Who else has very little interest in the Four Nations tournament?

[Reality Czech]

Some American fans.

Fair point.

 

[MNRube]

If you want to toss quotes around pertaining to this “tournament”, here’s another that fits…

“If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” — Chinese Proverb

This tournament, shutting down the NHL mid season and not all of its stars having an opportunity to participate, is being done far from right/correctly.

To the second bolded statement, that would be an improvement towards getting the best players involved, but they didn’t do that and that’s why the 4 team tourney is a joke. Good old NHL and its half baked ideas.

I’d rather watch players shoot meat pucks at alligators.

If you can’t enjoy watching 75% of the best players on the planet playing for their country, what’s the point of being a hockey fan? It’s far from a perfect scenario but there is still plenty to like.

MacKinnon, McDavid, Makar finally playing together

US with its best team ever. Stacked at every position.

Both Scandinavian countries absolutely loaded with talent and capable of winning.

 

[macbowes]

What about the whole “sports is outside politics” thing ?

Not sure that's really a thing.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

This is in the middle of the season? Why would the players try hard for this mid season....

If you can’t enjoy watching 75% of the best players on the planet playing for their country, what’s the point of being a hockey fan? It’s far from a perfect scenario but there is still plenty to like.

MacKinnon, McDavid, Makar finally playing together

US with its best team ever. Stacked at every position.

Both Scandinavian countries absolutely loaded with talent and capable of winning.

Will they play hard like its the olympics though?

 

[End on a Hinote]

What about the whole “sports is outside politics” thing ?

It's not.

Some of the most famous/infamous moments in international North American sports (Miracle on Ice, '72 Summit Series, USA vs. USSR '72 basketball) all had political connotations.

And let's not forget how frequently reminded we are of how oh so irrelevant Canada is whenever team Canada wins an international hockey tournament.

 

[BB79]

What about the whole “sports is outside politics” thing ?

The same thing that happened to no tolerance on talk about politics on here, apparently

 

[Rabid Ranger]

It's not the best international hockey event imaginable, but it's something, and the players seem to care as well as the hockey federations that are involved. It will be great as an American to see so many great U.S. players on the same team at the same time since forever. At the very least it will be a nice precursor to the Olympics where the stakes will be much higher.

 

[ViD]

I wonder how players are going to treat this.

A meaningless tournament in the middle of the season, not sure they will be going 100% risking injuries

 

[swissdude]

"Could not care less" = You care, btw.

not according to dictionary in UK

I couldn't care less​

used to emphasize rudely that you are not interested in or worried about something or someone:

 

[brentashton]

If you can’t enjoy watching 75% of the best players on the planet playing for their country, what’s the point of being a hockey fan? It’s far from a perfect scenario but there is still plenty to like.

MacKinnon, McDavid, Makar finally playing together

US with its best team ever. Stacked at every position.

Both Scandinavian countries absolutely loaded with talent and capable of winning.

Meh. It’s a half assed attempt at a world class tournament . If I casually see a game or 2 that will be the max but I doubt I will watch even that. That’s ok, you enjoy. We’re humans we can all appreciate different things.

 

[ACC1224]

Looking forward to it, think it's going to be great.

 

[Skullz]

I doubt I will watch.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

The players are foolish if they go all out and risk injury in a tournament that is completely meaningless, as well as dumb to begin with given who has been excluded. Actual NHL games are what I care about.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Russia and Sweden are basically neck and neck for third best country.

Kucherov, Panarin, Kaprizov are all marquee forwards. Malkin and Ovechkin still kicking. Buchnevich, Kuzmenko, Svechnikov, Tarasenko, Barbashev, Nichushkin (maybe), Chinakhov, Kuznetsov, Marchenko, possibly even Michkov. There's a lot of solid options throughout a potential lineup.

On Defense, there's Sergachev, Provorov, Zadorov, Gavrikov, Romanov, Orlov, Mintyukov, Kulikov, Lyubushkin, Zub, Nikishin. Not exactly top tier but good enough to hold its own.

Best goaltending options in the world with Shesterkin, Vasilevskiy, Bobrovksy.

Russia would not be the favorite but could win on any given day.

So their C depth, the most important position in hockey, is Malkin, Kuznetsov… Barbashev?

The Defense, the second most important position in hockey, is a bunch of guys who wouldn’t make the Canadian or US team.

They’re not true contenders

You serious?

See above.

