Ouch...Germany relegated

[Aaron Vickers]

After their strong start to the tournament, Germany will be relegated (along with Belarus) next year.

Germany, who came within a Swedish overtime goal of qualifying for the medal round, will instead join Belarus in being relegated from next year's tournament.

It's a shame given the results they were able to come up with to start the tournament.

http://tsn.ca/world_jrs/news_story/?ID=190853&hubname=

Click to read more...

 

[PanniniClaus]

They really screwed themselves with the Belarus loss. Could have been in the QF's with a real chance to beat Finland and instead finish 9th.

 

[BCCHL inactive]

There is still a chance for both Germany and Belarus to stick around next year...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/article.jsp?content=20070103_093845_4520

 

[Hunter Gathers]

They don't deserve to be relegated anyway. The Slovaks do, IMO.

 

[BCCHL inactive]

They don't deserve to be relegated anyway. The Slovaks do, IMO.

I don't think the Slovaks deserved to be relegated. Why?...

1. They finished 8th. Bottom Line. When they had to kick the living **** out of their opponents to save their hides, they did. When Germany just needed to get to overtime to save their hides, they didn't.

2. Remember 1998? Even though back then only the 10th place team was relegated, Canada finished 8th. Even the best team has an "off-year" once in a while.

 

[Tricolore#20]

I don't think the Slovaks deserved to be relegated. Why?...

1. They finished 8th. Bottom Line. When they had to kick the living **** out of their opponents to save their hides, they did. When Germany just needed to get to overtime to save their hides, they didn't.

2. Remember 1998? Even though back then only the 10th place team was relegated, Canada finished 8th. Even the best team has an "off-year" once in a while.

Exactly. If you win the games you have to win, how can you possibly "deserve" to be relegated, when other teams lose the games they have to win. That's why the games are played in the first place!

 

[Seachd]

There is still a chance for both Germany and Belarus to stick around next year...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/article.jsp?content=20070103_093845_4520

I wouldn't mind that, actually. Instead of the same two teams coming up and getting sent right back down again, it gives two of those four bottom teams the opportunity to stick around, which I don't think could hurt their programs.

 

[Jazz]

There is still a chance for both Germany and Belarus to stick around next year...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/article.jsp?content=20070103_093845_4520

It really depends who you ask. I can see that most people on this site do not want to expand, argueing that it will bring about more blowouts. On the international forum, most are in favor of the expansion (click here if you are interested)

However, keep this in mind, I am willing to bet that Hockey Canada is going to do everything in their power to block any expansion. Federation president Bob Nicholson has said over the past couple of years that he does not think expansion is a good idea, and I was able to approach him about this subject last year when the tournament was in Vancouver - I asked about Germany and Belarus yo-yoing between the elite and Div I for the past few years, and asked of possible expansion and he quickly said "No" (see the last paragraph of this post on more of what he had to say on this.)

Anyways, in a CP article today, we get this:
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2007/01/04/3156136-sun.html

ADDING TWO IN 2008?

A report that the world junior championship will go to 12 teams in 2008 was played down by a Hockey Canada official who wished to remain anonymous. The report indicated the IIHF would likely decide at meetings in May to allow all 10 teams in the tournament now to remain, and add Denmark and Kazakhstan, who won the Pool B titles. But the Hockey Canada official said there had been "minor backroom talk" about the issue and was not sure how far the idea would get in May.

So I am not surprised here. I think Hockey Canada is also concerned on how this might affect any ticket-selling campaign for Ottawa '09.

 

[Rob]

Biggest choke job of the tournament!

 

[Superfly Jimmy Snuka]

i dont consider the germans choke artists, their performance was by far better as a whole than what slovakia's was...i was very impressed with the german coaching and their goaltending

 

[Rob]

I consider them choke artists because all they had to do was beat lowly Belarus but they lost and are now being relegated. That is choking.

 

[BCCHL inactive]

I consider them choke artists because all they had to do was beat lowly Belarus but they lost and are now being relegated. That is choking.

At this tournament, Germany is considered just as "lowly" as Belarus.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

I consider them choke artists because all they had to do was beat lowly Belarus but they lost and are now being relegated. That is choking.

Or they just had to lose once in OT against BLR AND SWI. They didnt.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

IMO the Americans didn't take the Germany game seriously, Germany played a defensive game and got lucky in overtime. So much has been said about how Germany is improving, but I don't see it. If Germany and the US played again would anyone be surprised if the States won 5-0??
I'm fine with Germany and Belarus being relegated. I'd like to see the number of teams reduced to eight anyway.

