WJC at the Olympics?

[chauron]

The quickest way for China to develop a national men’s hockey team is to impound the best and brightest of the future generation from around the world.

“No, this isn’t Jake Sanderson, his name is Li Wu.”

That’s essentially how they bought their way to KHL, brought in people with chinese family history and hope others to develop on the side

 

[Lambo]

Since a lot of hockey is considered an absurdity anyway. Especially on the international stage. The junior solution would be the next level of nonsense in hockey. This sport is becoming less and less interesting for me. Between 1998 and 2014 you had the best on best benchmark at least every 4 years. This made hockey somewhat similar to other sports, where it is completely normal for the best players to represent their country. But for some time now everything has been different and uncertain because the NHL is going very unconventionally. Therefore, the Olympics should at least be held as an EHT tournament. Because an Junior - Olympia Tournament, would be an NHL-fixed responsibility again
(where the olympic tournament character would be less visible),
, because of the drafts and "Stars of Tomorrow". I don't feel like doing that.

 

[Silky Johnson]

But then the Czechs can't medal. We are about 2 teams being quarantined from a bronze right now!lol.

Joke aside... Meh. Don't like it. But I guarantee a lot more Canadians would watch if this happened then the current euro version.

I'd love to see what the team China junior team looks like in a pool with US and Canada?

Also... Why is it okay for Canada/US to send their best kids (and women) but not their best men?

I'll see myself out...

It's a great idea but... if it's safe enough for kids to go to China, why is it not safe for grownups?

Let's not kid ourselves. We all know that the reason the NHL/NHLPA chose not to go to the Olympics was to protect the NHL season. Which is of course their mandate. Even for the NHL players as a group the Olympics are a (very) nice to have but not at the expense of the NHL season. To much money involved.

I don't even disagree with them completely. After two years of weird short NHL seasons I want a season/cup that doesn't have an asterisk beside it.

I for one would be happy to see the U20's playing at the Olympics. It seems like the best way to have a good tournament under these conditions. Extra bonus for ruining China's plans for not a horrible team.

 

[Czechboy]

Let's not kid ourselves. We all know that the reason the NHL/NHLPA chose not to go to the Olympics was to protect the NHL season. Which is of course their mandate. Even for the NHL players as a group the Olympics are a (very) nice to have but not at the expense of the NHL season. To much money involved.

I don't even disagree with them completely. After two years of weird short NHL seasons I want a season/cup that doesn't have an asterisk beside it.

I for one would be happy to see the U20's playing at the Olympics. It seems like the best way to have a good tournament under these conditions. Extra bonus for ruining China's plans for not a horrible team.

Ask me after I know if Jiricek is healthy.lol

 

[Silky Johnson]

IIHF deemed it unsafe for players to play and gather to finish the tournament. 6 weeks later they are going to allow same players to do it all again, doubt it but maybe. Pretty sure cold like symptoms will exist in February also.

I have alot of criticism of China. I do business there ALOT. They do many bad things and are sometimes completely impossible to understand but I cannot say they do not know how to do a bubble and have effective quarantine.

We can all be sure that even the IIHF can't screw up a bubble in China for these Olympics.

 

[peconcan]

How would this even work when China Latvia and Denmark weren’t originally at the Word Juniors? China also can’t even ice a remotely competitive mens team let alone a U20 team

 

[Sentinel]

I don't even disagree with them completely. After two years of weird short NHL seasons I want a season/cup that doesn't have an asterisk beside it.

There are no asterisks beside the last two seasons or Cups.

 

[MadCGN]

When Juniors i would preffer the olympic soccer rule:
U-21 with 3 "older" Players.

 

[Czechboy]

When Juniors i would preffer the olympic soccer rule:
U-21 with 3 "older" Players.

Czech junior team with Jagr, Plekanec and Hasek!

 

[Mawwerg]

It's not a good idea clearly.

 

[Silky Johnson]

There are no asterisks beside the last two seasons or Cups.

There sure are. Altered divisions and altered playoffs. Its damn luckey that such a strong team won or else it works be a complete shitshow.

 

[Zine]

I doubt the interest in the u20 would translate to the Olympics.
The WJC is special because it has carved out its own niche over time. Its its own big event with complete with its own rivalries, history, holiday season, etc.....especially in the hockey community.

But average global sports fan doesn't want to watch a bunch of kids play what is, if we're honest with ourselves, really crappy mistake-full hockey compared to professional adults.

 

[Oleksiak]

I doubt the interest in the u20 would translate to the Olympics.
The WJC is special because it has carved out its own niche over time. Its its own big event with complete with its own rivalries, history, holiday season, etc.....especially in the hockey community.

But average global sports fan doesn't want to watch a bunch of kids play what is, if we're honest with ourselves, really crappy mistake-full hockey compared to professional adults.

Mistake-free hockey results in low scoring snoozefests.

 

[Sentinel]

There sure are. Altered divisions and altered playoffs. Its damn luckey that such a strong team won or else it works be a complete shitshow.

