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Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
I will be watching and enjoying whatever best on best games possible. So Russia won't be there - that sucks. However, it is still Sweden's best vs Canada's best vs USA's best vs Finland's best. Should all be great games to watch.
What I think the NHL screwed up with (and something I totally don't understand) is why they don't actually create a tourney and brand it, and build it up. "4 Nations Tourney" will mean diddly squat to anyone that played in it 10+ years from now. The Canada Cup? That was something.
Create a tourney... build up on it. Don't have it every now and then with some random name and expect it to be something amazing. NHL should have kept on going with the Canada Cup.
If I am a player, this is my stepping stone to make sure i get on the Olympic team. That's what would drive me in this tournament, so I do expect high-level hockey rather than an All-Star game that I never bother to watch since players aren't playing hard. Should be a fun tourney, but I do think that the NHL once again dropped the ball in trying to make an actual yearly tournament for the future.
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Either get on board with a World Cup, or build one yourselves with similar quality and consistency, and stick with it. It is the tradition and continuity and history that make a tournament great.
Hockey needs that.