IIHF WC.

[ColdWizard]

NHL doesn't want any changes. You guys don't care about the rest of the world and about the future of the sport. Asher has clearly demonstrated this in this thread.

The NHL was snubbed for most of the IIHF's existence, why should it start caring now? That Canada didn't even host a "world championship" until 2008 is ludicrous.

[Asher]

Look again without slowmo.

It's a nice save, but it's REALLY nothing special.

Check this out. This is just one goaltender, too (the #1/#2 (second last ones) are unbelievable):

[Serb]

You compared that one with the TOP TEN OF THE DECADE?
That says a lot.

[Asher]

The guy's only played in the latter half of the decade, and it's his top 10 saves alone.

I'll take that as a tacit admission that they were, indeed, better saves.

[Serb]

No They are stars in the NHL. Asher knows that. That does nopt necessarily mean every attack they make is exceptional.

That even less means their every attack is crap.

Yes it was a nice passing play so the shooter had an emptyish cage but then his failure to lift the puck made it a much much easier save for the keeper. If he had lifted it mid net or higher, THEN we would have had an exceptional save that is worthy of exceptional note. AS it stands, we have a save that was "nice" and of the calibre that is routinely in the highlight reels for a given night.

Funny thing is that the same is true for nearly a half of the saves from the Asher's video of the top ten saves of the decade.

[Serb]

The guy's only played in the latter half of the decade, and it's his top 10 saves alone.

I'll take that as a tacit admission that they were, indeed, better saves.

Some of them - sure. But that one could be one of this ten easily.

[Asher]

Some of them - sure. But that one could be one of this ten easily.

Potentially.

The problem with most of the "top saves" is they're the kind of saves Kipper makes once a game or so. The bottom half aren't very impressive, because in the NHL they're everyday.

It's those top 5 that are awesome. You don't see that in your little European tournament.

[Asher]

How not to make friends: Criticize the top stars in the game

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/international/article/811614--iihf-takes-shot-at-crosby-for-skipping-worlds?bn=1

IIHF takes shot at Crosby for skipping worlds

COLOGNE, GERMANY—Hockey Canada has come out in defence of Sidney Crosby after the International Ice Hockey Federation included him in a swipe at players who declined invitations to attend the world hockey championship.

The IIHF posted a story titled “Saying No to Your Country” on its website Wednesday, claiming that players who chose not to participate were turning “their backs not only on the team and its fans but also to the system which developed them and made them rich and famous.” The story, written by IIHF communications director Szymon Szemberg, names Crosby, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Backstrom, among others.

“How can a player who is 22 or 25 or 27, and who was just eliminated from the playoffs be tired?” Szemberg wrote. “Tired is a miner who works in a damp pit in Miktivka, in the Donetz Plateau in Ukraine, who never sees daylight and who provides living for a family of five in a modest two-room apartment. That is tired.

“Tired is a divorced mother with two young kids who double shifts as a nurse assistant and cleaning lady to make ends meet.

“Why is a 22-year-old Sidney Crosby tired when a 34-year-old Ryan Smyth is answering the bell for his country despite having represented Canada at the worlds already on eight occasions?”

Scott Salmond, the men’s national team director for Hockey Canada, called the story “inappropriate.”

“Sidney Crosby’s the guy they singled out — he’s played in two finals (in 2008 and 2009), he’s played in the second round of the playoffs (this year), he’s played in the Olympics for us,” said Salmond. “I don’t think it’s fair to single him out. We respect where he is and we respect what he’s done for us and I think what he’ll do for us in the future.”

There are fewer NHL stars at this year’s world championship because it is being held so soon after the Vancouver Olympics in February.

Hockey Canada extended an open invitation to its available Olympic players to come to the world championship. Forward Corey Perry was the only one to take them up on the offer and says he understands why others didn’t.

“You’ve got to look at the guys that didn’t come — a lot of guys were in the playoffs and a lot of guys played in the Olympics,” said Perry. “That’s a lot hockey when you play 82 games and then the Olympics and then you start playing playoffs. The emotion level is so high that it’s tough to get going again with a little layoff. It’s not the easiest thing to do.

“I respect their decisions.”

Canadian captain Ray Whitney took issue with the fact that Crosby’s name was included in the story.

“I don’t think it’s fair to mention him,” said Whitney. “Obviously, any big tournament would like to have one of the world’s top players, (but) the IIHF doesn’t understand how hard the NHL is, how hard the schedule is. ...

“I think (the IIHF) should concentrate more on making it more appealing for guys like (Crosby) to want to come over here and play.”

Seriously, what a despicable and amateurish organization. I think Hockey Canada should boycott the IIHF WC and instead work with the NHL to make the World Cup of Hockey every 4 years (alternating with the Olympics).

[notyoueither]

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey should not attend "World Championships" that take place during the playoffs of the domestic league.

[BlackCat]

Svenskjävlar

[Kitschum]

[ColdWizard]

Clearly the number of NHL games in a season should be cut in half to match the European leagues

[RGBVideo]

Germany in the semi-finals? GG, Deutschland

sour grapes, nation-based trolling

excuses, excuses

[Asher]

sour grapes?

That doesn't even make sense. I've been bashing the IIHF tourney well before teams were even announced.

It's a Euro tournament, not a world tournament.

I'm stating the absolute fact that the IIHF WC is a joke. This isn't nation-based trolling or sour grapes. It's objective fact. Anyone who knows anything about hockey (which means you, VJ, do not apply) knows that.

[notyoueither]

If I were king I would do this.

The IIHF would hold a European Championship at about the same time of year as the current WC.

Hold a World Championship every four years in late June/ early July.

Send under 22's or 23's to the Olympics in the intervals between World Championships until such time that the IOC agreed to move ice hockey to the summer Olympics.

Much of the tensions among IIHF members and the NHL would end, hockey would gain a significant showcase event, or two, and the NHL could not really stand in the way of the best players in the world gathering every two years to play for something that matters.