Reks
Registered User
- Oct 23, 2006
- 247
- 2
A good post, Rexor!
I wouldn't say that Makarov failed in the NHL. Krutov did.
Makarov simply didn't play at Gretzky level as a lot of people expected.
But ... both of them came to an absolutely different world speaking no language at all! Both were over 30!
And one more thing that everybody seems to forget.
A lot of people here are saying that Soviets always were in better shape (for example, during Canada Cup times) than Canadians, since they were training all year around.
It's true to some extent. But the Soviet players needed to pay a huge price for that. They were basically done at 30-32 by such a brutal training system. Thanks to that system Makarov at 31 = Gretzky at 41 (probably).
I wouldn't say that Makarov failed in the NHL. Krutov did.
Makarov simply didn't play at Gretzky level as a lot of people expected.
But ... both of them came to an absolutely different world speaking no language at all! Both were over 30!
And one more thing that everybody seems to forget.
A lot of people here are saying that Soviets always were in better shape (for example, during Canada Cup times) than Canadians, since they were training all year around.
It's true to some extent. But the Soviet players needed to pay a huge price for that. They were basically done at 30-32 by such a brutal training system. Thanks to that system Makarov at 31 = Gretzky at 41 (probably).