VSN Presents the S86 World Cup of Hockey Preview

[leandrofg 1,018]

(this graphic is courtesy of @v.2 )

 

Gold and respect. That's what you fight for in the World Cup of Hockey.

 

No better way to start this article than by stating the magnitude of the moments the players selected for the World Cup will face in the upcoming days.

 

This World Cup is slated to begin on Wednesday, the 18th of January, and run until the two last-standing teams face each other in one Final game on Sunday, the 22nd.

 

The last World Cup of Hockey, played at the end of S84, was won by Team Eastern Europe after a stellar team performance in which they fought back against the skilled Canadians who lit up the scoreboards during the whole tournament.

 

This isn't a flawed tournament, but it also isn't fair... and it shouldn't be. Some nations have better odds of winning, which comes along with how much hockey is engraved in the nation's culture. That's something we can look at historically. That Eastern European team has only three gold medals to their name, while the Canadians they beat have 10. That's a record 10 gold medals for the Canadians, who have as many as the Nordics.

 

Everyone is aware of these differences, but those are also what makes this tournament beautiful. It's the unlikelihood of something happening which makes us, as a fan, root for the underdogs. The commissioners acknowledge this but still work on bringing balance to the equation, even if that's arduous.

 

Another thing that makes this tournament different is the way these commissioners go on about choosing who will lead the nations to battle. When the usual is opening positions for candidates to apply, for this tournament, our commissioners invite different GMs around the league based on pre-determined criteria.

 

@UnknownMinion and @JB123 shared some insight into what leads them to invite certain people for these GM positions. While they look for new and upcoming talent in the GMing world, it is also beneficial if they have secured some success during their past endeavors. It could be someone who has done a great job in other tournaments, such as the World Juniors or the Junior Showcase Tournament. But also a more experienced GM with exceptional conduct and a presence that allows people around them to grow.

 

For the upcoming tournament, the invitees were the following. Zef Goncalves led the Cologne Express to a record-breaking regular season in the VHLE and now accepted the opportunity to lead the Western Europe team in this World Cup. Jacob Carson, the most recent Founder's Cup champion, will lead Team USA. AJ Williams, GM of the über-offensive Houston Bulls, is in charge of Team World. And from the VHL, we have three leaders. The Helsinki Titans' AGM, Mickey Dickson, will lead the Eastern Europeans. Last but not least, we have two of the latest GMs chosen to lead VHL Franchises. From the London United, leading Team Canada, Dylan Wallace, and from the Toronto Legion, to lead Team Nordic, Nils Godlander.

(@leandrofg, @jacobcarson877, @AJW, @samx, @Dil, @Moon)

 

Let's get to it! Who are these GMs taking to Denmark? Will the increased probabilities result in favoritism for any of these teams? Teams Canada, USA, Nordic, and Eastern Europe have each won the gold medal home in the last four tournaments. Could we see team World or Western Europe take that medal this season? Team Western Europe hasn't won gold since Season 43.

 

Let's rate these teams! How will we do it? First, for the goaltenders, we will assess the quality of their projected starters and evaluate them from 0 to 5 points, the latter being the best score. We will rate both defensemen and forwards of the teams with the same system but with a twist. We'll evaluate the depth of the positions by averaging the quality of all the members and for the top players, i.e., 4 Forwards and 3 Defensemen. We'll then add the scores for the final ranking.

 

Team Canada

Last Gold Medal: S80

 

Goaltending: Ranked 5th

Augustus Kennedy, Brandt Fuhr;

 

Defensemen: Ranked 4th

AirRig GoodBrandSun, James Teekirque, Poopy Peepants, Pierre Emile Bouchard;

 

Forwards: Ranked T-1st

Alexandre Leduc, Baby Bob, Brendan Marner, Hulk Hogan 2, Jonathan Ori, Zach Kisslinger II;

 

 

Overall: Ranked 2nd

 

It's not by chance that the Canadian team is one of the most medaled in the history of this tournament. The medal count stands at 25, only behind the United States of America... and when you look at the roster Dylan Wallace brought, you can see why. Offensively, it's hard to point out something wrong with the Canadians. They'll have at their disposal some of the best players around the VHL last season. Brendan Marner and Baby Bob were both Top 3 in scoring, but the latter also led the league in goals. On defense, Calgary's AirRig GoodBrandSun will lead the way. The pass-first defenseman was 2nd in assists this past season and will look to feed those Canadians machines up front. The Canadians also bring a couple of tricks up their sleeve, with James Teekirque and Hulk Hogan 2 in their newfound positions on the ice. Both signed up as Defensemen, but we all know where they played this season... Winger and Center, respectively. That's a testament to Team Canada's experience, which brings the oldest team of all the nations. Let's bring some contrast to that with one of the best goaltenders in the league, Brandt Fuhr. Yes, that's Canada's goalie.

