Pros and Cons of playing hockey outside of North America

[LordNeverLose]

Hahahaha. Visit Sweden just once please.

... I've been to Sweden

 

[LOFIN]

To be honest, the last page is quite funny now considerig over 120 cars were torched by Swedish "youth" in Gothenburg last night.

I would rather live in Norilsk than Malmö, Gothenburg or some areas in Stockholm.

 

[NoMessi]

... I've been to Sweden

I understand that everyone have different preferences about women, but there is a reason why mediocre women from Sweden go to USA. Because over there they are considered hot by most people.

I would even go as far as saying that NYC have more good looking women than San Diego, but thats probably because most of them are from Europe looking for a money or career.

 

[LordNeverLose]

I understand that everyone have different preferences about women, but there is a reason why mediocre women from Sweden go to USA. Because over there they are considered hot by most people.

I would even go as far as saying that NYC have more good looking women than San Diego, but thats probably because most of them are from Europe looking for a money or career.

Everything in this post just makes me think "wut?"

Average looking Swedish women are leaving Sweden just because they can be considered more attractive in the US? But all the pretty ones stay?

NY has more attractive women than San Diego? I guess New York has something like 15x the population of San Diego so it should have more attractive women on a pure numbers basis. If you're suggesting that the average woman in New York is more attractive than the average woman in San Diego ... well I think pretty much everyone would disagree with that. And I live in New York.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

Why play in Belleville when you can play in Berlin?

 

[NikoPopp]

I understand that everyone have different preferences about women, but there is a reason why mediocre women from Sweden go to USA. Because over there they are considered hot by most people.

I would even go as far as saying that NYC have more good looking women than San Diego, but thats probably because most of them are from Europe looking for a money or career.

As a Swede who now lives in Toronto. You're a moron.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Why play in Belleville when you can play in Berlin?

I mean if that's the logic why not live on Lake Como and play in the Italian league rather than live in Edmonton and play in the NHL?

 

[Scott Malkinson]

I mean if that's the logic why not live on Lake Como and play in the Italian league rather than live in Edmonton and play in the NHL?

That doesn't make sense.

If all things, financially, are equal, you pick a more attractive destination to live. Some guys like staying in North America and some guys go to Europe, when the NHL dream is dead.

I didn't think I had to explain that.

 

[almostawake]

I mean if that's the logic why not live on Lake Como and play in the Italian league rather than live in Edmonton and play in the NHL?

A) There is no longer a professional league in Italy. It folded and the financially viable clubs now play in a league within the Austrian system.

B) When there was a professional league, the only club outside Alto Adige was in a pretty far flung village in the Piemontese alps, so not exactly Lake Como.

Had the Milano KHL endeavor gone somewhere, that certainly would have been attractive to former NHLers, but that is dead as dead can be.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

I would not extrapolate that on all of Europe. In Northern Europe - yes.

I've been to Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain,France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus, and in all of those places, English is widely spoken.

 

[LordNeverLose]

That doesn't make sense.

If all things, financially, are equal, you pick a more attractive destination to live. Some guys like staying in North America and some guys go to Europe, when the NHL dream is dead.

I didn't think I had to explain that.

I agree with this, but this is nothing like what you said in the post I quoted. You implied there was no reason to choose to play in Belleville when you could play in Berlin. I then used the Lake Como argument as an example of why niceness of city is not the only factor to consider.

 

[LordNeverLose]

I've been to Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain,France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus, and in all of those places, English is widely spoken.

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands as well. Obviously not everyone is a great English speaker there but you can definitely get by speaking only English.

 

[Bank Shot]

Why play in bakersfield or stockton when you could play in Stockholm?

Essentially better everything in europe

Not the meth!

 

[John Bruins]

during the last lockout 2012-13 I started following NHL players mainly Patrice Bergeron, and Tyler Seguin play in the Swiss A League and Krejci playing in the Czech league. I notice that they play Once or twice a week it wouldn't as much wear & Tear on the players body. If the NHL cut the season down to 72 from 82 it would greatly benefiting the players health in less injurys and a longer playing career.

 

[De Montreal]

A lot that have been said already, but also: stardom. If you grew up in Canada where hockey is number one, you'd rather go to a top tier league in Europe where you're actually playing against the best player in the country than in the ECHL.

 

[Dzonna]

Went to Europe in 2000 and 2002 for a soccer tourney. All I saw was soccer or “football”. I’m sure a lot has changed so I’m not going to go there.

My question is, if you were born in the beautiful countries of Europe, would you play hockey, even though all the “cool kids” were into football.

 

[Iapyi]

The NHL and the AHL are the top two leagues in the world. If a guy isn't good enough to play in North America in one of the top 2 leagues they will go to Europe and play in one of the lesser leagues.

 

[Tomas W]

I dont know if the pay is better in Europe (ouside KHL), but its for sure less work, shorter travels, fewer games, often housing/car is provided.

Teams in SHL got english speaking coaches, so you dont HAVE to learn any Swedish at all if you like.

 

[Alf the dwarf]

I think the most beautiful women come from Finland. Woah, they are just mmmmhmmmm.. What was this thread about anyways?

 

[duga]

I mean if that's the logic why not live on Lake Como and play in the Italian league rather than live in Edmonton and play in the NHL?

Acctually, you can very well live at the shores of Lake Como. Lugano lies just west of it. One of, if not the most attractive place to play hockey in all of Europe. Very rich owners, that run the club in the 2nd generation. And they love hockey and pay very good money. (Maybe the most outside the KHL).
Southern flair, breathtakingly beautiful surroundings at the shores of Lake Lugano, that's a pearl of a lake, like any in this area.

 

[SaltNPeca]

I have a friend who slugged it out for a bunch of seasons in the AHL and CHL and once he realized the call to the NHL was never coming, he played a few years in Europe and had a great experience. He was not in one of the highest leagues over there, but his housing was paid for, had no taxes, was given a car to drive, but most importantly for him he was able to play hockey, chip in offensively and skate a regular shift, while in the AHL he was more of a tough guy who was expected to drop the gloves. That is a tough way to make a living, and even tougher in the minors with little to no shot of an NHL call up.

He is since retired, and I think going to Europe allowed him to find fun in the game again at the end of his career so he could focus on what everyone loves about the game as a kid...

Depending on the player and location it can be a fantastic experience as you've described. I think generalizing "Europe" is a mistake when making some Pro/Con. Subjectively I would say the top is: Sweden, Germany, Swizerland for lifestyle. And even there better to be with a big club with good facilities in a proper city. For example there's a huge difference playing in Germany for Straubing or Nuremburg compared to big clubs in bigger cities like Cologne, Mannheim, & Munich.

The European hockey fans are great. They generally love Canadians and US-Americans (see what I did there). Language stuff is an issue or opportunity depending on your perspective only. <50 game schedule. Each country is the same time zone with amazing transportation infrastructure.

I've been in Germany 8 years now without any preparatory language training. Also play "hobby" hockey here which people generally think is pretty cool. I sometimes wonder why I'm so fortunate as the lifestyle is really great for me here. I can't imagine ONLY playing hockey and having the privilege to live my lifestyle.

I caught the end of John Tripp in Cologne. Guy was a legend here. He'd skate out with kids on his shoulders to the adoring fans. He looked really happy.