2014 Winter Olympic's Ice Hockey Tournament

[LittleGuy]

Funny enough, what wasn't talked about was the qualifying leading up to this tournament. In all honesty, Germany should have been in this tournament but the German national team really **** the bed and lost out to Austria. Ice Hockey is one of the most popular sports in Germany and the German Elite League is one of the best leagues in Europe so it's a shame they didn't make it as I think the addition of the 8 to 10 NHL'ers they have would have made them very competitive. This speaks to the increasing parity of teams internationally. The Slovenian win against Slovakia was huge IMO and the fact they finished the tournament ranked 8th overall is really good for the game, considering they were ranked 17th in the world coming into the tournament and weren't expected to compete at all.

I think the reason we are so shocked to see some of the teams playing well is the lack of exposure North Americans get to European hockey. I was listening to the CBC and they were commenting that Alex Radulov was Russia's best player and how their NHLer's really **** the bed so to speak. They acted as if because Radulov played in the KHL that he was an inferior player which was laughable because Radulov was one of the best players in the NHL when he played for Nashville and simply left because he wanted to play at home and got paid a bucket load of money to head to the KHL.

I was watching the Spengler Cup this past Christmas and Rochester had entered the tournament as an AHL representative. They got hammered every game and the games weren't even close. Geneve-Surette of the Swiss League beat them 6-0 and Davos hammered them 7-1 or something like that. It demonstrated to me that European Hockey is clearly a notch above the AHL and that the top teams in Europe are closer to NHL calibre then we think they are.

That was when Patrick Roy's son lost his ****......



I love the Spengler such a great atmosphere and passionate fans, my Dad spent large parts of his youth in Switzerland and went to a few games he said the crowds were relatively small but always really into the game and it seems to have kept growing, there are pockets of Ice Hockey fans in France across the border but it hasn't really taken off which is a shame.

Germany I heard was ticked about the timing of the qualifying as it effected player availability. They've usually had a pretty hard hitting defence though offensive firepower is frequently lacking. If the 17th ranked team is now competing than a 16 team tournament can easily be done and heck even a 20 team one could be possible. I see more potential in markets in the Balkans, ex Soviet Republics et. al.

Edit: I went to a Hamilton Bulldogs game a few months ago which was the first time I'd been to AHL in a while they were facing Chicago and it really seemed the standard had declined since around 2004-5ish, maybe I've just had bad luck the last couple of games I've gone to, but the quality and depth out there seemed to be a lot less than I'd remembered. It wasn't that much a step up from a Niagara Ice Dogs game talent wise and was probably worse in crowd atmosphere because Copps is a tomb even with the upper bowl closed.

 

[SimonG]

Nah, it's the sport itself... just does nothing for me.

The main problem I have with ice hockey...I can't see the damn puck. Question to Canadians...can you follow the puck ok? Do you know instantly when it's a goal? Perhaps as I'm not a regular viewer (usually every winter Olympics I have a look at it) and therefore have an untrained eye...alas, the puck becomes a blur.

And Sidney Crosby...is he considered to be at the level of Wayne Gretzky?

Loved the women's final...how on earth the US didn't win that I do not know...the puck travelling the length of the rink and hitting the post was hilarious.

 

[LittleGuy]

The main problem I have with ice hockey...I can't see the damn puck. Question to Canadians...can you follow the puck ok? Do you know instantly when it's a goal? Perhaps as I'm not a regular viewer (usually every winter Olympics I have a look at it) and therefore have an untrained eye...alas, the puck becomes a blur.

And Sidney Crosby...is he considered to be at the level of Wayne Gretzky?

Loved the women's final...how on earth the US didn't win that I do not know...the puck travelling the length of the rink and hitting the post was hilarious.

Yeah I can follow the puck, you get used to the game and know where it's going to be, occasionally it will take a weird bounce or something but 99% of the time it's fine. A decade or so agao Fox in the states added a track the puck feature which added streaks to the puck when it was shot or passed....it was not well received.

I wouldn't consider Crosby to be at Gretzky's level(still rated highly probably a step below) but it's apples and oranges, two compeletly different eras. Gretzky's era was way more offensively oriented, in fact Gretzky himself wasn't even that great a skater or pure athlete or anything he just knew exactly how to play the game to perfection in all it's nuances.

The Women's final was an amazing game, and sporting event. It will remain in my memory for years to come while the Men's final will become an afterthought as it was so anticlimactic.

 

[Rich Taff]

Years ago, my nickname sounded similar to 'Gretsky', so when I went over to Uni of Illinois to visit friends, they were overheard on the phone talking to me and a rumour spread across campus that Gretsky was coming. They were disappointed (well, most of them).

 

[stroneill]

Much like rugby, you develop an eye for not only the puck, but the whole play and where the puck is going.

It also helps that it's black, and the ice is white. Also a big red light flashes it goes in the net.

I don't think many people have Gretzky level expectations for Sidney Crosby. He has superstar talent no doubt and he's won ***les, an MVP etc... But Gretzky set records that will never be broken, including most records ever. In 1982, he scored 92 goals and 50 in 38 games. That is an insane statistic and no one will ever match it.

