I've said this many times on here. I should try to find an old post where i put it in detail. The NHL got conned by Olympic fever. They had the perfect tournament with the Canada Cup which turned into the 1996 World Cup. Perfect tournament, held both in Europe and North American and the Americans won. Couldn't have scripted it better to push American hockey with new expansion teams. 2000 World Cup should have been held in the sun belt. Miami, Tampa, Dallas...
But they threw that all away for what? A trip to Japan? Games at 4am? Having your whole tournament run by the IOC where you don't get the money or can't choose the location? The NHL got excited about the 92 US Dream Team in basketball but that worked because basketball didn't have a great best on best tournament. But even no, the Olympic Basketball tournament is now an afterthought. The newly rebranded Basketball World Cup is becoming bigger.
A million times this. Even if they continued with the Olympics, there was no reason they couldn't keep the World Cup going on the offset quadrennial.
Soccer has both World Cup and Euros (and I believe other continental cups) on that kind of schedule...both are a huge deal.
Give me a magic wand at I'd make:
76 game seasons
Play-in games (perhaps follow the NBA's model and do for each division: 3v4 - loser plays winner of 5v6 game.
Even years = Olympics & World Cup
1 Odd year = Canada Cup (West, East, Ontario, USA West, USA East...maybe do a similar deal of only Euro teams)
1 Odd year = Rivalry series (CAN/USA vs. RUS; SWE vs. FIN; the CAN/USA not playing Russia plays an E vs. W series)
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The beauty of the soccer World Cup is that it is ongoing. Teams play and practice at different times during the year, you have qualifying etc. It's not just one tournament.
Of course the big disadvantage in hockey is that you only have a few countries that actually are competitive in the sport. But I'd be all for having a national team whose roster changes over time and plays a few "friendlies" and different tournaments.
If the NHL would just commit to something it would be glorious.
The NHL really isn't interested in international hockey. They only go to the Olympics because they think it will improve the bottom line of the NHL and even that is a fight everytime.
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A million times this. Even if they continued with the Olympics, there was no reason they couldn't keep the World Cup going on the offset quadrennial.
Soccer has both World Cup and Euros (and I believe other continental cups) on that kind of schedule...both are a huge deal.
Give me a magic wand at I'd make:
76 game seasons
Play-in games (perhaps follow the NBA's model and do for each division: 3v4 - loser plays winner of 5v6 game.
Even years = Olympics & World Cup
1 Odd year = Canada Cup (West, East, Ontario, USA West, USA East...maybe do a similar deal of only Euro teams)
1 Odd year = Rivalry series (CAN/USA vs. RUS; SWE vs. FIN; the CAN/USA not playing Russia plays an E vs. W series)
If I am understanding you correctly, interesting idea splitting up the superpowers...
I think parity is a huge issue for the WC. Splitting up Canada and the US may annoy many Canadians (mostly Western Canadians if it was split West/ ON/ PQ-Maritimes-NL), but would make things more interesting.
US E-W Split would probably lay between Detroit and Chicago.
I love watching Canada win, but knowing it's theirs to loose gets kinda boring.
The NHL really isn't interested in international hockey. They only go to the Olympics because they think it will improve the bottom line of the NHL and even that is a fight everytime.
Well money is what drives every single sporting competition. I’m ok with the NHL wanting to profit from growing the sport.
The NHL really isn't interested in international hockey. They only go to the Olympics because they think it will improve the bottom line of the NHL and even that is a fight everytime.
They actually don't want to go at all...players want to go so the league gives it to them as a negotiation tactic
If I am understanding you correctly, interesting idea splitting up the superpowers...
I think parity is a huge issue for the WC. Splitting up Canada and the US may annoy many Canadians (mostly Western Canadians if it was split West/ ON/ PQ-Maritimes-NL), but would make things more interesting.
US E-W Split would probably lay between Detroit and Chicago.
I love watching Canada win, but knowing it's theirs to loose gets kinda boring.
From a TV perspective it would give them several must watch games.
I imagine you'd split the US by states, but it would be tough to decide which side gets Michigan.
Canada West would be plenty strong; the bigger question is whether you'd do a Team Ontario or a Team GTA (and split the rest of Ontario among the other two teams). The East team would take a pretty big hit when Crosby/Bergeron/Marchand age out.
That's mostly why I like the idea...it's fun to make fantasy teams.
remember the 1994 4-on-4 tourney? some of you might be too young
Ontario, Quebec, Western Canada and USA.
20 minute running time period, goalies can't freeze the puck and if the team goes offside, they simply tag up, no whistle.
Imagine today, you could have a 16 team tournament. every odd year.
That was because of the lockout, no? Nhlpa sanctioned, not NHL.
