Would it have been a better option to drop team Europe put 2-3 countries together?

[WesMcCauley]

Team Europe is extremely weak, nothing else to say really...

Czech-Slovenia and Slovakia together
Sweden and Norway together

Kopitar, Chara etc join Czech/Slo/Slo
Zuccarello plays for Swe/Nor

A guy like Zuccarello has lived in Sweden for many years, played in that league and pretty sure he has more in common etc with Sweden than any other European country. Same for the Slovanian and Slovak players when it comes to Czech i would think.

I understand its not ideal but Team Europe is just extremely weak and its almost unfair....

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[Seanaconda]

If anything I think they should of let Europe take players left of the actual euro teams to increase their strength.

And let's actually see how they do in future games instead of writing them off on the first exhibition game of the tourny. And getting rid of 1 team would ruin the 2 groups of four format

 

[CherryToke]

I feel bad for them. They have no chance to compete in this tourny with that roster.

 

[Acallabeth]

Any option would be bad.

 

[dahrougem2]

It never really made sense to me how Team North America was put together by taking Canadian and American players, but Team Europe didn't have the ability to take players from Russia/Sweden/Finland/Czech who were left off their respective countries' roster.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Oh my ****ing god.... Any more stupid ideas? Maybe make a Team NA and Team Europe only and have two teams compete?

 

[xxxx]

Team Europe isn't weak. People judging literally everything based on one freaking game. Laughable.

 

[LiveeviL]

Just take them away and add in 2 real countries.

If national pride allows for the involved countries I could for for a Czechoslovakian and an Alp team (Swiss - Austria). I strongly object mixing in players from other countries for Sweden (few would hack anyway).

 

[Atas2000]

It is a fraud and a bore as it is.Let's not invent even more nonsence.

 

[herashak]

or add up to 5 players left off other european teams.

 

[Elvs]

Team Europe isn't weak. People judging literally everything based on one freaking game. Laughable.

It is weak. Sure not on paper, but what's the incentive for these guys to win? They have almost no fans at all whatsoever. It's the only team in history to have more haters than fans.

The lack of slovaks, suiss, germans, danes etc commenting in the GDT just shows how few people in Europe actually cares about this team. But hey, congrats to americans and canadians who now have a second team to root for.

 

[Seras]

It is weak. Sure not on paper, but what's the incentive for these guys to win? They have almost no fans at all whatsoever. It's the only team in history to have more haters than fans.

The lack of slovaks, suiss, germans, danes etc commenting in the GDT just shows how few people in Europe actually cares about this team. But hey, concgrats to americans and canadians who now has two teams to cheer for.

winning

 

[Elvs]

So many North Americans gives the NHL too much credit. Somehow you think casual french or slovenian sports fans is gonna tune into this because Bellemare and Kopitar is on team Europe. But in reality, the only people tuning in are the same people who tunes in to watch Philadelphia or Los Angeles play. And they aren't many. And for revenue and growing the sport, the casual fans are actually of enormous importance.

 

[Elvs]

winning

Usually, when you play for honour, it means someone would honour you after you win. This team has barely no fans at all. Sure, you can say Slovakia and Switzerland wouldn't have a chance to win the World Cup anyway, but neither does this team.

 

[BalticWarrior]

It is weak. Sure not on paper, but what's the incentive for these guys to win? They have almost no fans at all whatsoever. It's the only team in history to have more haters than fans.

The lack of slovaks, suiss, germans, danes etc commenting in the GDT just shows how few people in Europe actually cares about this team. But hey, congrats to americans and canadians who now have a second team to root for.

I guess some NA fans just dont understand that there just isnt a single "Euopean indentity" your avarage Czech or Slovene has almost nothing in common with your average Dane or Norwegian.I as a Latvian fan only give a damn about Team Latvia just like you a Swede only care about Team Sweden or a Russian about Team Russia and thats how it is supposed to be thats what makes international tournament FUN.

 

[ulvvf]

I think a complete euorpe left over would look decent on paper, i mean add players from russia, swedein, finland, czech that didnt make their team

But in the end hockey is a team sport, teams with a lot of worse players have preform a lot better. The concept of having all star team is not a serious concecpt. But then isnt having home refs either.

Mozyakin - Kopitar - Kovalchuk
Johansson - Draisaitl - Radulov
Mikkel Bødker - Zibanejad -Zuccarello
Hossa - Nielsen - Nyquist
Hudler

Josi - Larsson
Brodin - Klingberg
Chara - Edler
Sekera

 

[pulverapa]

Why don't we just keep it at 6 teams. Slovakia and Switzerland can't fill a roster from the NHL.

