NHL cautiously optimistic about 2021 World Cup.

[kudla]

World Cup 2016:
Czech Republic = 3 games 1 W, 1 OTL, 6 goals, 3 points.
USA = 3 games, 0 W, 3 L, 5 goals = 0 points.

Sportsnet:
"Czech Republic isn't competitive enough and don't score enough goals . They shouldn't be in the tournament".

Wow what the ****. The let Canada play their tournament with 5 canadian teams instead of european teams

 

[Thedogo]

I just want to go back to the good ol' days. Olympic hockey. A true best on best event

I find I funny you say the "good ol days" when the NHL played in the Olympics. But when you look at the history of hockey at the Olympics the NHL was only there for 5 tournaments and they're more recent than say the Miracle on Ice. By the way the NHL already has enough publicity let someone else play in the Olympics like in 1980.

 

[Jahara]

I don't understand the six team thing. Canada,U.S,Russia,Finland,Sweden, Czech Republic but no Switzerland who have about as strong a 23man roster as the Czechs do now.They deserve a chance to fight it out with the best of them.

I think not including them is a sizeable oversight.Germany,Slovakia, Latvia can can round out the eight team field by IIHF ranking.

Now in a real World Cup, Id absolutely prefer 8 teams over 6 (hell, 10, 12, 16, whatever), but since its an NHL tournament, they would want all rosters to be made up of 100% NHL players. Otherwise, they would have to arrange to have KHLers and other euro leagues brought in, which is probably going to cost the NHL money to get them there.
At least having 6 countries is better than gimmick teams. Also, fewer teams means less moving parts for the NHL to choke themselves with.

The simple reason in having 6 teams is that every team gets to play each other once and that is a much better indicator in seeing who the best team is. Plus it is much more fun than seeing teams like Russia or Sweden playing teams like Slovenia or Norway in the Olympics and winning with 4-5 goals.

 

[BOS358]

I think not including them is a sizeable oversight.Germany,Slovakia, Latvia can can round out the eight team field by IIHF ranking.

Do they have enough NHL players to send a full team? If you want to see the best playing the best, you can't have teams without NHL players on the rosters. Having "amateur" players compete against the NHL is not best on best.

Remember, the World Cup is not an international hockey tournament. It is an NHL showcase. The plans to host it during the All-Star Break reveal it for what it really is: an NHL all-star event.

 

[jj cale]

Do they have enough NHL players to send a full team? If you want to see the best playing the best, you can't have teams without NHL players on the rosters. Having "amateur" players compete against the NHL is not best on best.

Remember, the World Cup is not an international hockey tournament. It is an NHL showcase. The plans to host it during the All-Star Break reveal it for what it really is: an NHL all-star event.

Yeah, if it has to be strictly an NHL player only team which that scenario seems to be then the Swiss won't have enough players, I was thinking of a best case scenario where all your players anywhere were available.

 

[jj cale]

The simple reason in having 6 teams is that every team gets to play each other once and that is a much better indicator in seeing who the best team is. Plus it is much more fun than seeing teams like Russia or Sweden playing teams like Slovenia or Norway in the Olympics and winning with 4-5 goals.

I hear what you are saying but I consider a team like switzerland to be one of the best teams, The Swiss are not Norway or Slovenia, their top team at the senior level is at least the level of the czechs now IMO, They deserve to be in a real World Cup.

 

[mattihp]

Here are eight teams for the tournament:
Canada Red jerseys
Canada White jerseys
Canada Black jerseys

USA White
USA Red
USA Blue

The Whalers - Young guys, czechs, slovaks, russians, swiss, germans etc
The Nordiques - Finns and scandinavians

 

[Jahara]

I hear what you are saying but I consider a team like switzerland to be one of the best teams, The Swiss are not Norway or Slovenia, their top team at the senior level is at least the level of the czechs now IMO, They deserve to be in a real World Cup.

I understand that Switzerland is quite good at the moment and would probably give the Czechs a good match. But they are not that good that they need to be in a World Cup. In that case I rather have a Team Europe in a 6 team World Cup with Czech and Swiss players together.

 

[mattihp]

In that case I rather have a Team Europe in a 6 team World Cup with Czech and Swiss players together.

Which really cements the fact that it isn't a real international tournament. If NHL would also admit it, things would be much clearer.

 

[jj cale]

I understand that Switzerland is quite good at the moment and would probably give the Czechs a good match. But they are not that good that they need to be in a World Cup. In that case I rather have a Team Europe in a 6 team World Cup with Czech and Swiss players together.

I disagree, on any given day they can give any of the usual big dogs a run for their money and pull off a victory.

 

[mattihp]

I disagree, on any given day they can give any of the usual big dogs a run for their money and pull off a victory.

It's an NHL commercial. It wouldn't look good when they beat an all NHL Czechia, Finland or Russia.

 

[jj cale]

It's an NHL commercial. It wouldn't look good when they beat an all NHL Czechia, Finland or Russia.

They will have to give up that type of thinking if they ever want to see the bigger picture and raise the status of that tournament.

