2022 Beijing Olympics: Don't Mention the Slaves

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

What is it with USA Hockey and the Senior Mens level? They’ve won so much lately at the U18 and U20 level but at the World Championships and Olympics it just all goes flat. Even the last two World Cups they were bad. Fuck even the Slovakians have stumbled to a gold in the last 25 years.

Fact is, the US just does not have enough depth without the NHL participating. Meanwhile, Russia and other Euro countries can pull their best players from the KHL, SEL, etc. which are better overall leagues than NA minor pro and college leagues. Canada scrapes by simply because of the volume of players they produce and a fervent sense of longstanding national pride in the sport that the US will just never have.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Fact is, the US just does not have enough depth without the NHL participating. Meanwhile, Russia and other Euro countries can pull their best players from the KHL, SEL, etc. which are better overall leagues than NA minor pro and college leagues. Canada scrapes by simply because of the volume of players they produce and a fervent sense of longstanding national pride in the sport that the US will just never have.

I mean, that can help explain these last two Olympics but that still doesn’t explain the lack of success in the World Championships or the two World Cups. Somewhere there’s a gap in success from the youth/junior level to the senior level. If I’d guess I think there are massive problems in coaching and management, today was a pretty good example.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Well, looks like we’ll have NHL players in Milan as Canada is losing 2-0 to Sweden.

 

[MichVandal]

Fact is, the US just does not have enough depth without the NHL participating. Meanwhile, Russia and other Euro countries can pull their best players from the KHL, SEL, etc. which are better overall leagues than NA minor pro and college leagues. Canada scrapes by simply because of the volume of players they produce and a fervent sense of longstanding national pride in the sport that the US will just never have.

Canada didn't exactly scrape by well, that for sure.

It's now a Euro Cup for the gold.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

I guess I'm for Slovakia or Finland at this point.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Canada didn't exactly scrape by well, that for sure.

It's now a Euro Cup for the gold.

Canada wasn’t scraping by either. The big thing people here don’t realize is the other Big Six countries plus countries like Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland etc. all have national team setups that’ll play in at least one tournament a season. Stuff like the Euro Hockey Tour, the Channel One Cup or even Canada’s Spengler Cup team.

Point is, none of these other countries went into this tournament blind. They all had an idea of who should be playing and how they play together. Only USA Hockey was throwing something together at the last minute.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

I still like that they went with the pseudo WJC roster rather than the journeymen roster like they did in 2018 and like Canada did this time around. And really, they were 48 seconds from the semifinals. It’s not like they didn’t show up or were overpowered.

But, like I said previously, I think we found out Group A just wasn’t that good. China was China. Germany only beat China 3-2, which says something. Group A ended 0-3 against other groups with only three goals scored.

 

[Jimjamesak]

I still like that they went with the pseudo WJC roster rather than the journeymen roster like they did in 2018 and like Canada did this time around. And really, they were 48 seconds from the semifinals. It’s not like they didn’t show up or were overpowered.

But, like I said previously, I think we found out Group A just wasn’t that good. China was China. Germany only beat China 3-2, which says something. Group A ended 0-3 against other groups with only three goals scored.

I don’t disagree with you on Group A being weak, and I did like the idea of the roster but it’s clear they needed more time together.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Loser mentality

“I could not be prouder of this group and the way they came together and represented our country,” said David Quinn, head coach of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. “Losing the game is a tough pill to swallow, but when you get to the quarterfinals of the Olympics there are a lot of good teams and certainly credit Slovakia. This was a terrific group of players and they’ll always be Olympians.”

 

[Bomber]

I didn't watch the game, but you all are being awful tough on a team that didn't lose a hockey game, they lost a skills competition. #CoinFlip.

 

[Jimjamesak]

I didn't watch the game, but you all are being awful tough on a team that didn't lose a hockey game, they lost a skills competition. #CoinFlip.

I’m being awful tough on a team that hasn’t won anything in 25 years.

Yeah, they didn’t “lose” a game, they also didn’t “win” a medal.

 

[Slap Shot]

I’m being awful tough on a team that hasn’t won anything in 25 years.

Yeah, they didn’t “lose” a game, they also didn’t “win” a medal.

