Is Jokerit entry in KHL plus or minus?

[Jussi]

The only guaranteed plus is for Harry Harkimo who doesn't have to fund the team from his own pockets anymore.

 

[fedfed]

The only guaranteed plus is for Harry Harkimo who doesn't have to fund the team from his own pockets anymore.

The only guaranteed minus is for Liiga, who went from poor to poorer.

 

[Babula]

plus. plus even more if Swedish club will join the league.

 

[Peter25]

You should watch some more games. Playoffs particular. Even when Robidas played in SM-liiga during the lockout he was amazed how physical the league is...lots of physical battles and I don't mean fights. Even this year's playoffs were jokingly called "wrestling hockey" cause the refs let the players have too much freedom.

But this is going so OT. My dad can beat your dad kind of BS.

There is plus and minus in Jokerit joining KHL...depends how you look at things. Time will tell us more. But looking how poorly Liiga is runned atm, this is now a good opportunity for Jokerit nation to explore a new world. I'm looking forward to see a better level of hockey (Where's the tv deal btw?) and leave the politics out. Next year I don't give a damn about Liiga, though will follow Vaasan Sport a little bit.

Here is what Tommi Taimi thinks of the level of play in Liiga: "Kylmä fakta taas on, että jos haluaa kansainväliseksi huippupelaajaksi, SM-liiga ei ole silloin riittävä taso."

English translation: "It is a cold fact that if a player wants to become a top international player the level of SM-liiga is not good enough".

 

[Jussi]

Here is what Tommi Taimi thinks of the level of play in Liiga: "Kylmä fakta taas on, että jos haluaa kansainväliseksi huippupelaajaksi, SM-liiga ei ole silloin riittävä taso."

English translation: "It is a cold fact that if a player wants to become a top international player the level of SM-liiga is not good enough".

Playing in KHL isn't a guarantee of top level international play either. See Jori Lehterä.

 

[Peter25]

Playing in KHL isn't a guarantee of top level international play either. See Jori Lehterä.

Lehterä is a top level international player. Lehterä made the Finnish olympic team and is currently the second leading scorer of Finland's World Championships team after Petri "the world's best hockey player" Kontiola. Lehterä could have done better but it is not like he has not produced at all.

The problem for Finland's current WC team is that it has many players who lack the technical skills and skating ability to play at this level. Too many of Finnish players constantly lost one-on-one battles even against weak Kazakh team. Lehterä was not one of those players. He is one of the few Finnish players who can actually make good plays with the puck.

 

[Jussi]

Lehterä is a top level international player. Lehterä made the Finnish olympic team and is currently the second leading scorer of Finland's World Championships team after Petri "the world's best hockey player" Kontiola. Lehterä could have done better but it is not like he has not produced at all.

The problem for Finland's current WC team is that it has many players who lack the technical skills and skating ability to play at this level. Too many of Finnish players constantly lost one-on-one battles even against weak Kazakh team. Lehterä was not one of those players. He is one of the few Finnish players who can actually make good plays with the puck.

The only games were Lehterä has managed to produce has been against the minnows. Against the top-8 countries he has been completely useless. He doesn't have the speed, scoring touch nor the ability to handle the physical play on top international level. The latter applies to most of our KHL players. They become non-factors when facing even 3rd line NHL players. They constantly lose puck battles in the corners and can't clear the crease. Even Kontiola is "guilty" of doing the same. Our success in international tournaments is heavily reliant on how many of how NHL players show up, not how many players we have in KHL. That league isn't preparing our players enough.

 

[Peter25]

The only games were Lehterä has managed to produce has been against the minnows.

And you can thank Lehterä for that. Without him Finland would have lost to Kazakhstan and would already be out of quarter finals.

Against the top-8 countries he has been completely useless.

He has not been great but from what I have seen he has been better than most of the forwards in Finnish team.

He doesn't have the speed, scoring touch nor the ability to handle the physical play on top international level.

In comparison to most of the Finnish forwards he can.

The latter applies to most of our KHL players. They become non-factors when facing even 3rd line NHL players. They constantly lose puck battles in the corners and can't clear the crease. Even Kontiola is "guilty" of doing the same. Our success in international tournaments is heavily reliant on how many of how NHL players show up, not how many players we have in KHL. That league isn't preparing our players enough.

Most of the Finnish players in the KHL are not good enough to play full time in the NHL. Whining about KHL "ruining" them is moot. Every Finnish player good enough to play full time in the NHL is in the NHL. Maybe Leo Komarov was the only exception this season.

If Finnish KHL players would not play in the KHL most of them would play in Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. I don't see how playing in Liiga prepares players any better for the international level than playing in the KHL.

 

[Jussi]

In comparison to most of the Finnish forwards he can.

Theory hasn't turned out in practice.

Most of the Finnish players in the KHL are not good enough to play full time in the NHL. Whining about KHL "ruining" them is moot. Every Finnish player good enough to play full time in the NHL is in the NHL. Maybe Leo Komarov was the only exception this season.

