OT: Team young guns

[Beerfish]

Because it's fun to watch and the teams should all be relatively close in skill.

Hockey will never be the World Cup. Ever. So the sooner we get off of this idea that it has to be some wonderful international competiton the better in my mind.

It'll be great entertainment, with (hopefully) exciting and high end hockey, and I don't see Latvia there to lose every game to enjoy it.

Fine, you just said it. "So the sooner we get off of this idea that it has to be some wonderful international competiton the better in my mind."

Throw all the hockeys sticks in the middle and pick even teams. There ya go. We are going to have national teams, but hmmm we need two filler teams because we want 8 teams. Totally defeats the purpose if you ask me. Where do David and goliath stories come from?

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

Better to sign up Latvia and Norway for 11-0 massacres.
Tourney will stink, better stick with the current format of WCs and gems like the Spengler Cup.

Change is hard eh...?

What about the Olympics? 12 teams. Is that a joke of a tournament? Are Canada's gold tarnished because they had an easy early round game against a Latvia or Norway?

 

[McRobbiezyg]

It isn't being a debbie downer. Why don't we just play hockey with rocket packs on each players back. Wouldn't that be more fun? think out side the box right. Why not make a shark tank around the net, the players have to swim through it before they can score. Great idea right, thinking out side the box

A gimick is a gimick, it is being a downer, it is wanting to preserve the sport. Every other sport seems fine with player country and against country. Not age group against age group.

if you think your examples are comparable, there is no helping you.

 

[McGoMcD]

Fine, you just said it. "So the sooner we get off of this idea that it has to be some wonderful international competiton the better in my mind."

Throw all the hockeys sticks in the middle and pick even teams. There ya go. We are going to have national teams, but hmmm we need two filler teams because we want 8 teams. Totally defeats the purpose if you ask me. Where do David and goliath stories come from?

With you on this one. Just don't get why more people don't understand it. I mean where does it end? It is a international competition, that is what it is. The Olympics have been pitting powerful countries and against week brutal countries for thousands of years. It doesn't need to change.

Like I said don't even get the idea. Like you represent your age? What does that mean, maybe countries are over rated, but what the hell does representing your age mean? Just a gimick.

 

[CornKicker]

i like the idea a lot. next we can have a team made up only of right hand shots, and a team of left hand only shots. And then a team with only black players. and maybe a team of players with moustaches only and a team of guys who are going bald. The possibilities are endless

 

[doulos]

I don't see why it will be great entertainment? I want to watch the best players play for their countries, not some hybrid team. I mean what does that even mean. You represent your age group?

Represent your country, get killed 11-0 wearing your countries jersey. That is what it is about. Why dont' we just add another team to the Olympics, you can also compete for your age group rather than your country. It doesn't make any sense. Sure it will never be the World Cup, but why should we make it a farce?

I bolded the difference between you and I. I think it will be superb hockey and you don't. Not sure what else there is to discuss. I think it's more of a farce to have a bunch of hockey nations there that don't stand a snowball's chance of winning anything at all, but that's just my opinion.

 

[doulos]

Fine, you just said it. "So the sooner we get off of this idea that it has to be some wonderful international competiton the better in my mind."

Throw all the hockeys sticks in the middle and pick even teams. There ya go. We are going to have national teams, but hmmm we need two filler teams because we want 8 teams. Totally defeats the purpose if you ask me. Where do David and goliath stories come from?

There are national teams for all but 2 of the teams. If other countries were more competitive this wouldn't even have to be considered.

It might be a total disaster. I guess we'll see. I see nothing wrong with trying to have every game be exciting and competitive and if it flops then change it up.

 

[doulos]

It isn't being a debbie downer. Why don't we just play hockey with rocket packs on each players back. Wouldn't that be more fun? think out side the box right. Why not make a shark tank around the net, the players have to swim through it before they can score. Great idea right, thinking out side the box

A gimick is a gimick, it is being a downer, it is wanting to preserve the sport. Every other sport seems fine with player country and against country. Not age group against age group.

The other teams will still be playing the same sport in the same way, but just at a higher level than Kazakhstan would. You're being extremely silly bringing in ideas of rocket packs.

 

[J4M13M]

I would think it was a laughable idea if there weren't so many good U23 players for that team. In fact, I feel the U23 team has a very good chance to medal.

Let's face it, the idea of the tournament is to sell tickets and jerseys. Who's going to sell more seats/sweaters, the entire Latvian team or Connor McDavid alone?

 

[sepHF]

yep I'm really not a fan of the format.

Why would you even want to compete against your own country?

It's a travesty that the Olympics will be replaced with this

 

[sepHF]

Better to sign up Latvia and Norway for 11-0 massacres.
Tourney will stink, better stick with the current format of WCs and gems like the Spengler Cup.

Change is hard eh...?

that game against Latvia last Olympics was extremely exciting. It was a joy to watch.

 

[doulos]

yep I'm really not a fan of the format.

Why would you even want to compete against your own country?

It's a travesty that the Olympics will be replaced with this

I'm not sure, but were the Olympics even a real option any more? I thought the NHL was done with it, but I could be wrong. Anyways,I can see why it might not be the perfect event for everyone, but calling it a travesty seems a bit much. It's still going to be really, really good hockey. Some of the best you can watch.

 

[McGoMcD]

yep I'm really not a fan of the format.

Why would you even want to compete against your own country?

It's a travesty that the Olympics will be replaced with this

Exactly, I haven't even mentioned this, but how can you actually set out to beat your own country any way?

 

[doulos]

Exactly, I haven't even mentioned this, but how can you actually set out to beat your own country any way?

It's not their own country. It's a team of younger players that will contain many from their own country. It's not the World Cup of Soccer. It's the World Cup of Hockey. It's different.

If Cameroon, Swaziland, Australia, and the Netherlands had good hockey programs this would not even have to be considered as an option.

 

[Beerfish]

A few scores from the last olympics:

Russia 5 Slovakia 2
Russia 1 Slovenia 0
Finland 8 Austria 4
Canada 3 Norway 1
Czech 4 Latvia 2
Sweden 1 Swiss 0
Swiss 1 Czech 0
Sweden 5 Latvia 3
Canada 2 Latvia 1 (In the playoff round)

 

[The Head Crusher]

I would be interested in seeing how this turns out. The biggest concern for the under 23 NA team is in net. Most goalies don't fully develop until they are older. If they are taking 23 and under players that leaves Vasilevskiy, Subban, and Gibson and the only players with NHL experiance.

 

[doulos]

A few scores from the last olympics:

Russia 5 Slovakia 2
Russia 1 Slovenia 0
Finland 8 Austria 4
Canada 3 Norway 1
Czech 4 Latvia 2
Sweden 1 Swiss 0
Swiss 1 Czech 0
Sweden 5 Latvia 3
Canada 2 Latvia 1 (In the playoff round)

The underdog won 1 game out of all of those and realistically none of those teams stood any chance at winning the whole tournament. It just proves the point that they are not competitive enough.

I'd be fine with the Olympic format as well to be honest, but I like that they are willing to take a chance and try something different this go round.

 

[Tyrolean]

Not interested in another Canada Cup tbh.