Well, how about making the NHL All-Star break an annual event, extending it to two weeks and hosting the World Cup every time instead of all these meaningless Skills competitions and "games" between divisions?
Olympics: NHL participation in the 2022 Olympics
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We can have a 12-team World Cup instead of an All-Star break. 3 groups, 4 teams in each, round-robin. Best two teams from each group advance to quarterfinals, so do two best third-place teams. Then, quarterfinals, semifinals, final (and maybe a third-place game). Six games max for each team, two weeks should be more than enough.
Nine best teams (top three in each group) keep their World Cup spots for next year, the last-place teams don't. These three spots are determined in... the World Championship! Three best teams in the World Championship (not counting the nine automatic qualifiers) will go to the next year's World Cup. That will surely make the World Championship more interesting, even without most Stanley Cup players.
And the Olympics? Who cares, really? Just like no one really cares about the soccer tournament in the Summer Olympics...
Nine best teams (top three in each group) keep their World Cup spots for next year, the last-place teams don't. These three spots are determined in... the World Championship! Three best teams in the World Championship (not counting the nine automatic qualifiers) will go to the next year's World Cup. That will surely make the World Championship more interesting, even without most Stanley Cup players.
And the Olympics? Who cares, really? Just like no one really cares about the soccer tournament in the Summer Olympics...
Now, once every four years, we can have the Olympic tournament instead of the annual World Cup. If IOC plays nice, pays insurance and blah blah blah... But if not, then the Olympic break simply becomes the World Cup break again, and we still get our best-on-best tournament!
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Any kind of bump in the road gives the NHL an excuse to get out of the Olympics. There is some vague agreement that the NHL will go to the 2022 and 2026 Olympics, master negotiator that the NHLPA is, but that doesn't mean much when the NHL can cite covid or insurance issues. The league may still go but it isn't going to push hard for it.
The NHL doesn't need the Olympics and the Olympics doesn't need the NHL. Ideally we could get a best on best tournament at the Olympics and also one at a World Cup. The instability and inconsistency on display with the powers in this situation however leave us with things like a beyond irrelevant Olympic tournament (2018) and a terrible joke of a tournament (2016). Also RIP to the NHL's planned 2020 tournament.
The NHL doesn't need the Olympics and the Olympics doesn't need the NHL. Ideally we could get a best on best tournament at the Olympics and also one at a World Cup. The instability and inconsistency on display with the powers in this situation however leave us with things like a beyond irrelevant Olympic tournament (2018) and a terrible joke of a tournament (2016). Also RIP to the NHL's planned 2020 tournament.
Czechboy
Náš f*cken barák!
- Apr 15, 2018
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I think the main reason it's good at the Olympics is because it is mid season (players in good form) and it is an actual date and venue set.
That may sound silly but the NHL simply cannot even agree to a date and venue. Olympics takes care of that. Every 4 years we are playing 'here' and during 'this time'.
Soccer does not have a big Olympic presence but they have a Euro and World cup like clockwork!
I'm all for a All Star break every 4 years but then you get back to everyone is playing in North America like a Canada Cup and that can be a problem too. I know people love the old Canada Cup style but, from a Euro perspective, that is 5 nations flying over to Canada in summer to play in front of Canadian fans in Canadian rinks. Allowing them to paly a few games in Europe before flying over I think I made it worse.
I can't imagine Canada would ever want to fly all their stars out to (insert Euro cities) and then return back for the NHL.
That and the NHLPA really can't seem to figure out how to make a best on best tournament despite it being pretty simple. Hell, they could log on here and get some great ideas.
FTR.. I want a Euro Championships brought back!
That may sound silly but the NHL simply cannot even agree to a date and venue. Olympics takes care of that. Every 4 years we are playing 'here' and during 'this time'.
Soccer does not have a big Olympic presence but they have a Euro and World cup like clockwork!
I'm all for a All Star break every 4 years but then you get back to everyone is playing in North America like a Canada Cup and that can be a problem too. I know people love the old Canada Cup style but, from a Euro perspective, that is 5 nations flying over to Canada in summer to play in front of Canadian fans in Canadian rinks. Allowing them to paly a few games in Europe before flying over I think I made it worse.
I can't imagine Canada would ever want to fly all their stars out to (insert Euro cities) and then return back for the NHL.
That and the NHLPA really can't seem to figure out how to make a best on best tournament despite it being pretty simple. Hell, they could log on here and get some great ideas.
FTR.. I want a Euro Championships brought back!
The NHL has no problem scheduling an All-Star break every year. All it has to do is make it a two-week World Cup break instead. (If it's an Olympic year, make it a conditional Olympic break -- if the NHL and IOC don't agree on details, oh well, then it's still the World Cup break).
Yes, it might seem a bit unfair to Europeans that World Cup is always in North America, but the vast majority of best European players are playing in the NHL anyway.
Yes, it might seem a bit unfair to Europeans that World Cup is always in North America, but the vast majority of best European players are playing in the NHL anyway.
JackSlater
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The NHL said that it wanted to host the World Cup in Europe in the future. Now the NHL lost pretty much all credibility when it comes to the World Cup due to the 2016 debacle, but who knows. Certainly the tournament should be played in Europe, and not the crap with one group in Europe and one in North America.
I think they actually really want to go to the Olympics, they really want center stage in China. It could be absolutely massive for future revenue growth.
Of course Bettman's way is to pretend he doesn't want it so he can turn something he wants into a bargaining chip.
Personally I'd love to see the NHL in the Olympics, and then in the non-Olympic seasons have a (mini)-World Cup All Star event each year.