(@MetalToday, @Baby Boomer, @Rhynex Entertainment, @Mongoose87, @Hogan, @Tate)

 

Team Eastern Europe

Last Gold Medal: S84

 

Goaltending: Ranked 6th

Boris Tsezar, Ed Nu;

 

Defensemen: Ranked T-5th

AK92 Wit da Hoodie, Faith Hope Love, Mikhail Kovalchuk, Siyan Yasilievich;

 

Forwards: Ranked 4th

Igor Molotov, Ivan Retoslav, Logain Ablar, Sergey Preobrazhensky, Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems, Vasile Lamb;

 

Overall: Ranked 6th

 

The defending champions, Team Eastern Europe, could be the one bringing the least talented team, but also one of the youngest. Averaging an exact (S)82 creation - against Team Canada's 81.08 - you start to see the difference unfold. You start in the net, where Team Eastern Europe brings the weakest goaltender of the six nations. This is not a knock on Boris Tsezar, who has been more than respectable during his VHL career and has planted themselves as the franchise goaltender in Malmo. In the same way that the rest of the team isn't filled with underperformers. Instead, it seems like this is a tournament where the younger players will solidify themselves in the team's core. The goal should be a more reasonable one, gel. Gel as a team and create a foundation for upcoming seasons. It does seem like we are discarding the Eastern Europeans, and they will feed off of this, so we'll be looking into what the likes of Sergey Preobrazhensky, Igor Molotov, and Siyan Yasilievich do.

(@comrade cat, @Bulduray_1, @Dom, @badcolethetitan)

 

Team Nordic

Last Gold Medal: S82

 

Goaltending: Ranked 4th

Oskar Lindbergh, Papa Emeritus;

 

Defensemen: Ranked T-2nd

Bo Johansson, Jerome Reinhart, Sven Eightnine, Velociraptor Greg;

 

Forwards: Ranked 5th

Blake MacTavish, Kyosti Karjalainen, Nils Godlander, Saku Kotkakoivu, Scotty Sundin, Tomas Sogaard;

 

 

Overall: Ranked T-4th

 

Made by the fjords and sharpened by the sub-zero weather. This team's formed of some of the most resilient individuals on the planet. Team Nordic or Scandinavia has won as many gold medals as Team Canada, with about two-thirds of the area (including Greenland) and population. This is a team that works in the most efficient way possible, and their record in this tournament tells us that story. But what can we expect from them this season? Team Nordic will still have four players that won the gold medal. Papa Emeritus, Oskar Lindbergh, Jerome Reinhart, and Saku Kotkakoivu are the foundation that remained. For two of them, it'll be their last World Cup... one last chance to repeat as a group. Papa has led the goaltending tandem more times than not in the past. Will we see the same this season? After an incredible career, Jerome Reinhart ended it on a low note. Could this be one last hurray? Kotkakoivu has failed to deliver after his record-breaking S83 in Calgary, but his S86 showed what he can do. Can he lead the Nordic team? Thankfully, these guys have all the help they need. On offense, Tomas Sogaard, the Winger extraordinaire, FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY S84 Top Rookie in the VHL, while on defense, arguably one of the best all-around players in hockey, Bo Johansson. Beginnings and endings, there are a lot of different stories in this group, but the end goal is the same for all, glory.

(@Beketov, @Doomsday, @MexicanCow123, @DollarAndADream , @Brandon, @Shindigs)

 

Team USA

Last Gold Medal: S78

 

Goaltending: Ranked 1st

Art Vandelay, Xavier Booberry;

 

Defensemen: Ranked 1st

Brian Payne, Erlantz Jokinen, Jake Thunder, Max Torq;

 

Forwards: Ranked 3rd

Florida Man, Landon Wolanin, Napoleon Dynamite, Taylor Mourning, The Board Game Clue On Skates, Vinny Detroit;

 

Overall: Ranked 1st

 

Favorites. That's one way to describe this USA team. A simple way because there's no need to overcomplicate. Arguably two of the best goaltenders in the world are available to be chosen by GM Jacob Carson. Xavier Booberry should get the call on what could be their last WCoH. The call to defend Team USA's net, but also the call to be the captain of the North American squad. Their defense, though, gives them the edge over the field. I could bore you with Erlantz Jokinen's career accolades or Jake Thunder's grit and ability to possess and steal the puck. Yet their names create a big enough shadow that you know opposing offenses will have to respect. Offensively is where they don't appear as dominant, but sometimes the numbers lie. This team's offense may be a two-headed monster led by The Board Game Clue on Skates and Landon Wolanin, but if you are not afraid of the supporting cast, you'll get steamrolled by the fast, gritty, and physical American wingers. Let's not forget that Vinny Detroit will shatter the career record for hits.

