OT: Canuck fans' opinions on Swedish Hockey Players

[Balls Mahoney]

Swedes are soft, slow, skill players who need to be surrounded by North Americans to accomplish anything in this league.

 

[cotillion]

I like them. That is my opinion.

 

[50 Shades of Vey]

Just like most Americans view Canadians as very polite people I think most Canadians view Swedes as class acts and a completely humble people.

Nailed it. Agree 100%

 

[nameless1]

Okay, so I'm sorry if there's been a post like this earlier but I'll let mods remove this then if it's been asked already.

As a swede I'm mainly curious about what Canucks fans from Canada and USA think about swedish players.

I know the Sedin twins get a lot of crap for not very physical and "*******" etc.. But what do you as fans think? I'm just curious and I would love to see a second coming of Näslund!

The reason I'm asking I guess is cause I'm really patriotic when it comes to hockey haha and I really hope swedish players are liked by my favorite teams fans :p

Sorry for all the text!!! Cheers guys!

Swedish players are cool as ice...
Especially defensemen.
I am always impressed by how calm they are...
Even if it is their first game.
It may just be a cultural thing.

They can also be very skilled...
And some of them are quite physical.
The best way to describe Swedish players...
Are that they a mix between Russian players...
Who are usually very skilled...
And Canadian players...
Who are more gritty.

I will add that it is also never about money for Swedish players.
They are quite loyal...
And they are more likely to resign with the team that drafted them.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Swedes are soft, slow, skill players who need to be surrounded by North Americans to accomplish anything in this league.

as someone who lived in Europe (originally from Canada)-- Swedes love hockey as much as Canadians

 

[Kylington]

as someone who lived in Europe (originally from Canada)-- Swedes love hockey as much as Canadians

Hmmm, There's a lot of people who really don't like hockey and prefer football (soccer).

So I hope that's not true, if I ever move to Canada I want my dreams to be fulfilled with everyone religiously following hockey like I've been told!!

Really cool you guys take your time responding btw! Nice answers Over the years I really started to like Canada, it's my 2nd favorite country in hockey, easily.

Especially after the Junior WC in 2012 where the Canadians shouted "Let's go Sweden" when we faced Russia in the final. I don't think us Swedes would be mature enough to do that if we were put in that situation...

 

[Al Swearengen]

I think the Swedish hockey personalities I've gotten to see over the years mirror the many Swedes I've met in my travels and as a bartender over the years. I've noticed, (especially in comparison to Canadians and Americans) a seriousness of purpose to Swedes I've met, along with focused intellect and almost across the board erudition. Swedes seem to value living well in their society (look at their accomplishments in design, architecture, commitment to freedom and public access to all things/places). Their hockey players reflect this. Canadian and American hockey players (and athletes here in general) tend to be more self-centered and self-important, I think as a result of the culture of hero-worship they are exposed to from early puberty onward. Of course, I was witness to 90,000 drunken Swedes singing songs to Slatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson in Berlin in 2006, so I know there's still hero worship there. But for whatever reason, perhaps the collectivist spirit of Sweden, their hockey players seem to suffer the effects of it less than their North American counterparts.

As far as how they play, I think that's impossible to generalize, but Lids, Foppa, Henrik and Daniel, Alfie, Ohlund, Zetter, Nazzy and Loui Eriksson are all amongst my favourite players of the past 20 years.

Also, I think Catamarca Livin said it very well, so I might have read that first and just said "yeahhhhh".

 

[ChilliBilly]

Simply put - all the Swedes we have had have been class acts, and none classier or better than the Sedins. Talk about roll models.

 

[Hammer Time]

Okay, so I'm sorry if there's been a post like this earlier but I'll let mods remove this then if it's been asked already.

As a swede I'm mainly curious about what Canucks fans from Canada and USA think about swedish players.

I know the Sedin twins get a lot of crap for not very physical and "*******" etc.. But what do you as fans think? I'm just curious and I would love to see a second coming of Näslund!

The reason I'm asking I guess is cause I'm really patriotic when it comes to hockey haha and I really hope swedish players are liked by my favorite teams fans :p

Sorry for all the text!!! Cheers guys!

Sweden has meant so much to this organization (special props to MoDo ... how do they keep developing such great hockey players up there?)

Näslund was my favourite childhood player, then came Sedin x2 and Öhlund. And then that other Swede we had, Gradin, used his connections in northern Sweden to find about some obscure Edler guy playing in the third division and recommended we draft him ...

And don't forget future Vezina contender, Eddie Lack.

Yeah, them Swedes are all right I say.

And to any of those hyper-nationalist freaks who think Swedes can't cut it the playoffs, I can bring up Foppa, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, and IMO Pahlsson really should have had the Smythe for the Ducks.

Right now, I think Sweden looks very strong going into the next Olympics and is every bit Canada's equal. (With Lundqvist there they might even be favourites).

 

[Hal 9000*]

Samuelsson isnt very well thought of over here either after that...

I hope Canucks will have a Forsberg type of player in my life time

You see, that's an issue I have. Samuelsson was good with the Sedins and gets left off the Olympic team, replaced by Weinhandl (I think). Only to see the Sedins and Sweden absolutely suck in the Olympics. ...And Samuelsson is the bad guy? No wonder Swede's never say anything!

 

[Rille]

The difference in contract negotiations is obvious. Has a Swede/Finn ever held out? Canadians/Americans hold out quite often and Russians/Czechs seem to do it regularly.

Tim Erixon just from top of my head but I guess you are right in general.