So, Lets Discuss this "World Cup" Nonsense for a Second...

[Raimoh]

Do not understand people who are not excited for this tournament. Best on best hockey is unreal. With the two new teams, every game is going to be one you can't wait to watch. Team North America vs Canada is one of the games I'm looking forward to most. Not sure why anyone would want to see Belarus get railed by Canada 10-0 in a game with zero intensity. People trying to take a stand not to watch it to spite the NHL? Don't get it..if you enjoy watching hockey than this tournament is going to be awesome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Cup_of_Hockey#Group_round
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_World_Cup_of_Hockey#Scores

I'm failing to find Belarus or 10-0 scores here.

And if they really didn't want Slovakia or Switzerland or Germany then they could have just had 6 teams like good ol' Canada Cup, but nooooo... And while some players play against their native countries, it still makes sense to use the phrase "carrying a nation on their shoulders" to advertise this tournament!

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Do not understand people who are not excited for this tournament. Best on best hockey is unreal. With the two new teams, every game is going to be one you can't wait to watch. Team North America vs Canada is one of the games I'm looking forward to most. Not sure why anyone would want to see Belarus get railed by Canada 10-0 in a game with zero intensity. People trying to take a stand not to watch it to spite the NHL? Don't get it..if you enjoy watching hockey than this tournament is going to be awesome.

Canada vs. U.S. and Canada vs. Sweden in the last Olympics was a real, actual example of best on best...and both of those games were boring as ****.

That doesn't mean introducing random, unstructured chaos is going to create entertainment.

Professional sports are also a matter of representation. I love the Red Wings because 1) I love hockey, and 2) I'm from Detroit. In that way, I am represented by the Red Wings.

Who do these random thrown-together teams represent? No one cares. There's no stakes, this tournament is not a matter of pride.

 

[Era of Sanity]

like the event, hate that they screwed the teams up by compromising the nation vs nation, that loses some of the credibility and interest for me.

 

[TrillMike]

I'm leaning towards not wanting my team's players to participate.

 

[Leafs87]

It's going to suck for some team to lose a star player because of injury.

It will happen. Always does. Leafs lost nylander at the world juniors last year when he was the best ahl player at the time. In a tournament which he shouldn't of even played in and the leafs didn't want to send him to.

 

[stampedingviking]

Waste of time, just stick with the Olympics.

 

[sandysan]

Who do these random thrown-together teams represent? No one cares. There's no stakes, this tournament is not a matter of pride.

they represent the next wave of NHL stars who, due to incredible depth, would have ZERO chance of making their respective national teams this year.

Look at max domi. is he good ? sure. How many 4 year cycles do you think it reasonable before he breaks through the logjam of players ahead of him ? One ? Two ? three ?

The nhl is using team young guns to allow players, talented young players, to showcase their talents on a stage that would almost certainly be denied them for 4 if not 8 years ( McJesus excluded). Right now he's the only one who has a shot of making the " big boys team" for Canada,

For the US, it gets a little stickier. There are a lot of players who could make the big club which kind of sucks for them. But this isn't like college football or basketball, there IS no NCAA equivalent. Having great young players that you CAN'T showcase doesn't do the NHL a whole lot of good.

Do I expect team young guns to be competitive ? I have no idea, if they ARE its GREAT for the NHL, if they get steamrolled, no one expected much from them anyways and the league has said its a one off. As for team leftover Europe, I think that THAT team will be far more competitive than any team assembled out of its constituent parts. Will they still get steamrolled ? Who knows ?

The NHL is using this tournament to showcase the fact that it is by leaps and bounds the most talent laden hockey league on the planet, and this way they get to show that in addition to having the top end talent the league is also super deep so much so that teams assembled like young guns and leftover Europe might be good enough to hang, or better, with any team.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Absolutely. Everybody recalls Canadians avoiding watching the Olympics from '98 on and downplaying the importance that silly tournament as a result of real competition. Great post!

Echiel and McDavid not being able to play for their respective countries is what sours me on this whole mess.

Connor McDavid would not be in this tournament if there was no Team North America. Look at how Hockey Canada picks teams for these type of events. They have 13 more experienced players who've done more for Canada than Connor McDavid.

Is McDavid good enough? Of course he is. Crosby was good enough in 2006 and Stamkos was good enough in 2010. They still didn't get to go.

 

[Chloraflora]

Yeah, I won't be watching this and I don't want my team's players involved either.

This is not a true best on best, just a money grab.

 

[STC]

I think its great. The goal is to have it replace the Olympics the same way the World Cup has replaced the Olympics for soccer.

First one was thrown together quickly as a test run, that's why you see the U-23 team and the European team. Eventually those teams will be replaced by real countries.

That said, I'm very much looking forwards to seeing the U-23 team compete vs the big boys.

 

[sandysan]

Yeah, I won't be watching this and I don't want my team's players involved either.

This is not a true best on best, just a money grab.

unlike the olympics who sell the tv rights that they control for billions.

