Doesn't anybody else think it's ridiculous...

[McGuillicuddy]

that Malkin is playing in this tournament?! Lets face it, while I do love it dearly, th WJHCs are almost never a contest of the best U20 players in the world (last year being a glorious exception). Each year the cream is scraped off the top by the NHL and the truly elite U20 players go off and play with their respective NHL clubs (Crosby this year, Nash in 2004, Kovalchuk, etc.). For the most part, this process affects most countries' U20 teams more or less equally, so no one team is put at a major disadvantage. This year is no different, with one glaring exception being Evgeni Malkin.

As we all know, for whatever reason (I can't recall at the moment), Malkin has remained with his RSL team, and they have chosen to release him to the tournament. A player who is among the RSL leaders in points is clearly a "junior" player in age alone. I think we can all agree that for Pittsburgh to have released Crosby for the WJHC would have been absurd, and doubtless the detractors of Team Canada would have been in uproar. I wonder then, why has a similar response not greeted the presence of Malkin in this tournament?

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[WVP]

I wonder then, why has a similar response not greeted the presence of Malkin in this tournament?

Because he's under 20.

Seriously though, it was a strange situation to begin with. It sounded like everyone involved wanted to save Malkin for the Olympics, but I guess their WJC coach pushed hard to get him on the team at the last minute. I don't think Malkin is at fault for this; after all, he is eligible.

 

[Holly Gunning]

It's not like he is running away with the scoring lead, either. He's tied with an 18-year-old Phil Kessel. I don't see the problem.

 

[McGuillicuddy]

Because he's under 20.

Seriously though, it was a strange situation to begin with. It sounded like everyone involved wanted to save Malkin for the Olympics, but I guess their WJC coach pushed hard to get him on the team at the last minute. I don't think Malkin is at fault for this; after all, he is eligible.

Yes, but so is Crosby. And I have no doubt whatsoever that it would be universally considered totally lame (especially by non-Canadian fans) if he were in the tournament this year.

 

[McGuillicuddy]

It's not like he is running away with the scoring lead, either. He's tied with an 18-year-old Phil Kessel. I don't see the problem.

To be fair, I don't think it's a "problem", as you put it. It just surprises me that there has been essentially no fan reaction. And you're right, he hasn't been a totally dominating force - and that may just be the answer to my question.

I'm sure that if Malkin comes out tonight and pots 3+ goals enroute to, lets say for argument's sake, a 4-2 victory, that Canadian fans will (perhaps not entirely unjustly) proclaim that if "we'd had our big gun too we'd likely have won".

 

[Kaizer]

but I guess their WJC coach pushed hard to get him on the team at the last minute. I don't think Malkin is at fault for this; after all, he is eligible.

Coach pushed him hard In every interview I've read with him he has said that he wanted to play at WJC, he wanted to win gold, he couldn't just stay at home and rest when his teammates would battle for honour of our country.

 

[#66]

Were you thinking the same thing last year about team Canada?

 

[Petey21]

They're all under 20 so they're all eligble to play, it's up to their respective club teams if they let them go or not. As for Crosby playing, I wouldn't mind that either, but it's up to the Penguins to decide. But it WOULD be lame if the Penguins had for example a 19-year old Swedish or Finnish player on their NHL roster as well, and would let Crosby go play for Canada but not let the other guy play for their country, THAT would be bizarre.

 

[McGuillicuddy]

Were you thinking the same thing last year about team Canada?

Perhaps I'm a bit thick, but I don't understand why I would possibly think that? Please explain.

 

[Rick Middleton]

Perhaps I'm a bit thick, but I don't understand why I would possibly think that? Please explain.

Are you asking whether playing on a professional team would disqualify Malkin from playing in the tournament?

 

[RayLeeCharles]

There are more players than just Malkin who are on team Russia that play in the RSL. There are kids from other countries who play in their respective countries pro leagues as well.

 

[tom_servo]

They're all under 20 so they're all eligble to play, it's up to their respective club teams if they let them go or not. As for Crosby playing, I wouldn't mind that either, but it's up to the Penguins to decide. But it WOULD be lame if the Penguins had for example a 19-year old Swedish or Finnish player on their NHL roster as well, and would let Crosby go play for Canada but not let the other guy play for their country, THAT would be bizarre.

Yeah, imagine that. If Pittsburgh had Crosby and Malkin on the roster, but only let Crosby go. There'd be outrage.

