Terrible world cup ideas

[TheTwelfth]

Why can't he? Everyone else on that team has the privilege of proudly playing for their generation. Why is Forsberg forced to play for his country?

So much win in this post!

 

[Exarz]

Imagine if McDavid would get a serious injury while playing against Team Canada. Oh the joy seeing his team and the whole organisation panicking

 

[patnyrnyg]

I've said it in other threads and I'll repeat in this one, the 2 gimmicky teams kill this tournament for me. I have no interest in watching 1 second of this pre-season exhibition marketing nonsense. My $$$$$, time and eyeballs will tune into something else.

Me too. I am all for the NHL pulling out of the Olympics and having a REAL world cup. This doesn't qualify. Might as well choose 8 captains, of different national origin and let them draft teams.

Crosby, Parise, Lundqvist, Rask, Jagr, Chara, Ovechkin, and Kopitar.

This mixed team is as ridiculous as if the NHL chenged the play-offs to top-3 in each division and then an all-star team of the bottom-5 to make the 4th team.

 

[ForumNamePending]

I'm obviously kidding about Canada hating McDavid. On the other hand, it's easy to imagine a USA v Sweden final where Sweden has the luxury of playing a young Forsberg but USA can't play a young Eichel. How is this in any way fair?

I get that it was hyperbole. Just pointing out that if Canada goes down in flames in this tournament I could see the panic and outrage amongst Canadian hockey fans being far less than usual. A fair portion of country's population not going into a meltdown over a hockey tournament could be a nice change but it isn't necessarily a good thing for the tournament if the team's performance is met with indifference.

 

[patnyrnyg]

But it brings up a good point. The final is Canada vs NA Children. For arguments sake, the NA Children are 75% Canadian. Which team do most Canadians root for?

 

[JackSlater]

Me too. I am all for the NHL pulling out of the Olympics and having a REAL world cup. This doesn't qualify. Might as well choose 8 captains, of different national origin and let them draft teams.

Crosby, Parise, Lundqvist, Rask, Jagr, Chara, Ovechkin, and Kopitar.

This mixed team is as ridiculous as if the NHL chenged the play-offs to top-3 in each division and then an all-star team of the bottom-5 to make the 4th team.

Since the goal is clearly just to maximize the number of NHL players, this is honestly a far superior idea. TSN would advertise the hell out of the draft alone and it would get big ratings in Canada. ESPN would definitely talk about it, if for nothing else than the novelty. It would do a better job than this insane idea of providing "balance".

 

[cutchemist42]

rick westheadVerified account
‏@rwesthead
NHL exec also tells me NHL & NHLPA have contemplated changing World Cup of Hockey name b/c of young guns and Euro teams. Centennial Cup?

 

[Canuckistani]

Just pointing out that if Canada goes down in flames in this tournament I could see the panic and outrage amongst Canadian hockey fans being far less than usual.

I won't give a rat's behind how "Canada" performs in this event. It won't be a valid team Canada and it won't be a valid tournament.

Caring would only encourage the NHL to wreck the international game further.

 

[lamini]

Just wonder who would make selections and coach teams such as Czech....if it'll be someone connected to CSLH, he'd definitely want to take some guys from Europe instead of some NHL players. On the other hand, some random Can guy making selections for Czech "national team" and coaching them would feel really strange

 

[Canuckistani]

rick westheadVerified account
‏@rwesthead
NHL exec also tells me NHL & NHLPA have contemplated changing World Cup of Hockey name b/c of young guns and Euro teams. Centennial Cup?

How about the Who-Gives-A-****-Cup

 

[Villert]

When this tournament crashes and burns and we don't see more than two iterations - do you not think the NHL will regret such gimmickry?

This was a chance to make a real best-on-best tournament that could alternate with (or replace if necessary) the Olympics. I would rather just do the Olympics thing, but this would have been a huge thing for hockey fans everywhere as a supplement. Instead we get to reaffirm European jokes about the Canada/World Cup and admit they were right all along. Joy.

 

[Canuckistani]

Instead we get to reaffirm European jokes about the Canada/World Cup and admit they were right all along. Joy.

The tournament from 1976-2004 wasn't flawless but it produced amazing hockey featuring the best national teams.

This new "word cup" is deserving of all jokes thrown its way, and all fans seem united on that front.

 

[Villert]

The tournament from 1976-2004 wasn't flawless but it produced amazing hockey featuring the best national teams.

This new "word cup" is deserving of all jokes thrown its way, and all fans seem united on that front.

