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International veteran hockey league

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vorky

vorky

@vorkywh24
Jan 23, 2010
11,607
1,374
IIHF wants to create international/european hockey league for former NT players over 45 years. Pavel Bure should be a president. IIHF plans to announced the league on 15 May 2015 in Prague. First edition should be played at Legend Arena in Moscow. Participants are NT of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Czech rep, Slovakia, Germany and league wants to invite USA, Canada but it is a bit complicated to negotiate with them according to Pavel Bure.

Dont know about schedulling, if it is IIHF WHC model (one tournament) or league model.

source
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Sounds less serious, but still very interesting thing to me. It would be great to see Kurri - Selänne line put to gether, or Gretzky - Lemieux, just for the sake of the names if nothing else.
 
So anything new on this? I just can't see the Seniors Tour working out so well. It would probably be like 35+ beer league hockey with limited contact. However, I am interested in seeing how this does.
 
hutdevil said:
i agree with urbanskog, just create an actual all -European league
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KHL is only option for it. Liiga ect teams never, at least in next 20 years, have courage to move on and stop playing national leagues. It'll always be some sort of poor ET tournament. KHL will expand and do it if anyone.
 
mattihp said:
Where would the money come from? People would be interested at first; but the draw would drop pretty quickly.
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Hopefully some vets would just be interested in playing some hockey just for the love of the game, and why not then against some of their old foes and heroes? Obvisouly former professionals are not often that into playing lower level, but maybe some is and especially just for some five game regular season and then single game playoff-rounds. They do play some exhibitions every now and then so maybe it could be realistic. Obviously some money is needed, but not a lot and perhaps everthing can be paid for by tickets if every nation only have a few home games.
 
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http://rsport.ru/hockey/20150813/854120529.html

Legend League was established today, Pavel Bure is president, starts in Sep., league is for 45+,only euros

Can,US can join later. Match up SVK/CZ, FIN/SWE, RUS/GER ,winners+team with less goals against to semi

semi, finals take place in Arena Legend, Moscow.

Opening Game will be among RUS vs World in Moscow this sept.
 
JackSlater said:
I don't understand the draw for fans or players.
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Stuff like this usually draw at least a few thousand people, in Sweden anyway. Bengt-Åke Gustafsson(apparently one of the players, as is Nik Lidström) said he was looking forward to meeting old teammates and opponents, so I guess that's their main motivation.
 
joe89 said:
Stuff like this usually draw at least a few thousand people, in Sweden anyway. Bengt-Åke Gustafsson(apparently one of the players, as is Nik Lidström) said he was looking forward to meeting old teammates and opponents, so I guess that's their main motivation.
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I know there is a history of tribute matches in soccer, and those matches generally feature legends and whatnot. North America doesn't really have this on the same scale, though the NHL has had some similar games over the last decade. I also have the feeling that North American players feel less of a connection to national teams (and certainly focus less on international hockey). I think the European and North American sporting cultures differ quite a bit with regard to this.
 
This is great stuff, especially in the arenas. I even enjoy the NHL All-Star Game becouse of all the great names on players backs, even if its not quite as good when you know the players could do much better if they tried.
Players can for a few games each season now re-live their youth through this. They DO play much of the worlds best from their generation. If a player has since retirement gone way south in form, it is his problem. Would actually be cool to see a guy who was not an NHLer finish higher in team scoring than someone who has just let his waist go away more than the average veteran.
 
A little bit odd that Pavel Bure, who will be in his draft year this coming season, is the boss. He'll be eyeing this season ready to be a rookie in 2016/17.
 
If this is a legitimate league, where the players get in shape and play full contact, I can see it selling if they held games in non-League cities. If Canada ever enters, I'd see non-NHL cities as potential hosts because fans would come out to see the childhood heroes they always wanted to see play play. For instance, if Wayne Gretzky were to get in shape for this league, I'd go as he was my childhood heroes, but I couldn't go and see him play live. Other Kings and NHL greats would be good to see.

But I fear this will resemble the Oldtimers Hockey Challenge far more than a serious competition. I doubt there will be much in the way of bodycontact. The goaltending will stink as 45+ year olds in no way could be spry enough to play as they did even in their 30s. I'm curious why they decided on 45+, seems like they are excluding a number of retired players they could have even if they went 40+. In fact, the game play would be better at 40+. I know that there was a baseball league in the late 80s that tried this with 40+ for all players, but pitchers and catchers could be 35+. It didn't attract the big name guys that they expected, so it didn't draw the fans it expected and folded after a couple years.

The biggest bone I have to pick though is calling this a league, when it is quite obviously a tournament. A league implies you'd play a certain number of games and then have a playoff. Instead, they appear to be playing a tournament style, which is not a league.
 
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