That's because these tournaments have pretty much nothing to do with growing the game as so many people claim. These championships are where you show off your development, but do almost nothing for development itself. The only thing that really helps in terms of growth are the day in and day out exposure that local leagues can provide. To grow a league you have to start with a strong core and slowly expand out into new markets. It takes time. It always shocks me how many people expect the WC or IIHF to grow the game. It just doesn't work that way.
How can the World Championship improve as an event?
- Thread starter habsrule4eva3089
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That's because these tournaments have pretty much nothing to do with growing the game as so many people claim. These championships are where you show off your development, but do almost nothing for development itself. The only thing that really helps in terms of growth are the day in and day out exposure that local leagues can provide. To grow a league you have to start with a strong core and slowly expand out into new markets. It takes time. It always shocks me how many people expect the WC or IIHF to grow the game. It just doesn't work that way.
Don't forget the other end of the schedule, as the NHL regular season is starting up the MLB World Series is just finishing up. The NHL schedule probably has a lot to do with not having their opening month going head to head with the full MLB playoffs.
This is one situation where when you're talking schedules on either side of the pond it's the NHL that should clearly change theirs, regardless of the WHC tourney a lot of fans would like to see our season start a month earlier. But the NHL has it's reasons, and an annual IIHF tourney alone isn't going to trump those reasons. It's one of those things where it just is what it is.
If that list was not very long, the 14 teams not participating in the playoffs should be able to ice a Canadian team that is more than just competitive.
Just look at let's say Edmonton. They got guys like Hall, RNH, Eberle ... it's not like the Canadian teams consists of NHL 4th-liners.
That is just silly to say. This year Slovenia made it to the quarterfinals in Sochi, France did the same in Minsk and beat Canada on the way. A year earlier they beat Russia. The days when the likes of Norway, Denmark and Latvia were blown out at every match against the top countries are far behind.
But yes, I agree, adding more teams would seem reasonable - and not only to the WCH, but also the WJC and OG.
x2 to add to this.
Switzerland made the final in 2013, they had not been in the final since 1935. Norway made the Quarters in 2012 and 2011. Germany were fourth in 2010, they had beaten a strong Russia side recently too. This is all in the past 5 years that I remember. In the mean time as you said France have become a solid team. Beating Canada and Russia. Even had the likes of Austria winning against Big 7 nations.
The number of blowouts is a lot less too. There were 7/64 matches at this years World Championships that ended with a team winning by more than 3 goals.
I have been to a few World Championships and love it. Went to the 2014 (Minsk), 2010 (Cologne), 2009(Bern/Zurich) 2007 (Moscow).
I don't think there is a way to make the World Championship improve. The problem is two-fold, A) Most top players are in the playoffs or hurt, B) North Americans (in general( don't give a rats ass about the WC.
The only way to make it more interesting to North American fans is to have it away from the NHL season, but that would put it too late (or too early) in the year.
The only way to make it more interesting to North American fans is to have it away from the NHL season, but that would put it too late (or too early) in the year.
It would not be improved by having it played in august/september. There's really no good time availible to host the event. The idea has to be, which date is the least terrible.
Rocko604
Sports will break your heart.
If the NHL stays in the Olympics, I don't really care what they do with it. But since that's looking less and less of a possibility, I would much rather see the tournament switched to September every four years and have it called the World Cup, but this World Cup would not include any multi-country all-star teams.
I would say Rene Fasel won't read this thread, so whatever. I would be fine with Olympics+World Cup format. From canadian point of view, WHC is a fine tournament for developing of players, etc. The tournaments where Canada wants to prove the dominace are called Olympics (and now World Cup), and World Juniors.
I don't like the idea of two all-star teams at world cup, but on the other hand, why we should discredit a winner of that tournament, whether its Canada or Sweden or Russia? Call the winner whatever you want, but winner is a winner. Unless all the teams play it as an exhibition (which I doubt), it's ridiculous to discredit a result of that tournament when players would seem to take it seriously.
anyway I still believe that it's gonna be Slovakia and Switzerland, not 2 all-star teams.
anyway I still believe that it's gonna be Slovakia and Switzerland, not 2 all-star teams.
Jeb99
Registered User
Improve the World Championships? I like the World champs... Not that it's the best players available but for the chance given to us to see all future superstars who have not yet taken the leap over to the NHL. Then there are a lot of good players in the KHL too.
I read above that someone wanted to involve more teams . Please, we 've just gotten rid of all of 10-0 games. I do not want them back ....
ps if anyone from Canada going to Prague can bring a bag of Miss Vicky jalapeno chips the tournament would be great! Atleast for me.
Impossible to find in europe...
I read above that someone wanted to involve more teams . Please, we 've just gotten rid of all of 10-0 games. I do not want them back ....
ps if anyone from Canada going to Prague can bring a bag of Miss Vicky jalapeno chips the tournament would be great! Atleast for me.
Impossible to find in europe...
