The "Gimmick" Teams Are The Best Part of WCOH

[Sens of Anarchy]

Team NA has been really fun to watch. That team needs the young American players more than Team USA. As others have said the decision to build a truculent team would have meant maybe Eichel gets a call other than that they had excellent skill options they left off. Eichel would not have helped them or been a significant enough help to them.


Team Europe is a good story. Lots of vets coming together and playing for each other and as a team.

Hard not to like both these teams

 

[TLeafsFan]

If you actually read my earlier post in my thread, you would see that I acknowledged that Canada had to follow the same restrictions, but could withstand it much more easily because of their greater depth. I specifically said that the restrictions hurt USA more than Canada because of the difference in depth. Maybe you should read what I actually wrote before you criticize.

Team USA doesn't have the same depth, but can be competitive in a short best-on-best tournament, provided they actually have all of their best.



I watch plenty of hockey and have my whole life. I'm from Buffalo. Don't assume you know or watch hockey better than me just because you're Canadian and I grew up a few miles on the other side of the border.

And our hockey program IS growing. Which is why much of our best American talent is in that under-25 group. That's my whole point.

The fact that USA Hockey development is growing and improving is precisely the same reason that Team USA is hampered to a greater degree by not having access to the improving young pipeline of players.

Then don't make excuses for reasons not to watch because of that. Watch, learn and grow from it.

Just watch team NA and feel good about yourselves for the future my American friend and fellow hockey fan.

 

[jj cale]

Glorified allstar weekend at this point.

Do they give medals in the end? The amount of cringe would be unreal.

No way was that N.A-Russia game a glorified all star game.

If all star games were like that I would watch way more of them.

 

[Wings13]

If this was the "All-Star Game", great I would be excited for this.

But as a World Cup? No thanks. I want to see Nation vs. Nation.

Nothing against Team NA or Europe, it's simply just not appealing to me within this context.

 

[gretskidoo]

If this was the "All-Star Game", great I would be excited for this.

But as a World Cup? No thanks. I want to see Nation vs. Nation.

Nothing against Team NA or Europe, it's simply just not appealing to me within this context.

They should remove the "World" and just call it Cup™.

Also, remove all the national teams since they apparently don't matter according to the defenders of this great, prestigious and very meaningful tournament with a rich and long history.

No point having nationally restricted teams(and calling it a WORLD Cup) if these things don't matter, so you might as well build the teams as well as possible by combining all national teams since the only thing that matters is the actual hockey on display.

 

[JackSlater]

They should remove the "World" and just call it Cupâ„¢.

Also, remove all the national teams since they apparently don't matter according to the defenders of this great, prestigious and very meaningful tournament with a rich and long history.

No point having nationally restricted teams(and calling it a WORLD Cup) if these things don't matter, so you might as well build the teams as well as possible by combining all national teams since the only thing that matters is the actual hockey on display.

Exactly. Pick the best 184 players and assign them teams. People who just want a high end exhibition with as much parity as possible would be satisfied, and the false pretenses surrounding the tournament could be dropped.

 

[The Gloaming]

It seems like the only people complaining about the WC are the ones who have either avoided it completely or almost.

Because I don't see how anyone who watched yesterday's NA-Russia game would be arguing against the tournament and format. Hell, even the Europe-Czech game was entertaining, where you could tell that team Europe really does care about winning.

 

[Scotty B]

They should remove the "World" and just call it Cup™.

Also, remove all the national teams since they apparently don't matter according to the defenders of this great, prestigious and very meaningful tournament with a rich and long history.

No point having nationall(it)y restricted teams(and calling it a WORLD Cup) if these things don't matter, so you might as well build the teams as well as possible by combining all national teams since the only thing that matters is the actual hockey on display.

Tut tut ...game last nite, GREAT GREAT GAME, had that Young vs Old, East vs West, Clash of Cultures, Neo-Cold War thingy ...IN SPADES

 

[g00n]

So calling it "World Cup", which is artificial and arbitrary anyway, is the problem people have?

It's essentially free offseason all-star/young star hockey for those watching it on TV. The NHL can call it whatever they want. This isn't FIFA and soccer. I don't understand why people are so upset if the hockey is good and it isn't infringing on another hockey World Cup. There are already plenty of international tournaments. In all of the aforementioned sports and bodies there are U23 teams and tournaments. This combines formats.

Are we also mad because the "World Series" in MLB isn't actually a WORLD series? Or the "world champion" in the NBA and NFL isn't internationally determined?

 

[GoldiFox]

People are being overly dramatic. The nationality part drives competition. Anyone who watched last night's game and thought "this is just an all-star exhibition" is insane. Russia was fighting for their lives to stay in the tournament and NA was battling their hearts out to come back. The level of competition was way higher than I saw in any Playoff game last season and the National aspect played a large part in that.

I think some people are just upset that the players care so much about a tournament they don't like based on principal. These games might legitimately be the best, most passionate, most competitive hockey that we see for the next year and a half and it is chapping buns left and right.

 

[Quack Shot]

This is some awesome hockey to watch and to get it in September is amazing. Preseason hockey sucks and is only entertaining to see how fringe players play. This tournament is like playoff hockey before the regular season starts. I'm having a blast watching McDavid and the young guys outplay the veterans. People just have to complain about everything.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Who cares what they call the cup... Let them play for a popsicle stick... It's the quality of the hockey and the opportunity to see some of the best players play together that in most cases will never have another chance.

