How to exactly measure League Quality?

[alko]

There are tons of topics about league quality world wide. So, is there any concept, that we could use to measure the quality?

Sure, NHL is at top. But then. It is KHL? Or AHL. You have top teams in KHL, that are comparable to average NHL teams. But after that, the quality isnt such high.

And bellow that it is more and more at the same level.

Click to read more...

 

[morehockeystats]

There are tons of topics about league quality world wide. So, is there any concept, that we could use to measure the quality?

Sure, NHL is at top. But then. It is KHL? Or AHL. You have top teams in KHL, that are comparable to average NHL teams. But after that, the quality isnt such high.

And bellow that it is more and more at the same level.

I don't think current SKA or CSKA are at the NHL level, even the one of the Arizona Coyotes or the Buffalo Sabres. That's unlike the Soviet time CSKA and Dynamo Moscow.
The rest do not even get to the AHL level and bobble between ECHL and AHL.

 

[alko]

I don't think current SKA or CSKA are at the NHL level, even the one of the Arizona Coyotes or the Buffalo Sabres. That's unlike the Soviet time CSKA and Dynamo Moscow.
The rest do not even get to the AHL level and bobble between ECHL and AHL.

Ok, we could discuss this endlessly. You have your opinion, i have mine, others also. But lets go back to the point.

 

[morehockeystats]

Ok, we could discuss this endlessly. You have your opinion, i have mine, others also. But lets go back to the point.

Well, look who KHL imports who is not of Russian origin.
They are all NHL dropouts.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Follow the money. You don't need to be Karl Marx to know that top professionals will go where the money is. The higher the league's player payroll, generally speaking, the higher the quality.

 

[morehockeystats]

Follow the money. You don't need to be Karl Marx to know that top professionals will go where the money is. The higher the league's player payroll, generally speaking, the higher the quality.

The median salary in the KHL might be lower than in the SPHL. It's much cheaper to live in Khabarovsk than in Malmo.

 

[Doctor No]

Follow the money. You don't need to be Karl Marx to know that top professionals will go where the money is. The higher the league's player payroll, generally speaking, the higher the quality.

This assumes that the markets are perfectly efficient (something that's inconsistent with farm systems, just to name one thing).

 

[hatterson]

This assumes that the markets are perfectly efficient (something that's inconsistent with farm systems, just to name one thing).

Farm systems as well as comfort of living in a place.

For me to move to Finland to do my job would require a significantly higher pay than to do it in the US simply because I'm not moving to a country I have no connection to without a very good reason. I'd assume the same would also apply to a Finnish person looking at the US.

In regards to the farm system, it's not just current salary, but also potential future salary. It's perfectly reasonable for a player to play for $65k/year in the AHL as opposed to 250k/year in the KHL if they believe playing in the AHL gives them a higher chance of being called up to the NHL team and making 600-700k/year (whatever minimum is at now)


As far as objectively measuring league quality, it's going to be a significant challenge simply because teams don't play each other often, especially in competitive games. In a sport like soccer/football where you have robust continental competition in Europe, it's much easier to get a read on how leagues rank against each other. Sure all the teams don't play each other, but you get a decent sample to at least make a solid system.

In hockey those types of games basically never happen so you're stuck trying to extrapolate based on players who switch leagues and how they perform and there's a lot of issues with that. Does player X play better in the SEL as opposed to the AHL because the SEL is weaker, or is it because he's from Sweden and simply feels more comfortable living in his home country? If a player moves from the AHL to SEL and plays worse is it because the SEL is stronger or because he's struggling to adjust to living in a new country with people speaking a new language?

 

[Ryker]

The median salary in the KHL might be lower than in the SPHL. It's much cheaper to live in Khabarovsk than in Malmo.

Lower median salary than in the Southern Professional Hockey League? Nope.

 

[morehockeystats]

Lower median salary than in the Southern Professional Hockey League? Nope.

Swedish Professional Hockey League? Otherwise, apologies, I might've misacronymed it.

 

[Ryker]

Swedish Professional Hockey League? Otherwise, apologies, I might've misacronymed it.

I think that one's just SHL (Swedish Hockey League), but no worries, I understood and was just messing with you

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

One reason the NHL allows some young prospects to stay in the SHL as opposed to the AHL, is better travel schedule and more training. Some guys coming over to North America at 19 or 20 are better to just to stay at home for their last year of junior (especially if they play in the SHL) and another year at home doesn't hurt them at all, especially if they aren't going to get big AHL minutes.

 

[madhi19]

Follow the money. You don't need to be Karl Marx to know that top professionals will go where the money is. The higher the league's player payroll, generally speaking, the higher the quality.

I'm not so sure we can say that when KHL players of the same age can earn more than entry level contract in the NHL.

 

[morehockeystats]

I'm not so sure we can say that when KHL players of the same age can earn more than entry level contract in the NHL.

the difference in cost of living, the cost of adaptation to an entirely different society, the difference of the effort necessary to put.
The value of a KHL contract can often be much higher to a player from RUS/KAZ/BLR and even LAT/SVK/CZE