NHL will ruin International hockey

[Tecumseh]

Something that has been sticking in my craw for the last 5 or 6 years is the unfair advantage the NHL is providing the United States in international hockey. It was bad enough as a Canadian to see many sons of Canadian players playing for the Stars and Stripes but now we are seeing history repeating itself with the offspring of Euro players. A quick look at the present roster of the USA youth Olympic team (2000 birthdate) shows at least 5 players who fathers earn or are earning their living at the NHL level. This type of roster has become quite typical. Before people go crazy, yes Canada has taken advantage of this as well. Case in point is Darnell Nurse whose father came to Canada to play professional football however the ice is certainly tilted in the USA's favour as 23 out of the 30 teams are in the USA.

Anybody care to discuss.

Let me put it this way. I happen to have an Italian last name because that is where my family is from. However, I can't speak the Italian language and I've only been to that country once in my life. What makes me Italian other than my last name? Nothing, absolutely nothing. It isn't any different for hockey players. In other words, it's called immigration and it happens all over the world. An European last name does not make that person more European than American or whichever country they were born and raised in.

 

[finchster]

The World Cup of Hockey could ruin international hockey because it's really a joke with the gimmick teams. I'd prefer the Olympics, but it doesn't put any money in the NHL pocket I guess.

 

[xxxx]

I don't get it. In most cases, you represent the country you call your home

 

[Xokkeu]

Gretzky should have played for the Soviets in the 87 Canada Cup and Belarus at the 98 Olympics, after all he wasn't a "true" Canadian, what kinda name is "Gretzky" anyways

You're new 2018 Canadian Olympic hockey team captains....

Jonathan Cheechoo
Jordin Tootoo
Jordan Nolan

 

[JackSlater]

It seems that many people can't actually comprehend the point of the OP. The poster doesn't seem to be saying that the sons of Canadian NHLers who grow up in the United States should play for Canada. He is saying that the United States gets an unfair advantage due to having so many NHLers stay in the country and raise their kids there. I disagree that it's unfair, but there's no need to stupidly misinterpret what was said.

 

[Rob]

Wrong.

They will participate in the next 2 Olympics and then it will be another two because it'll most likely be back to a European Hockey country and then North America. Once this is settled it's pretty much a lifetime agreement.

And it will be agreed upon.

CHINA.

That's all you need to know. No one can say no to China. The chance for the game to grow in Asia, for them to make money there, and then I can't imagine how World Hockey will look like in 25 years once these next 2 games take place, I'm sure you'll be seeing Asians starting to play in the nhl.

The Chinese are already with the help of the Russians creating a Hockey program, it'll only improve as they build more rinks and children start playing. 2022 will be the tipping point when they get to live the game for the first time, it's a chance that can't be missed for the game. It's a huge opportunity.

The Koreans and the Chinese will not know the difference between NHL players at the Olympics or amateurs. That is why the NHL won't care.

 

[Xokkeu]

It seems that many people can't actually comprehend the point of the OP. The poster doesn't seem to be saying that the sons of Canadian NHLers who grow up in the United States should play for Canada. He is saying that the United States gets an unfair advantage due to having so many NHLers stay in the country and raise their kids there. I disagree that it's unfair, but there's no need to stupidly misinterpret what was said.

The logic is silly. Hence the wild tangents.


If the US looked something like the Qatari national football team, then fine.

The US had two players with foreign born parents who played in the NHL in 2014. In 2010 they had three. In 2006 I think they had one.

 

[TedLundy]

*cough* Dany Heatley *cough*

 

[JETZZZ]

People move and start families in different countries all the time. Heck, I bet if you look it up on thy interwebs, there are probably some people in Canada RIGHT NOW (gasp!) who may not have grandparents or parents from Canada. Crazy right?

Meanwhile, the NHL's season drags on so long that a lot of the best players are still in the playoffs during the yearly world chamionships.

Meanwhile, the NHL is thinking of refusing to let its players participate in future Olympic games, killing best-on-best Olympic hockey.

