I'm not trying to take anything away from the World Championship but how exactly and why would the NHL change their schedule to accomodate it ? Their season has started around the begininning of October for 90 plus years ( the Stanley Cup has been in existence longer than that) ? The Worlds are still a great tournament whether all the best players are there or not and it's a lot better than 20-30 years ago when most NHL players couldn't be bothered to play, even if they were available.They weren't even allowed to play until 1977. Now, it's seen as a good way of showcasing yourself for a potential spot on your country's Olympic team and showing your commitment to the national hockey program of whatever nation you represent.

Also, I would vehemently disagree with your assertion that the level of play is higher than in the NHL, if for no other reason than the players on their respective national teams only get to play together for a few weeks a year unless they're already teammates on a club team. Have you watched any of the games in the Pittsburgh/Washington series which features Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Green et. al. ? There is no better or more entertaining hockey being played anywhere right now. As I said, the Worlds were very entertaining but come on...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-05-14 03:48 by andrewm.

Quote
andrewm
I'm not trying to take anything away from the World Championship but how exactly and why would the NHL change their schedule to accomodate it ? Their season has started around the begininning of October for 90 plus years ( the Stanley Cup has been in existence longer than that) ? The Worlds are still a great tournament whether all the best players are there or not and it's a lot better than 20-30 years ago when most NHL players couldn't be bothered to play, even if they were available.They weren't even allowed to play until 1977. Now, it's seen as a good way of showcasing yourself for a potential spot on your country's Olympic team and showing your commitment to the national hockey program of whatever nation you represent.

Also, I would vehemently disagree with your assertion that the level of play is higher than in the NHL, if for no other reason than the players on their respective national teams only get to play together for a few weeks a year unless they're already teammates on a club team. Have you watched any of the games in the Pittsburgh/Washington series which features Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Green et. al. ? There is no better or more entertaining hockey being played anywhere right now. As I said, the Worlds were very entertaining but come on...

I guess it is a cultural thing. Here in Europe, or at least here in Finland, we are so used to the world championship games that they are a value of their own. Even at the the time when no NHL plyers were accepted - some of us might remember - the games were very popular (of course, those times all the best Soviet players were there and dominated the scene) - oh, one can feel the tension every time Soviet Union and Checkoslovakia played against each other - or Sweden against Finland.... In those days (70's-80's) NHL was so distant and a faraway thing - no matches to be seen in telly, not many "local boys" from here playing there yet, etc. The teams were not so easy to feel connected to, etc. Now everything is so different.

But I still belong to the old club - I don't feel anything if, say, Pittsbourgh or Anaheim, wins the stanley cup or not. I guess they are playing the best hockey there but when you don't have a go for a certain team, it is just boring no matter how aesthetically beautiful it is. I might feel something for Montreal Canadiens because my favourite player ever, Saku Koivu is the captain there, but my heart says that it is not good enough...

But I tell you one thing: in next year in olympics Finland will be a hard team to beat. We might not have the biggest superstars, but we have a strong team spirit and indentity - I can easily see a crying Crosby walking out of ice after having been humilated and beaten by aggressive Finns... (I have a feeling I might be reminded of this post next year )

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-05-14 14:06 by Doxa.

Not a hockey fan myself........But I am elated to have the Celtics back after sooooooooooooooooooooo many disappointing years, even with Pitino at the helm...

Then start a OT basketball thread so you can talk about your keltics.

Pittsburgh beat Ovie's Capitals last night! HA HA!

Well, I think I can sum up the difference between 'the rest of the world' and the NHL teams/players with this - the Russian's played the Edmonton Oilers in the mid 1980s.

Guess who won?

Not that that actually sums anything up. But to sit there and say that the Euro/Russian/Wherever players are the best or better is just that. There's a reason why those guys leave and go to the NHL - they want to be in the best league for professional hockey AND make money.

