2016 World Cup of Hockey discussion

[AngelDuck]

There's going to be a Team North America (23 and under) that will be competing against Finland, Sweden, Russia, etc. Imo this is a genius idea and will make for some amazing hockey.

Gibson will probably be on that team, possibly starting. Unfortunately Fowler will be too old but still a chance he makes Team USA.

Lindholm, Silfverberg, Hagelin will have a fair chance to make Team Sweden. And obviously Getzlaf and Perry will be on the team

Group A: Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Team Europe
Groub B: Finland, Sweden, Russia, Team North America

Group B is going to be a lot more interesting than Group A. Team North America vs Sweden/Russia is going to be amazing

Click to read more...

 

[Norduck]

And Stoner, of course, carrying Doughty on Canada's top pairing. #grit

 

[Norduck]

I know it's controversial, what with the Team Europe's Leftovers and Team Your-Youngsters-Are-Rebelling-Against-You-North-America, but it should be some fun hockey to watch. And hopefully if it does well, more teams will be added down the line and the weird cobbled-together teams will be unnecessary to fill out a competitive tournament.

 

[Quack Shot]

USA: Kesler, possibly Fowler
Canada: Getzlaf, Perry
Sweden: Lindholm, possibly Silf and Hags
North America: Gibson
Finland: Selanne, Vatanen

Should be a fun tournament to watch with plenty of guys to cheer for.


Yes, Teemu will come out of retirement to play two weeks.

 

[AngelDuck]

USA: Kesler, possibly Fowler
Canada: Getzlaf, Perry
Sweden: Lindholm, possibly Silf and Hags
North America: Gibson
Finland: Selanne, Vatanen

Should be a fun tournament to watch with plenty of guys to cheer for.


Yes, Teemu will come out of retirement to play two weeks.

Freddie Andersen I could see making Team Europe now that I think about it. There aren't a ton of good NHL European goaltenders that aren't Russian/Swedish/Finnish

 

[Paul4587]

I can't take this seriously. Pick the 8 best countries don't have two gimmick teams. Do it properly or not at all.

 

[Opak]

Even the KHL makes more sense than this nonsense. And I strongly dislike the KHL.

 

[DucksAreCool]

I can't take this seriously. Pick the 8 best countries don't have two gimmick teams. Do it properly or not at all.

I agree. I can't take it seriously and the gimmick teams make it all the more obvious that this is just a cash grab by the NHL to put all their stars in an international competition that they can make more money with rather than try to keep up any illusion that this is a true sporting event about competition.

The Olympics are a better tournament and bring eyes to hockey that would not normally watch it. I don't care if the NHL doesn't get a direct monetary benefit.

 

[Teemu Salami]

What is team North America if there's a team Canada and USA?

 

[Kalv]

What is team North America if there's a team Canada and USA?

Players under 23(and i guess 23 too) from US and Canada. All the rest (who are at least 24) plays for their respective countries.

For example, McDavid, Eichel and Ekblad will play for North American team. Stamkos for Canada, Parise for USA.

 

[Teemu Salami]

Players under 23(and i guess 23 too) from US and Canada. All the rest (who are at least 24) plays for their respective countries.

For example, McDavid, Eichel and Ekblad will play for North American team. Stamkos for Canada, Parise for USA.

That's a bit weird. Was thinking maybe the leftovers from both countries got put on a team, like Bobby Ryan for example .

 

[TheJoeMan]

I can't take this seriously. Pick the 8 best countries don't have two gimmick teams. Do it properly or not at all.

100% agree. This tournament is a joke. They're doing this because they don't want to deny Kopitar from competing or having to arbitrarily put Switzerland in despite having so few NHLers. It should be USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech, Slovakia and Switzerland. How hard is that? Who cares guys like Kopitar, Thomas Vanek, and Lars Eller are big fish in little ponds who would never compete in such a tournament? Is it worth making such a ridiculous format to accommodate a handful of players? And to force stars like McDavid, MacKinnon, Jones, etc. to play on a kids team and compete against their own countries is just stupid. Ugh. I don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament.

 

[Kalv]

That's a bit weird. Was thinking maybe the leftovers from both countries got put on a team, like Bobby Ryan for example .

Nah, they went with young guys who can spell I-N-T-E-N-S-E

 

[anezthes]

I can't take this seriously. Pick the 8 best countries don't have two gimmick teams. Do it properly or not at all.

This.

 

[Kalv]

100% agree. This tournament is a joke. They're doing this because they don't want to deny Kopitar from competing or having to arbitrarily put Switzerland in despite having so few NHLers. It should be USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech, Slovakia and Switzerland. How hard is that? Who cares guys like Kopitar, Thomas Vanek, and Lars Eller are big fish in little ponds who would never compete in such a tournament? Is it worth making such a ridiculous format to accommodate a handful of players? And to force stars like McDavid, MacKinnon, Jones, etc. to play on a kids team and compete against their own countries is just stupid. Ugh. I don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament.