 

[LittleGuy]

Much like rugby, you develop an eye for not only the puck, but the whole play and where the puck is going.

It also helps that it's black, and the ice is white. Also a big red light flashes it goes in the net.

I don't think many people have Gretzky level expectations for Sidney Crosby. He has superstar talent no doubt and he's won ***les, an MVP etc... But Gretzky set records that will never be broken, including most records ever. In 1982, he scored 92 goals and 50 in 38 games. That is an insane statistic and no one will ever match it.

Yeah the game would really have to completely change again, the goalies are so much larger these days(physically and in terms of padding) along with more defensive strategies makes it almost impossible for someone to match those stats that Gretzky(and others in the era) set.

 

[sigesige00]

Ice Hockey rules should be changed.
1st point is the number of periods. All games in which both teams attack the opponent sides, except Ice Hockey, have divisible number of periods. Ice Hockey is the only exception I know. Ice Hockey's 20mins 3-period rule should be changed to 15mins quarter rule.
2nd point is the size of rinks. In the NHL narrow rinks are used, so there are too many body clashes. All rinks should be 60m*30m.
3rd point is the number of players. In the extra time the number of on-ice players is reduced from 6 to 5, in order to make more attacking space. If so, why not do that from the start of the game?
4th point is body-check. In Men's games body-check is allowed, while in Women's games body-check is not allowed. The rule should be unified to women's.

 

[LittleGuy]

Ice Hockey rules should be changed.
1st point is the number of periods. All games in which both teams attack the opponent sides, except Ice Hockey, have divisible number of periods. Ice Hockey is the only exception I know. Ice Hockey's 20mins 3-period rule should be changed to 15mins quarter rule.
2nd point is the size of rinks. In the NHL narrow rinks are used, so there are too many body clashes. All rinks should be 60m*30m.
3rd point is the number of players. In the extra time the number of on-ice players is reduced from 6 to 5, in order to make more attacking space. If so, why not do that from the start of the game?
4th point is body-check. In Men's games body-check is allowed, while in Women's games body-check is not allowed. The rule should be unified to women's.

1. No the ice has to be flooded at regular intervals, 20 minutes is the best, 15 minutes would be way too many long breaks. 30 minute halves the ice would be crap by the time of it's reflooding.

2. This is arguable I'll grant, I disagree with the larger ice surface as it seems to lead to a more possesive and less exciting game. But I can see that this is a matter of taste. The NHL will never change it's rink size though, the arena's would be too expensive to renovate and the lost seats would lead to less revenue. The ship sailed on this one 20 years ago.

3. While it would fundamentally change the game there is some merit to this point as the players are a lot bigger and faster than they used to be and 5 on 5 does seem to create less scoring oppourtunities. My solution to the scoring problem is the simplest and the NHL refuses to go this way but I would draconianly reduce the size of goalie equipment to how big it was around the 80's.

4. No

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

The main problem I have with ice hockey...I can't see the damn puck. Question to Canadians...can you follow the puck ok? Do you know instantly when it's a goal? Perhaps as I'm not a regular viewer (usually every winter Olympics I have a look at it) and therefore have an untrained eye...alas, the puck becomes a blur.

It's like rugby, you need to understand the play to know where the puck is going to be.

The two things you need to know in order to follow the puck well:

1. When passed the puck will always travel in a straight line
2. Players will always try and pass/receive the puck on an angle to do so otherwise is called a "suicide pass" and open you up to a little bit of this:



You also need to understand that a hockey rink is divided into three zones:

1. Defensive Zone
2. Neutral Zone
3. Offensive Zone

How your team breaks out of the defensive zone will determine how your team sets up the attack in the neutral zone in order to generate offense in the offensive zone. So if you understand how breakouts work you will begin to understand how the game of hockey works and will have no trouble following the puck.

And Sidney Crosby...is he considered to be at the level of Wayne Gretzky?

Crosby is better then Gretzky, he is a faster skater, better puck handler, physically stronger. Fact is, the game has changed considerably since Gretzky last laced up the skates. Gretzky's hayday was over 25 years ago and the average NHL player is far more skilled and athletic then he was even just 20 years ago. So realistically, the comparison isn't fair as the game is far different. It would be like comparing J.P.R. Williams with Leigh Halfpenny, two different eras but both players were great during their time.

FYI, Crosby's numbers in minor hockey and junior were every bit as impressive as Gretzky's. I watched him play in the national midget championship in Canada (Top 15, 16 and 17 year olds) as a under age 14 year old and he led the tournament in scoring with 23 points in five games, these were the five best midget hockey teams in the country btw. Gretzky was so strong for so long in Edmonton due to his supporting cast, it's pretty hard not to be successful when you play on a team with Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Kevin Lowe and Grant Fuhr backstopping you.

Don't get me wrong, Gretzky is an impressive hockey player but I believe Mario Lemieux was a better overall player then him and I believe Crosby is his modern day equal.

Loved the women's final...how on earth the US didn't win that I do not know...the puck travelling the length of the rink and hitting the post was hilarious.

