2016 World Cup of Hockey

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

What would be the attraction of having an NHL team play against a team that didn't have a single player that could crack the NHL lineup?

It wouldn't be interesting for the players and it wouldn't be interesting for the fans - well, not for NHL fans anyway.

Also, what are the 'three big NA professional leagues'?

I think it could be interesting. You know the Flames would be the first NHL team to lose to a KHL team

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

What would be the attraction of having an NHL team play against a team that didn't have a single player that could crack the NHL lineup?

It wouldn't be interesting for the players and it wouldn't be interesting for the fans - well, not for NHL fans anyway.

Also, what are the 'three big NA professional leagues'?

I would argue that styles of play can yield interesting results. What if you had the German champion "park the bus" hockey style versus an NHL club and buckle down and play nothing but defence? Might frustrate the attacking team and the Germans counter and score? What about fan noise? NHL teams definitely aren't used to European hockey fans, and those fans would certainly crank it up a notch vs an NHL club.

Remember when everyone thought that Canada would steam roll the Soviets in 72?

[CliffFletcher]

There's nothing useful to be gained from comparisons between international hockey and soccer. All you need to play soccer is a ball. Hockey is probably the most expensive and inaccessible team sport in the world. There really are only a handful of countries that produce hockey players at the highest level, and that's not going to change any time soon. Having a few tournaments isn't going to encourage tens of thousands of Danes or South Koreans to devote the enormous resources in time and money it takes to produce elite level players.

The NHL's best bet for growing the player base and the market is still the U.S., by a wide margin. And that means tournaments in prime-time TV hours.

[FlamesAddiction]

I think for the teams in lower tier leagues , it would be about finishing as best as possible, rather than dreaming of winning the whole thing.

The NHL wouldn't be the only league to beat. Being a Norwegian league team and beating a Swedish team, or Slovak team and beating a KHL team, or a Danish team beating a Finnish team, would be huge victories, and not out of the question.

I think sometimes parity has a negative side as you see fewer underdogs and surprise results. Sure, there would be some crushing defeats as well, but I think on the whole it would be more interesting that an all-star tournament of pretty much equal teams. Just my opinion of course. I probably won't watch the World Cup as it doesn't sound interesting or inspired to me, but I hope I am wrong.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Team NA leaves Johnny off the 1st PP unit.

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Nice 1st PP unite for Team NA:
McDavid, Eichel, Scheifele, Saad and Ekblad

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Gaudreau, MacKinnon, Matthews, Drouin and Gostisbehere on 2nd unit. Parayko sliding in.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

...Remember when everyone thought that Canada would steam roll the Soviets in 72?

Yes. But everyone thought that because in 1972 no one knew a thing about Soviet hockey. In today's age of instant information from virtually every obscure corner of the planet there will be no more such surprises.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Team NA leaves Johnny off the 1st PP unit.

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Nice 1st PP unite for Team NA:
McDavid, Eichel, Scheifele, Saad and Ekblad

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Gaudreau, MacKinnon, Matthews, Drouin and Gostisbehere on 2nd unit. Parayko sliding in.

4 forwards?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I would argue that styles of play can yield interesting results. What if you had the German champion "park the bus" hockey style versus an NHL club and buckle down and play nothing but defence? Might frustrate the attacking team and the Germans counter and score? What about fan noise? NHL teams definitely aren't used to European hockey fans, and those fans would certainly crank it up a notch vs an NHL club.

Remember when everyone thought that Canada would steam roll the Soviets in 72?

Hoping that a German team could keep it close by loading the bus: riveting.

And comparing a European league team - where we KNOW that none of them are NHL quality - to the Soviet national team... wow, that's not a stretch at all.

[polak]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Team NA leaves Johnny off the 1st PP unit.

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Nice 1st PP unite for Team NA:
McDavid, Eichel, Scheifele, Saad and Ekblad

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec
Gaudreau, MacKinnon, Matthews, Drouin and Gostisbehere on 2nd unit. Parayko sliding in.

Gaudreau likes to have the puck a ton on the PP. Not surprised they put him on the less stacked unit.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

4 forwards?

And with the ghost that's pretty much 5 forwards.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

There's nothing useful to be gained from comparisons between international hockey and soccer. All you need to play soccer is a ball. Hockey is probably the most expensive and inaccessible team sport in the world. There really are only a handful of countries that produce hockey players at the highest level, and that's not going to change any time soon. Having a few tournaments isn't going to encourage tens of thousands of Danes or South Koreans to devote the enormous resources in time and money it takes to produce elite level players.

The NHL's best bet for growing the player base and the market is still the U.S., by a wide margin. And that means tournaments in prime-time TV hours.

