World Cup of Hockey to Return (Feb 2024)

[sr edler]

He was literally the oldest player in the history of the entire league to score 50 goals. This isn't impressive to you?

A goals a goal. The fact is you're playing in the best league in the entire world, if you're scoring 50 your a player that should have a chance to be in the best on best tournament. As a hockey fan how could you not want to see a team with some of the best russian players to ever play? Malkin and Ovechkin are hall of famers. Add in Kucherov, Panarin, Tarasenko, Svenchnikov and others and you have a fantastic team.

What is the appeal, for a hockey fan to see a tournament like this without Russia? we already have a world championship that has an international tournament featuring "best of the rest" why a second one?

This tournament without Russia is not any different than the yearly world championship that people in north America endlessly complain about and half the players don't show up for.

I wouldn't be excited to see Ovechkin in 2024 as much as I wasn't excited to see Gretzky in the 1998 Olympics. I don't know what else to say really. I guess to each their own?

 

[Albatros]

I wouldn't be excited to see Ovechkin in 2024 as much as I wasn't excited to see Gretzky in the 1998 Olympics. I don't know what else to say really. I guess to each their own?

On the other hand Selänne at 43 destroyed Ovechkin in Sochi, not that those were the expectations necessarily but it did end up being good fun.

 

[sr edler]

On the other hand Selänne at 43 destroyed Ovechkin in Sochi, not that those were the expectations necessarily but it did end up being good fun.

Yeah, Selänne was pretty good at 40+ but I still think his tournament MVP was way overboard. He didn't score any goals or points in crunch time against Sweden in the semi-final, and this was against a pretty non-stacked Swedish team missing all of their best Cs. Then he scores 2 goals in the bronze game against the US who famously never cares about bronze games, and on top of that he didn't even score more points (in the tourney) than his own teammate Granlund. So yeah, nice send-off, and nice tournament, but not MVP great. Grandpa Selänne still felt more mobile than grandpa Ovi though, with his childish love for the game.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

I wouldn't be excited to see Ovechkin in 2024 as much as I wasn't excited to see Gretzky in the 1998 Olympics. I don't know what else to say really. I guess to each their own?

I guess you’re more excited to see Team Austria? To each their own indeed.

 

[Albatros]

I guess you’re more excited to see Team Austria? To each their own indeed.

Playing with 8 teams the last one according to the IIHF World Ranking would likely be Germany. Draisaitl, Seider, Stützle etc.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Playing with 8 teams the last one according to the IIHF World Ranking would likely be Germany. Draisaitl, Seider, Stützle etc.

Replacing a real medal contender with a team with 3 good players is not a good thing for a tournament with only 4 teams that have a realistic shot of winning.

See: A terrible sweden team winning a medal at the world jrs.

 

[Albatros]

Team Europe made the finals with 3 good and apparently 3 bad German players.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Team Europe made the finals with 3 good and apparently 3 bad German players.

Europe had a full team of good players.

Not at all comparable to 2024 Germany who will only have a few good players.

 

[Czechboy]

A terrible sweden team

Europe had a full team of good players.

Not at all comparable to 2024 Germany who will only have a few good players.

You sure you're a fan of international hockey?

Where are you getting that the Swedes are terrible?

Same with Germany .. they do have a good core after their big stars. It's not Canada but I'm positive they'd be competitive.

 

[Czechboy]

I guess you’re more excited to see Team Austria? To each their own indeed.

Why can't they be excited to see a stacked US, Canadian, Swedish and Finnish team? Or strong Czech, Slovak, German and Swiss teams?

 

[garbageteam]

So much whining about Russia, who cares about them. A full Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland team tournament would be a treat to watch - something we were deprived of since 2014, as 2016 was a complete farce of a tournament that screwed up the NTs, especially USA's. Throw in a fully healthy, no absentee and well practiced Swiss team and you have six legitimate NTs that are going to be circling the medal rounds.

I would 10/10 rather watch a proper WC with no gimmicks and a banned Russia than what we saw in 2016. It's the best international hockey we'll be having since 2014, so I hope this tournament can just forget about Russia and move on with the planning.

We can revisit in 2028 for the next edition.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Why can't they be excited to see a stacked US, Canadian, Swedish and Finnish team? Or strong Czech, Slovak, German and Swiss teams?

Im excited to see good competition.

I'll watch either but 5 contenders is much more interesting on a whole than just 4. With 4 contenders you basically have only a handful of real elite best on best. Which I feel the world championships already kinda provide.

 

[tapi]

With the NHLs latest comments about “making sure that Russian players can be a part of this somehow” I won’t give two f***s about this tournament, and I hope that Finland, Sweden and others chose to boycott it, which they most likely will after these news

Indeed. We have to acknowledge, that Ovechkin and his ilk, are in practice accomplices to large-scale murder, by the way of their public support of Putin. For those without such a close tie (as compared to Ovi), let them denounce the war now if they want to be eligible for participation. Russia uses sports in their propaganda expertly, it is only reasonable this is recognized and countered.

 

[THE JAM]

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

Well, now that Russia has "officially" declared war on Ukraine by mobilizing their military, saying they want to "denazify" Ukraine while burying children and civilians in mass graves, it would be a perfect time for Ovie to at least take away his profile pic on Instagram with him and Putin, wouldn't you think?.......

