Russia being present would not change which teams were awarded medals

[MrazeksVengeance]

I'll try to put it in the most neutral fashion I am able. I don't think Russia competing at these Worlds would change much.

While many argue that international is missing Russia... Russia misses high-level international competition far more. NA, Scandinavians, Central Europe or Latvia lost "merely" one single powerhouse. Russia lost all of this high-quality international opposition.

What I am getting at... is that they would likely underperform compared to their "strength" on paper. And don't bring motivation into this. That street goes both ways.

Kamenski might claim that IIHF will come begging the Russian Hockey Federation to return, but... I am pretty sure this WJC slapped regardless.

Click to read more...

 

[Caser]

I'll try to put it in the most neutral fashion I am able. I don't think Russia competing at these Worlds would change much.

While many argue that international is missing Russia... Russia misses high-level international competition far more. NA, Scandinavians, Central Europe or Latvia lost "merely" one single powerhouse. Russia lost all of this high-quality international opposition.

What I am getting at... is that they would likely underperform compared to their "strength" on paper. And don't bring motivation into this. That street goes both ways.

Kamenski might claim that IIHF will come begging the Russian Hockey Federation to return, but... I am pretty sure this WJC slapped regardless.

Very strange assumption there, do I understand correctly that you're trying to say that in a once-in-a-lifetime WJC tournament while also being sort of under additional pressure due to all the political situation they wouldn't be motivated enough?

 

[ViD]

Considering Russia has been winning most medals despite lacking in gold…

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Considering Russia has been winning most medals despite lacking in gold…

Reading comprehension Vladimir.

Very strange assumption there, do I understand correctly that you're trying to say that in a once-in-a-lifetime WJC tournament while also being sort of under additional pressure due to all the political situation they wouldn't be motivated enough?

No, not at all. I was trying to say they’d suffer from lack of matches against international opponents that are close to their level of skill.

 

[Caser]

No, not at all. I was trying to say they’d suffer from lack of matches against international opponents that are close to their level of skill.

Oh, ok, I guess I misunderstood the part about the motivation then.

International experience matters, but it is very debatable to which degree, not to mention that guys like Michkov, Ivanov and Miroshnichenko actually have some of it.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Oh, ok, I guess I misunderstood the part about the motivation then.

International experience matters, but it is very debatable to which degree, not to mention that guys like Michkov, Ivanov and Miroshnichenko actually have some of it.

Haven’t had it in a while abd it’s gonna matter more with each season without international matches on the biggest stage.

 

[Caser]

Haven’t had it in a while abd it’s gonna matter more with each season without international matches on the biggest stage.

Not exactly sure what you meant here, it's not like Michkov and others will be eligible next season.

However I think it needs to be clarified what type of tournaments previously contributed to the Russian team in order of importance:

1. Previous year's WJC (for very limited number of players)
2. U18 WJC two years before
3. The series against the CHL teams (for non-leaders)
4. 4 Nations tournament and the Black Sea Cup (the latter is still there though)

I think it is obvious that not having the 2. part is what hurts the most here. Still with the increased number of talent being produced in Russia in the corresponding birth years I think it is reasonable to expect that it would be compensated by that.

 

[majormajor]

Kamenski might claim that IIHF will come begging the Russian Hockey Federation to return, but... I am pretty sure this WJC slapped regardless.

If you enjoyed watching blowouts, then sure.

Reading comprehension Vladimir.

Your arguments are unclear, don't blame the readers.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

If you enjoyed watching blowouts, then sure.

3 of 4 quarterfinals were one goal games.

Sweden lost and won its semifinals and finals in the last period.

Bronze medal game was decided in the last two minutes. US semifinal was close.

Group matches at WJC being blowouts isn’t a novelty Mikhail.

 

[Hanji]

I'll try to put it in the most neutral fashion I am able. I don't think Russia competing at these Worlds would change much.

While many argue that international is missing Russia... Russia misses high-level international competition far more. NA, Scandinavians, Central Europe or Latvia lost "merely" one single powerhouse. Russia lost all of this high-quality international opposition.

What I am getting at... is that they would likely underperform compared to their "strength" on paper. And don't bring motivation into this. That street goes both ways.

