Official™ 2007 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk

[Snowmon]

You're also missing my point though. I never said that European captains were bad or in any other way inferior. What I said was; if the core of your team (the four or five guys your team is built around) are not North American you're going to have a tough time winning the Stanley Cup.

The one player that is the "captain" of the team is a lot of times irrelevent, it's that core group, of which the captain is usually part of, that get its done. I'm also not saying that the core group has to be 100% North American, just that if 3 or 4 of the five guys aren't North American... you're going to have more trouble getting there.

You might think its shortsighted, but you are simply denying the facts that are engraved on the Stanley Cup. Other than the Red Wing teams of the late 90's, I can't think of any other teams with a non-North American core with their name on the cup.

Maybe I'm wrong about the Wings being the only ones I can think of, and if I am I await your list of non-North American core cup winners.

[batdad]

The point being Snowmon---Teams have not had Eurocores, or Eurocaptains for very long at all. You could probably list teams with Eurocores on one hand. it is the same point as with Euro captains...And I did not miss it. Notice my point about Eurocores in the last post I made.

Vancouver, Rangers, Detroit..who am I missing? And in the past, very few others. The three teams I listed here are very very competitive in the NHL...and are very very close to making the next step.

The point being is whether you want to use Euro captains (which in your first post you did), or Euro core (which is now what you are using) as comparisons for cup champions....we are not very far away from blowing this silly theory based in Canadian fears (the media) that Canada is the Greatest of all hockey nations forever and ever amen, and lord help anyone that threatens it.

The only thing they (media and Canada hockey boosters) can use now to make their point on this is the Stanley Cup...and that is a misnomer considering the short history of Euros in the NHL. Especially in any kind of numbers that would compromise a core of a team. With only 3-7 teams with Eurocores now...at the most...the odds are not high...and darn they are close.

[Snowmon]

Well Batdad, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

But please re-read my first post on the subject before you say that I'm changing from Euro-captains to Euro-core. My first post on the matter clearly stated that the captaincy thing wasn't really the issue as I saw it, it was the CORE of the team.

And I've never stated anything else.

[eme]

Sorry to go back on topic here, even if a bit late, but Congrats Teemu! You really deserved it, although playoffs might not have been the best hockey you played this season, but still, i'm really glad you finally got your name on the cup!

[batdad]

Yes very happy for Teemu. Not so happy for Bombastic Burkey. However, I do kind of like him, so congrats Burke!

Rumour has it that Teemu may retire on top. Leaving the Ducks a little more money to deal with Giggy if they want.

[eme]

Yes, Teemu has yet to reveal his plans about his future, even though pretty much every tv channel and newspaper in Finland keep asking him the question day after day.

I don't think he should retire. I mean, sure, pointwise his postseason wasnt as good as maybe expected, but he was a force during the regular season, and I think he still has what it takes to achieve atleast ppg next season. Then again only thing he is yet to achieve is a victory from some big international competition, and he's unlikely to achieve one, atleast as a player, so who knows if he has enough motivation to keep on playing.

It would indeed help the Ducks to keep Giggy though if Teemu is to retire.

[Kekkonen]

Well, he's still about 2 seasons from the 600 goal mark, so...