World Cup: Is international hockey dead (or too boring to resuscitate)?

[Yakushev72]

In order to be a sport, there has to be some sense of competition. There has to be some sense that there is more than one competitor who could at least make a competition interesting, to have some justifiable basis for modest suspense. The World Cup tournament completed yesterday only served to prove what everyone already knew! There is no competition in world hockey, and in fact, the state of hockey in every country in the World other than Canada is so deficient and devoid of quality that only a tournament showcasing the so-called vanguard of the sport, the NHL, could portray how empty the vessel is!

It is telling that the play of national teams other than Canada in the tournament, particularly the USA, was so pathetic that only hybrid teams of all-stars could put together enough talent and skill to offer a half-ass challenge to Canada to come close to winning a game. Why in the world would anyone want to put these teams through the same meat grinder again? They were helpless to defend themselves, and it made the product of the NHL, hockey, look defective by association. It looked like an orgy of feasting on the poor, pathetic unfortunates!

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[JackSlater]

Quite a bit of hand wringing there. In any given game there are several teams that can beat Canada out in a one game elimination setting. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Sky04]

Yes, just forego international events, the Olympics 2018 will be no different than this tournament with an even less challanging opponent for Canada in the finals.
No point paying all that money, risking injury etc just to see Canada dominate everyone again. Am I right?

I find it ironic that people want players to go to the 2018 Olympics but then say this tournament is boring because Canada is too good.

 

[Xokkeu]

Hockey is still one of the more competitive international sports, if not the most competitive North American sport. Much more competitive than basketball. Baseball is hard to tell because the USA team at the WBC is always such ****, but realistically it might rival hockey as the Cubans, Dominicans, Japanese, Venezuelans, can all rival the Americans.


Regardless, if you want to kill hockey as an international sport, then go ahead and don't have international hockey. Although why as a hockey fan you would want less people to like your sport makes no sense

 

[BruinLVGA]

In order to be a sport, there has to be some sense of competition. There has to be some sense that there is more than one competitor who could at least make a competition interesting, to have some justifiable basis for modest suspense. The World Cup tournament completed yesterday only served to prove what everyone already knew! There is no competition in world hockey, and in fact, the state of hockey in every country in the World other than Canada is so deficient and devoid of quality that only a tournament showcasing the so-called vanguard of the sport, the NHL, could portray how empty the vessel is!

It is telling that the play of national teams other than Canada in the tournament, particularly the USA, was so pathetic that only hybrid teams of all-stars could put together enough talent and skill to offer a half-ass challenge to Canada to come close to winning a game. Why in the world would anyone want to put these teams through the same meat grinder again? They were helpless to defend themselves, and it made the product of the NHL, hockey, look defective by association. It looked like an orgy of feasting on the poor, pathetic unfortunates!

Solution: Canada should create their own national league / tournaments where only Canadians can play and not participate to any competition outside their borders. That way they wouldn't have to endure the duress of seeing other lesser teams. Problem solved.

PS: let me guess... You are Canadian, aren't you?

 

[Macman]

International hockey is much more competitive now than it's ever been.

 

[Bear12Good]

International hockey is much more competitive now than it's ever been.

Canada hockey= USA basketball?

 

[Yakushev72]

The performance of the national teams of the USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czechs was so pathetic that it begs the question as to why you would organize a tournament in the home country of, and in front of the fans of, the team that would obviously be nearly 100% certain to go undefeated and win yet another monotonous variation of the same tournament that gets replayed over and over again.

How embarrassing must it have been for the USA to have their national team mercilessly victimized by predators who were themselves pathetic? There will be a WC every year, and an Olympics every 4 years, that will have a variation of the same format. That's fine, but don't voluntary contrive a public horse whipping to shame the other feckless hockey nations.

 

[Macman]

Canada hockey= USA basketball?

No way. Canada is on a great run right now because of a generation of great players that was at the heart of the 2005 world junior champs. When they're gone it will likely be a different story. The U.S. is producing as many top prospects right now as Canada is, and the problems the Russians are having won't last forever. Canada beat Finland 11-2 at the '76 Canada Cup. Those days are long over.

