[News] Sean Monahan injured; out for World Cup

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I
The only thing that annoys me about the new World Cup of hockey format is the mixed teams. I would have been happy keeping the traditional six team format. Still, there's no doubt it has put more stars to the tournament.

It's a deal breaker, not an annoyance. It completely and utterly changes the dynamic of a best on best tournament. It's no longer countries cheering against each other, it's countries, continents and different age groups. That takes away the competitive feeling, full stop.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I honestly don't understand what you mean. Which players (injuries aside) aren't participating in this tournament who would participate in the Olympics? Personally, the participation of teams like Norway and Latvia does nothing to elevate the hockey played at the Olympics. On the contrary, it means every Olympic tournament had a bunch of pointless and irrelevant games.

The only thing that annoys me about the new World Cup of hockey format is the mixed teams. I would have been happy keeping the traditional six team format. Still, there's no doubt it has put more stars in the tournament.

Hockey will never have a World Cup with dozens of teams because the sport simply isn't popular enough. It's not soccer. I don't see the value in watching Canada or the U.S. pummel the crap out of a Denmark or Kazakstan in an international tournament. There's something to be said for a tournament where the quality of all teams is high. Most people think the Euro Cup of soccer is a better quality tournament than the World Cup.

It may in the long term, as those teams participate and young people in those countries watch, and maybe get to see a Cinderella by an unlikely team (which isn't an option in this format).

You want a world cup ala soccer? They don't give a flying banana hammock if Canada or the like can't qualify, even if they did have a special player (ala Kopitar/Slovenia). The world is separated into nations, teams from those nations compete to qualify for the tournament. Whoever qualifies is in the game. What about Iceland having an exciting and unexpected run in Euro? Those are the stories people like, and the ones that will draw more people from those places (and perhaps others) to participate.

Even some of the biggest hockey fans I know had no clue this tournament was happening.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I honestly don't understand what you mean. Which players (injuries aside) aren't participating in this tournament who would participate in the Olympics? Personally, the participation of teams like Norway and Latvia does nothing to elevate the hockey played at the Olympics. On the contrary, it means every Olympic tournament had a bunch of pointless and irrelevant games.

The only thing that annoys me about the new World Cup of hockey format is the mixed teams. I would have been happy keeping the traditional six team format. Still, there's no doubt it has put more stars in the tournament.

Hockey will never have a World Cup with dozens of teams because the sport simply isn't popular enough. It's not soccer. I don't see the value in watching Canada or the U.S. pummel the crap out of a Denmark or Kazakstan in an international tournament. There's something to be said for a tournament where the quality of all teams is high. Most people think the Euro Cup of soccer is a better quality tournament than the World Cup.

The issue most of us are raising with regard to what you're asking above is the 20+ players on "Team North America" (for example) who will be trying to beat Canada to bring the trophy back to "North America"(?)

I realize a few of you have / will point out it's only a few players on that particular team who would likely make their country's team and are now playing against them... but for some of us that's enough to warrant the distaste and render this tournament as more of a novelty.

The fact Canada can lose this tournament at the hands of fellow Canadians is enough to make this more irrelevant to me from the perspective of national pride than the preliminary Olympic round games some of you are alluding to.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I honestly don't understand what you mean.

It's not best on best to me because to me there's Canadians on two different teams. I want to see Team Canada beat other countries, not made up teams. The fact I'm hoping a team that isn't Team Canada wins it speaks volumes of how I feel about it and how much I'm just not a fan. Even if the odd game versus a weak team in the old World Cups was lopsided at least at the end of the tourney you had a country that could claim it was the best. We can't do that this time with 2 made up squads.

[Vulcan]

It's often been said that Canada could ice two competitive teams for international tournaments. That would be pretty hard to do with every other country wanting the same. To me Team NA looks like a compromise to get another competitive team in the tourney along with Team Europe. As others have said it's far better than having Team Germany or other not ready to compete nations.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

It's often been said that Canada could ice two competitive teams for international tournaments. That would be pretty hard to do with every other country wanting the same. To me Team NA looks like a compromise to get another competitive team in the tourney along with Team Europe. As others have said it's far better than having Team Germany or other not ready to compete nations.

