Madferret
2-17-06, 12:28 PM
No more World Cup of Hockey?
Canadian Press
TURIN, Italy (CP) - The world's best hockey players may not compete again until the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver after it was revealed Friday that there are no current plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2008.
"Frankly, I'm doubtful (holding a World Cup) is something we'll do," Ted Saskin, the executive director of the NHL Players' Association, said Friday. "Although we will evaluate everything after these Games."
The World Cup of Hockey, which was the new name given to the old Canada Cups beginning with the 1996 tournament, is an NHL/NHLPA event held in September.
Unlike the yearly IIHF world championship, the World Cup features the world's best players. The world championship is held every spring and features players that haven't made the NHL playoffs.
The original concept for the World Cup was to feature the top players because NHLers couldn't play in the Olympics. But the tournament has only been run once, in September 2004, since the NHL began participating in the Games in 1998 at Nagano.
"Our sense is that every two years is frankly too much to be organizing these kinds of events in terms of the demands on the players," Saskin said.
Saskin was attending a news conference held jointly Friday with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and IIHF president Rene Fasel. Daly, for his part, had a different opinion of the World Cup.
"Speaking for the clubs and the NHL, we would like to have another World Cup of Hockey tournament, we would like to make it a more regular event," said Daly. "But obviously we need the players' participation and agreement on that point. So that's something we'll discuss as times goes on."
In other words, the owners want it but the players' union is dragging its feet.
"At this point I think that's probably a fair assessment," said Daly.
The Canada Cup was held in 1976, '81, '84, '87 and '91 before changing to the World Cup in '96.
Some feel the tournament is no longer necessary.
"I think guys talk about that, let's make it one or the other," said defenceman Adam Foote, a veteran of the 1996 and 2004 World Cups and the 1998 and 2002 Olympics. "Every two years I think it's hard to get the guys together, especially with the way the NHL schedule is. Although personally, I love the old Canada Cup."
Wade Redden remembers watching the '87 Canada Cup when Mario Lemieux scored the late winner on a pass from Wayne Gretzky.
The defenceman was thrilled to participate in the tournament in 2004.
"It was great to be a part of it," said the Ottawa Senators blue-liner. "But it probably didn't have the same feeling watching it growing up. Those probably had a little more excitement around it. It's usually the same guys going every time so it's tough to ask them to do that every two years when you're looking at Olympics.
"And with world championships, it adds up."
Opinions varied among the Canadian players after practice Friday.
"I think I would miss it," said winger Martin St. Louis, who played in the '04 World Cup. "They're probably thinking of a health issue too. A lot of hockey. But if they decide that the World Cup should stay I would probably say, yeah, I would like it to stay just because I like to compete and play for the country."
Star winger Jarome Iginla, who played at the 2002 Games and '04 World Cup, is of two minds.
"I like both events but what I like of the Olympics is that guys have been playing all year and they're at the top of their game," said the Calgary Flames captain. "It's a little different in September. It makes for quicker and better hockey in the Olympics. I like the World Cup but if it was one or the other I'd rather watch the Olympics and play in it."
Should the World Cup indeed skip 2008, it could potentially make a return if the NHL pulls the plug on the Olympics after 2010. And that's a realistic possibility.
"Frankly I think the ongoing participation in the Olympics, that decision will have a lot to do with what we do with World Cup or not," said Saskin. "But again, it's early to say. We're committed to Vancouver in 2010 and if we're not committed beyond that (to the Olympics) I could easily see a World Cup."
Picking and choosing when to stage the World Cup would lend some to suggest the tournament lacks credibility, but Daly disagreed.
"I don't think it could be considered a farce, it's a great tournament when we have it."
In the meantime, the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF must decide what future lies ahead after 2010. Because of Vancouver's geographical location, the NHL won't face the same logistical and travel problems it did this year. Players have fallen victim to both crammed NHL and Olympic schedules, some of them playing three games in four nights before the break in the NHL and then skating in five games in seven days in the preliminary round.
The withdrawal of goalie Dominik Hasek on Friday underlined the NHL's greatest concern, having star players injured at the Olympics and possibly losing time when they return home to the NHL.
But as Daly pointed out, the league's Olympic participation for Turin came late in collective bargaining last summer and essentially the league had to somehow squeeze in the 12-day tournament with very little leeway.
"These Olympics were a particular challenge for us because we determined so late in the process that we were going to take a break in the schedule and come here," Daly said. "And because of that we did the best we could with the schedule in an imperfect situation.
"It's very difficult for players in terms of the number games they have to play in a small number of days. And that is something that we're going to have to continue with the IIHF on and the NHLPA to try and make this as player friendly as possible."
Fasel can't foresee another Olympic Games without the NHL.
"The Olympic Games are unique," he said. "I always say that it's a unique opportunity for our sport to be in front of - we have expectations of three billion people watching the games, 200 countries. It will be my goal to work day and night that we will keep the NHL and NHL players happy that they come and use that great opportunity to show up in front of the rest of the world."
