Which 8 countries should have a spot in a "real" world cup?

[Goodman68]

WTF - u seriously think that countries occupied by russia last century still somehow should be bunched together with their occupier?

Don't you know the irony?

 

[Pasha71]

Problem is it makes for too many boring squash matches in the group games.

Using the IIHF rankings (which have problems but they're something to go off of for debate) the #16 team in the world is - United Kingdom. #15 is France. Is anyone out there clamouring for a Canada-UK hockey game (1 v 16)? How about Finland-France (2 v 15)?

(Actually #3 Russia vs #14 Belarus would be interesting just from a geopolitical perspective)

I liked the idea at first - but there just isn't the kind of parity in hockey when compared to soccer.

Well, it's better than arguing to no end which eight teams "deserve" to play. Also, I could see the British team beefed up by some Canadian players, and the French one, by some Quebecois players. And yes, Belarus (my homeland) would be interesting to watch.

Look at this year's World Championship, an upset after an upset after an upset...

 

[JoeCool16]

Why not just make it a 16-team affair? Three group games, quarterfinal, semifinal, final. Less than in the Olympics.

Yeah, I just scanned down the IIHF list to 16, and they're all legit teams. Even at 20 you've got Slovenia and they're just three years removed from an Olympics appearance. I think 16 would still be competitive... not everyone there needs to be challenging to win, after all. Despite everyone talking about parity at FIFA, only 9 countries have ever won and just five more have made it to the finals. None ever from Asia, Africa, North America, or Oceania. It doesn't mean that they should merge Euro Cup and Copa America into the new World Cup.

 

[Boreal01]

Direct Invites:

Canada
USA
Russia
Czech Republic
Sweden
Finland

Closed Qualifier:

Switzerland
Germany
Slovakia
Latvia
Winner of Europe OQ Group
Winner of Asia OQ Group

Open Qualifier:

EU Group: Austria, Belarus, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Slovenia
Asia Group: China, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Turkey

 

[Mickey Marner]

They should make it 12, use IIHF rankings and the 2006 Olympic format.

Failing that I guess Slovakia and Switzerland for the last two spots.

 

[Lolonegoal]

I'd like to see a 6 team tournament of:

Canada
USA
Russia

and then:

Scandinavian/Nordic (Sweden + Finland + Norway/Denmark)
Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic + Slovakia)
Rest of Europe/world (mainly Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia)


I think it might make an interesting competitive playing field.

 

[jcs0218]

If there is another World Cup, then I am about 99% sure that the NHL will use the gimmick teams again.

I truly think they thought the Team World and Team Under 23 was a success.

 

[moropanov]

I'd like to see a 6 team tournament of:

Canada
USA
Russia

and then:

Scandinavian/Nordic (Sweden + Finland + Norway/Denmark)
Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic + Slovakia)
Rest of Europe/world (mainly Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia)


I think it might make an interesting competitive playing field.

Why that way? Sweden or Finland aint worse than Russia and Czechoslovakia or Rest of Europe aint better than Swe or Finland alone so whats point of team Nordic/Scandinavia really..

 

[Lambo]

I'd like to see a 6 team tournament of:

Canada
USA
Russia

and then:

Scandinavian/Nordic (Sweden + Finland + Norway/Denmark)
Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic + Slovakia)
Rest of Europe/world (mainly Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia)


I think it might make an interesting competitive playing field.

Very, very disrespectful to Sweden and Finland. Not a bit worse than Russia. The Czech Republic also deserves its place, even if they have deteriorated. Despite all of this, they are still part of it. Do you want to provoke?

 

[Urbanskog]

sweden currently ranked 7th means we would be forced to qualify to olympics lmao

Top 8 teams qualify automatically.

 

[Goodman68]

I'd like to see a 6 team tournament of:

Canada
USA
Russia

and then:

Scandinavian/Nordic (Sweden + Finland + Norway/Denmark)
Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic + Slovakia)
Rest of Europe/world (mainly Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia)


I think it might make an interesting competitive playing field.

