Czecho-Slovakia is the best hockey country

[Deleted member 3032]

A team's depth beyond one roster doesnt matter when they are only playing 22 on a bench. Go ahead and make 27,584 Canadian teams, the top one is the one thats going to match up with the top "Czechoslovakian" team.

Depth beyond that Olympic team is a moot point when it comes to matching these teams up on the ice

I agree with what you're saying in that in terms of Olympics/tournaments the best team is all that matters, but I feel when it comes to thinking about the "Best Hockey Country" depth matters. It'd be one thing if Czechoslovakia had significantly better top end talent, but lacked depth past the top 30 or 40 players. You could argue both ways then depending on what you found more important. However, Canada's top end would be, at worst, equal to Czechoslovakia's with far more depth.

The only country that I think really has much of a shot of in the near future (30 years or so) of challenging Canada is Russia. They have the strong interest in hockey, the national heroes/legends, and an economy that should continue to get stronger and allow more of it's youth to be able to afford to play hockey.

 

[Pepper]

Imagine if Sweden and Finland were still one nation, it would easily beat czechoslovakia....

 

[Peter25]

Or imagine if Finland and RUSSIA was still a same nation!

Goal: Khabibulin, Kiprusoff
Defense: Zubov, Gonchar, Timonen, D.Markov, A.Markov, Zhitnik, Niinimaa, Malakhov
Offense: Fedorov, Kovalchuk, Koivu, Jokinen, Ovechkin, Zherdev, Frolov, Ruutu, Yashin, Kovalev, Zhamnov, Kozlov

 

[Hackett]

Compare the best players of each country:

Slovakia/Czech Republic: Gaborik, Hossa, Demitra, Chara, Hejduk, Vokoun
Canada: Heatley, Iginla, Thornton, Blake, Lecavalier, Brodeur

I'd take Canada over Slovakia/Czech Republic anyway.

I've thought to myself the same thing over and over.... you combine slovakia and the czechs together, you are just oozing with talent.

Just think about it. Even if you combine the czech population with the slovak population, you're still looking at only 15 million people which isn't even half the size of canada yet they are right there with canada as one of the top hockey powers in the world.

Not to mention that hockey is not exactly the #1 sport over there. Soccer is just as big, if not bigger over there. That just makes me in awe of their programs.

I am a canadian but I am not blinded by patriotism or bias. I have the upmost respect for the czechs and the slovaks.

 

[Streaker-man]

Or imagine if Finland and RUSSIA was still a same nation!

Goal: Khabibulin, Kiprusoff
Defense: Zubov, Gonchar, Timonen, D.Markov, A.Markov, Zhitnik, Niinimaa, Malakhov
Offense: Fedorov, Kovalchuk, Koivu, Jokinen, Ovechkin, Zherdev, Frolov, Ruutu, Yashin, Kovalev, Zhamnov, Kozlov

Hmmmm sounds nice. Hard working Finns combined with soft Russian hands and personal skill. Too bad the team spirit would be like the cold war.

 

[LannysStach]

i'm really glad somebody stated this thread. i've thought it for a long time, but being a born and raised canuck, i'd get tossed under a zamboni for suggesting to the hardcore red-&-whites i know.

Hasek's my favorite goalie of all time -- but it was really when they won in '98 -- and seeing how the country reacted -- it was like a national holiday there for a week.

i'm not smart enough to make these lists of players and compare them, but it's just an instinct i've had for a long time. remember how it was them in the finals against canada in that '76 series? they're just scary good. thanks for bringing this up.

 

[wassup77]

Did you type that with a straight face, seriously if you think that you really have no clue about hockey.

**** you

 

[Safir*]

hey!

Gaborik, Hossa, Demitra, Chara, Hejduk > Heatley, Iginla, Thornton, Blake, Lecavalier.

What about the goalies dude?

Canada has the best goaltending deepth in international Hockey.

 

[Peter25]

Hmmmm sounds nice. Hard working Finns combined with soft Russian hands and personal skill. Too bad the team spirit would be like the cold war.

you could be right about the team spirit.

 

[Douggy]

If the USSR were still together, The only possible additions would be Antropov, Irbe and Ozolinch. :lol

If the Czechs were still together, they would probably be the 2nd best hockey nation, IMO.

 

[MOGiLNY]

Yeah, I've thought about this for a while as well. Slovakia has produced a lot of stars recently, Gaborik, Hossa, Chara, Demitra, Palffy etc

Combining those players with the stars that are on the Czech team, and you have a powerhouse team.

Russia definitely suffered from the breakup of Soviet Union as well, but it's more of a hypothetical thing rather than anything concrete as the departed countries like Ukraine and Latvia barely produce anyone.

The thing with Russia is that the national team would have all of it's players on the roster, and the Mogilny-Fedorov-Bure line would be the best line in the world bar none. And these guys aren't the only ones who don't play for their country, the list is a bit bigger than that, but I won't bother listing them.

The main thing that bugs me is that in 91, when the Soviet Union broke up, everything in Russia went upside down and there was huge tormoil for the next few years, and hockey has really suffered from that as the coaches of junior teams and from hockey schools for little kids had little funding which made it exrtemely hard to grow any to players like the Soviet Union used to.

Just look at the Russian players. We have 35 year olds who were raised in the Soviet Union and who are starting to fade now, like the already mentioned Mogilny, Fedorov and Bure, then there very few good Russian players who are 25-30 years old. Samsonov, Datsyuk, Gonchar, Nabokov, that's all I can think off the top of my head, and then Russia finally started producing top talent again in 2000's where we exploded with Kovalchuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, Zherdev etc.

