What nation will join the Elite 7 of Hockey?

[MXD]

I voted Switzerland, but the good answer is actually Quebec with a HUGE margin.

 

[Habsfan 32]

Belarus.

 

[BigE]

Although Germany is far from contending for an Olympic medal, they are easy choice for the #8 spot.

They have some NHL players, some quite quality actually.

Olaf Kolzig - Bona fide #1 goalie (Vezina winner)
Jochen Hecht - Two-way second-line center
Marcel Goc - Second / Third line two-way center
Christian Erhoff - Top three defenseman
Marco Sturm - Two way top six winger
Dennis Seidenberg - Top four defensemn
Sven Butenschon - Some NHL experience
Christopher Schubert - Currently undergoing some winning with Ottawa

That is decent. Guys like Hecht and Sturm have yet to hit their prime and guys like Goc, Erhoff, Seidenberg and Schubert are all young and have tremondous potential.

And if a guy like Dany Heatley, who has dual citizenship (born in Germany), suddenly has a change of heart and starts playing for Germany as their star winger, they will be favorites for #8.

Once you've played in an international tournament for a country at 18 years or older, you can no longer switch.

Kolzig grew up in Canada, and neither he nor Heatley speak anything to the production of quality players in Germany.

 

[Jazz]

Once you've played in an international tournament for a country at 18 years or older, you can no longer switch.

Kolzig grew up in Canada, and neither he nor Heatley speak anything to the production of quality players in Germany.

You are allowed one switch after turning 18, but you need to play in the destinaton's domestic league for a couple of years (might also be in addition to citizenship).

 

[Porn*]

Israel

eventually.

 

[galiano]

Quebec

Is this a country ?

 

[billykyjoe]

Switzerland. The government is pumping money like crazy into the system. The resources are there and it looks like the talent is coming around. I'm not sure about passion for the game, but everything else is there for them to jump up.

 

[espo*]

Switzerland. The government is pumping money like crazy into the system. The resources are there and it looks like the talent is coming around. I'm not sure about passion for the game, but everything else is there for them to jump up.

Passion for the game is good.The Swiss like their hockey.

 

[Jazz]

Passion for the game is good.The Swiss like their hockey.

Yes, but there is near fatal problem with Switzerland. Their league offers their players tax-free salary, free accomodations and a free car. They are stars back home and because of this, they do not want to spend much time in the North American minor leagues biding their time before making the NHL. I spoke with Switzerland's World Junior coach Jacob Kolliker last night during the USA-NOR game about this, and he is worried about this as well.

Prospects get highly rated before the NHL draft, get drafted, and then regress back in the Swiss league (not saying it is a poor quality league, where would you want to play?).

Kolliker said that once one player becomes a regular in the NHL (outside of goalies Aebischer and Gerber), he will become a role model for future players. He is hopeful that Steit in Montreal and Romy (Flyer's draft pick) will be one of those players.

 

[espo*]

Yes, but there is near fatal problem with Switzerland. Their league offers their players tax-free salary, free accomodations and a free car. They are stars back home and because of this, they do not want to spend much time in the North American minor leagues biding their time before making the NHL. I spoke with Switzerland's World Junior coach Jacob Kolliker last night during the USA-NOR game about this, and he is worried about this as well.

Prospects get highly rated before the NHL draft, get drafted, and then regress back in the Swiss league (not saying it is a poor quality league, where would you want to play?).

Kolliker said that once one player becomes a regular in the NHL (outside of goalies Aebischer and Gerber), he will become a role model for future players. He is hopeful that Steit in Montreal and Romy (Flyer's draft pick) will be one of those players.

interesting.How did you get to speak to Kolliker?

 

[Jazz]

interesting.How did you get to speak to Kolliker?

I follow international hockey just a well as I follow the NHL (I honestly wish more Canadians would as well). I simply recognized him during the intermission and walked up to him. Nice fellow.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Yes, but there is near fatal problem with Switzerland. Their league offers their players tax-free salary, free accomodations and a free car. They are stars back home and because of this, they do not want to spend much time in the North American minor leagues biding their time before making the NHL. I spoke with Switzerland's World Junior coach Jacob Kolliker last night during the USA-NOR game about this, and he is worried about this as well.

Prospects get highly rated before the NHL draft, get drafted, and then regress back in the Swiss league (not saying it is a poor quality league, where would you want to play?).

