U-S-eh! The World Cup of Hockey thread

Go Team

  • Canada!

    Votes: 6 21.4%
  • Czech Republic!

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • Team Europe!

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • United States!

    Votes: 15 53.6%
  • Finland!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sweden!

    Votes: 2 7.1%
  • Russia!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • North America!

    Votes: 3 10.7%

  • Total voters
    28

McDrew

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September 17-October 1 in Toronto.

8 teams from 6 countries and some quasi-overlapping regions will vie for the championship.

Wiki Link with Schedule
Rosters

ESPN released some ads with players to promote the tournament. Bergeron did one. I want his tshirt.

Bruins in the tournament:
Finland: Rask
Canada: Bergeron, Marchand
Czech Republic: Krejci, Pastrnak
Europe: Chara,
US: Backes
 
Last edited:

mwonow

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Fascinated to see how team North America does.
Me too. I've always thought that if you could enter multiple hockey teams in the Olympics (like, say, in bobsled), that a "Canada 2" made up of guys who weren't yet established as NHL stars would be a favorite for a medal, and there were years when a second Canada team probably could have knocked off Canada 1. With the US and Canada as a talent pool, this will be a really exciting squad. Seeing guys like Eichel and McDavid playing together will be very cool...
 

Spacemans Bong

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Man, I can't disagree more. I hate the made up teams, it's a real killer to the credibility of this tournament. The Slovaks are pissed, and rightly so, and so are the Swiss, Latvians and just about any other country that has participated in the Olympics in recent years.
 

burstnbloom

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The idea, of course, is to fill the tourney with nhl players since this is an nhl sanctioned event. The made up teams may be goofy but they are necessary. Those countries can be upset about it, but their anger is misplaced. This is the nhl'S world Cup, not the Olympics. Being mad about being excluded is similar to being mad that the nhl didn't include them in the all star game when it was north America vs the world.
 

McDrew

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Team NA has a pre-tourney game vs Team Europe tonight. They showed an interview with Chara where he said they've had a grand total of 3 practices. He's worried about chemistry.
 

McDrew

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Zdeno Chara looked like a pylon on the ice with Team North America on his first shift. 5 shifts in and he's looking a lot more mobile. I'm cautiously optimistic.
 

TheRealness

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Zdeno Chara looked like a pylon on the ice with Team North America on his first shift. 5 shifts in and he's looking a lot more mobile. I'm cautiously optimistic.
That last "pass" he made that led to the second NA goal was just all kinds of awful.

He's just shaking off the rust. He's just shaking off the rust. He's just shaking off the rust.
 

mwonow

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Man, I can't disagree more. I hate the made up teams, it's a real killer to the credibility of this tournament. The Slovaks are pissed, and rightly so, and so are the Swiss, Latvians and just about any other country that has participated in the Olympics in recent years.
You still hate it? As Scotian says, Team NA is a ton of fun to watch
 

TheRealness

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You still hate it? As Scotian says, Team NA is a ton of fun to watch
I'm with the Spaceman, even with all that talent it feels gimmicky and like watching an all-star team. Team Europe has a similar feel. There is something about playing for your country that invokes that extra passion, and I felt the game lacked it.

I don't hate the tournament, but I don't like the all-star teams.
 

cshea

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Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron line here for Team Canada.

Team USA looks, predictably, terrible. Fucking Torts. We need grinders!
 

cshea

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That was a fun period. A couple of goals and Marchand in the middle of a Crosby-started scrum. I was entertained. Success!

It looks like Torts has Backes with JVR and Dubinsky.
 

cshea

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3-1 USA now. Bergy scored for Canada. Kesler just boarded the shit out of Shea Weber and Toews tried to fight Kesler. I believe Kesler's been run from the game.

Haha, Marchand suckers Byfuglien into taking a dumb retaliation penalty.
 

reggiecleveland

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This will be very unpredictable given the time of year they are playing. I get the feeling that the "being connected to the Leafs" stink will ruin Babcock's magic and Canada does not win.
 

burstnbloom

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I was so bummed that Toews did his fake engage thing when Weber got up looking to end Kesler. Don't hug a guy to death when Weber is going to pummel him. Leadership. Intangibles.
 

Dummy Hoy

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That's such a Dupes tweet.

Sucks you have 2/3 of Canada's top line, eh Boston?! Remember that shitty trade from 3 years ago?!
 

reggiecleveland

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It makes sense. It annoys me the Bruins don't have maybe the best line in the world intact on their team.

In other news team Europe look like the Washington generals on ice.
 

cshea

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USA up 3-0 on Finland in the second on ESPN now. Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on the call, it's the early 2000's all over again. They are even using the same music! They need to bring back Gary Thorne, Bill Clement and John Davidson for old times sake.

 

TheRealness

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USA up 3-0 on Finland in the second on ESPN now. Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on the call, it's the early 2000's all over again. They are even using the same music! They need to bring back Gary Thorne, Bill Clement and John Davidson for old times sake.
The theme is nice, but the production and announcing is just plain horrible. They are a disaster with their programming on this, and I hope it gets better. NBC would have been a better choice. I really despise the folks that decided ESPN should be given a shot at this. They are completely mailing it in, and it's sad. Sad!
 

ngruz25

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The Canada/Russia game is the only one I've seen, but I find the physical play pretty underwhelming. It's not quite an All-Star game, but they're obviously holding back. It's basically all stick checking with some shoving. The quality of play seems and tempo seems much worse than the Olympics.

Maybe the championship round will be better. I'm sure it will, really.
 

TFP

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The Canada/Russia game is the only one I've seen, but I find the physical play pretty underwhelming. It's not quite an All-Star game, but they're obviously holding back. It's basically all stick checking with some shoving. The quality of play seems and tempo seems much worse than the Olympics.

Maybe the championship round will be better. I'm sure it will, really.
You should have watched the USA - Canada game. After Getzlaf's cheap shot on Weber, the Canadian team spent most of the second game taking runs at him. It was more physical than a regular season game but not quite up to playoff level.
 

The B’s Knees

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You should have watched the USA - Canada game. After Getzlaf's cheap shot on Weber, the Canadian team spent most of the second game taking runs at him. It was more physical than a regular season game but not quite up to playoff level.
Hopefully Getzlaf was not running his own teammate :p
I assume you meant Kesler.
 

McDrew

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Chara has looked less like a pylon compared to the first time I saw him play in the preseason for the tourney