 

[Zamuz]

It was stupid even to add these mixed teams

I would have rather seen a tournament with the top-8 hockey countries in the world.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Why don't we just keep it at 6 teams. Slovakia and Switzerland can't fill a roster from the NHL.

....and? Does that automatically disqualify them from being atleast an underdog with a chance of success against a team from the big 6? Sure they probably wont win the cup but they could absolutley upset a few teams.

 

[JackSlater]

Would it have been better to drop the European Leftovers? Obviously yes. Such a gimmick team doesn't belong in what is presented as a best on best tournament.

Should 2-3 countries be put together? No. At that point the tournament ceases to be an international tournament and becomes an unbalanced all star exhibition like this tournament.

Perhaps this is due to a generation brought up with trophies for losing, but some seem to have trouble accepting reality - some teams lose. Not all teams are good, and thus they lose. Creating gimmick teams leaves the tournament as nothing more than a poor joke.

 

[serp]

Team Europe isn't weak. People judging literally everything based on one freaking game. Laughable.

It is weak just look the the age structure of the team . You can't rely this many old and slow players . Its even worse when you factor in many players have no history of ever playing together anywhere . Not realistic to expect that they could play with any structure or cohesion after a couple of days of training together .

I mean the coaching staff for whatever reason didn't even try to build lines / pairs based on existing chemistry . They just build a fantasy team completely ignoring real life factors.

 

[Elvs]

In the last three Olympics, the top six nations have played a total of 47 games against the nations that were left out. 34 of those games ended up with an equal or smaller goal differance than the 4-0 game we saw the other night.


Some notable games:

2014:
Canada-Norway 3-1
Czech Republic-Latvia 4-2
Sweden-Switzerland 1-0
Switzerland-Czech Republic 1-0
Sweden-Latvia 5-3
Canada-Latvia 2-1
Russia-Slovakia 1-0 (SO)

2010:
USA-Switzerland 3-1
Switzerland-Canada 2-3 (SO)
Czech Republic-Slovakia 3-1
Slovakia-Russia 2-1 (SO)
Sweden-Germany 2-0
Belarus-Sweden 2-4
USA-Switzerland 2-0
Sweden-Slovakia 3-4

2006:
Czech Republic-Switzerland 2-3
Canada-Switzerland 0-2
Finland-Germany 2-0
Russia-Slovakia 3-5
Latvia-USA 3-3
Kazakstan-Russia 0-1
Slovakia-USA 2-1
Sweden-Slovakia 0-3
Slovakia-Czech Republic 1-3


But hey, lets ignore on ice results and judge countries on paper. Because logic.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Team Europe isn't weak. People judging literally everything based on one freaking game. Laughable.

Are you serious? Im from one of the european countries that doesnt have a team and team Europe is extremely weak.
Only line that can have a chance competing with other teams top line is the Kopitar-Zuccarello line. Defense is horrible. Bellemare is on the team... He averages 13 points a season.... Erhoff isnt good enough to get a new contract, Vanek just got bought out... The team is horrible. Its like 16 year olds playing against 20 year olds. Sure a couple can keep up but the team is far away from good enough. The team looks like a normal nhl team. All other teams have tons of top line players(except Czech).

 

[Jablkon]

Team Europe is extremely weak, nothing else to say really...

Czech-Slovenia and Slovakia together
Sweden and Norway together

Kopitar, Chara etc join Czech/Slo/Slo
Zuccarello plays for Swe/Nor

A guy like Zuccarello has lived in Sweden for many years, played in that league and pretty sure he has more in common etc with Sweden than any other European country. Same for the Slovanian and Slovak players when it comes to Czech i would think.

I understand its not ideal but Team Europe is just extremely weak and its almost unfair....

If you ask me, its too early to predict. I personally hope they put themself together and start compete. Anyway I dont feel sorry for them, its not their mistake. They have to be there. I feel sorry for guys who came up with this idea. Thats just poor....

. Its not a chess, you can not pick any finns swedes etc. You can not, you are not allowed. I can not believe what we talking about here. We have Martina Sablikova, OG gold medalist in speed skating. If team Europe needs speed , call her, she is available.Sorry thats just too much for me. There is Kopitar and Zucarelo.Best NHL guys- enjoy them, that was an intention...

 

[pulverapa]

....and? Does that automatically disqualify them from being atleast an underdog with a chance of success against a team from the big 6? Sure they probably wont win the cup but they could absolutley upset a few teams.

Obviously based on the fact that the European Leagues probably don't want to release their best players to WC during their regular season. Why KHL accepted to release a few of their players I don't know. There must have been some kind of agreement with the NHL. Both the Swiss and especially the Slovaks can upset any top level team.