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How to Improve World Cup

I wouldn't change much. I like the WC as a non-best v best.
Half of the appeal is watching the elevator or lesser national teams and/or players you normally wouldn't watch or have access to viewing.
 
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Czechboy said:
It's funny because I'd actually like the Euro championships brought back. I'd love to watch that annually. No NHLers allowed. Let's put the euros against each other again. I say early January.

As far as world's in spring.. it's my fav tourney of the year and I really don't have many quibbles. To me the answer is always best on best Olympics. And I think I saw France and Utah are getting the next two after Italy. Perfect.. Europe and North America. Good time zones... No insane travel.. lots of home fans in stands.
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I don’t know… don’t the Euro Hockey tournaments already kind of do that?
 
Old Man Jags said:
Neutral athlete in this context is nonsense. There is no such thing. Taking away the flag, etc., will do nothing to the perceptionof it being Russia, and give the government tools to to make it into a great propaganda tournament for the Russians, which unlike other government they have always aggressively used as propaganda. They are either there or not. If they are there, let’s Not pretend they don’t have a flag.
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They could represent the IIHF or Earth. I was thinking in 100% terms of sport. No political statements.

Look at what happened in bandy when Russia was banned. Sweden refused to host 2024 bandy WHC because there were no competition. Sweden is too powerful. What's the point when Sweden wins gold every year? You need competition.

In bandy it looked like this. And the games were competitive.
Sweden - Russia for gold.
Finland - Kazakhstan for bronze.

Finland simply don't have resources in bandy. They don't even have 1 bandy arena to play games. They put their money in rally or who knows. Sweden has a dozen and more to be build.
 
Albatros said:
So something like:

Group A
Canada
Germany
Norway
Kazakhstan

Group B
Sweden
Switzerland
Latvia
Slovenia

Group C
United States
Czechia
Denmark
Italy

Group D
Finland
Slovakia
France
Austria

R16
Germany vs. Latvia
Switzerland vs. Norway
Czechia vs. France
Slovakia vs. Denmark

QF
Canada vs. Czechia
Sweden vs. Slovakia
United States vs. Germany
Finland vs. Switzerland

Can't imagine organizers will be enamored with the idea, especially if we're talking about the NHL World Cup.
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So almost no games that matter until the playoff round?

It should be two groups of 5 teams, 10 teams total. Same format at the WJC. Except the final is a best of 3. All playoffs games are 5 on 5 overtime until there is a winner. No shoot outs get rid of that nonsense.

Canada
Russia
Sweden
USA
Finland
Czechia
Switzerland
Germany
Slovakia
Denmark

Oilslick941611 said:
It's clear the NHL has no interest in actually putting on a real tournament.
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Sad but true needs to be done by the IIHF which wont be done well either.
 
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bert said:
It should be two groups of 5 teams, 10 teams total. Same format at the WJC. Except the final is a best of 3. All playoffs games are 5 on 5 overtime until there is a winner. No shoot outs get rid of that nonsense.
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Then you can only play one game per day in the same building. For example the WJC quarterfinals are two games each in two buildings the same day and semifinals plus relegation three games in one building the same day, finally bronze and gold medal games two games in one building the same day. Make the finals best of three and we're talking at bare minimum one week longer tournament with all the costs and complications that come with it. Additionally many broadcasters will likely cut overtime games that exceed their slot in the program.
 
Pretty simple

1. Hold the WC every 2 years instead of yearly - makes it more prestigious
2. Push the starts back to June. Only the SCF players will miss it
3. Hold the competition in the US and Canada for a few years so people care about it here
 
Albatros said:
Then you can only play one game per day in the same building. For example the WJC quarterfinals are two games each in two buildings the same day and semifinals plus relegation three games in one building the same day, finally bronze and gold medal games two games in one building the same day. Make the finals best of three and we're talking at bare minimum one week longer tournament with all the costs and complications that come with it. Additionally many broadcasters will likely cut overtime games that exceed their slot in the program.
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12 teams with 3 groups of 4 really is (at least currently) the perfect format for international hockey.

  • Canada
  • Russia
  • Sweden
  • USA
  • Finland
  • Czechia
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • Slovakia
  • Denmark
  • Belarus
  • Latvia
 
Mirka the Turka said:
Pretty simple

1. Hold the WC every 2 years instead of yearly - makes it more prestigious
2. Push the starts back to June. Only the SCF players will miss it
3. Hold the competition in the US and Canada for a few years so people care about it here
Click to expand...
Also would mean that lower level teams will struggle even more with funding if they only have a major tournament every other year, and moving up divisions becomes significantly slower. For example Poland made it to this year's World Championships after back-to-back promotions in 2022 and 2023. Make it every two years and they'll have to explain to sponsors why it's worth financing a Division I B program with a long and uncertain path ahead to the top level.

In June most participating players would have months between the end of their club seasons and the tournament. Not all would commit to a three-month training camp after the season so you would have more players out of shape or opting out altogether. Additionally the tournament would have to avoid scheduling conflict with events in other sports like major soccer tournaments that often kick off in June, otherwise no one other than the most hardcore hockey fans will be interested.
 
If you add Russia, you will lose Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Slovakia, and Latvia - certainly most of them, possibly all of them, and then the organizers and players get to spend the entire tournament answering questions about the ramifications of that decision. In the end, you don't get a tournament.

