Terrible world cup ideas

[Mynameismark*]

Yeah but what pride do you get from winning if you're one euro out of like multiple different euro nationalities on your team? Do you play all the anthems after you've won? Can you claim victory for Latvia???? Ya know?

Same deal kinda for the under 23 team.

 

[Robin Hood]

One thing I don't get. They say it has to be like this to be a best-on-best international tournament. There are 6 countries participating. Canada and USA will not play with their best possible teams because of the youngsters team. Russia? They will most likely not come with their KHL stars like Radulov and Kovalchuk. So that leaves three, the Czechs, Finland and Sweden. Three "best" teams! Neither of these countries had an all-NHL roster in Socchi. Finland had 11 non-NHL'ers. Switzerland had 16.

Calling this best-on-best is just weird. It evidently isn't.

 

[TheDude008]

pretty obvious it's strictly for money.
there's no glory winning this for the players. and this wont be nearly as captivating as the Olympics are for the fans.

we all know how the NHL has been upset they don't get in on the Olympic cash cow for years now. no shock this is their counter to that..
i hope it fails bigtime.

 

[Slimmy]

when I come across some serious opinions on HF (If I ever do) I'll treat it with the appropriate level of seriousness. When it's nitpicking over silly nicknames for an international tournament, then it gets the treatment I feel it deserves.

Next time you're trying to take a shot at the WHC; do a better job at it. Otherwise it'll just end up making you look silly.

 

[torero]

they should call this tournament :

NHL world hockey cup

and from their on, the NHL and NHLPA can do what they want. None will be hurt.

The problem is when they substitute to international official bodies, and set their rules (like only people from NHL) , it doesn't work, poeple expect a fair thing.

They can have canadian referee oficiation as a main referee in a Canada-Russia game without questioning anything ... while if it is a World hockey cup ... it will be deemed unfair.

 

[Xokkeu]

One thing I don't get. They say it has to be like this to be a best-on-best international tournament. There are 6 countries participating. Canada and USA will not play with their best possible teams because of the youngsters team. Russia? They will most likely not come with their KHL stars like Radulov and Kovalchuk. So that leaves three, the Czechs, Finland and Sweden. Three "best" teams! Neither of these countries had an all-NHL roster in Socchi. Finland had 11 non-NHL'ers. Switzerland had 16.

Calling this best-on-best is just weird. It evidently isn't.

The NHL basically give credence to everybody who called the world cup an exhibition tournament. They ensured that is exactly what it would be.

 

[Big Phil]

I just still don't see this idea lasting past the public backlash. The NHL is run by a bunch of dopes but even a broken clock can tell the correct time twice a day. They can't be this stupid. It just simply comes down to the fact that with all the history of international hockey they can't honestly think this brings any integrity to a once important tournament.

Look at the history and the hockey we've seen. This tournament is in the same mold as the one that gave us Sittler's goal, the Russian domination, Bossy's goal, Coffey's defensive play, Mario and Gretzky working their magic, the 1996 hatefest between Canada and USA and even Lecavalier's goal in 2004. It just is hard to believe that as ignorant as Bettman, Daly and the NHLPA are with the history of the game that even they can think this is anything but a horrible idea.

If it aint broke, don't fix it right?

 

[Henri M]

I wonder what the reactions from Americans would be if the KHL announces a self proclaimed World Cup with the same format. Maybe a joined Canada/Usa team. They can have a mashup of both national anthems.

 

[Jussi]

A poll on the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, "Your opinion about the new World Cup format?", currently 39 votes in:

Brilliant! 6 votes
Garbage 33 votes

 

[JackSlater]

I just still don't see this idea lasting past the public backlash. The NHL is run by a bunch of dopes but even a broken clock can tell the correct time twice a day. They can't be this stupid. It just simply comes down to the fact that with all the history of international hockey they can't honestly think this brings any integrity to a once important tournament.

