NHL players with the worst English

[ThePlanet]

This thread is severely lacking in the Tomas Hertl department.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Patric Hornqvist's English is surprsingly bad for a swede, being as that most swedes have great english and speak with little accent where as Horny has a thick accent and sounds like a viking when he's pissed off

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

I cannot believe how much better Ovi's English has become. God damnit do I love that guy

Alex deserves a bunch of credit, don't get me wrong. But I'm just going to suggest that, if you're a prominent player in an English-speaking country (or countries, really, including Canada) for as long as he's been, I would like to think you've learned a thing or two about how to speak the language in that time. We're not talking (no pun intended) about learning a language and becoming comfortable in it over a period of a few months; Ovi has been playing professional hockey in North Ameria for 13 1/2 years now.

I know everyone remembers Malkin and his "I am Score" thing but the last time I heard him talking in English he was 1,000% improved as well, as you would expect; "I am Score" was 10 years ago.

That being said, I said you would expect guys to be comfortable in English by that point, but it doesn't alwas happen that way. There has to be at least some genuine interest in learning the language, for the sake of retention. So, again, due credit to Alex (and Evgeni, and others) for knowing how to speak the language the way they do.

 

[Absolut]

I know everyone remembers Malkin and his "I am Score" thing

To be fair, Malkin wasn't wrong. He is SCORE and then some.

 

[Leafblooded]

Ozhiganov

 

[Bankers Box]

I can't really speak for France, but certainly Germans speak better English than most French-Canadians (and lets not even get started on Anglo-Canadians speaking French )

Anglo-Canadians trying to speak french or spanish is just painful to listen to.

 

[General Disarray]

Look mom! Another Puljujarvi thread!


Edit: naw but seriously

The title says NHL PLAYERS

 

[bigdog16]

 

[LemonSauceD]

Antoine Roussel talks the most crap on the ice but I wonder just how much they understand what he says..

 

[RegDunlop]

There is no debate if you follow the Oil at all.
Puljiaarvi is ridiculous.

As a bonus, in our glory years Esa Tikaneen was hilarious as he not only couldn't speak good english - he never shut up!

Someone should start a thread about all the commentators that are english soeaking but can't speak english!

 

[Ducks76]

In Europe they don't teach english that much in Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain etc. Only in Nordic Countries and Netherlands they speak it good.

Germany? What?

 

[MrThomas]

Germany? What?

Haha you made my night

 

[Theo Von]

 

[Jyrki Lumme]

Netherlands ain’t Central European lol. Central Europe is Germany, Swiss, Poland, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia. German is the second most taught language in most of these countries besides of course Austria and Germany

Thanks for the geography lesson.

 

[A91]

This thread is severely lacking in the Tomas Hertl department.

Has he improved much in the 5.5 years since?

 

[A91]

Issue with Pulju and why he is thw worst imo is that for him its not an issue of communication. A lot of these guys clearly know what the interview is asking but just have trouble speaking english.
Pulju just doesnt understand english at all. Thankfully hes improved the past few seasons to the point where he does understand a good amount, but he is still pretty bad

 

[Quicklime]

Not a player, but Bob Hartley has the Frenchiest accent I've ever heard from an Ontarian guy with an Anglo name.

TRUTH.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Thanks for the geography lesson.

No problem, calling Netherlands Central Europe is blatant racism towards the people east of Germany

 

[heysmilinstrange]

I don't think Juuso Riikola's English is very good. Our media got tired of interviewing him because he would just give short answers and then smile. Seems like a great guy, though.

 

[Robinson2187]

Me washed upsky.

 

[Robinson2187]

Sami Niku

 

[Past Considerations]

I don't think Juuso Riikola's English is very good. Our media got tired of interviewing him because he would just give short answers and then smile. Seems like a great guy, though.

Since that video is from early October he seems just a bit "shy". As you can hear his pronunciation is not bad at all but he he just can't form sentences quickly enough. Maybe he is or was too afraid of making mistakes... That's typical for Finns when they try to speak foreign languages.

 

[Past Considerations]

 

[The Panther]

If we're talking all-time players, then the worst two are probably:

1) Don Cherry

2) Esa Tikkanen

But Tikkanen falls into the "so bad it's good" territory, as he basically invented his own language and made it work.

 

[sr edler]

According to Kurri Tikkanen couldn't speak proper Finnish either.