How to improve the tourney

[Statsy]

All teams should play in one group. Best one wins gold. No playoffs.

We did this... for a lot of years, actually.

It was interesting. EVERY game mattered. However, I wouldn’t go back. Canada once won the gold in the dressing room.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Smaller venues would be at the top of my list, for sure.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Only nations good enough should play. Whats the point having a b-nation that will lose every game with 5-0? Tournament would be much more high level and competitive with only 8 nations.


Czechia
Canada
Finland
Germany
Russia
Switzerland
Slovakia
USA

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Russia and their apologists can go suck a dick!

 

[EdJovanovski]

International Hockey is boring af without the Great Russia

 

[DeeQ]

International Hockey is boring af without the Great Russia

I don't know man, it's been over a decade since they won this tournament

 

[EdJovanovski]

I don't know man, it's been over a decade since they won this tournament

IIRC they do have the most medals of anyone in that span though. I think Russia plays the most exciting brand of hockey of any nation and I do like the whole "villain" thing've always had going on, would've been an even bigger factor this year. Would've drawn a lot more eyeballs for sure, and Michkov vs Bedard of course.

 

[ecemleafs]

Stop hosting the tournament in Canada so often.

Host the tournament in better, more intimate venues.

Change the structure of the tournament. Top 6 teams in one division. All play each other for QF seeding. Bottom 4 in another division, all play each other, top 2 advance to QFs. This would ensure better hockey as we'd get more games with the best teams playing each other more frequently, and the lower tier teams would still have a chance to get better and play the top tier teams, but only when they deserve it.

boston should host one year. play games in the college rinks in and around the city. final can be in the boston garden or whatever they call it these days.

 

[Slats432]

Even without the off ice stuff that's been in the news, does anyone else find that this tourney has gotten a little stale? I miss the days when it was smaller, before the big corporate sponsors and TSN ramming content down our throats non-stop. Not to mention batshit crazy ticket prices that most normal folks can barely afford. A few things I'd like to see in the coming years:

- Bring back Russia. They're too great of a hockey nation to be sidelined due to politics. There is no need for them to be needlessly barred from competition for a period of years.

- Return to smaller, more intimate venues. The World Juniors should be played out in places like Saskatchewan and North Dakota, not NHL arenas in major cities. Let's get that grassroots, small host city vibe going again. So tired of seeing the same big North American cities host these events. Spread it around a bit.

- I wouldn't mind seeing a switch to a best of three playoff format instead of single game elimination.

Any thoughts?

F Russia. Fine with the rest.

 

[DeeQ]

IIRC they do have the most medals of anyone in that span though. I think Russia plays the most exciting brand of hockey of any nation and I do like the whole "villain" thing've always had going on, would've been an even bigger factor this year. Would've drawn a lot more eyeballs for sure, and Michkov vs Bedard of course.

No... Just stop.

If Russia was playing there wouldn't have even been any competition. At least Finland and probably Sweden would have opted out, possibly other european nations too.

Hopefully things will change and we can have Russia back, but I'm not too optimistic that it will happen anytime soon.

 

[THE JAM]

Allowing russia back is like inviting a group of murderers and pedophiles to your house, asking them to keep an eye on your children while you cannot be there yourself.
Just incredible how some people cannot understand what's actually happening in Europe and what kind of threats are imminent if russia is allowed to continue what they have started.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I think that National teams would help out a lot of nations that struggle to compete every year while simultaneously aren’t bad enough for relegation.

I also think that Canada should host every third year. Let the game grow more in regions like Germany.

 

[Leaf Fans]

We did this... for a lot of years, actually.

It was interesting. EVERY game mattered. However, I wouldn’t go back. Canada once won the gold in the dressing room.

Every game didn't matter. Sometimes the gold medal was win with games remaining in the tournament. Though, I agree that the best teams should play each other every tournament.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

boston should host one year. play games in the college rinks in and around the city. final can be in the boston garden or whatever they call it these days.

1996 was not considered a success.

 

[Nate070]

Wait, people want Russia back?

Cause from past forums, people were glad Russia was banned from the tournament?

Some people "want" them back. Putin is paying them some rubles to push that cra

International Hockey is boring af without the Great Russia

"Great"?

