WJC: If the last three JWC had been played on big ice....

[Fregus]

.... would Sweden have a gold by now?

First of all, this is not a whining thread, Canada and USA have totaly deserved to win.
But the last three years Sweden have got their best WJC-team in about a decade, do you think that play on big ice would have increased Swedens chances to take a gold? Is it just bad timing and bad luck that Sweden not have a gold because, unfortunately the tourny have been played on small ice when Sweden got a such high talanted team?
Just a theoretical question

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[v-man]

I think most definitely. Canada probably would have lost the gold years ago if this was the case. They'd be somewhat lost with the removal of much of the physical game. It would take at least the prelims for them to adjust to the bigger ice and the extra skating it entails.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

I think most definitely. Canada probably would have lost the gold years ago if this was the case. They'd be somewhat lost with the removal of much of the physical game. It would take at least the prelims for them to adjust to the bigger ice and the extra skating it entails.

Canada does have a good record on international ice.

 

[v-man]

Canada does have a good record on international ice.

Their previous record has no baring on it what so ever. None of the kids on this years team have played on it. Sure Hockey Canada has an international sheet at their training facility, but the few days there are hardly enough to compensate for playing teams who use it everyday.

 

[Simp]

At least the last 2 years, the game in which Sweden was eliminated from gold medal contention, they lost decisively.

So I'm gonna say no.

 

[Shwag33]

I dont know about this year if they beat the USA on international ice. USA had amazing speed which would have only helped them on the bigger ice.

 

[joe89]

At least the last 2 years, the game in which Sweden was eliminated from gold medal contention, they lost decisively.

So I'm gonna say no.

I have to disagree. Gold medal game last year was 3-1 before two empty-netters, although Canada clearly deserved the win. This year we had 2-2 until approx. 8 minutes left or something? A game which was 2-1 coming into to the 3rd and we had all the momemtum. Not decisively. The third year was a sudden loss but to be fair the expectations back then were small. But I think it's safe to say we benefited from the ice surface.

A little shame one of those two years wasn't on big ice, and not the coming years either, because it's our best generation by far in a while. Our defensemen looked very lost this tournament on the smaller ice surface.

 

[Enstrom39]

The biggest problem with Sweden is the coaching not the ice size.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

The biggest problem with Sweden is the coaching not the ice size.

The Swedish Ron Rolston?

 

[Preds Partisan]

I think sometimes the larger ice surface factor gets overblown. I watch plenty of NCAA hockey and there are universities with the larger ice surface (off the top of my head Minny, U. of Alaska, New Hampshire, Colorado College, Minny State, etc.) that host teams that play and practice on the smaller ice. For the most part: 1.) it doesn't seem like teams playing on the larger ice surface have any significant advantage and 2.) teams moving from the smaller to the larger ice surface seem to make a pretty quick adjustment. Of course it helps to be a good puck possession team with decent speed to play well on the bigger ice, but I just don't see ice size being any great equalizer or advantage. Lastly, the best "team", not "talent" usually prevails regardless of the ice.

 

[Larionov]

Canada seems to adjust pretty well to international ice size. In Ottawa in '09, Sweden simply didn't show up to play for the Final. Had Sweden played up to their potential, they had a shot to win last year.

 

[LostMyGlasses*]

Their previous record has no baring on it what so ever. None of the kids on this years team have played on it. Sure Hockey Canada has an international sheet at their training facility, but the few days there are hardly enough to compensate for playing teams who use it everyday.

I would wager most Canadians in previous tournaments abroad had very limited experience on the big ice, as well- yet still won or did well in the tournaments.

 

[BigD66]

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