Analyzing the Medal Round Possibilities:

bandolero

Registered User
Feb 16, 2006
120
9
It's unbelievable how they favor NA teams (Canada) at quarterfinals and semifinals. Of course Canada got the day game in q-finals and then the night game at semifinals. Enough resting time to challenge USA. Finland and Russia on the other hand plays the night game at the quarterfinals and the day game at the semifinals. Whoever wins the match won't have a real chance to challenge well rested Swedish team. 17 hours between those games is just too short time recover from the q-finals. Of course I hope Finland will prove me wrong but the schedule for sure ain't fair.

Why Canada doesn't play at the night game and Finland and Russia at the day game? That way the resting time would have been equal for the q-final teams.
 

Pyke*

Guest
It's unbelievable how they favor NA teams (Canada) at quarterfinals and semifinals. Of course Canada got the day game in q-finals and then the night game at semifinals. Enough resting time to challenge USA. Finland and Russia on the other hand plays the night game at the quarterfinals and the day game at the semifinals. Whoever wins the match won't have a real chance to challenge well rested Swedish team. 17 hours between those games is just too short time recover from the q-finals. Of course I hope Finland will prove me wrong but the schedule for sure ain't fair.

Why Canada doesn't play at the night game and Finland and Russia at the day game? That way the resting time would have been equal for the q-final teams.

The schedule was determined before it was known Canada would be the #2 seed.
 

bandolero

Registered User
Feb 16, 2006
120
9
The schedule was determined before it was known Canada would be the #2 seed.

Yes the schedule was determined before and below is two quotes from the tournament schedule. So Canada would have had the night game in QF only against USA and the possibility for that was something like zero.

Order of the games with "tbd" in place of the team match-up will be decided by IIHF Directorate upon completion of the previous round.

QF and SF - if qualified: USA to play the 19:30 h games, if USA not qualified and Can qualified CAN to play the 15:30 games
 

cenas*

Guest
IIHF losing integrity fast with the ridiculous decision to limit Finland/Russia games winner to 17 hours of rest between games while giving the other pool a full 24 hours. This could have been made to work equally with no problems..
 

New User Name

Registered User
Jan 2, 2008
12,863
1,696
Yes the schedule was determined before and below is two quotes from the tournament schedule. So Canada would have had the night game in QF only against USA and the possibility for that was something like zero.

Then obviously the game times aren't written in stone.

It is unfair to the winner of the Russia/Finland game to have the semi final game 20 hours after their QF game and the winner of the Canada/Swiss game have 28 hours. (start time to start time)

Both SF games are at the HSBC arena so Russia/Finland should be a 3:30 start and Canada/Swiss a 7:30 start.
 

wwvdw

Registered User
Dec 22, 2009
404
4
Sweden
This scheduling is in favour of Sweden since they will play a team in the SF with on about 18 hours rest since their last match. But it is just plain unfair and it hurts the integrity of the tournament.

I'm not sure who is behind it but I'm guessing its TSN (for TV-ratings, not to favour Canada per sé). But what I don't get is why Canada just cannot play the evening match both times?
 

dmacgreg37

Registered User
Dec 11, 2007
1,173
0
British Columbia
It is deja vu, all over again. 3 years ago...

Sweden beat Canada on the last day of the Round Robin to win their pool.
Canada had to play a quarterfinal game and won.
Canada had to play the Americans in the Semi's and won.
Canada had a rematch with the Swedes in the Finals and won.


It will play out again this year, verbatim.


A good story, but not exactly true. In 2008, we lost to Sweden on the 29th in our 3rd game, then bounced back to play the mighty Danes on NYE. We then went into the medal round and did what you said. That was actually a harder road, as that Finland team that we played in the QF was really solid, and the USA were really really good (although they didn't show up in the Canada game until it was too late 4-0).
 

dmacgreg37

Registered User
Dec 11, 2007
1,173
0
British Columbia
As soon as other countries start caring enough abou the tournment to host it, they can have the schedule set up for them. The reason for it is that our media cares about the tournament, so it's all done for TV. Canadian TV (which I'm sure gets first dibs) wants the earlier of the 2 games, as the late game doesn't get going till 8PM in the East.
 

Fulcrum

Guest
It's kind of hard to "care" about the tournament when other countries haven't had it in so many years, or when they have to get up at 3 am to watch the game. Not even talking about the level playing field (small rinks small rinks small rinks- almost every year).
 

wwvdw

Registered User
Dec 22, 2009
404
4
Sweden
As soon as other countries start caring enough abou the tournment to host it, they can have the schedule set up for them. The reason for it is that our media cares about the tournament, so it's all done for TV. Canadian TV (which I'm sure gets first dibs) wants the earlier of the 2 games, as the late game doesn't get going till 8PM in the East.

You are aware that Canada isn't hosting it this year?
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
9,042
0
It's unbelievable how they favor NA teams (Canada) at quarterfinals and semifinals. Of course Canada got the day game in q-finals and then the night game at semifinals. Enough resting time to challenge USA. Finland and Russia on the other hand plays the night game at the quarterfinals and the day game at the semifinals. Whoever wins the match won't have a real chance to challenge well rested Swedish team. 17 hours between those games is just too short time recover from the q-finals. Of course I hope Finland will prove me wrong but the schedule for sure ain't fair.

