city. Visit. Visit. Visit. I've been 3 times now, wonderful helpful people, safe city, such a livable city. Probably my favorite city in NA.
-Go to Real Sports bar and grill, it reminds me of the old ESPN zone in Baltimore, just better food and no like batting cages or any games like that lol.

2) I ran into Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on the street, great guys. I was in Sportchek (Canadian equivalent to Modell's in the USA) and Corey Perry walked in for a free signing and meet and greet. I am NOT a Corey Perry fan on the ice, but the line was like 4 people long after we checked out, so me and my buddies met him, took a pic with him and wished him luck on Tuesday (i'm in a USA hockey shirt) and I will say Mr. Perry is a wonderful person and really nice to his fans. I collect memorabilia and go to a lot of public signings, and Corey was nice to everyone who crossed his path.

3) I met so many wonderful hockey fans, I HATE this format, I come from a very soccer background of thinking that qualification is necessary for major tournaments. I'm all for breaking up Team Europe and letting their original countries challenge to qualify somehow, hell I've worked in European Governments, Team Europe doesn't even speak the same language and is not the same culturally, the team purely from a foundation standpoint doesnt make sense.

As for Team NA, all of those kids obviously would rather be playing for USA or Canada. Should have let the US and Canada have first pick, and then let Team NA submit a roster. But I understand the team would have been a lot less talented if McDavid, Eichel and Johnny Hockey are with Canada and the USA.

4) It may have been Canada, but this weekend was a reminder that hockey is alive and well in North America. I met great people from every part of the globe, it was especially nice sharing a beer or two with fellow American fans who share the same passion I do for the crest. If you saw or talked to a mid-20's Italian-American wearing a JvR 2014 Sochi jersey, that was me!
 
good entertainment but the results hardly matter.

Im more worried about players of my NHL team not getting hurt or burnt out just before the season.

The big 3 showdown is going to take a lot out of the players involved especially if it gets chippy.

national pride is hardly at stake when everything is mish mashed.
 
No, not really. The hockey has been really good just as expected. But that's all it is, and doesn't feel like a true World Cup. There is absolutely no emotional investment from a nationalistic perspective. It's somewhere in between the Olympics and the World Championships, and I'd say closer to the latter.

I'll take this hockey over pre-season hockey any day, but I'm crossing my fingers none of the Leafs get injured.
 
usahockey22flyers said:
Posted this in the USA thread...I was originally "anti-tournament, this is stupid", but I took a chance to go up for the weekend to catch the USA Europe game and see TO again.

Ok I went to the tournament this weekend and would like to share my thoughts:

1) Above everything, Toronto is an amazing city. Visit. Visit. Visit. I've been 3 times now, wonderful helpful people, safe city, such a livable city. Probably my favorite city in NA.
-Go to Real Sports bar and grill, it reminds me of the old ESPN zone in Baltimore, just better food and no like batting cages or any games like that lol.

2) I ran into Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on the street, great guys. I was in Sportchek (Canadian equivalent to Modell's in the USA) and Corey Perry walked in for a free signing and meet and greet. I am NOT a Corey Perry fan on the ice, but the line was like 4 people long after we checked out, so me and my buddies met him, took a pic with him and wished him luck on Tuesday (i'm in a USA hockey shirt) and I will say Mr. Perry is a wonderful person and really nice to his fans. I collect memorabilia and go to a lot of public signings, and Corey was nice to everyone who crossed his path.

3) I met so many wonderful hockey fans, I HATE this format, I come from a very soccer background of thinking that qualification is necessary for major tournaments. I'm all for breaking up Team Europe and letting their original countries challenge to qualify somehow, hell I've worked in European Governments, Team Europe doesn't even speak the same language and is not the same culturally, the team purely from a foundation standpoint doesnt make sense.

As for Team NA, all of those kids obviously would rather be playing for USA or Canada. Should have let the US and Canada have first pick, and then let Team NA submit a roster. But I understand the team would have been a lot less talented if McDavid, Eichel and Johnny Hockey are with Canada and the USA.

4) It may have been Canada, but this weekend was a reminder that hockey is alive and well in North America. I met great people from every part of the globe, it was especially nice sharing a beer or two with fellow American fans who share the same passion I do for the crest. If you saw or talked to a mid-20's Italian-American wearing a JvR 2014 Sochi jersey, that was me!
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As someone who's proud to call Toronto home, I'm glad you enjoyed your stay and thank you for the kind words!

You're absolutely right about Team Europe. I've been going back and forth on this but you're 100% right (and thank you for reminding me about something I already know and should not have forgotten), the Team Europe team just doesn't make sense.
 
Hopefully the calibre of play will make the IOC realize that Olympic hockey without NHLers would be a major mistake.
 
holy smokes this tourney (largely due to Team NA U23) puts it only below the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in entertainment factor for the last 6 years!

Never seen better hockey on the international stage since 2010
 
Tournament was and still is a money grab. Obviously hockey was going to be good

Only thing I looked forward to was seeing how the ratings were with hockey back on ESPN, and it was a complete failure.

Best part of the tournament so far is Phil Kessel's tweet.
 
Hutton said:
holy smokes this tourney (largely due to Team NA U23) puts it only below the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in entertainment factor for the last 6 years!

Never seen better hockey on the international stage since 2010
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A couple of WJC tournaments, maybe. But it's definitely the best men's tournament. Maybe since 1996.
 
I'm really enjoying the Europe team, and I love the premise of it. It's a good way to tighten up the tournament and to have 8 really good squads.

The NA team was as exciting as advertised, but I thought for sure they would get scored on a lot more. I figured the forwards would do well, but the real miracle there is that the defense held their own against veterans. So I guess the NA team is a good idea too.
 
Mr Positive said:
The NA team was as exciting as advertised, but I thought for sure they would get scored on a lot more. I figured the forwards would do well, but the real miracle there is that the defense held their own against veterans. So I guess the NA team is a good idea too.
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They didn't let in a power play goal all tournament.
 
tmlms13 said:
Tournament was and still is a money grab. Obviously hockey was going to be good

Only thing I looked forward to was seeing how the ratings were with hockey back on ESPN, and it was a complete failure.

Best part of the tournament so far is Phil Kessel's tweet.
Click to expand...

I see a lot of these posts but that's flat out wrong. A lot of sceptics including myself thought it could be as entertaining as an All Stars game
 
I welcome any format of best on best hockey. But the organizers should change the format. Three teams should qualify from each group. Group winners would get a bye, while the other four teams would play an extra round of playoffs.

If this format were used now, NA (a very good team) would most surely qualify for the playoffs, and the USA-Czech Rep game would not be meaningless.
 
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