Team USA was ousted early in the World Cup of Hockey, but that’s not the only thing Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler is sour about. Speaking with the O.C. Register, Kesler expressed discontent with the lack of buzz in Toronto for the tournament.
“It was weird,” American forward Ryan Kesler said of the tournament’s atmosphere, per the O.C. Register. “I thought there’d be more of a buzz in Toronto. There wasn’t … It just didn’t seem like there was a buzz.
The attendance at the World Cup wasn’t what you’d expect from an international tournament hosted in Canada’s biggest hockey market.
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The NHL seemed fine with the mediocre attendance, but Kesler said he was disappointed with his experience.
“If you didn’t know what was going on, you wouldn’t even know teams were playing. That’s the only thing I was really disappointed with.”
Attendance certainly wasn’t where it should have been at, so Kesler’s interpretation of a lack of buzz has merit. But, the timing of the tournament was what ultimately sunk it. The Toronto Blue Jays are in the thick of a playoff race at the moment and played at similar times. The September start time competes with multiple events, including the NFL season, the start of school and end of Summer. Add in the fact some tournament games were played on weekday afternoons and you have the recipe for some dull crowds.
Ultimately, the tournament’s buzz was somewhat deflated due to the timing. Kesler’s frustrations, however, were likely elevated by Team USA’s failures.