 

[Jahara]

It's an NHL commercial. It wouldn't look good when they beat an all NHL Czechia, Finland or Russia.

Was it an "NHL commercial" back in 1996 and 2004 as well? Or back in the days when it was Canada Cup? Or did it become an "NHL commercial" just because of the mixed teams?

 

[vorky]

Rene Fasel attended the Junior Club World Cup in Sochi, Russia. He was interviewed by media. Once again he said the classic words on Olympics - the NHL is considering it, but money could be a problem again.

Fasel´s words as I translated them:
I can not say I will do everything possible to get them to the 2022 Olympics, because the American side can ask me any day of the week - how much money will we get?

source

 

[mattihp]

Was it an "NHL commercial" back in 1996 and 2004 as well? Or back in the days when it was Canada Cup? Or did it become an "NHL commercial" just because of the mixed teams?

It definately was an NHL commercial in 2004. Finland was not allowed to bring atheist Karalahti because he didn't participate in a devout christian substance abuse program when he was in the NHL.

 

[BOS358]

Was it an "NHL commercial" back in 1996 and 2004 as well? Or back in the days when it was Canada Cup? Or did it become an "NHL commercial" just because of the mixed teams?

In 1996, the NHL hosted it as a "replacement" for the Olympics. Then, and in 2004, players not signed to an NHL contract were allowed to play. Of course, 2004 was a sorry excuse for a commercial, since all anybody talked about was the impending lockout. The gimmick teams in 2016 just made the "NHL commercial" aspect of it more transparent.

The Canada Cups were less of a commercial and more of another way for Alan Eagleson to embezzle money. I wish I were joking on that.

 

[BOS358]

They will have to give up that type of thinking if they ever want to see the bigger picture and raise the status of that tournament.

That is, if they actually want to raise the status of that tournament. The NHL couldn't care less about growing the game if there is even the slightest doubt that the effort will fill their coffers.

 

[jj cale]

That is, if they actually want to raise the status of that tournament. The NHL couldn't care less about growing the game if there is even the slightest doubt that the effort will fill their coffers.

I wonder how much the last world cup actually filled their coffers? It couldn't have been that much seeing as the interest in it even in Canada was really quite low. Maybe when it drops even further if they don't take action they will get the message and make necessary change, and if they continue to do it as they did last time I can almost garuntee interest will continue to sink badly.

 

[jj cale]

In 1996, the NHL hosted it as a "replacement" for the Olympics. Then, and in 2004, players not signed to an NHL contract were allowed to play. Of course, 2004 was a sorry excuse for a commercial, since all anybody talked about was the impending lockout. The gimmick teams in 2016 just made the "NHL commercial" aspect of it more transparent.

The Canada Cups were less of a commercial and more of another way for Alan Eagleson to embezzle money. I wish I were joking on that.

The Canada Cups may have been another way for the eagle to skim cash but they were actually great tournaments. The last 2 World Cups have not even compared to them in terms of buzz and excitement.

 

[namttebih]

Too gimmicky?

Elite 5
Czechoslovakia
Germany/ Switzerland
Denmark/ Norway

 

[NyQuil]

I don’t understand why people think the additional two teams would be non-competitive when they have been consistently over the best on best Olympics going back to 1998.

 

[Jussi]

Too gimmicky?

Elite 5
Czechoslovakia
Germany/ Switzerland
Denmark/ Norway

Nope. Latvia closer and they're pretty far as well these days.

 

[Jahara]

It definately was an NHL commercial in 2004. Finland was not allowed to bring atheist Karalahti because he didn't participate in a devout christian substance abuse program when he was in the NHL.

In 1996, the NHL hosted it as a "replacement" for the Olympics. Then, and in 2004, players not signed to an NHL contract were allowed to play. Of course, 2004 was a sorry excuse for a commercial, since all anybody talked about was the impending lockout. The gimmick teams in 2016 just made the "NHL commercial" aspect of it more transparent.

The Canada Cups were less of a commercial and more of another way for Alan Eagleson to embezzle money. I wish I were joking on that.

I have to say I clearly prefer a "NHL commercial" any time since the all best players is there over a tournament like World Championships that just is a nonsense tournament played every year to bring money for IIHF.

But it would be great with some consistency with the World Cup and it should be played every 4th year with the format Canada Cup had. Much better.

 

[mattihp]

I have to say I clearly prefer a "NHL commercial" any time since the all best players is there over a tournament like World Championships that just is a nonsense tournament played every year to bring money for IIHF.

But it would be great with some consistency with the World Cup and it should be played every 4th year with the format Canada Cup had. Much better.

Without that money to the IIHF you would have no Ovi, no Salming or Foppa.. No Selänne, no Jaromir or Chara... The NHL would be just Sutters and Staals.

Without money going to the NHL for the world cup some of the commisioners would just need to choose less add-ons when they buy new cars. Huge difference.

 

[Thedogo]

The NHL would be just Sutters and Staals.

What's wrong with those guys?