 

[Orange Dragon]

International hockey is much more competitive now than it's ever been.

Maybe for countries ranked between #2 and #20. Top 7 was most competetive in 00's. Slovaks, Czechs and Russians regressed a lot lately.

 

[JackSlater]

Solution: Canada should create their own national league / tournaments where only Canadians can play and not participate to any competition outside their borders. That way they wouldn't have to endure the duress of seeing other lesser teams. Problem solved.

PS: let me guess... You are Canadian, aren't you?

That has to be a first.

 

[gwh]

Canada hockey= USA basketball?

Basketball is basically a US only sport. Places like Finland/Sweden etc it is really back of the bus.

Think men's volley ball in the US so you get an idea where basketball is in the sports world.

 

[Xokkeu]

Basketball is basically a US only sport. Places like Finland/Sweden etc it is really back of the bus.

Think men's volley ball in the US so you get an idea where basketball is in the sports world.

Basketball is more popular than hockey. One simply needs to look at participation numbers around the world and NBA tv ratings. The NBA has a player from every continent in the league.

 

[Macman]

PS: let me guess... You are Canadian, aren't you?

With a name like Yakushev72????

 

[Atas2000]

The NHL makes it boring with screwing up the World Cup format and continous quarrels over Olypics participation AND of course not adjusting to the World Championship.

 

[Yedim]

Basketball is basically a US only sport. Places like Finland/Sweden etc it is really back of the bus.

Think men's volley ball in the US so you get an idea where basketball is in the sports world.

This isn't true at all.

 

[Confucius]

Just kick Canada out so the rest can have a chance.

 

[BruinLVGA]

With a name like Yakushev72????

Yeah I have "Bruin" in my nickname, therefore I must surely be American.

 

[jj cale]

That has to be a first.

I almost choked on my sandwich when I saw that.

 

[Jussi]

Yes. Finland is too dominant in juniors, while Canada is too good at senior level.

 

[Westcoasthabsfan]

In order to be a sport, there has to be some sense of competition. There has to be some sense that there is more than one competitor who could at least make a competition interesting, to have some justifiable basis for modest suspense. The World Cup tournament completed yesterday only served to prove what everyone already knew! There is no competition in world hockey, and in fact, the state of hockey in every country in the World other than Canada is so deficient and devoid of quality that only a tournament showcasing the so-called vanguard of the sport, the NHL, could portray how empty the vessel is!

It is telling that the play of national teams other than Canada in the tournament, particularly the USA, was so pathetic that only hybrid teams of all-stars could put together enough talent and skill to offer a half-ass challenge to Canada to come close to winning a game. Why in the world would anyone want to put these teams through the same meat grinder again? They were helpless to defend themselves, and it made the product of the NHL, hockey, look defective by association. It looked like an orgy of feasting on the poor, pathetic unfortunates!

Its boring when the same country wins all the time. Canada is head and shoulders above anybody else and probably couldve iced two teams and they wouldve played each other for the WC title.

 

[engg84]

Canada will give the world an ideal to strive towards. You will race behind us. You will stumble. You will fall. But in time, you will join us in the sun. In time, we will help you accomplish wonders.

 

[Westcoasthabsfan]

Yes. Finland is too dominant in juniors, while Canada is too good at senior level.

Yeah okay....

 

[gwh]

Basketball is more popular than hockey. One simply needs to look at participation numbers around the world and NBA tv ratings. The NBA has a player from every continent in the league.

Everything is more popular than hockey. This needs a fridge with ice in it to practice.

Soccer/cricket/atheletics/Rugby and tennis are probably ahead of basketball.

Here is an overview.http://i.imgur.com/7dTGn8y.jpg

 

[Xokkeu]

Everything is more popular than hockey. This needs a fridge with ice in it to practice.

Soccer/cricket/atheletics/Rugby and tennis are probably ahead of basketball.

Here is an overview.http://i.imgur.com/7dTGn8y.jpg

That image is unattributed and really doesn't show anything.