Totally agree with this. Like it or not, hockey will probably always be a regional and middle class sport simply because of accessibility. You're not going to get the average Chinese or Korean kid playing hockey due to equipment being so expensive, and the need for a rink. Basketball and soccer, you just need a ball and a net.

[GirlySports]

But Chinese and Koreans are richer than us! If hockey becomes a status symbol for them then they'll shell out the money for their kids to be in it like golf or tennis.

But mostly importantly, the NHL needs to get it's games on tv in Asia. And sell jerseys.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by polak

Gaudreau likes to have the puck a ton on the PP. Not surprised they put him on the less stacked unit.

2nd unit is just as good

unfortunately this team will be all about McDavid no matter what

What did the coach and GM even do to deserve their roles? nothing they happened to be hired by the team that fluked out and won McD

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dino7c

2nd unit is just as good



unfortunately this team will be all about McDavid no matter what

Maybe not, I think it'll be hyped that way, but I can see a couple of guys really standing out.

[CroFlames]

It's not like I'm overly interested in the tournament, (I'll still watch), but it would be awesome if Johnny scored more points than McDavid just to watch their fan base's hand wringing and excuse making.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I would argue that styles of play can yield interesting results. What if you had the German champion "park the bus" hockey style versus an NHL club and buckle down and play nothing but defence? Might frustrate the attacking team and the Germans counter and score? What about fan noise? NHL teams definitely aren't used to European hockey fans, and those fans would certainly crank it up a notch vs an NHL club.

Remember when everyone thought that Canada would steam roll the Soviets in 72?

The Soviet players weren't allowed to leave. They are allowed to leave now, and all those guys would have been on an NHL team given the chance. Nothing like the Red Army team exists anymore.

The Stanley Cup champion would absolutely kill the champion of any other league. I'm surprised this is even open for discussion. The very best players from all over the world are in the NHL.

I think it would be really cool to have a "Champions Cup" kind of thing if it would actually be a competition, but it just wouldn't.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

The Soviet players weren't allowed to leave. They are allowed to leave now, and all those guys would have been on an NHL team given the chance. Nothing like the Red Army team exists anymore.

The Stanley Cup champion would absolutely kill the champion of any other league. I'm surprised this is even open for discussion. The very best players from all over the world are in the NHL.

I think it would be really cool to have a "Champions Cup" kind of thing if it would actually be a competition, but it just wouldn't.

Upsets can happen. All I'm saying. Guys in lower leagues are always trying to prove themselves to get another crack at the NHL, so given the chance to play against an NHL club, they would have extra motivation.

And don't underestimate Euro fans. They are so organized, they could probably ruin the concentration of NHL players who aren't used to it.

[metal_geek]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

The Soviet players weren't allowed to leave. They are allowed to leave now, and all those guys would have been on an NHL team given the chance. Nothing like the Red Army team exists anymore.

The Stanley Cup champion would absolutely kill the champion of any other league. I'm surprised this is even open for discussion. The very best players from all over the world are in the NHL.

I think it would be really cool to have a "Champions Cup" kind of thing if it would actually be a competition, but it just wouldn't.

For what it's worth, might be as close a real comparison we have. I happened to be a the AHL allstar game they played against the SEL team.... I bet it had a lot to do with the different size rinks, and systems but honestly, even with the SEL being a regular team and knowing each other, the thrown together AHL team beat them at every facet of the game and it wasn't even close. That being said, at the skills competition the night before the SEL players won most of individual skills.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Upsets can happen. All I'm saying. Guys in lower leagues are always trying to prove themselves to get another crack at the NHL, so given the chance to play against an NHL club, they would have extra motivation.

And don't underestimate Euro fans. They are so organized, they could probably ruin the concentration of NHL players who aren't used to it.

Oh for sure upsets can happen, and it would be a miraculous upset if Munchen happened to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, had they played this summer, but that's not going to happen very often.

I (rightly or wrongly) see the European teams as the equivalent to AHL teams. I'm well willing to be talked out of that. Aside from the occasional outlier like Kovalchuk, they are guys who can't find a solid place in the NHL, even though they want to.

The best team in the AHL this year (Lake Erie) was a roster full of guys who couldn't make one of the worst teams (Columbus) in the NHL. So...

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by dino7c

2nd unit is just as good

unfortunately this team will be all about McDavid no matter what

What did the coach and GM even do to deserve their roles? nothing they happened to be hired by the team that fluked out and won McD

It seems like Gaudreau is rather undervalued around the league. Given his season last year, it seems like a bit of a slight to be 2nd line, 2nd PP unit, and not in the conversation as captain material (most articles suggest it's between McDavid, Ekblad, Saad, Mackinnon, or Schiefele). Maybe it's just to spread the offense around but I was really looking forward to seeing Gaudreau and McDavid together!