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040914/lemieux_80386.jpg
Canadian Press
TURIN, Italy (CP) - The world's best hockey players may not compete again until the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver after it was revealed Friday that there are no current plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2008.
"Frankly, I'm doubtful (holding a World Cup) is something we'll do," Ted Saskin, the executive director of the NHL Players' Association, said Friday. "Although we will evaluate everything after these Games."
The World Cup of Hockey, which was the new name given to the old Canada Cups beginning with the 1996 tournament, is an NHL/NHLPA event held in September.
Unlike the yearly IIHF world championship, the World Cup features the world's best players. The world championship is held every spring and features players that haven't made the NHL playoffs.
The original concept for the World Cup was to feature the top players because NHLers couldn't play in the Olympics. But the tournament has only been run once, in September 2004, since the NHL began participating in the Games in 1998 at Nagano.
"Our sense is that every two years is frankly too much to be organizing these kinds of events in terms of the demands on the players," Saskin said.
Saskin was attending a news conference held jointly Friday with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and IIHF president Rene Fasel. Daly, for his part, had a different opinion of the World Cup.
"Speaking for the clubs and the NHL, we would like to have another World Cup of Hockey tournament, we would like to make it a more regular event," said Daly. "But obviously we need the players' participation and agreement on that point. So that's something we'll discuss as times goes on."
In other words, the owners want it but the players' union is dragging its feet.
"At this point I think that's probably a fair assessment," said Daly.
The Canada Cup was held in 1976, '81, '84, '87 and '91 before changing to the World Cup in '96.
Some feel the tournament is no longer necessary.
"I think guys talk about that, let's make it one or the other," said defenceman Adam Foote, a veteran of the 1996 and 2004 World Cups and the 1998 and 2002 Olympics. "Every two years I think it's hard to get the guys together, especially with the way the NHL schedule is. Although personally, I love the old Canada Cup."
Wade Redden remembers watching the '87 Canada Cup when Mario Lemieux scored the late winner on a pass from Wayne Gretzky.
The defenceman was thrilled to participate in the tournament in 2004.
"It was great to be a part of it," said the Ottawa Senators blue-liner. "But it probably didn't have the same feeling watching it growing up. Those probably had a little more excitement around it. It's usually the same guys going every time so it's tough to ask them to do that every two years when you're looking at Olympics.
"And with world championships, it adds up."
Opinions varied among the Canadian players after practice Friday.
"I think I would miss it," said winger Martin St. Louis, who played in the '04 World Cup. "They're probably thinking of a health issue too. A lot of hockey. But if they decide that the World Cup should stay I would probably say, yeah, I would like it to stay just because I like to compete and play for the country."
Star winger Jarome Iginla, who played at the 2002 Games and '04 World Cup, is of two minds.
"I like both events but what I like of the Olympics is that guys have been playing all year and they're at the top of their game," said the Calgary Flames captain. "It's a little different in September. It makes for quicker and better hockey in the Olympics. I like the World Cup but if it was one or the other I'd rather watch the Olympics and play in it."
Should the World Cup indeed skip 2008, it could potentially make a return if the NHL pulls the plug on the Olympics after 2010. And that's a realistic possibility.
"Frankly I think the ongoing participation in the Olympics, that decision will have a lot to do with what we do with World Cup or not," said Saskin. "But again, it's early to say. We're committed to Vancouver in 2010 and if we're not committed beyond that (to the Olympics) I could easily see a World Cup."
Picking and choosing when to stage the World Cup would lend some to suggest the tournament lacks credibility, but Daly disagreed.
"I don't think it could be considered a farce, it's a great tournament when we have it."
In the meantime, the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF must decide what future lies ahead after 2010. Because of Vancouver's geographical location, the NHL won't face the same logistical and travel problems it did this year. Players have fallen victim to both crammed NHL and Olympic schedules, some of them playing three games in four nights before the break in the NHL and then skating in five games in seven days in the preliminary round.
The withdrawal of goalie Dominik Hasek on Friday underlined the NHL's greatest concern, having star players injured at the Olympics and possibly losing time when they return home to the NHL.
But as Daly pointed out, the league's Olympic participation for Turin came late in collective bargaining last summer and essentially the league had to somehow squeeze in the 12-day tournament with very little leeway.
"These Olympics were a particular challenge for us because we determined so late in the process that we were going to take a break in the schedule and come here," Daly said. "And because of that we did the best we could with the schedule in an imperfect situation.
"It's very difficult for players in terms of the number games they have to play in a small number of days. And that is something that we're going to have to continue with the IIHF on and the NHLPA to try and make this as player friendly as possible."
Fasel can't foresee another Olympic Games without the NHL.
"The Olympic Games are unique," he said. "I always say that it's a unique opportunity for our sport to be in front of - we have expectations of three billion people watching the games, 200 countries. It will be my goal to work day and night that we will keep the NHL and NHL players happy that they come and use that great opportunity to show up in front of the rest of the world."
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040914/lemieux_80386.jpg