Show me any official record of the past two playoffs with an asterisk.

 

[Zine]

Mistake-free hockey results in low scoring snoozefests.

The NHL must be the most boring league then, considering it has the most talent!

Seriously though, no global or 'sometimes' sports wants to watch a bunch of awkward pimply teenagers on the highest world stage; some of whom wont ever play higher level professional hockey in the future. let alone in the NHL, KHL, SHL, etc.

 

[Oleksiak]

The NHL must be the most boring league then, considering it has the most talent!

Seriously though, no global or 'sometimes' sports wants to watch a bunch of awkward pimply teenagers on the highest world stage; some of whom wont ever play higher level professional hockey in the future. let alone in the NHL, KHL, SHL, etc.

Gymnastics seems to do ok in the summer. Figure skaters are also around the same age.

 

[Zine]

Gymnastics seems to do ok in the summer. Figure skaters are also around the same age.

It's because athletes are at their peak at that age in these sports. Especially gymnastics.

The best in the world in their prime years. This isn't the case with hockey players.

This isn't difficult.

 

[Oleksiak]

It's because athletes are at their peak at that age in these sports. Especially gymnastics.

The best in the world in their prime.

This isn't difficult.

Well we can't get that this year, so would you rather watch the junior players, or the Andrew Ebbetts of the world?

 

[Zine]

Well we can't get that this year, so would you rather watch the junior players, or the Andrew Ebbetts of the world?

I'm not talking about you, I, or any other hardcore hockey fan.

The point is in regards to the average global sports fan, which makes up 99.9% of Olympic viewerhip. Yep, people would rather watch Andrew Ebbets of the world rather than kids who play in freakin junior leagues.

Keep in mind global viewership of the World Championships is more than the world juniors.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Show me any official record of the past two playoffs with an asterisk.

As you well know, there is no official asterisk but that is not the point.

When someone says the is an asterisk beside a record in sports it usually means that IN THE MIND OF MANY/MOST fans there is something questionable regarding said record. But you probably know that and were just being rhetorical.

The thing is, it is about perception. I don't personally have a problem with the last two season. Many fans do. My point was that I, and certainly the NHL/NHLPA, would like a season that ran conventionaly in light of this.

Do you disagree with this point or are you only posting in service of prickish literalism?

 

[Shawn Heins 44]

I'm not talking about you, I, or any other hardcore hockey fan.

The point is in regards to the average global sports fan, which makes up 99.9% of Olympic viewerhip. Yep, people would rather watch Andrew Ebbets of the world rather than kids who play in freakin junior leagues.

Keep in mind global viewership of the World Championships is more than the world juniors.

I 100% agree with this. Global viewership does not care at all for WJC. Yes it is huge in Canada, maybe quite big in Sweden / Finland - not even sure there. Noone watches this in Switzerland / Germany / Denmark etc. The Olympics on the other hand draw hunders of thousands in Switzerland in front of the TV. If the national team performs well at the yearly World Championships maybe even a million (out of 8 million people living here).

For us nerds it would be a nice story, but for the sport is does make zero sense. Also a few more teams will have a chance to medal compared to the junior squads, which will make for a much more interesting tournament.

 

[Boonk]

Juniors should not replace anything at the Olympics. Considering that the senior men's teams had an entire qualification to play through I'd imagine they'd be livid. Keep the Juniors at the World Juniors.

The Olympics shouldn't even be happening at this point with several sports canceling crucial qualifications due to COVID, but the IOC is a bunch of greedy shills and will force it to happen anyway.

 

[Nuggets]

What about a hybrid roster how they used to do basketball and still do soccer at the Olympics?

U23 roster, three overage players allowed. Players from AHL and Europe, etc allowed.

In this case they would have to make an exception for China but they may still not be competitive to be fair.

 

[Nuggets]

G Devan Dubnyk (OA)
G Devon Levi (2001)
G Michael DiPietro (1999)

D Owen Power (2002)
D Kahden Guhle (2002)
D Brandon Gormley (OA)
D Ian Mitchell (1999)
D Calen Addison (2000)
D Jordan Spence (2001)
D Braden Schneider (2001)
D Justin Barron (2001)

F Connor Bedard (2004)
F Shane Wright (2001)
F Mason McTavish (2002)
F Kent Johnson (2002)
F Corban Knight (OA)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (1999)
F Jack Studnicka (1999)
F Quinton Byfield (2002)
F Ty Dellandrea (2000)
F Liam Foudy (2000)
F Cole Perfetti (2002)
F Mavrik Bourque (2002)
F Shane Bowers (1999)
F Nolan Foote (2000)

This is what I could piece together for Canada.

 

[Pasha71]

No. Men's Olympic soccer tournament is a joke, let's not repeat it here.

Just keep it pre-1998 style (everyone not in the NHL).

Stage WJC in the summer of something, I'll be more than happy to watch it then.