Qualifier Tournament for the World Cup?

[Jetsfan79]

With the announcement of the World Cup featuring only countries, the
issue of teams like Germany or Denmark not being represented comes
back to the forefront. Players like Draisaitl and Ehlers will likely
miss out if those teams aren’t included. And if they are included,
people will complain about them being obliterated by the strong
national teams.

I have a solution. Similar to the World Cup of Soccer, I think the NHL
should arrange for a short qualifier series between the teams that are
not deemed as the automatic World Cup Teams ,

In my mind the automatic qualifiers should be:

Can, USA, Rus (I’m assuming theyre in for now), Swe, and Fin ( 5 teams)

The teams that would need to qualify could be: Czech, Slovakia,
Denmark and Germany.

The teams needing to qualify play each other once. The min- tourney could occur
in Aug leading up to the World Cup season. The teams would be using NHL,
AHL and national team players to fill out their rosters.

Whichever team has the best record of the 4, will be chosen to be the
6th team to play in the World Cup in Feb.

That one team can still be obliterated, but that’s better than 3 or 4. Also that one team could at least hang their hats as being the best of the "outside teams"

Plus it would maximize representation with all teams feeling they were part of the World Cup experience.

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[swissdude]

I don't think there will be any russian team in any torunament in the near future and you probably missed a country whos team best on best probably could compete with Germany and Denmark....

 

[Bounces R Way]

I agree with @swissdude , Austria should be included in a tournament such as this.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

I agree with @swissdude , Austria should be included in a tournament such as this.

I was going to suggest the Slovenian national team led by Anze Kopitar and younger brother Gasper Kopitar but Gasper retired recently and I don't think their heart is in it anymore and it shows in their recent intl performances.

 

[swissdude]

I agree with @swissdude , Austria should be included in a tournament such as this.

not to mention latvia, france, norway and kazakhstan

 

[Czechboy]

I think Czechs should qualify given our pisspoor results. So please know I'm not saying we are better.

However, NHL tourney and we have an all NHL squad in 2024 (we should be near 40 in the NHL then with a realistic full set of below average NHL D, good forwards and 3 good NHL goalies). Odds of them risking them not making it and not being able to sell Pasta and Hertl jerseys is pretty slim IMO.

ONce you get past the Czechs... you could argue for a lot of nations that are very equal.

My bigger fear was that they'd come up with a big rest of Europe team and eliminate us entirely. So I'm happy it's nations.

 

[kudla]

rip Switzerland

 

[PanniniClaus]

I was on this bandwagon long ago..at the tourney's inception.. make the World Cup a calendar fixture and have a qualifying process for any team from the IIHF that wants to enter. Does not have to be by geography like FIFA but it should mirror it in a way that makes it the "World Cup". Even the baseball Worlds have qualifiers.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Can the Russians get a gimmick team?

"Ovechkin and the fellas"

 

[Boonk]

Do a world cup qualifier tournament in the summer of 2023 perhaps?

 

[Jahara]

Just play it with the big six in a round-robin like it used to be.

 

[A Bundy]

Do we really need a World Cup of Hockey for National teams when we have the IIHF Word Championship of hockey that serves the same purpose? I'd rather just move the timeline a month or so every 3-5 years or whener it is scheduled so that the NHLers can join. Am I missing something here?

 

[tobu]

Do we really need a World Cup of Hockey for National teams when we have the IIHF Word Championship of hockey that serves the same purpose? I'd rather just move the timeline a month or so every 3-5 years or whener it is scheduled so that the NHLers can join. Am I missing something here?

This would be the best solution. Or the olympics would serve that purpose if NHL participates. But afaik the gist here is that NHL wants to capitalize on the World Cup of Hockey financially, organize it in NHL arenas and for the US market.

 

[Eye of Ra]

rip Switzerland

care to elaborate?

 

[kudla]

care to elaborate?

I was referring to the author not mentioning Switzerland at all

 

[A Bundy]

This would be the best solution. Or the olympics would serve that purpose if NHL participates. But afaik the gist here is that NHL wants to capitalize on the World Cup of Hockey financially, organize it in NHL arenas and for the US market.

I don't mind if NHL organize the (IIHF) Word Championship every fourth year or so and keep the money. I just mind that they make up silly formats, qualifications and non-existing teams like Team rest of Europe that no one cares about and stuff like that. Or decide who is the best qualified nations based on historical performance or gut feeling or whatever they do. IIHF and NHL should be able to make a deal that both parties profit from.