World Cup of Hockey

[ABC923]

Monohan and Gaudreau easily make the under 23 club, but Gio and Brodie get the snub for team Canada. Initial rosters only mind you, but it seems unlikely they get added (especially with Subban, Pietrangelo still not there either). No love for flames defense I guess. Anybody spot other snubs? What do you think about Canada's roster?

[The_People1]

I cannot take this tournament seriously because there's too much wrong with the format.  Where is Team Western Canada?  Where is Team Ontario?  How "World Cup" is it if Team North America plays Team Canada in the finals?  Might as well make it 3-on-3 hockey and allow fans to vote players onto the team.  It is what it is, just an uncreative mash of players for a series of glorified pre-season all star games disguised under the brand of "World Cup".  It's the most obvious attempt at a quick cash grab.

[JTech780]

I don't get how Vlasic is one of the top 4 defenseman Canada has to offer. I like Vlasic but I wouldn't have him on my team Canada.

[AlbertaBoy12]

I don't get how Vlasic is one of the top 4 defenseman Canada has to offer. I like Vlasic but I wouldn't have him on my team Canada.

I don't get team Canada's love affair with him either, I would rather have pietranglo or Brodie on the team as an example, even burns would be a better pick.

Kinda similar with their love affair for Shea Webber, who is a physical player but I'd rather have seabrook on my team to add that physicality.

Sometimes I'm confused by what the big heads see, it's like when Eric karlson gets votes for nooris I can't help but shake my head.

[travel_dude]

I cannot take this tournament seriously because there's too much wrong with the format.  Where is Team Western Canada?  Where is Team Ontario?  How "World Cup" is it if Team North America plays Team Canada in the finals?  Might as well make it 3-on-3 hockey and allow fans to vote players onto the team.  It is what it is, just an uncreative mash of players for a series of glorified pre-season all star games disguised under the brand of "World Cup".  It's the most obvious attempt at a quick cash grab.

 

Hockey Canada is a political organization, much like the COC.  Often player choices are made for reasons other than ability or fit.

But all of the teams do it.  Pick a KHL player over a much better NHL player.  JT Miller?  

[cross16]

I personally love this format and think the idea of both the Under 23 North Amreican Team and Team europe are a great idea. i think by doing so they are ensuring that the best players in the world are going to play in this tournament which i think i going to make for some great hockey.

 

i get the country thing and how its tough to get behind a team that doesn't have a country but I think that is missing he point. This tournament is meant to grow the sport and I think you do that by having the best player. So yes it will be a bit of a spectacle but I personally think that's cool. There is the World Junors, Word Championships and Olympics to play from your country, so I think the World Cup shoud target something different.

 

In terms of Vlasic, while it was a bit of a suprise to me too he is arguably the best shutdown Dman in the league. Team Canada MO is to always take one of those guys so its not a huge error IMO. I think Brodie has a great shot to still make the team, him or Gio as I think one of them will be there. 

[ABC923]

I cannot take this tournament seriously because there's too much wrong with the format.  Where is Team Western Canada?  Where is Team Ontario?  How "World Cup" is it if Team North America plays Team Canada in the finals?  Might as well make it 3-on-3 hockey and allow fans to vote players onto the team.  It is what it is, just an uncreative mash of players for a series of glorified pre-season all star games disguised under the brand of "World Cup".  It's the most obvious attempt at a quick cash grab.

Party pooper

I do agree to a certain degree though. I'm trying to get excited about this, but so far no luck. It just feels like a gimmick so far, like the countless outdoor games have become.

[The_People1]

Hockey Canada is a political organization, much like the COC.  Often player choices are made for reasons other than ability or fit.

But all of the teams do it.  Pick a KHL player over a much better NHL player.  JT Miller?  

It just feels like a gimmick so far

 

Agreed.  Too gimmicky.  Eric Duhatschek was on Fan960 saying he thinks this tournament is NHL's way of taking international hockey away from the Olympics and making this event the biggest because the NHL runs this event whereas they don't for the Olympics, World Championships, etc.  The NHL wants the World Cup of hockey to be like World Cup of soccer where it is more prestige than the Olympics for soccer.

 

I've always wondered, why doesn't the NHL try NHL Europe like the NFL did with NFL Europe?  Start a league in Europe with NHL owners.  Put teams in mega metro cities in the UK, France, and Germany.  The arenas don't have to be extravagant to begin with.  Start small.  Grow the game there and own the game there.  The NHL can control transfer agreements and such because they own both the NHL and NHL Europe.  It could work.  Then, for the World Cup, they can have Team England, Team France, Team Germany, etc.  They don't need to have this stupid Team Europe silly stuff.

