World Hockey Championships

[beliveau1]

I'm proud they chose to represent Canada, but i don't identify them as Team Canada. I would rather not play in that tournament myself being an NHL player like Nieds or Pronger.

I'm not taking on these guys, i'm taking on the viability and the "why do they set up an annual tournament in May?" thing.

Imagine in soccer. Rightn now, you would have a World Cup during the UEFA semi-finals. So England would be playing without : Lampard, Rooney, Gerrard, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Crouch and John Terry.

That would never happen and i wonder why we have to watch B movies games at WC year after year.

I just hope some of our Habs players can get experience, and THEY DON'T GET INJURED SERIOUSLY.

I'm not sure of the details, but I do remember something about a commitment Canada had to make several/many years back stipulating Canada had to continue to send a team to the World Championships. I can't remember all the details of it, but it was aimed at having a better team than the prior amatuer status teams Canada had been sending all along. I'm not sure if it had something to do with the Canada Cup concept or not at the time the arrangement was made? I may be wrong on that one - I'm getting old like 'shortcat'.....

However I believe the current setup is pathetic - the timing is totally wrong and the whole format sucks.

Right now it all can depend on:

A/ which nation has the most/best players eliminated first from the NHL playoffs

B/ which nation has the most of these willing to commit to the event

C/ getting hot for one game in the elimination round

D/ politics - always present at world events and it can be a factor

But for the time being we have to live with it and I intend to root for the Maple leaf no matter who might be wearing it!!!!!!

:can: :can: :can:

Edited May 2, 2007 by beliveau1

[jetsniper]

It is what it is guys, I really doubt we'd be able to get better players if it was moved to June or July or something.

1) Players have just completed approx. 10 months of hockey and get two months off for their families. 99% of the league finds that more important.

2) Who wants to watch hockey in July? I sure as hell don't. The playoffs already go too long as it is.

I'm starting to sense a little bit of Canadian hockey arrogance.

[Fanpuck33]

Imagine in soccer. Rightn now, you would have a World Cup during the UEFA semi-finals. So England would be playing without : Lampard, Rooney, Gerrard, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Crouch and John Terry.

Well for one thing, the World Cup of soccer is a much bigger deal than the hockey WC. The hockey WC is not a major tournament. If it were, players would actually want to go and they'd push to move it after the season.

By the way, you left off Jamie Carragher.

[beliveau1]

It is what it is guys, I really doubt we'd be able to get better players if it was moved to June or July or something.

1) Players have just completed approx. 10 months of hockey and get two months off for their families. 99% of the league finds that more important.

2) Who wants to watch hockey in July? I sure as hell don't. The playoffs already go too long as it is.

I'm starting to sense a little bit of Canadian hockey arrogance.

Not from this corner - just the reality that most nations aren't sending their best, unfortunately.

I'd prefer it was held less often - like soccer - and was scheduled accordingly to maximize talent.

Fact is as you said, we are stuck with the realities and the flaws of the current format.

So I intend to root for our flag no matter what others may think! :can: :can: :can:

[jetsniper]

Not from this corner - just the reality that most nations aren't sending their best, unfortunately.

I'd prefer it was held less often - like soccer - and was scheduled accordingly to maximize talent.

Fact is as you said, we are stuck with the realities and the flaws of the current format.

So I intend to root for our flag no matter what others may think! :can: :can: :can:

Isn't the World Cup gonna be an annual thing?

Thats probably the best route for all parties considered. Stick with the World Cup and scrap the WC altogether although I'm sure the IIHF would rather avoid that since it is a pretty big deal over in Europe.

[ch_nl]

Exactly why this tournament shouldn't exist. Players can be injured, there is no real glory winning this because everybody know the best teams don't play there and the timing is SO BAD.

It's like scheduling Rolland-Garros and Wimbledon the same week-end. :puke:

Wrong and wrong.

There's no question about hockey beeing a Canadian sport, but the IIHF are old and the tournament is from the 20's.

