Can the NHL replicate the Olympics?

[WTFMAN99]

So we're hearing about how the World Cup of Hockey is not happening again. We're also hearing how the owners still don't want to do it.

The league feels they don't get much out of it, the insurance cost, the travel, shutting down the league and then not being able to use any footage after the fact. I don't know if they need to re-think the World Cup of Hockey or try to name it something different but I think maybe the NHL should just try to fill it's own void here.

Maybe the league should take it upon themselves to shut down their own league but be in charge of it to at least reap the benefits. Offer a medal or some cash prizes. Maybe it generates some HRR to help grow the NHL?

1. No fake teams (North America, Europe etc)
2. Allow Sweden, Russia etc to use players from other leagues
3. NHL size rinks
4. Have gold medals and a cash prize at the conclusion of the tournament
5. Adopt IIHF refs and rules, no fighting, strict calls etc.
6. NHL takes on the burden of cost of insurance since they actually benefit from it.

I would say that it would probably start off being hosted in North America for a number of years but ideally the NHL can branch out to other countries etc but the country would need to ensure NHL size rinks.

Why NHL rinks? Frankly, there is a lot more action and excitement which could draw in a casual fan into maybe a more invested fan.

Anyways, this is super easy for me to type this out and be like "oh let's do that" but what do you think? Can the NHL legitimize the World Cup of Hockey? Can they create a different event to duplicate the Olympics? IF not, is International hockey at the professional level dead beyond the World Championships which isn't truly best on best.

What do you think? Can it be done? Should it be done? How would you want to see it done?

Click to read more...

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

During the all-star break but it's two weeks for international tournament.

 

[Prairie Habs]

If they're trying to replicate the Olympics they would need to start out by banning the Russians.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Shutting down the league? But the last World Cup was in September? Nothing had to be shut down.

 

[jetsforever]

Sounds good, I have some ideas:
- Have the tournament in February, but not too often, say every 4 years (we'll start with 2022, say)
- Group people by countries for any country that qualifies
- Give out different medals for the top three teams (let's go with gold, silver, bronze)
- For more interest, we'll put it in assorted countries around the world - for the first edition, I nominate Beijing

Should be a great event!

 

[powerstuck]

zip

The league feels they don't get much out of it, the insurance cost, the travel, shutting down the league and then not being able to use any footage after the fact. I don't know if they need to re-think the World Cup of Hockey or try to name it something different but I think maybe the NHL should just try to fill it's own void here.

zip

What void ?

Why NHL rinks? Frankly, there is a lot more action and excitement which could draw in a casual fan into maybe a more invested fan

Given NHL rinks are mainly present in North America and that's about it, and given the North America already has about the most casual fans it already can have, it's hard selling a ''different'' sport to the rest of the world if the field isn't something the can practice.

In other words...you think soccer would be this popular worldwide if all pro-leagues around the world had a different surface size ?

 

[Fern111]

The NBA is considering adding a random tournament in the middle of the calendar year and people floated that idea for the NHL and I think the idea is extremely stupid because there'd be no stakes at all.

HOWEVER, this would be a perfect alternative imo. Make it during the all-star break and maybe not every year to make it more of an event.

 

[Crede777]

I think the players have been pretty clear if they cannot participate in the Olympics, fine but then they won't participate in a tournament of the NHL's own making.

The better option is to work Olympics out clauses into star player contracts similar to NTC/NMC. In return for less money per year, the player can go play in the Olympics if selected for their Olympic team.

 

[tony d]

I think the NHL's participation in the Olympics is over. I think you'll see a World Cup every 2-4 years as a replacement for the Olympics. Said World Cup will be played in late August early September.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Shutting down the league? But the last World Cup was in September? Nothing had to be shut down.

What void ?



Given NHL rinks are mainly present in North America and that's about it, and given the North America already has about the most casual fans it already can have, it's hard selling a ''different'' sport to the rest of the world if the field isn't something the can practice.

In other words...you think soccer would be this popular worldwide if all pro-leagues around the world had a different surface size ?

Having it in September made it a pretty long year, not ideal, also messes with Summer training and healing if anyone is still recovering from playoffs / off season surgery.

Maybe the rest of the world should opt for a smaller ice suface, Finland did alright in reducing their ice rinks size, KHL and Sweden should maybe go for that too? Only more exciting for the fans.

The NBA is considering adding a random tournament in the middle of the calendar year and people floated that idea for the NHL and I think the idea is extremely stupid because there'd be no stakes at all.

HOWEVER, this would be a perfect alternative imo. Make it during the all-star break and maybe not every year to make it more of an event.

Kill all All-Star games going forward, substitute in this tournament every 4 years.

I think the players have been pretty clear if they cannot participate in the Olympics, fine but then they won't participate in a tournament of the NHL's own making.

The better option is to work Olympics out clauses into star player contracts similar to NTC/NMC. In return for less money per year, the player can go play in the Olympics if selected for their Olympic team.

