World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team North America (Part II)

[snipes]

Oh. my. god.

Just filthy.

 

[snipes]

With Hall snubbed from Team Canada, this is my team I'm cheering for. Of course unless they have to play Canada. That will make me sick to my stomach seeing 97 playing against Canada.

If Bettman does that to us, he has to let the guys go to the Olympics.

 

[Canuckistani]

With Hall snubbed from Team Canada, this is my team I'm cheering for. Of course unless they have to play Canada. That will make me sick to my stomach seeing 97 playing against Canada.

If Bettman does that to us, he has to let the guys go to the Olympics.

Bettman is human garbage for even making it a possibility for out guys to play against their own country. Biggest joke in the history of sports.

 

[snipes]

Bettman is human garbage for even making it a possibility for out guys to play against their own country. Biggest joke in the history of sports.

I would literally be sick to my stomach and so upset if it happens. If I have to watch 97 play against Canada it will tear me up.

McDavid is one of the most humble and team oriented guys who loves playing for his country, it would be a travesty to see him play against Canada.

Like how the **** am I supposed to cheer against him? I really don't think the NHL considered how much Canadians love playing for their country and the pride we take in representing our country as Canadians. Hockey is so tied to Canadian identity that it's nearly impossible to separate the two. For many people who don't know much about our country hockey is all they associate with Canada.

 

[Seanaconda]

I would literally be sick to my stomach and so upset if it happens. If I have to watch 97 play against Canada it will tear me up.

McDavid is one of the most humble and team oriented guys who loves playing for his country, it would be a travesty to see him play against Canada.

Like how the **** am I supposed to cheer against him? I really don't think the NHL considered how much Canadians love playing for their country and the pride we take in representing our country as Canadians. Hockey is so tied to Canadian identity that it's nearly impossible to separate the two. For many people who don't know much about our country hockey is all they associate with Canada.

I'll cheer for both teams and if they play against eachother just hopefully enjoy an intense and entertaining game not really caring who wins

 

[Scotty B]

I'll cheer for both teams and if they play against eachother just hopefully enjoy an intense and entertaining game not really caring who wins

Man I love this Young Gunz lineup and am anxious to see them in action. My guess is that many Canucks ( and Yanks too ) will warm up to them, that they will be the second most popular team in this tourney, and that they will give Rus, Swe, Fin and whoever else they play, all they can handle and maybe a wee bit more...

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I'll cheer for both teams and if they play against eachother just hopefully enjoy an intense and entertaining game not really caring who wins

Exactly. I'm much more of a hockey fan than a fan of any team. I just want to see great hockey. And this U23 team will help to bring that IMO. There won't be many chances to see guys like Gaudreau and McDavid play together in a competitive game.

 

[Canuckistani]

Exactly. I'm much more of a hockey fan than a fan of any team. I just want to see great hockey. And this U23 team will help to bring that IMO. There won't be many chances to see guys like Gaudreau and McDavid play together in a competitive game.

So what? We'll likely also never see Ovechkin and Crosby play together. Or Naymar and Messi on the same team at the FIFA World Cup.

That's life.

 

[QJL]

Pre-Tourney Rankings:

Canada
Finland
Sweden
Russia
Young Guns
Team Europe
Czechs
USA

 

[snipes]

Pre-Tourney Rankings:

Canada
Finland
Sweden
Russia
Young Guns
Team Europe
Czechs
USA

No way the USA is that low. More like:

Canada
Sweden
Finland
USA/Russia
Russia/USA
Young Guns
Team Europe
Czechs

 

[CanadianSniper]

No way the USA is that low. More like:

Canada
Sweden
Finland
USA/Russia
Russia/USA
Young Guns
Team Europe
Czechs

I would have USA below the U23 team, this team is absolutely stacked with skill and speed.

 

[snipes]

I would have USA below the U23 team, this team is absolutely stacked with skill and speed.

Keep expectations low. They have to finish in the top 2 against: Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

We'll be in tough against all of them.

 

[chunkylover53]

Imagine a Gaudreau-McDavid-MacKinnon line...speed and skill kills.

 

[snipes]

Imagine a Gaudreau-McDavid-MacKinnon line...speed and skill kills.

I kind of want Eichel on that line.

Put MacKinnon with Matthews. Let him mentor the kid. I was an early supporter of Matthews on the Young Guns team. Kid is a stud. Put MacKinnon and Scheifele with him.

Top 6:
Gaudreau-McDavid-Eichel
Matthews-Scheifele-MacKinnon

 

[chunkylover53]

I kind of want Eichel on that line.

Put MacKinnon with Matthews. Let him mentor the kid. I was an early supporter of Matthews on the Young Guns team. Kid is a stud. Put MacKinnon and Scheifele with him.

Top 6:
Gaudreau-McDavid-Eichel
Matthews-Scheifele-MacKinnon

That could work too, but doesn't Matthews play RW when he goes on wing? I also highly agree that Scheifele is probably the best fit at 2C and had him penciled in there. Monahan and Couts I also feel will have to be C's because they aren't really winger players. Couts feels like the perfect extra forward or 4th liner.

 

[snipes]

That could work too. I also highly agree that Scheifele is probably the best fit at 2C and had him penciled in there. Monahan and Couts I also feel will have to be C's because they aren't really winger players. Couts feels like the perfect extra forward or 4th liner. Monahan probably gets 4th line as well.

We are loaded .

The Young Guns might be the fastest team ever assembled. With the Hall snub, the Young Guns are my squad with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

I'm hoping for the best but expecting 0-3. No pressure for the Young Guns.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

So what? We'll likely also never see Ovechkin and Crosby play together. Or Naymar and Messi on the same team at the FIFA World Cup.

