Report: Bill Daly, NHL hope to have next World Cup of Hockey in 2020

It may soon be time to dust off your Team North America and Team Europe apparel because the World Cup of Hockey could be returning soon.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that “the hope” for the next World Cup is to have it take place in the fall of 2020, according to Corey Masisak of The Athletic.

However, there is an obstacle in the way: whether or not the NHL or NHLPA decides to terminate the collective bargaining agreement when the option presents itself next season. In the event that either party decides to scrap the current deal, the likelihood of another World Cup happening anytime soon takes a pretty big hit.

But, enough about the negatives. It feels like it’s been forever since the last time we truly had best-on-best international competition (2016, to be exact). Let’s focus on what new ideas the tournament could possibly accept this time around.

Team KHL

Now, I have no idea if logistically this is even possible. Based on the packed schedules of both the National Hockey League and the Kontinental Hockey League, it is most likely, definitely not. For the sake of this though, let’s entertain ourselves with the idea that this can be done.

Aside from the NHL, there may not be any other hockey league on Earth that possesses the talent of the KHL. Is there a better way to renew some international hockey rivalry between Canada, Russia, and the United States of America than by allowing an All-Star team assembled from a league which features 19-Russian based hockey teams to compete?

Also, with the NHL making efforts to grow the game internationally, playing against a league which has teams in seven different countries is certainly not a bad thing either.

A better championship trophy

Let’s be honest, do we really think we got ‘best-on-best’ hockey in 2016 with competitors competing for this trophy?

I definitely would not be motivated to give it my all for a glorified vase.

Do I have a better idea? No, but it’s not my job to make trophies for international hockey tournaments. It’s my job to point out bad ones. Therefore, would somebody who does this for a living improve on whatever that previous thing was? Please? You have a couple of years to do it.

A winner takes all final

There is something about knowing you don’t get a mulligan that makes a championship game much more suspenseful.

A winner takes all final opposed to a best two-out-of-three series would make for a better level of entertainment. Having people know exactly when the tournament is going to end would probably drive more people to tune in for that game. The last time, you had audiences wondering if Game 2 would be the final, and then potentially made them come back for Game 3.

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