Zuccarello Appreciation Thread Part 2

[SnowblindNYR]

Fresh from the press, a nice article on Zucc!

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303393804579313042161112958

A couple of things I never heard anyone call him "little Zuke". Also, seems like the WSJ dropped their pretentious way of referring to players. Only newspaper that would call athletes Mr. something, like it's a ****ing CEO or something,

 

[surGeon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHi5oeGAKOU

You guys might appreciate this. Lol.

 

[TomLaidlaw]

He is the most important forward on our team at the moment. In my opinion, the reason our power play looks so dangerous is because Zucc is the QB. He is the focal point of the entire PP and really dictates the flow. He has been remarkable.

 

[Pizza]

He is the most important forward on our team at the moment. In my opinion, the reason our power play looks so dangerous is because Zucc is the QB. He is the focal point of the entire PP and really dictates the flow. He has been remarkable.

+1

On track for MVP right now. A key factor in helping keep the Rangers near 500. Also in the recent success. Most consistent player on the team this year.

As elusive a player in our sweater as I can remember. His passing aint Gretzky, but it might be close.

Can't say enough good things.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Extend him now, Slats. I don't want to even think of losing the little man. I'd rather have him back than Callahan, TBH

 

[YetAnotherNorwegian]

If it helps, his interviews in norwegian is semi-awkward too. He doesn't really seem very comfortable in that position.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

+1

On track for MVP right now. A key factor in helping keep the Rangers near 500. Also in the recent success. Most consistent player on the team this year.

As elusive a player in our sweater as I can remember. His passing aint Gretzky, but it might be close.

Can't say enough good things.

I'm assuming you mean Rangers' MVP?

 

[YetAnotherNorwegian]

We have 44. Denmark has 25. (according to IIHF). Denmark has 7 NHL players, while we just one little guy.
It's not just in the # of rinks, but how you use them. We also have 5 % of the country covered by water, with large parts frozen in the winter, but only occationaly does someone bother to play shinny on them (Zuke probably an exeption). Much easier to complain about the number of rinks. It's just not part of the culture, and the federation are failing at making it so. I bet most of the NHLers first skating was outdoor on a pond. In Norway it seems that everybody needs to attend hockeyschool for kids in order to learn it. Too organized IMO, and not the way to make it a bigger sport. The hockey federation, idrettsforbundet (athletes federation), just like the soccer federation, doesn't like people to play for fun it seems, and then you get all focus on making eliteplayers while failing to do what they should: enhance public health (and while you're at it make people enjoy moving their legs for fun, widening the recruitment and make it a part of the Norwegian wintersports wonder.) Some of the controversy with Zuke and his betting agreement was just about this. He claimed he learned his skills from the pond and the parking lot and didn't really Owe the Norwegain state owned betting company anything. The Norwegian hockeyfederation With their narrow minds were, understandably, shaking in their pants as they pay the largest part of all New rinks, but at the same time failing to get the point: Our only NHLer didn't learn his amazing stickhandling skills at any state financed rink but at a frozen parking lot. Sure later he developed in these rinks, but he started out where all kids should start out: With pond hockey. I actually tried to suggest it through the Kitchen door, that they should really really make an effort to make the best of the thousand possibilites there are, but never heard back and I lost my energy. The potential is endless in Norway, right in front of Our eyes, but we fail to grasp it. Screw the rinks.

To give this some perspective, lets look at the ice rink pr. km2 ratio. If we were to have the same coverage as Denmark, we would need 198 rinks. Even if you take away the parts up north where NO ONE lives, that's a pretty big difference. And that is the number to match a country with poor density.

But I see your point. Especially here in my home area where a lot of kids play bandy, there really isn't a lack of places to skate.

 

[Ilovemymum]

To give this some perspective, lets look at the ice rink pr. km2 ratio. If we were to have the same coverage as Denmark, we would need 198 rinks. Even if you take away the parts up north where NO ONE lives, that's a pretty big difference. And that is the number to match a country with poor density.

But I see your point. Especially here in my home area where a lot of kids play bandy, there really isn't a lack of places to skate.

I get your point as well, but it's a bit of a chicken & the egg thing. Demand and supply. 10-11 000 players can't demand rinks all over the country. IMO and personally the distribution should be the same as Vinemonopolies, currently 288 disperesed all over the country (Excess demand we we get supplied from Sweden), as they represent my two favourite hobbies. But in order to get there, we need more People playing where there are currently no rinks. When a local community is to raise money for a rink, you need a bunch of dads and mums prior to that, skating away like seagulls on the local ponds and represent the ignition for a demand. I love the Polarbear arena thing for the federation, but neither the Olympics nor the Federation alone can raise fix this alone. They need to market the sport as something for everybody. Sorry about polluting the Zuke thread with this, but to make it relevant, I think he would maybe agree? Wish he could take the Zuccarellofund and make it a shinnyfund.