That's life.

The "so what" is that it will be fun to watch, just like it would be fun to watch Crosby and Ovechkin. I don't see why people are so upset about getting to watch great hockey. I identify as a hockey fan, not a USA Hockey fan. Seems like a lot of folks consider themselves Hockey Canada / USA Hockey fans instead of pure hockey fans.

This U23 team will provide some of the fastest, most exciting hockey I've ever seen.

 

[Canuckistani]

The "so what" is that it will be fun to watch, just like it would be fun to watch Crosby and Ovechkin. I don't see why people are so upset about getting to watch great hockey.

Inserting a few Russian KHL teams into the NHL playoffs (at the cost a # 7, 8 seeds) might also provide "great hockey" but that doesn't change the fact that those teams wouldn't belong there.

And neither do two joke teams belong in what is supposed to be an international best-on-best tournament (which is also sabotaging two other teams with a stupid age restriction). And for what? To give us some ridiculous spectacle that no one had ever asked for?

I identify as a hockey fan, not a USA Hockey fan. Seems like a lot of folks consider themselves Hockey Canada / USA Hockey fans instead of pure hockey fans.

There are numerous hockey leagues like the NHL, AHL, KHL and CHL designed especially for fans like you were you can see various assortments of players on all kinds of teams. There are even all-star games that showcase the best of the best.

So why must international hockey be turned into a bloody farce for the sake of what you hope will be "great hockey"? Was the international game providing you with horrible hockey?

 

[jj cale]

Boy, there sure is some serious talent on this youngguns team.

Should they compete with purpose I would not be surprised to see them do very well.

 

[Seanaconda]

Inserting a few Russian KHL teams into the NHL playoffs (at the cost a # 7, 8 seeds) might also provide "great hockey" but that doesn't change the fact that those teams wouldn't belong there.

And neither do two joke teams belong in what is supposed to be an international best-on-best tournament (which is also sabotaging two other teams with a stupid age restriction). And for what? To give us some ridiculous spectacle that no one had ever asked for?



There are numerous hockey leagues like the NHL, AHL, KHL and CHL designed especially for fans like you were you can see various assortments of players on all kinds of teams. There are even all-star games that showcase the best of the best.

So why must international hockey be turned into a bloody farce for the sake of what you hope will be "great hockey"? Was the international game providing you with horrible hockey?

So grumpy we still have the world championships and hopefully will still have the Olympics. If we had this and the Olympics alternating every 2 years I would be happy and it's a little different so it makes it interesting. And tbh it would be fun to have a Stanley Cup winner vs khl winner best of 7 at the end of the season too. Kind of like the memorial cups

 

[Canuckistani]

So grumpy we still have the world championships and hopefully will still have the Olympics. If we had this and the Olympics alternating every 2 years I would be happy and it's a little different so it makes it interesting. And tbh it would be fun to have a Stanley Cup winner vs khl winner best of 7 at the end of the season too. Kind of like the memorial cups

The day the NHL commits to the Olympics is the day I stop being pissed at this World Cup.

So long as we have a real best on best event, the NHL can wreck the World Cup to their hearts content.

 

[xxxx]

The day the NHL commits to the Olympics is the day I stop being pissed at this World Cup.

So long as we have a real best on best event, the NHL can wreck the World Cup to their hearts content.

So tell about it - if somehow the NHL World Cup is the only thing that comes close to the olympics for say, next 10 years, you won't watch it 10 years? Yeah, I really doubt it. On top of that, NHL wants to have national teams only in 2020, as it's been said many times.

I still can't believe how people can't enjoy something so much unique and interesting as this years tournament, that in my opinion will be one of the best ever.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Inserting a few Russian KHL teams into the NHL playoffs (at the cost a # 7, 8 seeds) might also provide "great hockey" but that doesn't change the fact that those teams wouldn't belong there.

And neither do two joke teams belong in what is supposed to be an international best-on-best tournament (which is also sabotaging two other teams with a stupid age restriction). And for what? To give us some ridiculous spectacle that no one had ever asked for?

I'd have no qualms seeing NHL and KHL teams compete, but your comparison is flawed because it gives an undue advantage to teams.

You make it sound like the U23 team doesn't belong, but according to who? Are age thresholds any more arbitrary than national borders?

There are numerous hockey leagues like the NHL, AHL, KHL and CHL designed especially for fans like you were you can see various assortments of players on all kinds of teams. There are even all-star games that showcase the best of the best.

So why must international hockey be turned into a bloody farce for the sake of what you hope will be "great hockey"? Was the international game providing you with horrible hockey?

There are no leagues that exist where McDavid and Gaudreau play together. The World Cup format allows for a higher concentration of talent in an 8 team tournament, of that there can be little doubt.

 

[Urbanskog]

I'd have no qualms seeing NHL and KHL teams compete, but your comparison is flawed because it gives an undue advantage to teams.

You make it sound like the U23 team doesn't belong, but according to who? Are age thresholds any more arbitrary than national borders?

In a tournament that is supposed to be international with nations competing against each other? Yeah, I'd say so.

 

[Kranix]

I would literally be sick to my stomach and so upset if it happens. If I have to watch 97 play against Canada it will tear me up.

McDavid is one of the most humble and team oriented guys who loves playing for his country, it would be a travesty to see him play against Canada.

Like how the **** am I supposed to cheer against him? I really don't think the NHL considered how much Canadians love playing for their country and the pride we take in representing our country as Canadians. Hockey is so tied to Canadian identity that it's nearly impossible to separate the two. For many people who don't know much about our country hockey is all they associate with Canada.

Think of this as an NHL All-star-game tournament. It doesn't matter.