Sure

 

[THE JAM]

 

[THE JAM]

View attachment 452262

Top 4 nations should be directly qualified - CAN, FIN, rus, USA (IIHF ranking as stated above)
- teams ranked 5-12 have to qualify (4 matchups, winner qualifies, best of 3 perhaps)

- then you have 8 teams participating in a tournament that is pretty much a real best-on-best World Cup (played e g every 4 years and alternative locations, not always North America)

 

[lamini]

I'd like to see a 6 team tournament of:

Canada
USA
Russia

and then:

Scandinavian/Nordic (Sweden + Finland + Norway/Denmark)
Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic + Slovakia)
Rest of Europe/world (mainly Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia)


I think it might make an interesting competitive playing field.

Slovakia would add close to nothing to Czech team. Team Holy Roman Empire (Czech + Germany + Switzerland) on the other hand

 

[Lolonegoal]

Slovakia would add close to nothing to Czech team. Team Holy Roman Empire (Czech + Germany + Switzerland) on the other hand

You're right. Wow Slovakia has gone a long way from Hossa, Gaborik, Bondra, Demitra, Satan, Palffy, Visnovsky and likely Chara retiring to basically a healthy scratched Tatar and Halak.

 

[member 305909]

There shouldn't be eight countries but only six. Doesn't have to be the same six countries every time.

 

[member 305909]

Delete double post

 

[Pure West]

Rather than picking and choosing countries arbitrarily based on who "should" be there, do it based on IIHF rankings. Top 6 = Direct entry. Next 4, or 6 or 8 go into a qualifying tournament for the last 2 spots depending on what is most feasible time-wise. I know the NHL would would blow a gasket if the US or Canada didn't qualify somehow though but it helps give it some legitimacy if its based on objective criteria and not who the NHL would make more money off of.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Rather than picking and choosing countries arbitrarily based on who "should" be there, do it based on IIHF rankings. Top 6 = Direct entry. Next 4, or 6 or 8 go into a qualifying tournament for the last 2 spots depending on what is most feasible time-wise. I know the NHL would would blow a gasket if the US or Canada didn't qualify somehow though but it helps give it some legitimacy if its based on objective criteria and not who the NHL would make more money off of.

the thing is that the iihf rankings is a big joke. germany should not be above sweden and czech in any way.

 

[swissdude]

the thing is that the iihf rankings is a big joke. germany should not be above sweden and czech in any way.

it's a joke yes but it's also based on performance in IIHF tournaments and what should the IIHF do about leagues and players not intereseded in those tournaments, these countries would be in better positions if the players would show some commitment to their country of origin, eg players from germany or switzerland participate if the contractual situation allows it. So it would be easy for these super powerhouses (with automatic right to participate in a best on best, however the fck you define that) to improve their position in the ranking

 

[Eye of Ra]

it's a joke yes but it's also based on performance in IIHF tournaments and what should the IIHF do about leagues and players not intereseded in those tournaments, these countries would be in better positions if the players would show some commitment to their country of origin, eg players from germany or switzerland participate if the contractual situation allows it. So it would be easy for these super powerhouses (with automatic right to participate in a best on best, however the fck you define that) to improve their position in the ranking

but germany have not done better than sweden and czech in iihf tournaments

 

[wetcoast]

Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland.

These are the 8 that never get relegated at the world juniors. Germany may be able to knock off Slovakia or Switzerland in a couple years, they do pretty well at the senior level but I'd like to see some more consistency at the junior level from them.

I think the Germans easily are going to be in the top 8 extremely soon, like right now maybe replacing Slovakia?

 

[WarriorofTime]

I think the Germans easily are going to be in the top 8 extremely soon, like right now maybe replacing Slovakia?

Yeah Slovakia has fallen on some hard times. They have some good prospects in they next couple drafts but tough to say if that is just a coincidence or sign of better days ahead. They do seem to be sticky as far as staying in the top 8 to get to the quarterfinals of every world juniors and avoiding relegation even with the lack of overall development in recent years.

 

[Bures Elbow]

Top 16 teams. 4 groups of 4, top 2 go to the quarter finals.

 

[swissdude]

but germany have not done better than sweden and czech in iihf tournaments

well then how come...
Point totals are determined based on victories at the previous four World Championship tournaments, as well as of the latest Olympic Games

IIHF World Ranking