Kirby Dach out of tournament

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How? An NHL’er coming down to a junior tournament got injured. That’s one of the two major reasons NHL teams wouldn’t want to release these players. Dach’s injury doesn’t prove that Lafreniere or Kakko would’ve gotten injured, but it shows that one of the major reasons not to release a player is a very valid concern. Players can absolutely get injured in what is a mostly meaningless tournament for these NHL’ers careers.
If you told Kirby Dach to his face that this was a meaningless tournament, he would take his one good hand and ram it into your face.
 
That's not the only reason you play this thing.

Why would Dach even have been on the team then if that was the only reason? he is already an NHL player and he didn't have to go, he wanted to play because it's a huge deal in Canada and he wanted to represent his country, he didn't have to prove he is ready for the NHL at this thing, he has already done that.

I have a lot of respect for him wanting to play here when he didn't have to and for the hawks organization for letting him pursue it, he wanted to fulfill a kids dream here. I feel so bad for him that it won't happen but I sure as hell will always love the guy for it

Anyway, I think people should just focus on this as a horrible stroke of bad luck and wish him well. He definitely deserved better that's for sure, sometimes, well a lot of times, life just isn't fair.

I mean practical reasons, not emotional reasons. I mean if it’s your year to be drafted, you could rise or slide based off your WJC performance. National pride is a silly reason to go. Proving you’re worthy of being a top 10 pick and can show how good you are under the brightest lights outside the pro game are good reasons. At least winning in the olympics allows you to call yourself an olympic champion, and an olympian just for participating. It’s just extra unnecessary risk.
 
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How is a game between Rouyn Noranda and Chicotoumi or TPS Turku and Ilves JR "necessary" to an NHL team? What makes an NCAA preseason exhibition game between BC and a Canadian college team like McGill necessary?

IF you buy the notion that once drafted (or drafted and signed) that a player should avoid all unnecessary games lest he be injured... then 18 and 19 and 20 year old players would be sitting around hermetically sealed.

You are making some completely vague arbitrary worth to some JR games and not others without a scintilla of explanation of why.

If you’re an NHLer, right now your focus should be entirely on the team and the start of the next season. If you’re European, you should focus more on adapting to the NA game and ice surface. Regardless of where you’re from, you should focus on connecting with teammates and working and learning with coaches. Especially this year with its unique circumstances, its shortened training camp et al., younger players should be focusing on fixing themselves up for the season. And if you could be argued to be the best player in the tournament, honestly it’s not really constructed. You’re playing below your skill level.
 
I mean practical reasons, not emotional reasons. I mean if it’s your year to be drafted, you could rise or slide based off your WJC performance. National pride is a silly reason to go. Proving you’re worthy of being a top 10 pick and can show how good you are under the brightest lights outside the pro game are good reasons. At least winning in the olympics allows you to call yourself an olympic champion, and an olympian just for participating. It’s just extra unnecessary risk.
How is it that we are not allowed emotional reasons to love and attend this tournament? It’s pretty clear to me that you just don’t “get” what this event is about. Why are you even in this forum? :huh:
 
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If you’re an NHLer, right now your focus should be entirely on the team and the start of the next season. If you’re European, you should focus more on adapting to the NA game and ice surface. Regardless of where you’re from, you should focus on connecting with teammates and working and learning with coaches. Especially this year with its unique circumstances, its shortened training camp et al., younger players should be focusing on fixing themselves up for the season. And if you could be argued to be the best player in the tournament, honestly it’s not really constructed. You’re playing below your skill level.
That's interesting, because never before in my memory have so many "NHLers" been playing in Europe on short term loans when they could be having ice cream socials with their teammates and coaches. I guess all these NHL GMs who have loaned their players to teams in DEL and SHL and NLA and Liiga have a different perspective.

But Merry Christmas
 
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I mean practical reasons, not emotional reasons. I mean if it’s your year to be drafted, you could rise or slide based off your WJC performance. National pride is a silly reason to go. Proving you’re worthy of being a top 10 pick and can show how good you are under the brightest lights outside the pro game are good reasons. At least winning in the olympics allows you to call yourself an olympic champion, and an olympian just for participating. It’s just extra unnecessary risk.
He didn't get to play last season and watched them get gold, something he grew up dreaming of playing as a minor hockey player in Canada, it's a big deal here, national pride to play in this is far from a silly reason to our players and to others.
 
