I was going to stay out of the discussion, but alas...at any rate,
here are a few thoughts:
 
There are pluses and minuses to this situation.  IMO, the pluses
outweigh the minuses, but it is really a matter of personal opinion
and what you consider to be important.
 
On the negative side, the WJC presents a problem that is similar to
the age-old complaint that major college hockey exists as a free minor
league system for the pros - though on a smaller scale.  Players have
to leave their college teams, who have invested time and money in
developing them so that they can produce for their team, and often
some of the games they miss are among the more important ones of the
season.  Holiday tourney action can help decide a team's chances in
getting an NC$$ bid, and the RPI and other factors make no allowance
for players lost to events such as the WJC.
 
To that extent, I can see why people might prefer to have the players
stay home.  I know I have also heard of some coaches who have voiced
this opinion.
 
But there are many pluses, both for the player and the college team.
Among them:
 
* Players get a chance to play against high caliber opposition.  This
helps them become better players and is a benefit to the team when
they return.  There have been many cases of players who returned from
the WJC to go on a tear the second half of the season.
 
* As some have said, the fact that a school has its players selected
to the WJC teams helps a school in terms of visibility and recruiting.
Everybody around the world watching the tourney knows where the
players come from, and maybe future recruits will choose that school
knowing that the coach has a reputation for developing players who are
chosen to play in the tourney.
 
* Like the Olympics, it is a rare life experience for people - forget
the fact that they play hockey - to be able to interact in close
settings with other people from different countries and cultures.
Often it is hard to remember that your way is not the only way of
doing something, until you are hit over the head with it.
 
* The tourney is held at such a time that players usually don't have
to miss class to compete in it.  However, I'm not sure what is done
about finals for players who must report to camp early.  I'd think
this is worked out in some way that is acceptable to the school.  I
don't see this as a special benefit to players, either - I have known
of students who had their finals moved and deadlines altered so that
they could fly across the country to interview with prospective
employers.
 
* And of course, players who have aspirations of playing at a higher
level, such as the Olympics or the pros, can learn a lot and draw
interest by proving that they can play at such a higher level.  I
would have trouble denying any person such an opportunity, whether
he/she played hockey or not.
 
Overall, as I said, I do think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
But again, it is all a matter of what is most important - I can see
how a team fighting for a berth and needing wins in the holiday
tourneys might really miss the players that go.  Yet, it seems from
what I have heard, that a majority of coaches do support the situation
and feel the same way I do.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93