How to get the WCOH to appeal to you?

[Rosy Cheeks]

I would prefer only six teams. Canada, Sweden, Russia, United States, Finland, Czech Republic. Everyone play each other once. Top four teams to semifinal. They play the entire tournament in two-three NHL arenas that are close to each other. Can finish in ten days. Can create that schedule without shortening the NHL season mostly by removing the all-star game which I do not care about.

If the tournament is a success expand the tournament to include Switzerland and Slovakia in the future if everyone (League, NHL owners, players etc.) agrees to play for 11-12 days.

 

[Jeremy Hronek]

I am actually really excited for this. It's probably the most talented group of players ever assembled for a hockey tournament. Not one team is a push over, and the fact that only 4 teams advance makes every game meaningful.

 

[JETZZZ]

-Have the most current IIHF rankings determine who the top 12 nations are and put them in the tournament, use that as qualification. easy.
-No all star teams, just national teams.
-Tournament played under international rules, nationally neutral refereeing for each game (example: no Russian or Canadian refs in a Canada vs Russia game)
-No uniform adds, they are already everywhere else.
-Hold tournament every 4 years between Olympic years (preferably in February, just like the Olympics too) And keep it Best on Best.

 

[Ben Matlock]

If it wants to replace the Olympics it should be more like the Olympics. National teams only. Putting together random teams with Slovaks, Danes etc. makes no sense. Not allowing some teams to use their best young players makes no sense. I can live with fewer teams than in the Olympics, but 8 is the minimum.

 

[Canuckistani]

- Make it a real best-on-best national team event without the insulting gimmick teams.
- Keep eight teams and either have a qualification process for the last two spots or just take the top right of the IIHF rankings (the World Cup never had qualification before).
- Retain the best-of-three final and the lack of shootouts in elimination games

The Bettman Cup format, as it stands, is useful only as a training run for the real thing in 2018.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I would prefer only six teams. Canada, Sweden, Russia, United States, Finland, Czech Republic. Everyone play each other once. Top four teams to semifinal. They play the entire tournament in two-three NHL arenas that are close to each other. Can finish in ten days. Can create that schedule without shortening the NHL season mostly by removing the all-star game which I do not care about.

If the tournament is a success expand the tournament to include Switzerland and Slovakia in the future if everyone (League, NHL owners, players etc.) agrees to play for 11-12 days.

With 5 games for each team + playoffs it will take longer than 10 days but other than that, I agree with all this. Especially ditching the All Star game, how can anyone not get behind that?

 

[QnebO]

Make it a real best-on-best national team event without the insulting gimmick teams. Simple.

The Bettman Cup format, as it stands, is useful only as a training run for the real thing in 2018.

Quote from current international hockey calendar:


Skoda cup 2015
Honda cup 2016
Skoda cup 2017
Real thing 2018
Skoda cup 2019
Honda cup 2020
Real thing 2021
Honda cup 2022

IK this is worng but I still wait this tournament. I just want to see this level hockey, specially with Laine in team.

 

[JackSlater]

They added team NA and team Europe due to qualifying right? Isn't the idea for the next one to be actual nations?

Seems pretty clear that they added the gimmick teams to increase the number of NHLers. The qualifying issue is laughable - the previous Canada/World Cups didn't have a qualifying tournament, and they were conducted without gimmick teams. Lack of qualifying tournament does not necessitate gimmick teams. As for the future, who knows. There is already talk on NHL.com about continuing the gimmicks going forward.

What this tournament should do is very simple. Remove non-national teams and do not place restrictions on what players some supposedly national teams can pick... which is what every other edition of this tournament did. Other than that the tournament is fine, and even has positives. Location control, best of three final, no shootout, training camps - all of these are positives for this tournament. Just remove the two obstacles and it's great.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The only good thing is there are no push over teams and every game is meaningful.

 

[86Habs]

Just remove the two gimmick teams (thus giving Canada and the U.S. the ability to field their "best" teams), and either 1) fill-in the tournament field of 8 with the next two countries in the most recent IIHF rankings, or 2) leave the tournament field at 6 and have a round robin where every team plays each other before moving on to a semi-final and best 2/3 final.

To echo others, the good things are the full training camps and pre-tourney exhibition games, best 2/3 finals, lack of shootouts, and timing (few players should be injured). The quality of hockey at the previous Canada/World Cups was always extremely high.

A tournament set up as described above would certainly get my full attention.

 

[QnebO]

Just remove the two gimmick teams (thus giving Canada and the U.S. the ability to field their "best" teams), and either 1) fill-in the tournament field of 8 with the next two countries in the most recent IIHF rankings, or 2) leave the tournament field at 6 and have a round robin where every team plays each other before moving on to a semi-final and best 2/3 final.

To echo others, the good things are the full training camps and pre-tourney exhibition games, best 2/3 finals, lack of shootouts, and timing (few players should be injured). The quality of hockey at the previous Canada/World Cups was always extremely high.

A tournament set up as described above would certainly get my full attention.

2/3 finals was really surprise to me. I like that alot. I think im not going to whine about this. I'll just enjoy the hockey, and tell every now and for every one that olympics are still the best thing for obvious reasons.

 

[86Habs]

2/3 finals was really surprise to me. I like that alot. I think im not going to whine about this. I'll just enjoy the hockey, and tell every now and for every one that olympics are still the best thing for obvious reasons.

