I miss Johan Franzen - Current similar players?

[Appleyard]

An average liiga game has 20 more real hits than the SHL. SHLs rinks are huge and only the hate matches between rivals get fired up physically.

I still think the average SHL game is more physical watching both. Liiga teams go to the net less, less boardplay even on the slightly smaller rinks.

Albeit one of the nastiest games I have ever seen in person was HIFK vs Jokerit!

 

[mattihp]

Johan Franzén was a joy to watch. In the SHL he was more of a lower line playmaker who could protect the puck well. He completely reinvented himself in the NHL, and he came late to boot!

 

[mattihp]

I still think the average SHL game is more physical watching both. Liiga teams go to the net less, less boardplay even on the slightly smaller rinks.

Albeit one of the nastiest games I have ever seen in person was HIFK vs Jokerit!

There might be more hugging in the corners in the SHL, but hitting isn't an SHL thing.

 

[Appleyard]

There might be more hugging in the corners in the SHL, but hitting isn't an SHL thing.

Open ice hits hardly happen anywhere these days with regularity though...

albeit the most fun hitter in SHL might be a Finn in Juhani Tyrväinen! Has a few big ones a year.

But I dont think there is a big disparity between the two really. Just more play in SHL around the net and in corners. Most "NHL" style league in Europe.

 

[Honest M]

Yup Franzen was special. I remember him getting slashed and targeted extremely hard by the Russians in the WC final?... guess 2010 ... ? Wouldn't back down no matter what. All the best to you Johan.

Edit: Hahaha had to check it up and it was 2012, and it wasn't any final. well the right decade anyway

 

[grewalwings]

I miss the mule, Z, Pavel, Lidstrom, hell even Dan Cleary

 

[Boxscore]

Franzen was a very talented player--gifted hands--big lefty. A modern day comparable to me is someone like Mikko Rantanen, although Rantanen is clearly a higher-end producer.

 

[Diglett]

Good call. I heard the recent Spittin Chiclets interview with Kris Versteeg, who briefly played in the Swedish leage at the end of his career. He said that the refs don't call anything and the play is actually rougher than the NHL because of that. I had no idea, but it might explain why Swedish hockey players are so damn tough.

Swedes are tough?

 

[Boxscore]

Swedes are tough?

Why wouldn't they be? Salming, Forsberg, Samuelsson, Landeskog, Holmstrom, Hornqvist, Ragnarsson, etc. were as tough as you get.

 

[JoVel]

I enjoyed his nose broken by Yemelin because he deserved it.

Emelin was a big piece of trash himself.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Franzen was a bit of a pest?

This is about as close as it got. He's was world class at trolling his team mates on Instagram though

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Gary Roberts is a disgrace? Care to share thoughts on Kronwall? He was glorified for giving players concussions.

He never ever head-hunted.

In fact, he even made most of hits hit with his back, not elbow/shoulder.

 

[Jysk]

Why wouldn't they be? Salming, Forsberg, Samuelsson, Landeskog, Holmstrom, Hornqvist, Ragnarsson, etc. were as tough as you get.

samuelsson tough ? Dirty Coward is what he was .

 

[Boxscore]

samuelsson tough ? Dirty Coward is what he was .

Dirty, yes. Coward, no. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he got abused right back. If he was a coward, he wouldn't have instigated and put a huge target on his back.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Johan Franzén was a joy to watch. In the SHL he was more of a lower line playmaker who could protect the puck well. He completely reinvented himself in the NHL, and he came late to boot!

Iirc Franzen had admitted to Swedish media that he had severe anxiety and manic depression/bipolar disorder and some times literally didn’t want to score because he was afraid to be interviewed.

 

[Atas2000]

Emelin was a big piece of trash himself.

Hurt feelings? Yemelin was one of the cleanest hitters in the game. And Franzen got in that game exactly what he asked for with all the dirt he comitted.

 

[JoVel]

Hurt feelings? Yemelin was one of the cleanest hitters in the game. And Franzen got in that game exactly what he asked for with all the dirt he comitted.

lol

 

[jetsforever]

5-goal game too!

 

[Buck Naked]

Good call. I heard the recent Spittin Chiclets interview with Kris Versteeg, who briefly played in the Swedish leage at the end of his career. He said that the refs don't call anything and the play is actually rougher than the NHL because of that. I had no idea, but it might explain why Swedish hockey players are so damn tough.

He referred to the slashings, hookings etc., a well known problem in SHL that they're addressing this year. It's not a very physical league. The only time it gets physical is when a goalie covers the puck. 9/10 times there's a scrum with gloves in faces.

 

[Atas2000]

lol

Glad you're happy over an issue of instant karma.

 

[Go Wings]

His best highlight is when he grabbed Patrick Kane's mouth guard, while Kane was chewing it, and threw it on the ice.

 

[vippe]

I've tried to find a goal he did, where he after he scored just went through the goalie because he had been targeted all game long. He had it and took it out on the goalie :p

 

[Marky9er]

I always think of that slash by McClennan and how Franzen's series clinching 2OT goal basically ended McClellan's career.

 

[The Red Line]

Yeah Franzen was a beaut when he was healthy. Had some great highlight reel goals, was a solid two-way player, used his size very well for playmaking and goalscoring.

He was definitely an underrated pest too, as evidenced by people losing their freaking minds against him:

 

[Ezekial]

Gary Roberts is a disgrace? Care to share thoughts on Kronwall? He was glorified for giving players concussions.

Nik Kronwall never punched anyone in the back of the head or hit people away from the puck. Sure some hits were late, but every player has thrown a late hit by the time they make the nhl.