🇺🇸 Da Hockey Championship 🏒 da U.S. Men Just Can’t Seem to Win 🥇🇺🇸
American braddahs have achieved thrilling victories at da Olympics 🎖️🔥, but when it comes to da world hockey championship, dey stay choke every time. No can catch ’em, no can kōkua ’em, no can win. 😔💔
After one solid start, da U.S. men’s hockey team was disappointingly eliminated from da world championship over da weekend. Again. 😫🚫
Da U.S. team, packed wit’ plenny N.H.L. players 🏒🌟, had breezed through pool play in Finland wit’ one 7-0 record, den beat da Czech Republic in da quarterfinal. Dat put da Americans into one semifinal against Germany 🇩🇪, one team wit’ players mostly from German League teams like Eisbären Berlin (da Berlin Polar Bears) and Kölner Haie (da Cologne Sharks). 🏆🌍
Da United States stay fail fo’ win one stand-alone world championship since 1933. Dey neva even make one final since 1950. If dey had won against Germany on Saturday, it would have changed everyting. But no can, da United States lost in overtime, 4-3. 😭⏰
Da annual world championship stay one curious event. It one important international tournament, not far below da Olympics in prestige, at least fo’ da hockey fanatics. But ’cause it happen at da same time as da N.H.L. playoffs, plenny countries no can bring out dey top players. 🌍🏆
Instead, dey gotta scrape up players from teams dat neva make da playoffs or get knocked out early. While some players may be N.H.L. journeymen, dey still get strong players like Tyler Toffoli from Canada 🇨🇦 (who scored 73 points dis season fo’ da Calgary Flames). And every superstar like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, you name ’em, dey done play in dis event. 🌟🏒🌟
Still, da tournament often get overlooked by fans who mo’ focused on da Stanley Cup playoffs. 🏆📺
Players who win da Stanley Cup, one Olympic gold medal, and one world championship, dey belong to da Triple Gold Club 🥇🌍🏆—one special achievement reached by Peter Forsberg from Sweden, Viacheslav Fetisov from Russia, Crosby from Canada, Jaromir Jagr from da Czech Republic, and plenny oddahs. But no Americans. 🇸🇪🇷🇺🇨🇦🇨🇿
‘Cause plenny top international players no play, everybody stay on da same level, and da best hockey countries usually win. ‘Cept dis year, da winner was Canada 🇨🇦, da oddah champions dis century stay Finland, Sweden, Russia, da Czech Republic, and Slovakia. But not da United States. 🏆🇫🇮🇸🇪🇷🇺🇨🇿🇸🇰
Technically, da United States won one “world championship” in 1960. But it was at da Olympics, which was considered one world championship back den. (Dat rule changed before da “Miracle on Ice” Olympic victory in 1980.) Even if you count one or both of dose wins, long time ago since U.S. men win gold. 🥇⌛
Da United States was leading dey semifinal dis year, 3-2, when Germany scored wit’ 1 minute 23 seconds left aftah pulling dey goalie. Den Germany wen win in overtime wit’ one goal by Frederik Tiffels from EHC Red Bull München. 🏒⏰
Rocco Grimaldi, one player from da Rockford IceHogs of da American Hockey League, wen lead da tournament wit’ seven goals and seven assists, making 14 points fo’ da United States. Da American team also had three Olympians — Drew Commesso from da IceHogs, Sean Farrell from da Montreal Canadiens, and Nick Perbix from da Tampa Bay Lightning — plus Alex Tuch from da Buffalo Sabres and goalie Casey DeSmith from da Pittsburgh Penguins. But still, dey neva make it fo’ bronze aftah one 4-3 loss to Latvia on Sunday. 😞🥉
(While U.S. hockey fans maybe neva tune in, Latvian fans stay goin’ wild. Dey even declare one national holiday aftah da country’s unexpected medal, da first evah.) 🇱🇻🎉
Long time ago since 1933. Fo’ da tournament dat year, only da third stand-alone world championship, da United States wen send one team of collegians called da Boston Olympic Club to Prague. Dey wen beat Canada, represented by da Toronto Nationals, 2-1 in da final. “World Title to U.S. Six,” was da New York Times headline ova one two-paragraph article ’bout da game. Da player who wen score da winnin’ goal, John B. Garrison, no like play in da N.H.L. aftah playin’ fo’ Harvard, but he wen make da U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame fo’ his amateur accomplishments. Da goalie on da team was Gerry Cosby, who went on fo’ found da sporting goods company dat bears his name. 🎉🏆🏒
At dat time, da tournament was strictly fo’ amateurs, so da ’60s and ’70s stay dominated by da “amateur” Soviet team. N.H.L. players wen get admitted in da 1970s, so da current system stay where players from teams dat no advance in da playoffs make up most of da rosters. ⚖️🏒
But still, dat no help da Americans. Dey wen win seven bronzes aftah dat silver in 1950. 🥉🇺🇸
‘Cause no have all da top players, fans often consider da World Cup of Hockey and da Canada Cup mo’ prestigious, ’cause dey stay consistently have da best players in da world. Da United States wen win da World Cup one time, in 1996. No hold da event since 2016, but got hopes fo’ bring ’em back in da future. 🌍🏆🇺🇸
But when it come to da men’s world championships, da United States stay doomed fo’ keep comin’ up short. 😔🏒
NOW IN ENGLISH
🇺🇸 The Hockey Championship 🏒 the U.S. Men Just Can’t Seem to Win 🥇🇺🇸
