World Cup: I think there is a good possibility that we'll see a new World Cup in 2023

[Janvonpobben]

I am calling an early September world cup in 2023 hosted in an American city. No gimmick teams.

NHL probably wants to make up for the Olympics fiasco and give one final shot to players like Crosby and Ovechkin.

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[Buck Naked]

Yes. NHL would not wanna miss the opportunity to market its best players in a best-on-best tournament for 10+ years. They gotta do something.

 

[Gold Standard]

Just don't put it near the Canadian border. I hope Bettman and the rest of the 'deep thinkers' on Avenue of the Americas have the stones to put this in the sun belt somewhere.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

I am calling an early September world cup in 2023 hosted in an American city. No gimmick teams.

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I understand it always being in North America when it was the Canada Cup, but honestly, if it’s going to call itself the World Cup then every second iteration should be played in Europe. Otherwise call it the NHL Nations Cup

 

[rocketman588]

Just don't put it near the Canadian border. I hope Bettman and the rest of the 'deep thinkers' on Avenue of the Americas have the stones to put this in the sun belt somewhere.

Why so 800 people can attend?

The world cup of honey hockey is dumb why would we reward betteman with cash

 

[Canuckistani]

After the pathetic joke teams of 2016, the sabotaging of Team USA, and the irrelevant Canada-Europe final, I simply don't trust the NHL to organize such an event.

 

[Statsy]

I understand it always being in North America when it was the Canada Cup, but honestly, if it’s going to call itself the World Cup then every second iteration should be played in Europe. Otherwise call it the NHL Nations Cup

The World Championship has been in North America once in the last century, so....

 

[Statsy]

There is no question that the NHL is going to get the World Cup going again. It’s become pretty clear that they need a best-on-best that’s under their control. It used to be a meaningful tournament, but it only has meaning if you hold it regularly. This once a decade nonsense has seriously sabotaged its reputation. As for the gimmick teams, the plan was only ever for that to happen that one time, so I don’t really think people need to worry about that this time around.

 

[Voight]

There is no question that the NHL is going to get the World Cup going again. It’s become pretty clear that they need a best-on-best that’s under their control. It used to be a meaningful tournament, but it only has meaning if you hold it regularly. This once a decade nonsense has seriously sabotaged its reputation. As for the gimmick teams, the plan was only ever for that to happen that one time, so I don’t really think people need to worry about that this time around.

Canada Cup used to be fairly often, every 4 or 5 years up until 1996. Then they waited until 2004 to have another one (my guess is it was because they had best on best play in 98 + 02 Olympics). Never understood the 12 year gap after that, especially because Bettman hates the Olympics. & I think they had the 2016 one because the league knew they wouldn't allow the players to play in PyeongChang

 

[chauron]

2024 feels more likely, they usually are on even years and going forward it’d have a good 2 year gap until next olympics

Epidemic situation in 2024 might be better than now

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Personally, for a World Cup to have a true "World Cup" feel to it and legitimacy, it has to be moved the heck out of Toronto. Or have multiple hosts before playing the final in Toronto. Holding it here in Toronto seems like a cheesy cash grab with no true nationalistic pride attached to the tournament.

 

[Alfie11]

You can't go back in time. The Canada Cup was a great concept for a time before NHLers went to the Olympics. The Olympics are the place for best on best for winter sports. An NHL tourney would be a B movie version of that.

If they do another NHL tourney, I welcome the "gimmicks". Team North America and their dark sweaters were the best thing about the last tourney.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Just don't put it near the Canadian border. I hope Bettman and the rest of the 'deep thinkers' on Avenue of the Americas have the stones to put this in the sun belt somewhere.

Rio De Janeiro baby! They don't close for anything in Brazil! There's gotta be a rink there somewhere.

But seriously, it should be gold-medal contenders only:

• Canada
• USA
• Russia
• Sweden
• Finland

Round robin and then best-of-three playoffs for the top-4. Make every game count. Sorry Swiss, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Belarus.

 

[ACC1224]

As long as NHLers go to the Olympics the World Cup will always be more of an exhibition than a meaningful tournament.
Go back to non NHLers in the Olympics and hold a true World Cup

 

[DeysArena]

2024 feels more likely, they usually are on even years and going forward it’d have a good 2 year gap until next olympics

Epidemic situation in 2024 might be better than now

I agree that 2024 is more plausible. However, Bettman doesn't want a gap with the Olympics; he wants an excuse not to got to the Olympics.

