WJC: A bit overhyped perhaps?

[FLYLine27*]

1. Very few AHLers play in the WC.
2. With very, very few exceptions, pretty much all players in men's leagues are better hockey players than juniors. In fact, many, if not most WJC players, will not make the NHL.
3, I would much rather watch a regular season NHL game than a WJC exhibition game. I actually find the WJC rather dull until the semi-finals, when all the weak teams are weeded out.
4. This tournament is overhyped in Canada to the point where I usually find myself cheering against Canada.

Well I would think....the WJC players are under 20...where as the other "mens" league are over 20......What type of argument is that?

We are talking the TOP prospects from countries.

Second.....your comparing a "exhibition" game to a game that counts..ok and? Most people would watch the game that counts over an exhibition game unless the exhibition game has implications on the final roster.

BTW how many Hab prospects are playing in the tournament? Could that maybe be a reason why you have no interest in it?

 

[bruinsfan46]

ffs don't turn this into a political thread... I'm a separatist and I do not hate Canada for that matter... It's not a Us against You. It's a Us against Us. Ugh, you guys just won't understand I guess.

I will cheer for Canada.

Your support really means a lot then. Keep enjoying the good things from this great country of ours.

 

[TheBrokenRib]

Games against the states, Sweden and Russia should be televised. Other than that, the rest of the games are horribly boring.

 

[McDeepika]

I only watch the WJC to see prospects play and see how they do. I am much more interested in seeing how a guys like Hall, Granlund, Eberle, MPS look. I don't really give a **** who wins.

To the people who go on about how great this tournament is, what makes it so great? For example if TSN started showing the U-18's and U-17's would those tournaments be great as well. What is so special about the U-20 group that makes the hockey so great.

 

[Kiefer]

Games against the states, Sweden and Russia should be televised. Other than that, the rest of the games are horribly boring.

Finns and Czechs are pretty interesting as well.

 

[Canucks LB]

Games against the states, Sweden and Russia should be televised. Other than that, the rest of the games are horribly boring.

I guess you never saw slovakia play last year.

 

[Statsy]

Why the hype you ask? Here's why:

This is a passage from a TSN press release last year.

A total of 29 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP broadcasts on TSN have now topped more than one million viewers. TSN has been televising the IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP since 1991, and eight of the top 10 programs of all time on TSN have been IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP broadcasts

So in other words, they are giving the public what the public wants to see. As for whether anything makes this particular age group better than the others, I would argue that this is the highest level there is with an age limit. (Though I do enjoy watching under-17 and under-18 games as well, but they usually just show the final)

 

[buddahsmoka1]

Games against the states, Sweden and Russia should be televised. Other than that, the rest of the games are horribly boring.

Did you watch the USA vs Slovakia quarter final last year? I thought that game was really exciting and fun to watch.

 

[buddahsmoka1]

I only watch the WJC to see prospects play and see how they do. I am much more interested in seeing how a guys like Hall, Granlund, Eberle, MPS look. I don't really give a **** who wins.

To the people who go on about how great this tournament is, what makes it so great? For example if TSN started showing the U-18's and U-17's would those tournaments be great as well. What is so special about the U-20 group that makes the hockey so great.

It is the highest level of hockey you can reach at the amateur level. Not only do many of the best hockey prospects in the world go through this tournament, but the teams are stacked with exceptional young hockey players from around the world. Because of the competition, the skill level is high, which already makes the games enjoyable to watch. But the key factor is this is probably the most passionate and determined hockey that is played in the world. These kids litterally wear their hearts on their sleeves. There are not too many hockey competitions where you can see the players going as hard as they can every shift.

Its the most entertaining for the average fan as well. Usually high scoring affairs, lots of great hits, nice goals, good work ethic and alot of passion and drama in the games on average.

When it starts getting lower down in age, the skill level drops, the competition isn't as fierce, and the players are not even close to as developed which leads to a slower gameplay and less physicallity.

Quite simply, this tournament may be the most competitive hockey in the world.

 

[cupface52]

I only watch the WJC to see prospects play and see how they do. I am much more interested in seeing how a guys like Hall, Granlund, Eberle, MPS look. I don't really give a **** who wins.

To the people who go on about how great this tournament is, what makes it so great? For example if TSN started showing the U-18's and U-17's would those tournaments be great as well. What is so special about the U-20 group that makes the hockey so great.

QFT.

Only thing I care about in this tournament is seeing how my teams prospects do playing against the best players of their age group, and how other prospects I like do. I'll also sometimes cheer for the team that has the most of my teams prospects.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

I dunno what kind of hockey fan looks down on the WJC. The enthusiasm that the players bring to the game is amazing, and as mentioned, the level of competition can't be topped, at least at the amateur level.