I hope Russia and Russian athletes gets barred from anything international-related until it dissolves. Stop giving Russians tourist visas, stop them from playing in international and national leagues - let them become North Korea if they want to (a piranha state).

 

[Beau Knows]

Putin doubling down, doesn't appear that they will end their invasion anytime soon.

I can't see them being allowed to play in 2024, barring a regime change and a complete reversal on Ukraine. It's unfortunate that we'll probably miss seeing players like Malkin and Ovechkin, but some things are bigger than hockey.

 

[Albatros]

Malkin and Ovechkin we saw in abundance and they never got it done, are as good as done now anyway, if anything it's talented young players like Michkov that we might not see anytime soon, also not in the NHL. But some are playing down the level of Swiss, Slovak, German talent way too much, there are still going to be enough good teams for international tournaments of this type.

 

[Jussi]

Jääkiekkoliitto kommentoi NHL-varapomon kohulausuntoa, jonka mukaan venäläiset halutaan World Cupiin: "Täysin NHL:n omaa ajattelua"

Suomen jääkiekkoliiton puheenjohtaja Harri Nummela ei ole kuullut, että IIHF ja NHL olisivat keskustelleet venäläispelaajien osallistumisesta mahdolliseen World Cupiin 2024.

yle.fi

Chairman of the Finnish hockey association Harri Nummela says there's been no discussion about Russians participating in the World Cup, because there hasn't been much discussions about it in general. Also says he sees no reason to re-evaluate the IIHF decision to ban Russian and Belarus teams from international tournaments.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Malkin and Ovechkin we saw in abundance and they never got it done, are as good as done now anyway, if anything it's talented young players like Michkov that we might not see anytime soon, also not in the NHL. But some are playing down the level of Swiss, Slovak, German talent way too much, there are still going to be enough good teams for international tournaments of this type.

I suggest that those who wish to see Ovechkin or Malkin can tune in when their NHL clubs hit the ice in the coming weeks. Or, better yet, go find the 2010 Olympics quarterfinal game between Canada and Russia on Youtube as a reminder of how well they performed on the international stage at their peaks.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

I suggest that those who wish to see Ovechkin or Malkin can tune in when their NHL clubs hit the ice in the coming weeks. Or, better yet, go find the 2010 Olympics quarterfinal game between Canada and Russia on Youtube as a reminder of how well they performed on the international stage at their peaks.

I echo this statement. If you want to root for Russia and Ovie so badly, just make the Crapitals your favourite team, they love Russia and their poster boys over there

 

[Czechboy]

This is Ovi's international medal total. I'd say he's done okay for himself and always showed up.

Shame he could never medal at an Olympics or World Cup.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

View attachment 586894

This is Ovi's international medal total. I'd say he's done okay for himself and always showed up.

Shame he could never medal at an Olympics or World Cup.

11 points in 17 Olympic games, and no medals. That's not good for a player of his caliber.

Besides, why is it a shame that he never medaled at the Olympics?

 

[Czechboy]

11 points in 17 Olympic games, and no medals. That's not good for a player of his caliber.

Besides, why is it a shame that he never medaled at the Olympics? The guy is a f***ing villain. f*** him, and f*** Russia.

My guess is that he ends up both the NHL hall of fame and IIHF hall of fame... so no point in trying to paint him as a bad hockey player. FTR... i'm not a fan of his and never really was. He was officially dead to me when he knocked Jagr into a different time zone at one of the Olympics.lol

As for the rest.. not a political board!

As an example though... Plekanec also always showed up for the Czechs at the Worlds after the Habs were eliminated. He missed 1 year.. 2010 and they won Gold that year. That was a shame too because guys like him deserver any medal the Czechs get because he wore the C and always showed up. I'd feel the same if Ryan Smyth never got a medal either (he has a lot of them).

 

[Czechboy]

Malkin and Ovechkin we saw in abundance and they never got it done, are as good as done now anyway, if anything it's talented young players like Michkov that we might not see anytime soon, also not in the NHL. But some are playing down the level of Swiss, Slovak, German talent way too much, there are still going to be enough good teams for international tournaments of this type.

All of this!

Danes can field a very good team too if they get all their players healthy and going at the same time.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

My guess is that he ends up both the NHL hall of fame and IIHF hall of fame... so no point in trying to paint him as a bad hockey player. FTR... i'm not a fan of his and never really was. He was officially dead to me when he knocked Jagr into a different time zone at one of the Olympics.lol

As for the rest.. not a political board!

As an example though... Plekanec also always showed up for the Czechs at the Worlds after the Habs were eliminated. He missed 1 year.. 2010 and they won Gold that year. That was a shame too because guys like him deserver any medal the Czechs get because he wore the C and always showed up. I'd feel the same if Ryan Smyth never got a medal either (he has a lot of them).

I'm not saying he's a bad hockey player, as he obviously isn't. He hasn't performed up to his capabilities at the Olympic level of competition though, and I don't think it should be controversial to say that (not to mention that Russia has underachieved at the Olympic level since he and Malkin have been in the NHL).