Jack Butler
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- May 3, 2014
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Should The World Cup Be Played In January?
- Thread starter Jack Butler
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Rob
Registered User
It would definitely be more popular in January. However, European leagues probably aren't going to want to shut down for it.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
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The timing is fine. If the NHL does plan on opening up a bidding process and hosting the tournament in other locations, as it has claimed, then January and February don't work. No European country is going to have empty facilities that time of year. They also likely won't release their players at that time of year. Bigger question is should the tournament be a joke again due to the inclusion of gimmick teams.
Beauner
Registered User
Yes, it should be played in January in East Asia - no wait, that is why the NHL dropped out of the Olympics in the first place!
Actually, the World Cup should never be played again. It was so boring for everyone except Canadians that continuing it could genuinely damage the sport.
BruinLVGA
Just got me a Beretta 92XI Squalo!
If the World Cup is just an addition to the International hockey calendar then I don't see why anyone would have a problem with it.
As a threat to Olympic participation I understand the hostility. And the gimmicks made this last one a joke, but without them I don't see the issue.
As a threat to Olympic participation I understand the hostility. And the gimmicks made this last one a joke, but without them I don't see the issue.
BruinLVGA
Just got me a Beretta 92XI Squalo!
Because it is tied to the NHL and the NHLPA, there is the element of coercion there. Its one thing to experience the pride of representing your country in the Olympics and the WC, but quite another to be coerced into playing in what becomes a fund-raising venture that your country doesn't have a chance of winning. Just let it go and stick with the existing IIHF format.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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The threat to the Olympics and the joke teams are by far the biggest issues, as Xokkeu said. I don't see any coercion here though. If players don't want to play they aren't forced.
The NHL is where they earn money, and in that respect there is a coercion to go along with the program. Look at how reluctant the players were to give any effort, particularly the Americans and the Europeans. They were just going through the motions to fulfill an obligation.
tfantasy
Pirate of Bengal
- Jun 1, 2008
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JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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I didn't see them play, but I'm skeptical that they didn't give any effort. Especially so for the European Leftovers, given their success beyond their talent level. I am skeptical that there is an obligation to play when some players refused to go for flimsy reasons. The tournament was a joke, but I haven't seen any evidence that players were forced to play. That is the kind of thing that is always claimed about past Canada/World Cups as well... never with actual evidence though.
I watched a couple of games, along with excerpts of others. The lack of effort and lethargy was striking! The only players who declined to play did so because of alleged injuries, although that would be a good way to fake unavailability.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Hudler directly refused. In Hertl's case, his NHL team seemingly encouraged (though did not force) him to not participate. There is no way to know what the players thought, but there is a complete lack of evidence that players were forced to participate. I just don't see how the NHL could force players to participate without openly suspending them, as is done hen players skip the all star game.
Careful, your pro-Soviet bias is showing. The calibre of hockey in the World Cup was incredible. You watched only "a couple" of games? Probably because your team got drubbed by Canada--yet again. The North American team played some of the best hockey I've ever seen, EVER. Lethargy??? What a laugh. Sure, McDavid and Matthews and MacKinnon and Gaudreau and company--so lethargic.
Having been at all three games between Canada and Europe, I have to say that Europe was full value to be in the final. In the round robin game, I was like, how are these guys competing so well against Canada, they were supposed to be a walkover. Then you look at their roster: Kopitar, Hossa, Gaborik, Tatar, Nielsen, Zuccarello, Vanek, Josi, Chara, Halak, etc. etc. etc. They were a loaded team brimming with speed and skill.
When you look at how most of the players from the WCH are cleaning up in the first few games of the new season, it's obvious beyond doubt how clearly superior the level of play was in the World Cup. I can say this: if you were at the games, the speed and skill level was something else.
I only hope they toss the joke teams from the next World Cup. As good as they were, they upset the balance of competition and unnecessarily detracted from its credibility as a pure international tournament. Sweden suffered in stature by losing to both teams, and the US was robbed of being competitive not only by bone-headed management in selecting the players and coach, but by so many good players being unavailable by reason of the U-24 team. Canada was affected as well, but had so much talent it didn't need any of its players that were on that team, never mind the many injured players (Keith, Seguin, Benn, Carter etc.).
Outside the North America games I really didn't find the hockey any better than the supposedly boring Sochi Olympics.
tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
No, it should be played in September. I liked the tourney more than most this year but not enough to interrupt the NHL season for.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
BruinLVGA
Just got me a Beretta 92XI Squalo!
lolWell played, sir, well played!
no, it should be held only in Europe, only on big ice, run by the IIHF, and only when at least half the NHL is still playing so it's pro-european even more, but don't stop here, call it the world championships on top of that. Apparently that's the way to do it and euro fans are all over it
Second, he just gave an answer for what is the thread's question, right? So quite an absurd response to that.
Now, nothing is black or white, and neither are these two tournaments. Holding the World Cup tournament in Canada and having it run by the NHL has its benefits, and those are, in my opinion huge enough to consider having the tournament only here, but of course some will disagree.
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5-3 drubbing? The bar keeps getting lower.
It was an entertaining tournament for Canada, but do you really think they were thrilled in Washington, Stockholm, Helsinki, Prague or Moscow? That is from an alternate universe. I don't know if it would have been more competitive and entertaining somewhere else, but under the World Cup format, Canada is really guaranteed a victory, which makes the outcome boring to everyone else.
The only way I could see that is if the cup is played a Tuesday-sunday with 4-6 teams.
