LW Yu Sato - Dynamo-Altay Barnaul, VHL (2020 undrafted)

[Gordon Graham]

Hey look it's Japan's next superstar hockey player!!!! Or not. The average NA kid following the same path has never been heard of, let alone had pages on HF boards. That Aito kids thread was my all time favorite of nonsense. A few dipsy doodle videos with Pavel Barber and some people hyped that kid like there is no tomorrow. Until there is a legit prospect worth discussing, these threads will be nothing by funny.

Superstar? Said no one on these boards...What IS impressive is that a kid from Saitama that has one hockey rink and a single house-league team, just signed a pro contract in the KHL. What's your hockey background, guy? How far did you go, Waitin from hockey hotbed Canada with a rink on every 2nd corner and AAA competition up the ying yang from the age of 5? Beer League? Now, that's funny!

 

[Gordon Graham]

That's just obfuscating how junior hockey works in Finland, he played exclusively 2nd tier hockey there which is not much of an achievement as far as pro careers go.

"obfuscate"? He played 12 games in the top tier...17pts.

 

[waitin425]

Superstar? Said no one on these boards...What IS impressive is that a kid from Saitama that has one hockey rink and a single house-league team, just signed a pro contract in the KHL. What's your hockey background, guy? How far did you go, Waitin from hockey hotbed Canada with a rink on every 2nd corner and AAA competition up the ying yang? Beer League?

Beer league is absolutely the best I've played yes. Sure it's impressive relative to Japanese hockey. But overall, it is not impressive in the least. Like I said, the average Canadian kid playing in a semi pro league would not get the discussion that some Japanese players on these boards have had. Aito's hype went two full threads. All because of ridiculous overhyping by people who think if you pump someone's tires hard enough they will make it to the show.

I said in the Aito thread a few years ago that he would have been destroyed in minor midget AAA hockey in Ontario....but some didn't want to listen. They proclaimed him a potential NHL talent. Lmao. Sure.

Back to beer league....who the hell cares? I happen to play beer league with guys who played pro in Europe, in the CHL and one who was drafted in the NHL (7th rounder). I never proclaimed to be a hockey superstar. Hell I played house league as a kid. I'm simply a fan on a forum discussing prospects. My take means Jack shit....unless of course I am right... like I am about this topic.

 

[Albatros]

He played 12 games in the top tier...17pts.

Meaning teams 11th to 20th in the Finnish system.

 

[Gordon Graham]

Beer league is absolutely the best I've played yes. Sure it's impressive relative to Japanese hockey. But overall, it is not impressive in the least. Like I said, the average Canadian kid playing in a semi pro league would not get the discussion that some Japanese players on these boards have had. Aito's hype went two full threads. All because of ridiculous overhyping by people who think if you pump someone's tires hard enough they will make it to the show.

I said in the Aito thread a few years ago that he would have been destroyed in minor midget AAA hockey in Ontario....but some didn't want to listen. They proclaimed him a potential NHL talent. Lmao. Sure.

Back to beer league....who the hell cares? I happen to play beer league with guys who played pro in Europe, in the CHL and one who was drafted in the NHL (7th rounder). I never proclaimed to be a hockey superstar. Hell I played house league as a kid. I'm simply a fan on a forum discussing prospects. My take means Jack shit....unless of course I am right... like I am about this topic.

"the average Canadian kid playing in a semi pro league would not get the discussion that some Japanese players on these boards have had" Fair enough, but the average Canadian kid didn't have to make his way out of a single house-league team in a single rink in the middle of "what the heck is hockey-ville". You can't swing a cat without hitting someone in a beer-league in Canada who played pro hockey somewhere...congratulations!

 

[BKarchitect]

I don’t think there’s a rule around here that a prospect has to be a certain “level” to talk about. It’s annoying when posters occasionally spam like multiple threads of prospects who may not have done anything noteworthy while providing zero insight and merely posting an EP link. And sure, there are plenty of threads you can search for here that tout very, very young players (Japanese or not) in a way that seems promotional with short “skill” compilations and no context.