American brothers have achieved thrilling victories at the Olympics 🎖️🔥, but when it comes to the world hockey championship, they always seem to fall short. They can’t catch ’em, can’t help ’em, can’t win. 😔💔
After a strong start, the U.S. men’s hockey team was disappointingly eliminated from the world championship over the weekend. Again. 😫🚫
The U.S. team, packed with plenty of NHL players 🏒🌟, had breezed through pool play in Finland with a perfect 7-0 record, then defeated the Czech Republic in the quarterfinal. That put the Americans into a semifinal against Germany 🇩🇪, a team mostly composed of players from German League teams like Eisbären Berlin (the Berlin Polar Bears) and Kölner Haie (the Cologne Sharks). 🏆🌍
The United States has failed to win a stand-alone world championship since 1933. They haven’t even made a final since 1950. If they had won against Germany on Saturday, it would have changed everything. But it wasn’t meant to be, as the United States lost in overtime, 4-3. 😭⏰
The annual world championship is a curious event. It is an important international tournament, not far below the Olympics in prestige, at least for the hockey fanatics. But because it happens at the same time as the NHL playoffs, many countries can’t field their top players. 🌍🏆
Instead, they have to scrape up players from teams that didn’t make the playoffs or were eliminated early. While some players may be NHL journeymen, they still have strong players like Tyler Toffoli from Canada 🇨🇦 (who scored 73 points this season for the Calgary Flames). And every superstar like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, you name ’em, they play in this event. 🌟🏒🌟
Still, the tournament often gets overlooked by fans who are more focused on the Stanley Cup playoffs. 🏆📺
Players who win the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a world championship, they belong to the Triple Gold Club 🥇🌍🏆—a special achievement reached by Peter Forsberg from Sweden, Viacheslav Fetisov from Russia, Crosby from Canada, Jaromir Jagr from the Czech Republic, and many others. But no Americans. 🇸🇪🇷🇺🇨🇦🇨🇿
Because many top international players don’t participate, everybody is on the same level, and the best hockey countries usually win. Except this year, the winner was Canada 🇨🇦, while the other champions this century have been Finland, Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. But not the United States. 🏆🇫🇮🇸🇪🇷🇺🇨🇿🇸🇰
Technically, the United States won a “world championship” in 1960. But it was at the Olympics, which was considered a world championship back then. (That rule changed before the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic victory in 1980.) Even if you count one or both of those wins, it has been a long time since U.S. men won gold. 🥇⌛
The United States was leading their semifinal this year, 3-2, when Germany scored with 1 minute 23 seconds left after pulling their goalie. Then Germany went on to win in overtime with a goal by Frederik Tiffels from EHC Red Bull München. 🏒⏰
Rocco Grimaldi, a player from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, led the tournament with seven goals and seven assists, making 14 points for the United States. The American team also had three Olympians — Drew Commesso from the IceHogs, Sean Farrell from the Montreal Canadiens, and Nick Perbix from the Tampa Bay Lightning — plus Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres and goalie Casey DeSmith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. But still, they didn’t even make it for the bronze after a 4-3 loss to Latvia on Sunday. 😞🥉
(While U.S. hockey fans might never tune in, Latvian fans are going wild. They even declared a national holiday after the country’s unexpected medal, the first ever.) 🇱🇻🎉
It has been a long time since 1933. For the tournament that year, only the third stand-alone world championship, the United States sent a team of collegians called the Boston Olympic Club to Prague. They defeated Canada, represented by the Toronto Nationals, 2-1 in the final. “World Title to U.S. Six,” was the New York Times headline over a two-paragraph article about the game. The player who scored the winning goal, John B. Garrison, didn’t like to play in the NHL after playing for Harvard, but he made it to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame for his amateur accomplishments. The goalie on the team was Gerry Cosby, who went on to found the sporting goods company that bears his name. 🎉🏆🏒
At that time, the tournament was strictly for amateurs, so the ’60s and ’70s were dominated by the “amateur” Soviet team. NHL players were admitted in the 1970s, so the current system is where players from teams that didn’t advance in the playoffs make up most of the rosters. ⚖️🏒
But still, that hasn’t helped the Americans. They won seven bronzes after that silver in 1950. 🥉🇺🇸
Because they don’t have all the top players, fans often consider the World Cup of Hockey and the Canada Cup more prestigious because they consistently have the best players in the world. The United States won the World Cup one time, in 1996. The event hasn’t been held since 2016, but there are hopes to bring it back in the future. 🌍🏆🇺🇸
But when it comes to the men’s world championships, the United States seems doomed to keep coming up short. 😔🏒
