I'd like to see the this infrequent tournament do something creative, like create a European Union team and just have it Canada, USA, EU, and Russia
just have 4 powerhouses duke it out, and because it'd be a shorter tournament, it would be easier to schedule
plus having a EU team would give guys like Vanek and Kopitar (for example) some time to be in a major intl. tournament
yeah, lets just give the gold medal to the EU then. you're seriously undercutting those teams... if it was even 2002, the EU team would basically be handed the gold medal at the Olympic tournament, regardless of what my fellow countrymen would tell you.
I agree it sucks for the very few players that are good players... if you want to have a Euro team, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Slovakia can absolutely not be in it. would make a foolery out of their national teams.
reasons why: Since the first "best on best" world tournament,
Finland has won 2 bronze and 1 silver at the olympics tournament, and placed second at the 2004 World Cup.
Sweden won Gold at the 2006 olympics, and placed third at the 1996 World Cup for all intents and purposes.
Czech Republic won their epic Gold Medal at the 1998 olympics, won the 2005 world championship (which was a best on best because of the lockout), and placed third at the 2004 World Cup.
Slovakia has won a world championship (yes not best on best) but I think it's a pretty indisputable fact that Slovakia is the only other country that can currently be classified in the same league as the "big 6 hockey nations"
so yeah, your team EU idea is fine, it's composed of player from countries like Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria, Belarus, Ukraine, Norway... ect. and obviously this wouldn't work for the Olympics at all, and definitely not the world championships.
also take into account that Switzerland and Norway are not part of the the EU. as with many other hockey countries in europe.
So it would have to be called "team Europe" and would include a **** ton of different countries, talk about a confusing dressing room.
I really don't see how the governments of each country couldn't at least organize more international games. You guys are way too nostalgic about cold war animosities if you actually think the current climate of increased globalization wouldn't support more international hockey events...
If single countries host the tournament, it will happen more often, and will end up costing a lot less money. It's just hosting hockey games in the many rinks found in your country... not exactly expensive stuff here, unless you go all out with the celebrations or something. It's not like people are walking in to watch these games for free!
I'm telling you man, almost every other forum usually hear nothing about hockey in the sports section. Olympics roll around and even the WJC's and people are talking about it. but especially the olympics, i've never seen Americans so into, whole tournament long.
If Bettman really wants to grow Hockey in America, he needs to let people cheer on team USA as much as possible... typical New Yorker bias.