Some details about the World Cup...

[Macman]

Then let them settle that on the ice in quali.I just have a sense that Germany will somehow end up in this tournament despite being a weaker program lately, if its close between them and a smaller country.

No fair international "World Cup" should be invite only. Its just a farce if it is. A World Cup should mean the hockey playing nations of the World all had a known path to the tournament.

Then use the IIHF rankings, since so many people here think they're accurate. Bring the Top 8. Right now that's Sweden, Canada, Russia, U.S., Finland, Czechs, Slovakia and Switzerland. It's not rocket science. You're trying to create hurdles that don't exist.

 

[ForumNamePending]

I wonder if it will once again be an 8 team invite only tournament and if so do Slovenia and Latvia get two of those invitations? If the WCup is all about 'best vs best' than based on the limited recent sample we have to go on both deserve to be there.

Then use the IIHF rankings, since so many people here think they're accurate. Bring the Top 8. Right now that's Sweden, Canada, Russia, U.S., Finland, Czechs, Slovakia and Switzerland. It's not rocket science. You're trying to create hurdles that don't exist.

If the WCup is all about 'best vs best' why would you use a ranking system that so many people here think is inaccurate?

 

[Canuckistani]

No fair international "World Cup" should be invite only. Its just a farce if it is. A World Cup should mean the hockey playing nations of the World all had a known path to the tournament.

With soccer you have dozens of countries that can more or less match each other on the field on any given day, and dozens more countries in which soccer in the #1 national sport.

With hockey you have Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Switzerland and a huge drop off in talent after that.

If you want to leave the last two spots open to qualification then that's fine. The World Baseball Classic started doing that in 2013 by having the bottom four teams from 2009 qualify before the event.

So let the Slovaks and Germans enter into a qualification against Switzerland, Latvia, Belarus, France, Italy, Kazakhstan etc. Not sure when you'd play those games, or what top players would show up for them.

 

[Macman]

You seriously don't understand what's wrong with the organizers having the possibility to decide who is in and who isn't instead of having a qualifying process in place to decide the teams?

See my previous post.

 

[trellaine201]

Isn't the World Cup just another international event with a different name?

Please explain the difference? I don't get it.

Thanks

 

[1Gold Standard]

Then use the IIHF rankings, since so many people here think they're accurate. Bring the Top 8. Right now that's Sweden, Canada, Russia, U.S., Finland, Czechs, Slovakia and Switzerland. It's not rocket science. You're trying to create hurdles that don't exist.

or 10, but the Top 8 automatically qualify, teams ranked 9-12 fight it out for the final 2 spots. They can play in Europe and then travel... hell, I'd watch. a pre tournament play in qualifying rd. sounds good.

 

[Canuckistani]

Then use the IIHF rankings, since so many people here think they're accurate. Bring the Top 8. Right now that's Sweden, Canada, Russia, U.S., Finland, Czechs, Slovakia and Switzerland. It's not rocket science. You're trying to create hurdles that don't exist.

There you go. Problem solved.

The best eight show up, and we get to humour those who think the IIHF rankings are somehow of vital importance. Indeed the rankings exist largely for seeding purposes, so what better time to make use of it?

 

[xxxx]

Was it shown in Finnish TV live/at all?

This is a Finnish highlights of the semi-final game between the USA and Finland. I would say it was live, but don't know for sure. Also, looks like there are many Finnish posts on that youtube website, so maybe they are some europeans actually interested in the tournament

Looks like fantastic hockey with perfect hockey atmosphere.

Btw, interesting how - probably an NHL referee - didn't make a call on that Finnish play (for tripping) before their first goal, I guess they are still biased

 

[Jussi]

Well, Europeans didn't ignore the Canada Cup, did they?

Different times. Soviet Union still existed and NHL players weren't in Olympics. Hockey landscape has changed a lot since then.

 

[Jussi]

This is a Finnish highlights of the semi-final game between the USA and Finland. I would say it was live, but don't know for sure. Also, looks like there are many Finnish posts on that youtube website, so maybe they are some europeans actually interested in the tournament

Looks like fantastic hockey with perfect hockey atmosphere.

I previously explained that it was live but on a channel that wasn't available throughout the country then yet so the number of viewers were almost a third or half of what Finland's games at Worlds or Olympics usually got.

 

[cutchemist42]

With soccer you have dozens of countries that can more or less match each other on the field on any given day, and dozens more countries in which soccer in the #1 national sport.

