NHL 2021: I Pledge Allegiance to Gritty

[state of hockey]

Rangers are the only NY team I cheer for. They're my father's favorite (North Stars didn't exist until he was 16) so I grew up watching their games with him.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Isles fan here let's go Rangers there I said it fight me.

Isles fan here. Puke. This is akin to a Democrat cheering on a Republican. Sometimes you just need to stand up against evil. ; )

Go Avs!

[Kepler]

The slamming music miliseconds after every single whistle in Raleigh is everything that's wrong with capitalism and consumerism.

The volk are veal to be fattened and slaughtered.

Congratulations to the Rangers.

[Kepler]

I would also note the Slovaks and the Swiss both have better finishes in the last decade than the US (and the Slovaks have also won it more recently as well).

Slovak / Czech / Norwegian / Italian here to say you better believe the small fry care about the IIHF.

[Kepler]

Isles fan here. Puke. This is akin to a Democrat cheering on a Republican. Sometimes you just need to stand up against evil. ; )

Go Avs!

My hatred for (1) franchise stealing and (2) the South completely overshadows any rivalry issues I have.

Brothers fight but then stand against the world. Same reason* I root for Harvard in the NC$$. The wogs begin at Chestnut Hill.

* Offer not available for Quinnipiac, who are no one's brothers except they are the spiritual sibling of the slamming canned music in a 6-2 loss .

[Russell Jaslow]

Nobody cares about any IIHF tournaments so why does USA Hockey compete at all?

Edit: They also can’t win the ones they do care about.

Nobody cares about the World Championship in North America. Not even hockey fans. Which is why nobody cares to play in it, and since it's held during the Stanley Cup playoffs, you are guaranteed never to have the top players available. Ergo, nobody cares. So, winning stats in the WC means squat.

This has nothing to do with any other IIHF tournament. In the other tournaments you (usually) get the best available, eligible players to suit up.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Let's Go Oilers (though I think Colorado is the team more capable of beating Tampa)

[Jimjamesak]

So, winning stats in the WC means squat.

Categorically not true.

Above all the normal, ya know, World Champions “nonsense”, it’s the largest contributor to the IIHF World Rankings, which is used to determine qualification to the Olympics.

The tournament that’s apparently the only one that matters.

[Kepler]

Edmonton - New York final, please. I can live quite happily with either of those winning it all. The 'Lanche robbed Quebec and that other fake franchise doesn't even exist.

Stanley Cup champions since 1980:

80 New York Islanders
81 New York Islanders
82 New York Islanders
83 New York Islanders
84 Edmonton
85 Edmonton
86 Montreal
87 Edmonton
88 Edmonton
89 Calgary
90 Edmonton
91 Pittsburgh
92 Pittsburgh
93 Montreal
94 New York Rangers
97 Detroit
98 Detroit
02 Detroit
08 Detroit
09 Pittsburgh
10 Chicago
11 Boston
12 Los Angeles
13 Chicago
14 Los Angeles
15 Chicago
16 Pittsburgh
17 Pittsburgh
18 Washington
19 St. Louis

[JF_Gophers]

Categorically not true.

Above all the normal, ya know, World Champions “nonsense”, it’s the largest contributor to the IIHF World Rankings, which is used to determine qualification to the Olympics.

The tournament that’s apparently the only one that matters.

I think the rule is, if the US doesn't do well, it didn't matter. :-)

[Russell Jaslow]

Categorically not true.

Above all the normal, ya know, World Champions “nonsense”, it’s the largest contributor to the IIHF World Rankings, which is used to determine qualification to the Olympics.

The tournament that’s apparently the only one that matters.

I do get that (and there was one year, a long, long time ago this was a big scare for the USA). However, wasn't one of the contingencies for the NHL to participate in the Olympics was that the "big" countries must be allowed to send teams to the Olympics, no matter what their ranking is? So, in the end, it doesn't really matter because the USA and Canada (and I'm sure Russia (pre-invasion), Sweden, Finland, Czechia, etc.) were getting into the Olympics no matter what happened in the WC.

And if the NHL doesn't send their players, I couldn't give a crap about the Olympic tournament.

[ScoobyDoo]

The Rangers in 94 never happened.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Edmonton - New York final, please. I can live quite happily with either of those winning it all. The 'Lanche robbed Quebec and that other fake franchise doesn't even exist.

Stanley Cup champions since 1980:

80 New York Islanders
81 New York Islanders
82 New York Islanders
83 New York Islanders
84 Edmonton
85 Edmonton
86 Montreal
87 Edmonton
88 Edmonton
89 Calgary
90 Edmonton
91 Pittsburgh
92 Pittsburgh
93 Montreal
94 New York Rangers
97 Detroit
98 Detroit
02 Detroit
08 Detroit
09 Pittsburgh
10 Chicago
11 Boston
12 Los Angeles
13 Chicago
14 Los Angeles
15 Chicago
16 Pittsburgh
17 Pittsburgh
18 Washington
19 St. Louis

L.A. made your cut? They're basically the original "sunbelt team". :-p

Also, I know it's been cool to hate Mickey Mouse ever since Gretzky called them that, but at least the Devils play in a traditional hockey climate.

[Spartanforlife4]

L.A. made your cut? They're basically the original "sunbelt team". :-p

Also, I know it's been cool to hate Mickey Mouse ever since Gretzky called them that, but at least the Devils play in a traditional hockey climate.

You're forgetting the age scale. With the Kings founded in '68, the Islanders would be sacrificed as illegitimate if the LA isn't allowed to have a team.

Although Calgary on here doesn't make since if New Jersey isn't allowed to be on.

[Spartanforlife4]

I do get that (and there was one year, a long, long time ago this was a big scare for the USA). However, wasn't one of the contingencies for the NHL to participate in the Olympics was that the "big" countries must be allowed to send teams to the Olympics, no matter what their ranking is? So, in the end, it doesn't really matter because the USA and Canada (and I'm sure Russia (pre-invasion), Sweden, Finland, Czechia, etc.) were getting into the Olympics no matter what happened in the WC.

And if the NHL doesn't send their players, I couldn't give a crap about the Olympic tournament.

The top 8/9 (depending on where the host nation is ranked) makes the Olympics. The Big 6/7 would need to not make the knockout round at the WC and/or completely flop at the Olympics to not stay in the Top 8/9 of the rankings. So there's no auto berth per se, but it's a de facto one.