Pavel Datsyuk is actually the best player in the NHL right now. Although why the US flag is behind him on his website I just don't get: [www.datsyuk13.com]

Quote
skipstone
Well, I think I can sum up the difference between 'the rest of the world' and the NHL teams/players with this - the Russian's played the Edmonton Oilers in the mid 1980s.

Guess who won?

Not that that actually sums anything up. But to sit there and say that the Euro/Russian/Wherever players are the best or better is just that. There's a reason why those guys leave and go to the NHL - they want to be in the best league for professional hockey AND make money.

Pavel Datsyuk is actually the best player in the NHL right now. Although why the US flag is behind him on his website I just don't get: [www.datsyuk13.com]

I don't really grasp the point you are making here, skippy. Is somebody underestimating the significance of NHL or what? If I'd be a hockey player I'd love to play in NHL, even tough nowadays the Russian teams are catching it in terms of money (but as I'm not, but a casual ice hockey follower, the teams playing in other side of the globe, representing 'strange' cities in North America, do not mean very much to me - to me it is equal if Boston Bruins beats Carolina Hurricanes or Lada Togliatti wins AK Bars Kazan.). Still, arguably the best players do play in NHL.

Back in the 70's or 80's that was not true. There were players in Sovetian and Checkoslovakian teams that are among the greatest players ever seen on ice. And for political reasons, they never had a "chance" to play in NHL. I can't recall the Edmonton Oilers-Soviet Union game you are referring to, but there were other classical games and series between Canada national team and Soviet Union. Even though the Canadiens (with their best possible team) won the first big series in early 70's the Canadiens were actually shocked by the quality of Soviet players. Ever since, the myth of supreme skills of NHL players was killed. In fact, the whole idea of hockey changed from then on. Someone said that Soviets killed the 'old-time hockey' by making it too 'professional', too much 'athletics' - the players trained so much, and had an incredible stamina, etc. But I think that the finals of Canada Cup 1981 (?), and the Soviets beating the home team 9-2 in the last game was the last drop to open up the lasts of Canadian eyes of the future of ice hockey. I think the result was for players like Gretzsky and Lemioux to be born - where pure skills and not the 'traditional' aggressive style of Phil Espositos etc. were to be emphasized.

I think it is safe to say that since the late-80's the best players actually do play in NHL, but before that it is incorrect to claim so. It would be like taking all the recent Russian and Czhec/Slovaky players out of NHL and claim that "oh yeah, the best players do play in NHL" - that was the situation, say, in 1965-1989. And believe me, there were equals at the time to Datschuk, Ovechskin, Jagr and the rest. Those caliber kind of players are products of strong ice hockey tradition and culture.

- Doxa

I was responding to what guitarbastard said, which was "i would say the hockey played at the worldchampioship had a higher level then the nhl." That's very subjective. You can watch the 1987 Canada Cup with Gretzky and Mario, the game they won the Cup, and many people have said that was the greatest game EVER because of all the talent on the ice that night.

Okay, I see it, skippy-amigo. And finally this is not a question of real importance - such as Taylor vs. Wood; who invented "The Last Time" riff, etc.

- Doxa

Quote
skipstone
I was responding to what guitarbastard said, which was "i would say the hockey played at the worldchampioship had a higher level then the nhl." That's very subjective. You can watch the 1987 Canada Cup with Gretzky and Mario, the game they won the Cup, and many people have said that was the greatest game EVER because of all the talent on the ice that night.

i think DOXA said it very well. it's a different thing and i personaly just dont like the small fields. and do you remember the "atom-block" with makarov, fetisov, larionov, krutov and kasatanov in the 80ies?...hockey from another planet.
but who cares? it's a game, its fun and we love hockey...so lets bury the hatchet! ;-)

In my original response, I wasn't implying the NHL should adjust their schedule to accomodate the Worlds. It would actually be nice if the worlds could start a couple weeks later so players from teams knocked out in the first round could play. In Canada, I think the worlds are viewed as a bonus for NHL players who's teams didn't make the playoffs. People like Shane Doan, Ryan Smythe and Rick Nash usually play for Canada when their teams don't make the playoffs. I think it also boosts some players confidence by getting to play with other good players. I think Steve Stamkos will have a great year next season with Tampa after having a good series with Team Canada.