Not it isn't, it creates one better team for the tourney at the expense of the whole integrity and purpose of a world tournament.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Not it isn't, it creates one better team for the tourney at the expense of the whole integrity and purpose of a world tournament.

Well we'll see how it goes this time. If there are enough people who don't like it or another country becomes competitive, the tournament can return to the old style. I'm willing to give this format a go, you aren't, see ya.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Well we'll see how it goes this time. If there are enough people who don't like it or another country becomes competitive, the tournament can return to the old style. I'm willing to give this format a go, you aren't, see ya.

Actually, wasn't it already stipulated that this format is just for this one time, and that the intention is that they will in fact graduate to 8 national teams next time?

[Mister Yamoto]

There are lots things wrong with Olympic hockey that could be picked apart too.

Seeing as we haven't seen this before, and the complaints about the World Cup seem rather petty, my guess is that after a few games the majority of the haters will all of a sudden be on board 100%.

This IS a best on best. But without Olympic rules, officials and politics.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

There are lots things wrong with Olympic hockey that could be picked apart too.

Okay, well let's hear them, then.

[mccalgary71]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Okay, well let's hear them, then.

Let's see.
1. The Olympics are right in the middle of the season.
2. Your flying your players half way around the world to play games that are in the middle of the night here.
3. The only way you will get any extra exposure for the nhl is if the US is in the finals as NBC only shows US stuff.
4. Your playing on huge ice that makes it a very different game than the North American game. International ice makes a more boring game in my opinion.



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[Mister Yamoto]

Well for one, Sweden lost their #1 center hours before the gold medal game for having 1.4 times the legal amount of cough syrup in his system.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Okay, well let's hear them, then.

There's nothing in it for the NHL players or the NHL other than good publicity by going to the Olympics. The Olympics have this aura around them but they are probably as corrupt as the FIFA and sending a message to them by not competing is good IMO.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by mccalgary71

Let's see.
1. The Olympics are right in the middle of the season.
2. Your flying your players half way around the world to play games that are in the middle of the night here.
3. The only way you will get any extra exposure for the nhl is if the US is in the finals as NBC only shows US stuff.
4. Your playing on huge ice that makes it a very different game than the North American game. International ice makes a more boring game in my opinion.

1. I prefer that. I like summer to be summer. The break for Olympic hockey is awesome
2. Only sometimes, Salt Lake City and Vancouver were prime time.
3. Who cares, honestly.
4. Again, only sometimes. SLC and Vancouver had NHL sized ice.

These are all really weak points IMO.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

There's nothing in it for the NHL players or the NHL other than good publicity by going to the Olympics. The Olympics have this aura around them but they are probably as corrupt as the FIFA and sending a message to them by not competing is good IMO.

That couldn't be farther from the truth / reality.

I've talked with one of the players who won a gold medal the last time out and when it's best on best for international supremacy, they are most assuredly eager to put it all on the line for Canada.

An Olympic gold medal has a ton of meaning for the players when it's truly every country's best playing against one another.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

That couldn't be farther from the truth / reality.

I've talked with one of the players who won a gold medal the last time out and when it's best on best for international supremacy, they are most assuredly eager to put it all on the line for Canada.

An Olympic gold medal has a ton of meaning for the players when it's truly every country's best playing against one another.

I was speaking financially.

[PepsiFree]

I'd also like a better reason to be dismissive than "this isn't best on best"

This is best in best more-so than the Olympics are. This just isn't "the best of each country vs the best of country" this is "the best hockey players vs the best hockey players separated into regional based all-star teams"

[KootenayFlamesFan]

No it's not. There's no way Jake Muzzin and Jay Bouwmeester are better d-men than Giordano and Brodie. I understand why they did it, but there's no way these are 100% the best players on the planet.

[PepsiFree]

Like the Olympics don't play favorites and leave off deserving players every single time?

They do, it's no different.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I'm not disagreeing. You said it's all the best players, it's not. They're trying to build a winning team, I get that.