World Cup Hockey!!!

[LostSoul]

It's fun to watch your team when you know that every one of the players on it is damn good.

 

[Darth Shoju]

I really gave up on NHL hockey at the Nagano Olympics, when the NHL players came in for the first time... and Canada came away with a BRONZE FRICKIN' MEDAL. It utterly broke my heart and I honestly have not watched an NHL game since the day Team Canada lost to the Czechs.

Now, we have our gold and all is once again right with the world. As long as we win EVERY GOLD MEDAL from now until the end of time.

I don't think it's too much to ask. Two gold medals (men's and women's) every four years? That's all I want. Oh, and the World Cup, whenever it's held. Is that so much?

I can't say I gave up on the NHL at that point (I just love hockey too much) but it Nagano did destroy me. Although, as I recall, we didn't even win bronze. And yes, I can't understand what Mark Crawford was thinking. Even if he had put the Great One in the shootout and we had still lost, at least there wouldn't have been this big question mark hanging over the whole thing. At least we would have been able to say we gave it our best shot.

But, all that was forgotten when I heard the crowd singing the Canadian national anthem in the dying minutes of the gold metal game at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

 

[johnsemlak]

Finland Won the Bronze Medal in 1998

The medals were:

Gold: Czech Rep
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Finland

A Euorpean sweep.

 

[johnsemlak]

double post

 

[johnsemlak]

So I saw that the US lost to Russia. Anyone see the match? I missed it.

What's the overall level of this tournament. Do all teams have their best players? Are they really giving their best? I assume, given that the tourney is in Sept, that the players are not at their best fitness.

 

[LostSoul]

I always thought the Canada Cup/World Cup was the big international hockey event, bigger than the olympics. Number one is the Stanley Cup, but this is second. So I think they're probably giving it their best.

 

[johnsemlak]

I always thought the Canada Cup/World Cup was the big international hockey event, bigger than the olympics. Number one is the Stanley Cup, but this is second. So I think they're probably giving it their best.

Well, I'd say how big it is varies by country. In the US, the Olympics certainly have received the most attention (as I believe was the case in the USSR/Russia). In Europe, the World Championships have always been very big (a Swedish friend once commented how in Sweden they pay far more attention to that than the NHL).

Hasn't the Ice Hockey World Cup had a rather errattic history? Wasn't it held in 1996 but not in 2000 for some reason? What was it's history before then? I confess I'm not very familiar with the hsitory of the Canada/World Cup.

 

[Darth Shoju]

Well, I'd say how big it is varies by country. In the US, the Olympics certainly have received the most attention (as I believe was the case in the USSR/Russia). In Europe, the World Championships have always been very big (a Swedish friend once commented how in Sweden they pay far more attention to that than the NHL).

Hasn't the Ice Hockey World Cup had a rather errattic history? Wasn't it held in 1996 but not in 2000 for some reason? What was it's history before then? I confess I'm not very familiar with the hsitory of the Canada/World Cup.

They did skip a few years, not really sure why. As far as taking it seriously and sending the best, up here in Canada it is a pretty big deal (the original Summit Series is one of our most cherished hockey events). We pay a lot of attention to which players are selected and they consider it a big honour to be selected AFAIK. The players are all from the NHL on team Canada and since like 60 % of NHL players are Canadian, we tend to only send our best to these tournaments.

 

[AIM-54]

Well, I'd say how big it is varies by country. In the US, the Olympics certainly have received the most attention (as I believe was the case in the USSR/Russia). In Europe, the World Championships have always been very big (a Swedish friend once commented how in Sweden they pay far more attention to that than the NHL).

I'd agree with this assessment. In Canada (where I grew up), it receives a lot of attention and a lot of pride rides on it, in part certainly because of Canada's integral role in the tournament historically. It was a huge deal in '96 when the US won, compounded by the later lack of success in Nagano (Canada seems to have recovered, however )

In the US, it's not much of a deal at all. In the college hockey community (which I'm a member of) there's some interest, but overall people are more interested in the World Juniors than this tournament (cynicism about the NHL may play a role in this). NHL fans may be more plugged in, in some cases, but it's not the national event in any way near to what it is in Canada.

I can't really speak for Europe, so I won't try.

 

[Iuz]

Hasn't the Ice Hockey World Cup had a rather errattic history? Wasn't it held in 1996 but not in 2000 for some reason? What was it's history before then? I confess I'm not very familiar with the hsitory of the Canada/World Cup.

In the early 70s Canada was getting a wee bit upset with a 20 year drought in Olympic Gold Medals (in hockey). We felt that the rules at the Olympics were allowing the USSR to send their best players(aka the red army team), while we were not (Olympics were amateur only at that time).

So to prove we were the best, an eight game series was arranged between Canada and the USSR. Canada won 4 games to 3 (with 1 game tied).

Through the rest of the 70s a number of other "summit series" were held between Canada's best and the USSR.

Then in 1981 in was decided to expand from just inviting USSR and the Canada Cup was born.

Additional Canada Cups were held in 1984, 1987 and 1991.

Then the IIHF started to complain about the Canada Cup. Eventually it was negotiated that the Canada Cup would be replaced by the World Cup.