[cross16]

I've always wondered, why doesn't the NHL try NHL Europe like the NFL did with NFL Europe?  Start a league in Europe with NHL owners.  Put teams in mega metro cities in the UK, France, and Germany.  The arenas don't have to be extravagant to begin with.  Start small.  Grow the game there and own the game there.  The NHL can control transfer agreements and such because they own both the NHL and NHL Europe.  It could work.  Then, for the World Cup, they can have Team England, Team France, Team Germany, etc.  They don't need to have this stupid Team Europe silly stuff.

 

I think the biggest reason is becuase there are already pro leagues over there and can you realistically compete with them? I think people forget there is alot of tradition in European hockey and some of the teams have been around for decade or even a century so the NHL is taking a huge risk walking into some of those markets and trying to take away from a franchise that has been thre for so long.

 

The problem with icing a Team England, Team France or Team Germany is can you find 25 players from those countries who are actually world class players or are you adding another Latvia or Switzlerland to the group? The reason I like the Team Europe concept is they are actually fielding a pretty decent team and now in stead of having 1 or 2 dormats that you know have now shot, you've actually got a team that could legitmately compete. 

[The_People1]

I think the biggest reason is becuase there are already pro leagues over there and can you realistically compete with them? I think people forget there is alot of tradition in European hockey and some of the teams have been around for decade or even a century so the NHL is taking a huge risk walking into some of those markets and trying to take away from a franchise that has been thre for so long.

 

The problem with icing a Team England, Team France or Team Germany is can you find 25 players from those countries who are actually world class players or are you adding another Latvia or Switzlerland to the group? The reason I like the Team Europe concept is they are actually fielding a pretty decent team and now in stead of having 1 or 2 dormats that you know have now shot, you've actually got a team that could legitmately compete. 

 

I do agree it's difficult to compete with existing Euro Leagues but I also think the existing Euro Leagues are not doing well to develop hockey at the grassroots levels and thus, I think the NHL should try to get involved.  The NHL can use their marketing expertise to sell the sport better, maybe use a part of their revenue to invest in grassroots level programs and infrastructure to get more kids in those countries into the sport.

 

There are like 300,000+ kids in organized hockey in Canada and USA respectively.  How many kids play hockey, or have access to hockey, in UK, France, and Germany?  The numbers are probably under 10,000, I'm guessing (I don't have the stats).  But anyways, there's huge potential to grow the sport in those countries due to population, financial stability, and those countries like winter sports.

 

No you won't see competitive teams immediately but they will eventually develop.  They have to get more kids into hockey and I'm guessing the Euro Leagues just don't have the money to get programs started.

 

Lastly, unless the NHL gets involved, the NHL simply won't invest money into the grassroots because it ultimately benefits Euro Leagues.  If the NHL owned that Euro League, that that's a different story and that's what I feel has to happen for hockey to take off there.  Maybe don't start a new league but buy the DEL league or something.

[cross16]

I do agree it's difficult to compete with existing Euro Leagues but I also think the existing Euro Leagues are not doing well to develop hockey at the grassroots levels and thus, I think the NHL should try to get involved.  The NHL can use their marketing expertise to sell the sport better, maybe use a part of their revenue to invest in grassroots level programs and infrastructure to get more kids in those countries into the sport.

 

There are like 300,000+ kids in organized hockey in Canada and USA respectively.  How many kids play hockey, or have access to hockey, in UK, France, and Germany?  The numbers are probably under 10,000, I'm guessing (I don't have the stats).  But anyways, there's huge potential to grow the sport in those countries due to population, financial stability, and those countries like winter sports.

 

No you won't see competitive teams immediately but they will eventually develop.  They have to get more kids into hockey and I'm guessing the Euro Leagues just don't have the money to get programs started.

 

Lastly, unless the NHL gets involved, the NHL simply won't invest money into the grassroots because it ultimately benefits Euro Leagues.  If the NHL owned that Euro League, that that's a different story and that's what I feel has to happen for hockey to take off there.  Maybe don't start a new league but buy the DEL league or something.

 

 

Agree in theory and agree that is the NHL did want to do that they would need to purchase the existing league instead of creating their own rival one. Problme is how much is that going to cost and when are they going to see the benefit?

 

Be interesting to see the strategy becuase I know its been discussed a few times that the NHL feels is they want to see significant growth it needs to come from other markets, NA is close to tapped out. I personally think this trounament is a good start though.

 

Friedman mentioned the other day that apparantly some of the European Leagues, including the KHL, are trying to band together in order to take on the NHL sort of speak. Apparantly they are tied of the IIHF and feels they are not represented properly by that body and want to start their own. That's going to make things very interesting for the NHL, but could be a good opporunity to adopt what you are talking about here Peeps.