Vancouver screwed.

[TheRob]

From TSN.CA:

TORONTO (CP) - Montreal and Toronto will be the only two Canadian cities to host games for the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 while St. Paul, Minn., is the lone American city on the schedule.

Olympic champion Canada will play its first game of the eight-country tournament Aug. 31 at the Bell Centre in Montreal against the defending World Cup champion United States.

Finland and the Czech Republic open the two-week tournament Aug. 30 in Helsinki. The championship game is set for Sept. 14 in Toronto, one day before the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players' Association expires.

One semifinal goes Sept. 10 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul while the other goes Sept. 11 in Toronto.

The World Cup of Hockey is a joint effort between the NHL and the NHLPA with the co-operation of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The NHL and NHLPA announced details of the tournament at a news conference at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

The event, which used to be known as the Canada Cup, was last held in 1996 but was skipped over in 1999 because organizers didn't want to go head-to-head with the Summer Olympics in Sydney.

After his success with the Olympic team, Wayne Gretzky is expected to run Team Canada again. Countries must name 18 of their 23 players by Feb. 1, 2004. The rest of the team must be announced by June 20. Each team will have a 10-day training camp beginning Aug. 20 and play two exhibition games.

The Bell Centre will have Canada's next round-robin game against Slovakia on Sept. 1 before the Canadian games move to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto with a Sept. 4 game between Russia and Canada that wraps up the round-robin for the Canadians.

Ottawa's Corel Centre and Vancouver's GM Place hosted some games in 1996 but were shut out this time around. Philadelphia's First Union Center was also a key player in 1996 but won't be used in 2004.

Canada, Russia, Slovakia and the U.S. make up the North American pool.

Finland, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic make up the European Pool and will play all of their round-robin games and two quarter-final games in Europe. The Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, the Globe Arena in Stockholm, the new Zazka Arena in Prague and the Cologne Arena in Cologne, Germany, will serve as the host arenas in that pool.

CBC and Radio-Canada will televise the games in Canada. No U.S. network has yet stepped forward.

European Pool
Czech Republic
Finland
Germany
Sweden

North American Pool
Canada
Russia
Slovakia
United States

2004 World Cup of Hockey Schedule

Monday, Aug. 30
Czech Republic vs. Finland, at Helsinki

Tuesday, Aug. 31
Germany vs. Sweden, at Stockholm
Canada vs. U.S., at Montreal

Wednesday, Sept. 1
Czech Republic vs. Sweden, at Stockholm
Canada vs. Slovakia, at Montreal

Thursday, Sept. 2
Finland vs. Germany, at Cologne, Germany
U.S. vs. Russia, at St. Paul, Minn.

Friday, Sept. 3
Germany vs. Czech Republic, at Prague
U.S. vs. Slovakia, at St. Paul, Minn.

Saturday, Sept. 4
Sweden vs. Finland, at Helsinki
Canada vs. Russia, at Toronto

Sunday, Sept. 5
Russia vs. Slovakia, at Toronto

Quarter-Finals
Monday, Sept. 6
E4 at E1

Tuesday, Sept. 7
E3 at E2
NA1 vs. NA4 or NA2 vs. NA3, at St. Paul, Minn.

Wednesday, Sept. 8
NA1 vs. NA4 or NA2 vs. NA3, at Toronto

Semifinals
Friday, Sept. 10
Semifinal 1, at St. Paul, Minn.

Saturday, Sept. 11
Semifinal 2, at Toronto

Championship
Semifinal winners, at Toronto

I guess Vancouver Caunuck fans didn't support their team enough over the last couple of years and don't deserve a Team Canada game? What a crock of shit. I went to the Canada - Russia game at the last World Cup. The building was electric. I wonder how much influence the CBC had on this. Prime time in the east instead of 10pm.

Joke.

[Dude]

Kind of interesting, that it is a true World Cup, to be held in every competing country.

Still a joke, though. You think they could spread out the preliminary round games.

[The Apprentice]

With the games being played almost every other day and the season ( if there is one in 2004) starting right after the tourney it would be too much travel for the players and it seems easier to host the tournament the way they are doing it .

[Dude]

Fcuk off with you and your sense making!

Besides...teams will be travelling from Eastern fcuking Europe!

[sensei_hanson]

To start discussing player picks. I mean, based on what we've seen since the last olympics and assuming we had to pick a team based on performance thus far. Just for kicks, I guess.

I figure with 23 players, the positional breakdown will look like this:

3 goalies
7 defensemen
13 forwards

At least that's what it was for the 2002 Olympic Team. So. Picks.

Keepers - Jose Theodore, Montreal. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey. Roberto Luongo, Florida.

Defensemen - Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver. Rob Blake, Colorado. Eric Brewer, Edmonton. Scott Neidermayer, New Jersey. Chris Pronger, St. Louis. Derek Morris, Colorado. Wade Redden, Ottawa.

Forwards - Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver. Joe Thornton, Boston. Paul Kariya, Anaheim. Jarome Iginla, Calgary. Mike Peca, New York Islanders. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay. Simon Gagner, Philadelphia. Ryan Smyth, Edmonton. Dany Heatley, Atlanta. Owen Nolan, Toronto. Eric Lindros, New York Rangers. Mike Comrie, Edmonton. Joe Sakic, Colorado.

Hmm. I don't think there's much argument for the defense core. That's almost set in stone unless a major injury occurs. The forwards, well, that's another kettle of fish. Sakic would be 36 by the time the WC rolled around and Nolan would be 32. I opted for a youth movement as the only other players pushing 30 from the group would be Kariya, Lindros and Peca.

Notable players left off my list would be Glen Murray, Anson Carter, Keith Primeau, Jason Arnott, Mark Recchi, and Brendan Shannahan (who would also be 36 at the time). Shanny would probably be the #14 guy on my list.

Lemieux, Nieuwendyk, Yzerman and Fleury are all too old to be in the mix for 2004. Fleury is also a basket case and that isn't helping his cause.

[Dude]

Given what Lindros has given both his club teams and the Olymipic team since he's come back from injury, I'd ditch him right now in favor of Sakic. Lindros will have to have a huge season next year to get back in there. it'll be interesting to see if he plays in the Worlds.

Yes, Joe will be 36 then, but considering it will be late summer, he should be fresh and injury free. Also, a natural pick as Captain.
I don't think Nolan will make it to summer 2004...his style won't allow for it. I think he'll be done at the end of next year...but you never know.

Goaltenders...we'll have to see who steps up next year...too early to make predictions.

Coach? Does Patty Quinn get the call again? Can you argue with the immediate respect he demands in the room, for such a short tourney? He did get the Gold...

[Keeper]

I like that Dany Heatley suggestion -- good to bring in a fresh face.

Ditch Lindros though -- what has he done for us lately?

You've got your leadership resting on Sakic & Nolan. Good choices.

Ryan Smyth & Bertuzzi & Peca -- put them together for the grittiness factor. Nice.

[Dapotayto]

Sensei, IMHO delete Nolan and Comrie and add supersniper Glen Murray and someone from your notable absentee list (Primeau or Arnott I would think). Crawford to coach. Defnitely Martin Brodeur as goalie. He can stop the puck but also very important nowadays is that he can move the puck too (and quickly). Sakic, Peca, Blake et al provide more than enough leadership. Thornton will be one of the stars of this tournament as a new generation of Canadian ass-kickers begin their domination.