Even taking my Latvian homer glasses off i think your statement is silly. What`s so wrong to gather another team from not that big hockey countries?Especially in a tournament where the point is to gather all the stars in one tournament and attract a lot of attention/awareness/money.
Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway (am i missing someone?) hockey fans will follow the tournament because their guys will most likely play in the tournament. + am i the only one who thinks Europe team (i should just say ''we'') can gather somewhat solid team? Definitely will compete with CZ, Fin and NA.
NA team they put because there are such exciting young players in North America who would otherwise not make the big teams so they are making another team for them. I can definitely understand the logic behind this system and i don`t think it is THAT bad. It is not a World Championships.


PS
I will want to see how you ''don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament'' when it happens in September and that is only interesting hockey action happening right after summer.

 

[DucksAreCool]

Even taking my Latvian homer glasses off i think your statement is silly. What`s so wrong to gather another team from not that big hockey countries?Especially in a tournament where the point is to gather all the stars in one tournament and attract a lot of attention/awareness/money.
Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway (am i missing someone?) hockey fans will follow the tournament because their guys will most likely play in the tournament. + am i the only one who thinks Europe team (i should just say ''we'') can gather somewhat solid team? Definitely will compete with CZ, Fin and NA.
NA team they put because there are such exciting young players in North America who would otherwise not make the big teams so they are making another team for them. I can definitely understand the logic behind this system and i don`t think it is THAT bad. It is not a World Championships.


PS
I will want to see how you ''don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament'' when it happens in September and that is only interesting hockey action happening right after summer.

The point of this is simply to make money for NHL owners. The point should be to create the best possible international hockey competition, not put the most stars on display. That's the All Star Game, another pointless spectacle meant only to garner money for owners and not taken seriously by anyone watching or competing.

And Europeans didn't take the World Cup of Hockey seriously in 96 or 04 when the tournament had a more respectable format, why would they ever care about this insulting, money grubbing affront to hockey respectability.

 

[Kalv]

The point of this is simply to make money for NHL owners. The point should be to create the best possible international hockey competition, not put the most stars on display. That's the All Star Game, another pointless spectacle meant only to garner money for owners and not taken seriously by anyone watching or competing.

And Europeans didn't take the World Cup of Hockey seriously in 96 or 04 when the tournament had a more respectable format, why would they ever care about this insulting, money grubbing affront to hockey respectability.

Maybe i think different because i always have ruled this opportunity off (outside of Olympics). It just doesn`t make sense from owner standpoint. Not that i agree with it but that`s the way she goes - as Ray would have said it.

Time and lenght of the seasons in NA and Europe also makes it impossible to organise this.

 

[Paul4587]

Even taking my Latvian homer glasses off i think your statement is silly. What`s so wrong to gather another team from not that big hockey countries?Especially in a tournament where the point is to gather all the stars in one tournament and attract a lot of attention/awareness/money.
Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway (am i missing someone?) hockey fans will follow the tournament because their guys will most likely play in the tournament. + am i the only one who thinks Europe team (i should just say ''we'') can gather somewhat solid team? Definitely will compete with CZ, Fin and NA.
NA team they put because there are such exciting young players in North America who would otherwise not make the big teams so they are making another team for them. I can definitely understand the logic behind this system and i don`t think it is THAT bad. It is not a World Championships.


PS
I will want to see how you ''don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament'' when it happens in September and that is only interesting hockey action happening right after summer.

For starters, it's an insult to Switzerland and Slovakia, two teams who can easily beat any of the other 6 on any given night and in Slovakia's case a team that came 4th in the 2010 Olympics.

Secondly, what if Canada gets knocked out in the QFs by a MacKinnon or McDavid hatrick? Or if the US is knocked out by a Gibson shutout? That doesn't seem right to me.

Thirdly what national anthem do they play if one of the gimmick teams wins?

Sure it's nice to have some of the lesser countries represented but it doesn't take away from the fact this is a gimmick money grabbing tournament from the NHL.

 

[TheJoeMan]

Even taking my Latvian homer glasses off i think your statement is silly. What`s so wrong to gather another team from not that big hockey countries?Especially in a tournament where the point is to gather all the stars in one tournament and attract a lot of attention/awareness/money.
Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway (am i missing someone?) hockey fans will follow the tournament because their guys will most likely play in the tournament. + am i the only one who thinks Europe team (i should just say ''we'') can gather somewhat solid team? Definitely will compete with CZ, Fin and NA.
NA team they put because there are such exciting young players in North America who would otherwise not make the big teams so they are making another team for them. I can definitely understand the logic behind this system and i don`t think it is THAT bad. It is not a World Championships.


PS
I will want to see how you ''don't plan to watch one bit of this tournament'' when it happens in September and that is only interesting hockey action happening right after summer.

This tournament should be the ultimate measure for determining the best country. It has no other sports to compete with like in the Olympics, it'll have all the best players available unlike the World Championships and it'll be played at such a time where everyone can really try their hardest and not impact the coming NHL season. But that goes out the window when you have two teams that don't represent a country. It's all about national pride, not continental or age pride. I feel for the bubble countries that don't automatically get included. There should be a better way of determining the last two teams. And they're diluting two of the strongest teams with this gimmicky youngsters team. I could eventually live with the European team but the youngsters one takes the cake for me. Totally ridiculous. This just isn't a proper international tournament.

