When will IIHF consider to increase number of participant on WCH top level?

[Raimo Sillanpää]

The real slaughter would be Asia's third team (China). Imagine if they get grouped with Canada. Ranked 37th in the world, that's like being ranked 2 (Brazil) in the Football world and playing against #1 ranked Germany.

Obligatory Belo-Horizonte update above.

On topic, if the discrepancy is too much it's not good. A few years ago Latvia hosted the world championships, faced Canada and was trounced. It resulted in a flurry of penalties, crowd booing the ref and coins being thrown onto the ice.
And that's with a top level Latvia.
The gaps just too big, rather than grow the sport it will just work adversely.

I think even competition, or almost even is the best. Maybe the next tier would get more out of it if they faced more games against top-6 B-teams, like euro-only Canada, Mestis maajoukkue, SHL-Sweden or whatever. If we look at case Finland, it was basically a 20-year project to lift the whole nation to the top tier, so a long term approach is necessary.

 

[Urbanskog]

I think even competition, or almost even is the best. Maybe the next tier would get more out of it if they faced more games against top-6 B-teams, like euro-only Canada, Mestis maajoukkue, SHL-Sweden or whatever. If we look at case Finland, it was basically a 20-year project to lift the whole nation to the top tier, so a long term approach is necessary.

I'm sure they'd "get more out of it", playing against a Mestis team. Unless by the "next tier" you mean something like Spain or Belgium.

 

[kabidjan18]

http://www.laola1.at/de/red/winters...irektor-suhonen-fuer-team-reduktion-bei-a-wm/

This man is probably the worst thing to happen to Austrian hockey, well, ever. I still remember the day he was extended, it was basically the death of Austrian Hockey and I knew it at the time but his sensuous appeal to Fmr. President Dieter Kalt was unbeatable. He is going to be out of here this summer, as it seems unlikely his wiles will be able to seduce President Mittendorfer, but is doing everything he can to harm Austrian hockey even as he walks out the door.

Optimistically, I hope to see strong opposition to this coming from the Slovak, German, Latvian, Italian, Danish, Belorussian, Norwegian, French, Slovenian, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, and South Korean federations.

 

[Legend Leinonen]

http://www.laola1.at/de/red/winters...irektor-suhonen-fuer-team-reduktion-bei-a-wm/

This man is probably the worst thing to happen to Austrian hockey, well, ever. I still remember the day he was extended, it was basically the death of Austrian Hockey and I knew it at the time but his sensuous appeal to Fmr. President Dieter Kalt was unbeatable. He is going to be out of here this summer, as it seems unlikely his wiles will be able to seduce President Mittendorfer, but is doing everything he can to harm Austrian hockey even as he walks out the door.

Optimistically, I hope to see strong opposition to this coming from the Slovak, German, Latvian, Italian, Danish, Belorussian, Norwegian, French, Slovenian, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, and South Korean federations.

Oh he's there. I was just wondering the other day where has this guy dissappeared from the face of the earth.


So what's the story?; he has suggested 14 team games?

 

[Ris]

Yes, and IA with 10 teams.

 

[tony d]

It's fine the way it is now. Leave it be.

 

[Elvs]

16 is good number at this point. Imo, there's a small but yet distinct gap between the 14th and 15h best country.

In no particular order, the top 14 is:

Canada
USA
Sweden
Finland
Russia
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland
Germany
France
Latvia
Belarus
Denmark
Norway

Those 14 seems to be in the top group every year these days. After that you have Austria, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and Italy bouncing back and forth, while Hungary and a few other nations could make it at odd times. The 15th and 16th spot is enough for these countries to compete for. No need to give them an additional two extra spots.

 

[1Gold Standard]

It's fine the way it is now. Leave it be.

for the fans, yes.

but players are complaining. tournament is tooooo long.

 

[Exarz]

I heard rumors that they will discuss reducing the amount of teams to 14 for better quality and better scheduling. If that's the case, I do hope that they will reduce the amount of relegated teams to one.

 

[GX]

I heard rumors that they will discuss reducing the amount of teams to 14 for better quality and better scheduling. If that's the case, I do hope that they will reduce the amount of relegated teams to one.

It would be fun to see relegation round format like in WJC - best-of-3 series between the bottom two teams of each Group.

 

[jason2020]

I could see them going to a 24 team format 6 groups of 4 top team plus 2 wild cards make the play offs.

 

[Exarz]

I could see them going to a 24 team format 6 groups of 4 top team plus 2 wild cards make the play offs.

Well, the top 24 will play or has played in the two top divisions recently, but hockey isn't the type of sport where those team can just tank and keep the score down. Having total blowouts would just give the tournament a worse reputation.

Decreasing the amount of teams to 12 or 14 is better, since it would increase the quality of all tournaments. Having 12 teams would also create an even more interesting D1A that could have up to 10 teams and it would still be a rather even competition.

