How Fans Ruined Christmas for Everybody.

Glad to hear the 2011 World Cup of Hockey is apparently on.

Not really.  The highest level of hockey played with NHL rules is the last thing anyone following the game would want.

Remember the 2004 World Cup? Yep, Cousin Vinnie’s goal in the semi’s to win, that was held right before the NHL and NHLPA went to war and ultimately wrecked the entire 2004-05 season. The funds raised from the ’04 World Cup helped the two sides wage labour war, and thus those fans who supported the tournament [excluding print media] actually ended up feeding the fight that deprived them of the sport for a year.  Had it not been for fans of hockey, it should be noted, the players and owners could never have made next months rent, forcing both sides to concede, and play a full season.  Good going fans.   Once again, it was your fault that the 04-05 season didn’t exist.

Now they’re talking about a 2011 tournament, which would take place – you guessed it – right before the current CBA expires, assuming the players do as everyone expects and don’t re-open the arrangement beforehand.  

Already, both sides are girding for another protracted fight, and so are more than willing to stage another World Cup to raise funds for that very purpose.  Fans will once again be able to ruin Christmas for everyone by passionately cheering for our heroes.  The players are growing increasingly unhappy with giving back chunks of money in escrow funds every year, while the owners are already talking about another rollback in salaries, and you can bet some among the NHL ranks will be looking to kill guaranteed contracts.

So why would any hockey fan help these people kill off another season by supporting the 2011 World Cup?  

It’s an international event that really only means something in Canada – sort of like the world juniors – and one that has no predictability in terms of when it will pop up on the hockey landscape. It’s the bastard child of the old Canada Cup, and an event that’s nowhere near as meaningful as the Olympics.  People never cared about the Canada Cup, when is the last time you’ve seen the Gretzky to Lemieux goal?  The ’76 team being the greatest hockey team assembled meant nothing in this tournament.   No commie ever worships Tretiak or the KLM line.  Pride in sport only exists in Canada, everyone with half a hockey mind knows this.  It was this very pride that killed the season, not the players or owners. 

So who would be excited about another World Cup featuring the best hockey on the planet in our own back yard. Not me,  I'm just going to  pout and listen to my Dallas Green albums and wonder why the popular kids don't like me because I eat dirt in recess.  I just want to be sad for a while. 

JT 7