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There is sometimes a mercenary approach when it comes to the WJC but I don't think that it's generally viewed as a business decision. For most of these players, on the big teams, it will have no bearing on their professional careers. What Eberle says here:

Can You Believe It?!' Jordan Eberle and Canada’s World Junior Miracle - TSN.ca

"You really have two dreams growing up playing hockey in Canada: to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup, obviously, and to play for Canada at the World Juniors"

May not be true for all Canadian players but it is true for some. It's clear that Dach was in Edmonton due to his desire to play in the 2021 WJC regardless of his NHL career. It's unfortunate that he sat in quarantine for weeks when he could have been doing other things and then broke his wrist before the tournament even started. Obviously Chicago regrets releasing him now given almost the worst case scenario happened but teams will continue releasing players for this tournament in the years to come.
 
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Goodness, has anyone seen the picture of Dachs wrist post break? Hockey Beast posted it on Facebook. It looks like a football players leg going the wrong way. Absolutely horrific. That’s going to be a hard one to heal - can’t imagine it not requiring surgery.
 
If you told Kirby Dach to his face that this was a meaningless tournament, he would take his one good hand and ram it into your face.

What is it with people on this website thinking everyone else is 400 pounds with a neck beard? It’s so odd. People on this website are all very different and it’s impossible to know the differences without actually knowing the people. This is the second time in a month someone has tried to claim I’m some ultra beta. A guy last month unprompted tried to tell me I’ve never been in a fight.

And yes, I’d absolutely say to his face that the majority of NHL’ers don’t care to play in this tournament. Don’t think you’d know that better than me.
 
It is definitely not a dumb thing to say and it was the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw Dach's injury. "OK, thank god Laf isnt there".

But it is a little different since Laf won gold last year.

exactly. Rangers made the right call. Hawks should have held onto Dach.
 
Goodness, has anyone seen the picture of Dachs wrist post break? Hockey Beast posted it on Facebook. It looks like a football players leg going the wrong way. Absolutely horrific. That’s going to be a hard one to heal - can’t imagine it not requiring surgery.
Its on reddit as well.
I broke my lower forearm just above the wrist like that so it was like a V when I was about 15 playing football. Surgery may be required to get it set. He'll be ok. Best Wishes Kirby.
 
Can't compare Dach's situation to Lafreniere's.

Laf played, won gold AND MVP last year. It would be pretty pointless for him to go back and play when he's already dominated this tournament en route to winning the whole thing.

This tournament is a big deal to these Canadian kids and I don't blame Dach at all for wanting to go and the Hawks were class to allow him to chase a dream that he's had since he was old enough to hold a stick even if it was to their own (and Kirby's) detriment.

I hope that he heals up and that they give him time to heal properly, don't need this to become a chronic thing for the kid.
 
What is it with people on this website thinking everyone else is 400 pounds with a neck beard? It’s so odd. People on this website are all very different and it’s impossible to know the differences without actually knowing the people. This is the second time in a month someone has tried to claim I’m some ultra beta. A guy last month unprompted tried to tell me I’ve never been in a fight.

And yes, I’d absolutely say to his face that the majority of NHL’ers don’t care to play in this tournament. Don’t think you’d know that better than me.
All I know about you is from the things that you say on this forum. Needless to say, someone’s opinions speak volumes about the kind of person they are. You routinely get into it with people on this forum. Why are you even here?

As for Dach, he sacrificed a lot to get to this tournament, and you’re going to go up to his face and tell him his effort was meaningless? Good luck with that. :shakehead
 
All I know about you is from the things that you say on this forum. Needless to say, someone’s opinions speak volumes about the kind of person they are. You routinely get into it with people on this forum. Why are you even here?

As for Dach, he sacrificed a lot to get to this tournament, and you’re going to go up to his face and tell him his effort was meaningless? Good luck with that. :shakehead
Yeah it's a very stupid opinion to have. Winning the cup is the biggest prize for Canadian kids growing up but a very close 2nd is playing for your country whether it's the Olympics or wjcs. Everyone grows up watching it during the holidays and hoping to put on the red and white. Is it unfortunate Dach got hurt? Sure but I doubt he regrets it.
 
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If you told Kirby Dach to his face that this was a meaningless tournament, he would take his one good hand and ram it into your face.
Yeah he’s jacked. He also wears the freshest clothes, eats at the chillest restaurants, and hangs with the hottest dudes.
 
So heartbreaking (and I'm far from a Blackhawks fan) and that leaked pic of his wrist - ouch. That is his shooting arm as well.
 
As for Dach, he sacrificed a lot to get to this tournament, and you’re going to go up to his face and tell him his effort was meaningless? Good luck with that. :shakehead

What are you even saying? You are now putting words in my mouth and picking an unnecessary fight.

I think what I said was very clear. The majority of NHL regulars eligible for this tournament don't want to play. They've already played before and likely feel done with junior hockey, including this tournament. Dach might've been different in that he hadn't already played this tournament.

