Future Of Canada-russia Hockey Challenge?

[hawksfan50]

After another "B" squad of short-staffed Russian Selects Jrs got thumped again inthis ADT Canada-Russia Challenge series--isn't it time to end this farce?...either change the format to perhaps a Canada vs. USA HOCKEY CHALLENGE or end the series...if it became Canada vs. USA then you could get the best of the Q,O,and Dub vs. an all-star American squad from their jr. leagues + from their NDTP
(I cannot see how this would jeopardize the Americans NCAA status since some of the same Cdn. Jrs appear on our National Teams at U-18 and U-20 tournaments--but at least such a format change should be more competitive than the futile Russkie squads they have had in the series for several years now...Either change the format or ADT should can the whole idea...(maybe any Jr. player who has signed an NHL contract and was sent back to Jr. should be excluded from play if the NCAA rules that this would jeopardize any American Jr.'s NCAA eligibility?)---other wise I don't see any problems changing formats. ADT should consider
my suggestion or shut down the entire series ...

As an alternative --perhaps Q and O, all-star teams could play a CJAHL TEAM EAST all-star squad and Dub all-star teams could play a CJAHL TEAM WEST all-star squad...


My point is that the current format vs. sub-par Russsian competition is no longer
worth the effort to put on... it is too uncompetitive...

Click to read more...

 

[Siberian]

After another "B" squad of short-staffed Russian Selects Jrs got thumped again inthis ADT Canada-Russia Challenge series--isn't it time to end this farce?...either change the format to perhaps a Canada vs. USA HOCKEY CHALLENGE or end the series...if it became Canada vs. USA then you could get the best of the Q,O,and Dub vs. an all-star American squad from their jr. leagues + from their NDTP
(I cannot see how this would jeopardize the Americans NCAA status since some of the same Cdn. Jrs appear on our National Teams at U-18 and U-20 tournaments--but at least such a format change should be more competitive than the futile Russkie squads they have had in the series for several years now...Either change the format or ADT should can the whole idea...(maybe any Jr. player who has signed an NHL contract and was sent back to Jr. should be excluded from play if the NCAA rules that this would jeopardize any American Jr.'s NCAA eligibility?)---other wise I don't see any problems changing formats. ADT should consider
my suggestion or shut down the entire series ...

As an alternative --perhaps Q and O, all-star teams could play a CJAHL TEAM EAST all-star squad and Dub all-star teams could play a CJAHL TEAM WEST all-star squad...


My point is that the current format vs. sub-par Russsian competition is no longer
worth the effort to put on... it is too uncompetitive...

Why is it a farce? Simply, Canadian depth at this age is too much. CHL kids have a tremendous experience playing in their own league. Russia does send its second best team but Canadian CHL teams are just too good. The problem is that Russian Hockey Federation just can't have all the best players go to Canada - Superleague championship is going in full. Can Omsk let Cherepanov go for two weeks while he has become a big part of the team? No, just like NHL clubs will not let their best talent go and play in a tournament like that.

But it is a great little tourney, it does give a lot to both Canadian teams and Russian teams, it would be a huge mistake to stop this competition at this point. First of all the success of Canada recently at WJC can be related to this tournament, the players get a chance to familiarize with the international competition, and second - give Russia a couple of years to develop more depth and this will get more interesting, trust me, Russian hockey youth schools are picking up pace. There are going to be more kids avaiable very soon.

Anyways, I hope they do not shut down this tourney!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think a pretty good squad could be assembled if you put together the best Americans from the CHL.

 

[PanniniClaus]

I see no reason for the Canadian teams to continue to play the Washington Generals... er Russian Selects. Not worth the effort becuase the Russians only send a small sample size of the best they have to offer.

 

[Blind Gardien]

Maybe Canada should just sit their WJC shoo-ins out of the tourney too. The guys they know are locks... say Bourdon-Letang, Staal-Parent, Russell-Franson sit out on D, take Downie and O'Marra and your call on Pyatt, obviously the NCAA guys like Cogliano, Toews, and Bertram are out anyway... basically just make it an evaluation for new additions to Team Canada? Personally, I don't see that levelling the playing field much, though... you could take out any 20 or 30 players from the Canadian side, and I think the balance of competitiveness wouldn't be altered much.

Plus I still think the lack of competitiveness from the Russian side is being consistently overstated. Bookends on the tournament weren't very meaningful... first game was lopsided, but they just arrived from halfway across the world. Last game they had travelled across the country, were playing with just 14/15 skaters, and they didn't have any gas left. Take out those two games, and you've really got a not-bad tourney. 4-3, 4-3, 5-3, and only one remaining "blowout" at 5-0. Some of the close scores might have been a bit flattering, but it's realistic to say that Russia *could* have won any of those 3 games. The competitive balance isn't as far off as I think the recent crusade would suggest. There were some great showings by some of those Russian kids, the equal of any individual showings from any of the Canadians. To start with, Russia should have flown over with 22 bodies. Even if it was "B" or "C" grade filler for the rest of the spots, just make sure there are enough players and that brings things one step closer to competitiveness right there. This year's core group was actually pretty decent, I thought.

Plus I know there are arguments coming from Russia about RSL teams needing some of their teenagers... well, I don't follow the RSL of course, but I have to doubt that *every* such candidate actually plays that much of a role on their RSL teams. 4th liners, 8th defensemen just soaking up the experience of being in the top league... there has to be a few of those. Perhaps Hockey Canada/the sponsors could kick in a little financial incentive to cover the contracts of any such low-utilised players that their RSL teams actually *could* spare in that scenario.