 

[Viking78]

While we are talking about hockeyrinks and the part of developing young players,Norway has a total of 7 players in the NHL through the history,only Zuccarello being there right now.All of these players was born in Oslo exept of Jonas Holøs who was born in Sarpsborg.I think that says a lot of the lack of hockeyrinks in Norway!!

 

[Dagh]

Just to keep the thread derailed for a bit longer: Starting off playing shinny is great, but not really viable in all parts of the country. The damn gulf stream makes sure of that. Growing up, I was out playing hockey nearly every day we had ice, usually well into the evening, despite the area not being very well lit.
We got a rink here when I was about 27-28, which was awesome, but those 35-50 days, spread over 20+ years, of shinny sadly hadn't developed me into NHL material.
We're a town of about 30k, the surrounding municipalities included it probably totals to near 100k, so I think we actually could use another rink. To further butcher a movie quote, if you build the rinks, the people will come. It's just too fun a game that it won't work.

 

[Ilovemymum]

Just to keep the thread derailed for a bit longer: Starting off playing shinny is great, but not really viable in all parts of the country. The damn gulf stream makes sure of that. Growing up, I was out playing hockey nearly every day we had ice, usually well into the evening, despite the area not being very well lit.
We got a rink here when I was about 27-28, which was awesome, but those 35-50 days, spread over 20+ years, of shinny sadly hadn't developed me into NHL material.
We're a town of about 30k, the surrounding municipalities included it probably totals to near 100k, so I think we actually could use another rink. To further butcher a movie quote, if you build the rinks, the people will come. It's just too fun a game that it won't work.

My point is simply that we (the federation / the hockey community) should attack the lack of players in any way they can. It's like cross country, where everybody heads into the woods as soon as they can handle a pair of skis. Birkebeineren (cross country hobby race) is sold out in minutes every year, and they have a ceiling of 16 000 goons. That's between 2 and 3 times the hockeycommunity in Norway. I don't say the shinny would produce NHLers instantly, but it would widen interest and the hockey community. There are more lakes in Norway than in Finland (land of the thousand lakes) and a very large part of them are frozen every winter, golf stream or not. Let's make somthing out of it at least. Building rinks from a top down plan is one thing. Stimulating people to use whatever recourses they have is another.

To bring the thread back to Zuke:http://www.vg.no/sport/ishockey/artikkel.php?artid=10149640

They are talking about his long stick, a word that in Norwegian is the same as penis.
He's playing with a harder one now he says. In fact he says he played with Hagelin's once, and there was no return. (Playing in Norwegian is however has different names for the different meanings, so it doesn't sound as bad as one could wish (Spille / leke))

 

[PromNite]

+1

On track for MVP right now. A key factor in helping keep the Rangers near 500. Also in the recent success. Most consistent player on the team this year.

As elusive a player in our sweater as I can remember. His passing aint Gretzky, but it might be close.

Can't say enough good things.

He seriously reminds me of Gretz a bit. And now please don't freak on me too much, because I obviously realize the implications of mentioning Gretzky in the same sentence as Zucc. But he just sees the ice so well, and can make a pass to any one at any time with incredible accuracy. He sees and thinks the game better than anyone on the team currently. If he was 6'3" 220, he'd be one of the best players in the NHL, in my opinion.

Maybe Gretz is too much. Maybe Adam Oates or something. But anyways, you get the jist.

 

[Blue Blooded]

My point is simply that we (the federation / the hockey community) should attack the lack of players in any way they can. It's like cross country, where everybody heads into the woods as soon as they can handle a pair of skis. Birkebeineren (cross country hobby race) is sold out in minutes every year, and they have a ceiling of 16 000 goons. That's between 2 and 3 times the hockeycommunity in Norway. I don't say the shinny would produce NHLers instantly, but it would widen interest and the hockey community. There are more lakes in Norway than in Finland (land of the thousand lakes) and a very large part of them are frozen every winter, golf stream or not. Let's make somthing out of it at least. Building rinks from a top down plan is one thing. Stimulating people to use whatever recourses they have is another.