Kamenski might claim that IIHF will come begging the Russian Hockey Federation to return, but... I am pretty sure this WJC slapped regardless.

What if they scrimmaged KHL teams as preparation? KHL>>>WJC

If the Russian Federation knew their kids were playing in these u20s, surely they’d prepare them.

 

[Acallabeth]

International experience could help a bit of course, but players from the KHL play against far better teams all the time. I really don't think the future Russian WJC teams will be hindered by lack of U18 games against Latvia at all.

And I disagree about motivation completely: first of all, highly skilled teams benefit from extra motivation way more than weak teams; second of all, Russian players would have far more extra motivation after not being allowed to compete than any other team due to Russia being allowed to compete.

 

[kp61c]

Russia would have easily won gold this year. Other than that, yes, its presence wouldn't have changed much.

 

[therealdeal]

I find it so silly how the west has reacted to this. The whole point of sports is to remind everyone that we’re all human. None of the people involved in the team, especially the actual kids playing have a choice in the war, in fact letting them play might help them survive.

I miss having Russia there. Hope our Russian posters, many of whom I’ve seen posting here for like 10 years are okay. Would be nice to talk Hockey with them rather than politics. God I wish we all stopped taking politics online.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Russia has only missed the semifinals Four times since the knock-out stage was implemented in 1996 and 2021, the last tournament before the ban. Every other time they were on the podium themselves or someone had to beat them for bronze, so I would say there’s a high likelihood it could change the podium. While they’ve only won it four times since then, they’re often “in the mix” at least and routinely rout the lesser nations (at least one of whom would be sent down, possibly two if Belarus could hang around… they had been showing much better results at recent U-18s) and manage to be competitive with the bigger ones.

 

[xyzed]

I find it so silly how the west has reacted to this. The whole point of sports is to remind everyone that we’re all human. None of the people involved in the team, especially the actual kids playing have a choice in the war, in fact letting them play might help them survive.

I miss having Russia there. Hope our Russian posters, many of whom I’ve seen posting here for like 10 years are okay. Would be nice to talk Hockey with them rather than politics. God I wish we all stopped taking politics online.

this is a very naive opinion and you clearly have no idea what is actually going on right now

 

[Fatass]

Imo (at the WJC) Russia would have an advantage because their best 19 year olds would be playing while other countries’ top 19 year olds are in the National League.

 

[MNRube]

this is a very naive opinion and you clearly have no idea what is actually going on right now

No, he is correct. These are amateur athletes. It’d be one thing if the NHL wasn’t still drafting Russians etc.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Imo (at the WJC) Russia would have an advantage because their best 19 year olds would be playing while other countries’ top 19 year olds are in the National League.

That’s due to the CHL Import Ban. Russian teenagers would be more likely to appear in the nhl if they were still eligible to play in the CHL. Many did when the option was there because they didn’t want to get dinged for “character concerns” in the draft if they didn’t state that the domestic league they grew up watching was horrible and stupid and they’d rather stick their head in paint than play there (only a slight exaggeration).

 

[xyzed]

No, he is correct. These are amateur athletes. It’d be one thing if the NHL wasn’t still drafting Russians etc.

russians still can be drafted, but russia as a country should not be included in any tournaments. Its not about the players but about the country they represent

 

[Fatass]

That’s due to the CHL Import Ban. Russian teenagers would be more likely to appear in the nhl if they were still eligible to play in the CHL. Many did when the option was there because they didn’t want to get dinged for “character concerns” in the draft if they didn’t state that the domestic league they grew up watching was horrible and stupid and they’d rather stick their head in paint than play there (only a slight exaggeration).

Would top Russian prospects be allowed to leave their clubs? Seems like the elite guys are signed to contracts that keep them in their domestic league into their early 20’s.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Why should we even bother having any tournaments when you can just tell us who would win anyway

 

[WarriorofTime]

Would top Russian prospects be allowed to leave their clubs? Seems like the elite guys are signed to contracts that keep them in their domestic league into their early 20’s.

They don’t usually sign contracts like that before establishing themselves in the KHL. Imports would head over after their age 16 and before their age 17 season.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

This went about as well as we feared it would.

Closed.