With or without Canada. With or without the NHL. All the other top leauges are set and done by now. But it's not realistic for the Stanley Cup to take a break or for the World Championship to wait til late summer when most players season are over.

[JoeLassister]

Wrong and wrong.

There's no question about hockey beeing a Canadian sport, but the IIHF are old and the tournament is from the 20's.

With or without Canada. With or without the NHL. All the other top leauges are set and done by now. But it's not realistic for the Stanley Cup to take a break or for the World Championship to wait til late summer when most players season are over.

Yeah it's exactly like Rolland Garros and Wimbledon at the same time. Imagine being eliminated from Rolland Garros would allow you to participate to Wimbledon, but those who progress to the finals couldn't.

And that's exactly why i have absolutely no fun watching WC. NHL playoffs are WAY BETTER than a Slovaquia - Ukraine game with all their best players, so imagine without their best players... This championship is so useless... even some players in good shape don't want to participate.

[RobRock]

Isn't the World Cup gonna be an annual thing?

Thats probably the best route for all parties considered. Stick with the World Cup and scrap the WC altogether although I'm sure the IIHF would rather avoid that since it is a pretty big deal over in Europe.

Not annual, but it might replace the NHL's participation in the Olympics in a few years. There's speculation that Vancouver in 2010 could be the final Olympic tournament where the NHL shuts down, basically because there's no payoff for the owners; they don't get the TV ratings they wanted and they don't want to shut down for two weeks. It could even go to an age-limit tournament, under 25 or 26. Not a bad idea, in my opinion.

But then if they do that, I guess an Olympic gold medal won't mean as much, if it's not best against best.

[ch_nl]

Yeah it's exactly like Rolland Garros and Wimbledon at the same time. Imagine being eliminated from Rolland Garros would allow you to participate to Wimbledon, but those who progress to the finals couldn't.

And that's exactly why i have absolutely no fun watching WC. NHL playoffs are WAY BETTER than a Slovaquia - Ukraine game with all their best players, so imagine without their best players... This championship is so useless... even some players in good shape don't want to participate.

Wake up from your hole and see the big picture.

It's not like Roland Garros and Wimbledon at the same time. It's two different tournaments that has sprung from two very different cultures.

European children hasn't grown up with the NHL. Their annual hockey high light is the World Championships. Most people in Europe care more for the national team than their local team. That the best players are still in the Stanley Cup doesn't count. They players in good shape that doesn't participate do it for a reason. Most has allready played a full season and know that they need the time to recover and spend some time with family. I think everybody should respect that.

And teams like Ukraine, Denmark and Austria needs to participate in order to develop the game in countries where hockey is still a minor sport. Just look at our own beloved Montreal Canadiens.

David Aebischer, Mark Streit, Cristoball Huet and Mikhail Grabovsky. Where would they be if it had not been for the World Championships?

[JoeLassister]

Wake up from your hole and see the big picture.

It's not like Roland Garros and Wimbledon at the same time. It's two different tournaments that has sprung from two very different cultures.

European children hasn't grown up with the NHL. Their annual hockey high light is the World Championships. Most people in Europe care more for the national team than their local team. That the best players are still in the Stanley Cup doesn't count. They players in good shape that doesn't participate do it for a reason. Most has allready played a full season and know that they need the time to recover and spend some time with family. I think everybody should respect that.

And teams like Ukraine, Denmark and Austria needs to participate in order to develop the game in countries where hockey is still a minor sport. Just look at our own beloved Montreal Canadiens.

David Aebischer, Mark Streit, Cristoball Huet and Mikhail Grabovsky. Where would they be if it had not been for the World Championships?

Exactly why i think they should organize a kind of Euro for hockey. The Canadian team is commited to send a team to this "WC" and that hit on Yannic Seidenberg (topic feature) is a result of this wannabe world championship.