Meanwhile, the NHL brought back the World cup of Hockey and THEN decided that sending the top 8 ranked nations was way too complicated, so instead they are going to put together 2 non-national teams in it...in a tournament that is supposed to be for national teams

 

[Stopsight]

You have to ask yourself why Canadian players don't return home after their careers are over.
The majority stay in the US. However Finnish, Swedish, Russian etc players usually return home.
Can't be the weather, can't be taxes.

How many stars have played out their contracts to sign with their boyhood teams? I can think of only two. Ryan Suter and Zach Parise who ironically is a dual citizen by virtue of his dad being Canadian and even Americanized the pronunciation of his last name.

I can remember American Erik Johnson after the 2007 World Juniors saying he was going to put in his NHL contract with the team drafting him that he be released to play in the 2008 tournament. It didn't happen, probably because his agent said...not a good idea.

When the Bruins were debating on letting Canadian Tyler Seguin go to the 2011 World Juniors he was quoted as saying "I'll be disappointed, it was always my dream to play in the NHL"

When Carolina was debating whether to allow American Justin Faulk to play at the World Juniors he said "It would be an honour to play for my country"

Five of the all time greats in the game, Gretzky, Howe, Orr, Lemieux, Hull all Canadian born are now US citizens.

The problem isn't the NHL, it's Canadian players.

Canada and the US are far less culturally distinct than either one of those countries and Europe/Scandinavia/Russia. Not surprising that Canadians would integrate better than other nationalities

 

[daver]

Meanwhile, the NHL's season drags on so long that a lot of the best players are still in the playoffs during the yearly world chamionships.

Do you know anything about the history of the World Championships?

 

[JETZZZ]

Do you know anything about the history of the World Championships?

I know that once they made it an open competition they moved it later back into the spring to better accommodate the NHL.

 

[1Gold Standard]

I know that once they made it an open competition they moved it later back into the spring to better accommodate the NHL.

silliness. They didn't do anything to accommodate the NHL, they did it to accommodate European federations. If the European influx into the NHL had never occurred, the IIHF would still be holding the WHC in mid April... and if Hockey Canada or USAH didn't like it, the IIHF response would be, too freakin bad, talk to GB at NHLHQ in NY.

 

[JETZZZ]

Well it sure isn't the IIHFs fault that the NHL playoffs drag on till the end of June

 

[Jussi]

Meanwhile, the NHL's season drags on so long that a lot of the best players are still in the playoffs during the yearly world chamionships.

Not really. The best teams are still playing but more often than not, the best players have been available.

 

[Rob]

Well it sure isn't the IIHFs fault that the NHL playoffs drag on till the end of June

Agreed. But the IIHF isn't interested in moving the tournament time either.

 

[xxxx]

Well it sure isn't the IIHFs fault that the NHL playoffs drag on till the end of June

Fault is a not a good word here. No one can seriously think about shortening the season to, say, 60 games, just that the players are available for the worlds. Neither is a good idea to shortened the pre-season, or to not have it at all. The NHL is just the best league in the world with so much talent coming in (draft, UFA signing, try-outs, a chance for AHL players to show up, etc., etc.) nobody can't just dismiss the pre-season that it's a "waste of time". It's not. I believe the NHL could somehow shortened the season cutting a piece here and a piece there (pre-season, 75 games, no all-star break) but I doubt it happens and I doubt it's worth it when looking at the things that would be hurt by that decision.

One thing positive there could be is that possible injuries would no longer effect NHL seasons, unless it's a really serious injury.

Seriously I would be ok if the NHL had their own World Championships, or World Cup, in September, with like 12-16 teams, and yes, only national, all that every two years.

