Terrible world cup ideas

[TheTwelfth]

Don't get me wrong. Kopitar is good, but the rationale that people all want to clamor and see him play so badly that you need to invent a team to accommodate him is BS. Shouldn't get that treatment unless you're Crosby or Malkin, and even then it's a maybe. Kopitar already had his day by being the lone star and rallying symbol on a Slovenian team that picked up two wins at the Olympics last year.

In Bettman's mind, its either Kopitar (and co.) or Plüss (and co.), and he think the former will sell more tickets/merchandise for the crowd in Toronto. No fan from Slovenia/Norway/Denmark/Germany/Austria/Latvia are going to think "Gee, that is mighty nice that we get one player represented in this fine tournament".

 

[Faterson]

Seriously (without the under 23 kiddy show), the World Cup is a great tourney along with the Olympics, 2 years apart means more players will get the chance to play for their Country!

Erm... what? You mean players from 6 countries. To the rest of the hockey world, it's a Mickey Mouse tournament of pre-season exhibition games. It's laughable to suggest it was on the level of Olympics; it's even far below World Championships in stature. I for one hope the tourney will be a failure, a one-off farce, never to be repeated. If you want to make a pre-season warm-up tourney for the 6 privileged countries, that's fine with me, just don't call it "World Cup", please. That's only slightly less comical than a "World Series" in which only teams from 1 or 2 countries can ever participate.

(At least with the Olympics, every country has a chance to qualify and enter the event. Although Slovakia got repeatedly shafted there as well, with Nagano and Salt Lake City.)

 

[Urbanskog]

Mikko Koivu and Niklas Bäckström say that the World Cup and the Olympics aren't even comparable, and that the World Cup definitely doesn't come close to the Olympic tournament in prestige.

They also said the following: "When you join a national team, the best thing is the team spirit and playing for your country", wondering how it will be like for those playing for the all-star teams.

http://yle.fi/urheilu/koivu_ja_back...hteen__ei_ylla_olympialaisten_tasolle/7773934

 

[Back in Black]

Erm... what? You mean players from 6 countries. To the rest of the hockey world, it's a Mickey Mouse tournament of pre-season exhibition games. It's laughable to suggest it was on the level of Olympics; it's even far below World Championships in stature.

You raise a good point about the 6 countries, and yes I guess it would suck fro the smaller European Countries.

I'm not saying it's at the same Level as the Olympics, Im saying it's still a great tourney as it does give more "Canadian" players a chance to play for their Country, but obviously less chance for these smaller European Countries. I can admit, I did not consider these Countries.

But I still think it's a great Tourney from a Canadian point of view. It's obviously bigger here in North America than it is in Europe, heck, it even started out as The Canada Cup in 1976 after the great 1972 Summit Series. This was all new ground for NHL Hockey.

Different points of view from different Countries.

I have serious doubts as to why players would want to buy into plying for "Europe" instead of their home country, which they 100% have pride for.

What a joke. Shame. Effin shame.

I also agree with this statement, since if team Euro were the Champions of the Tournament, who's Countries song would they play???

 

[Canuckistani]

it's still a great tourney as it does give more "Canadian" players a chance to play for their Country

No it doesn't. "Under-23 Young Starzzz" is not a country.

If anything this event merely serves to humiliate Canadian and Americans players by having them on some kiddie squad that no one gives a damn about. Same for the Euro Leftovers.

 

[FiLe]

I also agree with this statement, since if team Euro were the Champions of the Tournament, who's Countries song would they play???

The Ode to Joy.

 

[Zine]

The 1980s song We Are The World will be played if Team Euro Leftovers win. Players will sing it arm-in-arm. Joyous tears will be shed. This glorious tournament will be the highlight of their careers.

 

[roto]

The players from top-6 countries will still participate, because NHL is their employer. NHL penalizes even the players declining from NHL ASG, so I guess the players are expected to participate in this $100M money making fest.

WHC is often criticized because many players decline the invitation. The good thing in WHC is that the players have right to decline: if you're not interested, you decline and let those play who care. In World Cup we may see players who are there because they're expected to. How does it make a good tournament?

Some translated comments from interview of Koivu and Bäckström:
Bäckström: "We've been talking with Mikko (Koivu), Mikael (Granlund) and Erik (Haula) that it's the team spirit and playing for your country which is the greatest thing in international tournaments. I don't know how these kind of things work with mixed teams though."