Good for Austria, Ukraine and Denmark, they need to get international experience and their players can get too, but as Beliveau1 said "I believe the current setup is pathetic - the timing is totally wrong and the whole format sucks".

You say : Most people in Europe care more for the national team than their local team. Fine, but imagine how the Czech might be pissed if the Rangers pass through the Sabres : 6 players of their national roster play there, it's 13 total with those of the other teams still playing in playoffs.

Talking about a National team?? Wake up from your hole and read the small characters : the Czech national team is playing NHL Stanley Cup playoffs right now. And this is the same for many other countries. Wanna give the Europeans a WORLD Championship, set it once every few years instead of Olympics. The best players of all countries would participate and let the Olympics to junior players (I'd be so happy, that was more exciting back in the days).

If our beloved Montreal Canadien were still playing NHL playoffs today, i bet the Swiss team would be VERY HAPPY to go there without Streit and Abby...

[rafikz]

I'm tired of the Shane Doan case, seriously

It's getting ridiculous ; man, if politicians spent that much energy trying to resolve REAL problems, that would be great

[jetsniper]

I'm tired of the Shane Doan case, seriously

It's getting ridiculous ; man, if politicians spent that much energy trying to resolve REAL problems, that would be great

I don't even read about it, it's such a waste of time. This story is the last thing I should've seen on the cover of the paper this morning.

[ch_nl]

Exactly why i think they should organize a kind of Euro for hockey. The Canadian team is commited to send a team to this "WC" and that hit on Yannic Seidenberg (topic feature) is a result of this wannabe world championship.

Good for Austria, Ukraine and Denmark, they need to get international experience and their players can get too, but as Beliveau1 said "I believe the current setup is pathetic - the timing is totally wrong and the whole format sucks".

You say : Most people in Europe care more for the national team than their local team. Fine, but imagine how the Czech might be pissed if the Rangers pass through the Sabres : 6 players of their national roster play there, it's 13 total with those of the other teams still playing in playoffs.

Talking about a National team?? Wake up from your hole and read the small characters : the Czech national team is playing NHL Stanley Cup playoffs right now. And this is the same for many other countries. Wanna give the Europeans a WORLD Championship, set it once every few years instead of Olympics. The best players of all countries would participate and let the Olympics to junior players (I'd be so happy, that was more exciting back in the days).

If our beloved Montreal Canadien were still playing NHL playoffs today, i bet the Swiss team would be VERY HAPPY to go there without Streit and Abby...

I really try to tell you the difference but just keep pumping your Canadian point of view, without even trying to understand.

I think Nick Hornby explained it well in "Fever Pitch". That the love for the team has very little to do with the players. The sama thing could be said about National teams. I don't care if Sundin, Alfredsson, Forsberg, Lidström, Zetterberg, Näslund and the Sedins are there. I care for Tre Kronor. My national team.

And my point about Huet, Grabovsky, Huet and Streit is that they probably never would have found their way to north america if not the World Championship would be played every year. Im not saying that the best hockey in the world are beeing played at the world championships, but in the end it makes the NHL so much better and for that Im gratefull.

[JoeLassister]

I really try to tell you the difference but just keep pumping your Canadian point of view, without even trying to understand.

I think Nick Hornby explained it well in "Fever Pitch". That the love for the team has very little to do with the players. The sama thing could be said about National teams. I don't care if Sundin, Alfredsson, Forsberg, Lidström, Zetterberg, Näslund and the Sedins are there. I care for Tre Kronor. My national team.

And my point about Huet, Grabovsky, Huet and Streit is that they probably never would have found their way to north america if not the World Championship would be played every year. Im not saying that the best hockey in the world are beeing played at the world championships, but in the end it makes the NHL so much better and for that Im gratefull.

Yeah i understand your point, and it might probably be true we wouldn't have noticed some of the Kopitar, Grabovsky, etc without WC.

