FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
2.2 million viewers on television in Finland-Russia gold medal game in Finland. Almost as much viewers as bronze medal game in Sochi (2.3 million). And population is 5.4 million.
Which tournaments matter in which countries?
- Thread starter Canuckistani
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kp61c
Registered User
34 millions in russia, it'a huge deal here and our federal channels already proclaimed the win as revenge for sochi
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
I call that as revenge when you beat us in best-on-best tournament.34 millions in russia, it'a huge deal here and our federal channels already proclaimed the win as revenge for sochi
Russia 23.7% population
Finland 40.7% population
34 millions in russia, it'a huge deal here and our federal channels already proclaimed the win as revenge for sochi
Does the average Russian fan feel that way?
kp61c
Registered User
CantHaveTkachev
Cap Space > NHL players
makes sense...Putin was there
Russia had a stacked team full of NHLers while Finland had one NHLer and a bunch of FELers
lol @ Russia trying to convince themselves of "revenge" of Sochi...not even close
makes sense...Putin was there
Russia had a stacked team full of NHLers while Finland had one NHLer and a bunch of FELers
lol @ Russia trying to convince themselves of "revenge" of Sochi...not even close
Russian state TV say a lot of stupid crap, so I wouldn't take it too seriously. The Worlds are pretty big in Russia, but only the more casual naive and nationalistic fan is going to seriously think that it's equal to winning in Sochi.
The World Championships will continue to be a big deal in Russia (and to a lesser extent Finland) until they actually win a best on best tournament.
slovakiasnextone
Registered User
I see a flaw in that logic. I'm pretty sure that the Czechs won a best on best tourney and the IHWC continued to be just as popular there afterwards, in fact it is one of the countries where it is most popular (even casual/non-hockey fans tune in).
100% agree. Even my 80 years old grandmother always ask me how we played and how is Jagr
) In May you hardly meet people here who would not know how is CZ team in WC. I have nothing against Canada but what I sometimes read here from canadian fans is just complete misunderstanding of everything. WC is historically venue where we faced Russians and the rest. And because of iron curtain, it was practically best of best. Just Canada and USA didn't send their pros for some reason....But it should be notified that before Canada cup they did not send them anywhere...So what people should do? Stop playing hockey? And it is the same now. Just more players are in NHL ( league which constantly struggle to deal with international hockey) so they can not come. But importance of the tourney remains the same for us......
Every upper average WC has better atmosphere than olympics or even Canada cup..thats how it is....
It may be popular in Czechia but it is a much bigger deal in Russia, and despite winning in '98 most Czechs have a much more realistic understanding of where they stand in the hockey world and thus don't feel as compelled to prove themselves in 3rd rate tournaments.
100% agree. Even my 80 years old grandmother always ask me how we played and how is Jagr
I have nothing against Canada but what I sometimes read here from canadian fans is just complete misunderstanding of everything. WC is historically venue where we faced Russians and the rest. And because of iron curtain, it was practically best of best. Just Canada and USA didn't send their pros for some reason....But it should be notified that before Canada cup they did not send them anywhere...So what people should do? Stop playing hockey? And it is the same now. Just more players are in NHL ( league which constantly struggle to deal with international hockey) so they can not come. But importance of the tourney remains the same for us......
Every upper average WC has better atmosphere than olympics or even Canada cup..thats how it is....
How can it be practically best on best when the best players are forbidden from participating?
What did you mean forbidden? Like if they were amateurs or professionals. I said it was practically best of best without Canada and USA. I do not know how many swedish and finnish players were in NHL in that times but I reckon not so much...
Your argumentation has one big issue. Now you saying Olympics is just one best of best, which is obviously true. But what about the next tourney. Will it be World cup again or smth like Mcdonalds cup or Super worldcup? No one here would rely on one league to decide what should be the best tourney or what they should even respect or love.
Btw. We all know how we are in hockey now. But I can clearly state that Jagrs generation dominates in era of late 90s and early 2000 and also won WC during lockout in 2005. What I rember Canada beat this team just in World Cup 2004.....We would have to win three olympics in a row to make somebody accept that we were best...but anyway we were...
Zine
Registered User
- Feb 28, 2002
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makes sense...Putin was there
Russia had a stacked team full of NHLers while Finland had one NHLer and a bunch of FELers
lol @ Russia trying to convince themselves of "revenge" of Sochi...not even close
Keep in mind the average Russian watching a WC broadcast or celebrating a WC gold is a 'sometimes hockey fan' who knows little about relative strength of rosters at the World Championships. All that matters is the National Team is 'World Champion'.
Pretty sure the post you responded to was meant to be nothing more than a subtle attempt at trolling.
But ya... I really don't think a country's record in 'best vs best' tournaments has any serious influence on local interest in the WC. Russia's interest in the WC doesn't seem to be higher than any of the other major European nations. I get the impression that plenty of Swedes have a 'take it or leave it' attitude when it comes to the WC and based on the numbers posted in this thread compared to this thread from last year a higher % of Swedes tuned into last year's final than Russians did to this year's final. Surprisingly (or perhaps google translate is failing me) based on this link it appears the 2013 WC final actually outdrew the 2014 Olympic final in Sweden.
Doshell Propivo
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- Dec 5, 2005
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Every Olympics since NHL participation you people say that Canada can ice two or three teams and still have the best team in the world. Then, when you unravel like a cheap sweater in the World Championships you poo poo the tournament.
I agree that the Stanley cup playoffs are a much higher level of hockey than the WHC but to call it a third rate, mean nothing tournament is incredibly ignorant.
For such a hockey powerhouse, the "B" teams you send to the Worlds sure do suck.
Yes I think you might be right, the IIHF WC is more important in Europe and Asia and everywhere else than in North America.
