March 28, 2024

Ice Hockey - Canada "Spengler Cup World Champion"

Ice Hockey – Canada “Spengler Cup World Champion”

ice hockey

Canada ‘World Spengler Cup Champion’

The 27th World Cup title won by Canada was the most surprising – after that it defeated Finland 3: 2 in the final, and this was also possible for Switzerland.

Canadians celebrate the World Cup,

Toms Calnins / Keystone

Defending champion Finland loses to the Canadians in the… Swiss style. The Finns do not bring 2:1 from distance and concede a tie and 2:3 in “infighting” in front of goal. The brief analysis is simple: the Canadians were faster (like the Germans against us) and the Finns couldn’t turn their superiority into goals (like the Swiss). We could go further: the Swiss could have won the final against these Canadians. But only: on the way there they failed in the quarter-final against Germany (2:3 afterwards). According to the tagline: very close to the title yet so far.

How did the giant of the National Hockey League turn into a giant? Very simple: put it into a camisole with a maple leaf. Canada is the only country in the world that has constitutionally enshrined ice hockey as a national sport. When it comes to titles, Canadians have a strong will to win. I’ve reached the final for the fifth time in the past six years and won the title for the third time. Only in 2018 did they not advance to the final – due to the 2-3 loss to Switzerland.

Less than usual millionaires on the team

Same final duo as last World Cup (Canadians lost 3-1 to Finland in Bratislava) – but not the same tournament at all. Canada is the Spengler Cup World Champion. The Spengler Cup means a great tournament that lacks a certain sporting seriousness. Which has never compromised the value of entertainment. There has never been a World Ice Hockey Championship come close to the Spengler Cup like Riga 2021. Not all of the top players travel to Riga with the best possible teams. On the one hand, the start of the season in the NHL was delayed, on the other hand, special circumstances (“bubble”) in Riga, which caused the cancellation of many stars.

Canadian Nick Paul (right) scores the decisive goal to make it 3-2.

Canadian Nick Paul (right) scores the decisive goal to make it 3-2.

Sergey Griets / Keystone

The Canadians put their team up as usual with players from the NHL. From this point of view, it is very controversial to make a comparison with the team competing in the Spengler Cup. But we can put it this way: They are the “cheapest” Canadians of the modern age. At the last World Cup in Slovakia in 2019, the total NHL salary for Canadians was just over $62 million and there were 13 millionaires. Now their number is just over 27 million and 6 millionaires. And, as with the Spengler Cup, the Canadians at the World Cup assembled themselves almost unprepared during the tournament. They just stumbled into the quarter-finals and since then they have defeated every opponent with their passion and fighting power.

The Germans missed a great opportunity

With this 27th World Cup title, Canada tied the Russians again (also 27) – and no further World Cup victories come as a surprise and contribute much to the myth of the legendary winner’s mentality. The victory is higher because Finland is constantly following the “European path” like any other team from the old continent. The 2019 World Championship team was made up of players from the best European leagues, and like in 2019, there were only two NHL professionals, but three “Swiss”: Bills Petteri Lindbohm (win 2-1 in the final), Timo Toronen and Toni Sund, who played in Davos this season. Finland had fewer rejections to complain than the Swedes, who for the first time since 1937 did not reach at least eighth place.

Frustrated Finns.

Frustrated Finns.

Sergey Griets / Keystone

It is the championship of missed opportunities not only for the Finns and the Swiss, but also for the Germans. The Germans had beaten the Canadians 3-1 in the group stage and after beating Switzerland 3-2 then advanced to the World Cup semi-finals for the second time since 2011 (after winning 1-0 against Switzerland at the time) before. , which they lost against Finland only 1:2. In the match for third place, they had no chance against the United States (1:6) and still had to wait for their first World Cup medal since the 1953 World Cup (silver) in Switzerland.

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