I don't think the owners want to do it and I don't see players sacrificing AAV for Olympic participation in case they don't actually make a team.

As said above, maybe agree with the NHLPA to abolish the NHL all star game every year and then opt for this every 4 years, exactly the same as the Olympics? At some point the players might have to just accept the Olympics is dead and this is the replacement and it still goes on a career accomplishment list, so long as the NHL keeps it up.

 

[MNNumbers]

So we're hearing about how the World Cup of Hockey is not happening again. We're also hearing how the owners still don't want to do it.

The league feels they don't get much out of it, the insurance cost, the travel, shutting down the league and then not being able to use any footage after the fact. I don't know if they need to re-think the World Cup of Hockey or try to name it something different but I think maybe the NHL should just try to fill it's own void here.

Maybe the league should take it upon themselves to shut down their own league but be in charge of it to at least reap the benefits. Offer a medal or some cash prizes. Maybe it generates some HRR to help grow the NHL?

1. No fake teams (North America, Europe etc)
2. Allow Sweden, Russia etc to use players from other leagues
3. NHL size rinks
4. Have gold medals and a cash prize at the conclusion of the tournament
5. Adopt IIHF refs and rules, no fighting, strict calls etc.
6. NHL takes on the burden of cost of insurance since they actually benefit from it.

I would say that it would probably start off being hosted in North America for a number of years but ideally the NHL can branch out to other countries etc but the country would need to ensure NHL size rinks.

Why NHL rinks? Frankly, there is a lot more action and excitement which could draw in a casual fan into maybe a more invested fan.

Anyways, this is super easy for me to type this out and be like "oh let's do that" but what do you think? Can the NHL legitimize the World Cup of Hockey? Can they create a different event to duplicate the Olympics? IF not, is International hockey at the professional level dead beyond the World Championships which isn't truly best on best.

What do you think? Can it be done? Should it be done? How would you want to see it done?

I completely don't understand this post....

As far as I know, the World Cup has already been the NHL's baby. They did it for precisely these reasons. They wanted to have control over it, and get the marketing benefits from it. So, their choice NOT to have one must have to do with internal BOG problems, or relations with the PA.

The Olympics are a different thing. In that case, the NHL gets nothing from going because of IOC rules about marketing.

I feel like what the OP wrote leads me to believe that the OP has the 2 things co-mingled.

There are large mountains of problems with the 1-6 ideas suggested in the OP as well. To wit:
1- Inviting players from other leagues requires a decent relationship with those leagues, and that those leagues get something out of the tournament. That negotiation would be difficult.
2- Euro leagues might not WANT their players playing on NHL ice
3- Getting the IIHF to work with you on such a tournament might be difficult, since it is not 'their tournament'
4- Any host city (cities) outside of No America would be disaster - see what happens with the WJC. And, that won't change.

 

[chauron]

Agree with International Ice Hockey Federation and allow all players to enter the Worlds. Perhaps the NHL season should start already in august like KHL and finish the season a month earlier. Then WC every 2nd year in the end of the season

 

[Golden_Jet]

To OP, I don’t understand where you say the teams can’t get any video from World Cup, that’s for Olympics not World Cup,
NHL gets all the videofor world cup as they are organizing it.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

The league is going to Trojan Horse the Olympics in the next CBA to get the players to give up something that at the end of the day will probably mean more to 90% of the players in the league who don't participate in the Olympics.

 

[Steve]

So we're hearing about how the World Cup of Hockey is not happening again. We're also hearing how the owners still don't want to do it.

The league feels they don't get much out of it, the insurance cost, the travel, shutting down the league and then not being able to use any footage after the fact. I don't know if they need to re-think the World Cup of Hockey or try to name it something different but I think maybe the NHL should just try to fill it's own void here.

Maybe the league should take it upon themselves to shut down their own league but be in charge of it to at least reap the benefits. Offer a medal or some cash prizes. Maybe it generates some HRR to help grow the NHL?

1. No fake teams (North America, Europe etc)
2. Allow Sweden, Russia etc to use players from other leagues
3. NHL size rinks
4. Have gold medals and a cash prize at the conclusion of the tournament
5. Adopt IIHF refs and rules, no fighting, strict calls etc.
6. NHL takes on the burden of cost of insurance since they actually benefit from it.

I would say that it would probably start off being hosted in North America for a number of years but ideally the NHL can branch out to other countries etc but the country would need to ensure NHL size rinks.

Why NHL rinks? Frankly, there is a lot more action and excitement which could draw in a casual fan into maybe a more invested fan.

Anyways, this is super easy for me to type this out and be like "oh let's do that" but what do you think? Can the NHL legitimize the World Cup of Hockey? Can they create a different event to duplicate the Olympics? IF not, is International hockey at the professional level dead beyond the World Championships which isn't truly best on best.

What do you think? Can it be done? Should it be done? How would you want to see it done?

