MafiaMan

This picture is from the pre-Olympic exhibition game against the Soviets at Madison Square Garden. Note the lack of white stars on the shoulders and the diagonal and not arched USA letters on the front.

The truly interesting thing about it is that the team wore the diagonal USA jerseys in exhibition games leading up to the Olympics and even had a team photo taken in them.

Well, if daddy has anything to say about it, young Bellows will be the first 25 year old playing in the World Juniors in a few more years...

It's reallly quite simple. The #1 and #2 teams from the previous year are placed in Pool A and Pool B, respectively. This was completely blown up this year so that a gimmick outdoor game could be played in the preliminary rounds. Period. So what do we do when Russia and Belarus end up in what would be opposite pools and the tournament scheduled to be played in Moscow? How about Sweden and Finland in an outdoor game in Helsinki? Brackets be damned, let's help the IIHF make some more money off of the backs of teenage kids! And don't even get me started about the obvious pandering to Buffalo Bills football fans with the money-grab "hockey" jersey worn yesterday. What a disgrace. I can't wait for an outdoor game in LA and the opportunity for Team USA to don some Laker blue and gold jerseys! Or maybe have a game in Fenway Park and the American kids can bust out some Celtic colors! Imagine the possibilities to make some more money!

Well, to be competely truthful, what you got was kind of a mixture of the 1960 jersey with a 1980 player name and number.

I was told there would be no math, but my calculations tell me that Sweden would have replaced Canada in Pool A had the IIHF not deviated from the script. 2017 standings: 1. USA 2. Canada 3. Russia 4. Sweden 5. Denmark 6. Czech Republic 7. Switzerland 8. Slovakia 9. Finland 10. Latvia (replaced by Belarus in 2018) Normal Pool A would be the previous year #1, 4, 5, 8, and 9 teams. Normal Pool B would be the previous year #2, 3, 6, 7, and 10 teams.

I don't care about all the other issues you listed...the fact that pool integrity was sacrificed to make this game happen is an effing travesty of justice to the team that won the gold medal last year.

So you two are all in favor of losing pool integrity so we can watch USA vs Canada outdoor preliminary games every year?

Holy gfhockey, Batman!

That was my point. The loss to Slovakia is a disaster with Canada being in the same pool as opposed to who SHOULD be there in their place.

'Cuz the SCSU coach likes UMD players?

BTW, how does shuffling the pools around look right about now for Team USA?

They're laying an egg already if they agree to wear those ridiculous Bills hockey jerseys...

That would be Ryan Poehling of, ahem, SCSU...

@Pump It Up @Sioux Fan in Sioux Falls Your jerseys are now on their way as well!

The hockey association even placed restrictions on the number of Slovaks placed on the national teams. Contrary to what the communists wanted you to believe, there was little harmony amongst the two halves of the country.

Almost all of the facilities under the communist regime centered around Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic. When the country split into two, the rinks and resourses were left to the Czechs. Slovakia was left with the scraps and has essentially had to build its program from scratch.

You know what's funny, is that this whole "nostalgia" came about when Edmonton played Montreal outdoors in 2003. The NHL thought this was a "gimmick," then changed their minds when they saw how wildly successful it was. It didn't take long to nuke the fridge with this fiasco. The fact that team USA and Canada will play a meaningful World Junior Tournament game outdoors in sub-zero weather and heavy snowfall is a joke. And don't even get me started on shuffling the usual pool play seedings just to make this joke of a game happen.

https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2017-12-25-feet-of-lake-effect-snow-forecast-great-lakes

Yep, typically the gold and silver medal-winning teams from the previous year are in opposing pools. But not this time...

@UND WFO78 @lawkota @Oxbow6 YOUR JERSEYS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO YOU!

Even more embarrassing is that normal tournament seeding was thrown aside this year so that the US and Canada could play each other in pool play. #Cuz$$$$$

Not saying I agree with it...it's awful.

Tournament in Buffalo...outdoor game vs Canada in Buffalo...

Have you guys seen the weather forecast in Buffalo for this week?