2026 best on best?

[Czechboy]

Seems encouraging?

I hate the 2025 idea for so many reasons but I really hope it ends in a Sweden vs Finland final.lol

Click to read more...

 

[Czechboy]

And if true.. 2026 is a bit soon for the Czechs to have a medal chance... best hope is that by that February that Kulich and Jiricek are cemented as full timers and doing well!

D core still won't be ready IMO

Jiricek, Hronek, Gudas would be the only 3 'guaranteed' NHL players but we may have a bunch of guys very close in 2026 - Rutta may still be around. Svozil feels like the 2nd closest Dman after Jiricek to me. Spacek should be close by then. So should Dvorak. Too early for the Badinka's, Jiricek Jrs and Galvas. Maybe Hamara. It's such a crapshoot.

Just such a wide gap between Hronek and Jiricek.. that is the age group we need in the NHL today. Good D older than Jiricek and younger than Hronek. 21 tp 25 year old D's today.. we don't have any.lol So if your nation does have good 21 to 25 year old NHL D's today.. then you are looking good!

 

[Czechboy]

According to Czech media .. the 4 nations thing will be held in Boston and Montreal.

 

[Play]

Seems encouraging?

I hate the 2025 idea for so many reasons but I really hope it ends in a Sweden vs Finland final.lol

Hey Czech can we please sticky this thread on the main page for today? It such big news! I understand if not

But anyways back to the topic, HOLY JUMPIN IM EXCITED

 

[Czechboy]

Hey Czech can we please sticky this thread on the main page for today? It such big news! I understand if not

But anyways back to the topic, HOLY JUMPIN IM EXCITED

I opened one up on the 'mains'.

Weird thing but the international crowd and the NHL crowd view international hockey very differently.lol

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Lllllfffggg!

 

[Play]

I opened one up on the 'mains'.

Weird thing but the international crowd and the NHL crowd view international hockey very differently.lol

Thank you!!! Also agreed lol

 

[jigglysquishy]

Not at all interested in the 2025 farce, but the 2026 Olympics is very very exciting.

 

[therealdeal]

Boys were back!!!

Looking forward to all your rosters, and then getting to see it all happen in 2026!!

Let me know if this is against the rules, but would love to see Russia there as well. But I will remove the statement if it leads to unhelpful posts and discussions.

 

[Czechboy]

Not at all interested in the 2025 farce, but the 2026 Olympics is very very exciting.

I'll be skipping 2025 because I'm pissy about Czechs. However, that should be some incredible hockey! I'm dying to see the Finns awesome generation finally all in one spot. Swedes have no flaws. US is the paper champion and Canada is Canada. No blowouts and should be incredible hockey.

Could also be a great foreshadow for those Olympics.. eg. whoever wins it will, maybe unfairly, be the fav going into the Olympics.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Without Russia, it will still be less funny. I would have liked to see the best tournament in the history of hockey.

 

[Czechboy]

Without Russia, it will still be less funny. I would have liked to see the best tournament in the history of hockey.

It already happened... 1998!

 

[SantosHalper]

YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!! Thank you Gary Bettman and the rest of the crooked IIHF individuals!!!!!

Artturi Lehkonen - Alexander Barkov(A) - Mikko Rantanen
Teuvo Teräväinen - Sebastian Aho(A) - Patrik Laine
Matias Maccelli - Roope Hintz - Mikael Granlund(C)
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Erik Haula
Eeli Tolvanen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Miro Heiskanen - Henri Jokiharju
Esa Lindell - Jani Hakanpää
Niko Mikkola - Rasmus Ristolainen
Mikko Lehtonen - Olli Määttä

Juuse Saros
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Kaapo Kähkönen

And Pendo behind the bench, the gold is ours!!!

 

[Czechboy]

YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!! Thank you Gary Bettman and the rest of the crooked IIHF individuals!!!!!

Artturi Lehkonen - Alexander Barkov(A) - Mikko Rantanen
Teuvo Teräväinen - Sebastian Aho(A) - Patrik Laine
Matias Maccelli - Roope Hintz - Mikael Granlund(C)
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Erik Haula
Eeli Tolvanen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Miro Heiskanen - Henri Jokiharju
Esa Lindell - Jani Hakanpää
Niko Mikkola - Rasmus Ristolainen
Mikko Lehtonen - Olli Määttä

Juuse Saros
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Kaapo Kähkönen

And Pendo behind the bench, the gold is ours!!!

This team will be criminally underrated going in. They would be a nightmare to play for everyone including Canada and US. People will look at the paper rosters and say they are weaker but they won't be. No real weakness and great team play. If Laine gets back to form after his leave then it'd be even worse!

