WC: What can the IIHF do to fix the World Championships of Hockey?

[SK13]

1) Move it to July.

2) Keep it in a Country that sells more than 1000 seats in the prelims.

 

[tony d]

I'd leave it alone. I always look forward to this tournament. Sure it gets overshadowed by the playoffs but other than it's perfectly fine.

 

[Bojovnik]

1) Move it to July.

Nope

 

[Que Sera Sera]

Why would we care? The NHL is the best league in the world, and the rest of the european leagues are crap as witnessed by the sh*tshow the KHL players put on for Russia at the Olympics.

If ignorance is bliss, you must be in a constant state of orgasm.

 

[SK13]

Nope

Then this tournament will continue to be a joke to NHL players.

 

[Jussi]

Then this tournament will continue to be a joke to NHL players.

Listed below NHL players that want to play hockey in July:








.

 

[Bojovnik]

Then this tournament will continue to be a joke to NHL players.

Well screw the NHL then.

Why would the European players, who make up a good 70-80% of the players want to come back and play hockey 2 months after their season has ended?

 

[Eisen]

Would it be completely out of the question to have a shorter regular seaon in NA? I mean, 82 games is a lot. I can see them going down to something like a 52 game schedule and it should be fine. THe wear and tear on the players would be less so this might even be good for the play-offs. Obviously I have no idea what that would be like from a financial point of view. Every team would have 15 home games less. So I guess I answer my own idea with "Hell no" the NHL wouldn't do it.

 

[Franck]

The only things you could do is start the NHL season earlier and/or make it shorter, neither of which is going to happen.

The WC's are just fine as they are, don't try and fix what is not broken.

 

[Reds4Life]

What does the IIHF need to do?
Nothing.

What do the crybabies who bash the WHC need to do?
**** and stop acting like children.

Exactly

 

[New User Name]

Apparently there is going to be a hockey summit in the summer in Toronto.

Hockey Canada, USA hockey, the NHL, Bettman and the IIHF are going to be there.
(Ihope they extended an invitation to the organisations of all European countries)

One of the things on the agenda is the world championships and possible changes to it.

I have never heard Hockey Canada complain about the timing of the WC, nor have I heard them say the tournament should be held later.
(though on here, many Canadians have complained)

I do find it interesting that seeing how much more competitive Americans are becoming, there will be discussions about world championship changes.

We know Bettman has the power to force changes, and seeing how he's operated in the past, he'll do what he can to help Team USA.

 

[RusskiyHockey]

I think every 4-5 years the WC should be held in North America (in non-NHL cities). The Quebec/Halifax tournament was one of the best in history. The NHLer participation rate would obviously be higher. Scheduling-wise, I don't see any alternative other than having it in the first half of May. This allows for NHLers from up to 22 teams to participate and doesn't overlap with the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I don't have a problem with the WC not being an A-team tournament. That's what the Olympics are for. WC rosters are usually built with a few star players, secondary talent from the NHL and other leagues, and some youth. I say that the tournament is only as good as its best players, and every year there are established world-class players from both sides of the ocean like Heatley, Kovalchuk, Jagr, Stamkos, as well as future stars like Duchene, Varlamov, Svensson, etc. The WC also lets hockey fans discover some of the best players from other leagues. And what's not to like about upsets by countries like Switzerland or Denmark and the joy that any victory brings to some of the smaller hockey powers and their passionate fans?

 

[danishh]

has to be annual, moving it back a week or two would make more nhl players available for the top countries.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

The fact that the US could have lost all 3 of its games & still made the 2nd round means the current format is not perfect. (A team under this format could make the QF with a record of 0 wins, 6 overtime losses. A team could finish 4th with a record of 1 wins, 8 losses.)

 

[Siberian]

This WC proves - the more hockey the better. Fantastic showing by Swiss, Danish, German teams, amazing comebacks by Czechs. Both semifinals were amazing I thought - I am now having a difficulty staying interested watching Flyers-Canadiens right now. So please, stop trying to fix something that is not broken!!!!

