Victoria Cup beginning on Sept. '08

[Geoff]

http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/new...&artId=2646

IIHF announces NHL-European Victoria Cup

KHODYNKA?May 8, 2007

History was made today when the IIHF announced the first-ever tournament on European soil featuring club teams from the National Hockey League and champions from the European leagues. The Victoria Cup will be competed for on an annual basis beginning September 2008. It will be a three-team competition, two teams from Europe and one from the NHL. The series is the first ever initiative to pit the top teams from North America versus the top teams from Europe.

Winner of Victoria Cup will receive 1 million Swiss francs

[Lalalaloser]

im assuming the NHL team will be an all star team?

[Ez Street]

It would be cool if they had the Stanley Cup Champion play the Eurpoe Champion.

[Seadragon76]

Nope. Didn't you read that? It said that it'll be a club team competition with two from Europe and one (presumably the previous year's Stanley Cup champions) from the NHL.

[Snazel]

I think the idea is to have the Stanley Cup champion and one other NHL team selected - "with a little bit of history", was the quote in the press conference I read. So it's a four team tournament.

I like the idea of cup tournaments during the regular season to break up the monotony, similar to what soccer leagues do, with various bracket/cup style tournaments. My only beef is September is a terrible time to run the tournament. Football is in full swing, baseball is getting interesting, and hockey has no ability to steal the limelight.

A tournament in February, - after the Super Bowl, but before the NCAA basketball tourney would have been the optimum time to put on such a tournament, hell you could even have it replace the all-star game, which is utter, boring bunk. I hate watching millionaires play shinny, it's just such a degrading experience.

[-Helix-]

I think the idea is to have the Stanley Cup champion and one other NHL team selected - "with a little bit of history", was the quote in the press conference I read. So it's a four team tournament.

I like the idea of cup tournaments during the regular season to break up the monotony, similar to what soccer leagues do, with various bracket/cup style tournaments. My only beef is September is a terrible time to run the tournament. Football is in full swing, baseball is getting interesting, and hockey has no ability to steal the limelight.

A tournament in February, - after the Super Bowl, but before the NCAA basketball tourney would have been the optimum time to put on such a tournament, hell you could even have it replace the all-star game, which is utter, boring bunk. I hate watching millionaires play shinny, it's just such a degrading experience.

You're looking at it from an American point of view. This tournament was not created with Americans in mind. It was created for the IIHF and European fans. The NHL team will treat it as a training opportunity for their younger minor leaguers and American (Or Canadian) fans most likely will not care at all. It's simply to humor the European Champion and their fans. All that matters is that it does well in Europe.

[jkrdevil]

I think the idea is to have the Stanley Cup champion and one other NHL team selected - "with a little bit of history", was the quote in the press conference I read. So it's a four team tournament.

I like the idea of cup tournaments during the regular season to break up the monotony, similar to what soccer leagues do, with various bracket/cup style tournaments. My only beef is September is a terrible time to run the tournament. Football is in full swing, baseball is getting interesting, and hockey has no ability to steal the limelight.

A tournament in February, - after the Super Bowl, but before the NCAA basketball tourney would have been the optimum time to put on such a tournament, hell you could even have it replace the all-star game, which is utter, boring bunk. I hate watching millionaires play shinny, it's just such a degrading experience.

I think you misread. The Stanley Cup Champion will not be involved. The IIHF said they would like the Cup champion in future years but understand that they will probably not get them this year and would like a team with history. The reason why this is in September is because that is when training camp is. The is going to be a series exhibition games. The NHL will probably send the Flyers or Bruins two non playoff teams. It will probably be the AHL farm team with a few NHL players versus some European team. It will be a joke.

[myartsaywhat]

I would prefer it if it were going to be the champions meeting. I enjoy the CHL Memorial Cup between the WHL, OHL and the QMJHL champs. It is exciting to watch and have one team be the champion of champions.

[Roger Clemente]

The NHL team rumored to be invited is the Montreal Canadiens. I'm not sure where it was reported, but I saw it on the Rogers Sportsnet ticker.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[Don]

The NHL team rumored to be invited is the Montreal Canadiens. I'm not sure where it was reported, but I saw it on the Rogers Sportsnet ticker.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

that would be a team with "a little bit of history" now wouldnt it?

[Snazel]

Yeah I thought it was a four-team tournament, it isn't, it's a three-team tournament.

IIHF president Rene Fasel said the NHL team would not necessarily be the Stanley Cup champs each year, though that's his hope at some point in the future.

So I guess, eventually they want the champion to participate, but not right away, my apologies I did not see the distinction.

It's a bogus tournament if it's just three teams and takes place in September. I disagree that it could only play to Europe. While that is clearly the design, a well crafted in-season cup tournament similar to what they do in many soccer leagues, I think could really work, and play fairly well in North America.

Given the deplorable ratings of hockey these days, I'd welcome something radical, this is just a "ho hum" kind of thing, that doesn't really have a lot of appeal.

[Don]

i'd like to see how a european squad fairs against an nhl team with all of its regulars.

[NorthStar74]

That would be interesting to see how this go... plus I wonder, will the Victoria Cup tourny be shown on tv? HMM that also will be the thing to deal with shortly...