I don't think a short tournament like this is about developing 2nd tier teams. It's a chance to showcase the best players in this age group, and see how they do playing at a higher level. Hockey is not popular beyond seven or eight countries and it seems a little desperate to want to include more teams before they are ready.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

I took a quick look at the tournament history. I only see two meaningful victories ever, where a developing country beat one of the BIG 7. By meaningful I mean either a QF, SF or Gold Medal game. Switzerland has two QF victories, one against Slovakia in 2002, and another against Sweden in 1998.
To date Switzerland has only developed a total of four NHL regular players, two back up goalies, one centre and one defenceman. This shows me they are still way behind the BIG 7 in terms of player development.
For years I have heard about how the Swiss are on the verge of becoming a hockey power.
Not gonna happen!

 

[BigBadBread]

So who comes up next year???

 

[arrbez]

So who comes up next year???

glorious nation Kazakhstan?

 

[Eisbaerenfan]

I'd like to see the number of teams reduced to eight anyway.

And then in 3 years from now you'd argue that it should be reduced to 6 teams because Slovakia and Switzerland can't win against the top 6 on a regular basis anyway and thus should be considered 2nd tier.
And then 6 years from now we should reduce it to 4 teams because empirical evidence has proven that Finland and the Czechs are 2nd tier compared to the "Big 4".
And by 2018 let's just have a match between Russia and Canada to determine the World Champion.

I don't think a short tournament like this is about developing 2nd tier teams.

how are they going to develop then when they are not even allowed to compete with the best at a meaningfull tournament?

Hockey is not popular beyond seven or eight countries and it seems a little desperate to want to include more teams before they are ready.

Hockey is popular in Germany. I don't know about Kazakhstan, Belarus and Latvia but I would guess it does have some meaning there too.

 

[frontsfan2005]

So who comes up next year???

Denmark and Kazakhstan are up next year.

 

[Bryzga lol*]

I consider them choke artists because all they had to do was beat lowly Belarus but they lost and are now being relegated. That is choking.

Belarus aren't push overs anymore. They've produced a lot of talent in the past 5 years.

 

[emb24*]

guess they weren't that good. oh well some on here were talking about 'germany 'and 'hockey power' in the same sentence last week. sweet dreams i guess

 

[shakes]

glorious nation Kazakhstan?

high five!

 

[miccim]

I took a quick look at the tournament history. I only see two meaningful victories ever, where a developing country beat one of the BIG 7. By meaningful I mean either a QF, SF or Gold Medal game. Switzerland has two QF victories, one against Slovakia in 2002, and another against Sweden in 1998.
To date Switzerland has only developed a total of four NHL regular players, two back up goalies, one centre and one defenceman. This shows me they are still way behind the BIG 7 in terms of player development.
For years I have heard about how the Swiss are on the verge of becoming a hockey power.
Not gonna happen!

You have to consider that 10 years ago (1997), there were no Swiss: first round drafts, no player in the OHL/WHL/QMJHL, no player in the NHL, no significant reasults in the WJ, nor at the Olympics or at the World Championship. Since then, six players have played in the NHL (with first and second rounders); there are now a handful players in the AHL and in the Canadian junior leagues. Switzerland reached 3rd in the 1998 in the WJ, 4th the same year at the World Championship, they beat both Russia and Canada.

That is a decent improvement. They won't become a "hockey power" anytime soon (and here I agree with you) as there junior development program, while quite productive is not competitive enough, but I would say the progress they made is noticeable. So I don't agree with the idea that this tournament should be reserved to the big 7 (or 8): I think that those so-called "smaller teams" (i.e. Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, etc.) have shown that they have to be respected for what they have acomplished. Belarus beat Finland, Germany has beaten the US, Switzerland has beaten Slovakia. That's not bad, isn't it?

 

[Foy]

I consider them choke artists because all they had to do was beat lowly Belarus but they lost and are now being relegated. That is choking.

Belarus isn't that bad of a country in hockey anymore. Their dictator is a big fan, and has really pushed for the development ofthe sport in the country.

 

[Anksun]

They shouldnt expand.

What they should do is simple:

Play the 2nd-tier tournament in october, the 2 best teams goes to the WJC 2 months later.

IT doesnt make any sense that because Germany and Belarus cant return next year because they were in group 1.

It should be this way:

1. WJC.
2. the 2 teams relegated rejoin the 2nd-tiers.
3. Those 2nd-tiers all play in october.
4. WJC with the 2 winners of (3).

That way, a country who is truely trying to join the top-7 would have a change to play again the best each year without having to add lesser teams to do so.