But I have no problem with this poster updating / rooting for a guy like Sato who may not reach the level of serious NHL prospect but being from a non-traditional country has certainly made it farther than most from his region. It’s true, if he were some random Canadian or Finnish player in the exact same path I probably would care less about this kind of “news” and it’s true Torpedo under Larionov seem to be making odd moves and that the “new” KHL is clearly watered down. But Sato seems to be using this chance well and yeah, I do find it noteworthy that a Japanese player seems to have found his niche or at least earned chance in an important European league. He’s not some kind of revolutionary trail-blazer but it’s nice to see. So I appreciate the updates @Gordon Graham!

 

[Gordon Graham]

Meaning teams 11th to 20th in the Finnish system.

His 2nd tier stats:

24 games

28 goals

34 assists

62pts

His 1st tier stats:

12games

9 goals

8 assists

17pts

 

[Albatros]

His 2nd tier stats:

24 games

28 goals

34 assists

62pts

His 1st tier stats:

12games

9 goals

8 assists

17pts

1st tier would be teams 1-10, Sato never played there but for a second-tier U18 Mestis team that finished the season in the 11-20 group.

 

[FourQuarters]

Sometimes kids from non-traditional hockey countries have to travel farther to reach their goals. Even many European children need to move to NA at an early age for better opportunities. He may not make NHL, but so what? Even the vast majority of CHL kids won't.
It's great to see him get the chance and expect him to have a great season

 

[Gordon Graham]

1st tier would be teams 1-10, Sato never played there but for a second-tier U18 Mestis team that finished the season in the 11-20 group.

The 62pts in 24 are his U18 Mestis stats
The 17pts in 12 games are his U18 SM-Sarja stats

 

[Kshahdoo]

Larionov was his agent and it helps. Sure the kid looked good during preseasons, but let's be honest, it happens when players look great in preseason games and do nothing in the regular. We'll see if he shows something in games that matter.

 

[Albatros]

The 62pts in 24 are his U18 Mestis stats
The 17pts in 12 games are his U18 SM-Sarja stats

That's again obfuscating how the league system works. Sato played in U18 Mestis which is the second tier of competition. There's a spring stage that has the 10 best SM-sarja teams playing one another whereas the worst teams form a second-tier group with top Mestis teams. It's this lower group that Sato played in with very much B-class opposition. He never played top-level hockey in Finland.

 

[Gordon Graham]

That's again obfuscating how the league system works. Sato played in U18 Mestis which is the second tier of competition. There's a spring stage that has the 10 best SM-sarja teams playing one another whereas the worst teams form a second-tier group with top Mestis teams. It's this lower group that Sato played in with very much B-class opposition. He never played top-level hockey in Finland.

"There's a spring stage that has the 10 best SM-sarja teams playing one another whereas the worst teams form a second-tier group with top Mestis team"...His stats register as SM-sarga...Not Mestis and it wasn't "spring" that he played...it was from January, when he was called up to the top tier club

 

[Albatros]

"There's a spring stage that has the 10 best SM-sarja teams playing one another whereas the worst teams form a second-tier group with top Mestis team"...His stats register as SM-sarga...Not Mestis

Lower league to be precise, completely separate from the higher league.

 

[Gordon Graham]

Lower league to be precise, completely separate from the higher league.

Not U18 Mestis which was 62pts in 24 games, U18 SM-sarga...17 pts, 12 games. kHL...4 goals 6 exhibition games

 

[Gordon Graham]

Larionov was his agent and it helps. Sure the kid looked good during preseasons, but let's be honest, it happens when players look great in preseason games and do nothing in the regular. We'll see if he shows something in games that matter.

"it happens when players look great in preseason games and do nothing in the regular."...Of course, it also happens that players look crap and do nothing in pre season games and get cut as a result.

 

[Albatros]

Not U18 Mestis which was 62pts in 24 games, U18 SM-sarga...17 pts, 12 games. kHL...4 goals 6 exhibition games

Playing with names doesn't change the fact that you're talking about lower league and exhibition stats which are rather meaningless. Most recently his actual body of work is finishing 12th in scoring within his own team as a 20-year-old in the USHL.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Beer league is absolutely the best I've played yes. Sure it's impressive relative to Japanese hockey. But overall, it is not impressive in the least. Like I said, the average Canadian kid playing in a semi pro league would not get the discussion that some Japanese players on these boards have had. Aito's hype went two full threads. All because of ridiculous overhyping by people who think if you pump someone's tires hard enough they will make it to the show.

