What means more to you - stanley cup playoffs or international tournaments

[PapaBear*]

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[Masao]

Stanley Cup playoffs... it's a no contest for me.

 

[nazzy]

Stanley cup, hands down for me.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

Lord Stanley

 

[Verbal Kint*]

I think all save the European fans will answer Good Ole Stanley.

 

[Tuggy]

Stanley Cup by FAR!

 

[HfxMoose]

Stanley Cup Playoffs, easily.

 

[mymkovski]

Although international hockey allows for Canada and Canadian hockey to shine, the Stanley Cup is the real reason why most of us ever laced up the skates or watch hockey...

 

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Stanley Cup, obviously.

 

[Canuck21t]

International tournaments for me because I feel more attachment when all the players come from my homeland.

 

[Knucklez]

Both are great, you can't compare.

Canada wins an internation tournament, and I'm extremely proud of our country, and proud to be Canadian. I also love watching the best players in the world all at once.

My team wins the Cup, and I'm overjoyed because I've grown with the team, seen all the changes, what it takes to build a winner. I've seen the team go from a bottom feeder to a contender, then to a Cup champion. It's a totally different feeling, and I wouldn't know which is more satisfying because I've only experienced the former.

 

[Rob]

I don't have "a team" so I always look forward to these international tournaments. So I'll be one of the few Canadians to vote against Lord Stanley.

 

[High flyin' Habs*]

Stanley cup!!

 

[High flyin' Habs*]

I don't have "a team" so I always look forward to these international tournaments. So I'll be one of the few Canadians to vote against Lord Stanley.

How come you dont root for a team?

 

[Biggest Canuck Fan]

Stanley all the way... it is what every hockey player dreams of winning. International is just a stepping stone.

 

[Phanuthier*]

Stanley

As someone on another board said, this game was anti-climatic for Flames fan. It was kind of a "yup, they held on to win, just like they were supposed to do."

 

[Freudian]

Stanley Cup and the new format Olympics are about even to me. These two events are so different in characteristics that it is hard to compare them in any meaningful way though. One is a very short elite tournament in the middle of the season while the other one is a long grueling endurance test.

 

[Dave is a killer]

The Stanley Cup!

 

[SopelFan*]

I could give two craps about international play. Stanley Cup playoffs, however is an entirely different story.

 

[russianrocket24]

1. Olympics
2. Stanley Cup
3. World Championships

 

[stv11]

No need to choose, I take both

 

[Westlander]

I think it's apples and oranges. The difference is, as NHL fans we hope our team will win the Stanley Cup, while we as Canadians expect to win a best on best international tournament. In one sense that would make a Stanley Cup win more special. However in philosophy, I think your country should come before your club.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

I choose Stanley barely over Olympics and then Championships.

I think the tournaments are really great and I'm usually very proud of the guys. I also get to see a few players we never see in the NHL, which is fun.

But Stanley is a 2-month grueling war following a tough season. There is usually a lot of drama, a lot of history, sometimes bad blood. It's a slow buildup which makes the resolution all the more intense and interesting.

That's the difference.

Tournaments are very short time. There are also more often mismatches. And a single bad game can ruin it for you. In the playoffs, you can make mistakes (and thus enhance the drama) and then redeem yourself. THAT is what's cool.

You can see the emotion on the players' face. If you've won the Cup, you've worked extremely hard to get there.

But I still love international play.

 

[Seiza]

I pick neither, the SEL championship means way more to me than any other tournament.

 

[Sampe]

International tournaments, no question about it.