OOTS 11/12 playoff edition

[RoyalDude]

I can't wait to again, after every time our National Team comes up short, to hear Don Cherry go through the list of names of Canadian Hockey players who weren't at the IIHF tournament to help Team Canada win, to calm the nerves of our nation for not winning the Gold.

[donlever]

Just realized shortly after I posted this that the coach Dutter faced in the Final in '04 with the Flames was non-other than Torts....we could see a re-match...

..I commented to this fact a couple of weeks back while tying it into the regression of the game topic and how it was interesting that now that we are (apparently) back to dead puck hockey Torts and Dutter are once again the sour cream rising to the top of the curdling jug that is the NHL.

[Fred]

I can't wait to again, after every time our National Team comes up short, to hear Don Cherry go through the list of names of Canadian Hockey players who weren't at the IIHF tournament to help Team Canada win, to calm the nerves of our nation for not winning the Gold.

I was listening to John Garret yesterday who in turn had a chat with Ken Holland. Hollnad said 80% of Cdn players turned down the offer of playing for their country.....that's a lot

[Per]

I can't wait to again, after every time our National Team comes up short, to hear Don Cherry go through the list of names of Canadian Hockey players who weren't at the IIHF tournament to help Team Canada win, to calm the nerves of our nation for not winning the Gold.

I was listening to John Garret yesterday who in turn had a chat with Ken Holland. Hollnad said 80% of Cdn players turned down the offer of playing for their country.....that's a lot

Well, the joke's on them, if Hockey Canada sticks to what they said earlier, that those who turn down the national team now will not be considered for the Olympic team!

[ODB]

Well, the joke's on them, if Hockey Canada sticks to what they said earlier, that those who turn down the national team now will not be considered for the Olympic team!

Riiiiiight, whatever helps you sleep Per!

[Island Nucklehead]

I can't wait to again, after every time our National Team comes up short, to hear Don Cherry go through the list of names of Canadian Hockey players who weren't at the IIHF tournament to help Team Canada win, to calm the nerves of our nation for not winning the Gold.

I was listening to John Garret yesterday who in turn had a chat with Ken Holland. Hollnad said 80% of Cdn players turned down the offer of playing for their country.....that's a lot

Is it really a shock? These guys just played an 82 game season getting smashed, whacked and beat on, flying back and forth accross the continent. Now you want them to travel around the world for a second-rate tournament? Immediately following their playoff elimination for some? Honestly, this tournament would be much better suited in September if they wanted the best to play. Give them a chance to rest/train over the summer, and then get back into action before their real season begins.

IMO, the only first-rate hockey tournament (when the players are allowed to play) is every four years and the NHL shuts down for it.

[Puck]

I don't know, Island. If 80% turn down the offer, then they have themselves to blame for it being a "second-rate" tournament. I sometimes think this second-rate argument is simply to console ourselves as to why we didn't do better.

[Fred]

I don't know, Island. If 80% turn down the offer, then they have themselves to blame for it being a "second-rate" tournament. I sometimes think this second-rate argument is simply to console ourselves as to why we didn't do better.

The World Championships they hold every year is nothing more than a money grab by the IIHF. I'm not really aware of any huge interest, even in Europe, the attendance is dismal at best. I think FIFA has it right every 4 years, who knows you quarter your expenses and maybe get a larger fan support. Right now it's ringing no ones chimes and frankly makes the IIHF look very amateurist. Those stupid advertising stuck on the front of the helmets because no one big enough wants to step up and really sponsor the tourney It looks Mickey Mouse and is MIckey Mouse. Is it any wonder the sport is not expanding with leadership like this. The NHL knows this an yet continually allows it's players to humiliate themselves. What a bloody mess

[Island Nucklehead]

Is it any wonder the sport is not expanding with leadership like this. The NHL knows this an yet continually allows it's players to humiliate themselves. What a bloody mess

Yup. If the NHL was smart they would ban players from attending the World's, and sanction the Olympics for their international exposure/advancement. I realize they can't contractually do that without the Union blowing their craniums, as all players going to the worlds are done with their NHL contracts for the summer. But I imgagine that it could fall under some kind of injury prevention/risk clause in their contracts? IE No NHL player contract would allow a guy to skydive into an Afghan mine-field after a night of partying with Charlie Sheen?

Sweden doesn't have Lundqvist, Eckman-Larrson or the Sedins. Canada doesn't have Crosby, Weber, Luongo, Doughty, B.Richards, Brodeur. When the US doens't have Kesler, Brown, Quick, Parise. How can you call them a world championship with a straight face?

I think Canada is the most hockey mad nation on the planet. And the fact that Canada loses in the quarters gets only a "groan - oh well, better mow the lawn" should be a wake-up call to these folks. If the fans don't care, the sponsors don't care. And if the fans don't care, why should the players??

Honestly, if I'm a multi-millionaire athlete, who just spent the last 8-9 months working my bag off for a season that ended in disappointment, I'm going back to the home town and getting wasted with the boys for a week or two.

[Island Nucklehead]

I don't know, Island. If 80% turn down the offer, then they have themselves to blame for it being a "second-rate" tournament. I sometimes think this second-rate argument is simply to console ourselves as to why we didn't do better.

No they don't. What to the players owe this tournament? What does Sidney Crosby owe Hockey Canada? Why should he suit up after a gruelling season? Why shouldn't he take the time off, get healthy and recharge for the team that pays his bills and doesn't piggyback and shamelessly make money off his skill, and guilt-trip him for not showing up? It's a second-rate tournament because the only tournament Canadians (and Canadian players) are concerned with is still happening in North America.

