[NICEGUY]

in the current rule set of the NHL, who do you think is the better player?

In north America we’ve always been known for players who could hit and skate, where as the guys from Europe could skate and finesse their way around the rink.

If you had to build a team, today, and could pick from a set of players from a north American pool, and a set of players from Europe, what would you do?

No mix and matching, one of the other, playing in TODAYS nhl

 

[masterofhockeyknowledge]

Back in the 70s and 80s North America dominated hockey but that's all changed. Russia, Finland, Czech Republic, and Sweden. All teams far more talented than Canada and U.S.A. Canada in my opinion could play better than Czech Republic and Finland but not Russia and Sweden. Plus the players on Russia, Czech Republic, and Sweden have better statistics than the Americans and Canadians. Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, etc.

 

[OLYMPIA STADIUM]

Hockey

Even with the north americans terrible play in the olympics i will still side with the north americans.i am old school when it comes to the NHL.

 

[Rick_Nash]

and Sweden have better statistics than the Americans and Canadians. Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, etc.

First of all Ilya Kovalchuk can only score goals, thats all he does, he cant even play defence.
Canada has more depth imo to.

and your comparing all of Europe to Canada, comone that aint fair.
Canada blows any other country out of the water when it comes to Depth for it's players.

Also i dont think Canada should be paired up with U.S.A cause they relly dont have much talanted players,

Also the "NEW" NHL is turned into a more european type hockey style with the refs calling everything. next thing u know there gona change the ice to international ice.


Canada bar none

 

[Heiko]

European players are obviously way better than the North Americans. Europeans are excelent skaters and can handle the puck extremly well. The North Amiricans can't even compare to the skill of the Europeans.

 

[nittanypucker]

If I were picking an NHL team I would want to put together the best overall team. I would want to put together a team that had talent offensively as well as defensively. I would want players that had finesse, but also those who are gritty as well. Though I think the very top players from Europe are among the best, there are those from North America that rival them. But, what I would want is the entire package, skating, puck handling skills, physical play. I would take a North American player. Overall they still produce a high number of quality players who can still play in the "New" NHL.

 

[Canuck]

European players are obviously way better than the North Americans. Europeans are excelent skaters and can handle the puck extremly well. The North Amiricans can't even compare to the skill of the Europeans.

This has got to be the worst post I have ever seen. North Americans arent excellent skaters I guess? Cant handle the puck extremley well? North Americans have mostly all the skill Europeans have and arent afraid to hit. I would really like to see what examples you have to show us why Europeans are so much better?

 

[Æn7ropy]

North Americans all the way.
The thing is that these Euros have potential skills that in theory shuold simply dominate.... just in practice they get hit once in teh corner they stop going there, then in the slot they get pushed around so they stop going there, then along the boards at the blue lines they get hit so they start dumping more or going down the middle where... you guessed it... get hit so they stop going there

 

[Dark Reign]

North Americans all the way.
The thing is that these Euros have potential skills that in theory shuold simply dominate.... just in practice they get hit once in teh corner they stop going there, then in the slot they get pushed around so they stop going there, then along the boards at the blue lines they get hit so they start dumping more or going down the middle where... you guessed it... get hit so they stop going there

Spot on. I love all hockey, regardless of nationality. But if I had to choose between a team completely composed of N.Americans or Europeans....

I'd take the country of Canada alone. How Canada doesnt win every international tournament every single year is beyond me. No other country in the world stacks up, man for man to Canada (except maybe Russia).

North Americans and Russians play a far more similar game than people care to admit. Russians, IMO, play more like North Americans than they do Euros. But thats just me.

 

[Æn7ropy]

Spot on. I love all hockey, regardless of nationality. But if I had to choose between a team completely composed of N.Americans or Europeans....

I'd take the country of Canada alone. How Canada doesnt win every international tournament every single year is beyond me. No other country in the world stacks up, man for man to Canada (except maybe Russia).

North Americans and Russians play a far more similar game than people care to admit. Russians, IMO, play more like North Americans than they do Euros. But thats just me.

I agree although I noticed that Russian teams have a different roughness to them, they can get dirty fairly quickly when they're losing, maybe it's the pressure their coach and themselves get from the government or whatever but they're known for (86) dq both team if losing or run a player with a stick shot (spear) or head shot (as in elbow)at the end of games.

Although I must admit I've lost tremendous interest in the Men's competition, they're mostly all playing together in the NHL and don't have the level of will that the women's and U22 have to winning for their country.

 

[ChrisDrury23]

europeans fit so much better in the new NHL than north americans

 

[Æn7ropy]

Problem is that there's a new new NHL after the Cup winning Big Ducks hehe
Personally I like it and it's a better sell.

Anyone who thinks the masses will buy more into slick globe trotters-like play over then rugged physical play (especially in the states) is a very misled miserable person.

 

[Dark Reign]

Problem is that there's a new new NHL after the Cup winning Big Ducks hehe
Personally I like it and it's a better sell.

Anyone who thinks the masses will buy more into slick globe trotters-like play over then rugged physical play (especially in the states) is a very misled miserable person.

Agreed. I absolutely hate, despise and detest some of the officiating we see post lockout.

But I'll take this overkill approach they currently have, knowing it will calm down in time then the clutch-grab-interfere days of the mid 90s to early 21st century.

Guys were in the league then that didnt belong. To be a good stay-at-home defensemen, you have to be able to skate with the best of them. In the 90s, they didnt have to.

Bum Defensemen's Handbook to PLaying Defense circa 1996-2003

a) Use long stick
b) When approached by opposing player, extend stick parallel to ice
c) Insert stick into middle section of said opposing player
d) Push
e) Use weight to manuver player into the boards/corners AWAY from net
f) Wait for teammate to come get the puck
g) rinse and repeat