Henrik Karlsson - The Kazakh

[mattihp]

A Swede for Kazakhstan

Henrik Karlsson will be eligable to play for Kazakhstan. Good choice for him as he never got his shot with Sweden even though at worst being the second best tender they have most years since returning to Europe.

Anyone know if he will actually play this world champs?

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[SoundAndFury]

Well, he is on the entry list so I don't see why wouldn't he.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Typical. Kazakhstan should try developing their own players instead of naturalizing guys from other countries. What a joke.

 

[Garl]

Henrikbek Karlssonbaev

 

[tony d]

Interesting country switch though. Wishing him all the best as he plays for a new nation.

 

[Urbanskog]

It's ridiculous. I wonder what does the Kazakhstani public think about it.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

I think eight Russians on that team is more alarming.

 

[Urbanskog]

I think eight Russians on that team is more alarming.

Well, seven. Artemi Lakiza is legit.

 

[SoundAndFury]

It's ridiculous. I wonder what does the Kazakhstani public think about it.

Well, close to a half IIHF countries are doing. Even if we count goalies only, Korea has Dalton, Poland has Murray, Croatia had Dekanich/Ouzas (who never made the NT debut though), Belarus had Lalande and Koval, Italy had Bellissimo and Cloutier, Kazakhs themselves used Poluektov and Ivanov.. You can say it's ridiculous, you can also say it's a norm.

 

[Exarz]

Well, close to a half IIHF countries are doing. Even if we count goalies only, Korea has Dalton, Poland has Murray, Croatia had Dekanich/Ouzas (who never made the NT debut though), Belarus had Lalande and Koval, Italy had Bellissimo and Cloutier, Kazakhs themselves used Poluektov and Ivanov.. You can say it's ridiculous, you can also say it's a norm.

Even Russia does it. Anton Khudobin, Nikolai Zherdev, Alexander Perezhogin and Pavel Padakin (although Padakin is borderline since he's already represented Ukraine in the D1A, but has dressed up for Russia's second team) all started playing hockey in Kazakhstan/Ukraine and became naturalized by playing in Russia

It's actually pretty sad, Kazakhstan would have a pretty decent team if the better players had chosen to represent Kazakhstan instead of Russia.

 

[joe89]

A Swede for Kazakhstan

Henrik Karlsson will be eligable to play for Kazakhstan. Good choice for him as he never got his shot with Sweden even though at worst being the second best tender they have most years since returning to Europe.

Anyone know if he will actually play this world champs?

I remember Karlsson declining Grönborg early in his tenure.. He was playing for Barys then already so wouldn't surprise me if he had an offer on the table from Kazakstan, he knew he only needed two full seasons to play for them.

If you don't wanna play we don't need you, basically. The Swedish goalies behind Lundqvist are almost interchangeable. No one ever questioned Karlsson not been selected for the NT.

 

[kovacro]

It's ridiculous. I wonder what does the Kazakhstani public think about it.

 

[saskriders]

Typical. Kazakhstan should try developing their own players instead of naturalizing guys from other countries. What a joke.

What if going out and getting a few better guys allows you to compete at a higher level and attract more interest in hockey, and in turn both lead to developing more players?

 

[BalticWarrior]

What if going out and getting a few better guys allows you to compete at a higher level and attract more interest in hockey, and in turn both lead to developing more players?

Expierence shows that is not the case. Just look at Italy.

 

[saskriders]

Expierence shows that is not the case. Just look at Italy.

I honestly don't know much about where the minor hockey nations get their players. Partially commented to play devil's advocate, and partially commented because I think if a nation brings in outsiders to help the program develop they should. Not to say a country should become reliant on imports, but bringing experience to help lay the foundation for the future is good in my opinion.

 

[SoundAndFury]

What if going out and getting a few better guys allows you to compete at a higher level and attract more interest in hockey, and in turn both lead to developing more players?

That's the pretty side of it but as BalticWarrior stated it almost never works that way. Not to mention that hockey gets plenty of attention as it is in Kazakhstan. The real problem is that smaller countries are then being overtaken by those "fake" national teams just because they have a team in KHL, EBEL or whatnot. While teams who are actually working on developing talent are left on the bottom or are forced to look for imports as well.

Look at Croatia, they skyrocketed in the standings while playing 15 Canadians while their domestic hockey system got absolutely nothing out of it. Their junior NTs are being dominated by the nations they "overtook" at men's level and once those Canadians leave (most of them have) they will eventually be back to D2A.

 

[HungryFrank]

What if going out and getting a few better guys allows you to compete at a higher level and attract more interest in hockey, and in turn both lead to developing more players?

Hockey is interesting just as-is, especially for kids, usually the game isn't accessible so this story is only a cover up for lack of real work in development of a national team or some shady player management games.
Croatia is a good example that, not only that it doesn't help, it harms national hockey.

I hope that one day a limit will be set to at least 5 years and force nations to work hard and that only players that have spent most of their days in a country and were moulded by that country will be able to represent that country.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Look at Croatia, they skyrocketed in the standings while playing 15 Canadians while their domestic hockey system got absolutely nothing out of it. Their junior NTs are being dominated by the nations they "overtook" at men's level and once those Canadians leave (most of them have) they will eventually be back to D2A.

To be fair, 7 was the most at one time. That's 15 in total from 1994 to 2018.

 

[SoundAndFury]

To be fair, 7 was the most at one time. That's 15 in total from 1994 to 2018.

15 was exaggerated but it was 10 in 2015: Dekanich, Sertich, Letang, McAuley, Martinovic, Waugh, Glumac, Kinasewich, Murray and Perkovich. Prpic declined. However, at the time Croatian passport was also already given to Ouzas, Brine, Naglich, Zanoski, Popovic, Deutsch, Katic and Parlett. If this charade didn't stop they would have had a full lineup of guys who had nothing to do with their development system in 2016 or 17.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Talking about "adopted" goalies, even Romania got one. Some Slovak Patrik Polc guy is going to be their starter for the first time this year.

 

[mattihp]

Talking about "adopted" goalies, even Romania got one. Some Slovak Patrik Polc guy is going to be their starter for the first time this year.

Slovakia-Hungary-Romania is complex though. He could very well just be a displaced romanian. Polc could be a székely Hungarian name; most székely have their origins within the borders of what is now Romania. Many slovakian hockey players have Hungarian names though.

 

[Eye of Ra]

henrik karlssons grandma is from Kazakhstan.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Slovakia-Hungary-Romania is complex though. He could very well just be a displaced romanian. Polc could be a székely Hungarian name; most székely have their origins within the borders of what is now Romania. Many slovakian hockey players have Hungarian names though.

Well, he was born in Slovakia, played there all his junior career and despite moving to Romania (for the first time, that is) at 22 he hasn't agreed to represent them internationally until now, 11 years later. I don't think you can call a person like that a "displaced Romanian".

 

[Tomas W]

Henrik the Ca$hak

 

[Tomas W]

henrik karlssons grandma is from Kazakhstan.

Wadda you know!