1Gold Standard
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- Jun 13, 2012
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Improve the World Championships? I like the World champs... Not that it's the best players available but for the chance given to us to see all future superstars who have not yet taken the leap over to the NHL. Then there are a lot of good players in the KHL too.
I read above that someone wanted to involve more teams . Please, we 've just gotten rid of all of 10-0 games. I do not want them back ....
ps if anyone from Canada going to Prague can bring a bag of Miss Vicky jalapeno chips the tournament would be great! Atleast for me.
The jalapeno are suburb. but the balsamic vinegar and sweet onion is my new favorite. if not available where you are, you can get them shipped. granted it is a little pricey...but what the hell, you only live once and they are well worth it.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Keep the number of teams, but make the bottom teams in both groups play a relegation round (like in the WJC) to get some variation between the four elevator teams
Edit: Another option to get more teams involved would be taking the two bottom teams from both groups and make a two round relegation round, but still only one team gets relegated
Edit: Another option to get more teams involved would be taking the two bottom teams from both groups and make a two round relegation round, but still only one team gets relegated
1Gold Standard
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- Jun 13, 2012
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Machinehead
HFNYR MVP
More teams would help. If you look at soccer's world cup [which like the sport or not, is the model of international tournaments] people come to see the Gemanys, the Italys, the Brazils etc.; the main eventers if you will. But the charm of little nations and first-time nations like Ghana, Bosnia, Algeria, or Costa Rica is what has stolen the show at the last few World Cups. To me, the story of the WJC this year was Denmark.
If you let 16-20 nations play in this thing, as opposed to the same 12, your chances of a magic story go up. People are always gonna come to see Canada. If you want fresh hype, you need fresh stories. And don't tell me it can't happen in hockey. Costa Rica was a World Quarterfinalist last year and they're no better at football than Denmark is at hockey.
If you let 16-20 nations play in this thing, as opposed to the same 12, your chances of a magic story go up. People are always gonna come to see Canada. If you want fresh hype, you need fresh stories. And don't tell me it can't happen in hockey. Costa Rica was a World Quarterfinalist last year and they're no better at football than Denmark is at hockey.
Well, there are already 16 and I think it is enough. It's not like the ones ranked 17-20 would be close to a quarterfinal spot, but instead fighting not to get relegated.
Maybe in the next 10 years we might see 20 teams, but not at the moment (unfortunately)
Canadians are going to come to see Canada. And based on Denmarks 0 news coverage of the WJC, it's really not even close to being close to be comperable to the world cup of football. All countries in the football world cup (well except USA) loves football, and the entire countries gets involved and it's basically the only thing showed on TV during that month, if it's not a game, it's pre-game talk.
Could Denmark go far in the WJC/WC/Olympics? Sure. Would anyone except hockey crazy Canadians care? Not really. When the country doing good itself doesn't give a crap, what's the point? Denmark, or whatever small hockey nation, really has to do amazing several tournaments in a row for a very long time if there's going to be hype built around it.
The thread is about the WHC, not the WJC. The WHC has had quite decent TV ratings in Denmark I believe, despite the somewhat poor performances.
Your logic is just.. terrible. IIHF grows the game. The WHC being their major source of revenue helps grow the game. The WHC as an event helps grow interest in the sport and as such grows the game.
Lots of growing going on.
Your logic is just.. terrible. IIHF grows the game. The WHC being their major source of revenue helps grow the game. The WHC as an event helps grow interest in the sport and as such grows the game.
Lots of growing going on.
I'd argue WHC is better than the olympics at growing hockey, by a fair bit. During the olympics, there's only very few countries that value hockey high. Heck, even in Sweden hockey is behind cross-country-skiing. Does anyone really think that Germans value hockey high during the olympics? No, their attention is not on hockey. During the WHC there's not many other sports events going on, at least not on the olympic scale.
And come on, outside of Canada (it might be true for Canada too) most peoples first interest in hockey almost always comes from the national team.
In fact, usually over 80% of all NHL players are eliminated from the Stanley Cup by the time the WHC starts. Closer to 90% are available by the cut-off date. The reason many NA NHL players aren't there is that their Federations don't push them or give them incentive to play. The claims of injury are a joke for the most part - if they were so badly injured, how did they manage to keep playing in the NHL? NA sports fans, especially in the USA, are fully oblivious to the WHC, and the NHL is intent on keeping it that way. Their participation is below token, only enough to give the IIHF cover for endorsing the events that the NHL cares about, like the Olympics (at least from 1998 to 2014) and the alleged World Cup.
habsrule4eva3089
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Over 200 million people Worldwide watched the Gold Medal game in 2010, and with the timing favoring Europe perhaps more in 2014.
Don't be silly, the Olympics have a viewership the World Championships can't reach if you add all the spectators together for the entire tournament. It's in a different atmosphere completely. Ask players from non traditional countries and the first thing they bring up is watching an Olympic Hockey game, if the Olympics can't grow the game then the World Championships sure won't.
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