Quote:
Originally Posted by nobles_point
I actually think it does the opposite.
Not having a World Cup in 2020 enables them the option of shutting down the league for 2 weeks in 2022 & running a World Cup in North America parallel to the Olympics.
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Why do this? Just make a deal with the IOC; after South Korea, it's pretty clear the winter Olympics needs the crown jewel of best on best hockey to remain viable.
The World Cup and the Olympics should alternate every two years. They should shut the league for two weeks for the Olympics, and they should shut the league for two weeks for the World Cup.
Your country lost the Olympics? They can atone at the World Cup in two years. Your country did unexpectedly well at the World Cup? Can you replicate it again at the Olympics. They feed each other.
The only World Cup that was any good was the one in 1996. The 2004 one was a joke because who has a tournament eight years apart, and who also shutters their sport for a year immediately afterwards?
2016 had two teams that weren't countries, and mandated that nobody under 23 be allowed to play for Canada or the US. Oh and everyone knew they were using this to help decide to go to South Korea. So everyone who likes Olympic hockey was predisposed to not liking the World Cup.
They need to do both. It's inexcusable that they don't do both. The 550 players who don't go to the Olympics benefit from the 2 weeks off. The fans get to watch phenomenal hockey without getting bogged down in nonsense about salaries and contracts and the cap. The stars get to be in showcase events that are designed to immortalize them.
Soccer has Euro and the World Cup. Why don't we? Figure it out.