Based on last year's results, the Division 1a would include:
Latvia, France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Austria, South Korea, Ukraine

It would mean that you could copy the WJC format with playoffs and a relegation round in order to get promoted/relegated.

 

[Coinneach]

other ex-Eastern bloc countries - Only Soviet Union (Russia) and Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovak) has ice-hockey as their second primary team sport event.

Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, others countries created by Soviet Union fall, Cuba ( ) - are focused to other sports arts.

Belarus and Latvia,too. In Latvia ice hockey is bigger than soccer.

 

[Sanderson]

Well, the top 24 will play or has played in the two top divisions recently, but hockey isn't the type of sport where those team can just tank and keep the score down. Having total blowouts would just give the tournament a worse reputation.

Decreasing the amount of teams to 12 or 14 is better, since it would increase the quality of all tournaments. Having 12 teams would also create an even more interesting D1A that could have up to 10 teams and it would still be a rather even competition.

Based on last year's results, the Division 1a would include:
Latvia, France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Austria, South Korea, Ukraine

It would mean that you could copy the WJC format with playoffs and a relegation round in order to get promoted/relegated.

I don't see the point of doing that. There is nothing to be gained. You weaken the actual World Championship, which is the big money-maker for the IIHF, to give more importance to the lower tier, which will never be able to make up the difference. People just don't care enough about a lower level championship like that.

 

[willb892]

I think what the 1A/1B teams need is more competition against better teams, not the same teams year after year.

I think the main championship is fine at 16 for now, but less would work too. The tournament is long enough as it is, and the bottom 2-4 teams are usually non-factors. Eventually 24 teams would be a good number, but not until the elevator teams (especially the Asian countries) improve.

Right now, this is the system I would use:

Top Division: 14 teams (2 relegated to Division One)
Division One: 10 teams (2 teams promoted to Top Division, 1 teams relegated to Division Two)
Division Two: 8 teams (1 team promoted to Division One, 1 team relegated to Division Three)
Division Three: 8 teams (1 team promoted to Division Two, 1 team relegated to Division Four)
Division Four: 8 teams (1 team promoted to Division Three)
And possibly a Div 5 or Div 4Q if more teams are added.

Then eventually, once more countries become competitive, you could do something like:

Top Division: 24 teams (4 teams relegated to Division One)
Division One: 16 teams (4 teams promoted to Top Division, 2 teams relegated to Division Two)
Division Two: 8 teams (2 teams promoted to Division One, 1 team relegated to Division Three)
Division Three: currently 0 teams, but surely more teams (especially in Asia) will be introduced by then (1 team promoted to Division Two)

 

[Tuoppi]

14 teams and two relegating, there is a big risk that pretty good teams drop. But only one promoting from 10 team division 1a isn't much of a incentive. So I like 16 or even 15 team games. Italy doesn't give much to the games but I think even Slovenia does. Maybe Austria can challenge other teams and South Korea is interesting to see.

 

[tade]

INCREASE? That's not needed. It is perfectly fine this way.

 

[ThaiTanicDK]

Dont increase it. Theres already a huge difference between top 3 and top 8-14.

 

[Tuoppi]

Dont increase it. Theres already a huge difference between top 3 and top 8-14.

There is a huge difference in basketball between first and everyone else. So one team games?

 

[ThaiTanicDK]

There is a huge difference in basketball between first and everyone else. So one team games?

Yes.

 

[Jablkon]

Should be 14 maximum. As ussual we have we have top countries within first three days and then entire week with opponents where Switzerland is the best one and then quarters. No offence to anybody but there are too many lower quality matches. 28:5 shots against Belarus after second period...

 

[Tuoppi]

After Ger-USA, Sui-Slo and SVK-Ita maybe we should add teams.
There could be 4 groups of 4 teams for teams ranked 5-20.
4 best ranked teams and winner of each group would qualify to final group of 8 teams.
Then 4 best teams advance to semifinals.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Should be 14 maximum. As ussual we have we have top countries within first three days and then entire week with opponents where Switzerland is the best one and then quarters. No offence to anybody but there are too many lower quality matches. 28:5 shots against Belarus after second period...

The Swiss blew a 4:0 lead against Slovenia tho...

 

[Jablkon]

The Swiss blew a 4:0 lead against Slovenia tho...

I always had some sympathy for Slovenia for some reason. Games against Switzerland are good so as against Latvia and its sometimes also tough against Norway and Denmark. Just top level is so thin that you just wait for quarters for basically one week. Thats quite boring imo

 

[IDiO]

Isnt it time to make it? Or lets say in 5 years?

It will happen as soon as current amount of teams will stop producing results like 10-1 and 7-2 at the same time. Can you imagine having Poland or someone even worse playing against Russia/Canada? Nope, nope, nope...