Some details about the World Cup...

[UsernameWasTaken]

Pierre LeBrun was just discussing this on TSN.

He said that it will be held in September - but likely in 2016 (not 2015). That when they announce it, they are going to probably announce the timing of multiple world cups.

...also, he said that the World Cup would probably be a 1-city event rather than spreading games over multiple cities.

Click to read more...

 

[Random Forest]

That's awesome news to hear. I know everyone will get all hot and bothered that it's not the Olympics, but as far as I'm concerned, this will be better.

The tournament should be in September. Not February. Letting these teams build up to the tournament together, train with each other, host training camps in the weeks leading up to it will build the camaraderie that the Olympics teams of the past had. Let these guys actually take time to become teammates instead of throwing them all together at the last minute like it's the all-star game.

Not to mention, the build up will be a big part in getting the players emotionally jacked up for the tournament. With the Olympics, you go from playing regular season game #46 to a huge Olympic game in less than a handful of days. That's a huge change in a players frame of mind in so little time. There's a reason why the playoffs are so high intensity: the season builds up the anticipation, and the players let it all out in the intensity of playoff hockey. I think we'll get more of that with a tournament that gives the players time to get emotionally prepared for it.


And that doesn't begin to touch on the benefits on the business side of things which are, of course, numerous as well. Other than the fact that it doesn't (yet) have the allure of the Olympics, I can't see much negative about this.

 

[His Beardliness*]

If they plan to replace the olympics with this meaningless cashgrab tournament for the NHL I hope the IIHF doesn't participate.

 

[enthusiast]

Anything's better group play into single elimination

 

[Luigi Habs]

Looks like it will be in Toronto in 2016

 

[Random Forest]

If they plan to replace the olympics with this meaningless cashgrab tournament for the NHL I hope the IIHF doesn't participate.

If it was a meaningless cash grab, then you would have seen it consistently while the NHL was participating in the Olympics. With the NHL out of the Olympics, this is the only best on best we can get. How is that meaningless?

 

[Butcher]

If it was a meaningless cash grab, then you would have seen it consistently while the NHL was participating in the Olympics. With the NHL out of the Olympics, this is the only best on best we can get. How is that meaningless?

Do you have a source for the NHL being out of the Olympics?

Not surprised at all for the NHL led venture to be cutting into the seasons of the European leagues with a September start. Whether or not it really is a best on best remains to be seen.

 

[Random Forest]

Do you have a source for the NHL being out of the Olympics?

Not surprised at all for the NHL led venture to be cutting into the seasons of the European leagues with a September start. Whether or not it really is a best on best remains to be seen.

Sorry, I was just working off the guy's premise that they're replacing the Olympics with the World Cup.


That said, I can't see them bringing back the World Cup and sending players to the Olympics. Doesn't make much sense. There's just not enough to get out of games that are in South Korea. Makes more sense just to do it on their own terms in conjunction with the IIHF.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

The Olympics aren't a meaningless cash grab? No cities even want to host it anymore because of the crippling debt and waste

 

[Butcher]

Sorry, I was just working off the guy's premise that they're replacing the Olympics with the World Cup.


That said, I can't see them bringing back the World Cup and sending players to the Olympics. Doesn't make much sense. There's just not enough to get out of games that are in South Korea. Makes more sense just to do it on their own terms in conjunction with the IIHF.

It does make more sense from the view of the NHL owners, but it might not from the point of view of the players. I think that if the NHL tries to skip the Olympics they will have to fight the NHLPA over it.

 

[Xokkeu]

No European based players means this tournament is even worse than the IIHF World's. They better have the KHL onboard otherwise this is just going to be a preseason tune up for the guys who play in it.

I want this tournament to succeed and I understand why they are dropping the thing in Toronto, because the arenas will be full and North Americans will watch. But if they think they can just ignore the rest of the world and do whatever they want, it will be ugly.

 

[Gaps]

It doesn't look like the NHL is interested in becoming more popular in Europe. No more season premieres in major European cities and now no home games for European teams in the World Cup and possibly no KHL players either (I personally believe that e.g the Finnish Elite League would let its players go regardless of the timing, if the federation tells them to do so).

A possible partial solution would be for European teams to play their games in the afternoon so most people could watch but I doubt it as it could have a negative outcome in NA and they don't seem to care about anybody else.

 

[xxxx]

That's awesome news to hear. I know everyone will get all hot and bothered that it's not the Olympics, but as far as I'm concerned, this will be better.

The tournament should be in September. Not February. Letting these teams build up to the tournament together, train with each other, host training camps in the weeks leading up to it will build the camaraderie that the Olympics teams of the past had. Let these guys actually take time to become teammates instead of throwing them all together at the last minute like it's the all-star game.

