GDT: May 7 • Sweden vs. Germany

[Nordic*]

Looks like he lounged the top of his head/his helmet in #14s face, almost like a headbutt.

 

[LiveeviL]

I'm not sure if it's a hockey problem specifically, we pretty much suck at all sports except one. Our handball team also failed to qualify for olympics and the world chammpionship and there's way less excuse for them than the hockey team

Perhaps so, but heck you got the mass of population and the resources. Get a program God dammit!

 

[PTmbp13]

It was a Helmut to the face

 

[eyetest is useless]

Total German domination in WC litterly destroyed Brazil!

But your Handball team is really good?

it isn't, we missed qualification for the last olympics and didnt qualify for the world championship either. We only got in because the EHF screwed Australia out of a spot because they wanted Germany's marketing potential. Our team did okay but all in all we should do much better.

 

[timmeh]

Some nice words from Ekholm when he's heading out. Even though the elbow doesn't hit Ekholms head it is definitely out in a bad position

 

[Wanderson]

Wow... that was a nasty one

No, totally legal hit. Keep your head up.

 

[EK47]

Granberg is useless

 

[Nordic*]

No, totally legal hit. Keep your head up.

You can't throw your head, protected by the helmet, into someone's face.

 

[Sanderson]

Perhaps so, but heck you got the mass of population and the resources. Get a program God dammit!

Population is pretty irrelevant when most of it isn't anywhere near a place where you can play lots of hockey

The few spots that actually are "winter-locations" usually do have a solid hockey base. The problem is that large parts of the country are either as flat as ground can be or under maritime influence, just like in France. If you are lucky if the lakes are actually freezing in winter for a few days, you aren't exactly a hockey hotbed. Add the very low amount of rinks, and the fact that hockey often has to share them with other sports and public skating, and there isn't a whole lot of time and space left for hockey.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Granberg is useless

He was not against Canada.

 

[eyetest is useless]

Perhaps so, but heck you got the mass of population and the resources. Get a program God dammit!

haha yeah, but the climate just isnt cold enough (contrary to all stereotypes ), there's a reason why most german hockey players are from bavaria, it's the only region in germany where lakes freeze over in winter. People can't start playing hockey casually, you have to join a club and go to a rink to play, which isn'gt the case in football, handball or basketball. Parents just let their kids try one of those sports first where you don't have to invest anything to start, and chances are they stick

 

[eyetest is useless]

Population is pretty irrelevant when most of it isn't anywhere near a place where you can play lots of hockey

The few spots that actually are "winter-locations" usually do have a solid hockey base. The problem is that large parts of the country are either as flat as ground can be or under maritime influence, just like in France. If you are lucky if the lakes are actually freezing in winter for a few days, you aren't exactly a hockey hotbed. Add the very low amount of rinks, and the fact that hockey often has to share them with other sports and public skating, and there isn't a whole lot of time and space left for hockey.

yeah you explained it before I did, I agree. Most of the german population lives in regions where casual playing hockey isnt possible

 

[timmeh]

No, totally legal hit. Keep your head up.

You can't throw your head, protected by the helmet, into someone's face.

Or point your elbow out towards a speeding player. It's not a good hit. But Ekholm needs to keep his head up.

 

[Juggernaut27]

No, totally legal hit. Keep your head up.

Seconded.

Don't see anything questionable except maybe leading with an exploding elbow to the sternum but I've never seen that specifically in the rule book.

 

[Wanderson]

Or point your elbow out towards a speeding player. It's not a good hit. But Ekholm needs to keep his head up.

He didn't.

 

[joe89]

Seconded.

Don't see anything questionable except maybe leading with an exploding elbow to the sternum but I've never seen that specifically in the rule book.

They didn't call out anything specifically illegal. They called interference, and the major is automatic for the injury. So we'd need one of those frame counts if the hit was late or not. Game's fast, **** happens.

 

[Juggernaut27]

yeah you explained it before I did, I agree. Most of the german population lives in regions where casual playing hockey isnt possible

They don't have ice rinks in Germany?

Not being sarcastic, honest question. There's one every four blocks here in western Canada.

 

[LiveeviL]

Population is pretty irrelevant when most of it isn't anywhere near a place where you can play lots of hockey

The few spots that actually are "winter-locations" usually do have a solid hockey base. The problem is that large parts of the country are either as flat as ground can be or under maritime influence, just like in France. If you are lucky if the lakes are actually freezing in winter for a few days, you aren't exactly a hockey hotbed. Add the very low amount of rinks, and the fact that hockey often has to share them with other sports and public skating, and there isn't a whole lot of time and space left for hockey.

It is of course all about facilities, but Germany can afford to build a hockey infrastructure. That and get some good coaches from other countries and it will pay of.

South of Sweden isn't that wintry but it isn't important they still have good teams, as Northern Germany could.

 

[timmeh]

He didn't.

Well in that case that tiny German guy has very pointy shoulders and extremely short arms

 

[PTmbp13]

He does jump into the hit

Ekholm plays with another shirt #54

 

[aphyro]

it isn't, we missed qualification for the last olympics and didnt qualify for the world championship either. We only got in because the EHF screwed Australia out of a spot because they wanted Germany's marketing potential. Our team did okay but all in all we should do much better.

Ahh i'm not so into Handball dident knew it:p only know Germany is a good nation at it!
But Handball is like hockey... total Europe domination Handball is a Europe sport. Like the Canadians like to say Hockey is a Canada sport!

Anyway! i really hope you guys take atleast 1point in this game really like Germany over all thats why its funny to see you guys play!

 

[Juggernaut27]

They didn't call out anything specifically illegal. They called interference, and the major is automatic for the injury. So we'd need one of those frame counts if the hit was late or not. Game's fast, **** happens.

Don't really care what the ref's said. More interested in why the Canadian broadcast team keeps calling it a high hit, saying he left his feet and have said not a word about Ekholm skating over the blue line with his head down.

 

[LiveeviL]

yeah you explained it before I did, I agree. Most of the german population lives in regions where casual playing hockey isnt possible

Very few players in Sweden has skated much if at all on natural ice. Of course I have skated on a tennis court at winter, but such things don't matter. It is all about indoor ice and Germany can build it and build it anywhere.

 

[Prntscrn]

wow we suck..

 

[eyetest is useless]

They don't have ice rinks in Germany?

Not being sarcastic, honest question. There's one every four blocks here in western Canada.

there aren't many, but imo the bigger problem is that kids can't play hockey without going to a rink. Kids play football (mainly), handball and basketball casually before they join a club. They can try it without committing to it, and if they like it play more seriously. Doing that in ice hockey isn't possible, so kids have to know they're dead set on hockey before they're playing basically, which doesn't help kid participation.

Edit: In the city that I live in (250k inhabitants), there's one rink. In the greater metro area, there's 11 (with 5,1 million inhabitants). So yeah, getting into hockey is tough.