So because of the whole breakup, Russia missed an entire generation of players and is now left with aging superstars, a few players who are entering their prime, and lot of young potential stars.

I think it's safe to say that had Soviet Union been alive and well all these years, the Russian hockey system wouldn't have been as messed up as it is now.

Also, I'm not really into politics, but I think if the USSR was still around, then Bush wouldn't be so brave going into Iraq.

 

[Bill McNeal]

If the tectonic plates never moved, team Pangea would kick ass...

As for team Czechoslovakia:

Top notch offense for sure, arguably as good or better than any country. But that's about it. Their defense is not much better than the Czech Republic's by its lonesome, probably just adding Chara. Their goaltending situation remains the same as well, they don't have the world class starter that the Czechs had in Hasek. Vokoun is great, for sure, but he's no Brodeur or Luongo.

 

[Habs Icing]

To place those Slovaks on the team which Czechs are you gonna remove? I don't think the team improves that much more. The Czech and Slovak countries are producing some great players but I think the country to watch is the USA. Their program is starting to come around and I think they'll be the ones to rival Canada in the near future.

 

[espo*]

It would be interesting to see how good they would be........could they dominate? I'm not sure but i don't think so as Finland,,Russia,Sweden,and the United States have too many top end quality players to just get spanked by a Czecholslovakia team on a regular basis.......not just Canada. I think you underestimate the quality of the players playing in all the major hockey countries. Canada never even trailed in one game in the world cup and we basically had our "b" team defense playing out there while the Czechs pretty much had everyone on board with a couple of exceptions.Slovakia........welll they just looked out of their league in that tourney did'nt they? Your statement assumes a lot and frankly i don't buy it....but they would be scary no doubt.......it's just that all the teams i've mentioned are scary also.No...you would have to earn it. Canada used to beat you when you had a unified team so i don't see why they could'nt do it now as our young talent is great.

 

[cstu]

If the tectonic plates never moved, team Pangea would kick ass...

 

[ryz]

It was in a 1 game situation that in which Canada beat the Czechs in the World Cup. Lets think a little more broad here. Do you think the Czechs could have given Canada all they could handle in a 7 game series? I would think the answer would be NO. Even with the addition of the Slovak players they would not even take Canada to a 7th game in a series.

 

[Ismellofhockey]

Well what would a Czechoslovakian lineup look like?

Elias - Demitra - Jagr
Palffy - Lang - Hejduk
Gaborik - Handzus - Hossa
Zednik - Prospal - Satan
Bondra - Nagy - Havlat

Hamrlik - Chara
Kaberle - Zidlicky
Fischer - Kubina
Visnovsky - Spacek

Vokoun
Cechmanek
Prusek

That offence looks unstoppable, although on paper this team loses points to Canada on defence and goaltending.
Brodeur > Vokoun

Pronger, Blake, Foote, Niedermayer, Jovanovski, Brewer, Redden, Bouwmeester > Chara, Hamrlik, Kaberle, Zidlicky, Kubina, Fischer, Visnovsky, Spacek.

The Czeckoslovakian team also cannot produce a 2nd team of equal calibre while Canada can produce at least 1 more.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Imagine Team France if Napoleon had defeated the Russians.

 

[Roughneck]

Imagine Team France if Napoleon had defeated the Russians.

Or imagine Great Britain had they held onto the U.S. and Canada

 

[Jazz]

If the tectonic plates never moved, team Pangea would kick ass....

:lol

 

[An Ape called Yoko]

Finland used to belong to Sweden during a long period of time. So in that case, SWEDEN would have been pretty good with all those goalies.

 

[Buya89]

Compare the best players of each country:

Slovakia/Czech Republic: Gaborik, Hossa, Demitra, Chara, Hejduk, Vokoun
Canada: Heatley, Iginla, Thornton, Blake, Lecavalier, Brodeur

I'd take Canada over Slovakia/Czech Republic anyway.

I'll take Gaborik>Heatley
Hossa>Iginla
Demitra<Thorton by a mile
Chara>Blake (very close)
Hejduk>Lecavalier (not close)
Vokoun<Brodeur (not close)

 

[wilka91*]

What? What? What????????????????????

Ice hockey > hockey on paper

I think not many people understand that!

 

[hockeyfan125]

I'll take Gaborik>Heatley
Hossa>Iginla
Demitra<Thorton by a mile
Chara>Blake (very close)
Hejduk>Lecavalier (not close)
Vokoun<Brodeur (not close)

BLAKE IS NOT CANADAS BEST DEFENSEMAN.


Chris Pronger is , and he is a lot better then Chara, and is arguably the best defender in the NHL (Lidstrom).

Gaborik over Heatley is crazy. Whats crazier is these arent even our best players. Sakic is better then Lecavalier.

How about comparing the 3rd/4th lines of Canada to this supposed "super-power" of Czech Republic and Slovakia combined.

Doan, Smyth, Richards, St.Louis, Draper, Marleau, etc. Are miles, miles ahead of anyone that they could throw on the ice. MILES.

 

[jekoh]

Doan, Smyth, Richards, St.Louis, Draper, Marleau, etc. Are miles, miles ahead of anyone that they could throw on the ice. MILES.

Yes, miles ahead, and that's why they thrashed Czechia 8-0 in the World Cup despite being on foreign soil.