But i'm taking on the name : WORLD Championship. In every other sports, the World Championship brings all the best athletes of the world in their respective sport. In hockey, this is defenitly not the case and many hockey fans here (like me) in Canada or US don't even watch and care about this WC.

In the last Olympic in Turin (who is the real World Championship for me) there was all the big powerfull country in hockey, but also Kazhakstan, Lettonie, Swiss, Italy, Germany.

I remember Canada lost a game 2-0 against Swiss and that was a perfect exemple of what ahtletes representing their country and supported by the whole nation can do.

In the World Championship, i don't even cheer for Canada much than any other team... And usually, i cheer for any Canadian athlete, may it be hockey or gymnastic... I guess it shows you how this WC is useless for me. But, i'm just Canadian...

[dark_faerie87]

Yeah i understand your point, and it might probably be true we wouldn't have noticed some of the Kopitar, Grabovsky, etc without WC.

But i'm taking on the name : WORLD Championship. In every other sports, the World Championship brings all the best athletes of the world in their respective sport. In hockey, this is defenitly not the case and many hockey fans here (like me) in Canada or US don't even watch and care about this WC.

In the last Olympic in Turin (who is the real World Championship for me) there was all the big powerfull country in hockey, but also Kazhakstan, Lettonie, Swiss, Italy, Germany.

I remember Canada lost a game 2-0 against Swiss and that was a perfect exemple of what ahtletes representing their country and supported by the whole nation can do.

In the World Championship, i don't even cheer for Canada much than any other team... And usually, i cheer for any Canadian athlete, may it be hockey or gymnastic... I guess it shows you how this WC is useless for me. But, i'm just Canadian...

So what should the tournament be called then? "International Men's Ice Hockey Tournament?"

[jetsniper]

So what should the tournament be called then? "International Men's Ice Hockey Tournament?"

Haha. How about the "International Men's Tournament For Slightly Good Ice Hockey Players Because Canada Doesn't Watch"?

Or the IMTFSGIHPBCDW.

[dark_faerie87]

Haha. How about the "International Men's Tournament For Slightly Good Ice Hockey Players Because Canada Doesn't Watch"?

Or the IMTFSGIHPBCDW.

[jetsniper]

This seems fairly appropriate.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=30212...mp;service=page

[JMMR]

This seems fairly appropriate.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=30212...mp;service=page

Jeeze the Sabres are cheap!

[JoeLassister]

Haha. How about the "International Men's Tournament For Slightly Good Ice Hockey Players Because Canada Doesn't Watch"?

Or the IMTFSGIHPBCDW.

Personnaly, i'd would take Canada and USA out of there and make up an EURO... but I'd prefer : International Men's Tournament For Slightly Good Ice Hockey Players Who Get Eliminated From NHL Playoffs In Good Shape And Up For Another Month Of Hockey.

Jeeze the Sabres are cheap!

[beliveau1]

This is definitely a tournament that is worth following - but not with the same passion I have for the bigger ones, where the very best of each nation is playing. The creme of the crop should contend for the world championships in all sports..... it's as simple as that. However that does not make this tournament a complete waste of time for hockey fans - there is still some pretty good hockey being played at these!

I may not get to watch many games but I do keep up on the scores and monitor the web for stuff - especially habs's players and prospects in it!!!! :hlogo: :can:

Edited May 4, 2007 by beliveau1

[mathieu30]

I always thought whenever I got a shutout I played the "perfect game" . John Grahame proved me wrong today.

[mathieu30]

Czech Republic - Slovakia,

1st period

1-0 (PP) Plekanec (Barinka, Marek)

2nd period

1-1 Demitra (Hossa, Gaborik)

1-2 Kapus (Satan, Podhradsky)

[Athlétique.Canadien]

The Worlds are cool for rainy sundays when there are no games in the afternoon in May - beyond that :?- :?- :?-

[mathieu30]

3rd period

1-3 Gaborik (Satan)

2-3 Klesla (Plekanec, Olesz)

Game completed