Look at the history and the hockey we've seen. This tournament is in the same mold as the one that gave us Sittler's goal, the Russian domination, Bossy's goal, Coffey's defensive play, Mario and Gretzky working their magic, the 1996 hatefest between Canada and USA and even Lecavalier's goal in 2004. It just is hard to believe that as ignorant as Bettman, Daly and the NHLPA are with the history of the game that even they can think this is anything but a horrible idea.

If it aint broke, don't fix it right?

I hope that MacKinnon/McDavid/Jones/Eichel/etc play incredibly well just to further stoke the unhappiness with the format. The NHL can afford to ignore Europe, but they can't do the same with North America. Good for the European players who have spoken out with their displeasure thus far. I hope that young North Americans (or older ones too) speak out with similar sentiments.

 

[Xokkeu]

I hope that MacKinnon/McDavid/Jones/Eichel/etc play incredibly well just to further stoke the unhappiness with the format. The NHL can afford to ignore Europe, but they can't do the same with North America. Good for the European players who have spoken out with their displeasure thus far. I hope that young North Americans (or older ones too) speak out with similar sentiments.

Rumors are USA Hockey are pretty pissed about it. Obviously they are hurt more than anybody. Canada has the depth to lose players under 23, but the US will be at a unique disadvantage vis a vis teams like Russia, Finland etc.

Unfortunately USA hockey really isn't in a position to do anything about it.

 

[Theokritos]

Unfortunately USA hockey really isn't in a position to do anything about it.

I'm not aware of the background, but technically speaking they could refuse to participate, right?

 

[Xokkeu]

I'm not aware of the background, but technically speaking they could refuse to participate, right?

They could, but they probably are going to want to keep a good relationship to continue to get U20 players and World Championship releases.

 

[Lepardi]

Rumors are USA Hockey are pretty pissed about it. Obviously they are hurt more than anybody. Canada has the depth to lose players under 23, but the US will be at a unique disadvantage vis a vis teams like Russia, Finland etc.

I have seen no confirmation of KHL players participating in the tournament. If they don't take part, Russia will certainly suffer more than USA suffers from not being able to pick players born after 1993.

 

[cagney]

They could, but they probably are going to want to keep a good relationship to continue to get U20 players and World Championship releases.

Not to mention the fact they've taken substantial amounts of money from the NHL and likely don't want to jeopardize any further funding. USA Hockey might as well be owned by the NHL.

 

[Xokkeu]

I have seen no confirmation of KHL players participating in the tournament. If they don't take part, Russia will certainly suffer more than USA suffers from not being able to pick players born after 1993.

Fair point. Finland too would probably be more harmed.

 

[JackSlater]

Rumors are USA Hockey are pretty pissed about it. Obviously they are hurt more than anybody. Canada has the depth to lose players under 23, but the US will be at a unique disadvantage vis a vis teams like Russia, Finland etc.

Unfortunately USA hockey really isn't in a position to do anything about it.

Yes, I read from the TSN story that Tom Renney was the first from either Hockey Canada or USA Hockey to support the idea. Looks bad on him. USA is hurt more by this decision than Canada. Canada circa 2010 would have been in a much worse situation, and I suspect would never had agreed to it. USA Hockey also continues to receive millions in funding from the NHL, so yes they aren't really in a strong position to argue.

 

[Big Phil]

Imagine the 1987 Canada Cup without Mario and he plays on a "Jr. Team Canada". Yeah, the greatness of that tournament is wiped from your memory. ooo

The thing that boggles my mind is that how in the world did the NHLPA go along with this? Donald Fehr, well, he's got as much knowledge as hockey history as Bettman and Daly but what about the players? What about the union reps? Did not anyone do the math and figure out how dumb of an idea this was? Especially 11 months after Canada beat Latvia just 2-1.

 

[FiLe]

I have seen no confirmation of KHL players participating in the tournament. If they don't take part, Russia will certainly suffer more than USA suffers from not being able to pick players born after 1993.

Will this do?

Fourth paragraph down from the info graphic image:

All North American players in the tournament are expected to either be NHL players or at the very least NHL-drafted prospects. There is no rule that restricts federations from sending players who are not NHL players.