Kolliker said that once one player becomes a regular in the NHL (outside of goalies Aebischer and Gerber), he will become a role model for future players. He is hopeful that Steit in Montreal and Romy (Flyer's draft pick) will be one of those players.

I fully agree, as I said before the Swiss are pretty much a wasted draft pick no matter how good they are. Its sad really- I expected so much more. They will be in tough in this tourney to not get bounced to Div 1.

 

[espo*]

I follow international hockey just a well as I follow the NHL (I honestly wish more Canadians would as well). I simply recognized him during the intermission and walked up to him. Nice fellow.

yeah,it is a shame.I love international hockey just as much,if not more then the NHL game.

 

[Habs Icing]

yeah,it is a shame.I love international hockey just as much,if not more then the NHL game.

If you take a look at the early Olympics (the 20's & 30's), the Swiss with the Brits were a couple of the first nations to compete. Britain has regressed and Switzerland has remained at the same level. So no, not Switzerland - unless something drastic happens in that country. I'd go east to Latvia, Belarus. They're newcomers and they've taken up the sport with a passion. Give those countries 5 to 7 years and they'll have players in the NHL.

 

[JVR]

I'd also go with either Latvia or Belarus.

I don't see Germany getting up there anytime soon, far too few rinks to make this game bigger here.

 

[Shoalzie]

The Swiss has given us Gerber and Aebischer...both solid goalies. I can't think of a decent skater from there though. I voted for Germany...none of the former Russian states are producing as many NHL players either.

 

[tsar]

My vote for Belarus.
Lukashenko (Belarus’ president) maybe a tyrant but he sure knows what’s good for this sport. They have good youth and definitely a lot of potential.

 

[Zine]

Yeah, I'd go with Belarus too.

Koltsov
A. Kostitsyn
S. Kostitsyn
Grabovsky
Chupris
Kolasau
Kalyuzhny
Zakharov
Bashko

 

[Naoned]

I voted France, but that was completely homeristic.
My real vote goes to Germany.

 

[teme]

Prospects get highly rated before the NHL draft, get drafted, and then regress back in the Swiss league (not saying it is a poor quality league, where would you want to play?).

I wonder about the Swiss league. I've only seen Swiss teams at international play, but from what I gather they tend to have some very good inviduals largely due to having propably the best foreigners in Europe (for example Lugano's Ville Peltonen, Petteri Nummelin and Glen Metropolit are arguably the best winger, dman and center in Europe outside Russia respectively). But the home grown talent is bit thin. I think this should be a good environment for talented kids to develop, they shouldn't get stuck down in fourth line like as in Sweden, Finland or Russia, yet get to play with and against some very good players. Why are they not developing better?

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

Why are they not developing better?

Simply put, too much time and space. That's also the reason the foreigners are so dominant. Sure, they have to face many of the most talented players in Europe, play skillful offense with them and they still manage to assemble good enough defensive systems to keep the scores low, but in the end they are just not challenged enough, not pushed to the limit by fine-tuned grinders.

And of course, the stronger the hockey culture, the more coaches and trainers there are who can develop star players. The Swiss players go through systems that haven't produced stars, and they're not about to change overnight.

 

[mattihp]

1) Hockey is religion and #1 sport
2) They know how to produce great players unlike Switzerland (where are all those Swiss first rounders?). They all seem to choke somewhere down the road.
3) The country is becoming wealthier and wealthier and they will invest more and more money.

Not to forget that they seem to win that best hockey supporters every friggin year. They just have the best crowds.

Also, isn't both volleyball and basketball bigger than ice hockey in Latvia?

 

[User571]

What about norway? they have any young guns?

Goalie Ruben Smith is very good, but his positioning needs a lot of work. He plays a bit like Hedberg but with more butterfly. He moves very quick laterally.

 

[Sakaarnis]

Not to forget that they seem to win that best hockey supporters every friggin year. They just have the best crowds.

Also, isn't both volleyball and basketball bigger than ice hockey in Latvia?

Basketball is more popular if we speak about local competitions. Volleyball... nothing special. But when it comes to hockey and especialy NT, everyone get crazy here, its like a disease from wich i dont want to be cured

 

[Jazz]

Go Hungary!

Seriously though, I'd say Switzerland or Germany.

Things are improving (hockeywise) in Hungary....slowly but surely