Team USA- World Junior Champs question

So.....I'm wondering what the hell is wrong with USA Hockey... Team Canada has tshirts, hoodies, lids, team cards, books, etc. as memorabilia for the World Junior Hockey Championships.....what does USA Hockey have??? anything??? has anyone seen anything at all? I'm looking for some kind of commemorative memorabilia....I mean,,,what the hell??? It was only the first gold medal in USA history for the U-20's....not that big of a deal, apparently,,,,not even to USAHockey :dunno:

I just don't get it.....why don't they freaking try PROMOTING a little bit....maybe they'd get more people interested.....Where's all the hoopla and marketing??? Geez....I can't believe in a world where EVERYDAMNTHING you could possibly not want to see is being marketed to the public until their swimming in it,,,,and the one damn thing I actually WANT to see more of is nowhere to be found......

:mad: :shakehead :banghead:

grrrrrr

It's unfortunate but the truth is that people here just aren't interested. Even amongst hockey fans there wouldn't be any demand for this kind of stuff because most are only interested in the NHL. Those that follow the WJC's are usually only interested in thier NHL teams prospects. I wish things were different but I don't know what USA Hockey can really do.

It's unfortunate but the truth is that people here just aren't interested. Even amongst hockey fans there wouldn't be any demand for this kind of stuff because most are only interested in the NHL. Those that follow the WJC's are usually only interested in thier NHL teams prospects. I wish things were different but I don't know what USA Hockey can really do.

I think that is part of MePutPuckInNet's point. People don't care, cause they don't know. If USAhockey marketed the team at all, it would generate interest. I don't think most people in the USA know tournaments like the WJHC exist. I bet if USAhockey did some promotion people would start to get interested. You can't expect there to be a strong following for something that people aren't aware exists. So if USAhockey put out stuff for the team, and made it known what was going on, I believe that eventually there would be a strong following for the teams, and an interest in international competition. It won't magically happen, USAhockey needs to do the marketing. They are seriously lacking in that area.

I wasn't particularly clear with my thinking before so let me try to explain myself a little better.

From what I've seen, there just isn't the same interest amongst US hockey fans in international competition as there is with pretty much every other top hockey countrys fans. The majority of American hockey fans who know about the tournament (such as most of the posters on this message board) show little to no interest in the US team but spend hours talking about thier NHL team. Compare this to all the attention given to national teams in other countries. Canadian fans are huge on thier NHL teams but give their national teams just as much, if not more attention. European fans actually seem to place thier national teams in the top spot over club teams.

Now, if you take the American posters on this message board as a sample of the more hardcore hockey fans in the US (which I honestly think is a fair assessment) and notice the lack of interest they show (just look at how little activity the forum we're discussing this in sees), what makes you think a casual hockey fan is going to have any more interest in a US national team?

You say "people don't care, cause they don't know." I think it's more of a case where most people don't know, but even those who do don't care.

I agree that USA Hockey needs to do more to popularize the international game, but I don't see how making T-shirts is going to help too much.

cagney, haven't seen you for awhile. hope you are well. what are your thoughts on the 1st round for the upcoming draft?

Matt? I suspect it's you although I don't recognize your screename. Anyway, long time no talk. I wasn't sure if you were still around here anymore. I'm doing pretty well. Nothing particularly interesting going on. Yourself?

As for the draft, I can't wait. There were some players I was dissapointed with this year, like Schremp and Pineault. Schremp didn't make the kind of progress I thought he would and Pineault was even worse. On the other hand, some guys surprised me, like Thelen and Stafford. I had always been under the impression that Thelen's offensive upside was rather limited but he was really something this year. I also think Stafford has more offensive upside than I had given him credit for before this year. Anyway, it's always fun to see where these guys end up going on draft day.

Last time I spoke to you, you had just seen an NTDP game but you never got to tell me about it. How was it?

The broaders sports audience in the U.S. does not know about these tournaments, and even amongst those of us that do know, it is extremely difficulty (i.e impossible) to get access to any media coverage of the games.

Matt? I suspect it's you although I don't recognize your screename. Anyway, long time no talk. I wasn't sure if you were still around here anymore. I'm doing pretty well. Nothing particularly interesting going on. Yourself?

As for the draft, I can't wait. There were some players I was dissapointed with this year, like Schremp and Pineault. Schremp didn't make the kind of progress I thought he would and Pineault was even worse. On the other hand, some guys surprised me, like Thelen and Stafford. I had always been under the impression that Thelen's offensive upside was rather limited but he was really something this year. I also think Stafford has more offensive upside than I had given him credit for before this year. Anyway, it's always fun to see where these guys end up going on draft day.

Last time I spoke to you, you had just seen an NTDP game but you never got to tell me about it. How was it?

Cagney, I went to a number of BC games and Pineault played well. His problem was that he was bottom man on the totem poll on a very deep team. BC had more forwards then spots and when the injuries were over Pineault, age 17, was the one sitting.

Oh whoops, I thought you were someone else. My mistake.

I still have plenty of hope for Pineault. I know it wasn't the easiest situation for him to be in but at the same time, you always want to see a player play above your expectations for them. If he had managed to bump one of the guys higher up on the depth chart than himself, I would have considered that a great sign. It seems that he's going to the QMJHL next year where he'll surely get plenty of ice time. Hopefully he ends up having a great season.

cagney: Well I cannot speak for everyone else, but speaking for myself personally, I try to keep up with whatever happens in US Hockey.....and that includes the developmental levels such as the USHL, NAHL, USNTDP and so forth. But depending upon where you are in the US, there is more coverage of these developmental leagues than in other places. In some cases, there is no coverage at all whatsoever.

While the internet helps, it would be better if these leagues were more "accessible" (for a lack of a better term) as far as its coverage as JFPIV pointed out. I've found in my research that there are few excellent sites (outside of USA Hockey) that really have a pulse on what is going on in these leagues, but their numbers are quite small and some of these sites give out limited amounts of information such as: stats and tournament info only. Also the better ones tend to be pay sites as well (another drawback for those who either can't or won't spend the money to get the access to the info). Furthermore, many of these leagues are "localized", that is....cater almost exclusively to their local communities as far as any sort of media coverage goes.

I wouldn't expect too much interest in leagues like the USHL or NAHL amongst people who don't get to see games. The US isn't much different from any other country in this respect. For example, I doubt there are a large amount of people in Ontario who follow the BCHL.

I wouldn't expect too much interest in leagues like the USHL or NAHL amongst people who don't get to see games. The US isn't much different from any other country in this respect. For example, I doubt there are a large amount of people in Ontario who follow the BCHL.

Which is a shame, because alot of good prospects (NCAA bound players anyway) come out of the BCHL. I've been trying to keep up with what's going on there too, especially with incoming freshmen to the NCAA from that league.

It's unfortunate but the truth is that people here just aren't interested. Even amongst hockey fans there wouldn't be any demand for this kind of stuff because most are only interested in the NHL. Those that follow the WJC's are usually only interested in thier NHL teams prospects. I wish things were different but I don't know what USA Hockey can really do.
I agree with you,but I was hoping for at least a t shirt or a puck to celebrate!!!! :shakehead

I know when the Tornado play the USNTD here in Texas, they normally sell some USA hockey apperal. In the past we have had t-shirts, pucks, etc.
During the National Championships they sold USA hockey apperal also, mostly cause that event is sponsored by USA hockey

look out for Robbie Schremp this year