2nd Best Hockey Nation

[sunb]

Sweden has probably the the second best team in the nation on paper:

Zetterberg - Sundin - Alfredsson
Modin - Forsberg - Naslund
Sedin - Sedin - Ekman
Holmstrom - Nilson - Sundstrom

Lidstrom - Jonsson
Johnsson - Ohlund
Norstrom - Tarnstrom
Backman

Lundqvist
Tvellqvist

But they always choke. Guys like Naslund start playing horrible and Forsberg gets injured at the slightest offenses at major tournaments.

 

[Chileiceman]

Sweden has probably the the second best team in the nation on paper:

Then if Sweden isn't the best in Sweden who is?

 

[markov`]

Well, it's pretty hard to dispute the fact that canada dominates every aspect of the game. At the moment there is no clear 2nd, imo. The US will become the clear 2nd nation in the world within the decade. They have the youth program, the depth, the knowledge, the culture and the money.

Great post. I like unbiaised people like you.

 

[soilwork2004]

...

word association for each nations present and future

canada

present: stacked, future: stacked

russia

present: overrated, future: ovechkin

sweden

present: contenders, future: pretenders

finland

present: heart, future: lehtonen

czech republic

present: speed, future: contender

slovakia

present: chara, future: bleak

united states

present: decline, future: bright

 

[sunb]

word association for each nations present and future

canada

present: stacked, future: stacked

russia

present: overrated, future: ovechkin

sweden

present: contenders, future: pretenders

finland

present: heart, future: lehtonen

czech republic

present: speed, future: contender

slovakia

present: chara, future: bleak

united states

present: decline, future: bright

How is Russia's future in the sole possesion of Ovechkin and how is Lehtonen Finland's future?

Russia has guys like Frolov, Kovalchuk, Zherdev, Malkin...

Finland has guys like Ruutu, Pitkanen...

 

[octopi]

Scary good? How so?

Well, I'm more harkening back to a couple years ago, when Lidstrom, Naslund, Alfredsson, Sundin and Forsberg were all dominating the league. I guess they've fallen off a bit by now, altho they're all pretty competitve guys and all 30-35 years old. Thats why I said "scary good', although that term might have better applied to the last Olympics if Salo had been able to chuck in some reasonable goaltending.

 

[octopi]

How is Russia's future in the sole possesion of Ovechkin and how is Lehtonen Finland's future?

Russia has guys like Frolov, Kovalchuk, Zherdev, Malkin...
..

Pavel Datsyuk. He's 27 years old, which means he'll most likely be there for the foreseeable future as well.

Nik Khabilulin is 31 or 32, tops.If he'd only play for Russia...

as for Finland, Kiprusoff is about 27, also should be there in the future

(One more sign NHL hockey has been gone to long, struggle to remember one of the playoff MVPs names)

 

[soilwork2004]

...

give me a break guys. its called word association because we associate words. ovechkin will be a big part of team russia's future for the next 15 years and i thought it was appropriate. ugh!

 

[Slay]

I think he means in the sense that for the recent past U-20 WJC Canada has not won gold.

Except if you count the most recent win of Gold.

No, he means that from 1998-2001 Canada didn't won anything at any level. And there was Chech Republic that was notably better (Olympics, 3 World Championships in a row, 2 WJC titles in a row)

Just interesting note, at the last 2 Olympics Russia was the most consistent country, finished with medals both times.

What does "hockey nation" mean and what takes into account? interest to the sport in the country? depth? results? if so for what period of time? 5 years? 10 years? 50 years? or one this particular year?

 

[MojoJojo]

IMO Russia is clearly in the #2 spot, then there is a tight group of USA, Sweden and the Czechs. 3 through five are interchangeable but I would suggest Czech, US, Sweden is the correct order. Finland is close, but is edged out of the top 5, and Slovakia brings up the rear. After that its a mix of former soviet countries with Germany and Switzerland starting to gain strength.

Heres how I rank it with emphasis on the strength of position.

Canada
-
-
Russia
-
Czech - USA - Sweden
Finland
Slovakia
-
-
The rest.

 

[e-e]

IMO Slovakia is just like the Czech Republic ... or Poland, Hungary for that matter. Soccer is just number 1. It has to be. That's just the way it's meant to be.

no it doesn't... and it's not...most of the slovaks don't give a **** about socker which sucks anyway. i don't even know any socker fan and i've been living in 2-nd the biggest city in slovakia for more than 25 years....hockey is clearly no. 1 sport out there ...believe or not.

 

[Epsilon]

Yeah but I live in France and yet I don't know what's France's 2nd favorite sport.

It's probably cycling isn't it?

 

[Injektilo]

What does "hockey nation" mean and what takes into account? interest to the sport in the country? depth? results? if so for what period of time? 5 years? 10 years? 50 years? or one this particular year?

It depends if you put put "ever" or "now" or "recently" or whatever qualifier you wish after the phrase "best hockey nation".

What does it take into account? Judging by this thread, everyone has a different idea. Perhaps if people qualified their statments a bit better we'd have a more cohesive debate going on.

 

[Injektilo]

It's probably cycling isn't it?

Actually, I believe it's "pissing off the Americans".


It'll be an olympic sport by 2020.

 

[The Benchwarmer]

Actually, I believe it's "pissing off the Americans".


It'll be an olympic sport by 2020.

Gotta love the French!! Viva la France