Hopefully Canada doesn't go the way of Sweden

[Rob]

seven, this season

Seven is a small number. Still, I can understand why some Swedish hockey fans may not be happy. Europeans who have developed at home have done much better than those who have gone to the CHL.

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

Losing repeatedly in a single tournament is not going to derail an entire country's developmental system.

In Sweden's case, they were developing a lot of young talent in the late 1980's and early 90's with the likes of Sundin, Forsberg, Lidstrom, Renberg, Naslund, etc. but outside of that crop, they never developed elite hockey players like that, and they haven't since, as you can sort of tell with where Swedes were drafted before 1989 and where they've been picked after 1993.

Mattias Öhlund? Per-Johan Axelsson? Marcus Nilson? Andreas Dackell? Kristian Huselius? Magnus Arvedson? Christian Bäckman? Daniel and Henrik Sedin? Niclas Hävelid? Henrik Zetterberg? Niklas Kronwall? Andreas Lilja? Fredrik Sjöström?

 

[cagney]

Mattias Öhlund? Per-Johan Axelsson? Marcus Nilson? Andreas Dackell? Kristian Huselius? Magnus Arvedson? Christian Bäckman? Daniel and Henrik Sedin? Niclas Hävelid? Henrik Zetterberg? Niklas Kronwall? Andreas Lilja? Fredrik Sjöström?

How many of these players can truly be called "elite" at this point? Ohlund is a star and Zetterberg appears to be on his way to good things. The Sedins might end up reaching thier vast potential but it's still not a certainty. It would be hard to make an argument for any of the others in my mind.

That said, Sweden isn't alone in thier rough patch. The US hasn't produced an "elite" player over the past decade or so either. There have been some good players produced but nothing like we saw during the late '80s and early '90s.

Either way, Canadians get too nervous about this kind of stuff. Every other hockey country on the planet wishes they had the kind of depth Canada produces.

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

How many of these players can truly be called "elite" at this point? Ohlund is a star and Zetterberg appears to be on his way to good things. The Sedins might end up reaching thier vast potential but it's still not a certainty. It would be hard to make an argument for any of the others in my mind.

That said, Sweden isn't alone in thier rough patch. The US hasn't produced an "elite" player over the past decade or so either. There have been some good players produced but nothing like we saw during the late '80s and early '90s.

Either way, Canadians get too nervous about this kind of stuff. Every other hockey country on the planet wishes they had the kind of depth Canada produces.

Yeah, It seems only Canada and Russia produces star-players these days. That many czech players haven't come to NHL last years either.

But it seems we in Sweden are at some kind of turning point at the moment, or maybe it is just in my dreams... but the players who will be drafted these coming years I have great hopes in. But this hopes have been ruined before. Will we ever see a new Forsberg? Probably not.

 

[Predatore]

I think we will actually, but those SUPERSTARS come along once per decade at most, for a 'small' nation like Sweden.

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

I think we will actually, but those SUPERSTARS come along once per decade at most, for a 'small' nation like Sweden.

I really hope you're right. But I don't see anyone yet.

 

[BigMac1212]

Yeah, It seems only Canada and Russia produces star-players these days.

What? No Americans are star players? Not even Geurin or Rolston?

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

What? No Americans are star players? Not even Geurin or Rolston?

I didn't say that. You got many starplayers but they're all around 30, where are the new players? You can't live with Roenick, Modano, Weight and Hull forever.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

What? No Americans are star players? Not even Geurin or Rolston?

His point was, the last decade hasn't really seen the drafting and development of an elite American player. Even a guy like Guerin was drafted in '89. The 90s and 00s have seen the introduction of guys like Drury, Gomez, Legwand, and York, all good players, but not exactly elite. It's all cyclical anyway. I'm much more confident a star, maybe superstar American player will come out of the last few drafts.