World Cup of Hockey Boycott

[Damisoph]

I'm watching...because life is too short to deny myself things I want to do because of some empty moral stand.

 

[supermann_98]

I'll watch best vs best anytime it's on, especially with team Canada playing.

I disagree with the young stars team and euro team, but it's not like they will be factors for a medal anyways, just like Switzerland or Slovakia wouldn't be.

 

[supermann_98]

If I were Jack Eichel, or, Connor McDavid for that matter, I'd tell the NHL that I'll play for my country, or, I don't play in the tournament at all!

This is stupid that they invited countries to participate, then, tell the young guns they can't play for their respective countries.

Maybe the NHL should have just allowed for more than 1 team per country, where said countries have sufficient quality players to do so.

You have a point. Maybe Eichel or McDavid decide it's not worth it to play these pointless exhibition games and sit out to get ready for their 2nd seasons instead of risking injury playing and not even playing for your country.

 

[MikeBabchuk]

I'll watch best vs best anytime it's on, especially with team Canada playing.

I disagree with the young stars team and euro team, but it's not like they will be factors for a medal anyways, just like Switzerland or Slovakia wouldn't be.

Of course they wouldn't, because hockey is played on paper and not on ice. Teams are handed spots in tournaments or in the playoffs because of what they're supposed to be, rather than earning their spots.

 

[The CyNick]

What happens when Canada and the USA respectively decide that they want McDavid and Eichel on their teams? Who gets first choice on these players? I'd guess the national teams first.

You need to get more educated about the format of the tournament.

 

[The CyNick]

Yeah, it's so special. Let's watch guys play at ~all-star game intensity for a team that was contrived for this pointless cash grab event. Woohoo!

It's also going to be soooo special watching Zdeno Chara proudly represent Team Europe!

The climax will be when Team North America under 23 face team Europe for the prestigious prize in the final of this "World Cup" tournament.

This tournament really does a lot to legitimize the sport of hockey on the global level!

I can't wait.

Maybe you have never seen a Ryder Cup in golf. Players ultimately want to win for their teammates and themselves. Doesn't matter that their individual countries don't have their own team.

This is the first go at what the league hopes is a regular event. The first of any tournament doesn't really mean that much. But in time, when this is the premiere best on best tournament, people will see it on the same level as any other world championship held every 4 years.

You haven't even seen the tournament and you're already burying it because you're negative. I bet by the end of it, those who watch (and lots will), will come away saying it was an awesome tournament.

 

[The CyNick]

I may be in the minority here but I don't mind the limited number of chosen countries and two non national teams. The worst part of the Olympics and WJC are all the games against countries who can't keep up with the likes of Canada, Sweden, U.S. and Russia. This format keeps all the games competitive and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the U23 team that ultimately raises the excitement level of the tournament. They will be fired up to prove themselves against the best in the NHL in what essentially serves as an Olympic/national team audition for 2018. None of the veteran national teams will want to lose to a U-23 team either, so they'll have to bring it as well.

And ya sure the stakes aren't as high as the Olympics and the players won't be in mid-season form but it should still be exciting hockey to watch at a time when there is nothing else.

My thoughts exactly.

The people who would rather see Switzerland vs Slovakia instead of Team Euro vs U23NA should just pop in a tape of the world championships in the spring - that's the tournament for those people.

This tournament maximizes the number of NHL players involved and makes all the games ultra competitive.

I am very excited to see what the U23NA team looks like and how they perform on the ice. Should be something special that we never see again.

 

[The CyNick]

What are they playing for? A cup? An Olympic gold medal? I don't see anything special about playing for nothing. Though I suppose it would be special to watch McDavid and Karlsson play together too but that won't ever happen.

Like any competition. It's for a cup/trophy/medal that at first is not all the meaningful, but gains importance as more tournaments pass by.

 

[The CyNick]

Let's not kid ourselves though. What are they actually competing for?

Preseason NHL hockey is also relatively competitive, with, as you mentioned, young guys trying to prove themselves, etc. That sure isn't complimentary of what is supposed to be a major international sporting event--the "World Cup" of Hockey.

This tournament is an embarrassment to the sport.

Is the basketball tournament in the Olympics meaningless because it's contested when players are not in mid season form?

 

[Shwaguy*]

The Leafs are going to celebrate their 100th anniversary by finishing dead last again.

I'm certainly not attending the NHL's WCOH this summer regardless.

No way we're finishing dead last again next year.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Maybe you have never seen a Ryder Cup in golf. Players ultimately want to win for their teammates and themselves. Doesn't matter that their individual countries don't have their own team.

This is the first go at what the league hopes is a regular event. The first of any tournament doesn't really mean that much. But in time, when this is the premiere best on best tournament, people will see it on the same level as any other world championship held every 4 years.

You haven't even seen the tournament and you're already burying it because you're negative. I bet by the end of it, those who watch (and lots will), will come away saying it was an awesome tournament.

This tournament doesn't mean anything because it doesn't fill a need. The best players already play in the Olympics, and they all care more about the Olympics. The Canada Cup meant something when it was the only game in town. If they had played the Canada Cup every 4 years instead of arbitrarily choosing to play whenever they felt like it, then it would have had 40 years of tradition by now, and would have been the first international tournament to fill such a need for a best-on-best. That ship has sailed.

 

[The CyNick]

This tournament doesn't mean anything because it doesn't fill a need. The best players already play in the Olympics, and they all care more about the Olympics. The Canada Cup meant something when it was the only game in town. If they had played the Canada Cup every 4 years instead of arbitrarily choosing to play whenever they felt like it, then it would have had 40 years of tradition by now, and would have been the first international tournament to fill such a need for a best-on-best. That ship has sailed.

I didn't care about the Olympic gold medal for hockey until 98. Since then it's been a huge deal.