No, I wouldn't say his effort is meaningless. I don't think that and have never said anything close to that. You are simply making things up and picking a fight with me at this point.
 
What is it with people on this website thinking everyone else is 400 pounds with a neck beard? It’s so odd. People on this website are all very different and it’s impossible to know the differences without actually knowing the people. This is the second time in a month someone has tried to claim I’m some ultra beta. A guy last month unprompted tried to tell me I’ve never been in a fight.

And yes, I’d absolutely say to his face that the majority of NHL’ers don’t care to play in this tournament. Don’t think you’d know that better than me.

Citation please for the bolded.

You can opine that all you wish, but you’re just wrong. Especially for Canadian, Finnish, Swedish, and Russian players this is a massively important hockey tournament.

Children growing up in Canada dream of playing in the World Juniors, you probably just fail to comprehend how big this tournament is in countries outside of the USA.
 
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There is sometimes a mercenary approach when it comes to the WJC but I don't think that it's generally viewed as a business decision. For most of these players, on the big teams, it will have no bearing on their professional careers. What Eberle says here:

Can You Believe It?!' Jordan Eberle and Canada’s World Junior Miracle - TSN.ca

"You really have two dreams growing up playing hockey in Canada: to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup, obviously, and to play for Canada at the World Juniors"

May not be true for all Canadian players but it is true for some. It's clear that Dach was in Edmonton due to his desire to play in the 2021 WJC regardless of his NHL career. It's unfortunate that he sat in quarantine for weeks when he could have been doing other things and then broke his wrist before the tournament even started. Obviously Chicago regrets releasing him now given almost the worst case scenario happened but teams will continue releasing players for this tournament in the years to come.

It should be noted that this is also very dear to so many Canadian hockey fans. And there’s a lot of bias in the comments. The idea of this cherished event being less than what it is because NHL teams may decide to stop allowing their best prospects to participate is terrifying to many. So a lot of the comments minimizing what happened are biased to the core in this way.

The good thing is that this was a little unusual in that the NHL team was relying on Dach to be a useful player and continue to progress while playing for the parent club. The majority of the time (in deciding whether to allow or disallow players to participate), they’re choosing among scenarios where others are in control over their players because they’d be playing for either their junior team, their college team, or their European club team. So because of that, there’s a decent chance you’ll still see good players. But if there’s a strong possibility a player might be with the NHL team, you might see teams say no regarding participation in WJC. This might become a cautionary tale.
 
Citation please for the bolded.

You can opine that all you wish, but you’re just wrong. Especially for Canadian, Finnish, Swedish, and Russian players this is a massively important hockey tournament.

Children growing up in Canada dream of playing in the World Juniors, you probably just fail to comprehend how big this tournament is in countries outside of the USA.

You keep repeating this, as if only people in certain countries can dream of playing in the World Juniors. It's very demeaning. I'm sure all those American players who gave up their Christmas and had to be treated like prisoners in being locked down in a hotel room for four days don't care about this tournament.

Kakko and Lafreniere, both from countries on your list of those who care a lot about this tournament, aren't playing. If they would've begged their team to play, I'm sure they would've played. Dach did so with Chicago, and Chicago obliged. He had never played in this tournament before, which is likely why he wanted to play. To make this about the nationality of a player in the deciding factor of why someone would or want to play is demeaning and its also probably just flat out wrong. There's no evidence that nationality is any deciding factor in who would and wouldn't want to play. There's a lot suggesting regular NHL'ers don't want to play. In fact, we see it nearly every year where players who are 50/50 end up staying in the NHL.
 
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Seeing the picture of what his wrist looked like is scary. Fluke injury but hopefully he’s able to recover.
 
You keep repeating this, as if only people in certain countries can dream of playing in the World Juniors. It's very demeaning. I'm sure all those American players who gave up their Christmas and had to be treated like prisoners in being locked down in a hotel room for four days don't care about this tournament.

Kakko and Lafreniere, both from countries on your list of those who care a lot about this tournament, aren't playing. If they would've begged their team to play, I'm sure they would've played. Dach did so with Chicago, and Chicago obliged. He had never played in this tournament before, which is likely why he wanted to play. To make this about the nationality of a player in the deciding factor of why someone would or want to play is demeaning and its also probably just flat out wrong. There's no evidence that nationality is any deciding factor in who would and wouldn't want to play. There's a lot suggesting regular NHL'ers don't want to play. In fact, we see it nearly every year where players who are 50/50 end up staying in the NHL.

Do you think it was a stupid decision by Chicago to allow him to play?

Also, if they don’t already, teams should be asking prospects about insisting on participating in WJC in the pre draft interviews. If a player says, “your organization would be my priority, not WJC”, then it’s less likely someone does what Dach did.
 

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