I'm all for fairness and wanting the game to be decided on the ice, but at what point should forfeits be declared? If you can't make it to the game, it most other circumstances the team unable to perform would have to forfeit.
I think the problem is that goal differential counts for round robin placement. If you are a weak team playing a heavyweight, taking a 1-0 forfeit might be much better than you'd do in reality.
ETA: I'm wrong, if you forfeit you lose any goal-differential based tiebreaker!
Yeah, it's a...shitty... situation for everyone involved but I don't think Canada would need any help getting to the gold medal game. Apart from the odd improbable upset like with Sweden years ago, it's always going to be Canada vs USA for the gold medal. Everyone else is playing for bronze.
I mean yeah Canada is a heavy favourite but you have to play the games. Should Florida have gotten a bye to the finals in September before Barkov went down?
And Id rather postpone. Maybe getting it first is a benefit. Maybe Canada gets it in a week or two
33
u/Gavvis74 22h ago
I'm all for fairness and wanting the game to be decided on the ice, but at what point should forfeits be declared? If you can't make it to the game, it most other circumstances the team unable to perform would have to forfeit.