Fair enough. It's just such a joke... Switzerland, Latvia and Slovakia are more than competitive enough (without mentioning Germany, Norway, Austria, Denmark, Slovenia etc) - and if it is about the number of NHL players from these teams, that won't really make a difference when nobody from the NHL cares to show up to play for a mixed team.

Will any of the "European All Stars" players even want to attend such an event to play for such a team? I personally can't see anyone actually caring; international hockey is about representing your country, not about making the NHL or IIHF money. It won't come as a surprise to me when nobody commits to playing in this tournament.

 

[FiLe]

rick westheadVerified account
‏@rwesthead
NHL exec also tells me NHL & NHLPA have contemplated changing World Cup of Hockey name b/c of young guns and Euro teams. Centennial Cup?

This would actually kinda help tolerate this travesty. Not much, but a bit. At least they'd be honest by admitting the fact that this is some kind of new gimmicky sideshow, rather than actual international competition of any value.

 

[Mehar]

This tournament is an afront to fans and players everywhere.

Insulting to Slovaks and Swiss for effectively saying that their teams are such rubbish that they need to be merged along with some Germans, Austrians and a Slovene.

Insulting to the rest of Europe by (perhaps) excluding the use of Euro-based players. We'll see how the NHL deals with the lack of NHLers necessary for Finland, Russia or the Czechs to field a complete team.

Insulting to Canadians and Americans by stripping away their best young stars for some pathetic kids team.

Insulting to all fans by replacing a legitimate best-on-best event with the biggest joke in the history of the international sports.

And the worst part? It's all 100% unnecessary. The World Cup in 1996 and 2004 worked the same way as the Canada Cup: open to the best national teams and the best players no matter where they play. As it should be.

There is no need to ruin what worked before: Canada, USA, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Czech Rep, Slovakia and Switzerland (replacing Germany). Done.

Well said man. Great post. Exactly how i feel.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Since the goal is clearly just to maximize the number of NHL players, this is honestly a far superior idea. TSN would advertise the hell out of the draft alone and it would get big ratings in Canada. ESPN would definitely talk about it, if for nothing else than the novelty. It would do a better job than this insane idea of providing "balance".

I remember playing in a fantasy baseball league one year, where you had to name your team after 2 MLB teams. I was the Kansas City Mets. I had first rights to all Royals and Mets. We then had a draft of players from teams not taken. But, if I took a player, I had to drop one of my Royals or Mets. Someone else could then pick them up, however, I could take that player back at any time. Yeah, it was weird. But this gives me an idea

Each of the 8 captains gets first rights on all their NHL teammates and potential national teammates. We will say national team takes precedence. So, Ovechkin gets Malkin, but if he doesn't want him, then Crosby can have him, and if Crosby doesn't want him, he goes to the draft.

First round: Captains claim all the players they want from their country.

Second round: Captains can claim players from their NHL team who were not selected in the first round, but once they meet the roster limit, they must drop a countrymen.

Third round: Snake draft. Captains with most spots to fill choose first.

Option 2:

Live auction draft. Each Captain gets $500 to bid on players. Minimum bid will be $1. Maximum bid will be ($500-money already spent)-# of remaining roster spots.

 

[Eidyia]

I hope we boycott this ****show.

Our defense without the KHL players will be a joke unless several AHL guys takes huge leaps in a year and half which I highly doubt.

This would never happen in any other sport and this just shows why NHL's dominance
over every other league in the world is bad for hockey.

 

[Canuckistani]

This would never happen in any other sport and this just shows why NHL's dominance over every other league in the world is bad for hockey.

I wouldn't mind the NHLs dominance if they didn't pander to whatever lunatic proposed the idea for this stupid tournament.

The World Cups in 1996 and 2004 were amazing and could have been repeated if the NHL were to bail on the olympics due to the Asian sites in 2018, 2022.

Instead they deliver the greatest insult to fans and players alike in the history of the game.

 

[patnyrnyg]

rick westheadVerified account
‏@rwesthead
NHL exec also tells me NHL & NHLPA have contemplated changing World Cup of Hockey name b/c of young guns and Euro teams. Centennial Cup?

Who owns the Avco Cup nowadays? That was the WHA prize, correct? Maybe it could be resurrected?

 

[Jussi]

I hope we boycott this ****show.

Our defense without the KHL players will be a joke unless several AHL guys takes huge leaps in a year and half which I highly doubt.

This would never happen in any other sport and this just shows why NHL's dominance
over every other league in the world is bad for hockey.

