Swedish media: Finland has surpassed Sweden in hockey

[Artorius Horus T]

Someone mentioned here that hockey is (undisputedly) the number one sport here in Finland, that... is actually not true,
most of the Finns actually don't follow much of hockey, they only support the national team and watch only the Worlds.

For example, in my home town, which is football (soccer) and basketball city, people here don't follow much of hockey at all
we do have a hockey team but,,.. yeah that team sucks.

We just don't have the culture, but in football and basketball... tons.
Our basketball team is legendary (in Finland) and our football history,
is very well known and respected but the glory days.... are way in the past.
- we do have our own home town boy, who happens to be a hot topic in football
(hopefully more so after the upcoming premier league season)

| but... when ever we do great at the international sport stage, what ever the sport, we go crazy
and where ever Finland is mentioned,internationally, its a huge thing here. |

 

[Czechboy]

I think there are only about half a dozen teams who can realistically win gold in hockey and soccer also.

You think soccer has the same parity as hockey? There are definitely only 5 gold medal contenders in hockey. Soccer?

Here are the Top 50 soccer nations:
The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table - FIFA.com

Here are the Top 50 hockey nations (note, there are only 52 nations):
IIHF - World Ranking

If 9th ranked Spain or 11th ranked Argentina or 13th ranked Germany or 17th ranked Italy won the World Cup, I wouldn't be that shocked. The last World Cup of soccer had 32 participants.

If 9th ranked Slovakia or 11th ranked Norway or 13th ranked France or 17th ranked Korea won a best on best hockey tournament, I would eat my keyboard. The last world cup of hockey had 6 countries and 2 weird madeup teams.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

If 9th ranked Slovakia or 11th ranked Norway or 13th ranked France or 17th ranked Korea won a best on best hockey tournament, I would eat my keyboard. The last world cup of hockey had 6 countries and 2 weird madeup teams.

I get your point, mostly agree and it is just ''Skoda cup'' BUT..

..Slovakia won in 2002 and Switzerland got silver last year.

 

[Lambo]

Post World Champs team revision


Patrik Laine - Aleksander Barkov - Mikael Granlund
Teuvo Teräväinen - Sebastian Aho - Mikko Rantanen
Roope Hintz - Mikko Koivu(C) - Kasperi Kapanen
Erik Haula - Valtteri Filppula(A) - Marko Anttila(A)
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Kaapo Kakko

Miro Heiskanen - Rasmus Ristolainen
Esa Lindell - Sami Vatanen
Markus Nutivaara - Henri Jokiharju
Olli Määttä - Jani Hakanpää

Tuukka Rask
Pekka Rinne
Antti Raanta

Jukka Jalonen

This ist good! A Top NHL-Team + Cult-Factor Mörkö! Unbeatable!

 

[AB13]

Not looking good for sweden right now. Finland has 10k more licensed players than sweden. More NHL stars, more golds at junior level.

Even swedish media is recognizing it as a problem.

It is because too many young males play ****ing soccer. I hate soccer, because we will never be good at that sport, so I want all resources for hockey, but it will never happen.

Sweden have much more NHL stars than Finland and would absolutely crush them in a best on best. There are at least 12 Swedish defensemen better than the best Finnish defeneman

 

[AB13]

I would say Finland AND Sweden's 16 million people (and its hockey players) can compare with Canada's 36 million. Such a (hockey tradition) team might look a little like this:

Patrik Laine - Aleksander Barkov - William Nylander
Teuvo Teräväinen - Sebastian Aho - Mikko Rantanen
Gabriel Landeskog - Nicklas Bäckström - Elias Pettersson
Filip Forsberg - Mika Zibanejad - Mikael Granlund

Victor Hedman - Erik Karlsson
Oliver Ekman Larsson - Rasmus Ristolainen
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg

Tuuka Rask / Pekka Rinne / Henrik Lundqqvist


And a second team while I'm at it:

Gustav Nyquist - Elias Lindholm - Kaapo Kakko
Rickard Rakell - William Karlsson - Viktor Arvidsson
Sakari Manninen - Mikko Koivu - Kasperi Kapanen
Marcus Johansson - Mikael Backlund – Marko Anttila

Hampus Lindholm - Olli Määttä
Mattias Ekholm - Anton Strålman
Jonas Brodin - Adam Larsson

Robin Lehner / Kevin Lankkinen / Mikko Koskinen

Sweden and Finland would kick ass together, but that lineup is far from the strongest we could put out. Lindholm, Ekholm, Gustavsson, Dahlin, Larsson, Edler, Brodin and Klefbom all are better than Ristolainen and almost all are better than Lindell. Finnish players in bold

Rantanen - Barkov - Landeskog
Aho - Pettersson - Nylander
Forsberg - Zibanejad - Arvidsson
Lindholm - Bäckström - Laine


Hedman - Karlsson
Ekman Larsson - Klingberg
Gustavsson - Dahlin

Rask
Lehner

Second team

Nyqvist - Karlsson - Rakell
Johansson - Backlund- Kakko
Johnsson - Söderberg - Bratt
Lindblom - Sundqvist- Kapanen

Ekholm - Lindholm
Edler - Larsson
Klefbom - Lindell

Rinne
Lundqvist

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Barkov, aho, laine, rantanen, Teravainen
(soon kakko). Our only young stars are dahlin and pettersson.