No doubt the hype that TSN engages in is a bit annoying. Don't forget that this tournament helped MAKE tsn. It's a made for TV event in Canada, but holy crap: do you remember that game against Russia, when Eberle scored with seconds left?? I don't remember seeing a hockey game like that in many, many years. If the tourny this year is half as good, I'd say it lived up to the hype.

 

[stug*]

Its a nice thing this WJC but not even close as WC or the olympics.
If Sweden wins nice, if they not, no big deal.
I wouldnt be angry like i would have been if it were WC or the olympics.

Its a matter of taste i guess. And culture.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

I completely dislike this tournament.

 

[Frankie]

the tournament is absolutely overhyped. tsn's hyperbole is ridiculous. they obviously do a fine job is marketing this and making us all believe its the greatest thing ever.

i love the tournament, but it doesn't get exciting until the elimination games. win or go home. that's when it gets fun. i can't get too excited about seeing canada crush latvia on boxing day.

its become quite a platform for pierre maguire to scream at us and make up new phrases that are incoherent. (for instance...."compete level"? this is not only grammatically incorrect, it just doesn't make any sense. and now everyone is using this phrase).

 

[Maelmoor]

It's allright but I agree it's way overhyped, I rather watch an AHL game than the WJC, it's a bunch of kids on skates, it's not pro hockey.

 

[Macman]

It's impossible to overhype this tournament IMO. It's the best sporting event of the year. And how often does Canada demolish the opposition? Have we already forgotten the seven-year run without a gold?

The kids are talented. They play with passion. What's not to love?

 

[Macman]

I rather watch an AHL game than the WJC...

 

[Maelmoor]

Sure the juniors work hard and many are talented but it's still junior hockey, they have still a lot to learn and it cannot be compared to professional senior hockey.

It's just a different thing, I can understand people who likes it, but in terms of quality it's a big jump up to senior hockey.

 

[Seachd]

Reasons Canadians love the World Juniors (and it isn't because of some TV hype):

- like Christmas and the NHL Playoffs, it happens once a year.
- kids, whether future stars or future farmhands, playing their ***** off.
- country vs. country
- NHL downtime
- for many, it's a tradition. We've been glued to it since we were little.
- unlike the World Championships, it's exciting. These players work hard to get there, and it's not just an afterthought. This is what it's all about for them.
- it's junior hockey. Worse than pro? Depends on who you talk to, but many people find it more exciting than anything. The "quality" might not be NHL level, but that's not really what it's about. Go tell the fans in Moose Jaw or Sault Ste. Marie or Cape Breton that junior hockey isn't exciting.

 

[Seachd]

Sure the juniors work hard and many are talented but it's still junior hockey, they have still a lot to learn and it cannot be compared to professional senior hockey.

It's just a different thing, I can understand people who likes it, but in terms of quality it's a big jump up to senior hockey.

In terms of quality? A lot of people don't care, because they'll have a much better time sitting down to watch a junior game than they will a pro game.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I love this tournament, I DVR games and watch them a couple times over just for the sake of trying to scout players (For instance, I watched Canada's 15-0 destruction of the Kazakhs three times just to see if I could spot a player from Kazakhstan that maybe was worthy of a late draft pick or something - plus this is a rare chance to see Kazakh players play).

There's no better tournament than this out there, with the exception of the Olympics. It's exciting both in terms of the play but also seeing the world's best young players...can't ask for anything more.

 

[Davebo*]

It seems like no other country even cares about it that much.

Your last line sums up why we are so successful at this tournament. Maybe hype it up where you live - get some people interested, and eventually you might be successful, too.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

It's the best sporting event of the year.

C'mon dude.

I understand you like it very much and I dont like it but to call it the best sporting event of the year ?

Somebody even prefers this junior tourney before the Olympics. Now that's scary but everyone is entitled to his own opinion but dont get overboard with things, like the quote above.

Millions of people are watching the Olympics. You should know how many people are watching hockey during the Olympics while they actually dont give a crap about hockey at all. Even the Dutch television is broadcasting hockey !

Nobody outside Canada, with exception of the hardcore fans, gives a damn about the WJC.

The best sporting even of the year....

 

[Clyde Donovan]

Canada is the only country that remotely cares about this tournament, besides die hard hockey fans.

 

[LeafDangler]

I love the tournament but hate the hype if that makes any sense. I don't need TSN advertising months in advance or 3 televised exhibition games. I don't need multiple WJC preview shows. The elimination games can be sooo good they create excitement for themselves.

To all those who mention how Canada is the only nation that really cares about them I say why is that such a bad thing? That kind of enthusiasm can be contagious. Anyone who watched those exhibition games could see how bad the Swedes wanted to beat Canada. How awesome would this tournament be if other countries started to get behind their programs (not that they're not but you know what I mean)?