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Tournament Starts Today

Bates said:
After the success and reaction to this year's team I highly doubt it's not repeated.

I think if they won the whole thing it might have forced the NHL to re-think things. Getting eliminated this early will probably make it easier for the NHL to stick with their original plan. I'm sure they're going to hear complaints about it from USA Hockey too.
 
Asked if he would play for a Team North America again should there be a repeat format (assuming a World Cup of Hockey event in 2020), Connor McDavid (who will be under the age of 25 then) had this to say:

"For me in four years I hope I can definitely represent my country. You only get a few chances to wear the Canadian logo and represent your country in events like this with ?best-on-best. I don?t think when you grew up wanting to represent Team North America twice and I?m sure Auston (Matthews) and Jack (Eichel) would say the same thing. We?ve had a lot of fun, but in four years from now I think all of us would want the opportunities that to represent our countries? McDavid said.


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/connor-mcdavid-prefers-team-canada-over-north-america-for-next-world-cup-200534207.html
 
Semi-Final is Saturday @7pm for the Team Canada vs Team Russia game and...

...Sunday @1pm for the Team Europe vs Team Sweden game.


Source: CBC Sports
 
Check the warning label.

4vS4U1z.jpg
 
Was reminiscent of the Latvian game in 14 in the sense that they looked like they completely dominated on everything but the scoresheet. Until the 3rd at least.

I'd say the Euro team probably put up a bigger fight, all things considered. I thought the russians would have brought more to the game.
 
Haha I just saw that Team Europe beat Sweden. Good for them but the final series is going to be a complete joke. Not that Sweden had much of a chance either but still...

I'm predicting Canada scores at least 10 goals in the two game sweep.
 
It's funny. Like a lot of people I thought Sweden was clearly the second best team in the tournament on the strength of that defense and Lundqvist but they never really put anyone away.

Europe, say what you will, has been strong all tournament. You wouldn't think they have much of a chance against Canada but I definitely wouldn't rule them out.
 
Yeah, I've heard the guys and coaches are really energized at playing in a best-on-best tournament where they've actually got a shot, impossible when playing for their individual home countries. Slovakians, Swiss, Germans, Slovenians, Danes, Norwegians, Austrians and French forming the veritable EU of hockey.
 
Marian Gaborik apparently hurt his foot and will be out 8 weeks. So Team Europe's climb just got climbier.
 
Team Europe and the World Cup of Hockey getting attention of non-traditional hockey markets...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/europes-success-resonating-non-traditional-hockey-countries/
 
The upcoming final has thrown this into sharp relief, and I probably said this during the last Olympics, but there's nothing particularly fun or meaningful about cheering for your national team when anything other than winning an international tournament would be seen as a massive failure.

Even though I know things wouldn't be drastically different against Sweden in the final, I feel like getting Team Europe in the finals means like Canada won't play a game at the World Cup they aren't expected to win easily.

It's been fun to watch the quality of the Team Canada has put together but until someone out there can put together a team on Canada's level we really don't need two best on best tournaments.
 
Or we just need a Canada vs. the world series.  Like the Summit Series of '72, except the rest of the world that isn't Canada gets to form a team, not just Russia.
 
herman said:
The only subsequent tournament I will be interested in is U24 TNA vs EUR. Best of 7.

4 team tournament. U-24. Team Canada, Team USA, Team Scandanavia, Team Rest of Europe.
 

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