Reason for Team North America?

[HSF]

why do some people think its a stretch for team NA to win the tournament?

the only real weakness coming in was the question marks in net. But they are a team of all star new generation players.

 

[Xokkeu]

I think you have to be overly nationalistic to really enjoy international hockey. To me, dividing players up into teams based on what countries the IIHF says they are eligible to play for is not much different than dividing them up based on the first letter of their last name.

Interestingly, culturally, I probably indentify more as a mix of Canadian and American than I do as a Canadian if that makes any sense.

I also find that NHL players (and NBA players) in the Olympics lessens my enjoyment of the overall event. I like the Olympics for its spotlight on lesser known athletes. I see the spotlight on NHL stars all the time -- I don't want it on them in the Olympics too.

I don't think you have to be a nationalist at all. I enjoy my alma mater's college football and hockey team because of the association I have will always have with it. I know it's not better than Harvard as a school and the football team is not better than Alabama's. I still enjoy it.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Whatever the reason for it it's providing some great hockey, they could very well win this tournament.

On the other hand Americans are served an awful hockey team thanks to the NHL forcing them to play trash like Justin Abdelkader or David Backes instead of Austin Matthews or Jack Eichel.

 

[rojac]

I don't think you have to be a nationalist at all. I enjoy my alma mater's college football and hockey team because of the association I have will always have with it. I know it's not better than Harvard as a school and the football team is not better than Alabama's. I still enjoy it.

Association is another part of it. I don't associate NHL players with countries, I associate them with teams. so, I don't think of Crosby, Ovechkin, and Matthews as a Canadian, a Russian, and an American. I think of them as a Penguin, a Capital, and a Maple Leaf.

 

[rojac]

On the other hand Americans are served an awful hockey team thanks to the NHL forcing them to play trash like Justin Abdelkader or David Backes instead of Austin Matthews or Jack Eichel.

Or an American could just cheer for North America.

 

[Xokkeu]

Association is another part of it. I don't associate NHL players with countries, I associate them with teams. so, I don't think of Crosby, Ovechkin, and Matthews as a Canadian, a Russian, and an American. I think of them as a Penguin, a Capital, and a Maple Leaf.

The only reason I watch the NHL is to see how guys do who came up in Junior Leagues, who I watched play college hockey(one reason I'll root for a guy like Payarko). Seeing a guy like Auston Mathews come out of Phoenix or Seth Jones come out of Texas is awesome and I like to see them play for one team once in awhile. No matter what happens they'll always play for the same team. My team. I really couldn't care less what happens to them on the Blue Jackets or Maple Leafs. That's why I don't like the Team North America concept. We already have made up arbitrary teams 99% of the year. This is supposed to be the time we get see our guys play for us. I know for Europeans its even worse because their guys go across the ocean and it's tougher to follow them. So it's always nice to see them come back and play for you.

 

[Xokkeu]

Or an American could just cheer for North America.

It's not our team. We didn't produce Conor McDavid in any way shape of form. There's nothing to be proud of.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Obviously this is the only way that Canada could beat the US

 

[Canuckistani]

Nothing would solidify the world cup as a joke event more than to have a gimmick team win it.

It would be a "win" that goes into no one's record books and would glaringly stand out.

If TNA went out in the first round you could still see "Canada over Sweden" in the final and assume it was a legitimate event. But "North America over Canada"? Can't hide the silliness of that.

 

[Lacaar]

Nothing would solidify the world cup as a joke event more than to have a gimmick team win it.

It would be a "win" that goes into no one's record books and would glaringly stand out.

If TNA went out in the first round you could still see "Canada over Sweden" in the final and assume it was a legitimate event. But "North America over Canada"? Can't hide the silliness of that.

yet it will draw 1000000000000000000000 more viewers.

Some day you'll unederstand... someday.

 

[Analyst365]

yet it will draw 1000000000000000000000 more viewers.

Some day you'll unederstand... someday.

Yeah, imagine the pain those of us that never got to see Alexandre Daigle represent his continent in a tournament of nations feel.

I still lose sleep.

 

[Canuckistani]

yet it will draw 1000000000000000000000 more viewers.

More viewers than what?

You think Canadian fans will be as interested in Canada vs TNA as Canada vs a real team?

 

[RandV]

On the other hand Americans are served an awful hockey team thanks to the NHL forcing them to play trash like Justin Abdelkader or David Backes instead of Austin Matthews or Jack Eichel.

Did the NHL force them to play Abdelkader or Backes instead of Johnson and Kessel?

I'm pretty sure the USA takes Gaudreau if they were able to, but otherwise I don't think anyone else from team NA makes US/Canada. I'd say this is actually more of a boon for our two national teams. The GM/Coach don't have to worry about making the unpopular decision of leaving a fresh kid like McDavid or Eichel at home, and now a whole bunch of them get to come to the tournament to get some early national team experience.

Canada and US basically get a free developmental team.

 

[Xokkeu]

Did the NHL force them to play Abdelkader or Backes instead of Johnson and Kessel?