 

[DucksAreCool]

Maybe i think different because i always have ruled this opportunity off (outside of Olympics). It just doesn`t make sense from owner standpoint. Not that i agree with it but that`s the way she goes - as Ray would have said it.

Time and lenght of the seasons in NA and Europe also makes it impossible to organise this.

The problem is they already have a perfect tournament for determining the best, the Olympics, and this new tournament is their attempt to replace it so they can make a little more money. Almost everybody else involved with hockey prefers the Olympics apart from some NHL execs who only see a little bit extra money they could be making.

I don't think I would have such an issue if NHL players would continue to go to the Olympics also but they want to replace that wonderful tournament with this. If they are going to ban NHL players from the Olympics then this substitute they want to give us better be a superior tournament or else what they're doing hurts the game for their profit only.

If this goes through and they then ban NHL players from the Olympics we would have THREE separate sub-par international tournaments (Olympics minus NHL players, World Championships minus most NHL players and a nonsense format World Cup that is just a money grab and not a real competition) and ZERO actual competitions to determine the best internationally.

 

[AngelDuck]

No, it's really not an insult to Switzerland and Slovakia lol

Those teams get their ***** handed to them by nearly double digit goals when they play Canada/USA/Sweden in the Olympics. That was the insulting part. People don't like watching blowouts so the International Hockey Committee had to do something. At the end of the day, it's all about ratings and closer games = more viewers. I highly doubt the people threatening not to watch this tournament will follow through with that declaration. It's going to be entertaining as heck and a lot more competitive than the Olympics have been.

Slovakia hasn't produced a good NHL player in a while, just looking at facts here. Most of their stars are in their mid-30s already. I'm sure Hossa and Chara are not feeling "disrespected" by having a chance to be competitive in one of these tournaments

 

[Elvs]

No, it's really not an insult to Switzerland and Slovakia lol

Those teams get their ***** handed to them by nearly double digit goals when they play Canada/USA/Sweden in the Olympics. That was the insulting part. People don't like watching blowouts so the International Hockey Committee had to do something.

Don't be ridiculous...

Switzerland in 2010 Olympics:
Group loss 1-3 vs USA
Group loss 2-3 (SO) vs Canada
Quarter final loss 0-2 vs USA

Switzerland in 2014 Olympics:
Group loss 0-1 vs Sweden
Group win 1-0 vs Czech Republic

Slovakia in 2010 Olympics:
Group loss 1-3 vs Czech Republic
Group win 2-1 (SO) vs Russia
Quarter final win 4-2 vs Sweden
Semi final loss 2-3 vs Canada
Bronze game loss 3-5 vs Finland

Slovakia in 2014 Olympics:
Group loss vs USA 1-7
Group loss vs Russia 0-1 (SO)

Both teams combined against 'the big six' (12 games):
3 wins
2 shootout losses
2 one goal game losses (excluding the SO games above)
4 two goal game losses
1 blowout loss


One blow out win for the U.S. vs Slovakia, other than that both Slovakia and Switzerland have shown to be very competitive against the big six. Not to mention both nations won a silver medal in the 2012 and 2013 world championchips. Slovakia also won the bronze at last year's WHJC. They are hockey countries to be respected.

 

[Sojourn]

No, it's really not an insult to Switzerland and Slovakia lol

Those teams get their ***** handed to them by nearly double digit goals when they play Canada/USA/Sweden in the Olympics. That was the insulting part. People don't like watching blowouts so the International Hockey Committee had to do something. At the end of the day, it's all about ratings and closer games = more viewers. I highly doubt the people threatening not to watch this tournament will follow through with that declaration. It's going to be entertaining as heck and a lot more competitive than the Olympics have been.

Slovakia hasn't produced a good NHL player in a while, just looking at facts here. Most of their stars are in their mid-30s already. I'm sure Hossa and Chara are not feeling "disrespected" by having a chance to be competitive in one of these tournaments

They do?

Maybe on paper you'd expect that to be the case, but on the ice that isn't the case at all. I'm not sure where you're getting that from.

 

[snarktacular]

Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha. HAHAHAHAHA.

Blatant money grab. We'll hold our players out of the Olympics and create this franken-event! Host it in Toronto, so we can charge $500 a ticket! Oh, and make backup teams so we can include as many stars as possible!

 

[AngelDuck]

It's well documented that Slovakia isn't churning out nearly as much talent as they used to. I don't see the relevance to stats from 5 years ago. For whatever reason they've hit a major bump in the development road.

Other than Tatar I don't see one promising young player for them. I realize Chara and Hossa (Gaborik too) have had great careers but they are closing in on 40 by the time 2016 rolls around. So I'd be extremely surprised if they could be competitive if they had their own team. They'd be icing guys that are career European league players against NHL all stars. At least with Team Europe they'll be able to put an entire team of NHL players out there making it way more fun to watch