To bring the thread back to Zuke:http://www.vg.no/sport/ishockey/artikkel.php?artid=10149640

They are talking about his long stick, a word that in Norwegian is the same as penis.
He's playing with a harder one now he says. In fact he says he played with Hagelin's once, and there was no return. (Playing in Norwegian is however has different names for the different meanings, so it doesn't sound as bad as one could wish (Spille / leke))

Good ol' Zucc, that's freaking hilarious!

 

[Idlerlee]

Good ol' Zucc, that's freaking hilarious!

Oh please please let Al bring that up in the intermission interview if he invites Zucc. On a sidenote.. I'm not very fond of this third line he's playing on atm. Its fairly sub-optimal 5v5. Feels like we're wasting a perfectly good winger's potential

 

[KingStian]

Oh please please let Al bring that up in the intermission interview if he invites Zucc. On a sidenote.. I'm not very fond of this third line he's playing on atm. Its fairly sub-optimal 5v5. Feels like we're wasting a perfectly good winger's potential

That would be a new level of creepy. I don't want Al to talk about any bodypart of Zucc's

On the thrid lind topic I totally agree with you. The don't seem to be working 5 on 5. I know they also play the powerplay together, but then they can park Pouliot infront of the net where he has done a very good job on the screens. Usually they also have had Richards with them on the PP lately.

I would like to either have another look on the Kreider-Stepan-Zuccarello line, or have a extended look on a Nash-Stepan-Zuccarello line. The top line seems stale at the moment.

 

[anofsti]

There are more lakes in Norway than in Finland (land of the thousand lakes) and a very large part of them are frozen every winter, golf stream or not. Let's make somthing out of it at least. Building rinks from a top down plan is one thing. Stimulating people to use whatever recourses they have is another.

People do though, but playing shinny for two months each year doesn't translate to interest in the sport nor an understanding of the game. You'll need rinks and structure to recruit players and grow the sport in a meaningful way. I'm having first hand experience with this bro, and the only reason I'm interested now is because my dad tried to start a club here when we first moved, but due to crappy winters they had to fold.

 

[SKS]

I welcome a quick side chat about a rink situation in the country of the player we are discussing, but several pages?
Take it to the international forum, not the NYR one. I love reading about Zuccarello, but could care very little to read beyond a few comments about rinks and shinny.

 

[TollefsenFan]

I welcome a quick side chat about a rink situation in the country of the player we are discussing, but several pages?
Take it to the international forum, not the NYR one. I love reading about Zuccarello, but could care very little to read beyond a few comments about rinks and shinny.

I belongs to the Norway, Denmark and Iceland forum. This thread should be about Zucc and nothing else. I agree With u.

 

[KenGuru]

Great assist last night by Zucc

Can you imagine if NYR wins Stanley Cup someday with Zucc on the team ? The picture of him lifting that big trophy which is almost bigger than himself ? It will be priceless

 

[Ilovemymum]

I welcome a quick side chat about a rink situation in the country of the player we are discussing, but several pages?
Take it to the international forum, not the NYR one. I love reading about Zuccarello, but could care very little to read beyond a few comments about rinks and shinny.

Sorry about that. We're just really eager to clone this little ****, for the benefit of NYR.
Didn't see the game last night, but the team definately looks more like a contender now.

So to a little quiz: What's the name of the last Norwegian hockeyplayer at around 5' 7''/8'' that played in front of 15 524 spectators at MSG?

 

[anofsti]

I'd say Bjørn "The Bucket" Skåre, but the timeline of my sources don't match up

 

[Wolfy*]

So now Zucc brags about his long stick = dick (in Norwegian). Which one do you mean?...very funny he is.

Some of these interviews with Zucc are really weird, his answers are sometimes strange or just doesn't make sense. I wonder if he doesn't like reporters, Al Trautwig isn't his only victim.

At least he's better on the ice, that assist last night while he was on his back was a real beauty.

 

[Pizza]

I'm assuming you mean Rangers' MVP?

..correct.

 

[Pizza]

He seriously reminds me of Gretz a bit. And now please don't freak on me too much, because I obviously realize the implications of mentioning Gretzky in the same sentence as Zucc. But he just sees the ice so well, and can make a pass to any one at any time with incredible accuracy. He sees and thinks the game better than anyone on the team currently. If he was 6'3" 220, he'd be one of the best players in the NHL, in my opinion.

Maybe Gretz is too much. Maybe Adam Oates or something. But anyways, you get the jist.

In many ways he's the perfect Ranger.

Small, skilled and tough.

That pass to Brass last night was..... well, just fill in the descriptor.

It was a special play from a special player.