IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships, anyone?

[Reliant Robin]

This might well just be me, at least until the championships start on April 29th but meanwhile I'm over here waving my Team GB pom-poms We're playing the Ukraine today in Division 1 (and uh currently 1 - 0 down after the first period but hey). There are five boys from my home team, the Nottingham Panthers, out there fresh off a spectacular playoffs victory and I'm just rooting for them to go as far as they can.

Anyone else following, or going to be following the Worlds? Or any other non-NHL hockey fans out there, for that matter?

 

[Reliant Robin]

Went 1 -1 just as I hit post

 

[Canadave]

Ahhh, the one international tournament Canadians don't give a damn about.

Still, good to see that there are hockey fans in places like the UK.

 

[Reliant Robin]

(3-3 and GB on the powerplay coming into the 3rd )

Why don't Canadians give a damn?

 

[Canadave]

Probably because it's concurrent with the NHL playoffs, and as such, the Canadian team is made up of cast-offs from the non-qualifiers, basically. Plus, most people are more invested in the Stanley Cup than international hockey at this time of year.

 

[Reliant Robin]

Ah, I see. Well, our season ended a couple of weeks ago, so this is all the hockey we have right now. We've got a few of your cast-offs playing for us too, as dual nationals

GB won 5 - 3 if anyone's interested Big upset for Ukraine, and massive win for us, I'm chuffed to bits.

 

[Garak]

Probably because it's concurrent with the NHL playoffs, and as such, the Canadian team is made up of cast-offs from the non-qualifiers, basically. Plus, most people are more invested in the Stanley Cup than international hockey at this time of year.

Pretty much. Especially when it's over in Europe too, it's tough to watch over here.

I do highly enjoy it though, and Canada's got a pretty decent team this year.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I do watch it when it's on, actually it's pretty much the only icehockey I watch live (along with Olympics and occasionally Austrian league when it's on free-tv). It's always exciting to follow the Austrian national team because they always fight either against being relegated to the the lower division or for relegation into the higher division depending on how they did the previous year.

 

[Darth Duck]

This is that thing where I get to see a few of my Maple Leafs play before they start golfing, right?

 

[Danny99]

I'll watch it once it starts up

 

[KB24]

Is this on TV anywhere this year?

I just found out the Women's World Championships will be on Universal Sports, but sometimes not all the IIHF and World Juniors make it to networks. I'm a little disappointed that they aren't showing the entire women's tournament, either- just the USA semi final and the Gold medal game. What the heck else are sports channels showing if not major international hockey tournaments? Ping Pong and Poker?

Universal Sports also used to show the Champions cup a few years ago and some KHL games, so I got to see some of the UK teams then, but now that some of the European leagues folded, we don't get anything over hear but local magic.

 

[Reliant Robin]

Team GB are silver medal winners So close to a gold, am gutted, but still a huge result for British ice hockey, best international team we've ever iced.

 

[Sky]

I'm looking forward to seeing Team Finland kick butt when the World Championships start.