Finland's status and reputation in the hockey world (merged)

[urho]

These olympics are even more amazing than those before. Finland's 4 best centers are injured and their #1 defenceman had a career ending injury last year. Fighting for medal is something very special for this team.

 

[Past Considerations]

However, we've proved many times that we play as a TEAM. We have great goaltending, great coaching and we play a great two-way game. Also, Barkov, Määttä, Granlund, Armia, Vatanen, Pulkkinen, Salomäki, Haula and so on are 4 years older. Hell, Markus Granlund is looking really good in Abbotsford Heat right now (leading AHL rookie scoring I think). Mikko, Filppula, J. Jokinen and Rask are still likely playing on a good level. I'd say Finnish hockey is in a good place right now. We should be even better in 4 years.

If we now have an aging team, in 2018 we instead might have a very young team. And of course, "no chance for medals".

 

[Maestro Ville Leino]

I wrote something about this in an earlier thread:

There is an organization called "Nuori Suomi", Young Finland. Their aim is admirable, to make sure more kids play sports. They also want to make sure even the less skilled kids get to play. They had a long partnership with the Finnish hockey federation and the hockey bosses here followed their instructions, for example the maximum number of training games kids can play. The federation leader Kalervo Kummola even got an award from the organization.

When Finland won the WJC this year, Kummola stated that our junior programs had many awful years because of the "everyone plays and Nuori Suomi-mentality", he said that the hockey federation was to blame for not realizing that while Nuori Suomi had a great goal they were also holding back the most talented young players. Kummola stated that removing some of the Nuori Suomi guidelines had started in 2010 and that Finnish junior hockey was starting to revitalize.

Kummola is a very stubborn man, there has to be some truth behind it if he admits making a mistake.

Poor excuses by Kummola, there is no way that Nuori Suomi affected that much Finnish junior hockey. In fact if anything it gave a chance for a lot of young kids to overcome their initial weaknesses when just starting to play hockey. Kummola is full of bull as always.

P.s. These kind of "communist" (= social democratic) policies work quite well elsewhere in the society as well; give guy a chance and he usually does something with that chance.

 

[latvianhockeyfan]

Hockey is really only a 6 nation sport. So top 4 in itself puts you in the middle percentile.

It's the same in every sport.
Football, basketball, not 6, but not more than 10.
Others are not - medal contenders...

 

[Kharkov]

P.s. These kind of "communist" (= social democratic) policies work quite well elsewhere in the society as well; give guy a chance and he usually does something with that chance.

Dont go into those political comparisons. While I may agree with some of them they still are stupid and sounds ridiculous.

 

[Maestro Ville Leino]

Dont go into those political comparisons. While I may agree with some of them they still are stupid and sounds ridiculous.

I wasn't the one who brought it up.

 

[stolpioni*]

It's all a cycle. The Czech were dominant with Hasek and Jagr, even won Olympic Gold. Now, I'd likely rank them #6 in the World.

Look at Germany. They were the 8th best nation the early 2000's, now are likely behind countries like Danemark, Switzerland, Latvia and Slovenia. BUT they will come back strong, with Draisitl looking like a stud.

Likely, Canada will always be #1 and Russia #2 on paper. Those are two big countries that have hockey as a religion. USA and Sweden have been #3 and #4 for a while (again on paper) with the Czech, Finland and Slovakia (who are free falling) coming after.

Finland is saving face right now. This is a weak year for them (except in goal) yet they still managed to beat the Russians. They have a ton of injuries and didn't even have that good of a roster to begin with. They also won the WJCs. They have a TON of great young players coming in, so I see them moving up perhaps even above Sweden (on paper) pretty soon.

But Finland is proving that hockey is a team played on ice, not on paper.

But it's still a cycle.

Meh...If you watched the WJC final you would remember that Sweden dominated that game. Finland just scored 2 easy (lucky) goals and then trapped.

Sweden has probably had the strongest teams for the last 4-5 years in WJC. I don't know the statistics...but for as long as I can remember, they've been in the final (gold or silver) pretty much every single year.