 

[saskganesh]

It seems that many people can't actually comprehend the point of the OP. The poster doesn't seem to be saying that the sons of Canadian NHLers who grow up in the United States should play for Canada. He is saying that the United States gets an unfair advantage due to having so many NHLers stay in the country and raise their kids there. I disagree that it's unfair, but there's no need to stupidly misinterpret what was said.

thanks dad. ;-0

 

[Xokkeu]

Fault is a not a good word here. No one can seriously think about shortening the season to, say, 60 games, just that the players are available for the worlds. Neither is a good idea to shortened the pre-season, or to not have it at all. The NHL is just the best league in the world with so much talent coming in (draft, UFA signing, try-outs, a chance for AHL players to show up, etc., etc.) nobody can't just dismiss the pre-season that it's a "waste of time". It's not. I believe the NHL could somehow shortened the season cutting a piece here and a piece there (pre-season, 75 games, no all-star break) but I doubt it happens and I doubt it's worth it when looking at the things that would be hurt by that decision.

One thing positive there could be is that possible injuries would no longer effect NHL seasons, unless it's a really serious injury.

Seriously I would be ok if the NHL had their own World Championships, or World Cup, in September, with like 12-16 teams, and yes, only national, all that every two years.

The season should really be 40-50 games. Not because of the worlds but because of the strain on players and competitive value of each game. Same with basketball but it won't happen because neither the owners nor players want to cut their salaries in half.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Fault is a not a good word here. No one can seriously think about shortening the season to, say, 60 games, just that the players are available for the worlds. Neither is a good idea to shortened the pre-season, or to not have it at all. The NHL is just the best league in the world with so much talent coming in (draft, UFA signing, try-outs, a chance for AHL players to show up, etc., etc.) nobody can't just dismiss the pre-season that it's a "waste of time". It's not. I believe the NHL could somehow shortened the season cutting a piece here and a piece there (pre-season, 75 games, no all-star break) but I doubt it happens and I doubt it's worth it when looking at the things that would be hurt by that decision.

One thing positive there could be is that possible injuries would no longer effect NHL seasons, unless it's a really serious injury.

Seriously I would be ok if the NHL had their own World Championships, or World Cup, in September, with like 12-16 teams, and yes, only national, all that every two years.

Even if the NHL and IIHF came to some agreement and they somehow had the WC's after the Stanley Cup was over, it wouldn't matter. Whether it was pushing the WC's back to July or starting the NHL season in September or some happy medium. I think you would still have a lot of players skip the WC's for various reasons and it would be very rare that this tournament would ever be a true best-on-best. Obviously, you could say the same about EVERY Olympics since 98 and the Canada Cups and World Cups, that one team was missing this guy and another team was missing that guy. Therefore, someone will claim it wasn't TRUE best on best. So, when I say true best on best I am saying where all the top teams have at least 90% of what most would consider their best, or at the very least 90% available to them as there will always be an argument about who was left off/included.

 

[canuck2010]

*cough* Dany Heatley *cough*

From Wiki

Heatley was born in Freiburg, Germany to Karin and Murray Heatley, where his father played professional hockey. When Murray retired from hockey, the family settled in Calgary, Alberta.

Murray Heatley being a typical German name.

 

[kaiser matias]

From Wiki

Heatley was born in Freiburg, Germany to Karin and Murray Heatley, where his father played professional hockey. When Murray retired from hockey, the family settled in Calgary, Alberta.

Murray Heatley being a typical German name.

It is not, but Karin is, and she is indeed German.

 

[SladeWilson23]

From Wiki

Heatley was born in Freiburg, Germany to Karin and Murray Heatley, where his father played professional hockey. When Murray retired from hockey, the family settled in Calgary, Alberta.

Murray Heatley being a typical German name.

What about Tyler Myers?

 

[DanielPlainview]

All that would need to be done with this issue is allow first generation children the choice to play for their parent's country or their birth country. In these situations, don't they usually have dual citizenship anyway?

 

[Barrie22]

All that would need to be done with this issue is allow first generation children the choice to play for their parent's country or their birth country. In these situations, don't they usually have dual citizenship anyway?

They already do that. Sadly not many that have dual citizenship will choose canada over the usa. Especially if your asperations is to one day represent the country in international play. Making team usa is 10 times easier then making team canada in any form of international play.