Some wierd **** happened in that game, we ended up winning which is all that matters.

Ice Hockey rules should be changed.
1st point is the number of periods. All games in which both teams attack the opponent sides, except Ice Hockey, have divisible number of periods. Ice Hockey is the only exception I know. Ice Hockey's 20mins 3-period rule should be changed to 15mins quarter rule.

Like littleguy said, the ice needs to be flooded to keep the pace of the game up so the periods are fine as is.

2nd point is the size of rinks. In the NHL narrow rinks are used, so there are too many body clashes. All rinks should be 60m*30m.

Narrow rinks actually promote more scoring and a more exciting game, Olympic sized ice is too big and heavily favours the defence, it's easier to cycle the puck behind the net in the NHL as there is less space so it favours the attacker.

3rd point is the number of players. In the extra time the number of on-ice players is reduced from 6 to 5, in order to make more attacking space. If so, why not do that from the start of the game?

They already do this during the regular season in the NHL, it's called 4on 4 overtime

4th point is body-check. In Men's games body-check is allowed, while in Women's games body-check is not allowed. The rule should be unified to women's.

Completely agree

 

[LittleGuy]

I thought sigesige meant that Men's hockey should also ban bodychecking, oh well it's hard to tell with his ideas. LOL.

 

[jonny24]

I think sige meant go four on four from the start. He's counting the goalie.

I find both rugby and hockey to be pretty similar in terms of action and scoring vs tension and tactics. for example, I get bored of basketball because, oh look another of 100 baskets that will be scored. Whereas football has too much stoppage and such and soccer has too few goals and too much kicking back and forth.

As far as knowing where the puck is, ratsapprentice. I'd explain it like this. I only started really watching rugby this year, even though I've been playing for four or five. I've noticed that you begin to learn what's going on and anticipate what will happen. You begin to know when the fullback will kick for touch, when a penalty will be taken quick, that the ball will go wide after a few crashes. Same thing in hockey. You start to look for the stretch pass, you know how the puck will travel off the boards, you learn how players will set themselves up to recieve a pass and take a shot. It's pretty much familiarity.

And yes, even though I've watched it my whole life, sometimes you just don't know where the puck went. Hell, sometimes the funniest parts of watching a game is watching the players try to figure out where it went too.

Back on topic. The women's game was the most exciting women's game I've ever watched. I really hope they allow hitting in it soon. You can tell by watching that they want to do it, its too big a part of the game to be missing. Sige you're off your rocker if you think that it should be taken out of the men's game.

I found the highlight of the tournament to be the semi-final vs the US. I was nervous going in, with the States having done so well and Canada seemingly struggling to get the wins against Latvia and Finland (Latvia! who would have guessed?). After watching how well we played in the semi, I was fairly confident about the gold medal game and I was right. Happy for the win and the gold, but nowhere near the drama of Vancouver. It will be a long time before something comes close to that. Maybe the Leafs winning the cup or something... :lol:

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

I think sige meant go four on four from the start. He's counting the goalie.

I find both rugby and hockey to be pretty similar in terms of action and scoring vs tension and tactics. for example, I get bored of basketball because, oh look another of 100 baskets that will be scored. Whereas football has too much stoppage and such and soccer has too few goals and too much kicking back and forth.

As far as knowing where the puck is, ratsapprentice. I'd explain it like this. I only started really watching rugby this year, even though I've been playing for four or five. I've noticed that you begin to learn what's going on and anticipate what will happen. You begin to know when the fullback will kick for touch, when a penalty will be taken quick, that the ball will go wide after a few crashes. Same thing in hockey. You start to look for the stretch pass, you know how the puck will travel off the boards, you learn how players will set themselves up to recieve a pass and take a shot. It's pretty much familiarity.

And yes, even though I've watched it my whole life, sometimes you just don't know where the puck went. Hell, sometimes the funniest parts of watching a game is watching the players try to figure out where it went too.

Back on topic. The women's game was the most exciting women's game I've ever watched. I really hope they allow hitting in it soon. You can tell by watching that they want to do it, its too big a part of the game to be missing. Sige you're off your rocker if you think that it should be taken out of the men's game.

I found the highlight of the tournament to be the semi-final vs the US. I was nervous going in, with the States having done so well and Canada seemingly struggling to get the wins against Latvia and Finland (Latvia! who would have guessed?). After watching how well we played in the semi, I was fairly confident about the gold medal game and I was right. Happy for the win and the gold, but nowhere near the drama of Vancouver. It will be a long time before something comes close to that. Maybe the Leafs winning the cup or something... :lol:

Whoops I re-read what Sige wrote.... hitting is fundamental to the game of hockey and should not be taken out. It's actually ******* me off that they are really cracking down on hitting as the sports just not the same. Scott Stevens was one of my favorite players ever and he delivered massive hits. When I played hockey I was a defenceman and I used to go out and headhunt people, it's the best part of the sport and it sickens me that people are trying to do away with it. What hockey needs is more respect and less cheapshot artists, not less hittings. Guys like Stevens kept the Darcy Tucker's, Jarko Ruutu's and Sean Avery's at bay!