Two exhibition games already agreed upon: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/jaakiekko/art-1421758928341.html

 

[dahrougem2]

I understand people don't like the gimmickry of the two combination teams, but I can see why the NHL wants to do it. I'm a fan of watching Slovakia play, I really am, but it's only the odd time when they're actually competitive. Same goes for Switzerland. Latvia, Germany, Belarus etc are never competitive. I understand that it's kind of conflicting when you have an entire nation going up against players from different nations on the same team, it's supposed to be an international tournament, not an all-star tournament but I can see why they want it. It's so that they can have more competition.

They don't want any "beat-up" games. They don't want Canada playing Latvia and winning 9-1 or something. They want the most competitive games possible. Do I think it's a good idea? Yes and no. On one hand, I love the international aspect of these tournaments, playing for your nation with pride and that's basically being taken out of the tournament.

On the other hand, I'm interested in seeing how the all-star European team performs with players from Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, etc. I know the Slovaks aren't going to be happy one bit, but I would love to see how their team looks when Anze Kopitar, Roman Josi, Mats Zucarrello, Mirco Mueller, Thomas Vanek etc are all added.

 

[cutchemist42]

I understand people don't like the gimmickry of the two combination teams, but I can see why the NHL wants to do it. I'm a fan of watching Slovakia play, I really am, but it's only the odd time when they're actually competitive. Same goes for Switzerland. Latvia, Germany, Belarus etc are never competitive. I understand that it's kind of conflicting when you have an entire nation going up against players from different nations on the same team, it's supposed to be an international tournament, not an all-star tournament but I can see why they want it. It's so that they can have more competition.

They don't want any "beat-up" games. They don't want Canada playing Latvia and winning 9-1 or something. They want the most competitive games possible. Do I think it's a good idea? Yes and no. On one hand, I love the international aspect of these tournaments, playing for your nation with pride and that's basically being taken out of the tournament.

On the other hand, I'm interested in seeing how the all-star European team performs with players from Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, etc. I know the Slovaks aren't going to be happy one bit, but I would love to see how their team looks when Anze Kopitar, Roman Josi, Mats Zucarrello, Mirco Mueller, Thomas Vanek etc are all added.

Do you feel then the same way that other sports should do the same for balance then?

 

[Villert]

I understand people don't like the gimmickry of the two combination teams, but I can see why the NHL wants to do it. I'm a fan of watching Slovakia play, I really am, but it's only the odd time when they're actually competitive. Same goes for Switzerland. Latvia, Germany, Belarus etc are never competitive. I understand that it's kind of conflicting when you have an entire nation going up against players from different nations on the same team, it's supposed to be an international tournament, not an all-star tournament but I can see why they want it. It's so that they can have more competition.

They don't want any "beat-up" games. They don't want Canada playing Latvia and winning 9-1 or something. They want the most competitive games possible. Do I think it's a good idea? Yes and no. On one hand, I love the international aspect of these tournaments, playing for your nation with pride and that's basically being taken out of the tournament.

On the other hand, I'm interested in seeing how the all-star European team performs with players from Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, etc. I know the Slovaks aren't going to be happy one bit, but I would love to see how their team looks when Anze Kopitar, Roman Josi, Mats Zucarrello, Mirco Mueller, Thomas Vanek etc are all added.

Fine, so put in Slovakia and Switzerland - two teams that have both finished within the top six at some point during the last three Olympics. In fact, Slovakia finished 4th in 2010 and 5th in 2006. Hardly blowouts or non-competitive.

 

[Canuckistani]

They don't want any "beat-up" games.

This has often been presented as the excuse for the two mickey mouse teams, but Slovakia and Switzerland don't get beat-up any more than the other top teams do.

In Sochi, Slovakia lost 7-1 to USA, 1-0 in a shootout to Russia and 5-3 to the Czechs. If that 7-1 loss makes you question their inclusion then so should USA's 5-0 loss to Finland.

Switzerland, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to Sweden and beat Czech Rep by the same score. In Vancouver is was much the same: shootout loss to Canada, 2-0 loss to USA.

Even teams like Latvia don't get crushed anymore (they only lost 2-1 to Canada last year).

So the "we don't want blowouts" excuse simply doesn't hold water.

Truth is, the NHL is simply destroying international hockey for no effing reason whatsoever aside from thinking they can make a few more buck$ doing so.

 

[Jussi]

If the KHL plans to extend their season and begin it in August already, I can easily see them not releasing players for this.