GDT: Canucks at the World Juniors in August

[sting101]

Fine to say you dont care but offering excuses for the players and coaches representing their countries is odd. It's not like it's Pierre Luc Dubois out on the ice trying to get traded here.

Absolutely this tourney has been met with some negative challenges but it's not an excuse to dismiss it and that's not really fair to the players and countries doing well here.

Latvia was excellent and you gotta love the spirit and pride they have as a country on the international circuit right now. They will be back making noise

Germany was without 4 stud players who could have made them a formidable opponent to anyone but still showed they are improving on the big stages

The Finns are stacked and that PP is unbelievable.

The Czechs just pulled off a HUUUGE upset manhandling the US physically and forcing them to the outside without taking penalties until a 5min PP they still were able to get through and win

There's a reason why the IIHF schedules the world junior championships in NA every second year and in Canada at least every three years.

That's because there's traditionally been very little interest in this tournament in Europe, and some of the events held in Russia, Finland and even Sweden have had serious attendance problems. Nothing as bad as what we're currently seeing in Edmonton, but lackluster nevertheless.

Since this tournament has traditionally been a big money-maker for Hockey Canada and the IIHF with big TSN rights and nightly sell-outs, it's only natural they're going to go where they can makes the most money. And that isn't in Europe, where they're a lot more interested in the Olympics, the World Hockey Championships and their club teams, in that order.

I had a package in Vancouver a few yrs ago and most of the games were poorly attended without Canada in them. Was a disaster when they got knocked out by the Finns. I could only imagine what that looked like re scheduled and in the summer?

 

[Breakers]

That Hughes giveaway was atrocious

 

[timw33]

How the F did Kulich drop to 28. What a steal Buffalo

There was an Athletic article about Sam Ventura doing a huge integration of analytics into their drafting process and developing a proprietary internal rating system. Curious to see how things pans out for them.

 

[sting101]

There was an Athletic article about Sam Ventura doing a huge integration of analytics into their drafting process and developing a proprietary internal rating system. Curious to see how things pans out for them.

Yes i read about that on the Sabres site after their draft. Should be interesting. It's tough to relay analytics from juniors or other leagues to NHL. The gaps in time and space are massive without even so much as taking into account how much stronger and smarter they are gonna be when engaged in 1v1 battle. It's why i value hockey sense and having translatable skills so much

Analytics aside Kulich was one of faster rising players in the 2022 draft and it didnt take a scouting degree to see that he checked a lot of boxes in the tools department but most importantly had high level hockey sense to go with it. I'm shocked he went 28 given the improvements in access to information. I must be missing something because quite frankly i was hoping we took him or Yurov at 15. Yurov was much harder to get viewings on so i will reserve some judgement there but he could be a massive steal for Minnesota. Bottom line is JIri Kulich is a hell of a prospect already just taken 28th in a weak draft

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Just goes to show what a crapshoot these Covid drafts have been.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

What's the point of doing this tournament at all?

They're doing it again in 5 months

 

[thefeebster]

Not even 5... 4 months, now less than. Players would already be leaving their junior/pro teams before mid Dec.

Yesterday, Gord Miller was saying the hockey committee said these players deserved to finish out their junior eligibility with this tournament and thats why they went through with it. I think thats stupid.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Not even 5... 4 months, now less than. Players would already be leaving their junior/pro teams before mid Dec.

Yesterday, Gord Miller was saying the hockey committee said these players deserved to finish out their junior eligibility with this tournament and thats why they went through with it. I think thats stupid.

i am sure money had nothing to do with it.

 

[StreetHawk]

i am sure money had nothing to do with it.

If this was held in Europe originally and it got canceled they wouldn’t make it up in august. They simply overestimated interest in the tournament.

 

[theguardianII]

They deserve way more attention but Rogers doesn't have the rights so they bury the tourney and show Cleveland vs Hobokin baseball instead

 

[RutherPlan]

 

[Deeds26]

View attachment 578032

Lekkerimaki looks a little different in that picture, just can't put my finger on it. Maybe because it's not him.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

How the F did Kulich drop to 28. What a steal Buffalo

He was one of the guys I would have been OK taking at 15. I had him at 19.

 

[vancityluongo]

15 minutes before puck drop for the semi-final ft Canada:

why is this sport run by morons?

 

[vancityluongo]

as an aside, the raptors are playing a sunday night pre-season game here, and tickets sold out in like, 7 minutes.

re-sale prices are through the roof

Toronto Raptors Tickets

Toronto Raptors tickets - Buy and sell Toronto Raptors tickets at StubHub

www.stubhub.ca

it's not apples to apples but it's a couple of pretty damning data points for hockey

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

15 minutes before puck drop for the semi-final ft Canada:

View attachment 578174

why is this sport run by morons?

It's mostly empty because they left the "Oilers attack twice" up.

as an aside, the raptors are playing a sunday night pre-season game here, and tickets sold out in like, 7 minutes.

re-sale prices are through the roof

Toronto Raptors Tickets

Toronto Raptors tickets - Buy and sell Toronto Raptors tickets at StubHub

www.stubhub.ca

it's not apples to apples but it's a couple of pretty damning data points for hockey

Raptors are also "Canada's Team" and you rarely get to watch a professional basketball game.

 

[vancityluongo]

It's mostly empty because they left the "Oilers attack twice" up.


Raptors are also "Canada's Team" and you rarely get to watch a professional basketball game.

that's true, i guess connor bedard will be playing 41 games a year here soon enough

 

[StreetHawk]

It's mostly empty because they left the "Oilers attack twice" up.


Raptors are also "Canada's Team" and you rarely get to watch a professional basketball game.

The blazers and warrior played here like 3/4 years ago and it was sold out too.

Such a shame that the Grizzlies were allowed to be relocated. But different economics back then.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

15 minutes before puck drop for the semi-final ft Canada:

View attachment 578174

why is this sport run by morons?

Speaking for myself (and I know that this is a long standing gripe for us West Coasters) - I'm working during 95% of the games. By the time I get home each evening, it's already done because the games are either mid-day or in the afternoon.

I realize TORONNA doesn't want to stay up late to watch hockey, but man. I'd certainly tune in if the game started in the evening.

 

[supercanuck]

Yikes

 

[thefeebster]

Jurmo's worst shift of the tournament... a pizza delivery that could only be bested by Sbisa.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

15 minutes before puck drop for the semi-final ft Canada:

View attachment 578174

why is this sport run by morons?

Same deal with Soccer Canada.

These entities hire old school losers into cozy executive roles.

 

[Jukurit]

Wow was that Jurmo shift awful. Other than that played OK so far.

 

[sting101]

What a snooze fest.

 

[wonton15]

Is Lekk playing or is he stapled to the bench?