World Cup Boycott

[1Gold Standard]

Imagine if the World Cup allowed Canada and USA to field complete squads but the Russians and Swedes were faced with an age limit.

The NHL has actually imposed that handicap on their own fans' teams!

I hope the NHL marketing dept. is not monitoring this site, otherwise Team Czech Republic and Team Finland will be on the chopping blocks for the next installment of NHL preseason gimmicky showcase in 2020, the teams will be Team Canada O24 and U24, Team USA O24 and U24 along with Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team Kopitar and Friends starring Patrik Laine.

 

[Xokkeu]

I hope the NHL marketing dept. is not monitoring this site, otherwise Team Czech Republic and Team Finland will be on the chopping blocks for the next installment of NHL preseason gimmicky showcase in 2020, the teams will be Team Canada O24 and U24, Team USA O24 and U24 along with Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team Kopitar and Friends starring Patrik Laine.

I'm surprised they didn't just remake team CCCP as a marketing gimmick. RED ARMY rematch.

 

[eggy2486]

The players aren't going to be highly competitive...they are going to be playing like they would in an All-Star game. Just like a friendly pick-up game.

They're trying to replace a "best-on-best" tournament that includes every nation in the world (Olympics) with a very limited gimmicky one with mixed teams and no motivation for the players to win. This tournament needs to include at least 16 teams and it needs to be unrelated to the NHL so players from other leagues can join, otherwise it's trash.

This is exactly what they're trying to avoid - there aren't enough competitive countries for a 16 team tournament. Even the Olympics doesn't have 16 teams anymore. Many of the smaller countries will go decades without winning against the main teams like Canada, Russia, Sweden. Even Slovakia has been on the downslope for several years, which is why team Europe is a good idea - it combines the best players from the countries that are going to be on the wrong end of one-sided games, and turning them into one competitive team.

I still have reservations for the NA U-23 team but with the number of talented young players in the NHL, I think they're going to surprise a lot of people.

 

[Canuckistani]

This is exactly what they're trying to avoid - there aren't enough competitive countries for a 16 team tournament. Even the Olympics doesn't have 16 teams anymore. Many of the smaller countries will go decades without winning against the main teams like Canada, Russia, Sweden. Even Slovakia has been on the downslope for several years, which is why team Europe is a good idea - it combines the best players from the countries that are going to be on the wrong end of one-sided games, and turning them into one competitive team.

At the last two Olympics Slovakia and Switzerland were no more likely to be blown out than anyone else. So the whole idea of avoiding one-sided games isn't true to begin with.

But if there still is a concern about blowout games, then why not just reduce the field down to six teams like at the old Canada Cup and put them all in one pool. That way every team gets to play all the others at least once.

I mean is it really so necessary to have Kopitar playing that we need some Frankenstein Euro team???

I still have reservations for the NA U-23 team but with the number of talented young players in the NHL, I think they're going to surprise a lot of people.

Yeah maybe they'll get a chance to beat their own country. What a thrill that would be.

 

[patnyrnyg]

I'm surprised they didn't just remake team CCCP as a marketing gimmick. RED ARMY rematch.

Wouldn't shock me if Bettman suggests it in an off-year. Russia plus the former Soviet Republics, Reunite Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Split Germany into East and West. Replay the 80 Olympic tournament in Lake Placid with current players.

 

[patnyrnyg]

At the last two Olympics Slovakia and Switzerland were no more likely to be blown out than anyone else. So the whole idea of avoiding one-sided games isn't true to begin with.

But if there still is a concern about blowout games, then why not just reduce the field down to six teams like at the old Canada Cup and put them all in one pool. That way every team gets to play all the others at least once.

I mean is it really so necessary to have Kopitar playing that we need some Frankenstein Euro team???



Yeah maybe they'll get a chance to beat their own country. What a thrill that would be.

It is not just about whether the individual games are blow outs. I think it is more about a team like Switzerland playing all-out defend for 4 games and losing all of them 3-0 and then beating Latvia 2-1. I know for some fans, it is just about their country being in the tournament with the big boys. However, the NHL wants a tournament where everyone has at the very least an outside chance to win. Obviously, Canada would be a heavy favorite, but the Czechs, Finns, Swedes, Americans, Russians, and to a lesser extent Slovakia at least have the talent to get hot and play with anyone. The rest do not.

I'd be all for a 6-team tourney. Would even be ok with Slovakia as the 7th team. Round robin, best 4 records move on to semis. If 2 teams are tied for 4th place, let them play a game for the last spot. Only use tie-breakers for 1st through 3rd seeds, not one that will eliminate someone.

 

[FuriousSenator]

It's funny how you have it the exact opposite.

More people will watch Team Europe vs Canada than any single game in the WHC.

Book it.

Over a billion people watched the 2015 World Hockey Championships in Czech Republic.

http://www.iihf.com/sv/home-of-hock...=10018&cHash=cae9472c126d202529ace39268938d44

Yah good luck with that.

