The Spengler Cup 2012

[hockeyfan1]

Canada outscored it's opponent, HC Vitkovice Steel 7-1, thoroughly dominating the Czech outfit, in the opener of the 2012 Spengler Cup.  Former NHLer, Marty Turco, ex-Dallas Stars goaltender, starred in net for the Canadians, even though the opposition was hardly a threat in the scoring department.


Goals for Canada were by Kwiatkowski, Pittis, Hartigan, McLean, Perault, and Fata.


This year's team is being coached by Marc Crawford and his assistants, Doug Shedden and Trent Yawney.


Next game is Wednesday, when Canada will play HC Davos.


For more, go to:  http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2011/12/26/spengler_cup/

 

[hockeyfan1]

Ouch!  Canada got "hammered" 8-1 by HC Davos, whose goals included a hat-trick from Petre Sykora.

Next game:  Quarter-finals against Wolfsburg Thursday.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2011/12/28/davos_defeats_canada/

 

[Madferret]

I'm really disappointed that NHL12 doesn't have the Spengler Cup...WHAT A JOKE!!

 

[Manson]

Worst thread ever.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Maybe instead of "The Spengler Cup" it should be renamed 'The Has-Been's Cup'! 

 

[bustaheims]

Oh, right, this thing is happening. Neat.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Game over for Canada!  Eliminated in a 3-2 OT quarter-final loss to a jubilant HC Wolfsburg club.

Guess anytime some Euro club beats us, it's considered an achievement of sorts.  Goes to show that Canadian hockey (players, be it who they are) is/are held to high esteem.

 

[hockeyfan1]

From:  http://tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=383944

It's getting a lot more difficult to win. Why? The increasing strength of the KHL is the answer. There has been a Russian (or KHL) club in the final of the Spengler Cup every year since 2007. A KHL club has won the title in three of those six appearances.  The KHL will just continue to get stronger as more and more European-based players decide that they'd rather play at, or closer to, home than on a two-way deal with an NHL club in North America.

The other issue facing Canada is that, for the most part, the players for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup play in the Swiss League. In the last few years, with the Swiss domestic program developing better players than it did a decade ago, not as many Canadians are picked up as imports by Swiss clubs. This year's champion, Davos, did not have one Canadian on their roster.

The pool of players available to Canadian management is starting to dwindle a little.

It's the first time Canada hasn't had a player on the tournament All Star Team since 2004.