I personally don't complain about blowouts, it would be a total nonsense for me to do so. It happens and it's natural for hockey. And I don't say that SVK and SWI shouldn't be there because of some blowouts in the past. We can all agree that they're not really that competitive as Finland or the Czechs, and that the two AS teams are much more talented and simply better on paper. I'm not saying this is the reason why we should exclude them. I've stated numerous times that I will be watching rather countries than a battle between North America U24 and Sweden, but it's interesting format to see/try once and definitely exciting and it doesn't make anything short of a serious and highly competitive, world class, best-on-best tournament from it IMO, that's just what it looks to me. Hopefully we have the next two olympics with NHL participation, while the World Cup comes back to the standard format. But that doesn't change that this format is interesting and that we'll see a very good hockey.
Puck Daddy: Team Europe World Cup players frustrated with format
- Thread starter cutchemist42
- Start date
-
Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Talking blowouts.
Let's see Germany had the honour to be the 8th nation in the tournamnets of 96, 02 and 04.
1996:
Sweden -Germany 6:1
Finnland - Germany 8:3
Czech Repuplique -Germany 1:7
Quaterfinals
Canada -Germany 4:1
2002:
Canada -Germany 3:2
Czech Republique -Germany 8-2
Sweden -Germany 7:1
Quaterfinals:
USA -Germany 5:0
2004:
Finnland -Germany 0:3
Czech Republique Germany 7:2
Sweden Germany 5:2
Quaterfinals
Finland -Germany 2:1
So were there blow outs?
Sure, but did the Gemran team embarrasse hockey?
Hell no. Those games were fantastic to watch nevertheless for German fans.
Especially those games i highlighted in red of course.
A blow out win against Czech Republique and close losses to stacked Canadian and Finish teams.
So while Germany won most games by a huge margin. Still they were capable of upsets. Almost elimnating Finnland in 04 and giving Canada a run for its money in 02.
Those are the games that grow hockey in your country. I don't get why the NHL doesn't see that.
Excluding Switzerland and Slovakia, who are on a whole different level than those German teams obviously, is just plaine stupid. And the argument of potential blowouts is laughabel of course.
Let's see Germany had the honour to be the 8th nation in the tournamnets of 96, 02 and 04.
1996:
Sweden -Germany 6:1
Finnland - Germany 8:3
Czech Repuplique -Germany 1:7
Quaterfinals
Canada -Germany 4:1
2002:
Canada -Germany 3:2
Czech Republique -Germany 8-2
Sweden -Germany 7:1
Quaterfinals:
USA -Germany 5:0
2004:
Finnland -Germany 0:3
Czech Republique Germany 7:2
Sweden Germany 5:2
Quaterfinals
Finland -Germany 2:1
So were there blow outs?
Sure, but did the Gemran team embarrasse hockey?
Hell no. Those games were fantastic to watch nevertheless for German fans.
Especially those games i highlighted in red of course.
A blow out win against Czech Republique and close losses to stacked Canadian and Finish teams.
So while Germany won most games by a huge margin. Still they were capable of upsets. Almost elimnating Finnland in 04 and giving Canada a run for its money in 02.
Those are the games that grow hockey in your country. I don't get why the NHL doesn't see that.
Excluding Switzerland and Slovakia, who are on a whole different level than those German teams obviously, is just plaine stupid. And the argument of potential blowouts is laughabel of course.
the only people really talking about potential blow outs are the ones that oppose the format of the tournament.
Somehow players from non national teams aren't going to try as hard, despite any evidence to that opinion.
It's pretty obvious that in all levels of hockey blow outs are less common than previously due mainly to changes in goaltender equipment, techniques and team defense.
Actually Finland can have an all NHL team, if they choose to, or pretty darn close to it.
http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...=gt&c4val=&threshhold=5&order_by=games_played
Esa Lindell from Dallas will probably see NHL action this season and is doing very well in the AHL so far.
Why bring up this Strawman of an argument or are you seriously thinking that Finland doesn't have enough NHL talent to compete in this tournament?
They certainly have a lot more than Slovakia and Switzerland.
http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...=gt&c4val=&threshhold=5&order_by=games_played
http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...=gt&c4val=&threshhold=5&order_by=games_played
further to this point there is only 1 non NHL predicted for this club and it's in the role of a bottom pairing Dman.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=778347
FYI, Esa Lindell and Petteri Lindbohm are not NHL players. Texas Stars and Chicago Wolves are AHL teams. Lindbohm got to try it for a while last year, but he wasn't good enough to stay in the NHL as a regular. Why should a scrub like that get to play in the World Cup?
Last edited:
I notice that you didn't try to call Lindell a scrub and he us define tell. An NHL caliber player.