Yeah, it only says that teams are allowed to bring players from other leagues, which is not a guarantee that the KHL will release any. However, since Team Russia is in it and has not protested in the slightest, it does not take a huge leap of logic to deduce that the KHL indeed will let its players go.

They don't really even have to stop the regular show back home if they don't want to, since due to the mickey mouse teams, the amount of KHLers being selected will be quite low. Maybe two or three for Finland, around five for Russia and some for Czech Republic. No more than two players should be missing from any given club. Key guys, most likely, but they can work around that for those two weeks.

 

[Arto Kilponen]

I have to say having Team Europe and Team Young Guns is an excellent idea for NHL 16 video game. Too bad the video games have got so popular and so real that NHL decided that reality is secondary.

I will not watch this tournament with this format.

 

[Arto Kilponen]

By the way, is the slogan for this tournament ready? How about "**** hits the fan"?

 

[roto]

The mickey mouse teams alone are a clusterpuck, but they also bring meaningless games to the tournament. Of course I'd like to see eight teams there, but just cutting those joke teams off would allow having a tournament of six teams, where each top country could play against each other + semis + finals.

If we assume that there will be one joke team per group, some real national teams will play only two games against other national teams, if they don't make the semis. Leaving the joke teams out would guarantee five proper games per team. That would be a tournament.

Maybe NHL arranges the groups like this instead:
A: Canada, USA, U23, Euro leftovers
B: Russia, Sweden, Czech, Finland

Group A would be designed for NA fan needs and at the same time it would make sure that Canada and USA make the semis => more profit to NHL. You may now say that NHL isn't that stupid/arrogant/greedy, but don't say it yet... It's not meant to be fair tournament, but it's meant to generate a lot of $$$.

 

[FiLe]

Maybe NHL arranges the groups like this instead:
A: Canada, USA, U23, Euro leftovers
B: Russia, Sweden, Czech, Finland

If they want the big markets in Europe watching these games, they ought to do just that.

I mean, if the gimmick teams don't bother the NHL viewers, have them play USA and Canada then. Meanwhile, us silly Europeans who like our events pure could at least close our eyes from all the extra plastic in that other group and watch what is basically Euro Hockey Tour... on steroids.

As a bonus, the best two teams in group EHT could get to play a friendly or two against the proper NA squads.

 

[Tomas W]

The mickey mouse teams alone are a clusterpuck, but they also bring meaningless games to the tournament. Of course I'd like to see eight teams there, but just cutting those joke teams off would allow having a tournament of six teams, where each top country could play against each other + semis + finals.

If we assume that there will be one joke team per group, some real national teams will play only two games against other national teams, if they don't make the semis. Leaving the joke teams out would guarantee five proper games per team. That would be a tournament.

Maybe NHL arranges the groups like this instead:
A: Canada, USA, U23, Euro leftovers
B: Russia, Sweden, Czech, Finland

Group A would be designed for NA fan needs and at the same time it would make sure that Canada and USA make the semis => more profit to NHL. You may now say that NHL isn't that stupid/arrogant/greedy, but don't say it yet... It's not meant to be fair tournament, but it's meant to generate a lot of $$$.

I don't think you're far off the truth there...

 

[1Gold Standard]

Imagine the 1987 Canada Cup without Mario and he plays on a "Jr. Team Canada". Yeah, the greatness of that tournament is wiped from your memory. ooo

The thing that boggles my mind is that how in the world did the NHLPA go along with this? Donald Fehr, well, he's got as much knowledge as hockey history as Bettman and Daly but what about the players? What about the union reps? Did not anyone do the math and figure out how dumb of an idea this was? Especially 11 months after Canada beat Latvia just 2-1.

Unfortunately, the only true hockey tournament left for me to enjoy, and has any value, is the WJHC. Our only hope is that once the players realize that this is what the NHL is offering as a replacement for the Olympics, then there will be a backlash from the players and PA.