I think that IIHF WC is even more important than the Olympics Hockey in Asia. Or at least very equal.
I also believe that the IIHF WC is and becomes more important for lesser hockey nations, as they will have a better chance to compete against other countries. There are even more teams involved.
Like the Chinese women's team, they have played pretty well in the IIHF WC, but I can't even remember if they have been in the Winter Olympics.
Also as a "non-nation-contender" in the A-WC I choose to root for lesser nations such as Denmark and Norway. I get really excited each year when they play and I hope they will win against bigger nations such as USA, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Russia etc.
I know that many Canadians often say that "we don't have the best team possible, so it means nothing for us". But from my point of view, Canada always have a team stacked with great NHL players, and sometimes some fresh new stars or up-and-coming players. A team Canada that should have no problem playing for the gold medal.
Calling team Canada a bad team, playing against Denmark, Latvia, Norway or France is just plain crazy. They have such a big upper hand it's not even fair, even if "Canada plays with their C-team" or whatever people usually say.
So I guess in Asia and China I would rank it as following:
1. IIHF WC
2. Olympics
3. National or foreign leagues play-offs
Regarding the IIHF WC 18, 20 etc. they have close to no interest at all. Most likely because it's out of the radar for us, and speaking of myself I have no interest in it what so ever.
I think that IIHF WC is even more important than the Olympics Hockey in Asia. Or at least very equal.
I also believe that the IIHF WC is and becomes more important for lesser hockey nations, as they will have a better chance to compete against other countries. There are even more teams involved.
Like the Chinese women's team, they have played pretty well in the IIHF WC, but I can't even remember if they have been in the Winter Olympics.
Also as a "non-nation-contender" in the A-WC I choose to root for lesser nations such as Denmark and Norway. I get really excited each year when they play and I hope they will win against bigger nations such as USA, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Russia etc.
I know that many Canadians often say that "we don't have the best team possible, so it means nothing for us". But from my point of view, Canada always have a team stacked with great NHL players, and sometimes some fresh new stars or up-and-coming players. A team Canada that should have no problem playing for the gold medal.
Calling team Canada a bad team, playing against Denmark, Latvia, Norway or France is just plain crazy. They have such a big upper hand it's not even fair, even if "Canada plays with their C-team" or whatever people usually say.
So I guess in Asia and China I would rank it as following:
1. IIHF WC
2. Olympics
3. National or foreign leagues play-offs
Regarding the IIHF WC 18, 20 etc. they have close to no interest at all. Most likely because it's out of the radar for us, and speaking of myself I have no interest in it what so ever.
VMBM
Hansel?!
Well, the NHL and especially the WHA started to 'steal' European talent around 1973-74. But up to that point, the WHC was very much a best on best tournament, as far as European teams go. In the 1974 WHC, the Soviet Union (of course), Czechoslovakia and Finland still had all their best players, and Sweden was missing 'only' Börje Salming, I think. Also, after the tournament, Vaclav Nedomansky and Richard Farda from Czechoslovakia defected to North America (and many years later the Stastny brothers), but CSSR was still very much a force at the World Championships (e.g. won the gold in 1976 & 1977 & 1985) in the 1970s and 1980s. From the 1977 WHC on, Canada was allowed to send teams with professionals, and I guess that gave the WHC a little bit more credibility and glamour - especially since more and more Swedish and Finnish players were leaving for North America. Even though the Canadian teams were rarely contenders for the gold or even for the silver medal, Canada had really good rosters e.g. in 1982 and 1985.
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Thanx for clarification. Just some opinions here trying to predict what european fans think about this tourney or judge it as third rate tourney make me really mad. I am not sure which team can take the win for granted in WHC. Its even getting more and more competitive when France is able to beat 20 NHLers (it could never happen in 90s). Everybody knows who won last two olympics so no one is concerned who is number one. But it does not have any relation to this tourney which actually shows a lot about quality, league depth etc..If we do hockey just for best 20 players in each country how it would look.....
Not many would mention the Spengler Cup in a Swiss messageboard... Maybe Davos fans. The other fans don't like this tournament a lot, since the Swiss league doesn't play between 12/23 and 1/2 because of the Spengler Cup.
For me personally, the importance is as follows:
NLA (Swiss league)
NHL
Olympics/World Cup
World Juniors
World Championships
(obviously I don't think that the level of the game is the highest in the Swiss league, but since I am a season ticket holder, it is the most important thing in hockey for me
)
The other fans don't like this tournament a lot, since the Swiss league doesn't play between 12/23 and 1/2 because of the Spengler Cup. For me personally, the importance is as follows:
NLA (Swiss league)
NHL
Olympics/World Cup
World Juniors
World Championships
(obviously I don't think that the level of the game is the highest in the Swiss league, but since I am a season ticket holder, it is the most important thing in hockey for me
)
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Incognito
Registered User
I'm not a player so I can't say that this is definitely how they feel, but I'd imagine the difference between the Olympics and the World Championships for them is this:
When you win at the Olympics, you're the champion of champions. The best of the best. This much cannot be denied at all.
The problem with the World Championships, aside from not being best-on-best, is that it's a consolation prize. Sure, you're glad you won the tournament, but you're still majorly disappointed that you even had the chance to win it in first place, because it means that your NHL team failed in their goal to win the Stanley Cup.
When you win at the Olympics, you're the champion of champions. The best of the best. This much cannot be denied at all.
The problem with the World Championships, aside from not being best-on-best, is that it's a consolation prize. Sure, you're glad you won the tournament, but you're still majorly disappointed that you even had the chance to win it in first place, because it means that your NHL team failed in their goal to win the Stanley Cup.
Incognito
Registered User
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