From: euatno@eua.ericsson.se (Tomas Nopp)
Subject: Re: Too Many Europeans in NHL
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Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
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rauser@fraser.sfu.ca (Richard John Rauser) writes:



>   Ten years ago, the number of Europeans in the NHL was roughly a quarter
>of what it is now. Going into the 1992/93 season, the numbers of Euros on
>NHL teams have escalated to the following stats:

>Canadians: 400
>Americans: 100
>Europeans: 100

>   Please note that these numbers are rounded off, and taken from the top
>25 players on each of the 24 teams. My source is the Vancouver Sun.

>   Here's the point: there are far too many Europeans in the NHL. I am sick
>of watching a game between an American and a Canadian team (let's say, the
>Red Wings and the Canucks) and seeing names like "Bure" "Konstantinov" and
>"Borshevshky". Is this North America or isn't it? Toronto, Detriot, Quebec,
>and Edmonton are particularly annoying, but the numbers of Euros on other
>teams is getting worse as well. 

Is the answer as simple as that you dislike russians???

>    I live in Vancouver and if I hear one more word about "Pavel Bure, the
>Russian Rocket" I will completely throw up. As it is now, every time I see
>the Canucks play I keep hoping someone will cross-check Bure into the 
>plexiglass so hard they have to carry him out on a stretcher. (By the way, 
>I'm not a Canucks fan to begin with ;-). 

>Okay, the stretcher remark was a little carried away. But the point is that
>I resent NHL owners drafting all these Europeans INSTEAD of Canadians (and
>some Americans). It denies young Canadians the opportunity to play in THEIR
>NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE and instead gives it to Europeans, who aren't even
>better hockey players. It's all hype. This "European mystique" is sickening,
>but until NHL owners get over it, Canadian and American players will continue
>to have to fight harder to get drafted into their own league.

>    With the numbers of Euros in the NHL escalating, the problem is clearly
>only getting worse.

And where would canadian hockey be today without the europeans?? Dont say
that the european influence on the league has been all bad for the game.
I mean, look at the way you play these days. Less fights and more hockey.
Imho, canadian hockey has had a positive curve of development since the
70's when the game was more brute than beauty......

>    I'm all for the creation of a European Hockey League, and let the Bures
>and Selannes of the world play on their own continent.

Oh, look!! You don't like Finns either....

>    I just don't want them on mine.
Too bad almost all of you northamericans originates from europe.....

Hmmm... And what kind of a name is Rauser. Doesn't sound very "canadian" to
me. ;-)

PS. When analyzing teams like Italy, France and Great Britain you find that
a lot of their players are "Canadians" with double citizenship... DS
> 
> 
>-- 
>Richard J. Rauser        "You have no idea what you're doing."
>rauser@sfu.ca            "Oh, don't worry about that. We're professional
>WNI                          outlaws - we do this for a living."
>-----------------
>"Remember, no matter where you go, there you are." -Dr.Banzai
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