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This team will be criminally underrated going in. They would be a nightmare to play for everyone including Canada and US. People will look at the paper rosters and say they are weaker but they won't be. No real weakness and great team play. If Laine gets back to form after his leave then it'd be even worse!

I think that defense is a weakness. After Heiskanen it drops off a lot.

In the last few years I think Russia's defense has surpassed them. Heiskanen is the best defenseman of the two teams, but I think Russia has a better supporting cast on defense.

Then again, virtually everyone has weaknesses, so they could still end up the winners.

 

[Czechboy]

I think that defense is a weakness. After Heiskanen it drops off a lot.

In the last few years I think Russia's defense has surpassed them. Heiskanen is the best defenseman of the two teams, but I think Russia has a better supporting cast on defense.

Then again, virtually everyone has weaknesses, so they could still end up the winners.

For sure... On paper.. the d is a notch below. But you give heisk 25 minutes in the elimination game and most their forwards are back checking demons and the goalie is amazing.

The combo of players and gameplay is what makes them strong. And they've repeatedly shown that at best on best Olympics with weaker squads than this one.

 

[Lambo]

I think that defense is a weakness. After Heiskanen it drops off a lot.

In the last few years I think Russia's defense has surpassed them. Heiskanen is the best defenseman of the two teams, but I think Russia has a better supporting cast on defense.

Then again, virtually everyone has weaknesses, so they could still end up the winners.

Now the great strength of the defense lies in the defensive game, which will probably be almost flawless. Finland's biggest weakness is that of the offense defenders, where only Heiskanen is absolutely top. But it's a short tournament and it's important to make as few mistakes as possible. A great strength for Finland has always been + strong offensive now.

 

[SantosHalper]

I think that defense is a weakness. After Heiskanen it drops off a lot.

In the last few years I think Russia's defense has surpassed them. Heiskanen is the best defenseman of the two teams, but I think Russia has a better supporting cast on defense.

Then again, virtually everyone has weaknesses, so they could still end up the winners.

True but luckily for us, our game system supports defense very well.

 

[JackSlater]

2026 Olympics with the best players there could be great and I hope it happens. The 2025 thing doesn't interest me at all, but it seems less offensive than the garbage 2016 world cup. I'd probably not watch it but I wouldn't be particularly annoyed by it either.

The 2026 Olympic tournament if everyone is there would almost certainly be the most wide open best on best ever in terms of talent, for a variety of reasons.

 

[Joe Zanussi]

There’s a lot of people saying they wont watch 2025….we’ll see.

 

[llwyd]

The 2026 Olympic tournament if everyone is there would almost certainly be the most wide open best on best ever in terms of talent, for a variety of reasons.

Barring miracles, if "everyone" will be there, Finland won't be. Likely not Sweden or the Czech Republic either.

 

[Czechboy]

There’s a lot of people saying they wont watch 2025….we’ll see.

I actually think it'll be a hit and a big success. That Canada vs US match is a decade in the making! Once people see McD vs Matthews they will tune in in droves.

I'm picking Finland and then a lot of arguing till the 2026 Olympics.lol

Eg. if Canada wins it.. is that 4 best on bests in a row? Or does it not count and is an 'asterisk' tournament? What if Canada loses it and US wins it... can they say they won a best on best since 1996? Would they be the new kings on top?

The arguments will be hillarious. Sweden wins and do they get to add that to their Olympic best on best? What about Finn's? Can they say they won a best on best.

Does this thing have more signficance than a Skoda? I'm honestly not sure and I obviously, have a pissy attitude since my people were left behind.lol

 

[Albatros]

2025 is like the Euro Hockey Tour with better players.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

There’s a lot of people saying they wont watch 2025….we’ll see.

First time to see mens international hockey games, best on best, since 2014 ? I think it will be a good warm up. Fans will watch cause it's just tantalizing.

 

[JackSlater]

Barring miracles, if "everyone" will be there, Finland won't be. Likely not Sweden or the Czech Republic either.

Yeah I'm aware. It brings things down somewhat, though I'm not completely convinced that those countries will actually pull out if Russia is there. Unfortunately the 2016 world cup was garbage and the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were irrelevant.

I do hope that these tournaments can work as a sort of wake up call regarding Canadian hockey in general. Things have been slipping for quite some time and a lack of best on best hockey has allowed some to keep their heads in the sand. Under normal circumstances I expect it would have happened in 2022 when a Canadian roster for that tournament would have been significantly worse than what would have been a loaded 2018 roster.