I said in the Aito thread a few years ago that he would have been destroyed in minor midget AAA hockey in Ontario....but some didn't want to listen. They proclaimed him a potential NHL talent. Lmao. Sure.

Back to beer league....who the hell cares? I happen to play beer league with guys who played pro in Europe, in the CHL and one who was drafted in the NHL (7th rounder). I never proclaimed to be a hockey superstar. Hell I played house league as a kid. I'm simply a fan on a forum discussing prospects. My take means Jack shit....unless of course I am right... like I am about this topic.

To be fair, most of the Aito Iguchi threads are winners like you shit talking children on a hockey forum

 

[waitin425]

To be fair, most of the Aito Iguchi threads are winners like you shit talking children on a hockey forum

Thanks Champ! I guess absolutely zero negative discussion about prospects should take place! It's all sunshine and lollipops. I prefer to avoid the child discussions and focus on true prospects.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Hey look it's Japan's next superstar hockey player!!!! Or not. The average NA kid following the same path has never been heard of, let alone had pages on HF boards. That Aito kids thread was my all time favorite of nonsense. A few dipsy doodle videos with Pavel Barber and some people hyped that kid like there is no tomorrow. Until there is a legit prospect worth discussing, these threads will be nothing by funny.

Weird take. It is not abnormal in any sense to talk about and root for players from
non-traditional hockey countries. That’s how the sport is grown. I think it’s cool to see the progression of Japanese hockey.

 

[Kshahdoo]

"it happens when players look great in preseason games and do nothing in the regular."...Of course, it also happens that players look crap and do nothing in pre season games and get cut as a result.

No questions. I really wish him to succeed but still am sceptical about his perspectives. Maybe Larionov actually sees something in the kid nobody has seen yet but a player just can't go from being a not very good USHL player to a KHL starter. And if he can then they just have to instantly fire his USHL coach...

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

Rocky's story isn't special because he's the greatest boxer. It's about what he's overcome just to step into the ring.

Good for Yu Sato to carve a career out for himself!

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Thanks Champ! I guess absolutely zero negative discussion about prospects should take place! It's all sunshine and lollipops. I prefer to avoid the child discussions and focus on true prospects.

I'm cool with negative discussion but there's a point where it just gets weird and petty. Like the Iguchi thread always rubbed me the wrong way because it was LOADED with mild racism and weird takes. A lot of people in North America seem to act like their leagues (whether it's USHL or the CHL) are loaded with non-stop top NHL prospects and these kids from smaller hockey nations couldn't possibly survive among them... despite constant examples of that just not being true.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Larionov was his agent and it helps. Sure the kid looked good during preseasons, but let's be honest, it happens when players look great in preseason games and do nothing in the regular. We'll see if he shows something in games that matter.

It helped him a lot that Larionov was his agent. That's how he got drafted by the Quebec Remparts and now why he signed a KHL deal.

 

[waitin425]

I'm cool with negative discussion but there's a point where it just gets weird and petty. Like the Iguchi thread always rubbed me the wrong way because it was LOADED with mild racism and weird takes. A lot of people in North America seem to act like their leagues (whether it's USHL or the CHL) are loaded with non-stop top NHL prospects and these kids from smaller hockey nations couldn't possibly survive among them... despite constant examples of that just not being true.

Fair enough. The racism has no place, agreed. But perspective on prospects development relative to their peer group in...let's say the big 8....should also factor in. The Iguchi thread and to extent this thread, hyping prospects without perspective, has the appearance of bias and unwarranted hype. People on here were drooling over Iguchis Pavel Barber hype videos....when they were just that....hype videos with no merit.

Give me a legitimate NHL prospect from any non-traditional market....and I will gladly cheer for them and follow along.

Give me a player, that at best can hang with AA players his own age, and I will remind you that there are hundreds if not thousands of kids in NA ahead of him.