Player Discussion Brady Tkachuk (LW) - Part XI

[Ice-Tray]

That blows my mind. I don't get it. Not one little bit.

I don't see how it holds any more significance than a Spengler Cup, or any other forgotten tournament. The title "World Championship" seems hokey to me.

That said, don't mean to criticize. Humans enjoying something is nothing to be mad about, I just fail to see the significance myself.

Pull your head out of your ass…

Now imagine that you are playing anyone for your country against other people who are playing their country.

Now imagine that you are all the very best of who is available.

Now imagine that it’s the world championship of the sport.

Now explain why it’s a joke just because it’s a couple tiers down.

Come on dude, your better than this as they say…

 

[thinkwild]

Maybe its not a best-on-best world championship. But it is a launching pad for it. A long-standing tradition too. Some of the best-on-best will be there. Maybe even some of the leaders. Coming from non-playoff teams no less. I guess its also possible that a coach of a best-on-best team comes from a non-playoff team. I guess when choosing the best coach, they may not be looking at the W-L record of that coach.

 

[bicboi64]

Nice to see Tkachuk open the scoring. Pinto with 2 apples!

As much as I like playoff hockey, international hockey has its own flavour. Poor Germany got steamrolled by USA.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Pull your head out of your ass…

Now imagine that you are playing anyone for your country against other people who are playing their country.

Now imagine that you are all the very best of who is available.

Now imagine that it’s the world championship of the sport.

Now explain why it’s a joke just because it’s a couple tiers down.

Come on dude, your better than this as they say…

Lol, I thought I was pretty diplomatic with my thoughts.

I am sure it's good hockey and a fun tournament for all involved and watching. It's just the idea of a tournament being called a "World Championship" that coincides with the NHL playoffs. Its not a clearly defined tier. It ends up these random squads of who's not still playing, not injured, not in contract limbo, or just not interested. Maybe that's splitting hairs, it's just always struck me as a bit strange and not really a fitting title for the tournament. Does that happen in other sports where world championships are held while the biggest league in the world is still going?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The World Championship is a good hockey IQ test. Bigger ice, different officiating standards, and tossing a group of guys together at the last minute and see how they gel. Not to mention some good, loud crowds.

I like this especially for Brady as he has to think a bit differently. Some of the stuff he does in the NHL will be called a lot more at IIHF events. Gives him a push to use his smarts and polish up some of the skillset he doesn't always use in NHL play. And he has enough pro games under his belt now to figure it out quickly and bring a few new tricks back to Ottawa with him next season.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Lol, I thought I was pretty diplomatic with my thoughts.

I am sure it's good hockey and a fun tournament for all involved and watching. It's just the idea of a tournament being called a "World Championship" that coincides with the NHL playoffs. It’s not a clearly defined tier. It ends up these random squads of who's not still playing, not injured, not in contract limbo, or just not interested. Maybe that's splitting hairs, it's just always struck me as a bit strange and not really a fitting title for the tournament. Does that happen in other sports where world championships are held while the biggest league in the world is still going?

Uhg, sorry about that I had a few bevvies and was anything but diplomatic.

I put some time in to do a little research for you about the tournament to smooth things over

The World Championship tournament actually predates the current Olympic tournament and the first one was actually held at the summer olympics in 1920. This tournament was won by the Winnipeg Falcons, which we see retold in a current heritage minute.

Like the Olympics, it was only for amateur athletes. The Olympics also acted as the World Championship Tournament from 1920 to 1968, with the stand alone World Championship Tournament running on off Olympic years from 1930 onwards.

In 1968 the Olympics became just the medal tiered set up for hockey, and the World Championship Tournament was added to Olympic years as the stand alone Tournament to decide who was world champions.

Things changed in 1977 when professional athletes were allowed to enter the tournament. Canada immediately started sending professional athletes who were no longer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs hunt. The switch to allow pro athletes into the tournament was largely due to Russia sending pro athletes for years, working around the rules by officially listing the players as aircraft mechanics, construction workers, etc…

Outside of the Olympics, the World Championships is the major International hockey tournament for men’s hockey. It has been around for over 100 years. Obviously countries often can’t send their very best players because they are all pro athletes now and the biggest league on the planet is running their playoffs at the same time, but it is still a huge tournament, especially in Europe, and it does decide what nation is World Champions in Hockey for the year.

Interestingly, Sweden and Finland are the only two nations who have been crowned World Champions, and won Olympic Gold, in the same year.

If this tournament was run outside of the NHL playoffs I bet we would see more rabid attention from North America, but maybe given its roots as an amateur sport, the IIHF doesn’t care as much. Given how many high calibre players are not in it, it also give other nations a fighting chance.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Uhg, sorry about that I had a few bevvies and was anything but diplomatic.

I put some time in to do a little research for you about the tournament to smooth things over

The World Championship tournament actually predates the current Olympic tournament and the first one was actually held at the summer olympics in 1920. This tournament was won by the Winnipeg Falcons, which we see retold in a current heritage minute.

Like the Olympics, it was only for amateur athletes. The Olympics also acted as the World Championship Tournament from 1920 to 1968, with the stand alone World Championship Tournament running on off Olympic years from 1930 onwards.

In 1968 the Olympics became just the medal tiered set up for hockey, and the World Championship Tournament was added to Olympic years as the stand alone Tournament to decide who was world champions.

Things changed in 1977 when professional athletes were allowed to enter the tournament. Canada immediately started sending professional athletes who were no longer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs hunt. The switch to allow pro athletes into the tournament was largely due to Russia sending pro athletes for years, working around the rules by officially listing the players as aircraft mechanics, construction workers, etc…

Outside of the Olympics, the World Championships is the major International hockey tournament for men’s hockey. It has been around for over 100 years. Obviously countries often can’t send their very best players because they are all pro athletes now and the biggest league on the planet is running their playoffs at the same time, but it is still a huge tournament, especially in Europe, and it does decide what nation is World Champions in Hockey for the year.

Interestingly, Sweden and Finland are the only two nations who have been crowned World Champions, and won Olympic Gold, in the same year.

If this tournament was run outside of the NHL playoffs I bet we would see more rabid attention from North America, but maybe given its roots as an amateur sport, the IIHF doesn’t care as much. Given how many high calibre players are not in it, it also give other nations a fighting chance.

Ha, well, there you go. Thanks for the history lesson on it. The last paragraph sort of sums it up I guess. Do you know if the Euro leagues and KHL and what not are still going too, or are all their best players available?

And no worries, I was just surprised more than anything. Had to go back and read what I wrote and for a moment I questioned if maybe I had been a dick lol. It's happened on occasion here...

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

It is good simply for him to play important, competitive games, in a big leadership role. You can't complain about that.

Down the stretch last year, we did have that a bit because we were miraculously still in the playoff race in spite of our bad start. He really hasn't had much of that in the NHL.

 

[swiftwin]

 

[Psycroptic86]

That was sick!

 

[aragorn]

Well, that was a very skilled move & goal.