 

[RandV]

Would it be completely out of the question to have a shorter regular seaon in NA? I mean, 82 games is a lot. I can see them going down to something like a 52 game schedule and it should be fine. THe wear and tear on the players would be less so this might even be good for the play-offs. Obviously I have no idea what that would be like from a financial point of view. Every team would have 15 home games less. So I guess I answer my own idea with "Hell no" the NHL wouldn't do it.

Yeah, you're looking at a loss of about $1 billion in revenue, over half of which would go to the players. Sponsor ship driven leagues like in Europe can operate on a shorter schedule, but with a gate driven league more games equal more money. 30 games less would mean about a 40% paycut to the players.

Rather the best bet you could do is move the start of the NHL season up a month, to about the same time every other league starts. Regardless of the WC's implications a lot of people over here would like to see that happen anyways, though I've never actually seen what the opposing argument is against it... if I had to guess it might be a timing thing with the MLB, NFL, and/or NBA? Hockey season seems to start right when the World Series is ending.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

make it like the world baseball classic.. before the season.. people would probably like to play

 

[usahockey22flyers]

But hockey requires chemistry in lines, where baseball dosent..

 

[DoyleG]

make it like the world baseball classic.. before the season.. people would probably like to play

Like the WBC, that doesn't seem to work.

 

[jkrdevil]

But hockey requires chemistry in lines, where baseball dosent..

Do what is done for when they hold the World Cup and have training camps for the teams. That way the players get in shape for the tournament and some chemistry develops. As is now teams are thrown together without much practice.

And as far as the problems with the WBC are concerned those are baseball and MLB's inexperience running an international tournament specific.

 

[DoyleG]

Do what is done for when they hold the World Cup and have training camps for the teams. That way the players get in shape for the tournament and some chemistry develops. As is now teams are thrown together without much practice.

And as far as the problems with the WBC are concerned those are baseball and MLB's inexperience running an international tournament specific.

The same problem would exist in the "World Cup of Hockey" because players will have spent far more time away from the rink. While people complain about players being "tired", they are generally not in game shape and would take more time to be brought up to an acceptable standard. You also have that players are more interested in the NHL season, and therefore decline participation in such a tournament on such a principle. With he way the 2004 competition goes, one would expect player declines to increase.

Using MLB's inexperience as an excuse doesn't wash since they have the NPB and the IBAF providing assistance. It still comes down to players not wanting to play as spring training is more important than an exhibition tournament. Especially one with rather bizarre elements such as extremely low pitch limits.

 

[FinnswissX]

The fact that the US could have lost all 3 of its games & still made the 2nd round means the current format is not perfect. (A team under this format could make the QF with a record of 0 wins, 6 overtime losses. A team could finish 4th with a record of 1 wins, 8 losses.)

Sorry but how should this work? A team that loses all 3 games in the preliminary round finishes it as 4th in his group, so it can't proceed to the 2nd round as only the best 3 make the qualifying round.

And in the qualifying round are played only 4 games because the teams which played in the preliminiary round against each don't play again against each other in the qualifying round.

 

[Postnova]

Forbid Canada to participate?

 

[demogorgon]

I'm form Europe but IIHF WC is far from the tournament it could and should be.

Having a WC every year is boring, it should be held every two or four years and not in the same year as the Olympics.

 

[ts11]

I'm form Europe but IIHF WC is far from the tournament it could and should be.

Having a WC every year is boring, it should be held every two or four years and not in the same year as the Olympics.

As I'm too lazy to write the same thing again, I'll just quote myself from the "Hockey Canada defends Crosby; IIHF deletes controversial article" thread

And what to to with promotion and relegation for the smaller nations playing in B and C-Worldcups?
Tell them "well, you were unlucky , you were the best nation at this years B-WC and normally would play A-Level next year, but unfortunately there are the Olympics next year, so no A-WC, so you have to win the B-WC next year again"? Or "you got relegated the year before the Olympicks, sucks, but you will stay at least two years down there"?

Do you really think the nations besides the top 7 will support such a system only that the average NA can say, "oh, it got a little bit more interessting, I think I may watch the finals if Team Canadas goes that far"?