You're acting as if you're entitled to something you spoiled baby. Never mind this roster has nothing to do with any others that preceded it.

 

[Jimjamesak]

You're acting as if you're entitled to something you spoiled baby. Never mind this roster has nothing to do with any others that preceded it.

I'm not ripping the players on this one bit, the fault lies totally at the management at USA Hockey from the coach to the top brass.

I'll say this again: the players did what they could given the situation they were given. The organization failed miserably at setting the players up for success.

USA Hockey was clearly banking on the NHL players and had no Plan B, a terrible move considering the NHL was actively looking for a reason not to go for at least a year. So they're picking a GM, a coaching staff, and a roster with less than two months to the games whereas every other country (except possibly Canada) already had permanent management, coaching staff, and at least an idea of a roster. The US Team was a Presidential candidate with good charisma, a good plan and a terrible campaign staff.

It's been immensely frustrating to watch, over and over, good US teams capable of winning fail because the organization behind them is getting in their way with bad coaching, bad management, and bad roster building. The talent is there, even on this team, it's just being used poorly.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Canadian women take back the crown in hockey 3-2. They looked better all tournament and it they came out strong again last night. US could’ve jumped on top early but hit the post on an open net and after that Canada dominated the next 35 minutes or so. Not sure what the faceoff stats ended up as, but at one point Canada was winning 70% of them. Hard to come back when you’re chasing the puck to start every play. US had a strong third but didn’t get within a goal until there were 13 seconds left.

Not much to do at this point but try to take some World Championships before 2026.

 

[bronconick]

So did the judges drop the 15 year old to 4th so they can actually award the medals in figure skating?

 

[MichVandal]

Canadian women take back the crown in hockey 3-2. They looked better all tournament and it they came out strong again last night. US could’ve jumped on top early but hit the post on an open net and after that Canada dominated the next 35 minutes or so. Not sure what the faceoff stats ended up as, but at one point Canada was winning 70% of them. Hard to come back when you’re chasing the puck to start every play. US had a strong third but didn’t get within a goal until there were 13 seconds left.

Not much to do at this point but try to take some World Championships before 2026.

After watching the opening round games, this was pretty expected. Canada was burying so many of their chances, the US wasn't. And you could see there was a "just off" part of the US game. Too bad, but it is what it is.

I'm still thinking the IOC should be donating a ton of money to the NCAA for women's hockey. By a wide margin, it's the best grounds to build programs around the world- unless I'm missing a large women's hockey program for 18-22 y.o's somewhere else in the world.

 

[MichVandal]

So did the judges drop the 15 year old to 4th so they can actually award the medals in figure skating?

My mini rant- once this whole thing surfaced, and nothing was done, I stopped watching figure skating. So my personal answer would be "who cares?" But that's just me.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

After watching the opening round games, this was pretty expected. Canada was burying so many of their chances, the US wasn't. And you could see there was a "just off" part of the US game. Too bad, but it is what it is.

I'm still thinking the IOC should be donating a ton of money to the NCAA for women's hockey. By a wide margin, it's the best grounds to build programs around the world- unless I'm missing a large women's hockey program for 18-22 y.o's somewhere else in the world.

It seemed like every goalie played in the NCAA. And some of the rosters were very young. I think it was Switzerland who had a 15 year old out there! Slovakia had a couple 17 year olds on the men’s side, and the men’s side is certainly more physical, but imagine a 15 year old going out there on the same ice as McDavid and Canada.

 

[Jimjamesak]

So did the judges drop the 15 year old to 4th so they can actually award the medals in figure skating?

Didn’t the other two Russians get 1st and 2nd? Wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Canadian women take back the crown in hockey 3-2. They looked better all tournament and it they came out strong again last night. US could’ve jumped on top early but hit the post on an open net and after that Canada dominated the next 35 minutes or so. Not sure what the faceoff stats ended up as, but at one point Canada was winning 70% of them. Hard to come back when you’re chasing the puck to start every play. US had a strong third but didn’t get within a goal until there were 13 seconds left.

Not much to do at this point but try to take some World Championships before 2026.

It’s bit like how it was watching UAA, once the third goal goes you know they don’t have the offense to comeback but you keep watching anyway.