The rest of star swedes in NHL are aging. Hedman, karlsson backstrom.

Nylander
E. Lindholm
Zibanejad
Landeskog
Forsberg
Klingberg
H. Lihdholm
Rakell


All 26 or younger

 

[Czechboy]

I get your point, mostly agree and it is just ''Skoda cup'' BUT..

..Slovakia won in 2002 and Switzerland got silver last year.

I wasn't trying to insult Slovak or Swiss hockey. Notice I didn't mention my Czechs in big 5. I'd be equally surprised if they won a best on best with their current best roster.

World Championships are simply different. I love the World's and prefer them over Stanley Cup Playoffs but it's not the same as a best on best.

The 2002 win was amazing! At that point, it was a Big 7 and Slovakia/Czech had the guns to win a medal at best on best. It's now a Big 5 - hockey world is shrinking not growing. The Finn's have had an unbelievable 10 years of development. 5 million people and a Top 5 pick every year. I was hoping someone on here was going to list a potential best on best Swedish Roster today and a potential best on best Finnish roster today. That would be amazing to see. I don't even want to think about the Canadian Roster. I've thought about the Czech roster and I'd love to see that team but boy would they have it tough!

 

[karhukissa]

Sweden have much more NHL stars than Finland and would absolutely crush them in a best on best. There are at least 12 Swedish defensemen better than the best Finnish defeneman

12 better than Heiskanen and Lindell? I mean Sweden has way better NHL d-men but some reality should be involved

Nylander
E. Lindholm
Zibanejad
Landeskog
Forsberg
Klingberg
H. Lihdholm
Rakell
All 26 or younger

True, but there's no-one close to Barkov, Rantanen or Aho's level. Granlund is also better than Rakell and Lindell/H.Lindholm is pretty close. Laine and Lindholm is close too but Laine has higher upside and is also easily the best goalscorer out of anyone in Sweden or Finland.

Also players like Kakko, Lambert and Lundell coming, gap between forwards will grow quite much in Finlands favor. Defence gap will remain the same until Karlsson, Hedman and friends have retired.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Sweden have much more NHL stars than Finland and would absolutely crush them in a best on best. There are at least 12 Swedish defensemen better than the best Finnish defeneman

While I do think that the Swedish d-corps is clearly better than the Finnish one, the bolded is pure hot garbage.

About the first hot take...well tourneys are not played on paper, as we just witnessed.

 

[AB13]

I wasn't trying to insult Slovak or Swiss hockey. Notice I didn't mention my Czechs in big 5. I'd be equally surprised if they won a best on best with their current best roster.

World Championships are simply different. I love the World's and prefer them over Stanley Cup Playoffs but it's not the same as a best on best.

The 2002 win was amazing! At that point, it was a Big 7 and Slovakia/Czech had the guns to win a medal at best on best. It's now a Big 5 - hockey world is shrinking not growing. The Finn's have had an unbelievable 10 years of development. 5 million people and a Top 5 pick every year. I was hoping someone on here was going to list a potential best on best Swedish Roster today and a potential best on best Finnish roster today. That would be amazing to see. I don't even want to think about the Canadian Roster. I've thought about the Czech roster and I'd love to see that team but boy would they have it tough!

I think the Swedish roster looks comfortably stronger, for now at least.

Swedish best on best

Forsberg -Bäckström - Arvidsson
Landeskog - Pettersson - Nylander
Rakell- Zibanejad - Lindholm
Johansson - Karlsson - Nyqvist
Söderberg


Hedman - Karlsson
Ekman Larsson - Klingberg
Gustavsson - Ekholm
Dahlin

Lehner
Lundqvist
Markström

Finnish best on best

Laine - Barkov-Rantanen
Granlund - Aho - Teravainen
Hintz - Kotkaniemi- Kapanen
Lehkonen - Filppula - Donskoi
Haula

Lindell - Ristolainen
Heiskanen - Jokiharju
Maata - Vatanen
Nuutivaara

Rask
Rinne
Lankinen

 

[AB13]

While I do think that the Swedish d-corps is clearly better than the Finnish one, the bolded is pure hot garbage.

About the first hot take...well tourneys are not played on paper, as we just witnessed.

Very true that tourneys aren't won on paper, but here are 12 better defensemen than the best Finnish one

Hedman, Karlsson, Gustavsson, Klingberg, Ekman Larsson, Dahlin, Ekholm, Lindholm, Klefbom, Edler, Strålman, Larsson.