The NHL is a private league, they are in the business of making money. Why should they " gift" the talent that they have under contract to enrich the IOC ? for the grand return of nothing ?

and if it IS a money grab, it might be the money grab needed to convince the NHL that whatever the IOC does, they don't NEED th IOC to do it.

so if you were in their shoes

Best on best/ players& owners take all the risks/ the ioc gets all the benefits
vs
Best on best ( gimmicks first year, only)/ players& owners take on all the risks / players owners get all the benefits

if you are a player, you chose the former ? really ?

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Let's discuss this tournament.

It will be watched by a couple thousand people just like the nhl as a league is watched.
Outside of Canada nobody in the Hockey World let alone Sporting World knows it exists.
There is no national pride.
It's been insulted from the get go, Canadians leading the way.
Tickets are only for rich suity people in Canada's richest city.
No one is traveling to Toronto from any of the countrys in the tournament.

And last

More people across the World are traveling to Russia to atten the Worlds then a fake cash grab.

What does that tell you of how the nhl is really not significant in the World of sport.

The Olympics draws close to 1 billion eyes on Hockey. How will it replaced by a cash grab?

 

[Little Psycho]

Judging by some of the comments I have read, the European players are not happy with the format and I don't blame them.

 

[sandysan]

The Olympics draws close to 1 billion eyes on Hockey. How will it replaced by a cash grab?

by having the draw ( i.e the talent) ?

And I like how team young guns and left over europe are some artifice but the world championships ( also known as the " throw together a best of the rest team for players who didn't make the show) are somehow regarded not only regarded as legitimate but actively defended.

The NHL said that the young guns/ leftover europe are for iteration #1 only, you think the WHC's is going to stop throwing together team best of the rest any time soon ?

And i'm sure, absolutely convinced, that a gold medal hockey game at the olympics pitting team has-beens vs team never-where's is really going to draw the peepers. Because hey, the guy who does my taxes might actually make it on my TV screen !

For your information, NHL participation in the olympics hasnt translated into ANY TANGIBLE benefit for the league. Ever. A billion eyes that tune in transiently every four years and never in between does the league, and the development of hockey, little good because what you are peddling is not a love or appreciation of the game, but using the game as a vehicle for nationalism.

 

[R3DDRAG0N]

Canada vs. U.S. and Canada vs. Sweden in the last Olympics was a real, actual example of best on best...and both of those games were boring as ****.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm glad I grew up in the Canada Cup era and could watch real honest to god entertaining hockey. Today's hockey is boring as hell, system,system, system. The only way a team scores is if there is a mistake by the other. Bring back the high scoring mistake ridden games. Canada cup 87' was the pinnacle for me..This tournament is a money grab plain and simple, add your own justification to suit your narrative but the bottom line is there is no history to this tourney or rational to have it. If the NHL thinks that they can replace the Olympics with this farce they will see the consequences. I for one couldn't be anymore disinterested.

 

[Face Of Bear]

Just another half-baked gimmick for the NHL to make a quick buck at the expense of the fans.

I'll watch it for scouting young guys like Matthews and Rielly, or Nylander if he s somehow there... but as a Canadian, I couldnt care less if Canada won or not. The way they've laid out the tournament has abolished any chances for real national pride in what takes place. It's just a clear money grab that the NHL doesnt even attempt to hide. I hope it reflects in the ratings, especially if this means the end of the Olympics - which is a real tournament worth getting excited for.

 

[Claypool]

The Olympics is the biggest money grab in sports. Come up with a different excuse to dislike this tournament, please.

 

[Ducks in a row]

Why would the NHL care about the Olympics though?
They make no money off it.
They have to stop their season for it.
They risk star players getting hurt a few months before the playoffs.

This tournament is was better for the NHL.

They make money off it.
They don't have to stop their season for it.
If players get hurt it is a full season away form playoffs.

I am sorry you don't like it but form the NHL pint of view this tournament makes sense and is a prefect replacement for Olyimpics. (as the best on best tournament)

Growing the game. Olympics do that a whole lot more then this world cup. More fans = more money in the future.

 

[Estlin]

This shinny tournament will be popular in Canada. That's it.

 

[Chloraflora]

Fine, I won't use the term money grab. My comment about being a true nation on nation best on best still stands, and taking the best players away from the biggest shop window (the Olympics) costs the tournament millions of extra viewers. Nobody who isn't already a hockey fan will watch, and even many who are won't either, as evidenced by this thread.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

This shinny tournament will be popular in Canada. That's it.

maybe a little but not as big as the WJHC or the Olympics

I'm cheering for no injuries to my team's players....its a gimmick tourny with a gimmick format and a gimmick trophy

 

[SECRET SQUIRREL]

I thought this thread was going to be about those ridiculous tv commercials promoting it, holy cringe worthy.

 

[FLYLine27*]

A lot of "hockey" fans whining and complaining about competitive hockey a couple weeks early.

Must have been a long week for most of you guys.

Wonder how much you'll be crying if one of you star players tears his ACL in this tournament.

 

[FLYLine27*]

I thought this thread was going to be about those ridiculous tv commercials promoting it, holy cringe worthy.

Yea that too. I saw one of them and started the thread lol.

 

[Bending and Tending]

I'm not going to complain about more hockey to watch on the off chance that a player on my team gets injured.

There are 82 games in a season, but god forbid if they play another 4-5 before the season starts....jesus christ.