8 teams -
Russia
Sweden
Finland
United States
Canada West
Ontario
Canada East
Europe
13 players per team is 104 players total. They'll play shorter games that are part 4v4 and part 3v3, spread out across three days, perhaps with a final four playoff on the last day. The States would have the best odds of victory but I've gone through the rosters before and these teams would be very well balanced overall. Anyone could win.
It solves the All-Star Game problem where it is absolutely dreadful and no one cares who wins (the fans or the players). National and regional pride is a big motivator and a big draw for fans. And it solves the World Cup problem in that the league doesn't need to do a multi-week hiatus, it's just a three day tourney with 1-2 days off before and after.
If I'm really dreaming - I would structure it something like this: 8 minutes 4v4, 8 minutes 3v3, 3 minutes 2v2, 3 minutes 1v1. Imagine Panarin and McDavid in a 1v1.
8 teams -
Russia
Sweden
Finland
United States
Canada West
Ontario
Canada East
Europe
13 players per team is 104 players total. They'll play shorter games that are part 4v4 and part 3v3, spread out across three days, perhaps with a final four playoff on the last day. The States would have the best odds of victory but I've gone through the rosters before and these teams would be very well balanced overall. Anyone could win.
It solves the All-Star Game problem where it is absolutely dreadful and no one cares who wins (the fans or the players). National and regional pride is a big motivator and a big draw for fans. And it solves the World Cup problem in that the league doesn't need to do a multi-week hiatus, it's just a three day tourney with 1-2 days off before and after.
If I'm really dreaming - I would structure it something like this: 8 minutes 4v4, 8 minutes 3v3, 3 minutes 2v2, 3 minutes 1v1. Imagine Panarin and McDavid in a 1v1.
It doesn't have to be the Olympics, I would be fine with a constantly recurring, non-gimmicky World Cup every 2-4 years or so. It just unlikely for that to happen unfortunately. As long as the World Cup is held very inconsistently, always on NA soil with NA refs, has no qualification system, and even has completely gimmicky teams, it just can't be taken as seriously as a best on best competition.
Still, it's much better than nothing, if the Olympics are a no-go. It's just hard to be excited for something so uncertain. If the NHL came up with a clear roadmap for future best on best World Cups, I would be fine with it.
PoutineSp00nZ
Electricity is really just organized lightning.
An annual tournament would diminish it's significance. Every 4 years is perfect.
Need more than NHL players to make it a real best on best tournie though. That's the kicker and what makes it difficult for the NHL to orchestrate on its own.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
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I do believe that the only reason that the NHL hasn't pulled the plug already (given the covid out) is because it is in China as opposed to South Korea (2018) or Italy (2026) for the most part. Not sure that they expect that Olympic participation would help all that much though since the league gets no branding and can't use the footage. If it's all a bluff by Bettman in the end that's fine with me, and I certainly agree that the NHL turned participation into another bargaining chip.
During the NHL All Star break replace what you have now with a 3 game CAN vs USA mini series. Every four years take an extended All Star break and hold a proper World Cup, alternate the host city between NA and Europe every 4 years. No more NHLers at Olympics. Change the annual World Championship to an annual European Championship since the NA teams now have an annual 3 game series.
The only truly definitive "best-on-best" tournament ever was the 1972 Canada-Soviet series. You had it all: two teams that were clearly the best playing an 8-game series, 4 games each at home to achieve a true competitive balance. The only other possible format is of much lower value - the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games satisfy nearly all challenges to competitive fairness, with the exception of when they are held in the home country of one of the top competitors (e.g., Vancouver, Sochi). Of course, in the Olympics, it is very possible that the 2 best teams might not even face each other. The remaining formats (Alan Eagleson's Canada Cup, the World Cup) don't survive any of the challenges to competitive balance, because they strongly favor the home countries (Canada, the USA), who even name their countrymen as referees. Probably the most likely to survive version would be to just have Canada and the USA play a '72-style 8-game home and home series every 4 years.
HarvHQC
Registered User
- Aug 12, 2020
- 20
- 40
Now that some NHL players are participating in next week's qualifiers and many NHL teams are selling tickets and announcing promotional dates based on the "Olympic break version" of next season's schedule, does this "Will they? Won't they?" about NHL participation look more like an inevitability?
Asking because that's what I figured until I came across the recent articles about media rights and COVID insurance. (May or may not have prematurely formed travel plans based on that assumption.) Seems like it'd be getting more coverage if it were actually in danger, but the lack of official confirmation also leaves room for uncertainty.
Asking because that's what I figured until I came across the recent articles about media rights and COVID insurance. (May or may not have prematurely formed travel plans based on that assumption.) Seems like it'd be getting more coverage if it were actually in danger, but the lack of official confirmation also leaves room for uncertainty.
I vomited over my breakfast... That would be far worse and more ridiculous than the extremely ridiculous and useless 2016 Gimmick Cup.
NHL players also participated in 2018 Qualifiers if i dont remember wrong its same as Wch every spring when season is not on they can play?
Czechboy
Náš f*cken barák!
- Apr 15, 2018
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Canada has been in 5 of the last 6 World Championship finals.. I'm pretty sure IIHF wants them there! I sure as hell do
I hope for anythink that NHL would not participate in these Olympics, but i think they will. China should not get to host these so i hope for everyone to skip these game's. Or make them as irrelevant as possible
Swervin81
Leaf fan | YYZ -> SEA
That's enormous news. Given that this was pretty much by far the biggest obstacle... suddenly, looks more and more likely that this is a go!
TheGoldenJet
Registered User
You so badly don’t want this to happen it seems, yet it’s looking like it actually will.
Why would they bother with insuring NHLers at the qualifiers if they don't plan to for the Olympics? You wouldn't even want to have NHL players at the qualifiers if they won't be representative of the teams playing in six months.
