What Nation Gets Most Horned Up For the World Championships
- Thread starter AintLifeGrand
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You will be maybe surprised, but ice-hockey isnt such big deal in Russia. Soccer runs the state.
Dont know about the parade. And if, look close. Maybe the pictures are from angles, that it could show much people, but in reality there weren't so many.
Russian fans are tired from all the golds, they saw in 70s and 80s. They dont really care anymore.
Stolie the Goalie
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- Oct 29, 2010
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It will be crucial what happens to Finland in tbe upcoming euros. Expectations are low but in a tournament there are always surprises.
However, Finland will not be a regular qualifier to major tournaments. This could be a once in a lifetime experience.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
A lot of people in Finland were relieved that Finland lost because they can't stand the hullabaloo which follows if Finland wins the tournament.
This is the second time "half of Europe" qualifies for the euros and Finland didn't make it in the first time. Could be that they won't make it again.
The World Cup is much harder to qualify into from Europe. Very difficult to see Finland ever making it there.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
As a Canadian--I do not believe Canada is in the top ten for getting into the games. The games are an after thought and it is shown from top to bottom. Canada Hockey has to beg some players to come some years. And I rarely hang out with my fellow Canadians at games--we are way to passive. As I said before, what is on the ice is only half of the fun. It is what happens off the ice that makes the games great
Slovakian soccer team is pretty good. Hockey's popularity still > soccer in SVK?
MoeTheHobo
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- Jan 24, 2017
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I see you found the "True Finns" party's election candidatesi always thought finns celebrated in calmer way. just a handclap and thats it.
kudla
Registered User
No, soccer is the number 1 sport especially among younger generation
Antiillafire
Registered User
No soccer is more popular even tho tv rating may suggest hockey is more viewed. Ask any young kids what their favorite sport is 8/10 say football
Just because Finland lost the Gold Medal, does not change the fact this was one of the weakest rosters Canada ever sent. I looked at this Canadian roster, and I predicted a QF loss against Russia. I said it on this Board. Russia, USA, and Finland were all better in the tournament, and were the better teams on paper. I was not impressed with the roster that was sent to play for Canada.
Nobody in Canada predicted the Gold Medal. Finland was the ones that embarrassed themselves with their inability to capitalize on the Power Play, then the fans blamed the refs afterwards for their poor performance. The Finnish fans ignored the fact that the goal they scored on the PP in the First Period, should not have been called a penalty. Canada had 30 Minutes in Penalties, Finland had 6.
To cover up their failure to win Gold as the favourite coming in, the Finnish fans are now attacking every Canadian fan who said the Finnish roster was not better than Canada's. The fact of the matter is Finland was the better team on paper. Your country treats this tournament like your Stanley Cup. There would be parades in Finland, like in the past if Finland had won. In Canada, there were no parades, and the next day we moved on to the Stanley Cup. We sent a team of 3rd and 4th liners, with a career backup goalie, and still won Gold against countries who take this tournament seriously. Enjoy your Silver and move on. Better luck next year.
It is funny I said this on Sunday after Canada won Gold, and the Finnish fans were saying this tournament is not treated seriously just like in Canada (LOL). The facts are Russians celebrated in the streets, the Slovaks celebrated, the Czechs celebrated many years ago, and same in Sweden when they won Gold. Finland had a big celebration like you posted. Just because these teams performed poorly this year, their fans are saying this tournament does not really matter to them (LOL). This tournament is treated like the Stanley Cup in Europe. It is taken very seriously.
There were no celebrations in Canada on the streets after Canada won on Sunday. This tournament was largely ignored by many people, until Canada reached the Semis. I am guilty also. I did not watch a full game until Canada faced the USA. Canadians celebrate when it is a Best on Best. We are too busy watching the Stanley Cup playoffs to really care for this tournament.
Wait what? On what planet did Finland have a better roster?
They only had 2 NHLrs and barely any of their better European based talent played, especially up front.
Their most dangerous forwards were a 19 year old (Lundell) and a NHL/AHL tweener (Ruotsalainen), and the #1 dman was Olli Maatta.