Russia is a no-go, period. They made their bed and can lie in it.
 
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I'll never understand why, after a tournament like we just had, people would prefer it without teams like Austria, Poland, Latvia, Britain and the likes. Huge fan bases, great atmosphere, fun games... As already mentioned, a large part of the appeal comes from games involving these teams.

I also thought 16 teams were too much when they expanded it back in 98, but looking at the last 10 years, there is no reason to think it needs to drop teams. You don't see that many blowouts anymore.

Regarding shootouts, they are necessary with several games played at the same arena every day. Beside, endless OT is a logistical nightmare (imagine a crowd of 15000, most of them not familiar with the host city, trying to make their way to their hotel after public transport stops running), and is as much of a crapshot as a shootout once you're deep into the second OT and the level of play significantly drops.

Having the tournament every year is fine too. We have an entire week of meaningful international football every other month, I don't see why there couldn't be 17 days of international hockey once a year. May is already too late, interest would be higher if it was played during the colder months. It used to be in April and has been pushed back several times already, but leagues keep pushing their end of season back at a much higher pace. Start every league in early September instead.

My point is, most of the suggestions here would significantly downgrade a great event.
 
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Albatros said:
Also would mean that lower level teams will struggle even more with funding if they only have a major tournament every other year, and moving up divisions becomes significantly slower. For example Poland made it to this year's World Championships after back-to-back promotions in 2022 and 2023. Make it every two years and they'll have to explain to sponsors why it's worth financing a Division I B program with a long and uncertain path ahead to the top level.

In June most participating players would have months between the end of their club seasons and the tournament. Not all would commit to a three-month training camp after the season so you would have more players out of shape or opting out altogether. Additionally the tournament would have to avoid scheduling conflict with events in other sports like major soccer tournaments that often kick off in June, otherwise no one other than the most hardcore hockey fans will be interested.
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I would hope players aren't out of shape. Isn't like the old days were guys really didn't train until maybe a couple weeks before training camp or training camp itself.

Guys are pretty much doing some sort of training throughout their time off, barring any injury they may have
 
Sorry to bump up an old thread but this Four Nations tournament is such a joke. I know Russia can't technically compete in International competition but any international best on best has zero credibility without them.

I propose 8 teams for the World Cup, with certain teams being cobbled together with weaker hockey powers to level the playing field. These teams will still be largely comprised of NHLers.

Canada
USA
Sweden
Finland
Russian All-Stars
Czechia-Slovakia
European Union
Europe

The EU would include member countries; Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Austria...Kopitar). Europe would be non-EU nations, such as Switzerland, Norway, and Belarus (and yes, to the annoying person who wants to say these non-member countries are still allied with the EU, I know). Here's an idea of what the top end of Europe and EU's lineups could look like.


EUROPEAN UNION:
T. Stutzle - GER * L. Draisaitl - GER * J. Peterka - GER
N. Ehlers - DEN * A. Kopitar - SLV * O. Bjorkstrand - DEN

M. Seider - GER * U. Baliskis - LAT

F. Andersen - DEN


EUROPE:
K. Fiala - SWI * N. Hischier - SWI * T. Meier - SWI
Y. Sharangovich - BEL * P. Kurashev - SWI * M. Zuccarello - NOR

R. Josi - SWI * J. Moser - SWI

A. Schmid - SWI
A. Kolosov - BEL
 
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MessierThanThou said:
Sorry to bump up an old thread but this Four Nations tournament is such a joke. I know Russia can't technically compete in International competition but any international best on best has zero credibility without them.

I propose 8 teams for the World Cup, with certain teams being cobbled together with weaker hockey powers to level the playing field. These teams will still be largely comprised of NHLers.

Canada
USA
Sweden
Finland
Russian All-Stars
Czechia-Slovakia
European Union
Europe

The EU would include member countries; Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Austria...Kopitar). Europe would be non-EU nations, such as Switzerland, Norway, and Belarus (and yes, to the annoying person who wants to say these non-member countries are still allied with the EU, I know). Here's an idea of what the top end of Europe and EU's lineups could look like.


EUROPEAN UNION:
M. Rossi - AUS * L. Draisaitl - GER * J. Peterka - GER
N. Ehlers - DEN * A. Kopitar - SLV * O. Bjorkstrand - DEN

M. Seider - GER * U. Baliskis - LAT

F. Andersen - DEN


EUROPE:
K. Fiala - SWI * N. Hischier - SWI * T. Meier - WI
Y. Sharangovich - BEL * P. Kurashev - SWI * M. Zuccarello - NOR

R. Josi - SWI * J. Moser - SWI

A. Schmid - SWI
A. Kolosov - BEL
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In a best on best
What’s the difference between Russia and Russian all-stars.
 
Something like:

Canada
USA
Russia
Finland
Sweden
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Germany
Slovakia
Great Britain
France
Latvia

These rankings are correct and become four nations three groups.

Group stage first.
 
Call it the Stanley Cup? Really the players place so much value on winning the Stanley Cup all these other tournaments don’t get their best.
 
redwings86 said:
Something like:

Canada
USA
Russia
Finland
Sweden
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Germany
Slovakia
Great Britain
France
Latvia

These rankings are correct and become four nations three groups.

Group stage first.
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Great Britain? A country with zero NHLers? How about Denmark, Austria, and Belarus?
 
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