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WC: TEAM CANADA 2023

Unlikely for HC to add anyone at this point. At least the Goal situation is in good hands. That's often a vulnerable spot. Gotta fix the PP though. It's miserable.
 
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...agree with those who've posted that they should cut down the number of teams at this tournament. Has always been a problem but now with the Bear gone it's even worse. Tournament is too long and too many boring games involving weak teams.

I understand the argument about growing the sport but that needs to be weighed against attracting a weaker talent pool and turning off us loyal fans
 
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Mainiac said:
...agree with those who've posted that they should cut down the number of teams at this tournament. Has always been a problem but now with the Bear gone it's even worse. Tournament is too long and too many boring games involving weak teams.

I understand the argument about growing the sport but that needs to be weighed against attracting a weaker talent pool and turning off us loyal fans
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Agree, 100%. I have not watched in years but, IIRC, the first week is usually pure garbage.
 
ORRFForever said:
Agree, 100%. I have not watched in years but, IIRC, the first week is usually pure garbage.
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Nah.

You don't promote the game by reducing the number of countries able to play at the top. Go watch the final game of the IA tournament a couple of weeks back. The British fans were euphoric at promotion. Same with Hungary and Latvia. That excitement is great for the sport overall.

We have this discussion every year, it seems. Every world championship in every sport has blowouts. Canada got hammered 63-0 by New Zealand at the 2019 rugby world cup and we weren't the only ones to get thrashed. Limit the tournament to the teams that could win? If you limit championships to just the top handful of teams, then you will have the same handful of teams playing for all time. But if you want more teams playing high-level hockey, you have to put up with some bad matchups and some bad teams.
 
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Mainiac said:
...agree with those who've posted that they should cut down the number of teams at this tournament. Has always been a problem but now with the Bear gone it's even worse. Tournament is too long and too many boring games involving weak teams.

I understand the argument about growing the sport but that needs to be weighed against attracting a weaker talent pool and turning off us loyal fans
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Disagree. 'You loyal fans' don't need to watch the round-robin, just start watching at the quarters. It's important for the lesser teams and growth of the sport.
 
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MeHateHe said:
Nah.

You don't promote the game by reducing the number of countries able to play at the top. Go watch the final game of the IA tournament a couple of weeks back. The British fans were euphoric at promotion. Same with Hungary and Latvia. That excitement is great for the sport overall.

We have this discussion every year, it seems. Every world championship in every sport has blowouts. Canada got hammered 63-0 by New Zealand at the 2019 rugby world cup and we weren't the only ones to get thrashed. Limit the tournament to the teams that could win? If you limit championships to just the top handful of teams, then you will have the same handful of teams playing for all time. But if you want more teams playing high-level hockey, you have to put up with some bad matchups and some bad teams.
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I find the tournament too long.
 
Canuck board very quiet this year. Next game should be a good test. The Swiss looking very good, adding some name players AND even atop the prestigious IIHF power rankings.
 
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jj cale said:
Yeah it's pretty quiet isn't it?
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Not much to write about really. They haven't exactly looked like world-beaters. but just okay. And when Veleno looks like he's flying around out there just underscores how degraded this tournament has become the past couple of years. It's gone from B level tournament to D level pretty rapidly.

And how does Fantilli look? Looks like I'm not going to have to buy any pints next year in Prague. I know one thing for sure...this year's tournament so far is making me rethink my travel plans to Prague next spring. I'm not going to shell out all that cash just to see these kinds of players show up. It's too bad.
 
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Totally agree, but as I mused in another thread, perhaps it's the fact that the last tournaments including this one have been held in totally unattractive countries, and particularly now this is a tournament held in countries that border a pariah at war, that is turning players off.

I don't know what the IIHF is smoking but it is some nonsense to be hosting this tournament in Slovakia, Finland and Latvia four tournaments in a row. What wealthy pro athlete, or their partners and children want to spend a month in May there??

With the next few with venues in Prague, Stockholm and Zurich, and hopefully Canada gets to be in those groups, it may be a little more attractive to players and their families to vacation there in May. Recall one of the best teams Canada has assembled at this tournament was held in Prague after all. If it was in Riga or Tampere big chance several of those names wouldn't have shown.
 
garbageteam said:
Totally agree, but as I mused in another thread, perhaps it's the fact that the last tournaments including this one have been held in totally unattractive countries, and particularly now this is a tournament held in countries that border a pariah at war, that is turning players off.

I don't know what the IIHF is smoking but it is some nonsense to be hosting this tournament in Slovakia, Finland and Latvia four tournaments in a row. What wealthy pro athlete, or their partners and children want to spend a month in May there??

With the next few with venues in Prague, Stockholm and Zurich, and hopefully Canada gets to be in those groups, it may be a little more attractive to players and their families to vacation there in May. Recall one of the best teams Canada has assembled at this tournament was held in Prague after all. If it was in Riga or Tampere big chance several of those names wouldn't have shown.
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Location plays a factor I'm sure but to me the biggest issue, at least for NA players, is timing. Very few Canadians/Americans appear to have the willingness to play in a relatively low prestige international tournament across the pond at the end of a long NHL season.
 
garbageteam said:
Totally agree, but as I mused in another thread, perhaps it's the fact that the last tournaments including this one have been held in totally unattractive countries, and particularly now this is a tournament held in countries that border a pariah at war, that is turning players off.

I don't know what the IIHF is smoking but it is some nonsense to be hosting this tournament in Slovakia, Finland and Latvia four tournaments in a row. What wealthy pro athlete, or their partners and children want to spend a month in May there??
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You need to get out more.
 
I don't know that location has a massive impact on the rosters. Some, yes, but Riga is a nice city, though I'm not sure that the majority of players would know that or not. I also somewhat doubt that they know or care much about political situations in Eastern Europe outside of being aware that Ukraine has been invaded.

I do find it hard to follow the tournament when Canada's roster is so underwhelming. I give full credit to anyone who shows up, but I put little to no intrinsic value in Canada winning the tournament and if I'm not interested in the players then there just isn't much there. I'm curious about how Fantilli and especially Levi do and that's about it. Canada seems to have done pretty well in terms of results at this tournament lately but I definitely consider the last few years a big lull for Canada.
 
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