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ORRFForever
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- Oct 29, 2018
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Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Before the tournament, all the so called "experts" had Finland along with Russia as the favourites to win Gold. This Canadian team was regarded as one of the weakest ever sent. We had to rely on a career backup goalie Darcy Kuemper to get it done.
Our NHL players got shut out by Latvia 2-0, and were 0-3 to start the tournament. We were lucky to be in the QF. You can be a NHL player, and be a 4th liner, a bad offensive player/skater and a scrub. Frankly, this tournament is treated like the Stanley Cup by Finland. You were the favourite to beat Canada. Canadians do not take this tournament seriously.
The Canadian and American teams also have struggled on the big ice surface, with different European officiating than NHL, at times in the past. The Russians and Finland teams should be embarrassed that they lost to this Canadian team. I am proud of our guys, but nobody saw it coming with this collection of players. Your team Finland was considered the favourite before the tournament began by the experts.
After you failed to get it done against this weak Canadian team, the Finnish fans are now trying to rewrite history by saying their team was not better than Canada, and that Canada was better with more NHL players (LOL). It does not matter about the quantity of NHL players, but the quality. I predicted Canada to lose in the QF. This Canadian team was a miracle, by barely making it to the QF, and beating stronger teams Russia, USA, and Finland. Instead of applauding that fact and the true Underdog Canada was, the Finnish fans are trying to tell us this was a very good Canadian team on paper. What a joke.
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Yeah of course. I might watch them too since its historical. I even watched the deciding qualifying game. The first match in about 13 years Ive watched.
I'm not Finnish. I have no dog in this race. I speak via objectivity.
If Finland was favored it certainly wasn't because of roster strength. It was due to their collective team play and that their coach is a wizard. If fact, Russia, the Czechs, Sweden, Canada, the US, all had better teams on paper.
Because of Covid the talent level of this tournament was sub-par for EVERYBODY, sans perhaps the Czechs. This was exemplified by the giant amount of upsets and irregularities. Sweden didn't even make the medal round for heaven's sake.
Congrats to Canada. It was a gutsy performance after a slow start. But let's not pretend it was some David vs Goliath scenario. I mean look at us (the US), we had a similar team to Canada on paper and we earned the #1 seed. Man-for-man our back-end was atrocious compared to you guys.
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The fact that this is held during the Stanley Cup playoffs just reinforces that this is a tournament by Europeans, for Europeans, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a big party atmosphere and it both celebrates and provides a stage for the top players from the European leagues to shine. They play while still fresh, shortly after the European leagues finish their seasons. That aspect wouldn't be there if the tournament was stacked with the top-tier NHL players each July or August, for example. It all makes sense.
Yet the upshot for us in North America is that it's not a tourney that attracts very much attention. The NHL players we know routinely skip it, even when they have no Stanley Cup playoff obligations. The focus here is squarely on the NHL's playoffs while the tournament is taking place, and it creates an unfortunate impression that the WHC is a second-tier tournament. Whatever the correct answer, it's certainly not Canada or the USA. Least horned up.
Yet the upshot for us in North America is that it's not a tourney that attracts very much attention. The NHL players we know routinely skip it, even when they have no Stanley Cup playoff obligations. The focus here is squarely on the NHL's playoffs while the tournament is taking place, and it creates an unfortunate impression that the WHC is a second-tier tournament. Whatever the correct answer, it's certainly not Canada or the USA. Least horned up.
habsrule4eva3089
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- Nov 22, 2008
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Why do you talk about a continent? Canada is a completely different country with an actual history with this sport. It's so strange Americans taking pride like they own Canada each time lumping Canadian Hockey interests in that of a country which has no Hockey pride or love for the game like the United States. Where the average American can't tell you what an outdoor rink looks like. North America, North America, North America, always the same garbage.
The IIHF World Championships are watched by close to 12 million Canadians every year. The finals are watched by almost 4-5 million people tuning in with Canada playing. More than any Stanley Cup final with teams from the United States since Canadians don't care about American teams.
Canadians care about this tournament because Canadians take pride in their Hockey. Obviously this tournament won't reach the heights of 17-20 million people tuning in like World Juniors or Olympics, but one third of an entire nation tuning into this tournament says a lot of Hockey in this country. And the 30 people watching in the US says a lot of your country and the state of Hockey there.
