Tuomo Ruutu

[Freudian]

180cm is about 5'8"-5'9". The official Hawks web site has him listed as 6'2" tall. As for his true height, I don't think that even his mother knows for sure, but the 6'2" claim has only added to the unrealistic expectations that people have regarding Ruutu this year.

1 inch=2.54 cm
180 cm=70,86 inch=6 ft 1 inch or 6'0" if you are strict.
6 feet 2 inch=72 inch=183 cm

Seem to be no unreasonable claim about height here.

 

[Slay]

1 inch=2.54 cm
180 cm=70,86 inch=6 ft 1 inch or 6'0" if you are strict.
6 feet 2 inch=72 inch=183 cm

Seem to be no unreasonable claim about height here.

180cm approximately 5'11

6'0=72 inch =182.88cm
6'1=185.42cm
6'2=187.96cm

 

[Freudian]

180cm approximately 5'11

6'0=72 inch =182.88cm
6'1=185.42cm
6'2=187.96cm

My bad. I don't know where I got the 70"=6' thingy from. Anway, if he is noticably taller than a guy thats 180 cm, him being 6'2" isn't out of the question.

 

[MaV]

How is it WAY better, if their top team loses to the 4th or 5th team in Finnish league? How are they WAY better if Finland has won the euro tour 4 years in a row with players mostly from finnish league?.

When did that happen? Usually when I've seen Russian teams playing in Finland during pre-season they've been very good. Magnitorgorsk was also very strong team in last years on EHL, clearly won the Finnsih teams back then.

 

[psycho_dad*]

When did that happen? Usually when I've seen Russian teams playing in Finland during pre-season they've been very good. Magnitorgorsk was also very strong team in last years on EHL, clearly won the Finnsih teams back then.

The unofficial "european club championship" last year, in the middle of season.

I am not talking about pre-season, those mean so little to me in any league or even any sports. On pre-season teams test different lineups and things like that...let the juniors impress.

Jokerit won the unofficial euro championships, close game, I think it was settled by penalty shots. But the point is, Jokerit was 4th or 5th at that time in Finnish league and clearly worse team than for example HPK.

 

[eh]

Jokerit won the unofficial euro championships, close game, I think it was settled by penalty shots. But the point is, Jokerit was 4th or 5th at that time in Finnish league and clearly worse team than for example HPK.

You can't really say that. Sure, Jokerit lacked that something last year, but the level of the top teams of SM-liiga was/is so close, there's no such thing as "clearly worse". I don't think that this is a good argument for defending the level of the Finnish league anyway. Swedish, German and Czech teams didn't take part in the Continental Cup. Jokerit was invited this year as the defending champions but they chose not to take part, as did the Finnish champions Tappara.

If you look at the list of players who have left Finland to play in Sweden, Switzerland and the NHL/AHL during the past years, that's a hell of a talent drain to replace. The level of the league has dropped, not dramaticly (yet, but it will if nothing is done), but significantly. Of course it's not just the level of individuals which sets the level of a league, but it's probably the most important factor. The Swiss league has some stars, but the general level of the league seems still to be well behind the other top leagues.

Most top Finns on their prime, who are not good enough/suitable for the NHL, are now playing in Elitserien. But the level of the league still might not be higher than that of SM-liiga, mainly because of the playing style which is apparently still even more defensive-minded than in SM-liiga.

I haven't seen any Russian league games, but the level of the young players they constantly produce and the level of the big name players signing there, it has to be at least on par with SM-liiga. I can't say anything about the Extraliga (the Czech league), I simply know too little about it.

On a sidenote, it's strange how some players who are hardly above average in one league (SM-liiga, Extraliga, Elitserien) blossom in another (and vice versa). There aren't any Finns playing in Extraliga, but I could name a few Czechs who were average Extraliga players and stars in SM-liiga. Also, I could name lots of average SM-liiga players who after crossing the Gulf of Bothnia are suddenly star material in Elitserien. Also some average Elitserien players have been great in SM-liiga. There are of course also opposite examples; some SM-liiga stars never were more than average in Elitserien, some top-20 point scorers of Extraliga who come to Finland end up back in the Czech Rep. before the end of the season etc. (This also includes NHL, of course. How Sami Salo made the jump from being an average SM-liiga defenseman in '97-98 to be an above average NHL defenseman in '98-99 still beats me.)