Next country to have a couple of golden years?
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LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Finland is the flavour of the week right now.
The U.S. have some dynamite prospects coming in the 2017-2019 drafts.
The U.S. have some dynamite prospects coming in the 2017-2019 drafts.
Conspiracy Theorist
Registered User
- Jan 30, 2016
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Hmmmm, I would have said it would be Slovakia, but they've been just in a stagnate mode the last couple of years (they do produce some underrated players). FYI not regarding Finland because I would argue they're in the middle of their golden age right now.
That's a tough question because I could see Latvia, Switzerland, Norway, and a couple other countries produce some good talent. I mean Latvia is increasing it's depth in better players, Switzerland has Hischer, and Norway has Emilio-Pettersen with a couple others as well.
But for me, I think it will come down to either Belarus or Denmark, as of now Denmark. They have a pretty good player in Rondbjerg coming up in 2017 and producing more and more solid talent every other year. Yes of course their golden age talent won't be able to match players like OEL, Laine, Barkov, and Karlsson, but will produce talent to at least make every game in all competitions a challenging affair (and I honestly think we will see a lot more Danes five to seven years from now). While in Belarus, they have been seeing some really good development in terms of playing in the KHL and MHL leagues. There are a couple handful of players who range between the 15 to 21 age group that will make a big boost for their national teams.
That's a tough question because I could see Latvia, Switzerland, Norway, and a couple other countries produce some good talent. I mean Latvia is increasing it's depth in better players, Switzerland has Hischer, and Norway has Emilio-Pettersen with a couple others as well.
But for me, I think it will come down to either Belarus or Denmark, as of now Denmark. They have a pretty good player in Rondbjerg coming up in 2017 and producing more and more solid talent every other year. Yes of course their golden age talent won't be able to match players like OEL, Laine, Barkov, and Karlsson, but will produce talent to at least make every game in all competitions a challenging affair (and I honestly think we will see a lot more Danes five to seven years from now). While in Belarus, they have been seeing some really good development in terms of playing in the KHL and MHL leagues. There are a couple handful of players who range between the 15 to 21 age group that will make a big boost for their national teams.
habsrule4eva3089
Registered User
- Nov 22, 2008
- 4,278
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World Hockey will be at it's pinnacle for the 2022 Olympics.
The rosters will be young, full of skill never seen before. The depth will be insane for the top 6 nations and even for the one's after that.
The rosters will be young, full of skill never seen before. The depth will be insane for the top 6 nations and even for the one's after that.
Latgale_fan
Registered User
Latvia will definitely have better crop of young players in the next few years, but of course not at the level of top teams. Could maybe edge Swiss or Slovaks once in a while for play-off in U18 and U20 level.
But of course I don't know how will it be with young Slovak or Swiss talents
But of course I don't know how will it be with young Slovak or Swiss talents
BalticWarrior
Registered User
For us to maintain our momentum we need new hockey infrastructure(it seems there are already a few new rinks in the making) and that means we probabky need to concentrate on our biggest cities especially Daugavpils.
BalticWarrior
Registered User
That's a really bold prediction, and I'm dubious about it's potential to occur. The fastest riser in mid-major hockey is Denmark. Latvia merely has been growing and improving at a steady rate.
Zegras Zebra
Registered User
For the top 6 power nations, I would say that the USA and Finland are having a better crop of prospects than in previous years. I don't know if I would consider this a "golden age" as they are both always competitive in international competitions, and always have the potential to bring home gold.
For the non power nations (who will rise and fall in world rankings unless there is a major change in public interest in hockey) I think Denmark is getting into a golden age, and maybe Norway. I think in the next few years Germany will begin to rise again, as well as perhaps France as the French usually surpass expectations at the IIHF World Hockey Championships.
For the non power nations (who will rise and fall in world rankings unless there is a major change in public interest in hockey) I think Denmark is getting into a golden age, and maybe Norway. I think in the next few years Germany will begin to rise again, as well as perhaps France as the French usually surpass expectations at the IIHF World Hockey Championships.
Interesting, I think some would say they're declining, you see something in the works there?
tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
canswetoxic
Registered User
Barkov, Laine, Pulju, Ristolainen, Aho etc are stars/superstars ? Lol...tbh they are not yet proven and still consider above average ice skaters. 1 or 2 games of exceptional plays doesn't mean you are superstars, probably wannabe.
I'll take Karlsson, Landeskog, OEL, Lehner, Klingberg, Larsson, Forsberg, Zibanejad, Brodin etc anytime.
Latgale_fan
Registered User
new rinks will bring fruits only in 2027 or later if we talk about U18 level when you can realistically compare the teams. And also, it depends on what kind of kids coaches are there, what kind of municipality support. Liepāja produces far more hockey talent than Daugavpils (which is a bigger city) or Ventspils (which is a richer municipality), also not all Riga's hockey schools are made from the same material.
Do you know where the new rinks will be? I know that in a few years one should be in my town Rēzekne (if nothing bad happens, we are waiting already for 15 years). I suppose Riga should still have some more. Any other towns?
But we will still have less then Belorussians and we still have less than Danes. It's much better than it was in the 90s when we had pretty much just... 2. But still, improving kids coaches and promoting hockey to the youth is the way to go, of course rinks do not hurt but Germany has 202 rinks (more than 10 times what we have) and our U20 outplayed them 4:1 this year. Swiss have 159 rinks, I will not even talk about more powerful hockey nations as we will never have even as many rinks as Slovakia because of our population.
If we want to compete at the top, we must find our own way, as Finns have done who compete successfully with countries with by far bigger resources. We must raise ubermenschen!
One prospect, no matter how extraordinary, won't launch a team into golden years. In principle I think MEP is overrated, but even if he becomes a superstar he'd just replace a retired Mats Zuccarello. There needs to be depth of prospects, not just one prospect. All the small countries have their little top prospects. MEP gets a lot of hype from being America based but eventually he can't do more for Norway at the elite level than Borna Rendulic does for Croatia at the D1B.
Latgale_fan
Registered User
Yes, I know but I don't think that they're on a decline. Norway has been producing more and more players for the top leagues in Europe.
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