But if one really wants to.ioen that can of worms the Swiss and Slovaks would have half of their rosters filled with similar type of players right?
This is the very point in Lepardi's rhetoric, and, as usual, it's whistling right over your head. Why do the talking heads bring up the supposed "competitiveness" (or lack thereof) in Switzerland and Slovakia's case, but Finland gets a pass, using players of similar caliber?
The easy answer would be that Finns have earnt the right, since they've proven that they can be competitive no matter who they ice. But in such a case, how are the Slovaks and the Swiss supposed to prove themselves if not given the chance?
1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
- 7,986
- 317
The whole competiveness issue is a red herring. The real issue is why compensate 2 additional Federations for their participation, along with all the other auxiliary costs, transportation, insurance etc. etc when you have your own players. Bettman and his gang of marketers can screw up a 1 car parade. They are about as inept as it comes.
Yeah, no skit.
We both know it of course, but the usual answer to said issue is that it simply happens to be the norm when running a supposedly "international" tournament. Somehow the NHL sees the right to veer from this formula, yet have the gall to call it "international" anyway.
It's hard to say which ticks me off more... that the league is spewing this baloney in the first place, or that there actually are people who appear to be perfectly happy to swallow it. Sure, it's no surprise that there are plenty of intellectually challenged people walking this Earth, but it's still kind of frustrating to witness the happening of an entire event that pretty much hangs its success on their existence.
1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
- 7,986
- 317
And the other con that the NHL has going on is the line of "well, the gimmicky teams are just a one-off because there was no time for qualifiers". I chuckle at that line all the time. Ya, let's all tune and boost those TV numbers/ratings, let's all buy their over-priced ticket packages for a pre season exhibition so the NHL can rake in gobs of cash, and then let's watch them the very next day after whatever team wins The Sham Cup, let's watch Bettman et al trot out the TV ratings and revenues as a reason to add even more gimmicky teams 4 years from now. The fans just ate it up. Let's give them more of what they want. Oh and the kicker, the cherry on top, the bonus for all us fans for tuning into this crapshow, goodbye NHL Olympics. Thanks, Bettman, but no thanks. Take your crap show and go take a dive in the Hudson River.
Last edited:
JVR
HeadHitsAreNotIllega
- Jul 17, 2002
- 3,301
- 0
I wish the players would decline to play on this farce of a "team" but I guess it would be tough to forgo the money or they'd probably even get punished if they did.
As a German not even the possibility of Draisaitl or Rieder playing make we want to watch this.
They should do best of 5 USA-Canada series and be done with it.
As a German not even the possibility of Draisaitl or Rieder playing make we want to watch this.
They should do best of 5 USA-Canada series and be done with it.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,802
- 15,458
I admire their balls in making the qualifiers claim. I find the people who believe what the NHL is telling them hook, line and sinker to be more of an issue. The NHL has long been doing stupid things. More people used to have the critical reasoning skills to see that those things were stupid though.
As for this team... at least Draisaitl is looking good!
1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
- 7,986
- 317
just imagine the horror! If this tournament succeeds and we get more of it, plus the ridiculous proposed Ryder Cup format, the only thing left that even looks like a real tournament is the annual IIHF WHC. I mean, how bad do you have to be so that tournament becomes the better and only real option. I'm having nightmares!
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,802
- 15,458
This has been floated about many times, but there is nothing to indicate that the players will be punished for not participating. Players have declined to play in past editions of the Canada/World Cup without receiving any punishment.
If there is no best on best, then I have zero interest in the IIHF WHC since it would no longer be a place to try out players for actual top tournaments.
1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
- 7,986
- 317
good point.
I guess we'll still have the World Juniors! But the NHL and NHL GMs are intent on screwing with that tournament as well.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,802
- 15,458
1Gold Standard
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2012
- 7,986
- 317
keeping marginal junior age players on NHL rosters and/or reluctant to release them when clearly they would be better served completing their junior careers.
Unless the player is of the caliber of Crosby or McDavid, they all should play in this tournament. It shouldn't even be a question. But I am bias, the junior tournament is and has always been (since 1986) my favorite tournament and I want all the best players playing in it.
1986 Hamilton, Ont. Jim Sandlak and the hit.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,802
- 15,458
I think that the WJC would be much less popular if all of the players were released every year, but that's a topic for another thread.
By this logic, shouldn't the WHC be better received too?
...in North America, I mean. We Europeans have no issue with it the way it is.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,802
- 15,458
I suspect that the WJC would not be an overly competitive tournament most years if all of the players were available. The WHC would have been pretty competitive every year for the last few decades if all the players were available, and would certainly be more popular in North America. The WHC likely still wouldn't have been relevant in North America prior to the 60s even if the IIHF allowed all players to participate though, since it wouldn't have been close to competitive.