 

[Statsy]

Every game didn't matter. Sometimes the gold medal was win with games remaining in the tournament. Though, I agree that the best teams should play each other every tournament.

True. That was a fairly rare occurrence though.

 

[canuck2010]

I think that National teams would help out a lot of nations that struggle to compete every year while simultaneously aren’t bad enough for relegation.

I also think that Canada should host every third year. Let the game grow more in regions like Germany.

I think the plan was to play every second year in Canada but that went off the rails for a number of reasons. However I agree with you that more profile in Europe will help. I think the weaker hockey countries should be able to play with the team that they qualify with regardless of the overage thing.

 

[canuck2010]

I'd like to see teams be able to bring overage players after a certain length of time not winning a medal just so that the games are more competitive. Something like any country that hasn't won a medal in 5 years can bring three 20 year olds.

yeah

All teams should play in one group. Best one wins gold. No playoffs.

Back to the days of the Eastern Bloc playing to 0-0 ties.

 

[ecemleafs]

1996 was not considered a success.

by the time the US has another bid that would be 30 years ago. that tournament was played across the whole state of massachusettes. id also world juniors is a lot bigger these days than it was in 96 for americans.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Russia can stay out until there is peace in Ukraine. I don't want this tournament making money for the Russian Hockey Federation so Putin can steal it and use it to prop up its shitty economy.

Smaller venues? No. It just needs to not be held in summer. This is a temporary issue.

Increasing the overage limit might help the smaller nations, a lot of time players age out just as they qualify for this tournament from lower divisions. I'd support more overagers on the smaller nations to be more competitive.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

Seriously, people that wants to let Russia back into international competition should get a one-way ticket to Ukraine and let them experience what Russias doing to a sovereign, democratic nation right now…

Do you not understand that Russia’s basically threatens all of Europe right now? That Finland and Sweden have to join NATO to feel secure (pretty much always been anti-NATO before this happened), and killing innocent people in Ukraine in the basis of ethical cleansing? “Watered down tournament” my ass. Do you care more about a f*****g kids tournament than what’s happening right now? What’s wrong with you??

“Yeeeeah, don’t punish the keeeeeedz” - you do know that Russias “punishing” all of EU right now by shutting off gas pipelines, blocking crucial cargo with wheat for poor people in African countries, threatening countries with nukes, and oh, killing Ukrainian kids that just wants to be free?

Damn, so many of you really needs to get a clue

 

[llwyd]

International Hockey is boring af without the Great Russia

Might be even bit more boring with just Russia, Belarus and Kazakstan... And I'm not sure if Kazakstan would be willing to participate

 

[Nate070]

Seriously, people that wants to let Russia back into international competition should get a one-way ticket to Ukraine and let them experience what Russias doing to a sovereign, democratic nation right now…

Do you not understand that Russia’s basically threatens all of Europe right now? That Finland and Sweden have to join NATO to feel secure (pretty much always been anti-NATO before this happened), and killing innocent people in Ukraine in the basis of ethical cleansing? “Watered down tournament” my ass. Do you care more about a f*****g kids tournament than what’s happening right now? What’s wrong with you??

“Yeeeeah, don’t punish the keeeeeedz” - you do know that Russias “punishing” all of EU right now by shutting off gas pipelines, blocking crucial cargo with wheat for poor people in African countries, threatening countries with nukes, and oh, killing Ukrainian kids that just wants to be free?

Damn, so many of you really needs to get a clue

Well said SIR

 

[GAGLine]

3 game series makes no sense. Some teams, instead of getting stomped once would get stomped twice. Those teams have a better chance of winning 1 game than winning 2 out of 3. Best of 3 would also make the tournament considerably longer, meaning more games missed with junior/college teams. Maybe they could do best of 3 for the final, but other than that, I don't see it.

 

[Oilslick941611]

3 game series makes no sense. Some teams, instead of getting stomped once would get stomped twice. Those teams have a better chance of winning 1 game than winning 2 out of 3. Best of 3 would also make the tournament considerably longer, meaning more games missed with junior/college teams. Maybe they could do best of 3 for the final, but other than that, I don't see it.

I think the play offs should a best of 3.