 

[DeysArena]

Canada Cup used to be fairly often, every 4 or 5 years up until 1996. Then they waited until 2004 to have another one (my guess is it was because they had best on best play in 98 + 02 Olympics). Never understood the 12 year gap after that, especially because Bettman hates the Olympics. & I think they had the 2016 one because the league knew they wouldn't allow the players to play in PyeongChang

The 2004 World Cup happened because Bettman wasn't planning to return to the Olympics after Salt Lake City and he wanted to reestablish the World Cup as a regular event. Once Vancouver was named the host city for 2010, everyone knew that the NHL would continue participating in the Olympics. The only reason that it wasn't cancelled is that the final was played the day before the collective bargaining agreement expired, and both the league and the union wanted to use event revenues to build up their reserves.

2016 was the same story. Bettman didn't want to go to Pyeongchang and he wanted the World Cup to replace it as the top international hockey event. Its relative lack of success convinced the NHL to revisit Olympic participation.

 

[MaxV]

I voted no. I don't think owners would be for it. The players might want it but I don't think they'll push for it as hard as the OG.

 

[Panteras]

The World Cup is what the NHL should be going for anyways as best on best tournament like soccer does.

Although I do understand the reasonings behind wanting hockey to be at the Olympics instead of doing their own WC.

Soccer can get away with brushing off the Olympics because soccer is king, while hockey is such a niche sport it still needs the Olympics to garner true international attention.

 

[snipes]

Just don't put it near the Canadian border. I hope Bettman and the rest of the 'deep thinkers' on Avenue of the Americas have the stones to put this in the sun belt somewhere.

Do it in Dallas or Tampa which have shockingly become States of reason in these crazy times. I don’t even think they’d be testing asymptomatic double vaccinated players.

 

[Gold Standard]

Do it in Dallas or Tampa which have shockingly become States of reason in these crazy times. I don’t even think they’d be testing asymptomatic double vaccinated players.

My point has nothing to do with covid restrictions/protocols. Just not interested in the NHL gouging Canadian hockey fans for another bogus tournament. You just know they'll do gimmicky teams. Stick in the sun belt far away from the border or play it in Europe.

 

[Stephen]

Watching Bettman's NHL for the past 3 decades has trained me to be an armchair lawyer and accountant.

I wonder if World Cup revenues would count towards the amount players are indebted to the owners for. Maybe that would increase the likelihood of this event taking place.

 

[snipes]

My point has nothing to do with covid restrictions/protocols. Just not interested in the NHL gouging Canadian hockey fans for another bogus tournament. You just know they'll do gimmicky teams. Stick in the sun belt far away from the border or play it in Europe.

I’ve lost pretty much all respect I’ve had for Hockey Canada through this debacle.

The emails and the tone they took towards people who purchased the ticket packages when the 50 percent capacity was announced was sickening and an omen for things to come.

Add in the hotels they put these kids in with bloody wedding parties going on simultaneously is beyond stupidity.

 

[Czechboy]

Only if you announce the next one in 2027 as well. And 2031.

One best in best isn't the solution imo. A plan to make best on best a normal occurence like it is in every sport (but baseball) would be great.

Sadly... If Bettman doesn't profit it won't happen so make it NHL centric. Also, not in summer. Taking away that a lot of euros have to fly in ... Dryland training is a much bigger thing these days. Most guys workout like crazy in summer to get ready for the season. This isn't the 80s where guys showed up to camp out of shape and worked their way into shape. Also... A guy like Stamkos wins the cup on June 30th and then is expected to play a best on best in August followed by an 82 game schedule and another playoff run?

To me it's simple... Plan A is Olympics as it has worked but NHL doesn't profit. Plan B is world Cup but in place of an all star break every 4 years and give a longer break every 4 years.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

No, owners don't want to risk injury to their best/most valuable players in a meaningless tournament. Last world cup attempts failed to generate the interest/excitement to justify this risk imo and I don't think owners will think anything will be different this time.

 

[ACC1224]

No, owners don't want to risk injury to their best/most valuable players in a meaningless tournament. Last world cup attempts failed to generate the interest/excitement to justify this risk imo and I don't think owners will think anything will be different this time.

Owners like money though. Every team will get a share of the pie.