I'm pretty sure the USA takes Gaudreau if they were able to, but otherwise I don't think anyone else from team NA makes US/Canada. I'd say this is actually more of a boon for our two national teams. The GM/Coach don't have to worry about making the unpopular decision of leaving a fresh kid like McDavid or Eichel at home, and now a whole bunch of them get to come to the tournament to get some early national team experience.

Canada and US basically get a free developmental team.

They wanted Eichel. Asked the NHL for a waiver. NHL said no.

 

[Jack Butler]

From purely a fan perspective team North America is pretty awesome.

However after watching last nights game, im sceptical that this team along with Europe are actually beneficial for the sport.

It's beneficial for the NHL if many a casual fan is introduced to some excellent European talent that they may not have paid attention to otherwise. Also beneficial in that team NA introduces the next generation of talent.

 

[Curufinwe]

On the other hand Americans are served an awful hockey team thanks to the NHL forcing them to play trash like Justin Abdelkader or David Backes instead of Austin Matthews or Jack Eichel.

No one forced the USA to pick Abdelkader over Kessel. Or bench Buff in favor of Jack freaking Johnson.

Lombardi and co. slit their own throats.

 

[Xokkeu]

It's beneficial for the NHL if many a casual fan is introduced to some excellent European talent that they may not have paid attention to otherwise. Also beneficial in that team NA introduces the next generation of talent.

Casual fans aren't watching this

 

[Claypool]

Casual fans aren't watching this

For someone who hates the concept of this current World Cup you sure do love posting in all the threads.

 

[Xokkeu]

For someone who hates the concept of this current World Cup you sure do love posting in all the threads.

You know sometimes I think my work is under appreciated but then it's nice to be recognized sometimes.

 

[Taak19]

They wanted to showcase as many NHL players as they could. Maybe only 1 or 2 NA players would have made the big teams.

 

[JackSlater]

yet it will draw 1000000000000000000000 more viewers.

Some day you'll unederstand... someday.

Unederstanding means expecting 1000000000000000000000 more viewers to watch the Young Gunz than to watch Sweden? Considering that such a match would be largely ignored in the USA and would lose Sweden's viewers, while Canadian viewership would probably be basically the same in both cases... I don't see where the extra sextillion viewers are coming from.

They wanted Eichel. Asked the NHL for a waiver. NHL said no.

I don't know why people speculate on this when the information is out there.

 

[Xokkeu]

Unederstanding means expecting 1000000000000000000000 more viewers to watch the Young Gunz than to watch Sweden? Considering that such a match would be largely ignored in the USA and would lose Sweden's viewers, while Canadian viewership would probably be basically the same in both cases... I don't see where the extra sextillion viewers are coming from.



I don't know why people speculate on this when the information is out there.

It's posted in the thread a hundred times why Team North America was created, but people just make up their own reasons. It's been posted I don't know how many times that they wanted at least Eichel. I don't know.

 

[Osprey]

Or an American could just cheer for North America.

It's nowhere close to the same. As a Canadian, would you be happy if Canada doesn't win the tournament, but North America does? You want the team that represents your country to win. For both of us, North America may be Plan B, but it's a pretty distant one. For me, personally, it's not even that I want to see American players succeed. If USA is out, I want to see North America do well just because of the indictment that it would be for how the tournament and USA were organized.

Did the NHL force them to play Abdelkader or Backes instead of Johnson and Kessel?

I'm pretty sure the USA takes Gaudreau if they were able to, but otherwise I don't think anyone else from team NA makes US/Canada.

As I noted in the OP, the idea for North America was finalized before Lombardi, Tortorella and company were hired. We can't just assume that they would've still been a gritty, short-on-talent team if they had been able to add the speed and talent that was poached for North America. In other words, if Gaudreau, Eichel, Matthews, Larkin and Jones had been available, they might've picked them, also picked Tyler Johnson and Kessel and hired Laviolette, instead. Without that young talent, though, they may've decided that doubling down on grit was their best option and aligned the staff and selections that way.

 

[The Gloaming]

On the other hand Americans are served an awful hockey team thanks to the NHL forcing them to play trash like Justin Abdelkader or David Backes instead of Austin Matthews or Jack Eichel.

The only thing forcing trash on the team is Tortorella and his disgusting "brand" of hockey. Kessel, Okposo, Ryan on forward and more importantly, Faulk, Yandle, and Shattenkirk on defense would have been 1 million times better than the crap he and the FO selected.

Gaudreau is a major loss though.

 

[yourbestfriend]

[MOD] Who the hell cares if it's a cash grab? Who cares if it's a gimmick? We're still watching hockey at the highest level.
The bottom line is, as hockey fans we're getting the privilege to watch a super talented NA team. When else are we going to see Eichel, McDavid, Gaudreau, Mak and Matthews on the same team? Never.
Seriously, some of you guys need to [MOD] just enjoy the games.

On a side note, NA vs Russia tonight is going to be insane