Realistically speaking, the only international hockey the people of the world in general will care about in 2016 will be the WHC (not including Canada of course because of this bizarre concern that the World Cup will be 'best on best' and therefore must necessarily be more popular...)

 

[MXD]

Over a billion people watched the 2015 World Hockey Championships in Czech Republic.

http://www.iihf.com/sv/home-of-hock...=10018&cHash=cae9472c126d202529ace39268938d44

Yah good luck with that.

Realistically speaking, the only international hockey the people of the world in general will care about in 2016 will be the WHC (not including Canada of course because of this bizarre concern that the World Cup will be 'best on best' and therefore must necessarily be more popular...)

That mostly proves there's a lot of gullible people.

 

[jacks*]

While i hate the idea that a country can't ice their very best team because of the over/ under 24 I Can't wait for it.A real hockey format [unlike the olympics ] where we get to see the best of the best play .And a best of 3 for the finals instead of the dreaded/stupid 1 game showdown.Miss the Canada Cup.
Side note i would have rather seen all teams ice their best regardless of age with team Europe and team NA icing the best players left regardless of age.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

While i hate the idea that a country can't ice their very best team because of the over/ under 24 I Can't wait for it.A real hockey format [unlike the olympics ] where we get to see the best of the best play .And a best of 3 for the finals instead of the dreaded/stupid 1 game showdown.Miss the Canada Cup.
Side note i would have rather seen all teams ice their best regardless of age with team Europe and team NA icing the best players left regardless of age.

If the nhl had their way it would be best 7 or even 9, beggars will always beg for more money in the only market that would pay for this event, its easy revenue.

international sports should never be anything but a one game winner take all. The build up, the momentum, that's what makes the World Cup of Football, Olympic Hockey, World Cup rugby, World Cup Cricket so special.

4 years in the waiting..

One game
One moment
One decision
One lucky bounce

To distinguish you forever.

Chills.

Well this is a exhibition cash grab no one cares about so they can do whatever they want.

And this is not best on best, it's a collection of all star players put together in an all star format type tournament with no global attention. motivation and mindset matter to, and it's easy to tell, not even the players are taking this seriously.

McDavid probably thinking in his head, '' can't wait to play with Gaudreau and Eichel, two americans, i always wanted to be with Americans and put a national jersey on with them. I mean, we are north Americans.''

Lifelong dream, eh?

 

[Jon Riley]

4 years in the waiting..

One game
One moment
One decision
One lucky bounce

To distinguish you forever.

Chills.

You nailed it.
But I guess the all the town criers of the "get rid of the teams that will most likely lose and substitute them with some meaningless pile of good players so we can have a real best on best tournament for real hockey fans" will not understand what you mean.
And I almost feel sorry for them.

 

[JackSlater]

If the nhl had their way it would be best 7 or even 9, beggars will always beg for more money in the only market that would pay for this event, its easy revenue.

international sports should never be anything but a one game winner take all. The build up, the momentum, that's what makes the World Cup of Football, Olympic Hockey, World Cup rugby, World Cup Cricket so special.

4 years in the waiting..

One game
One moment
One decision
One lucky bounce

To distinguish you forever.

Chills.

Well this is a exhibition cash grab no one cares about so they can do whatever they want.

And this is not best on best, it's a collection of all star players put together in an all star format type tournament with no global attention. motivation and mindset matter to, and it's easy to tell, not even the players are taking this seriously.

McDavid probably thinking in his head, '' can't wait to play with Gaudreau and Eichel, two americans, i always wanted to be with Americans and put a national jersey on with them. I mean, we are north Americans.''

Lifelong dream, eh?

One of the things this tournament actually gets right is going back to the best of three format. Better chance to see top level hockey, better chance to avoid things being decided by random bounces.

 

[patnyrnyg]

If the nhl had their way it would be best 7 or even 9, beggars will always beg for more money in the only market that would pay for this event, its easy revenue.

international sports should never be anything but a one game winner take all. The build up, the momentum, that's what makes the World Cup of Football, Olympic Hockey, World Cup rugby, World Cup Cricket so special.

4 years in the waiting..

One game
One moment
One decision
One lucky bounce

To distinguish you forever.

Chills.

Well this is a exhibition cash grab no one cares about so they can do whatever they want.

And this is not best on best, it's a collection of all star players put together in an all star format type tournament with no global attention. motivation and mindset matter to, and it's easy to tell, not even the players are taking this seriously.

McDavid probably thinking in his head, '' can't wait to play with Gaudreau and Eichel, two americans, i always wanted to be with Americans and put a national jersey on with them. I mean, we are north Americans.''

Lifelong dream, eh?

And, I am sure it was his lifelong dream to play in front of Cam Talbot on Canada's C or D team at the World Championships instead of the NHL play-offs.

Chills.

 

[FiLe]

And, I am sure it was his lifelong dream to play in front of Cam Talbot on Canada's C or D team at the World Championships instead of the NHL play-offs.