(@CowboyinAmerica, @jRuutu, @Thunder, @MubbleFubbles, @jacobcarson877, @dasboot)

 

Team Western Europe

Last Gold Medal: S43

 

Goaltending: Ranked 3rd

Bubbles Utonium, Cole Pearce;

 

Defensemen: Ranked T-5th

Alessandro Nano, Malum Maellard, Phil Strasmore, Tavish DeGroot;

 

Forwards: Ranked T-1st

Daniel Janser, John Jameson, Leandro Goncalves, Nico Pearce, Perry Laperriere, Ronan Lavelle;

 

Overall: Ranked 3rd

 

It's all about pride. Western Europe hasn't won the gold medal since S43. And even then, some think that accolades shouldn't be for Western Europe but for Europe as a whole. That would make the last gold medal for Western Europe to be in S2. So the theme is pride. No longer can these players allow for that period to continue growing. Led by the most prolific player in the past seasons, Daniel Janser, Team Western Europe will try to show that offense is the way to go. There's a big gap between Western Europe's offensive and defensive prowess, and that will only be fixed by hard-fought, fundamentally sound hockey being played by this group. Nico Pearce is also on the team, a former league MVP. So is Ronan Lavelle, a former playoff MVP. Leandro Goncalves, the Portuguese Wonderkid, may not have an award to show, but his quality is already recognized league-wide. These four players are at the top of their game, followed by other experienced and up-and-coming players. The goal is safe, with Cole Pearce coming to the World Cup for a third time, now out of the best season of their career. But then there's the defensive group. They could seem somewhat lackluster, which isn't true, but compared to their offensive counterparts, it isn't easy to measure how they'll do. Could we see more defensive behavior being asked of those forwards? Will the defensive group exceed our expectations? Only time will tell!

(@Daniel Janser, @Spartan , @Arce, @leandrofg, @N0HBDY)

 

Team World

Last Gold Medal: S70

 

Goaltending: Ranked 2nd

Clueless Wallob, David Davis;

 

Defensemen: Ranked T-2nd

Hammar Voss, Hari Singh Nalwa, Ryuji Sakamoto, Scoish Velociraptor Maloish;

 

Forwards: Ranked 6th

Daniel Weaver, Kakapo Bushtit, Nezuko, Ryan Vidot, Zaza Colors;

 

Overall: Ranked T-4th

 

This season's Team World looks like a lost brother of Team Western Europe. They look similar in one way, but they're the perfect contrast to each other in others. David Davis will keep them safe in the net. Their defensive group is incredibly skillful, with the likes of Hari Singh Nalwa, Ryuji Sakamoto, and Hammar Voss leading their efforts. But when you look at the offensive group... it doesn't look good. That group will have to rise to the task and play like they haven't played before. They'll have to get a feel for their teammates and play as one. Nezuko will have to lead the group and hope for Yun Chiang to show their growth the way they have this past season, where they are a strong contender for the Most Improved Player Trophy. This team exemplifies the beauty of this tournament and how a team, even without the best players all around, still has the chance to make real noise and challenge the higher steps of the podium.

(@Dil, @der meister, @BOOM, @Baozi, @nurx)

 

--

 

In the end, we can expect a brilliant tournament with some quality hockey being played. Every prediction made could be spot on, but could also miss by a mile, as our Imperial friends say. It's time to sit, relax and enjoy the show. May the best team win.

 

Best of luck to everyone involved!

Edited January 19, 2023 by leandrofg

[der meister 2,903]

The tournament is named after us. Team World, Cinderella story, all the way to the top.

[jacobcarson877 2,066]

The United States of America

[Dil 1,744]

3 hours ago, leandrofg said:

Their defensive group is incredibly skillful

 

3 hours ago, leandrofg said:

But when you look at the defensive group... it doesn't look good.

Which one is it

[leandrofg 1,018]

34 minutes ago, Dil said:

 

Which one is it

 

Yes.

[BOOM 8,401]

Nice read @leandrofg

[Daniel Janser 1,976]

8 hours ago, leandrofg said:

 

Yes.

I laughed more about this than I should have...

[frescoelmo 1,217]

@JB123 @UnknownMinion when is this supposed to start?

[JB123 722]

6 minutes ago, frescoelmo said:

@JB123 @UnknownMinion when is this supposed to start?

Once all lines are in, planning on tonight.

[scoop 3,254]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:39 PM, leandrofg said:

Goaltending: Ranked 6th

Boris Tsezar, Ed Nu;

YO EVERYONE CHECK THIS SHIT OUT

[scoop 3,254]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:08 PM, jacobcarson877 said:

The United States of America

Indeed.