Tier list of 4Nations Faceoff teams I'm cheering for

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by blender

I don't understand why so many here are down on this tourney.
What's wrong with international hockey?

There are a few things lacking, like the full slate of countries and prestige/history. And I can see that. It doesn’t make me aggressively hate the tournament as it does others but it lowers the GAF level a bit.

Also go read any pre tournament thread for a World Cup of soccer, WJHC, WHC, Olympics etc and it’s pretty common for tournaments to get repeatedly and aggressively #### on like they’re the worst thing ever. Then when it starts those people either disappear or change their tune.

I suspect this one will be no different. Unless Canada loses badly and/or Mcdavid sucks or plays well or gets talked about or mentioned at all. Then there’ll be lots of backlash.

But if we see a spirited tournament, especially between Canada and the USA, the game threads will be active and passionate as always.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

There are a few things lacking, like the full slate of countries and prestige/history. And I can see that. It doesn’t make me aggressively hate the tournament as it does others but it lowers the GAF level a bit.

Also go read any pre tournament thread for a World Cup of soccer, WJHC, WHC, Olympics etc and it’s pretty common for tournaments to get repeatedly and aggressively #### on like they’re the worst thing ever. Then when it starts those people either disappear or change their tune.

I suspect this one will be no different. Unless Canada loses badly and/or Mcdavid sucks or plays well or gets talked about or mentioned at all. Then there’ll be lots of backlash.

But if we see a spirited tournament, especially between Canada and the USA, the game threads will be active and passionate as always.

Yes, but I'd like to point out a couple issues.

Soccer's World Cup has a significant National Identity element and decades of International Prestige despite being operated by easily....EASILY, the most corrupt Sporting Organization on the face of the Earth.

But furthermore? Because of money and lack of guardrails in terms of spending, often Club teams are better than most National Teams and as such the Champion's League has stolen a lot of Thunder.

[stamps]

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...our-calgarians Great to see this ... wish we had more Flames involved along side Rasmus Andersson.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

You will know in 30 seconds.

This is a key game as most assume the US will finish 1st and Finland last, this could decide 2nd place.

yeah, no

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by timbit

The players care and are highly motivated. Looking very forward to watching very high level players giving their all.

New all star game?

Try again.

Yeah...the narrative that this is ANYTHING like the all star game is completely misguided.

When these guys pull the Maple Leaf over their heads, everything is to win at all costs. Always has been.

On top of everything else, this is very much an audition for next years Olympic team as well....with the management team the same for both tournaments.

I think this will be the best hockey we have seen in over a decade...its unfortunate its so short but that also adds to the pressure. Cannot afford a loss to either of the Euro clubs if they want the final IMO.
.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

The players can say what they want, but until I see guys finishing checks and backchecking with max effort every shift, I'm not expecting much out of this.

Even if it's regular season levels of energy and effort, it won't hold a candle to the Olympics simply because its a short, 4 team tournament with very little on the line. Some of these guys aren't going to lay it all on the line and risk a playoff run in the Spring for a 4 Nations title....an Olympic gold is a little different.

Everything ok…so far?

[GullFoss]

My issue with this tournament is that it's really self-serving. Exactly 100% of the profits are accruing to the NHL and NHLPA, which is great for the players and owners. But it's kind of gross to throw on a national jersey, do the "rah, rah, patriotism" thing when zero benefit actually accrues to any social causes (like grass roots hockey, kids sport, you can play, kids up front) and all of it accrues to millionaires and billionaires.

If you want to do a for-profit, best-on-best tournament, I'm all for it. To do it in a self-interested way and then wrap it up in nationalism...barf.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

My issue with this tournament is that it's really self-serving. Exactly 100% of the profits are accruing to the NHL and NHLPA, which is great for the players and owners. But it's kind of gross to throw on a national jersey, do the "rah, rah, patriotism" thing when zero benefit actually accrues to any social causes (like grass roots hockey, kids sport, you can play, kids up front) and all of it accrues to millionaires and billionaires.

If you want to do a for-profit, best-on-best tournament, I'm all for it. To do it in a self-interested way and then wrap it up in nationalism...barf.

What tournaments support those things? Not the WC, not the olympics. Maybe the WJ but a bunch of it went to pay for lawsuits for sexual assault committed by the players so it’s not exactly the best example.

Seems nice to dream of a world where private business or international competition helps support programs in need but that’s not the world we live in so I’m not sure how much it matters when evaluating a tournament.

I’m actually not sure how you enjoy sports at all if you’re expecting it to not be for profit or self serving (whatever that actually means). And what else is international competition except patriotic? I guess there’s a little soft diplomacy in there but this is a 4 team tournament with virtually no political implications. Even with the Canada USA stuff going on, 98% of their population won’t notice. This isn’t the 1980/1984 olympics we’re talking about here.

[GullFoss]

My understanding is that world cup of soccer, Olympics do result in m disbursements to sporting institutions of the participants countries that in turn support youth sports and development.

[GullFoss]

https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/new...h-country-earn


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32923882

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

My understanding is that world cup of soccer, Olympics do result in m disbursements to sporting institutions of the participants countries that in turn support youth sports and development.

It depends, what did Canada do with it? 9 million prize money for playing in the 2022 world cup

The money goes to the country's soccer organizing committee (like Hockey Canada). It is used to pay for all meals, travel, etc... for the team during the world cup. Whatever is left over is then distributed as per agreements between the players and the organizing committee. Not all goes to the players, some could be used to build infrastructure in the country.

Canada's players were unpaid for a long period of time and cancelled a couple of friendlies.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yes, but I'd like to point out a couple issues.

Soccer's World Cup has a significant National Identity element and decades of International Prestige despite being operated by easily....EASILY, the most corrupt Sporting Organization on the face of the Earth.

But furthermore? Because of money and lack of guardrails in terms of spending, often Club teams are better than most National Teams and as such the Champion's League has stolen a lot of Thunder.

Well, the first World Cup was 1930, so decades is a bit light here considering it is almost 100 years old. Secondly, the Champions League has not stolen any thunder from the World Cup in the slightest - that's completely different. Half the world watches the Champion's league, but the entire world watches the World cup. If there is another tournament that has arguably stolen some of the thunder, it would be the European Championship, which you can make an argument for as being a more difficult tournament to win. However, the World Cup remains as the gold standard of international tournaments, with no other tournament even within Soccer coming close. Heck, there is a lot more money to be made, that they brought the Nations Leauge as yet another tournament to be excited for.


There are only 2 problems with the 4 Nations tournament:


1) No history of international tournaments outside of the Olympics. Even then, how many people cared at all about Olympic Hockey until the NHL started sending players?


2) This is a one-time international event that will not be remembered.



If the NHL was smart, they would continue blocking the Olympics (and they should), and instead continue with the World Cup every 4 years period. They should have started it after the '72 or '74 Summit series and continued on with it. They had the Canada Cups, and it turned into a World Cup, and then... nothing.



The World Juniors is a much watch. Why? Because it is almost best on best (some players don't get released), but even more importantly because it has become a time-honored event. Ditto for the Spengler. World Hockey Championships are huge for Europe, probably because of its' continuity. The Stanley Cup finals are huge because it has been going on since 1893.



Hopefully the NHL has FINALLY woken up to the notion that there are BILLIONS of dollars to be made by organizing AND maintaining a best on best international tournament. They should own it and control it.