I do get the NHL’s point but you can’t replicate the intensity and desire for players to want a gold medal on a true global stage. I’m surprised the NHL isn’t more aware of this. They know the relevance of the Stanley Cup (ie kids grow up dreaming of it) and we don’t grow up dreaming of winning a random cup somewhere else. (Although I’m sure some do)

The World Cup of Hockey can be better for sure - the last one wasn’t very good but it can’t be the olympics until there is a history, rivalry or relevance to the trophy. For now it’s a way to raise revenue and the fans seem to be somewhat disinterested.

 

[Ducks in a row]

The Olympics is the Olympics it is special in a way nothing else is. World Cup,World Championship or whatever else just isn't the same.

 

[Prairie Habs]

The Olympics is the Olympics it is special in a way nothing else is. World Cup,World Championship or whatever else just isn't the same.

Agreed. Anything put on by the nhl would just be a naked cash grab. As opposed to the Olympics, which is also a blatant cash grab, but thinly veiled as something unifying and more important.

 

[djpatm]

The reason the World Cup of Soccer is so successful (vs. Olympic Soccer, which is an afterthought) is that it has a long storied history, has no gimmicks, has a massive and long qualification campaign which gives literally every country in the world (fifa member) a chance to qualify and play their best players.

Until the NHL does something like that, on a regular 4 year schedule for a few decades, the World Cup won't matter and no, I don't think they will ever pull it off.

For soccer, small countries get to compete for a spot with all the big dogs and they usually send a decent line up so that the squad is familiar with each other in time for the tournament. That grows excitement for the tournament everywhere, even when your country probably doesn't have a shot because hey at least you can see them play against Spain or England or whoever. For the NHL to pull that off you would need to take breaks throughout the year to allow the players to join their international team to play regular qualification games multiple times throughout the year. Not going to happen. That means no one in Poland or Austria is going to give a shit about your Hockey World Cup because even though they are a Div 1 team in IIHF, they don't really get to participate and build hype since they're just playing other no name teams. The fact that the tournament is thrown together ad hoc with only NHL players and games always in Canada and the US means that even the contenders from Europe don't really care about it.

This means you have two countries that might potentially be interested in the tournament except one of the countries doesn't really care about hockey unless it's global event. So essentially you have shitty tournament for Canadians to watch.

The NHL is too greedy and impatient to make a World Cup work like it does in other sports.

 

[Sol]

I actually really like this idea. Not once every 4 years cause that'd suck. Once every 3 years would be more tolerable.

It'd be great if the NHL can host an international tournament.

If this is doable they should

 

[Dooble08]

The World Cup was such a crap tournament. Lets make up random teams because Canada has too many good players while half the countries in Europe don't have enough good players to compete. I mean the World Cup or Olympic's replication or the World Championships all don't work because players skip them. You know what actually worked to get the best quality of games, the Olympics.

 

[Dynamite Time]

No... wouldn’t be the same.

1. Would have to allow players not signed into the NHL involved; big predicament.

2. NHL won’t spend the money to keep doping from being a problem.

3. The NHL Olympics wouldn’t survive playing regularly in just North America.

4. NHL would lose money doing this.

5. Players would play for their country in the Olympics... but not an NHL Olympics that they’re not getting paid on top of a season in the NHL; especially on a UFA or even an RFA year.

 

[powerstuck]

The World Cup was such a crap tournament. Lets make up random teams because Canada has too many good players while half the countries in Europe don't have enough good players to compete. I mean the World Cup or Olympic's replication or the World Championships all don't work because players skip them. You know what actually worked to get the best quality of games, the Olympics.

Exactly. Olympics existed (under a different format) thousands of years ago, and modern Olympics exist since 1896. Heck even the NHL didn't exist back then.

I can get NHL could have valid reasons to boycott the Olympics. But why make a similar tournament ? Why ? Who gets what out of it ? Owners. No one else.

With the Olympics, you get to earn a medal, a medal that among sport athletes who train their whole life for one chance to become a gold/silver/broze medalist or even a participant.

There are sports that are not represented at the Olympic. Hockey could just be one of those. No need for a new tournament. Keep the season to 82 games and that's enough.

 

[Garyboy]

No.

 

[Dooble08]

Exactly. Olympics existed (under a different format) thousands of years ago, and modern Olympics exist since 1896. Heck even the NHL didn't exist back then.

I can get NHL could have valid reasons to boycott the Olympics. But why make a similar tournament ? Why ? Who gets what out of it ? Owners. No one else.

With the Olympics, you get to earn a medal, a medal that among sport athletes who train their whole life for one chance to become a gold/silver/broze medalist or even a participant.

There are sports that are not represented at the Olympic. Hockey could just be one of those. No need for a new tournament. Keep the season to 82 games and that's enough.

I also get why the NHL wants to boycott the Olympics. But the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are some of the best times for sports. Where all athletes come together and compete at the highest level for their countries.

The World Championships doesn't offer that because they run it at the same time as the NHL playoffs or the offseason. The World Cup allowed 4 countries and 2 made up teams to compete...again in the offseason.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

A World's Club Championship would do very well if only for the novelty.