Ah yeah - Russia clobbered the Canadians. They clobbered everyone.

Edmonton started (more than less) the revolution of NHL hockey going from a goon game to a super skills game with their coach, Glen Sather, who studied the Russians as well as all of the rest of 'em over there - that's where cycling came from as well as skating like lightning down the ice - and Gretzky was already there anyway. Nobody could keep up with them. The Oilers adapted to what was called at the time Euro hockey, which I know is a very broad based way to say that since there is Finland and Russia etc... and they went on to dominate. It took a while for other teams to evolve to be able just to keep up with them. Some had a very difficult time and never got it (Boston, Philadelphia) and kept losing to 'em. Eventually enough Euro/Russian/Whatevers came to the NHL and helped it evolve to what is has become, a very fast skating and passing game.

And the other interesting side of it is the Euro/Russians...adapted to hitting and rougher play.

So the influence worked out on both sides. Everyone got better. But it was a huge overhaul for the NHL to speed up. I remember watching a game - at the game - between Edmonton and Detroit in 1984 and Detroit looked like a high skool team while Edmonton looked like, I dunno, F14 fighter jets just flying around. It was simply amazing to watch. Literally, if you blinked you missed something.

Detroit certainly loved having Russians play for 'em. They won a few Cups with 'em. And Datsyuk is incredible. So is Ovie.

Yeah, that's true skipstone about the influence going both directions, even though the European teams still having that image of more skills and less physical game approach - and of course the size matters; we have more space here to skate all around the big and bad but slow 'goons'. Anyway, we Finns are sometimes described as the third North American team due to our quite aggressive style to play.

- Doxa

go Canes

Situation seems favorable for the Canes at the 1-1 juncture. Stay close in the first and they have a good chance of winning.

Wow,couple of good game 7's. Wings pull out it out against the Ducks. Canes take it in OT. Sorry Lukester,but I love the 'Guins. Gotta root for Sid The Kid. Hopefully the Blackhawks can take down Detroit. Gettin more than a little sick of them winning.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

the swss keeper "hiller" of he ducks was amazing, but still they lost...

Wings/Hawks for the first time in eons.

Hurricanes/Pens should be good.

The Guins. I like that.

I love the rinks of European hockey - so much bigger. I don't care for the NHL small rinks. They keep building them so small. I'm guessing that might have something to do with costs, ha ha, but come one, these guys are 6'5" now, not the tiny 5'4" of the 1950s etc...

And how come you never seen any Euro goons? Because they all know how to skate!

Go Sharks

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

My favourite team St Louis Blues is playing in Stockholm against Red Wings..Guess if it is Sold Out!!! or not?


2 1 2 0

ha, my hometown zürich has "per definition" the best team in the world!!!

ZSC lions won the championsleague and now against the chigago blackhawks the victoria-cup.

incredible!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-02 10:50 by guitarbastard.

GO BLUES!!!!

Who would've guessed the Detroit Lions would have a better record than the Red Wings? ><

check out this boy:

I saw that on the news. Pretty good move. The Sharks could use that kid....They could also use a goalie.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Oddly, with Stones content... click on Friday Oct 23rd.

[www.q107.com]

The Sabres will finally kick some butt this year!

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Oddly, with Stones content... click on Friday Oct 23rd.

[www.q107.com]

That was great. Thanks STG.....Oh yeah and go Sharks.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Oh my Leafs.........

Quote
andrewm
Oh my Leafs.........

how embarrassing

Quote
More Hot Rocks

Quote
andrewm
Oh my Leafs.........

how embarrassing

I think they're going to eliminate themselves from the playoffs now and avoid the rush.