"Olympics are a way different event. You live in the Olympic village near athletes of other sports. There's a special feeling in it. Many of us have grown up watching Olympics and it also increases the appreciation of the Olympic tournament."

Koivu: "You can't compare them. The Olympics are always something special for the athlete. You can't even put the World Cup on same scale with Olympics. However, if fans appreciate the tournament and quality of play is high, the prestige of the tournament will definitely raise over the years."

 

[FiLe]

Koivu: "You can't compare them. The Olympics are always something special for the athlete. You can't even put the World Cup on same scale with Olympics. However, if fans appreciate the tournament and quality of play is high, the prestige of the tournament will definitely raise over the years."

Koivu is right, of course. Too bad that those are big ifs as of right now.

If those people are correct who say that the NHL hopes that the World Cup will be a solution that saves them from sending players in future olympics, it still escapes me why, rather than actually making it appear an international tournament of serious prestige, they're doing their darnest to do the exact opposite.

 

[roto]

Koivu is right, of course. Too bad that those are big ifs as of right now.

If those people are correct who say that the NHL hopes that the World Cup will be a solution that saves them from sending players in future olympics, it still escapes me why, rather than actually making it appear an international tournament of serious prestige, they're doing their darnest to do the exact opposite.

It's quite simple: money. There's no any other reason than the fact that this way NHL can expose all of its star players. NA U23 team exposes young NHL stars who may not be good enough for their respective teams. Euro leftovers expose those top players who couldn't be seen otherwise. NHL has calculated that this format guarantees best visibility and income in a NA centric tournament.

In short, it's an NHL all-stars event disguised as an international tournament. Arranging international tournament is irrelevant for NHL, but it's just a way to slide their hands in fan's pockets to get their money. At the same time they can use it as an excuse to not participate in Olympics => more profit for NHL.

So the target is definitely not to make a prestigious tournament, but to make money for NHL. Sad but true. It may be difficult to believe for many innocent fans who have their own perception about what an international tournament should be about. NHL has mutilated that image.

 

[FiLe]

In short, it's an NHL all-stars event disguised as an international tournament. Arranging international tournament is irrelevant for NHL, but it's just a way to slide their hands in fan's pockets to get their money. At the same time they can use it as an excuse to not participate in Olympics => more profit for NHL.

This all leaves one open question. Namely, the players. They obviously want to keep on going to the Olympics. They're the NHL's main product. Without them there is no league. Can they do anything to ensure further olympic participation rather than simply accept that it will be replaced by the NHL's gutta percha tournament?

They of course have their contracts with obligate them to certain things, so open mutiny is out of the question, natch. But still, it's hard to see that the owners could just keep running in this direction, lining their pockets as they go, and have the players just take it all sitting down.

 

[Canuckistani]

It's quite simple: money. There's no any other reason than the fact that this way NHL can expose all of its star players. NA U23 team exposes young NHL stars who may not be good enough for their respective teams. Euro leftovers expose those top players who couldn't be seen otherwise. NHL has calculated that this format guarantees best visibility and income in a NA centric tournament.

True, but the NHL is still somehow missing the aspect of national pride. They could have avoided all of this mockery (and hopefully a tournament flop) by including the Slovaks and Swiss. No fan on earth would have lamented the fact that they were denied a chance to see the kiddies and Leftovers.

 

[roto]

This all leaves one open question. Namely, the players. They obviously want to keep on going to the Olympics. They're the NHL's main product. Without them there is no league. Can they do anything to ensure further olympic participation rather than simply accept that it will be replaced by the NHL's gutta percha tournament?

Yes, that's a bit weird. Maybe PA told gave them impression that the World Cup will be something like last time: a legit international tournament. Then at some point NHL changed the course and NHLPA accepted it as long as players get $$$. Maybe the players didn't even know what they were accepting, or they didn't care until they realized what has happened. I don't know.

Canuckstani: I bet that NHL calculated this so that having the joke teams instead of Slovaks and Swiss is better for business (and NHL in general). NHL thinks that national pride can be eliminated from the equation without major consequences on revenues, but we'll see what happens.

 

[seventieslord]

So is anyone actually for this idea?

I can't imagine they will actually go through with this if 100% of fans hate it. And if you start getting players boycotting it because they're playing against their own country and because they're part of some stupid european team that doesn't represent their actual country, then that would be too much backlash to brush off.