Every Canada and World Cup prior to 2004 had a best 2/3 final. 1996 and 1987, in particular, was some of the best hockey you'll ever watch.

 

[Auston Marlander]

Team NA23 is the reason I'm as interested as I am.

National pride, gimmick, yadda yadda yadda. The idea of the NHLs future stars playing the current stars is exciting as hell. They found a way to put McDavid, Matthews and Eichel on the same team in a competitive tourney. I'm in.

100% agree. I would rather see the best up and coming players go head to head with the TOP countries than use a filler team like Germany or Denmark. Sure they are OK, but the reality is they are way down on skill. The NA23 team will be fast as hell and hold a ton of skill. Over a short tournament that can win it all for you. No grind to worry about.

 

[MMANumminen]

I dont want this to replace olympics and if i'd have to choose it's olympics all day. I want both

 

[kabidjan18]

Glad as hell HFBoards people don't organize the world cup or AFC and CAF get zero spots and a "Rest of UEFA" with Zlatan and others is created smh

 

[Epsilon]

Removing team NA/Europe would absolutely ruin the tournament. Olympic hockey is a waste of time for half the tournament and so would the WC if terrible teams like Slovakia, Germany and others get to play. No fun in watching a 15-0 game. I'd rather have Canada1,2,3 and USA 1,2 added rather than weak teams.

Right, like that 15-0 win Canada had in the 2010 Olympic semifinals against Slovakia.

 

[Scotty B]

Right, like that 15-0 win Canada had in the 2010 Olympic semifinals against Slovakia.

Granted...That 3-2 game was a nail-biter...BUT team SVK is not nearly as good nowadays...Plus didn't a very good TC 2015, by WC standards, crush Germany and Austria ( think it was? ) something like 10-0 and 9-0?

 

[JackSlater]

Every Canada and World Cup prior to 2004 had a best 2/3 final. 1996 and 1987, in particular, was some of the best hockey you'll ever watch.

1981 was a one game final.

100% agree. I would rather see the best up and coming players go head to head with the TOP countries than use a filler team like Germany or Denmark. Sure they are OK, but the reality is they are way down on skill. The NA23 team will be fast as hell and hold a ton of skill. Over a short tournament that can win it all for you. No grind to worry about.

Young Gunz can't go head to head with the best of Canada and USA obviously.

Granted...That 3-2 game was a nail-biter...BUT team SVK is not nearly as good nowadays...Plus didn't a very good TC 2015, by WC standards, crush Germany and Austria ( think it was? ) something like 10-0 and 9-0?

What does the 2015 WC have to do with anything? Switzerland is stronger today than it was in 2006 when it beat Canada in the Olympics, or 2010 when it went to a shootout against Canada in the Olympics. Switzerland and Slovakia would certainly be the worst teams in this tournament, but that doesn't mean we're talking about instant wins for the other teams. I wish I had one of the crystal balls that are allowing people to tell us just how well Switzerland or Slovakia might do in this tournament.

 

[Auston Marlander]

Young Gunz can't go head to head with the best of Canada and USA obviously.

Says who? That may be true, but until we see them on the ice there is no way to say that with 100% certainty. In hockey any team can win a single game.

 

[kabidjan18]

Says who? That may be true, but until we see them on the ice there is no way to say that with 100% certainty. In hockey any team can win a single game.

...unless that any team is Slovakia

 

[JackSlater]

Says who? That may be true, but until we see them on the ice there is no way to say that with 100% certainty. In hockey any team can win a single game.

Factually it is true. You're talking about whether or not they can beat their opposition, which is not what I said. The Young Gunz can't go against Canada's and USA's best because some of Canada's best and some of USA's best are on the Young Gunz team. Canada's best and USAs best aren't in this tournament.

...unless that any team is Slovakia

Zing.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Factually it is true. You're talking about whether or not they can beat their opposition, which is not what I said. The Young Gunz can't go against Canada's and USA's best because some of Canada's best and some of USA's best are on the Young Gunz team. Canada's best and USAs best aren't in this tournament.



Zing.

Didn't Demitra ring one off the post in the dying moments against Canada and nearly tie it up?

 

[86Habs]

1981 was a one game final.

Right, the 8-1 game.

 

[Canuckistani]

Didn't Demitra ring one off the post in the dying moments against Canada and nearly tie it up?

Yup. They also went to the final of the 2012 WHC and took Russia to a shootout in Sochi.

But apologists for the Bettman Cup format now insist that Slovakia is actually on par with Japan and would get wiped out by 10 or 15 goals if they were allowed to step on the same ice as Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Czech or Finland.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Yup. They also went to the final of the 2012 WHC and took Russia to a shootout in Sochi.

But apologists for the Bettman Cup format now insist that Slovakia is actually on par with Japan and would get wiped out by 10 or 15 goals if they were allowed to step on the same ice as Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Czech or Finland.

For the population, Slovakia does quite well, kind of disappointed how they've stopped producing talent lately but if they make it to the A Pool then they definitely should be in these tournaments.

I basically want the NHL to transfer the Olympics directly into the WCOH with smaller ice, and now that I think of it, it would be cool if players were given some momento for winning. I know the Stanley Cup you know your name is engraved on the cup, and at the Olympics you get a medal if you are top 3. Canada Cup you just get to hoist an ugly trophy. Something like a medal would be great.

Absolutely need to get the World's best for the top countries (letting KHL/SHL players in the tournament) and even though Team NA intrigues me, it's very gimmicky.