The winter olympics especially are in danger of becoming irrelevant. Few cities even want to bid for the games these days. It's unclear if the NHL will be part of future games. It makes sense for the NHL to try to corner the market on best vs best international hockey.

People like you have no vision. The league and the PA both stand to gain huge from this tournament and to make it the premiere best on best tourny.

 

[BayStreetBully]

I didn't care about the Olympic gold medal for hockey until 98. Since then it's been a huge deal.

The winter olympics especially are in danger of becoming irrelevant. Few cities even want to bid for the games these days. It's unclear if the NHL will be part of future games. It makes sense for the NHL to try to corner the market on best vs best international hockey.

People like you have no vision. The league and the PA both stand to gain huge from this tournament and to make it the premiere best on best tourny.

And since 1998, hockey has latched onto the Winter Games' previous 100 years of meaning behind the gold medal. Less cities want to host the Olympics now, but that's true of both summer and winter, and it doesn't make the 100 metre race, swimming or hockey competitions any less relevant. Any European hockey player always preferred the Olympics to the World Cup, and now that's true of Canadians and Americans too.

I don't dispute that the league and the PA stand to gain from this tourney. But only because they can make lots of money. The glory will continue to come from the Olympics as long as they are allowed to play there. Funny how you think I have no vision when it's the World Cup/Canada Cup tournament themselves that had no vision to put on a tournament in 2000 or 2008 or 2012 to have the continuity of a tournament every 4 years. At this point, the NHL can't just slap its stamp on a tournament and make the players care. A new NHL tournament will be as relevant as a startup soccer tournament that wants to replace the FIFA World Cup.

 

[ACC1224]

At the very least they should have changed the name, it's hardly a World Cup anymore.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I'll watch best vs best anytime it's on, especially with team Canada playing.

I disagree with the young stars team and euro team, but it's not like they will be factors for a medal anyways, just like Switzerland or Slovakia wouldn't be.

I will too. But this isn't best vs best.

 

[Jack Bauer]

At the very least they should have changed the name, it's hardly a World Cup anymore.

Agreed. It's embarrassing to call this a World Cup when you see what goes into World Cup for other sports.

Even 'Canada Cup' would have been find. But it's not a World Cup when Canadians are playing against Canadians.

 

[taurine330]

I may be in the minority here but I don't mind the limited number of chosen countries and two non national teams. The worst part of the Olympics and WJC are all the games against countries who can't keep up with the likes of Canada, Sweden, U.S. and Russia. This format keeps all the games competitive and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the U23 team that ultimately raises the excitement level of the tournament. They will be fired up to prove themselves against the best in the NHL in what essentially serves as an Olympic/national team audition for 2018. None of the veteran national teams will want to lose to a U-23 team either, so they'll have to bring it as well.

And ya sure the stakes aren't as high as the Olympics and the players won't be in mid-season form but it should still be exciting hockey to watch at a time when there is nothing else.

I Agree and I like this post, but you conveniently left out Finland from your list. The 2014 Olympic bronze medalist and 2016 WJC Champion.

 

[KLM-Line]

No need to boycott. I got 0% interest in this fabricated wannabe-competition anyway.

 

[Jack Bauer]

This tournament doesn't mean anything because it doesn't fill a need. The best players already play in the Olympics, and they all care more about the Olympics. The Canada Cup meant something when it was the only game in town. If they had played the Canada Cup every 4 years instead of arbitrarily choosing to play whenever they felt like it, then it would have had 40 years of tradition by now, and would have been the first international tournament to fill such a need for a best-on-best. That ship has sailed.

I thought the 04 World Cup was great. Yeah it was a a way for both sides to put money away for the lost season but the format was outstanding.

A true World Cup should involve cities like Toronto, New York, Prague, Helsinki, etc all hosting games.

Technology has only made the world smaller since then so why are we taking even more attempts to make something like this so much more difficult? It felt like the 04 tournament was a template that could be used going forward and instead they never went back to it.

 

[taurine330]

I thought the 04 World Cup was great. Yeah it was a a way for both sides to put money away for the lost season but the format was outstanding.

A true World Cup should involve cities like Toronto, New York, Prague, Helsinki, etc all hosting games.

Technology has only made the world smaller since then so why are we taking even more attempts to make something like this so much more difficult? It felt like the 04 tournament was a template that could be used going forward and instead they never went back to it.

I loved the 04 tournament.

Damn that Canada - Finland final was beautiful ... although we lost

 

[Jack Bauer]

I loved the 04 tournament.

Damn that Canada - Finland final was beautiful ... although we lost

Imagine if every 4 years since we had that tournament taking place on both sides of the pond?

It would become one of the top sporting events on the calendar. And the NHL would take in all the revenue rather then the IOC and actually be able to show its own fans the highlights.

 

[taurine330]

Imagine if every 4 years since we had that tournament taking place on both sides of the pond?

It would become one of the top sporting events on the calendar. And the NHL would take in all the revenue rather then the IOC and actually be able to show its own fans the highlights.

I remember those tickets sold very well here in Helsinki.

 

[supermann_98]

Of course they wouldn't, because hockey is played on paper and not on ice. Teams are handed spots in tournaments or in the playoffs because of what they're supposed to be, rather than earning their spots.

Whatever your point was, it got lost with the sarcasm.

 

[TorontoTrades]

for every 10 people you get to boycott there is 500 people that will want to go instead.


It's why boycotting Leafs games would never work

 

[glucker]

for every 10 people you get to boycott there is 500 people that will want to go instead.


It's why boycotting Leafs games would never work

The other reason is pretty simple...
"We're so upset you didn't give us the events we wanted, so we're not gonig to the event you did give us!"
...doesn't exactly convey the intended message.