European Leagues Thread

[Alessandro]

I posted those two lists of NHL prospects playing in the top two European leagues:
All NHL prospects in the KHL: http://thehockeywriters.com/thws-list-o ... n-the-khl/
All NHL prospects in the SHL: http://thehockeywriters.com/thws-list-o ... 5-edition/

This is great stuff Alessandro!

Is there anything similar for the European/Russian prospects playing in the CHL (WHL-OHL-QMJHL)?
It'd be really helpful for researching (I'm working on the Major Junior Leagues for the TBL Rosters, currently working on the QMJHL)

You can easily build such lists with eliteprospects. In the league page, at the bottom, there is a "players by nationality" section, where you can see all players split by nationality.

[Manimal]

I posted those two lists of NHL prospects playing in the top two European leagues:
All NHL prospects in the KHL: http://thehockeywriters.com/thws-list-o ... n-the-khl/
All NHL prospects in the SHL: http://thehockeywriters.com/thws-list-o ... 5-edition/

This is great stuff Alessandro!

Is there anything similar for the European/Russian prospects playing in the CHL (WHL-OHL-QMJHL)?
It'd be really helpful for researching (I'm working on the Major Junior Leagues for the TBL Rosters, currently working on the QMJHL)

You can easily build such lists with eliteprospects. In the league page, at the bottom, there is a "players by nationality" section, where you can see all players split by nationality.

Yes, but EP lists some guys as Russians, while the OHL list them as North Americans (Lazarev, Vertiy and Korostelev).
I know they are really Russians just that they don't count as such by the league

[Alessandro]

Yes, but EP lists some guys as Russians, while the OHL list them as North Americans (Lazarev, Vertiy and Korostelev).
I know they are really Russians just that they don't count as such by the league

They are 100% Russians, they just went to America younger and gained citizenship, not requiring the import draft. But they are Russians. Btw I wrote about Vertiy too: http://thehockeywriters.com/interview-w ... il-vertiy/

[Alessandro]

Well, I'm not even sure they gained citizenship, but anyway as they played in Canada, they weren't requiring the import draft.

[Manimal]

I don't think they got citizenship, but I had to add that to the db so they won't count as imports in the game

[batdad]

Live in North America , play in North America don't have to go thru import draft. Go they chl draft and rights to the league for area they live in. Only have to be here for draft year 14. Like David Musil.

[CJ]

ForNever is probably happy now that SaiPa (his team) is leading our Finnish SM-League.

[ForNever]

ForNever is probably happy now that SaiPa (his team) is leading our Finnish SM-League.

I've said this many times irl and I say it again: you shouldn't look at the standings before Christmas! Possibly not even then. This is because SM-League is so even and teams change positions all the time. Particularly in the beginning of the season for apparent reasons. Of course the team has been playing well and I'm happy with that, but still it means nothing if we won't make it to the playoffs in spring.

[Tasku]

ForNever is probably happy now that SaiPa (his team) is leading our Finnish SM-League.

I've said this many times irl and I say it again: you shouldn't look at the standings before Christmas! Possibly not even then. This is because SM-League is so even and teams change positions all the time. Particularly in the beginning of the season for apparent reasons. Of course the team has been playing well and I'm happy with that, but still it means nothing if we won't make it to the playoffs in spring.

You are correct. But it is also true, that wins in the beginning of the season are just as important as wins at the end of the season.

... not going so good for my Blues...

[ForNever]

So we just got clarification on the note that Kouvolan KooKoo will be promoted to the Finnish SM-League for the 2015-2016 season. Too bad no-one's going to get demoted, so we're not going to have every team in the League in-game since there are 15 teams next season. Guess I'll have to find a new team to support in Mestis (Fin-2)...

[CJ]

So we just got clarification on the note that Kouvolan KooKoo will be promoted to the Finnish SM-League for the 2015-2016 season. Too bad no-one's going to get demoted, so we're not going to have every team in the League in-game since there are 15 teams next season. Guess I'll have to find a new team to support in Mestis (Fin-2)...

