If Hockey had a real World Cup, would that be the best way to grow the game?
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Jacob
as seen on TV
- Feb 27, 2002
- 50,648
- 27,975
Nobody wants to watch Finland score 47 goals against Israel.
Martin Skoula
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 12,457
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Laine against Z tier goalies would be good TV for a few minutes.
DisgruntledHawkFan
Blackhawk Down
South Korea against North Korea sounds like an explosive match up.
Lolonegoal
Registered User
- Jan 25, 2012
- 2,367
- 3,139
What a pipe dream. Hockey can't get equality amongst a dozen countries, let alone what you've suggested.
I honestly believe if hockey wants a reasonable world cup, then it needs to condense teams not add. The fact that only 6 or so teams can win, and with half of those teams being a very rare occurrence, does add to the competitiveness or excitement. Hockey isn't as big as other sports and is a strictly winter sport. It's also expensive to get started up. It's just not going to take off in countries that can't support its requirements.
I'd like to see a tourney/cup set up like:
Canada
USA
Russia
Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark)
Rest of Europe (Czech, Slovakia, Germany)
Then we'd see some stacked teams with some balance competition, rather than some poor countries with 3 NHL players get slaughtered by teams with the NHLs best.
Have each team play each other once and knock off the 5th place team. 1v4, 2v3 and winners go to the gold match, and loser's bronze.
I honestly believe if hockey wants a reasonable world cup, then it needs to condense teams not add. The fact that only 6 or so teams can win, and with half of those teams being a very rare occurrence, does add to the competitiveness or excitement. Hockey isn't as big as other sports and is a strictly winter sport. It's also expensive to get started up. It's just not going to take off in countries that can't support its requirements.
I'd like to see a tourney/cup set up like:
Canada
USA
Russia
Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark)
Rest of Europe (Czech, Slovakia, Germany)
Then we'd see some stacked teams with some balance competition, rather than some poor countries with 3 NHL players get slaughtered by teams with the NHLs best.
Have each team play each other once and knock off the 5th place team. 1v4, 2v3 and winners go to the gold match, and loser's bronze.
miscs75
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2014
- 7,121
- 6,666
David Levin would get to showcase his OHL 1OA skill set against some top tier competition though.
Luigi Lemieux
Registered User
Hockey is just too expensive to play for most of the world to enjoy it. Maybe it'll be popular in a hundred years when everyone has been lifted out of poverty and it's cheap and easy to make ice rinks anywhere in the world.
I doubt I’m the only one but I don’t care at all about “growing the game “. I like it just how it is.
Recipe Unlimited
Registered User
- Sep 1, 2019
- 1,060
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Italy vs Turkmenistan sounds like a pretty fun matchup to watch.
Speak for yourself. I would!
Asinine
yer opinion is wrong
- Feb 28, 2013
- 1,961
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Looks like a lot of effort just to watch Canada win gold.
Let's face it, were not growing the game in Turkmenistan.
There's a higher skill cap in ice hockey than kicking a ball around on a plot of grass...and that's okay.
Let's face it, were not growing the game in Turkmenistan.
There's a higher skill cap in ice hockey than kicking a ball around on a plot of grass...and that's okay.
I would look forward to watching Canada vs. Iceland. To see if Gunnar Stahl can lead the Icelandic team to a stunning victory.
I would also like to see how Team Mexico's defense and goaltenders would match up against Kucherov, Ovechkin, and Panarin for Russia.
I would also like to see how Team Mexico's defense and goaltenders would match up against Kucherov, Ovechkin, and Panarin for Russia.
hamzarocks
Registered User
Saudi Arabia beating Argentina
In the NHL that's like Italy beating Sweden/Finland
Only way that could happen in hockey is if the random teams goalie let's in 1 or less
Need a 1-0 or 2-1 win
In the NHL that's like Italy beating Sweden/Finland
Only way that could happen in hockey is if the random teams goalie let's in 1 or less
Need a 1-0 or 2-1 win
- Aug 28, 2011
- 18,866
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I like the thought but there is just too many countries worldwide that either don’t participate in hockey or simply are that young to the sport that playing in a World Cup would be ridiculous. I believe only Algeria and South Africa are the only two countries in Africa to even play ice hockey.
