It is hard to think of hockey without tournaments. Tournament play has always been a staple of hockey. The Stanley Cup competition dates back to 1894. Olympic hockey play debuted in 1920. A more recent college event, the Beanpot, started in 1952.
It can be argued that other sports have implemented playoff systems, based on a hockey model that has always had to deal with geographically separate leagues. Regular inter-league play was never the hockey way. Perhaps that related to the difficulty of winter travel by bus, across the Canadian wintry landscape. It might also be related to the British legacy of jousting knights. Whatever the reason, challenges and playoffs raise the bar.
The hockey world enjoys the annual NHL Stanley Cup finals, and every four years it comes together for the Olympics. But what if another tournament could be organized? And there are rivalries that can be exploited.
What if hockey organized a “World Cup” held once every two years? The event would be held in off years, in between Olympic play. It might serve as a tune-up for the Olympics, or a stage on which to evaluate talent for the Olympic team selections.
Obviously, there are ramifications for the professional league play in each country. One way to deal with this would be to create a very brief event, with a limited number of teams. Countries might band together to create regional “all-star” entries. Here are some possible teams:
- North America
- Central Europe
- Western Europe
- Northern Europe
- Russia
- Asia (sooner or later the East will have competitive teams)
A World Cup tournament would be held in the same time period as the Winter Olympics, in late January or early February. Or, a Christmas/New Year’s break could be inserted in the pro league schedules to open up time for the tournament. A one-week interruption (or two, given some travel and practice time) would be required. The level of play might not equal the Olympic extravaganza, but the interest generated in hockey would be intense.
More minor league players and amateurs might be involved too, and that would be a good thing for player development.
Imagine a Junior Olympics, much like the Canadian event but on a truly global scale. It could be done. The pro players might be excluded. Maybe that is the way to insulate the NHL, and yet at the same time keep hockey in front of the world audience.
The point is to expose more people all over the world to hockey. Another tournament, another showcase would do that. Maybe once every two years is a pipedream. But why not dream.
Hockey Rules.
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