If this tournament was in September you'd have players that have spent the summer training, recharging the batteries, getting healthy, and loving/yearning for hockey again.

Kudos for the guys that show up to wear the jersey. But I wouldn't begrudge any player that said "fuck that man, I'm tired and sore. My buddies wanna hit the cabin May-long with some booze, blunts and broads. I'm done with hockey for a few months."

[Per]

What to the players owe this tournament? What does Sidney Crosby owe Hockey Canada? Why should he suit up after a gruelling season? Why shouldn't he take the time off, get healthy and recharge for the team that pays his bills and doesn't piggyback and shamelessly make money off his skill, and guilt-trip him for not showing up?

Not sure what Crosby owes Hockey Canada, but I definitely think the Swedish players owe something to the Swedish Hockey Federation, that trains and educates the coaches and after Sweden started sliding in the WJC decided to invest in a new and better youth programme that now spits out loads of talented players. They also rewamped the goalie development, which is why we have gone from having just one Swedish goalie in the NHL (Salo) to as many as nine this season (Lundquist, Gustavsson, Hedberg, Enroth, Lehner, Markström, Lindbäck, Nilsson, Karlsson), a handful more in the AHL and another two or three in the SEL that are being signed by NHL teams for next season...

The Swedish players that now make a fortune over in the NHL owe their success to the youth programme run. Y the Swedish hockey federation. I think it's fair to expect that they pay back by representing Sweden.

[Island Nucklehead]

The Swedish players that now make a fortune over in the NHL owe their success to the youth programme run. Y the Swedish hockey federation. I think it's fair to expect that they pay back by representing Sweden.

Which is fine by me, Per. If I'm not mistaken, the World Championships are always taken far more seriously by European fans vs those in North America. That's probably the soccer thing (club AND country), and not having the opportunity (time differences/coverage/no local teams) to watch NHL hockey on a regular basis. I'll re-iterate, I give the guys that wear the jersey all the credit for doing so. But there's a reason Ryan Smyth was referred to as "Captain Canada". A great moniker for sure, but ultimately it means your "real" team wasn't good enough... That, to me, insinuates a second-tier tourney. The World Championships is "The Best of the Rest". Those that aren't playing for, or are recovering from playing for, Hockey's ultimate prize.

Canadians, obviously, want to see Canada do well in internatinal competition. However, we're not putting much stock into the World Championships because it's being held at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs. At this point, your team is either A) still in it, or B) out of it. In either case, your emotions have been invested and are A) still involved, or B) crushed, along with your love of the sport. Nobody grows up in Canada dreaming of hoisting that (very small by comparison) World Championship trophy. The Memorial Cup, a junior trophy, has far and away more value to Canadians (and players), IMO.

[SKYO]

Is it any wonder the sport is not expanding with leadership like this. The NHL knows this an yet continually allows it's players to humiliate themselves. What a bloody mess

Yup. If the NHL was smart they would ban players from attending the World's, and sanction the Olympics for their international exposure/advancement. I realize they can't contractually do that without the Union blowing their craniums, as all players going to the worlds are done with their NHL contracts for the summer. But I imgagine that it could fall under some kind of injury prevention/risk clause in their contracts? IE No NHL player contract would allow a guy to skydive into an Afghan mine-field after a night of partying with Charlie Sheen?

Sweden doesn't have Lundqvist, Eckman-Larrson or the Sedins. Canada doesn't have Crosby, Weber, Luongo, Doughty, B.Richards, Brodeur. When the US doens't have Kesler, Brown, Quick, Parise. How can you call them a world championship with a straight face?

I think Canada is the most hockey mad nation on the planet. And the fact that Canada loses in the quarters gets only a "groan - oh well, better mow the lawn" should be a wake-up call to these folks. If the fans don't care, the sponsors don't care. And if the fans don't care, why should the players??

Honestly, if I'm a multi-millionaire athlete, who just spent the last 8-9 months working my bag off for a season that ended in disappointment, I'm going back to the home town and getting wasted with the boys for a week or two.

Fuck that, these canadian hockey players want to win! sadly they lost...CAN'T win them all!

I seriously can't wait for the 2014 Winter Olympics for our team, and I like Ovechkins stance on this, I'll quit/retire the NHL if they don't let me play in the Olympics. So they(NHL) better allow the players to play, as it's supposed to be the best of the best in the world championships.

[Blob Mckenzie]

NHL once again shows why it is a joke of a league tonight. I only caught part of the 3rd and the OT but the Coyotes got fucking jobbed. First when the Kings defender CLEARLY chipped the puck out of play right in front of the ref he completely blows the call and says a Coyotes player touched the puck. Then Doughty acts like a fucking 8 year old throwing a tantrum after he clearly deserved his intereference call........the zebras could have given him a double minor or two and 10, but nope they just gave him the original call. That fat shit should have gotten the book thrown at him for that outburst.

Dustin Brown hangs a leg on Rozival and gets FUCKING NOTHING!!!!. Dude is carted off the ice and Brown the gutless fuck is smirking at the bench. Someone should have stoved him in the yap in the handshake. That would be the only time you could punch the gutless piece of shit because his fucking gloves are welded on and he constantly looks to grab onto a lineman like it's the last dance of the night and Stairway to heaven is on. I couldn't shake a piece of shit's hand like that. Just pass him by in the lineup. Too bad his knee didn't get shredded on that play.

Once again the NHL officiating crew is the only one that can make the CFL officals look competent. MLB umpires look great compared to these asshats.

And of course the losers on CBC say fuck all while they lick the NHL's and the Kings testicles.

Just about done with this Mickey Mouse league.

[dbr]

It's almost impressive how he managed to hang his leg and his elbow out at the same time..