Sens of Anarchy
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Thanks
I haven't followed the situation, but I thought he was not on the initial preliminary roster
WJC: 2021 Russia Roster Talk
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I haven't followed the situation, but I thought he was not on the initial preliminary roster
Caser
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He wasn't, but the initial reason for that was the lack of IIHF clearance.
Sens of Anarchy
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Caser
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Reportedly he had some unspecified minor cardiac issues. He underwent an in-depth examination in Germany back in September and they have given him clearance, which was enough for the KHL and for the Canes, but not for the IIHF.
SoundAndFury
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I don't think he is going to be playing center either nor is he a natural at that.
Because in Russia it's simple: if you are right-handed coach tells you as a child you are shooting left. If you are lefty - right. Only ~10% of world's population are lefties therefore team of 25 members only has 2-3 of those.
It wouldn't surprise me if during the Soviet days lefties had to shoot left anyway due to the lack of equipment and such, especially those from smaller towns.
Henkka
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That's like 1987 Canada Cup team, Valeri Kamensky as the only righty.
Still could handle all Gretzkyes, Lemieux's and Messiers'.
Caser
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Spiridonov is a center, but yeah, looks like he will be LW in this tournament.
Also have to consider the fact that for little kids when they just start playing hockey (I guess nowadays it is at the age of 4) it is not easy to hold the stick on the right side (unless you're a naturaly left-handed) for too long, as the proportions of the workload among the hands are different than when it is held on the left side. It's not an issue for grown ups, but at that age the muscles are still very weak, so it matters.
SoundAndFury
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I don't think he played a single game as a center at the KHL level, has he in the VHL?
Regarding kids, it's kinda the other way around. Both their arms are so weak at that point it makes next to no difference, they themselves feel almost no preference. That's why Western countries have no problem pumping out righties who shoot right.
Caser
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Before Spiridonov moved to SKA he has played at center in the VHL and, obviously, in MHL too.
As for the hands, I can certainly recall an interview of a right-shooting player thanking his father for forcing him to hold the stick on the right side even though it was hard for him. Which makes sense, as if you imagine that your hands are very weak it is clear that you will prefer to distribute the load between hands, which isn't the case when your strong hand is used primarly, but if you hold it on the left side (assuming you're right-handed, of course) it will be distibuted more evenely.
Henkka
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Caser
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Not exactly a clue, more like a guess:
Amirov-Khusnutdinov-Podkolzin
Gritsyuk-Safonov-Chinakhov
Groshev-Abramov-Afanasyev
Spiridonov-Bardakov-Firstov
Bashkirov, Ponomaryov
D combos are unpredictable at all, maybe aside from the likely Mukhamadullin-Chistyakov pairing.
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Great to see so many players that chose to play in North America make the squad.
There is no such thing as an off side if you play it right. I see it as more of a typical North American approch, no offence. The obsession with stats and calculating the game is real in North America. Building teams based on handedness appears to be part of it. While after thorough discussion most people agree that stats and schemes can help, but they do not ultimately win games.
The dominance of lefties is obviously due to teh absurd parents(a lot of them obviously) who think they should turn a leftie kid into a rightie(obviously the opposite side applies in hockey), because "he will have it easier in life". I was a leftie myself and they taught me to be rightie, ultimately resulting in me bcoming a more of ambidextrous, which I love and am thankful for now. I remember as a kid my dad would just take me to the stor e and let me pick a stick. So exactly at that age when it is decided left or right I guess I had a couple of "odd" years. My first hockey stick was a LHS, then for a couple of years I had a RHS(at age 11-12 maybe), ultimatley settling for left now. Probably the same happens to those kids who are born lefties, but are taught to be righties.
Henkka
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Handnesses hasn't been much of a factor for forwards lately. But they are big factor for defencemen.
No RhDs will be a weakness for this team. Those lefties on the right side D are always in trouble.
No RhDs will be a weakness for this team. Those lefties on the right side D are always in trouble.
Larionov is a player agent who markets his clients to the NHL (unless he has severed his ties with agency, of which I am not aware). Whether that is a conflict of interest, I'll let you be the judge. At any rate, at a minimum, it would be counterproductive for his personal business to let close calls in player selection to be resolved in favor of Russia-based players. That would hurt his business. All of this, of course, is based on whether he still functions as a representative for players negotiating with North American pro teams. Being selected to the national U20 WJC team is a big advantage in seeking lucrative contracts to play pro hockey.
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
It would hurt his chances of winning as well. That hasn't stopped Russia from neglecting their North American developed players in the past, though.
North american developed players are just worse players. That os why they were "neglected". It's performance based and nothing else. If those playing in NA were good enough they always played. Those are again weird conspiracy theories.
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Yeah, adepts of NA narratives are a sect with strong beliefs. Why don't those neglected players pan out later?
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Why don't all players that stay in Russia pan out?
Are Russian players so different from those of other European nations? I'd be willing to bet that there are great Russian coaches and great North American coaches out there.
Don't try to sneak out of it. We are talking about players who you tell us are good enough for the russian WJC team or even better than the players on those WJC teams, but are skipped over just because they play in NA. You introduced the premise, so stick to it. We are not talking about just all players.
So name the players who weren't on Russia's WJC teams because they were actually good enough, but were not selcted due to them playing in NA and then panned out. As well as the players who you say were worse or same level players taking their places on the junior NT, but did not turn out as expected.
I can give quite a few names that prove the opposite.
Russian players are no different, but they come from a different development system. It has been discussed often enough. It is the specific jump from the unfinished development in the russian system to the NA system that hurts their development. Not the fact that some leagues were better than others or better or worse coaches.
SoundAndFury
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Not really sure what your point is. Any notable omissions among those who didn't make it? Especially in a year when CHL isn't happening and even those who did go the NA route had to come back anyway, like Chayka and Afanasyev.
Maybe some Russian posters do go overboard a bit but this is exactly the kind of narratives they are talking about. Maybe there were at least some merit to it in the past but this year there is like nothing, nothing at all in terms of guys who would be even close to making this team on merit.
From the standpoint of development of Russian hockey, it just makes more sense to have a policy that, in close calls on player selection, gives preference to players who play in Russia entertaining Russian fans. NHL money flows exclusively to NA team owners that have NA business objectives that do not benefit Russian hockey in any form. Meanwhile, the KHL and VHL are trying to develop hockey teams that excite local fans and create local business benefits. For Russia, when the best players go to NA, it is a lose-lose proposition. Look at Ovechkin for instance. He makes a multi-million dollar salary, but he is generating billions of dollars in revenue for the Washington Capitols owner, who is not Russian and does not live in Russia. So when it comes to player selection for elite players representing the country, no apologies for favoring Russia-based players are required!
Sens of Anarchy
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The bolded is utter nonsense. Not even in the worst years was there ever a shortage of hockey sticks. Maybe they weren't the finest, but they definitely were good enough and available. And of course both left and right-handed. Also since the 70s there always were finnish sticks to be had. The SU had various trade agreements with Finnland, so we had a lot of finnish stuff, including hockey sticks
It is also completely irrational to assueme coaches would teach that into kids. It's the parents, just as I have already written before.