 

[#66]

Perhaps I'm a bit thick, but I don't understand why I would possibly think that? Please explain.

Patrice Bergeron played a full NHL year in 03-04.

 

[NyQuil]

Patrice Bergeron played a full NHL year in 03-04.

Yup, and despite all of Crosby's flash, Bergeron showed the professional saavy and was the most valuable forward on the team.

If Canada loses to this Russian team, they were better, that's all.

Most people wouldn't be too surprised by the result, given the discrepancy in talent this year.

 

[#66]

Yup, and despite all of Crosby's flash, Bergeron showed the professional saavy and was the most valuable forward on the team.

If Canada loses to this Russian team, they were better, that's all.

Most people wouldn't be too surprised by the result, given the discrepancy in talent this year.

I wouldn't undersell Canada at all. They have a great coach and ,while one player doesn't stand out, they have a great team. Plus I think that no one is going to match the Russians in skill, so if anyone is going to take out the Russians its going to be a lunch pail group. This Russian squad is by no means wimpy though. They took the physical play to the Americans and laid out some bomb hits the other night. It should be a great match up. It'll be interesting to see how Malkin handles the physical play and Downie in his face all night long.

 

[Drake1588]

If Crosby were playing on this year's U20 team, and he's under 20 years old, then all that says is that Canada has produced a generational talent who happens to be within the age requirements, and good for them. No one would have had a leg to stand on in protesting were he released to play, and then subsequently to play.

The Bergeron - Malkin comparison is apt. Both had elite league pro experience under their belts, but went back to the WJCs for their last years of eligibility. In my opinion, anyway, there's nothing wrong with that. If there's enough of a ground swell of opposition to players returning to the WJCs after going pro, toss it in the eligibility restrictions. Otherwise, fair game for one and all. Crosby would have been welcome in this tourney.

 

[NyQuil]

I wouldn't undersell Canada at all. They have a great coach and ,while one player doesn't stand out, they have a great team. Plus I think that no one is going to match the Russians in skill, so if anyone is going to take out the Russians its going to be a lunch pail group. This Russian squad is by no means wimpy though. They took the physical play to the Americans and laid out some bomb hits the other night. It should be a great match up. It'll be interesting to see how Malkin handles the physical play and Downie in his face all night long.

I watched every Canadian game.

They typically need 40-50 shots to score 4 goals.

I don't think they'll get that many against Russia, which means they'll have to keep the Russians from scoring.

This is a weaker Canadian squad than usual, in that, besides Boyd, there's no one who has consistent finish.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

While offense isn't as great in the past the defensemen are solid this year around. Bourdon, Barker, Parent, Staal, Russell, and Letang.

 

[WVP]

Coach pushed him hard In every interview I've read with him he has said that he wanted to play at WJC, he wanted to win gold, he couldn't just stay at home and rest when his teammates would battle for honour of our country.

Malkin definitely said that he wanted to play. I remember him jokingly saying he had to quit talking about it so Magnitogorsk wouldn't fine him.

And I didn't mean that the WJC coach pushed Malkin to play, but that he pushed the Olympic committee and his RSL team (who didn't want him to play too many games) to let him play. I could be wrong, but that's what I remembered. No big deal.

 

[Hedberg]

I think it's ridiculous...
He's not in Pittsburgh

 

[jcpenny]

Wheres the problem? Hes eligible so he has the right to be there. Also it gives us a chance to see him play.

 

[WVP]

I think it's ridiculous...
He's not in Pittsburgh

They tried. It was one of CP's main objectives in the offseason.

Sounded like Magnitogorsk and Malkin wanted one more year to try to win the RSL championship, then he'd come over without much hassle. Really, if they win the championship and Malkin is the league's best player at 19, he'd have no reason to play in that league (besides personal reasons).

 

[Kaizer]

Malkin definitely said that he wanted to play. I remember him jokingly saying he had to quit talking about it so Magnitogorsk wouldn't fine him.

Yes, I remember it too and I remember that it was joke

 

[Hedberg]

They tried. It was one of CP's main objectives in the offseason.

I wasn't aiming that at CP, but at the IIHF's transfer agreement the Russian's weren't part of.

 

[BuppY]

Yup, and despite all of Crosby's flash, Bergeron showed the professional saavy and was the most valuable forward on the team.

If Canada loses to this Russian team, they were better, that's all.

Most people wouldn't be too surprised by the result, given the discrepancy in talent this year.

Not if Jeff Carter had somethign to say about that.