It think it's best that we leave KooKoo out from Liiga in the next years DB.

[Tasku]

In a way I understand the logic behind promoting teams without demotion. If they (KooKoo, Sport, and so on) have strong enough market to support SM-Liiga hockey, then it makes sense to take full advantage of that market. Keeping potentially Liiga-worthy teams in Mestis just for the sake of having a certain number of teams in this league and a certain number in that league would just be a waste of potential.

[Manimal]

In a way I understand the logic behind promoting teams without demotion. If they (KooKoo, Sport, and so on) have strong enough market to support SM-Liiga hockey, then it makes sense to take full advantage of that market. Keeping potentially Liiga-worthy teams in Mestis just for the sake of having a certain number of teams in this league and a certain number in that league would just be a waste of potential.

True, but it would make Mestis better.
Here in Sweden, we will for nextseason add two more teams to SHL. After that it will become very hard to get promoted. Promotion/relegation has always added excitement to the game of hockey here in Sweden. Now we will probably see the level of play in Allsvenskan (our 2nd League) deteriorate as it will be harder to get a promotion and less teams will try to go for it.

[Tasku]

Good point. And yes, it does add excitement when you have promotions and relegations. But then again relegation could destroy a good SM-liiga team. One bad season and you're in the "nobody cares"-league.

[Lazion]

Now we will probably see the level of play in Allsvenskan (our 2nd League) deteriorate as it will be harder to get a promotion and less teams will try to go for it.

This happened in Finland back in days. In 90's our dear Mestis (II-divisioona) were indeed a good league, then they decided to remove competition by removing relegation and look what happened.. most of the good Mestis teams slowly became farm teams or just died away. Later they allowed promotion, but it was too late and top Mestis teams couldn't beat SM-Liiga teams in promotion series anymore.

[Tasku]

Now we will probably see the level of play in Allsvenskan (our 2nd League) deteriorate as it will be harder to get a promotion and less teams will try to go for it.

This happened in Finland back in days. In 90's our dear Mestis (II-divisioona) were indeed a good league, then they decided to remove competition by removing relegation and look what happened.. most of the good Mestis teams slowly became farm teams or just died away. Later they allowed promotion, but it was too late and top Mestis teams couldn't beat SM-Liiga teams in promotion series anymore.

I can't much remember the 1990's hockey-wise. I was too busy being a teenage dumb-pants, but I would say at least part of the gap between Liiga and Mestis can be pointed to the rise in professionalism and wages. Mestis just couldn't keep up.

Not to say that there isn't any truth to your statement, but I don't think closing the league is the only cause to the gap between Liiga and Mestis teams. Times have changed.

[archibalduk]

Biznasty is back in the EIHL! Albeit until he gets a better offer in NA, but still great to see him back for a while.

[batdad]

Canucks might assign MWE girlfriend Tom Sestito over there too. Where is Biz playing? Oh wait, he does not actually play, just trolls.

[archibalduk]

Cardiff. He had a couple of British teams expressing interest but he wanted to play for the Devils again.

He doesn't really need to try over here!

[batdad]

Biznasty not coming. Has a deal with Arizona and going to play in AHL for San Antonio.

[archibalduk]

Bit of a shame. But on the other hand it is a bit depressing how a borderline depth NHL player can tear it up in the EIHL!

[Manimal]

MODO of the SHL has signed.... Donald Brashear!

What use would a 42-year-old goon have playing on the big ice in Sweden in a league that suspends players that fight?

[philou21]

I laughed my ass off when I read the news on RDS. Ridiculous.

[batdad]

Forsberg knows him well, and if apparently if you look at how a few players on MODO got injured recently, the opinion is that they have been cheap shots and targeted because not tough enough. Needed someone, and Bissonette and Schultz were not available. Gino was going to go, but failed his medical, and unfortunately for the MODO team Pat Quinn is playing in God's league against Tikhonov.

[CJ]

Maybe some fan will buy a Donald Brashear jersey!