With hockey you have Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Switzerland and a huge drop off in talent after that.

If you want to leave the last two spots open to qualification then that's fine. The World Baseball Classic started doing that in 2013 by having the bottom four teams from 2009 qualify before the event.

So let the Slovaks and Germans enter into a qualification against Switzerland, Latvia, Belarus, France, Italy, Kazakhstan etc. Not sure when you'd play those games, or what top players would show up for them.

If they adopted something like that, where the rules were clearly known by the teams and public, I would absolutely be fine with that. A "World Cup" should have access to any team that wants a chance to be a part of it. Without that, all you have is the NHL NA Invitational.

 

[Kalzu]

I previously explained that it was live but on a channel that wasn't available throughout the country then yet so the number of viewers were almost a third or half of what Finland's games at Worlds or Olympics usually got.

Also, the WC lacked the tradition plus it came too early in the season for many people. I guess the casual viewers really didn't expect to have a top tournament so early in the autumn. If the WC had been a quardrennial tradition, more people would've cared about it, and it might've been on a channel that's available in the whole country.

Now I'm afraid that it can't get big in Finland without home matches.

 

[Frank the Tank]

If they plan to replace the olympics with this meaningless cashgrab tournament for the NHL I hope the IIHF doesn't participate.

Yes, because a meaningless cashgrab tournament for the IOC is a much nobler pursuit.

 

[cutchemist42]

Yes, because a meaningless cashgrab tournament for the IOC is a much nobler pursuit.

At least the revenue funnels down to our hockey federations who run the sport.

 

[Rekin]

This is a Finnish highlights of the semi-final game between the USA and Finland. I would say it was live, but don't know for sure. Also, looks like there are many Finnish posts on that youtube website, so maybe they are some europeans actually interested in the tournament

I'm sure the World Cup was shown in 2004 as even several of the games were played in Finland, but the Canada Cup was back in the day not that big in Europe.

 

[Jussi]

Also, the WC lacked the tradition plus it came too early in the season for many people. I guess the casual viewers really didn't expect to have a top tournament so early in the autumn. If the WC had been a quardrennial tradition, more people would've cared about it, and it might've been on a channel that's available in the whole country.

Now I'm afraid that it can't get big in Finland without home matches.

Even the media didn't really care about it because the Athens Olympics had just finished and until the Niinimaa debacle, it was almost an afterthought. Finland's home games weren't even sellouts (ticket prizes were extortionate even then).

 

[Frank the Tank]

At least the revenue funnels down to our hockey federations who run the sport.

And the NHL invests in grassroots hockey programs to grow the game. To paint one organization as an evil capitalistic enterprise and the other as noble shepherd of the game is a false dichotomy.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Why so? The fewest will get up at 3 AM to watch hockey anyway, and if it's some kind of a summerly NHL exhibition tournament featuring fantasy national teams I doubt many even want to.

Having to DVR the 3AM WHC and WJHC is something that is a most irritating especially if the recording messes up stops. The games that start at 6AM, I just start watching when the 2nd period starts. Not fun but the games are usually worth it.

 

[Macman]

And the NHL invests in grassroots hockey programs to grow the game. To paint one organization as an evil capitalistic enterprise and the other as noble shepherd of the game is a false dichotomy.

Exactly right. It's even gone to Russian communities to provide equipment to kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to play.

http://www.nhlpa.com/giving-back/goals-and-dreams

 

[Jussi]

And the NHL invests in grassroots hockey programs to grow the game. To paint one organization as an evil capitalistic enterprise and the other as noble shepherd of the game is a false dichotomy.

In the US...

 

[cutchemist42]

And the NHL invests in grassroots hockey programs to grow the game. To paint one organization as an evil capitalistic enterprise and the other as noble shepherd of the game is a false dichotomy.

Not to the extent the IIHF does, and the money the NHL gives it at the whim of when they feel like it. There's a complete difference, with the IIHF money, national federations annually budger for it and its not selective about which countries/communities receive it.

 

[Macman]

In the US...

30 countries.

 

[Macman]

Not to the extent the IIHF does, and the money the NHL gives it at the whim of when they feel like it. There's a complete difference, with the IIHF money, national federations annually budger for it and its not selective about which countries/communities receive it.

Source please.

 

[Jussi]

30 countries.

Link?

 

[Macman]

Link?

http://www.nhlpa.com/giving-back/goals-and-dreams