 

[syc]

Top 4 for a while already have been Canada / USA for North America and Finland / Sweden for Europe. Which also could be the semifinals btw.! Which would mean that really the best play the best for the medals.

It's just too bad we won't get a chance to see the two best teams on the planet battle for the gold for a second time.

 

[crowi]

It's just too bad we won't get a chance to see the two best teams on the planet battle for the gold for a second time.

Two best teams will compete for gold. Perhaps you mean two best papers won't compete for it.

 

[T1K]

I'd say so, Finland will only continue to get better as well, they have some young stars in the making.

 

[begbeee]

Definitely.

No order but clear cut: Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland.
Former powerhouses: Russia, Czechs, Slovaks

You know where money are and/or no corruption in society.

 

[FinRuutu]

1998 Bronze
2002 6th place
2006 Silver
2010 Bronze
2014 Semi Final.

They have been consistently good in the Olympics when NHL players participate.

Not Olympics but theres also that World Cup silver from 2004, which was best on best.

 

[Reds4Life]

Finland always plays like a team. Top4 for sure.

 

[aphyro]

As a member of this pessimistic nation, I didn't have much faith in this team before the tournament with all the injuries. Now that I have faith, we have to play the swedes, so I'm back to beginning. Sweden is our biggest cryptonite. At least they don't have Sundin anymore.

Haha i would say that Finland is Swedens biggest cryptonite

But the best games in hockey is between Sweden and Finland

 

[FinRuutu]

Haha i would say that Finland is Swedens biggest cryptonite

But the best games in hockey is between Sweden and Finland

Never good for your health though. I'll have my nitros ready. Have to watch the game at work so I can't just get hammered before the game.

 

[aLus]

The big 3 are Finland, USA and Sweden.

Russia and Canada are overrated.

 

[Ewan McGregor*]

Finland has overtaken Sweden and Russia. Easily 3rd behind Norway and Latvia

 

[QnebO]

I'm sure Canada has as good energy players as Komarov, Pihlström.. maybe better.

The question is:

Will Canada EVER form a team that has other roles than the star-player role, or will it just always be allstar hockey? I bet no, but it would be fun to see if Canada tried to make best possible team, that were build NHL style, what would it be.

 

[tuozzi]

I've always considered these top-this-or-that-lists a bit silly. It's more or less a continuum from Canada all the way to Spain or whoever is at the bottom. Drawing a line to distinct whatever top group is just arbitrary.

 

[Ewan McGregor*]

will it just always be allstar hockey?

not even now because Kunitz is on Team Canada

but seriously though, can you imagine Marchand and Gallagher on the 4th line? that'd be great imo

 

[Spinkis]

I don't think it's a top 4 but a top 5.

 

[Dennis Bergkamp]

I'm sure Canada has as good energy players as Komarov, Pihlström.. maybe better.

The question is:

Will Canada EVER form a team that has other roles than the star-player role, or will it just always be allstar hockey? I bet no, but it would be fun to see if Canada tried to make best possible team, that were build NHL style, what would it be.

If a GM forms a team like that and they don't win gold, his reputation will be ruined for trying something that will be deemed "idiotic" by the public after the fact.

 

[Keke]

These olympics are even more amazing than those before. Finland's 4 best centers are injured and their #1 defenceman had a career ending injury last year. Fighting for medal is something very special for this team.

#4-5 D retired due concussion. We have once again a great team and I'm sorry Erkka that I misjudged your magic in some selections

 

[Fergus]

If Russia and Finland would play 100 games Finland would win about 35 of them. People don't understand the huge variance of one game and even in best of 7-series the better team doesn't always win. It's basic math.

So no, there's no top-4.

 

[crowi]

If Russia and Finland would play 100 games Finland would win about 35 of them. People don't understand the huge variance of one game and even in best of 7-series the better team doesn't always win. It's basic math.

So no, there's no top-4.

Suuuuure, whatever you say....