They started to go to the Olympics because the money for the league and the PA was there, thanks to the agreements in place with the various Olympic committees and the media rights holders, and the Olympics fell roughly mid NHL season, so there was no apathy from fans, players were in shape etc, which meant everyone came out ahead for making money.
And, the PA or league didn’t have to organize their own tournament…in the offseason no less when the appetite for hockey is waning.
1998 was really a trial run for Salt Lake. Western Europe for the first time in 16 years will be desirable again next Olympics. And this year the schedule times look favourable…10am MT, or 9pm.
That was because of the lockout, no? Nhlpa sanctioned, not NHL.
They started to go to the Olympics because the money for the league and the PA was there, thanks to the agreements in place with the various Olympic committees and the media rights holders, and the Olympics fell roughly mid NHL season, so there was no apathy from fans, players were in shape etc, which meant everyone came out ahead for making money.
And, the PA or league didn’t have to organize their own tournament…in the offseason no less when the appetite for hockey is waning.
1998 was really a trial run for Salt Lake. Western Europe for the first time in 16 years will be desirable again next Olympics. And this year the schedule times look favourable…10am MT, or 9pm.
That never made sense. Why would you not want full control and to organize your own event? And play in NHL arenas? Or European ones. Like the Globe Arena.
Vancouver is the only NHL rink (or even major European league rink) the pros have played the Olympics in.
Nagano
Salt Lake
Turin
Sochi
Pyongyang
Beijing
Milan
???
That's just a disaster.
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^ the Arena isn’t the draw. The 18 K people that can attend in person aren’t the big prize
Best players and global audience. Rink is immaterial
Sure it is, wouldn't you want to attend a best-on-best tournament? In Calgary? in the new arena? You invest in the NHL, you should deserve at least that. With the Olympics, there's no chance.
Imagine if MLB decided to interrupt their season to play in the Olympics in places like Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio and Paris? Only Atlanta and Tokyo are viable baseball cities since 1996.
This is why they went the World Baseball Classic route where they control everything. It's been a bit of a struggle to get the new event off the ground but it'll eventually be something big.
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The NHL really isn't interested in international hockey. They only go to the Olympics because they think it will improve the bottom line of the NHL and even that is a fight everytime.
There’s no way the NHL doesn’t make gobs of money off World Cup tournaments.
In this age of mega-sized TV rights deals, there’s no reason to not figure something out that starts maybe before main training camp and concludes before the end of pre-season, and occurs at a regular interval.
Or what about this, as a one-off - a Canada vs the World seven-game series.
We’re the only country that can run four #1 lines with three #1D pairings and two Vezina goalies.
Make it a challenge.
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Sure it is, wouldn't you want to attend a best-on-best tournament? In Calgary? in the new arena? You invest in the NHL, you should deserve at least that. With the Olympics, there's no chance.
Imagine if MLB decided to interrupt their season to play in the Olympics in places like Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio and Paris? Only Atlanta and Tokyo are viable baseball cities since 1996.
This is why they went the World Baseball Classic route where they control everything. It's been a bit of a struggle to get the new event off the ground but it'll eventually be something big.
Not sure how to respond. I went to the Canada Russia game in 2010, would have watched it anywhere, and watched the rest of the games I couldn’t go to on TV.
It being in Calgary would be great for the relatively few Calgarians who get to go, but isn’t going to create new fans or grow the game.
I really don’t know what you’re going for. Whatever rink it ends up in, it will matter for someone. But aren’t you talking bigger picture?
There’s no way the NHL doesn’t make gobs of money off World Cup tournaments.
In this age of mega-sized TV rights deals, there’s no reason to not figure something out that starts maybe before main training camp and concludes before the end of pre-season, and occurs at a regular interval.
Or what about this, as a one-off - a Canada vs the World seven-game series.
We’re the only country that can run four #1 lines with three #1D pairings and two Vezina goalies.
Make it a challenge.
Well. You've identified a number of major problems right there.
In the US market Hockey is...what? 4th best? Probably lower? They dont get the TV Mega Deals. They get whats left.
A gimmicky tournament with no Provenance? It can be done, it takes a while, but patience is not a strong suit.
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There’s no way the NHL doesn’t make gobs of money off World Cup tournaments.
In this age of mega-sized TV rights deals, there’s no reason to not figure something out that starts maybe before main training camp and concludes before the end of pre-season, and occurs at a regular interval.
Or what about this, as a one-off - a Canada vs the World seven-game series.
We’re the only country that can run four #1 lines with three #1D pairings and two Vezina goalies.
Make it a challenge.
I agree but the NHL is not interested.
Why do the World Juniors work? Because the CHL buys in.
Even freaking curling can figure out a world championship and a continental cup and put it in Vegas.
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