Not to mention, the build up will be a big part in getting the players emotionally jacked up for the tournament. With the Olympics, you go from playing regular season game #46 to a huge Olympic game in less than a handful of days. That's a huge change in a players frame of mind in so little time. There's a reason why the playoffs are so high intensity: the season builds up the anticipation, and the players let it all out in the intensity of playoff hockey. I think we'll get more of that with a tournament that gives the players time to get emotionally prepared for it.


And that doesn't begin to touch on the benefits on the business side of things which are, of course, numerous as well. Other than the fact that it doesn't (yet) have the allure of the Olympics, I can't see much negative about this.

Well said.

 

[xxxx]

No European based players means this tournament is even worse than the IIHF World's. They better have the KHL onboard otherwise this is just going to be a preseason tune up for the guys who play in it.

I want this tournament to succeed and I understand why they are dropping the thing in Toronto, because the arenas will be full and North Americans will watch. But if they think they can just ignore the rest of the world and do whatever they want, it will be ugly.

I'm an optimist here. I'm sure NHL and KHL will find a way to talk with each other.


Even without KHL is ridiculous to think it would be worse than WHC. But I believe the KHL players will be there. And if someone won't care about the tournament, be it. So what? Players will care and that's what matters. I would encourage a don't-care-person to try to talk to their star player in their country (Rinne, Ovechkin, Krejci, Chara) and say to them that ' I don't care about the tournament '. It's basically what's happening when someone says he doesn't care. It just really sounds weird.

 

[alko]

How many teams?

8? Who will be there Slovakia or Swiss?

 

[lamini]

Even without KHL is ridiculous to think it would be worse than WHC.

It depends - in case it'll be NHL only and all Europeans leagues ignore it you'll have what? 3 national team (Can, USA, Swe) and team world? Also if it's NHL only, who will be coaches of those teams?
Ofc if only KHL ignores it, it'll be stronger than WHC is now.

 

[SwissLeaf]

How many teams?

8? Who will be there Slovakia or Swiss?

Both, if there are 8 teams:

Canada
Sweden
Finland
Russia
USA
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland

 

[alko]

Both, if there are 8 teams:

Canada
Sweden
Finland
Russia
USA
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland

True. I meant Germany and wrote Swiss. I nead a break ...

 

[Rekin]

I hope that the NHL understands how declaring things unilaterally will only result in everyone's plans failing, they need the IIHF for this as much as the international federation needs the NHL for the Olympics.

 

[Macman]

I hope that the NHL understands how declaring things unilaterally will only result in everyone's plans failing, they need the IIHF for this as much as the international federation needs the NHL for the Olympics.

I can't imagine anyone would plan a World Cup without knowing whether or not other countries will show up with their best players. There's no point otherwise.

A best-on-best every two years would be awesome, as long as the NHL stays in the Olympics too. It would be awfully short-sighted if they don't. I'm convinced the NHL wouldn't be considering pulling out of the Olympics had U.S. won gold in Sochi.

 

[cutchemist42]

Feels like an NHL cash grab out of Canadians' wallets, because there's no way this tournament gains any traction anywhere else.

A glorified exhibition folks, hope you can somehow enjoy it.

 

[Canuckistani]

I'm glad the World Cup is coming back, but dissappointed that it's abandoning the multiple-countries format of 1996 and 2004.

Part of what made the World Cup so unique was the fact that we'd get to see Sweden-Finland in Stockholm and Russia-USA in Minnesota. It gave the event a worldly feel and added some excitement to having a home crowd for most games.

Watching those games in Toronto in front of a non-sellout crowd of indifferent fans just won't be the same.

EDIT: it's worth noting that every single Canada Cup and World Cup had exhibition games leading up the event which were played all over the place - Helsinki, Galve, Stockholm, Goteborg, Plzen, Zlin, Moscow, Turku, Bratislava, Cologne, Prague, and a host of NA cities all hosted games at some point.

 

[Canuckistani]

In terms of format I'd like to see all eight teams in one pool (like the pools at the recent WHCs), which in the World Cup would allow every team to play the others at least once. It always sucks when there's a best-on-best event in which a huge rivalry doesn't get a game.

Bottom two teams are eliminated, which add some meaning to the round robin, and the top two get a bye to the SF (like the group winners in 1996). Positions 3-6 play two QF's (3 vs 6, 4 vs 5) to advance to the Semis. Then, ideally, a best-of-three final, but time contraints probably wouldn't allow it.

 

[Kalzu]

Part of what made the World Cup so unique was the fact that we'd get to see Sweden-Finland in Stockholm and Russia-USA in Minnesota. It gave the event a worldly feel and added some excitement to having a home crowd for most games.

I also loved that format. It was more like league playoffs rather than a major championship as one team was always playing home (with the exception of RUS-SVK). They could just call it the Canada Cup as long as it's played only in Canada.

 

[Canuckistani]

A glorified exhibition folks, hope you can somehow enjoy it.

The event's status will ultimately be determined by who shows up.

If the best players are there (as they overwhelmingly were in 1996 and 2004) then that's all that matters. Europeans can ignore it if they want; their loss.