GDT: 2019 IIHF World Championships - Slovakia (Bratislava/Kosice) - May 10th to 26th

[broadwayblue]

And exactly who is assuming that?

 

[cwede]

like USA in the '90's, when the USNTDP was initiated, 10 years ago Finland decided to put more focus, effort, money, process and time into developing their young players, with International success in mind, and professional success as a by-product

... Finland has quite the crop of top young forwards. Barkov, Rantanen, Aho, Laine, Terovainen, Kotkaniemi... hard to remember when they've had more depth.

Never before. Kinda same on defense

In the N.H.L., Finland Is Now Here, There and Everywhere
In the N.H.L., Finland Is Now Here, There and Everywhere
"Neither the national team’s success nor its players’ prolific totals in the N.H.L. are coincidental. Beginning in 2009, Finnish officials made considerable investments and sweeping changes that gave greater continuity to player development. In 2014, after a disastrous under-18 world championship tournament that included a 10-0 loss to its archrival Sweden, the Finnish federation held a wide-ranging summit that emphasized individual skills like skating, puck-handling, shooting, balance and strength training"

Q&A: The architect of Finland’s golden generation explains the reasons behind the rise of Finnish hockey
Q&A: The architect of Finland's golden generation explains...
"In 2009, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association (FIHA) was so disappointed in its recent results that it called a nationwide hockey summit. There hadn’t been a gold medal at the World Junior Championship since 1998 or the Men’s World Championships since 1995. There had never been a men’s Olympic gold, an Ivan Hlinka gold, or a Women’s gold medal at the Olympics or worlds.
Finland’s NHL talent pool was also drying up. There were no Rantanens, Laines, or Ahos at that time – in fact, of the 1,076 players selected in the five NHL drafts up to and including 2009, only 14 came from Finland’s SM-liiga.
How did that change? How do you transform a small, under-resourced nation of five million people from international afterthought to a world superpower in just 10 years?
To change its course, Finland turned to a man named Erkka Westerlund."
...
Finnish Revolution Hits Frozen Four
Finnish Revolution Hits Frozen Four

 

[Player big P]

Could you imagine the chip on Hughes’ shoulder if he wasn’t selected first and went right across the Hudson? Talk about motivation

Yes but equally possible in that scenario is he crumbles emotionally and quits hockey forever to open an apple butter business

 

[Ghost of jas]

And exactly who is assuming that?

Larry Brooks and @Rangers in 7

 

[nyrage]

I could only watch the first period live and I was ecstatic watching that first goal. I can't believe that he stayed on his feet and still managed to score. Amazing.

Just got home and watched the rest of the game. I almost had tears of joy watching him make that defensive play and get the empty netter.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

And exactly who is assuming that?

Quite a few people actually

 

[cwede]

Larry Brooks and @Rangers in 7

i am quite certain Brook' tweet was sarcastic,
a nod to the fickle and knee-jerk opinions swarming the twitterverse and interverse

anyway, it couldn't matter less,
if somehow NJD did take Kakko,
NYR team and fans would smile and never look back

 

[Lone Ranger]

I always believed that Hughes was the superior talent; but the more I see of Kappo, I'm starting to believe that he is in fact, at this point in their development, the better player. The Devils will still draft Hughes, but that may have more to do with his marketability than any real talent advantage over Kakko.

 

[kelsier]

As accused earlier, here's my humble apology for being biased Finnish dick wearing blue-white glasses while stating Kakko being the best player from 2019 NHL draft:





...And I politely ask your forgiveness should I forget and let it occur again

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Wait he scored twice!?!!

 

[CaptTennille]

So here's the question, do I now watch Kreider, Skjei, Fox and potential NYR'er Jack Hughes beat up on Slovakia or do I watch my awkward son Filip (who is growing like a weed) play against that handsome guy in the locker room that he is kind of intimidated by and avoids eye contact with?

 

[aufheben]

I can’t wait until the draft is over and I don’t have to read about Jack Hughes lol

 

[Levitate]

Wait he scored twice!?!!

One was the EN

any good ways to watch this if I don't have NHL network?

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

One was the EN

any good ways to watch this if I don't have NHL network?

Unreal. Can’t ask for a better start.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Larry Brooks and @Rangers in 7

Larry Brooks tweet was the ultimate Troll Job.

Again, Shero does not have the stones to pass on Hughes.

 

[aufheben]

One was the EN

any good ways to watch this if I don't have NHL network?

Catch the next flight to Slovakia.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

devils are so going to take him haha

I mean, so what? If they do, the dream of Hughes becoming a Ranger somehow becomes a reality.

 

[aufheben]

Larry Brooks tweet was the ultimate Troll Job.

Again, Shero does not have the stones to pass on Hughes.

I wouldn’t bet my life on it but definitely a pinky toe or something.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Larry Brooks tweet was the ultimate Troll Job.

Again, Shero does not have the stones to pass on Hughes.

Shero knows the Hughes family
Jack Hughes trains with Hall in the off-seasons
NJD coach John Hynes is currently the assistant coach on team USA, working with Hughes closely

Kakko's team TPS has ties with the Rangers
Reunanen (2016), Virta (2017), Pajuniemi (2018) drafted from TPS
Georgiev signed as an NHL free agent from TPS
Rangers Finnish EU scout Mikko Eloranta played for TPS and still is close with them


It just makes sense for Hughes to go 1st, and Kakko 2nd

 

[FireGerardGallant]

I can’t wait until the draft is over and I don’t have to read about Jack Hughes lol

I mean Jack vs Kakko talk is prob gonna be a thing for the next decade so its gonna be hard to escape

 

[Fugazy]

I mean Jack vs Kakko talk is prob gonna be a thing for the next decade so its gonna be hard to escape

At least it won’t be speculation if we get one or the other.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Shero knows the Hughes family
Jack Hughes trains with Hall in the off-seasons
NJD coach John Hynes is currently the assistant coach on team USA, working with Hughes closely

Kakko's team TPS has ties with the Rangers
Reunanen (2016), Virta (2017), Pajuniemi (2018) drafted from TPS
Georgiev signed as an NHL free agent from TPS
Rangers Finnish EU scout Mikko Eloranta played for TPS and still is close with them


It just makes sense for Hughes to go 1st, and Kakko 2nd

Devils PR team has been going HAM on the Hughes stuff.

They only started posting some Kakko stuff recently, when they were probably instructed to do so.

And for the 3rd time, Shero doesn't have the stones. Even if Kakko ends up better, taking Hughes at #1 isn't the wrong choice.

 

[Levitate]

I wouldn't say "they don't have the stones" when it doesn't make sense for them to do it anyways. Right now it's still a no brainer.

That doesn't mean that Kakko isn't great or won't be great in the NHL

 

[Levitate]

Decent job by Fox to get back on a fast break and bump the guy crashing the net. Had to read the play and get his feet moving to catch up and get there to the front

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Kreider-Eichel-Keller is going to wreck teams.