Where would you schedule the WC?

[WingsFan95]

The tournament has been scheduled in the middle of May for the past several years. It use to start at the end of April.

I certainly understand not wanting to run the tournament in the summer due to soccer and other sporting events. So how about September?

I'd actually start the tournament in the last week of August. For euro leagues like Sweden, it would only be an issue for the first few games of the season if players got that far in the tournament. Of course I'd also do 3 groups of 5 teams to take away 3 group games to shorten the schedule as well.

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[FiLe]

As an event that gets organized every year, the timing could not be more or less opportune. I'm actually one of those people who have learnt to appreciate it as a non-best-on-best event. The variance there is with the elite countries from year to year and the different visitors from the lower tiers actually help keep the event fresh and exciting.

More best-on-best would be nice, but I've this feeling that as a yearly event it would soon grow stale. The usual suspects would populate the top slots year after year with only an odd upset here or there.

However, there could be a way to have the best of both worlds. I mean - not holding the event at the same time every year. The IIHF could adopt a four-year-cycle, especially if the NHL drops out of the Olympics. On three consecutive years, the event would be held as it is now. On every fourth year however, it could be moved to late August/early September and become a true best-on-best tournament.

 

[Jussi]

The tournament has been scheduled in the middle of May for the past several years. It use to start at the end of April.

I certainly understand not wanting to run the tournament in the summer due to soccer and other sporting events. So how about September?

I'd actually start the tournament in the last week of August. For euro leagues like Sweden, it would only be an issue for the first few games of the season if players got that far in the tournament. Of course I'd also do 3 groups of 5 teams to take away 3 group games to shorten the schedule as well.

It's there because domestic leagues in Europe are running longer as well. KHL season ends latest some time in mid-April (or later). They need a couple weeks before the tournament for exhibition games to fine tune the squads, hence the later start.

 

[ulvvf]

Keep WHC as it is, but arrange a 2th tournament that they arrange in september so all the NHL player can play that every 2th year, or maybe every 4th year depending on if NHL will be in olympics or not. But you need a big tournament every 2th year, either it is the same or 2 separate.

I did not understand why they give up the world cup idea to NHL? why why do not IIHF arrange that? It would have been so much better.

 

[Jussi]

Keep WHC as it is, but arrange a 2th tournament that they arrange in september so all the NHL player can play that every 2th year, or maybe every 4th year depending on if NHL will be in olympics or not. But you need a big tournament every 2th year, either it is the same or 2 separate.

I did not understand why they give up the world cup idea to NHL? why why do not IIHF arrange that? It would have been so much better.

That would be "2nd" and "every other year" for the last two...

 

[JackSlater]

It's fine where it is. The current schedule is probably best for optimizing entertainment value. Moving it to the late summer could in theory entice more players to participate, but I suspect that a lot of players would still refuse due to not wanting to disrupt their training or risk an injury so close to the beginning of the NHL season.