Official Hockey discussion thread

yeah, but besides the Bills, what else does Buffalo have going for it?  Any perspective buyer has to get approval from the Board of Govenors and the other owners. Any move of any team needs the same approval. If the Coyotes even move, they have a better shot of going back to Winnipeg than to Hamilton or Kitchner.
 
I don't see much mention of the IIHF World Championships here ... finished yesterday with Russia beating Canada 2-1 in the final to claim their 25th title (including those they won as the Soviet Union). An intensive and entertaining, but maybe not well-played, match. These two teams were, by a good margin, the two best in the tournament and there wasn't much to separate them yesterday. The Russians were more efficient and that made the difference. Congrats to Russia.
 
Yeah, the Russians beat the United States in the Semis Friday. It's hard having the World Championships during the heart of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
 
It's a shame the World Championships doesn't have a greater status in North America. I guess it is because the NHL/Stanley Cup were well established before the IIHF started arranging the World Champs. Ice hockey is the one out of the North American sports which is popular in the highest number of countries outside US/Canada (it is played more or less professionally in most European countries, unlike for example baseball). However, unlike a global sport like football, the World Championships nearly seems like a minor event. Any NHL player would rather play for his club than in the WC, whereas in footy any player would kill to play in the World Cup. Of course, the WC is played in mid-summer when only a few leagues worldwide are playing.

If the IIHF WC hadn't been an annual event, but every 4th year, it could maybe be played in the summer as well, then all the best players would be available - but would that help its status in Canada/US? Today I have the impression that for Canada and US it's more like "we'll send a team, if they win, that's nice - if not, they at least got a nice trip to Europe".
 
Well, there's 3 major international tournaments, EW.  And maybe that's why the World Hockey Championship isn't so big.  First, there is the yearly WHC, as you have pointed out.  Most players in North America know they'll get their chance to play for Team Canada or whoever when that comes up.  It's a yearly thing that overlaps the NHL playoffs, and the biggest prize in hockey is now and always will be the Stanley Cup.  That's the trophy with the name of almost all the greats on it, it's the silver mug that you grow up wanting to claim, in Russia and Sweden and Canada.

Secondly, there is the Olympics.  The NHL shuts down for the Olympics and it is considered the biggest international prize of them all.  Only the best players go to the Olympics, and it's a huge event for North American adherents of the sport.  Only 270 more days!

Finally, there is the World Cup of Hockey, previously known as the Canada Cup.  It is contested irregularly, and was last challenged in 2004, where it was won by Team Canada.  This occurs in the summer and usually many NHL players try to come and play.  The Canada Cup was probably bigger in the 1980s/90s when it was emblematic of the massive USSR/Canada rivalry that came out of the 1972 Summit Series.
 
I think it's good to have a major international tournament with limited participation from the NHL. It gives players from other leagues a chance to prove themselves. Plus, it increases the status of the Olympics when it's the only regular event with all the best players.

On a sidenote, I have decided to always cheer for the team I don't want to win in the future. In the world cup playoff round, I cheered for Finland over USA, USA over Russia, Czech Republic over Sweden, Sweden over Canada and Canada over Russia. So apart from the bronze medal game, I lost every time ;)
 
Even with the NHL playoffs still going, most of the countries had plenty of NHL talent. Brodeur played for NJ, Luongo is still in for Van, Price and Fleury... yet Team Canada still had Roloson, a very capable goalie, play for them. sure they didn't have Crosby, but Spezza, Heatley and Doan made it...

Same with Russia, Kovulchuck and a few ex-NHLers still played. Add the very talented none NHLers... makes for good hockey.
 
Shadow said:
I think it's good to have a major international tournament with limited participation from the NHL. It gives players from other leagues a chance to prove themselves. Plus, it increases the status of the Olympics when it's the only regular event with all the best players.
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A lot of now-prominent NHLers got their start in the WHC, like Timmy Thomas and Marty St Louis.
 
But it would have more NHLers.  Remember, the WHC is always in the afternoon our time.  A lot of people watch the games at work or on the weekends.
 
3 game sevens WOOOHOOO. Here are my picks.

                                            Redwings over the Ducks

                                            Penguins over the Capitals

                                            Bruins over the Hurricanes

:yey: is there anything better than a Game seven? Yes, three game sevens.
 
I agree with you picks. I'll make an adendum though:

I would be pissed if the ducks win.

I wouldn't mind too much if the Caps win

I will fucking kill somebody if the 'Canes win...

There.
 
I think that save Fleury made on the breakaway set the tone of the game....it was all Pittsburgh after that and I think Boudreau should have used hit time out after the second goal. Great series, such a shame the seventh game had to be a blowout.
 
Why is everybody bitching and moaning over the blow-out? I was ecstatic over such a convincing victory. I knew from game one Pittsburgh was the better team and it took them 7 games to show it. A lot of factors went into it and sure Fleury's save is one of them. I think Ovie's hit on Gonchar was another, but more importantly Varlamov. There are VERY few and VERY far between Brodeur's and Roy's.... I knew the kid would get tired eventually.

Washington has an unbelievable team, they need better goaltending. Varlamov playing full-time next season would do that. All this "anticlimatic" and "dud" talk is bullshit. It was a great series and a great close.
 
Onhell said:
Why is everybody bitching and moaning over the blow-out? I was ecstatic over such a convincing victory. I knew from game one Pittsburgh was the better team and it took them 7 games to show it. A lot of factors went into it and sure Fleury's save is one of them. I think Ovie's hit on Gonchar was another, but more importantly Varlamov. There are VERY few and VERY far between Brodeur's and Roy's.... I knew the kid would get tired eventually.

Washington has an unbelievable team, they need better goaltending. Varlamov playing full-time next season would do that. All this "anticlimatic" and "dud" talk is bullshit. It was a great series and a great close.
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lol I completely agree with everything you just said, I can still be a little bummed tho.
 
*sigh* So I had found the perfect victim when I notice something very odd. Apparently society frowns upon said action. Can you believe it! There's all these... laws and crap and they also have these torture devices like gas chambers, electric chairs and a slab of steal where they inject you with poison (supposedly more humane... um, I'm still dying...), that are suppose to deter me from achieving my goal. That wasn't enough however, because like 99.9% of murders it was going to be a crime of passion. my blinding anger didn't really allow me to think things through. But then, as I raised my hand to slay the 4 month old demon spawn sucking on a pink, yes PINK pacifier, Rumplestilskin appeared and said, "Say my name bitch!" "what?" "That's right, say my name, bitch or I take your baby!" I was like WTF mate. After all it wasn't my baby, it was my neighbors who I beat uncouncious, because for whatever reason she didn't like the idea of my sacrificing her only daughter to the hockey gods. Incidentally that's how I found out that society frowns upon men that beat women... what fucked up world do we live in? Seriously. So anyway, Rumplestilskin is being all S&M on me with the name thing so I say, "Rumplestilskin..." and before I can finish the pansy starts throwing a fit! "How did you know!? NOBODY knows! AAAAH..." "Let me finish you ugly ass midget!" I say and smack him across the face, I mean I just beat my neighbor, I'm not going to slap an ugly midget? Ha! I continue, "Rumplestilskin, bitch, here, take it, I guess its just the same, that way, the baby is gone and I don't get the death penalty, rather I'll just do 10 years to 15 years for assault and kidnapping." "oh ok."

And that is how it transpired... tragic I know.
 
That is the type of Onhell post that I have come to know and love, and that I have missed so much. 

Granted my mind melted, but it was worth it!

Oh, and Go Hawks! (I still can't believe that I'm saying that)
 
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