Wouldn't playing in front of Cam Talbot and 2nd rate defense have exactly been his job too had the Oil made the playoffs?

 

[BruinLVGA]

You nailed it.
But I guess the all the town criers of the "get rid of the teams that will most likely lose and substitute them with some meaningless pile of good players so we can have a real best on best tournament for real hockey fans" will not understand what you mean.
And I almost feel sorry for them.

I would too. But then I think of the arrogance in the "let's get rid of everyone but for...", "second rate teams", etc etc and the thought of being sorry just disappears instantly...

Wouldn't playing in front of Cam Talbot and 2nd rate defense have exactly been his job too had the Oil made the playoffs?

Ahahah well said!

Let's do this (=the World Cup style) for the NHL season too! Let's have only 8 teams qualify for the NHL playoffs and make 8 teams by plucking the best players from the teams that didn't qualify... "Omg! Best on Best!"... "No crappy fourth line plugs! No 6th defensemen that can barely skate!"... It would be great to see a "Team Western Conference 3" beat a "Team Eastern Conference 2" in the finals!!!

 

[JackSlater]

Let's do this (=the World Cup style) for the NHL season too! Let's have only 8 teams qualify for the NHL playoffs and make 8 teams by plucking the best players from the teams that didn't qualify... "Omg! Best on Best!"... "No crappy fourth line plugs! No 6th defensemen that can barely skate!"... It would be great to see a "Team Western Conference 3" beat a "Team Eastern Conference 2" in the finals!!!

Yes, I don't want to see teams with no chance to win the Cup - I want to see all the best players, regardless of their motivation or reason for even participating.

 

[Canuckistani]

Let's do this (=the World Cup style) for the NHL season too! Let's have only 8 teams qualify for the NHL playoffs and make 8 teams by plucking the best players from the teams that didn't qualify... "Omg! Best on Best!"... "No crappy fourth line plugs! No 6th defensemen that can barely skate!"... It would be great to see a "Team Western Conference 3" beat a "Team Eastern Conference 2" in the finals!!!

That's exactly what the NHL would do if they believed a word of their own nonsense when it comes to the international game.

Team Western Conference Europe, Team Western Conference North America, Team NHL rookies, etc. The possibilities for pure idiocy are endless!

 

[serp]

This is exactly what they're trying to avoid - there aren't enough competitive countries for a 16 team tournament. Even the Olympics doesn't have 16 teams anymore. Many of the smaller countries will go decades without winning against the main teams like Canada, Russia, Sweden. Even Slovakia has been on the downslope for several years, which is why team Europe is a good idea - it combines the best players from the countries that are going to be on the wrong end of one-sided games, and turning them into one competitive team.

I still have reservations for the NA U-23 team but with the number of talented young players in the NHL, I think they're going to surprise a lot of people.

It removes a big reason for a player to give a damn and play hard especially the older players. Why would Chara , Hossa , Streit , Seidenberg etc. give a damn when they play for a mandated Team Europe ? They have nothing to prove and will probably just play to not get injured . This team should have been a youth team too so players might actually try. Just because you put in bigger names in means nothing when they don't try because they play for a non-sense team.

I read so often by Canadian fans even beat writers the argument that this team Europe is a good idea because the team is better than the national ones but that is not how this works because this is not a real team and it will show. Most players never played with each other and there's not that much of a training camp for this World Cup either and lets not forget that it's unlikely you get anyone older to really try for this .

 

[Eisen]

Where came this odd notion from that the best wins? Might work for single sports (and even then not always) but not in teams.

 

[JackSlater]

Where came this odd notion from that the best wins? Might work for single sports (and even then not always) but not in teams.

...what post is your question related to?

 

[serp]

...what post is your question related to?

To the notion that the Team Europe is better than a national team because it selected objectively better individual player in general i would suspect ?

 

[sdf]

To bad this isn't. Canada and USA cannot choose all of their best, and the gimmick teams are the best.... what?

But I hope normal teams will fight hard exactly like on OG, no?

 

[JackSlater]

But I hope normal teams will fight hard exactly like on OG, no?

Perhaps they will. I don't believe that the players on legitimate teams will be lazy or anything like that. The fact remains that four of the eight teams in the tournament have roster restrictions that the others do not.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Yes, I don't want to see teams with no chance to win the Cup - I want to see all the best players, regardless of their motivation or reason for even participating.

That's exactly what the NHL would do if they believed a word of their own nonsense when it comes to the international game.

Team Western Conference Europe, Team Western Conference North America, Team NHL rookies, etc. The possibilities for pure idiocy are endless!

...and yet there's a great deal of (maybe) knowledgeable fans that are all for this nonsense. This is what I don't understand.

 

[Xokkeu]

Let's be real people. The NHL and NHLPA don't care about blowouts. They wanted the most amount of NHL players in the tournament to keep the most money in house. That it. Period. End stop.