IIHF World Championships Fan Interest

[ViD]

I’ve checked this forum today and was a bit surprised on how little interest the games are for the fans here.

I see most GDTs with just a few dozen messages and massive games like SWE - FIN are a bit over 100 messages when the game is nearing its end.

I’ve compared what was happening in the last WHC before Covid and Russia ban - 2019

All round robin games

CZE - SWI 232 messages GDT: - Group B - May 21 - Czech Republic vs Switzerland

SWE - LAT 442 messages GDT: - Group B - May 20 - Sweden vs Latvia

SWE - RUS 458 messages GDT: - Group B - May 21 - Sweden vs Russia

FIN - GER 372 messages GDT: - Group A - May 21 - Finland vs Germany

Do you think that represents the overall interest drop in the hockey world or are we mostly talking about HFB here ?

Click to read more...

 

[Kleefeld]

Overall interest drop I'd say.

 

[jackp0t]

The timezone makes it hard for people in the USA/CAN to watch the game. And there's no way im waking up earlier to watch Lucic play.

If Bedard was playing in the tournament it would probably do better numbers honestly.

 

[jj cale]

It's inevitable when you don't have the Russians to beat up on.

Even I struggle to despise with my usual intensity.

 

[jcbio11]

Perhaps, but HFboards is not a good measuring stick. In fact, it's deeply flawed.

HFboards as a platform is bleeding users and activity in general. Big social media platforms like Facebook and reddit are siphoning the users and activity away.

 

[jj cale]

Perhaps, but HFboards is not a good measuring stick. In fact, it's deeply flawed.

HFboards as a platform is bleeding users and activity in general. Big social media platforms like Facebook and reddit are siphoning the users and activity away.

I haven't missed 98% of them

 

[WarriorofTime]

Forums in general are dying. Kids (GenZ and younger millennials) don't like them and prefer social media platforms, so the legacy forums (like HFBoards) skew older and bleed more users than they bring in these days.

You'd have to compare it to the overall site activity during that same period in order to form any sort of opinion on the World Championships amongst the userbase.

 

[Rob]

If Canada were to ever host the Worlds again I would support it for sure. Quebec City would be perfect with the new arena. Unfortunately there is just no demand from fans.

 

[tade]

Rosters were overall far better before the COVID, and it obviously doesn't help that Russia is banned from competing. Look at 2019 Team Canada, 2019 Czech Republic, 2019 Russia etc.

Czechia 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Czechia - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

Canada 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Canada - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

Russia 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Russia - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

It's really not surprising.

 

[ViD]

The timezone makes it hard for people in the USA/CAN to watch the game. And there's no way im waking up earlier to watch Lucic play.

If Bedard was playing in the tournament it would probably do better numbers honestly.

Why is Bedard not playing btw ? Fantilli is in..

 

[Jussi]

I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore.

 

[Czechboy]

Rosters were overall far better before the COVID, and it obviously doesn't help that Russia is banned from competing. Look at 2019 Team Canada, 2019 Czech Republic, 2019 Russia etc.

Czechia 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Czechia - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

Canada 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Canada - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

Russia 2018-2019 - Roster, Stats & more

Russia - WC - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

It's really not surprising.

That was a nice Czech roster. If I recall we benched our NHL goalie there too!lol

 

[ViD]

That was a nice Czech roster. If I recall we benched our NHL goalie there too!lol

Arguably best Russia roster at a WHC ever, 100% points in round robin, beat US in 1/4 and lost 1-0 to a Finnish team that had no NHL stars. Abomination.

That Canada defense looks stacked too

The USA roster is crazy ! Fox, Kane, Eichel, Gaudreau, Debrincat, Hughes, Werenski, Larkin etc

 

[Albatros]

The 2019 tournament was full of NHL stars indeed, and Finland won with a roster that only included two fringe NHLers in Juho Lammikko and Henri Jokiharju.

 

[Elvs]

I'll always enjoy the World Championships, but for more casual fans there are far too many meaningless games. Even when Russia and Belarus are in, 16 teams is clearly pushing it.

Tomorrow's games:
Denmark-Austria
Slovenia-Norway
France-Hungary
Switzerland-Kazakhstan

Wednesday's games:
USA-Austria
Latvia-Norway
Finland-France
Canada-Kazakhstan

Not a single game for two days to look forward to, which is not a good look for a World Championship.

