TORONTO — The parties discussing the revamped World Cup of Hockey are prepared to make some dramatic changes to the tournament format, Sportsnet has learned.
The eight-team event is now expected to include two all-star entries along with the top six hockey nations — Canada, U.S., Sweden, Finland, Russia and Czech Republic — when it returns in September 2016, according to multiple sources.
The first all-star team is expected to feature the best players from the other European hockey countries: Slovakia, Switzerland, Latvia, Germany and Slovenia, among them.
The makeup of the other mixed squad is still to be determined, although one idea being considered is bringing together the best young players in the sport.
Organizers had considered staging a pre-tournament qualifier to determine the final two spots, but don’t believe there is time to pull everything together. They also like the idea of doing something different than the World Cups and Canada Cups of the past.
When the tournament was last held in 2004, eight nations contested the tournament — Slovakia and Germany joined the top six — with games played in seven cities spread across two continents.
As previously reported by Sportsnet, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will be staged in Toronto. There had been some discussion about playing a handful of games in Montreal as well, but two sources say that the idea has since been abandoned.
Officials from the NHL, NHLPA and International Ice Hockey Federation met in Toronto before Monday’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony to discuss the tournament. An official announcement is said to be getting closer.
The format in 2016 will include a round robin, playoffs and a best-of-three final.
from Sportsnet.ca http://ift.tt/1qhoPbc
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