Why Canada doesn't play at the night game and Finland and Russia at the day game? That way the resting time would have been equal for the q-final teams.

Its not a matter of them favoring its just how it is take the spengler cup in the semis russia played @ 12:00 pm local while canada played @ 7:00 pm local.The championship game was the next day @ 12:00 local.
 

BobDobolina

Registered User
Jan 11, 2010
4,631
1
NYC
Its not a matter of them favoring its just how it is take the spengler cup in the semis russia played @ 12:00 pm local while canada played @ 7:00 pm local.The championship game was the next day @ 12:00 local.

You are comparing the Spengler cup to a tournament which is supposed to decide the World under 20 champion? Seriously?

They could have easily made it so that all teams have pretty much the same time to recover, not a hard thing to do but now it goes heavily against Finland or Russia. That goes against the competitive nature of what the tournament should be.

SKA St. Petersburg is not "Russia" btw.
 

wwvdw

Registered User
Dec 22, 2009
404
4
Sweden
In the typical sense your right but the canadian games have been the most watched tv wise and the best supported.

Kinda logical, the WJC isn't big in the US and TV times for Europe are horrible if its in NA. But I was just reacting to the notion that the tv times are ajusted to suit the "home country". That is clearly not the case. They are suited for the country paying the most.

This is fine to me, unless it hurts the integrity of the tournament (which is the case now). If Canada wants the late slot then they should have the late slot in the QF's as well.
 

OttawaRoughRiderFan*

Guest
A good story, but not exactly true. In 2008, we lost to Sweden on the 29th in our 3rd game, then bounced back to play the mighty Danes on NYE. We then went into the medal round and did what you said. That was actually a harder road, as that Finland team that we played in the QF was really solid, and the USA were really really good (although they didn't show up in the Canada game until it was too late 4-0).

Thanks for the correction. My memory is not what it once was.

:)
 

scdn

Registered User
May 27, 2009
306
0
It's unbelievable how they favor NA teams (Canada) at quarterfinals and semifinals. Of course Canada got the day game in q-finals and then the night game at semifinals. Enough resting time to challenge USA. Finland and Russia on the other hand plays the night game at the quarterfinals and the day game at the semifinals. Whoever wins the match won't have a real chance to challenge well rested Swedish team. 17 hours between those games is just too short time recover from the q-finals. Of course I hope Finland will prove me wrong but the schedule for sure ain't fair.

Why Canada doesn't play at the night game and Finland and Russia at the day game? That way the resting time would have been equal for the q-final teams.

The tournament is being played in the US and the Eastern Standard Time zone. They want all US games to be in the evening so theoretically everyone is available to watch them as it is after working hours for most people. If Russia or Finland were playing the US in the semis they would be playing the evening game.
 

dmacgreg37

Registered User
Dec 11, 2007
1,173
0
British Columbia
You are aware that Canada isn't hosting it this year?

Yes, but you are aware that Canadian TV is by far the most important thing that the IIHF has to pander to with the U-20 tournament. Prior to Canadian TV (namely once TSN got in), this was a small tournament attended by few. Now, in Canada and Northern US at least, it's a huge event. They're going to give them what they want. Simple as that.
 

dmacgreg37

Registered User
Dec 11, 2007
1,173
0
British Columbia
It's kind of hard to "care" about the tournament when other countries haven't had it in so many years, or when they have to get up at 3 am to watch the game. Not even talking about the level playing field (small rinks small rinks small rinks- almost every year).


The reason that Canada gets the tournament so often is because people actually show up.

Look at the 2007 European (Sweden) hosted event. Average per game attendance was 2048. Highest team attendance was Sweden at 4583. Lowest was Belarus at 755.

Look at the last European held event (2008) - The Avg per game attendance was 3328. The highest watched team was the Czechs at 6447. The lowest was Switzerland at 680. That's a joke. That's a minor hockey game in parts of Canada.

Now look at last year in Saskatchewan - Average 9740. High was Canada at 13795. Low was Czechs at 5984. The least watched team in the 2010 tournament was 179% MORE watched than the average attendance at the 2008 tournament and 292% MORE watched than the average attendance at the 2007 tournament.

THAT is why other countries don't get it often.
 

BobDobolina

Registered User
Jan 11, 2010
4,631
1
NYC
The reason that Canada gets the tournament so often is because people actually show up.

Look at the 2007 European (Sweden) hosted event. Average per game attendance was 2048. Highest team attendance was Sweden at 4583. Lowest was Belarus at 755.

Look at the last European held event (2008) - The Avg per game attendance was 3328. The highest watched team was the Czechs at 6447. The lowest was Switzerland at 680. That's a joke. That's a minor hockey game in parts of Canada.

Now look at last year in Saskatchewan - Average 9740. High was Canada at 13795. Low was Czechs at 5984. The least watched team in the 2010 tournament was 179% MORE watched than the average attendance at the 2008 tournament and 292% MORE watched than the average attendance at the 2007 tournament.

THAT is why other countries don't get it often.

That's all true but then again it's never going to get any bigger if it's not held in those European countries. Hard to blame anyone for not caring if the games are on at 2 o'clock at night.
 

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