WJC: Anyone else just not care...

[PG Canuck]

Wouldn't want to watch any other tournament, other than the Olymics of course.

 

[McPuritania]

A personal message to Puritania: You have a Mike Patton avatar with a Futurama reference beneath while you are on a Hockey Forum board defending the WJC. With all that said, my question to you is this; Are you sure you're not me?

Well, who's to say that you aren't actually me?

 

[roto]

Canada has long history of having respected and popular junior leagues. Their league "structure" is totally different of how the hockey is played in Europe. They have junior leagues which teams are often the top teams of the city and junior hockey is viewed from different angle.

In Europe junior hockey leagues are basically only for those who are not good enough to play in professional leagues with men. In Finland we have U19 SM-Liiga for boys under 19 years. It might sound nice but in practice it has only players which are not good enough to play in SM-Liiga (or Mestis). It means that the junior league is an inferior product with inferior players.

Alexander Barkov, for example, is playing his second season in SM-Liiga and he's only 17 years old. All the other top prospects of Finland play in SM-Liiga too, so Finns know that they see the top prospects in a professional leagues. We don't need to watch inferior leagues and tournaments to see our best juniors. I prefer seeing our best juniors playing with men: it really shows what are their abilities and talent level and when they're good enough they're selected to WHC/olympic team. WJC is for most Finns just one inferior tournament having players barely good enough to play in SM-Liiga/Mestis. Players from lesser countries are often even worse.

In other words in most European countries junior hockey is just a stepping stone to pro leagues. If you play in a junior league it means that you're not yet good enough to play in pro league. It's as simple as that. We have only one top level league and no a separate league for talented young players. That's why we don't have an illusion that junior hockey (even WJC tournament) is top level hockey, because it just isn't. We know it because we know what's the level of our juniors when compared to men.

 

[Warden of the North]

I usually dont. This year im paying more attention because of the lockout and our prospects that are playing. Id rather be wacthing NHL hockey however

 

[tony d]

It's always been my favourite type of hockey. Agree though it's really only big in Canada.

 

[John Price]

World Juniors is a delight to watch every year

And I'm American

 

[General Granny*]

I think this years TSN hype has really pushed me against it, they are just forcing it down our threats now with our lockout. Plus the quality of the hockey is really overrated, its sloppy, disorganized hockey with the occasional play, I have enjoyed the Spengler hockey much more.

 

[KCC]

It's why this tournament is usually played in Canada. It's all about money and it just doesn't generate enough in other Countries. And if it is filled, it's because Canadians make the trek all the way over there. I enjoy it the tournament. It's always fast, exciting hockey with kids playing their hearts out every game. Plus it's tomorrow's NHL stars, today. Yes, it can be a little sloppy at times, but for the most part it's good stuff. IMO anyways. It's not for everyone and certainly not for people who barely follow the sport in general.

I also forgot to mention that this isn't women's hockey where it's always Canada vs USA. This tournament has gotten very competitive and it's not just a few teams anymore. Many teams have caught up and can win it all now. People might not care outside Canada, but other Countries use Canada as a measuring stick and over the years are trying hard to get to it. It must be working because over the last 3 years, Canada hasn't won gold.

 

[Westcoasthabsfan]

...about the WJCs, or under-20 tournament (as the rest of the world calls it)? I'll try again this year, but I just don't get the love. I never understood how this tournament seems to take precedence over the real WCs.

I don't know, maybe it's the sloppy play, or any of a number of factors, but this time of year I always feel terribly underwhelmed by it. I'm also interested that it seems to be a hockey-only phenomena, the "junior" World Cups that FIFA puts on aren't nearly as hyped and those are only every 4 years.

Only one who feels like this?

We get it you dont like it but why do you post in a world junior tournament message board.....

 

[CaptBrannigan]

We get it you dont like it but why do you post in a world junior tournament message board.....

For about the fifth time, it was on the main board and got moved. Even so, nothing wrong with a dissenting opinion.

 

[Ryker]

We get it you dont like it but why do you post in a world junior tournament message board.....

It's actually not a world junior tournament message board, it's just titled this way. It's a message board for all international tournaments. So there's nothing wrong with him lurking and posting here, even if it goes against the grain of what most of us here find exciting to watch.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I don't mind it. I'm way more stoked about mens Olympic hockey though.

 

[Claypool]

I like it more than Olympic hockey because it seems more "pure" in the same way I like NCAA basketball more than the NBA. Let's face it, Olympic hockey with NHLers is simply a two-week advertisement for the NHL.

This year's World Juniors has been really boring, though. Maybe it's because the games are are too early in the morning, but I simply can't get into it this year.

I do feel the tournament should be held in Canada every year. It's the only way it's going to make money.

 

[BobDobolina]

Wouldn't want to watch any other tournament, other than the Olymics of course.

The WJC is on the same level as U18's for me. Very nice to look at future prospects but not like I get emotionally invested in the games.

The first 2 rounds of the NHL playoffs is still the best hockey to watch for me.

 

[Kimota]

I have trouble understanding guys passionate about hockey, not liking this. It's competitive hockey with kids that will be soon be drafted. It's great to see their developement and how they good they are.

Or just for the fact that when you watch the draft next summer you will known at least SOME things about these kids.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

These are the elite players in their age group. If you follow prospects and really enjoy all forms of hockey it is a ton of fun. I look forward to this every year. Also there are usually only a couple guy eligible to play that aren't there. In the World Championships very often what equates to half your teams roster isn't there.