If Finnish KHL players would not play in the KHL most of them would play in Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. I don't see how playing in Liiga prepares players any better for the international level than playing in the KHL.

My point was that it doesn't matter whether they play in Lüga, SHL, NLA or KHL, our success will still depend on NHL players.

 

[loppa*]

Playing in KHL isn't a guarantee of top level international play either. See Jori Lehterä.

Then why did the Finnish oltmpic team have so many khl players?

 

[Jussi]

Then why did the Finnish oltmpic team have so many khl players?

Because we didn't have enough NHL players. And those NHL players that were in, carried the team.

 

[Peter25]

Theory hasn't turned out in practice.



My point was that it doesn't matter whether they play in Lüga, SHL, NLA or KHL, our success will still depend on NHL players.

Jori Lehterä 0+3 against Canada with full of NHL players. Lehterä is the leading scorer for Finland in this tournament. Do you still consider him as a disappointment?

 

[QnebO]

This WHC just shows how team that is said by so many to be "basically Jokerit" can make it so far.. Expecting for a good season for Jokerit









Mad?

 

[Urbanskog]

This WHC just shows how team that is said by so many to be "basically Jokerit" can make it so far.. Expecting for a good season for Jokerit

Only if they have some other team to help them to make it to the playoff round

 

[Jussi]

Jori Lehterä 0+3 against Canada with full of NHL players. Lehterä is the leading scorer for Finland in this tournament. Do you still consider him as a disappointment?

We have more to thank for Ben Scrivens than Jori Lehterä for the win. The only time when Lehterä was visible in the game was when he passed to Pakarinen. I don't even know how he got an assist on the first goal as Hietanen's shot deflected off of someone to Palola.

 

[Jussi]

Only if they have some other team to help them to make it to the playoff round

They won't have Pekka Rinne nor Ben Scrivens to help them in KHL.

 

[Peter25]

Jussi, have you yet changed your opinion about Lehterä?

 

[Hockeyfan31*]

I am quite excited to see Jokerit play next season, great addition to the league without doubt

 

[Jussi]

Jussi, have you yet changed your opinion about Lehterä?

A little. He didn't do much in the final though. In the crucial powerplays he concentrated too much on "kiekon hautominen" instead of shooting or setting up shots. He was "asleep" during the first week but picked his game up in the second week, to silence the twitter critics. Still needs to show more. Kontiola also disappeared again in the last 3 games.

 

[Salavat Yulaev]

No doubts for KHL it is BIG plus
Can't wait to see Barys vs. Jokerit in Astana

 

[Peter25]

A little. He didn't do much in the final though. In the crucial powerplays he concentrated too much on "kiekon hautominen" instead of shooting or setting up shots. He was "asleep" during the first week but picked his game up in the second week, to silence the twitter critics. Still needs to show more. Kontiola also disappeared again in the last 3 games.

You set strangely high standards for Lehterä almost as he was an NHL superstar. Do you think Lehterä is Mario Lemieux or what if this performance was "not enough"?

Lehterä was the best Finnish player in this tournament after Rinne. Bar none.

Lehterä was the leading scorer of Finland in this tournament and the third leading scorer of the tournament overall tied with Sergei Plotnikov. No Finnish player one was even close. Lehterä scored 12 points in 10 games. Kontiola had 9. The third best Finnish player had only 6 points. Lehterä had twice as many points as the third leading Finnish scorer.

Lehterä was easily the best offensive and most offensively involved player in the four last games (Kaz, Can, Cze, Rus) games of the tournament which were also the most important games.

Lehterä was the offensive leader of this team. Kontiola disappeared in the most important games. Lehterä was miles better than Finnish NHL forwards Jokinen and Haula.

This was almost a dominating performance for Lehterä, but you only seem to give a grudging respect for him (because he is a KHL player and you hate the KHL). If Lehterä was playing in the NHL you would be singing his praises.

 

[Jussi]

This was almost a dominating performance for Lehterä, but you only seem to give a grudging respect for him (because he is a KHL player and you hate the KHL). If Lehterä was playing in the NHL you would be singing his praises.

Any poster with a half a brain here knows I don't hate the KHL. Even if Lehterä was half assing and played in the NHL I'd still be critical of him. We Finns have witnessed Ville Peltonen scoring a hat trick in a final and the team scoring 5 on Sweden in the 3rd period so naturally we tend to have high standards. Those points against Canada and Czechs don't change the fact he disappeared in the final and was weak in the first week of the tournament.

 

[Atas2000]

Well, it is true that some teams in the KHL are high level but there are also teams that are weaker than some of the Finnish teams - so you could argue that the level of play is more or less the same.

Really?

 

[Jussi]

Really?

This past season's Kärpät team could easily beat the weakest KHL teams.

 

[QnebO]

This past season's Kärpät team could easily beat the weakest KHL teams.

Yep. Pretty much, even on paper.