What happened to Belarus?
- Thread starter Fazkovsky
- Start date
Team_Spirit
95% Elliotte
- Jul 3, 2002
- 41,204
- 25,234
That's sort of why, unfortunately the current qualification system favours lesser teams without big stars as they're not available for the qualification tournament anyway.
Laphroaig
Registered User
Belarus, Denmark and Germany are all good enough to play in this tournament. I'd like to see it expanded to 16 teams.
KuralySnipes
Registered User
This.
I think the IIHF should open the qualification tournament to all 48 hockey nations. Right now I believe only the top 12 teams in the World have a shot at going to the Olympics. How can you grow the game in the rest of the countries if those countries cannot have a shot to qualify for the Olympics? The IIHF has horrible marketing skills, and it could put hockey being an Olympic sport in jeopardy.
This would be an especially good idea if, as seems likely at the moment, the NHL no longer participates in the Olympics.
cujoflutie
Registered User
They have a promotion/qualification system, any country has the ability they need to win though.
The problem is the world championships is during the stanley cup playoffs. If they want to make it more fair they should push it back.
Pure Laine
Registered User
I'm not an expert in international hockey but I agree with your idea and the 16 teams tournament. France, Belarus, Denmark, Germany, Kazakhstan, maybe even Italy could all qualify. 4 groups of 4, per example, based on the top 16 right now, you could have:
Group A
Sweden
Czech Republic
Norway
Denmark
Group B
Finland
United States
Latvia
Slovenia
Group C
Canada
Switzerland
Germany
Belarus
Group D
Russia
Slovakia
France
Austria
Monsieur
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2006
- 669
- 0
Like a few people said, anybody can theoretically qualify for the olympics under the current system. Belarus was very close, they were second in the group that Slovenia ended up winning.
Details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics_–_Men's_qualification
Details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics_–_Men's_qualification
Jazz
Registered User
As Hubie mentioned, there is a qualification process.
The main issue is that many national sports federations do not see a point to invest their program in hockey as literally millions of dollars would be needed to bring their national team up to the level of a medal contender. That is why you don't see teams like China, Germany, France, Holland etc progress in hockey. They would focus more on individual sports as less money spend on them would get multiple medals. A Dutch speed skating coach said as much last week.
Also, the IOC has a 12-team limit on national team competitions in the Olympics.
The main issue is that many national sports federations do not see a point to invest their program in hockey as literally millions of dollars would be needed to bring their national team up to the level of a medal contender. That is why you don't see teams like China, Germany, France, Holland etc progress in hockey. They would focus more on individual sports as less money spend on them would get multiple medals. A Dutch speed skating coach said as much last week.
Also, the IOC has a 12-team limit on national team competitions in the Olympics.
jekoh
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2004
- 4,416
- 4
Jazz
Registered User
I had read that years ago. Either it's changed or FIFA has an exemption. Basketball also only has 12.
We don't need more pointless games of big vs small where even if the big nation loses, it doesn't matter unless it's the playoff stage. The format of the tournament should at least be changed so the early games matter more.
No, the NHL extended their season into the World Championship zone, and even as such, only a handful of teams are still playing in the SC playoffs at that point, hardly enough reason to push a long running hockey tournament further into the summer, when 95% of hockey players would be out of practice and shape, having not played for months already. If anything, the NHL should start a month earlier, like every other hockey league in the world, which not only would make every player available for the worlds, but would give them another month where they don't have to compete with basketball in the states.
Cardiac Jerks
Asinine & immoral
So if a team has a number of quality players, their chances of qualifying actually go down.
I guess United Arab Emirates and Mongolia are actually leading the IIHF rankings, not Canada. You know, because of how many quality players there are in Canada. So Team Canada should be terrible, according to your logic.
Oilslick941611
Registered User
So if a team has a number of quality players, their chances of qualifying actually go down.
I guess United Arab Emirates and Mongolia are actually leading the IIHF rankings, not Canada. You know, because of how many quality players there are in Canada. So Team Canada should be terrible, according to your logic.
He's saying if a country has players that are good enough to play outside their own domestic leagues and end up playing in North America they are unable to play in qualifying rounds, meaning that countries with already low depth have to choose different players than their 1st choice selections.
It happened in 02 with Slovakia, NHL players were not available so they had to play that round without Chara Hossa et al. On the other hand, it didn't affect Belarus. but that doesn't mean it wasn't a factor.
so what he said makes perfect sense.
PanniniClaus
Registered User
- Oct 12, 2006
- 12,703
- 6,021
This thread is a doozy.
Belarus stumbled around through the qualifying tourney and lost to Slovenia - they have no one to blame but themselves. The big "star" missing was Grabovski. Slovenia was without Kopitar.
The 12 team format is fine. The round robin did mean something contrary to popular belief as dropping points meant a lower seed. It put the Russians out on their ear in the QF of their home Olympics. Imagine if Canada went out in the QF at Vancouver.
One poster said only the top 12 teams get to go - there is an open qualification system - you would have to be living under a rock to not know that. The top 9 teams as per the IIHF rankings automatically qualified and three spots were up for grabs. Qualifiers were played and Denmark, Belarus, Germany did not get it done. Latvia and Slovenia showed they deserved their spots, the Austrians embarrassed themselves and Germany should be taken to task for not being able to beat that team.
Belarus stumbled around through the qualifying tourney and lost to Slovenia - they have no one to blame but themselves. The big "star" missing was Grabovski. Slovenia was without Kopitar.
The 12 team format is fine. The round robin did mean something contrary to popular belief as dropping points meant a lower seed. It put the Russians out on their ear in the QF of their home Olympics. Imagine if Canada went out in the QF at Vancouver.
One poster said only the top 12 teams get to go - there is an open qualification system - you would have to be living under a rock to not know that. The top 9 teams as per the IIHF rankings automatically qualified and three spots were up for grabs. Qualifiers were played and Denmark, Belarus, Germany did not get it done. Latvia and Slovenia showed they deserved their spots, the Austrians embarrassed themselves and Germany should be taken to task for not being able to beat that team.
novisor
Registered User
The qualification tournament does not include NHL players. If it did Grabovski, and maybe even KHL players (notably the Kostitsyn's) would have played. But Belarus is not the most affected team by this, and it isn't Germany either. It's Denmark, they could have easily won games and played with the big teams at the olympics. Look at these names.
Forwards: Boedker, Eller, Hansen, Nielsen, Regin
Defence: Larsen
Goalie: Andersen (back up in Anaheim)
Forwards: Boedker, Eller, Hansen, Nielsen, Regin
Defence: Larsen
Goalie: Andersen (back up in Anaheim)
The correct answer is that nothing has happened to Belarus. They're sitting exactly where they've been sitting for the past decade or so.
It's the other lesser countries that have evolved and caught up.
It's the other lesser countries that have evolved and caught up.
