Menu
Events and Attractions

NHL's Daly Hopes World Cup Will Return Every Four Years; Tourney Format Open For Debate

The '16 World Cup of Hockey will conclude this week, and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the league hopes to "continue on a four-year cycle" with the event, according to Mark Zwolinski of the TORONTO STAR. This is the first time the tournament has been held since '04, and there have "been talks about playing games in two cities" in the future after playing all games in Toronto's Air Canada Centre. There also remains the possibility of "retaining the current eight-team format that included the under-24 team from North America and the European entry that reached the final." However, the format "appears to be open for debate." Meanwhile, Daly indicated that the World Cup from a financial standpoint "'works' for and profits NHL owners far more attractively than the Olympics, which is seeing stalled negotiations" between the league and the IIHF regarding participation in the '18 PyeongChang Games (TORONTO STAR, 9/28). ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun wrote the World Cup is "here to stay," but the format it takes moving forward "remains very much up in the air." Team Canada coach Mike Babcock said, "Two cities, only night games, bring the pools together -- close, close together -- so you have crowds every night, not moving players around. Based on where you finish, what your world standing is that's how you're ranked in the tournament, that's how you pick dressing rooms, that's how you pick everything." He added, "Team Europe's done a great job. They're right here in the final, (so it's) pretty hard to knock it and yet I like country on country." LeBrun noted Babock "clearly feels that the next World Cup should be made up of teams representing their countries" and not include teams North America and Europe. But NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "I don't think anybody can suggest that this tournament wasn't more exciting because of the Team Europe and Team North America concepts" (ESPN.com, 9/27).

SMILE EMPTY SOUL: Canada beat Team Europe 3-1 last night in the first game of the best-of-three final series, and YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski reports while all the seats at Air Canada Centre were sold, a number "went unused for whatever reason, lingering on secondary sales sites ... and with ticket brokers." Empty seats have "plagued the tournament since the preliminary rounds," as many of the weekday games starting at 3:00pm ET "had crowds of less than two-thirds capacity." There were some "mitigating factors there, such as the start time and general apathy towards the non-North American participants." The NHL claims the crowds "were larger than for similar games held at other international tournaments." Daly said, "Most of those seats were sold. It's just people weren't able to attend due to midday conflicts. It's understandable. This market's response to the tournament has been nothing short of outstanding" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/28).

LONG SHIFTS: In Toronto, Michael Traikos notes the World Cup "started out with a lot of promise and excitement but a few weeks later is now in danger of wearing out its welcome." With the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card race and the NFL and CFL "in full swing," the World Cup is "getting lost in the sporting landscape." Most of the talk among players is about "when this tournament will end and the real hockey will begin." Team Europe F Thomas Vanek said of the World Cup, "If anything, it’s been long." Canada F Logan Couture: "I mean, the tournament’s pretty long" (TORONTO SUN, 9/28).

UNIQUE VANTAGE POINT: The NATIONAL POST's Nick Faris noted the World Cup "may have produced a second breakout star: the ref cam." Faris: "It’s a simple concept, to be sure: unleash a camera on the ice to capture hockey at its intricate and transfixing best. In this case, simplicity is also effective. All tournament, viewers have been privy to details visible from no other vantage point -- bits of goalmouth brilliance, centres nuzzling heads on face-offs, and more" (NATIONAL POST, 9/27). 

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/09/28/Events-and-Attractions/World-Cup-Of-Hockey.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/09/28/Events-and-Attractions/World-Cup-Of-Hockey.aspx

CLOSE