 

[AB13]

12 better than Heiskanen and Lindell? I mean Sweden has way better NHL d-men but some reality should be involved

True, but there's no-one close to Barkov, Rantanen or Aho's level. Granlund is also better than Rakell and Lindell/H.Lindholm is pretty close. Laine and Lindholm is close too but Laine has higher upside and is also easily the best goalscorer out of anyone in Sweden or Finland.

Also players like Kakko, Lambert and Lundell coming, gap between forwards will grow quite much in Finlands favor. Defence gap will remain the same until Karlsson, Hedman and friends have retired.

Bäckström, Pettersson, Arvidsson and Forsberg are close. Sweden also have top quality forwards coming up, Raymond, Holtz, Gunler and Nybeck for example. As for defensemen, with the amount of top defensemen Sweden are producing, the gap will likely similar to be honest. Here are 12 defensemen better than all finns: Hedman, Karlsson, Gustavsson, Klingberg, Ekman Larsson, Dahlin, Ekholm, Lindholm, Klefbom, Edler, Strålman, Larsson.

 

[karhukissa]

Bäckström, Pettersson, Arvidsson and Forsberg are close. Sweden also have top quality forwards coming up, Raymond, Holtz, Gunler and Nybeck for example. As for defensemen, with the amount of top defensemen Sweden are producing, the gap will likely similar to be honest

Your credibility is 0 after saying that Larsson or Edler for example are better than Heiskanen Even OEL isn't better.

And those guys aren't on the same page with Kakko, Lambert or Lundell. We can agree that Swedish defence is going to remain better, but forwards isn't. Mental to even say otherwise.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Very true that tourneys aren't won on paper, but here are 12 better defensemen than the best Finnish one

Hedman, Karlsson, Gustavsson, Klingberg, Ekman Larsson, Dahlin, Ekholm, Lindholm, Klefbom, Edler, Strålman, Larsson.

Are they better than Heiskanen and Lindell?

 

[RorschachWJK]

Are they better than Heiskanen and Lindell?

What he said. Dahlin might become better than Heiskanen, though. The rest of bolded, just no.

 

[AB13]

Are they better than Heiskanen and Lindell?

Yes, they currently are. Dahlin is better than Heiskanen in every single aspect of the game and has better stats across the board in almost every defensive and offensive category, and is a year younger. Dahlin is a generational defenceman and Heiskanen is very far from that.

 

[AB13]

Are they better than Heiskanen and Lindell?

Yes they are, Dahlin, Lindholm and Gustavsson by 562 miles and the rest by a small margin. Dahlin has better stats in almost every offensive and defensive category, Gustavsson scored 60 points and Lindholm is very good at everything, one of the best all round defensemen in the world.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Yes, they currently are. Dahlin is better than Heiskanen in every single aspect of the game and has better stats across the board in almost every defensive and offensive category, and is a year younger.

I have now sufficient information about your thought processes. Goodbye.

 

[AB13]

I have now sufficient information about your thought processes. Goodbye.

Hard to argue with stats, even though they don’t tell the whole story. But even comparing f*cking Heiskanen to Dahlin is nothing short of a joke.

 

[karhukissa]

Hard to argue with stats, even though they don’t tell the whole story. But even comparing f*cking Heiskanen to Dahlin is nothing short of a joke.

i know it's hard pill to swallow that we're catching you up, but you'll do fine. Just close that bottle of absolut vodka and try to get some sleep

 

[AB13]

Your credibility is 0 after saying that Larsson or Edler for example are better than Heiskanen Even OEL isn't better.

And those guys aren't on the same page with Kakko, Lambert or Lundell. We can agree that Swedish defence is going to remain better, but forwards isn't. Mental to even say otherwise.

There is nothing OEL doesn’t do better than Heiskanen, and the others are still better. Raymond, Holtz and Gunler all look to go above Lundell in the draft according to most people. Raymond is just as good, if not better than Kakko as a prospect. You really are viewing the players from a blinkered perspective, just look at consensus and statistics.

 

[AB13]

i know it's hard pill to swallow that we're catching you up, but you'll do fine. Just close that bottle of absolut vodka and try to get some sleep

The stats show that we still dominate, your point is?

 

[Czechboy]

I think the Swedish roster looks comfortably stronger, for now at least.

Swedish best on best

Forsberg -Bäckström - Arvidsson
Landeskog - Pettersson - Nylander
Rakell- Zibanejad - Lindholm
Johansson - Karlsson - Nyqvist
Söderberg


Hedman - Karlsson
Ekman Larsson - Klingberg
Gustavsson - Ekholm
Dahlin

Lehner
Lundqvist
Markström

Finnish best on best

Laine - Barkov-Rantanen
Granlund - Aho - Teravainen
Hintz - Kotkaniemi- Kapanen
Lehkonen - Filppula - Donskoi
Haula

Lindell - Ristolainen
Heiskanen - Jokiharju
Maata - Vatanen
Nuutivaara

Rask
Rinne
Lankinen

That swedish d is hillariously good. If this was a best of 7 it would go 4-3.

 

[karhukissa]

The stats show that we still dominate, your point is?

You are delusional. No point to talk with you, like somebody else already mentioned.