Hockey needs Canada to lose...

[Vladiator]

^^^

Again, if you read an earlier post of mine, I was talking about our domination over the last 5 years (men and women) and the results of the lockout because the NHL doesn't make enough money because only Canadians care.

This I totally agree upon. Historic domination - no.

 

[Connorrhea]

This I totally agree upon. Historic domination - no.

Ok then, and furthermore, my view is also in the light of the lockout occuring in between our domination, especially over the United States where the NHL needs to make money to survive.

It's the perception I am trying to make clear to people, but again some of them are looking at stats. The rest of the world has come along slowly but Canada is still considered the top hockey nation in the world. Just read the quotes by the players on the Swiss, Finnish and even powerful Russian team who believed that they just slayed Goliath.

 

[Nova88]

For the last freakin time, the Olympics aren't the only international competition, and stop looking at the stats. You people are only interested in that now because NHL players are in the Olympics. Prior to 1998, nobody gave a damn that Canada hadn't won an olympic gold since 1952.

We have won 23 World Championships, 12 World Juniors, all but 2 of the Canada/World Cups and Olympic gold SEVEN (7) times...tied with the Soviet Union.

Here again, look at the medal tables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Junior_Hockey_Championship

We have won more gold and more medals in all major tournaments than any other country.

shhhh its ok
Russia is 7 and 1 vs Canada in the Olympics.

 

[Stephen]

Yes, but the point is for Canada not to dominate. If European teams win, then smaller European nations will take notice and their programs will be boosted.

This is not a 'Europe vs North America' issue here. Whether Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden or Finland wins, it has no bearing on what Germans, Swiss and Latvians are going to feel about their chances in the future. There's no common link between those European nations. Germans aren't going to look at Russia and say 'gee, the Russians are doing it, let's play more hockey!' If Switzerland had beaten Canada in the medal round,

The four teams left are traditional powerhouses. Sweden and the Czech Republic have Gold medals from the 1990s. The Russians were part of the CIS team that won in 1992. Finland has always done well for themselves. It's not like this is unprecedented territory for international hockey.

 

[GameFace247SON]

@georegtown88:


Canada women's team should not have pummeled Italy and whomever, also applies to men's hockey in the past....ah, that is a difficult issue..

disagree here. play to win. goal is to win. tiebreaker is goal differential.

 

[Resolute]

The medals you won before USSR playing in international competitions - 15 World Championships, 6 Olympics...

And the medals the USSR won employing pros when everyone else had to use amateurs?

 

[Vladiator]

And the medals the USSR won employing pros when everyone else had to use amateurs?

We played the same people who Canada played before us...

BTW, the Oxford dictionary defines amateur as:

• noun 1 a person who takes part in a sport or other activity without being paid. 2 a person regarded as incompetent at a particular activity.

I am sure we didn't play bankers and construction workers.

 

[Nova88]

And the medals the USSR won employing pros when everyone else had to use amateurs?

Thats just something that everyone says. Tell me what is pros and not?

 

[ts11]

This is not a 'Europe vs North America' issue here. Whether Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden or Finland wins, it has no bearing on what Germans, Swiss and Latvians are going to feel about their chances in the future. There's no common link between those European nations. Germans aren't going to look at Russia and say 'gee, the Russians are doing it, let's play more hockey!' If Switzerland had beaten Canada in the medal round,

Right. MAYBE, only maybe, the German DEB try to regain lost terrain on the swiss because of their rivalry, but other than that I don't see why the Germans should care more about hockey because the Latvians tied the USA, Belarus won against Sweden and Switzerland won against 2 of the big 7. Let us win a medal and it may change, but outside that...
Btw, we won Bronze in 1976, we had a good team in the 1990s and IMO we're only a iota nearer to the big hockey nations as we were then.

 

[Icekube]

I don't get what all the fuss is about. So Canada has been doing great for 5 years, does it mean that every other nation was ready to give up? Canada has been beat before and will be beat again, and then will come back strong again. The hockey powers will take on the new challenge.

And for teams outside big 7, it's their successes and not another team's failures that matter.