May be one day it could be done as these countries become more advanced in ice hockey and a similar qualifying events can be held.
Would love to see what the final score would be of a US/Finland/Canada vs Somalia (insert all other African/Middle eastern/Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc.) teams with country full of inhabitants that haven’t seen a single snowflake let alone an ice rink. Add in the fact that hockey is not cheap to play and the large majority of those countries aren’t prosperous.
May be one day it could be done as these countries become more advanced in ice hockey and a similar qualifying events can be held.
Would love to see what the final score would be of a US/Finland/Canada vs Somalia (insert all other African/Middle eastern/Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc.) teams with country full of inhabitants that haven’t seen a single snowflake let alone an ice rink. Add in the fact that hockey is not cheap to play and the large majority of those countries aren’t prosperous.
Tom Polakis
Next expansion
biturbo19
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2010
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The reality is, hockey is not soccer. It's a completely inaccessible sport for most of the world.
Soccer is a universal sport. It's played in practically every country in the world.
Got a patch of relatively level ground? Got a ball? Good to go. You're soccering. That's your basic barriers to entry, and they're as low as they can get. Hockey is the absolute opposite. It's never going to "grow" like Soccer.
A elaborate tournament demonstrating how pointless it is to incorporate that many teams isn't going to "grow" the game. It'd just highlight how far apart the gulf actually is in a really demoralizing and pointless way.
Soccer is a universal sport. It's played in practically every country in the world.
Got a patch of relatively level ground? Got a ball? Good to go. You're soccering. That's your basic barriers to entry, and they're as low as they can get. Hockey is the absolute opposite. It's never going to "grow" like Soccer.
A elaborate tournament demonstrating how pointless it is to incorporate that many teams isn't going to "grow" the game. It'd just highlight how far apart the gulf actually is in a really demoralizing and pointless way.
tabness
be a playa 🇵🇸
- Apr 4, 2014
- 3,154
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The nature of the game itself makes it hard to grow. Not every country has ice rinks. It's much easier for the common people to play soccer and basketball.
It wont work but if you want to grow the game to at least get more influence internationally we probably need to start with making a more exciting qualifying process. Not the sad things there is today.
Toene
Y'en aura pas de facile
- Nov 17, 2014
- 5,357
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Just allow NHLers to play in the Olympics. It's the next best thing after a hockey World cup.
PlayersLtd
Registered User
- Mar 6, 2019
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Out of curiosity, anyone want to take a stab at what team sport is the best comparable to hockey in terms of international parity....
Would it be baseball?
You have 5 teams or so that can win it in
USA
Japan
S Korea
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Then you have 5 or 6 more teams that aren't a complete embarrassment on the international stage in
Mexico
Canada
Taiwan
Puerto Rico
Panama
Venezuela
And then you have a bunch of losers. That to me is way better than basketball considering only the US can win. But parity in volleyball is probably better than hockey (can our fellow posters from the Netherlands confirm?). Rugby is up there. Cricket isn't. No none cares about handball or waterpolo.
What sport internationally is the closest thing to hockey would you say?
Would it be baseball?
You have 5 teams or so that can win it in
USA
Japan
S Korea
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Then you have 5 or 6 more teams that aren't a complete embarrassment on the international stage in
Mexico
Canada
Taiwan
Puerto Rico
Panama
Venezuela
And then you have a bunch of losers. That to me is way better than basketball considering only the US can win. But parity in volleyball is probably better than hockey (can our fellow posters from the Netherlands confirm?). Rugby is up there. Cricket isn't. No none cares about handball or waterpolo.
What sport internationally is the closest thing to hockey would you say?
For a long time Badminton was dominated by China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Denmark. Now India and Japan have joined the elites. Carolina Marin from Spain was #1 women singles for several years but it's probably a one off.
Olympics would be the best way, since you introduce tons of new fans who've never watched the sport before that way. I know many people who only watch sports during olympics, and for myself, Olympics is where I discover all the new sports.
Hockey world cup tends to only be watched by people who already are hockey fans.
It's so obvious but NHL's allergic to making smart and logical decisions, it seems.
Hockey world cup tends to only be watched by people who already are hockey fans.
It's so obvious but NHL's allergic to making smart and logical decisions, it seems.