I also might get more into the World Championships if they ever had it in North America. I understand the NHL playoffs are in full swing and there is probably an agreement in place to avoid that. But it makes me less interested in the tournament. At least with the World Juniors even though Canada hosts it the most, there is the chance at some point you will get to be the home nation. Seems at least a little more fair.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

I have trouble understanding guys passionate about hockey, not liking this. It's competitive hockey with kids that will be soon be drafted. It's great to see their developement and how they good they are.

Or just for the fact that when you watch the draft next summer you will known at least SOME things about these kids.

Truth

 

[RorschachWJK]

I have trouble understanding guys passionate about hockey, not liking this. It's competitive hockey with kids that will be soon be drafted. It's great to see their developement and how they good they are.

Or just for the fact that when you watch the draft next summer you will known at least SOME things about these kids.

Many people are passionately interested in a lot of things, not just hockey. And since there is still only 24 hours in a day, you have to prioritize things, choose the really interesting things or cream of the crop. I am that way. This year I have followed this tournament somewhat because I happen to have a long holiday around Christmas so I have more time. Usually I would just check the game results afterwards and wait for the real interesting stuff, i.e. World Championships and Olympics.

The overall lack of prestige and interest for this tourney in Finland probably plays a role too - we are always affected by the environment where we grow up and live.

 

[Pellegrino]

Wouldn't want to watch any other tournament, other than the Olymics of course.

Kinda agree. I've been offered free tickets to a few of the next World Championship games, and it wouldn't be a long trip, still not sure I wanna go there. What a crap tournament that is.

 

[masa2009]

It's not so much that this tourney is bad...
It's very uneven, but games between the big 4 teams tend to be very fun to watch, especially since there is often less "structured" play than in the main Worlds (not yesterday though, as the second half of the RUS-CAN was pretty boring).

So I don't blame people for enjoying it.
What I find a bit sad is the jingoism that goes with it in Canada.

Let's face it, hockey is very costly to practice, very reliant on infrastructures, it is not a global sport and no country dedicates as much money and attracts as much talent to it as Canada.
Even in a traditional nation like Russia, it's a rather elitist sport in terms of participation.
And that advantage can only increase in the WJC, when opposing nations have to cut down an already meager pool of participants to a specific age group.

When you read some of the comments on the TSN message boards after a Canadian win, about adversity and games won "the Canadian way", and all that flag waving, all those nationalistic beer commercials, all those solemn articles that very rarely put the event into perspective, it's a bit ridiculous.
Enjoy the games, have fun with the event, but do not use what is, in the grand scheme of things, a niche event to drum up patriotism to such obscene levels.

Honestly it reminds me a bit of curling at the Vancouver Olympics. How can you brag about winning at a sport where some of the top 8 national programs have just 300 registered players?
It's not quite the same degree of patriotic stupidity here, since there are at least a fair number of countries that produce a few good hockey players, but it's somewhat reminiscent.

There's something both grating and sadly comical about a nation that maybe doesn't get too many chances to shine on the international stage, and thus invests an absurd amount of emotions into a secondary event.
Canada is not the only nation guilty of that. And a lot of it has to do with TSN hammering the message year after year without any sense of self restraint.
But coming from Canada, a country that is otherwise known for its distinguished and pacified lifestyle, it comes across as rather jarring.

 

[Statsy]

Seems like the problem you write about has more to do with other countries than us. It's not our fault that hockey is a niche sport (there are many reasons that you've already mentioned why it is), and there is nothing wrong with us supporting it as much as we do, because we have discovered how great it is. So have you which is why you find yourself in a hockey forum at the moment. I find it frustrating that not everyone in the hockey world has discovered the magic of this particular tournament yet, but it will continue to grow each year and has already started to gain a foothold in some countries not called Canada. These things take time, and getting this tournament back into Europe for a bit will certainly help.

 

[JackSlater]

So for those who only enjoy the highest level of hockey, I take it that you only watch the NHL? Certainly none of the European leagues could satisfy your lust for the very best. Perhaps you only watch hockey during the Olympics every four years? There is no way the annual IIHF World Championships can satisfy you.

This is a good tournament to see the future stars of hockey that may be difficult to see otherwise, playing hard at a time when hockey leagues are typically rather boring. No problem with that. If you like it, great. If you don't, great. As far as I know, no one puts a gun to the head of the potential audience.

 

[Skip2myBordyloo]

The WJC is on the same level as U18's for me. Very nice to look at future prospects but not like I get emotionally invested in the games.

The first 2 rounds of the NHL playoffs is still the best hockey to watch for me.

to each their own, but due to the timing of the ivan hlinka i rarely get to catch the games due to work. watching hockey in august isn't my favorite thing to do either when the weather is so nice, compared to the cold winter months when i like to spend time inside.

 

[MessierII]

I know lots of people who enjoy the world juniors more than anything. It's great hockey.

 

[NiagaraGirl]

I don't know how anyone who has ever watched the WJCs can say it's poor hockey. I believe it's the best hockey in the world myself..... only other hockey that gets me as excited is Olympic hockey. Many of these kids are highly skilled for the most part and they're giving their all and for what... their country, not for a paycheque. They aren't representing some city they don't even belong to and/or some country they don't even belong to for the sake of cash like is pretty standard in the NHL. The NHL games mean little to me, who you play for is about the money primarily and not much of anything else. I really don't care what city wins because the players are rarely ever from that city (and often not from that country even.) It's just about what players they could pay for on their roster and that's the primary loyalty of the players too... cash-based. No, in the WJC's you are representing your country and your hockey heritage and it's something that truly engages the heart. When those kids are out there they are representing and that kind of earnestness and passion makes those games exciting. Not to mention that the games can turn on a dime so they can keep you on the edge of your seat. That game with Russia the other day was phenomenal and I couldn't even sit through most of it, it was such a nailbiter!