No offence, but there's no reason why we need to have all of Austria, France, Hungary, Norway, Kazakhstan and Slovenia in the same tournament.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Rosters were overall far better before the COVID, and it obviously doesn't help that Russia is banned from competing. Look at 2019 Team Canada, 2019 Czech Republic, 2019 Russia etc.
It's really not surprising.

I think pushing it back had the opposite of the intended effect.

 

[Czechboy]

Arguably best Russia roster at a WHC ever, 100% points in round robin, beat US in 1/4 and lost 1-0 to a Finnish team that had no NHL stars. Abomination.

That Canada defense looks stacked too

The USA roster is crazy ! Fox, Kane, Eichel, Gaudreau, Debrincat, Hughes, Werenski, Larkin etc

US has sent some unbelievable rosters here. At least before 2019.

Those Finnish teams can be a nightmare! They've broken many a heart.

 

[Czechboy]

I'll always enjoy the World Championships, but for more casual fans there are far too many meaningless games. Even when Russia and Belarus are in, 16 teams is clearly pushing it.

Tomorrow's games:
Denmark-Austria
Slovenia-Norway
France-Hungary
Switzerland-Kazakhstan

Wednesday's games:
USA-Austria
Latvia-Norway
Finland-France
Canada-Kazakhstan

Not a single game for two days to look forward to, which is not a good look for a World Championship.

No offence, but there's no reason why we need to have all of Austria, France, Hungary, Norway, Kazakhstan and Slovenia in the same tournament.

Ive noticed that too... Several days have no interesting matchups. I'm a international hockey superfan and I probably won't watch the next two days.

 

[ORRFForever]

Forums in general are dying. Kids (GenZ and younger millennials) don't like them and prefer social media platforms, so the legacy forums (like HFBoards) skew older and bleed more users than they bring in these days.

That's interesting.

 

[Albatros]

No offence, but there's no reason why we need to have all of Austria, France, Hungary, Norway, Kazakhstan and Slovenia in the same tournament.

They should be in the same tournament, whether that's the highest tier or the second tier. But if you make the top tier too exclusive then there's not going to be much rotation, teams like Poland or Great Britain will never ever get there. Among other things that means fewer markets. Fewer markets means fewer interest among sponsors. For example Škoda sells their cars primarily in Central and Western Europe, as good as none in North America, and the Scandinavian countries are relatively small markets as well. There also aren't all that many major sponsors coming from Finland or Sweden or indeed North America that could take over.

 

[frapp10]

I would watch it if the games were in the afternoon

 

[Elvs]

They should be in the same tournament, whether that's the highest tier or the second tier. But if you make the top tier too exclusive then there's not going to be much rotation, teams like Poland or Great Britain will never ever get there. Among other things that means fewer markets. Fewer markets means fewer interest among sponsors. For example Škoda sells their cars primarily in Central and Western Europe, as good as none in North America, and the Scandinavian countries are relatively small markets as well. There also aren't all that many major sponsors coming from Finland or Sweden or indeed North America that could take over.

They wouldn't all be in the same tournament if it wasn't for the exclusion of Russia and Belarus. Or are you advocating for 18 teams when things are "normal"?

And I disagree that teams like Poland or Great Britain will "never ever get there", as we've already seen Great Britain, and even Hungary, make the top division while Russia and Belarus were still eligable.

The likes of them, and Poland, would still have the same opportunity to be in the top division as they did before, even if the tournament (without Russia and Belarus) was reduced to 14 teams.

 

[Seiza]

WHC just isn't that much fun, we are three games in and I think I have watched a total of five minutes so far.

 

[ozo]

WHC just isn't that much fun, we are three games in and I think I have watched a total of five minutes so far.

But what is fun? There is no true best on best international hockey anymore, this is the best thing out there, might as well try watching it more than 5 minutes before writing it of. :/

 

[Seiza]

But what is fun? There is no true best on best international hockey anymore, this is the best thing out there, might as well try watching it more than 5 minutes before writing it of. :/

I will probably watch a game or two when the playoff starts. But in the end, I don't really care if Sweden wins or gets knocked out in the QF.