Stop complaining or go complain somewhere else

 

[g00n]

People are being overly dramatic. The nationality part drives competition. Anyone who watched last night's game and thought "this is just an all-star exhibition" is insane. Russia was fighting for their lives to stay in the tournament and NA was battling their hearts out to come back. The level of competition was way higher than I saw in any Playoff game last season and the National aspect played a large part in that.

I think some people are just upset that the players care so much about a tournament they don't like based on principal. These games might legitimately be the best, most passionate, most competitive hockey that we see for the next year and a half and it is chapping buns left and right.

Of course there's pride and patriotism because of the way the teams are structured. The problem arises when people try to make it out to be more than an NHL tournament based on the name.

 

[Gary Nylund]

People are being overly dramatic. The nationality part drives competition. Anyone who watched last night's game and thought "this is just an all-star exhibition" is insane. Russia was fighting for their lives to stay in the tournament and NA was battling their hearts out to come back. The level of competition was way higher than I saw in any Playoff game last season and the National aspect played a large part in that.

I think some people are just upset that the players care so much about a tournament they don't like based on principal. These games might legitimately be the best, most passionate, most competitive hockey that we see for the next year and a half and it is chapping buns left and right.

Most people understand this, there's just a very vocal bunch of nits here who see things in black and white. It's either best on best or it's not, it's either international or it's not etc. yadayadayada.

Even if the World Cup doesn't meet some strict definition some would like to make up about one or the other, it's still 95% (for arguments sake) international and best on best and therefore these idiotic suggestions of "if this is what you want, just take the best X number of players and split them up into X number of teams" are completely missing the point.

I would prefer national teams only in this thing but acting as if this thing has no national factor at all and is just random players on random teams is just ... well, just being a nit I guess sums it up. Anyone who thinks the games today aren't international hockey games just doesn't get it IMO.

Should be good action today, looking forward to it.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

The level of competition was way higher than I saw in any Playoff game last season.

Well that's just silly talk. I suppose you can make the claim that the level of competition was just as high as the playoffs (though I don't think so) but to say it was "way higher" is false.

 

[tmlmatus]

Who cares what they call the cup... Let them play for a popsicle stick... It's the quality of the hockey and the opportunity to see some of the best players play together that in most cases will never have another chance.

Stop complaining or go complain somewhere else

Not used to people having different opinions?

 

[Leafidelity]

Babcock also said Team North America is the best part of this tourney

 

[GoldiFox]

Well that's just silly talk. I suppose you can make the claim that the level of competition was just as high as the playoffs (though I don't think so) but to say it was "way higher" is false.

I watched every game of the SCF. IMO none of them were even close to the level of competition that was shown last night. This coming from a neutral fan. No allegiances to Pens/Sharks and my team has no players on NA/Russia. Last night was hockey at its finest.

 

[lifeisruff]

How exactly is Team North America killing Team USA?

Eichel and Gaudreau are the only impact players they're losing out on. And who knows what Torts would do with 5'7 Johnny Hockey.

Saad would make the team, but he's not an impact player, and Jones and Murray are bottom pairing D on that team.

 

[Seanaconda]

Not used to people having different opinions?

No not liking it is fine. If anything he is helping the people that have the need to lurk on a thread on a tournament they refuse to watch or give a chance. Must be unhealthy.

 

[The Gloaming]

How exactly is Team North America killing Team USA?

Eichel and Gaudreau are the only impact players they're losing out on. And who knows what Torts would do with 5'7 Johnny Hockey.

Saad would make the team, but he's not an impact player, and Jones and Murray are bottom pairing D on that team.

Yeah Torts being the coach makes it a little easier to stomach the loss of Gaudreau. At least this way he's free to unleash his creativity and awesomeness. On Team USA he would probably play with some combo of Kesler/Abdelkader/Dubinsky and be told to focus on blocking shots.

 

[Kranix]

It's great hockey. It's a contrived tournament.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Not used to people having different opinions?

No issue with an opinion. Complaining about the name of the tournament as a reason for disapproving of it doesn't fly its just complaining for the sake of complaining. I don't expect you to agree.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

It's great hockey. It's a contrived tournament.

Exactly.

That's why I don't really care that there's a Team North America or Team Europe.

It's really the NHL Money Grab Cup. But it's still led to some great hockey.

 

[Theokritos]

So calling it "World Cup", which is artificial and arbitrary anyway, is the problem people have?

It's essentially free offseason all-star/young star hockey for those watching it on TV. The NHL can call it whatever they want. This isn't FIFA and soccer. I don't understand why people are so upset if the hockey is good and it isn't infringing on another hockey World Cup. There are already plenty of international tournaments. In all of the aforementioned sports and bodies there are U23 teams and tournaments. This combines formats.

Are we also mad because the "World Series" in MLB isn't actually a WORLD series? Or the "world champion" in the NBA and NFL isn't internationally determined?

If the NHL came up with a brand new tournament in 2016 and decided to call it "World Cup" then no-one would be in arms about it. The issue is that they made the decision to take an existing competition (since 1976, called "World Cup" since 1996) and turn it into something fundamentally different while pretending it's still pretty much the same. It used to be a proper international tournament and now it's a cross between the Spengler Cup and the NHL All-star game. It might be good and entertaining hockey, but the pretense it's a legit resumption of the Canada Cup/World Cup is a travesty.