There has to be a petition about this somewhere... this is just sooooo awful!

 

[Gaps]

This all leaves one open question. Namely, the players. They obviously want to keep on going to the Olympics. They're the NHL's main product. Without them there is no league. Can they do anything to ensure further olympic participation rather than simply accept that it will be replaced by the NHL's gutta percha tournament?

They of course have their contracts with obligate them to certain things, so open mutiny is out of the question, natch. But still, it's hard to see that the owners could just keep running in this direction, lining their pockets as they go, and have the players just take it all sitting down.

Don't know about other nationalities, but the Finnish NHL players YLE interviewed (in January, I believe) made it quite clear that this tournament isn't an acceptable replacement for the Olympics. So I'm getting the impression that the Olympic participation issue is still far from being settled and even the players don't know for sure what's going to happen. I'd like to think they wouldn't accept missing the Olympics silently, but who knows. After all, only a few players per team even get to go to the Olympics, and I'm sure there are players who couldn't care less if their superior team mates get to go.

 

[JackSlater]

Don't know about other nationalities, but the Finnish NHL players YLE interviewed (in January, I believe) made it quite clear that this tournament isn't an acceptable replacement for the Olympics. So I'm getting the impression that the Olympic participation issue is still far from being settled and even the players don't know for sure what's going to happen. I'd like to think they wouldn't accept missing the Olympics silently, but who knows. After all, only a few players per team even get to go to the Olympics, and I'm sure there are players who couldn't care less if their superior team mates get to go.

Some players who don't get to go have expressed that they enjoy the two week break. Hopefully lots will speak up in favour of the Olympics.

 

[garbageteam]

So is anyone actually for this idea?

I can't imagine they will actually go through with this if 100% of fans hate it. And if you start getting players boycotting it because they're playing against their own country and because they're part of some stupid european team that doesn't represent their actual country, then that would be too much backlash to brush off.

There has to be a petition about this somewhere... this is just sooooo awful!

I don't know what's more difficult at this point - getting the NHL to send the players to 2018 or getting the NHL to not make this tournament the laughing stock that it is in its present proposed form

 

[seventieslord]

I don't know what's more difficult at this point - getting the NHL to send the players to 2018 or getting the NHL to not make this tournament the laughing stock that it is in its present proposed form

the former may be very difficult.

I don't think the latter is all that difficult. I mean, it's not like the NHL offices are being flooded with emails saying "omg great job on the world cup format i love it!!!!"

The only thing that really confuses me is how they came to make this announcement. I mean, they would have had to run some focus groups or something, right? How did this get past that stage? HOW?????

 

[TheTwelfth]

I wish Sweden would send their junior team.

 

[JackJ]

Interested to see the following

Canada (West)
Canada (East)
United States
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Czech Republic
All-star (Euro) - Any Euro not represented.

The rivalry between the two Canadian teams will be epic.

or

Canada (West)
Canada (Ontario)
Canada (Quebec)
United States
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Czech Republic

 

[Yamaguchi*]

I wish Sweden would send their junior team.

It'd be great if Sweden, Russia, Finland and Czech Republic send their junior teams to that so-called world cup.

And if Canada would have two teams in the tournament (West and East), they can also invite several teams from Switzerland (Swiss German team, Swiss French and Swiss Italians).

And what flag would team European Leftovers use? I guess the rainbow one.

 

[Faterson]

The rivalry between the two Canadian teams will be epic.

The more Mickey Mouse-y, the better. Just make it a tourney for Canadian provinces and call it "Galactic Cup".

Bettman and Fehr were on Hockey Central yesterday, gushing about what genius of a format this was for 2016. Sickening.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Then get rid of the stupid young North American team.

 

[Canuckistani]

Bettman and Fehr were on Hockey Central yesterday, gushing about what genius of a format this was for 2016. Sickening.

Seriously? What do they base this on? The people who like this format can be counted on one hand.

If anything it shows the utter contempt the NHL has for Toronto fans. Where else would they expect this joke of an event to sell out?

 

[JackSlater]

The more Mickey Mouse-y, the better. Just make it a tourney for Canadian provinces and call it "Galactic Cup".

Bettman and Fehr were on Hockey Central yesterday, gushing about what genius of a format this was for 2016. Sickening.

Yep, some of it can be found here:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-nhlpa-hopnig-best-ever-world-cup/