 

[Bard Marchand]

"Could not care less" = You care, btw.

Not sure if you are trying to dunk on me here or if you are illiterate or what... what is this?

 

[WarriorofTime]

So their C depth, the most important position in hockey, is Malkin, Kuznetsov… Barbashev?

The Defense, the second most important position in hockey, is a bunch of guys who wouldn’t make the Canadian or US team.

They’re not true contenders


See above.

There is nothing magical about center spot when you have wingers who are great playmakers. Yes I suppose faceoffs would be a hypothetical concern.

 

[nbwingsfan]

There is nothing magical about center spot when you have wingers who are great playmakers. Yes I suppose faceoffs would be a hypothetical concern.

There is 100% more importance to C than wingers. This has literally always been true,

In fact, you were just in another thread saying the Wings will never be good because they don’t have good Cs

 

[WarriorofTime]

There is 100% more importance to C than wingers. This has literally always been true,

In fact, you were just in another thread saying the Wings will never be good because they don’t have good Cs

No, it's not. Just 40 some years ago, Canada started putting all the best kids on Center with Wingers being a demotion, and since they are the most prolific hockey nation, that created a perception that good players only play center.

No, I didn't say that, maybe you have me confused.

 

[Crosby2010]

Stamkos is the poster boy for this. Didn't play in Sochi due to injury, would've made the 2018 and 2022 Olympic teams had the league let the players go. 2022 can be blamed on COVID but he (and many other players) missed out in 2018 for no good reason.

Yeah, he did play in the 2016 World Cup, if that helps, or counts. It isn't the Olympics, especially with that format they had in 2016 - Yikes! But yeah, he got shafted for sure. And I am thinking he's too old by 2026. Is off to a horrible start this year in Nashville as well, which won't help. Probably makes the team if there was a World Cup in 2024 since he's never really had a bad season in his career save for the first half of his rookie year. But if what we are witnessing is the decline of Stamkos then he likely is far from the radar by the time the Olympics come calling. And to think he had a 51 goal season in 2010 and didn't make the team then either, although that was a stacked team and it is hard to see him fitting in there, not to mention the team was picked by December of 2009 so it was hard to know how far he had progressed by then.

What about the whole “sports is outside politics” thing ?

They have often made international hockey political. And that was always something that added to the drama. When we think of the Cold War-era battles with the Soviets starting in 1972, and the Miracle on Ice in 1980 and such, aren't we glad that the politicians and the NHLPA weren't the dummies they are today and just didn't let that sort of hockey happen? And yeah I have to say again that the organization of so-called international hockey today makes you long for someone who got it done like Eagleson. The Soviets in 1980 said the heck with any sort of boycott for Olympics being played on U.S. soil and came over with the intention of winning and showing the world that they would win. This is what makes sports better, and as expected the NHL blows an opportunity when it is presented to them.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Total waste of time. Like all international team games.

Oh yeah? And what about the absolutely steaming pile of shit that is the all star game and skills competition? Gimme a f***ing break...

 

[NVious]

The players are foolish if they go all out and risk injury in a tournament that is completely meaningless, as well as dumb to begin with given who has been excluded. Actual NHL games are what I care about.

You're representing your country, you don't get to that level without being highly competitive and all of them will be going all out. Especially because this isn't some yearly gimmick you can write off, it has been nearly 10 years since we had anything close to this tournament and all of the players are obviously itching for it.

Again, if this was something that replaced the all star break, then yeah the players would probably be half assing it in a year or two, but given the other circumstances, they 100% will be going as hard as they can.

 

[Johnnucleo]

not according to dictionary in UK

I couldn't care less​

used to emphasize rudely that you are not interested in or worried about something or someone:

Well I'll be darned.

 

[jj cale]

Will they play hard like its the olympics though?

If they want to play in the olympics I think they had better play hard,

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If they want to play in the olympics I think they had better play hard,

Sure but the idea that they might not put their body on the line for a rinky dinky 4 country tournament mid season when trying to win a stanley cup is not crazy.

 

[jj cale]

Sure but the idea that they might not put their body on the line for a rinky dinky 4 country tournament is not crazy

it's certainly a possibility but I would wager anyone that goes out and gives a half assed effort will be looked upon with great skepticism for the Olympic roster by the management team.

That would be a hard thing to forget, you want guys who have the right attitude and play hard regardless ANYTIME they put on their national team Sweater.