What will happen when the NHL settle and NHL players leave Europe mid season?

I posted my concerns about this on the AHL page but just out of curiousity how will Europeon teams fill all the roster spots when NHL players leave mid-season likely before your playoffs begin. I know most are predicting a full year or longer lockout but IMO this is just a big ploy to get players to give up many of their guarantees and NHL owners will not risk missing a playoff run. I see the NHL CBA getting settled before November 15th and they will play a 60 game schedule under a new agreement.

Filling the roster could be a problem in the swiss league as teams in Switzerland are only allowed to dress four foreign players for each games, and they are always among the top players on the team. As it is hard to find a such players in the middle of the season, most swiss league teams have been unwilling to gamble on a year long lockout and rather went after players who will stay for the entire season, Davos beeing the only exception with Thornton, Nash and Hagman. Not surprising considering the fact that Davos is a good enough team to have its playoffs place secured, but not god enough to really contend, so they have nothing to loose in such a gamble, however, I'll be surprised if they win the league as even if they are the deepest team on offense (even without Thornton and Nash), their defense is poor and both their goalies are young and unproven.

In Germany, teams are allowed to dress 11 foreign players, and they usually are not as good as those in the swiss league, so getting players in the middle of the season to fill the roster should be less of a problem for german teams.

In the swedish league, teams can have as many foreign players as they want. Added to the fact that Sweden produce a lot more talented players than Germany and Switzerland, I think swedish team won't have any problem filling roster spot, unless they want to go after a lot of NHL players (MoDo plans to have Forsberg, Näslund, the Sedins, Weinhandl and Sündström).

In Finland, only a few teams have tried to sign NHL players, probably because finnish league teams can't compet financialy with swedish, swiss and german teams. Replacing them shouldn't be a problem as Finland produce a lot of talented players.

I'm not sure about how Russian teams handle the lockout, but it seems that they go after a lot of NHLers. I don't think loosing them in the middle of the season would be a problem, as Russia produces more talents than any other country except Canada, and Russian league teams have big financial means compared to the other european leagues.

I can't answer for the czech league as I really don't know this league well.


If a german, swedish, finnish or russian fan see something wrong in what I worte about his favorite league, feel free to correct me.

Thanks for the information. I know things don't look very promising in the NHL right now but in a few weeks I expect things to look much differently. Once players are not getting their paychecks which don't start until October 1st and players that are not playing start getting jeolous of players that are playing they will start feeling the pinch. I expect the NHL to be up and running by the end of November. Many will disagree but I have a friend in the NHL head offices and he is optimistic things can and will be worked out in the next 2 or 3 months despite all the rhetoric we hear and read about. How many NHL players are in the different pro leagues over there now?

How many NHL players are in the different pro leagues over there now?

There is a complet list in a sticky thread on the trade board : http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=104166

I may have been off on the date of my prediction but the NHL might just get going within the next few weeks. With over 300 NHL players now playing thoughout Europe and Russia which teams will be affected most when and if the NHL return to work? Are there any NHL players that are locked into contracts in Europe for the entire season? Where will teams find 300 replacement players and what will happen to the teams that currently employ these 300 players? Are they also under contract? Could prove devestating to many teams.

In Germany, teams are allowed to dress 11 foreign players, and they usually are not as good as those in the swiss league, so getting players in the middle of the season to fill the roster should be less of a problem for german teams.

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If a german, swedish, finnish or russian fan see something wrong in what I worte about his favorite league, feel free to correct me.

Just a complement: These 11 foreign spots do count for the whole season. So, if a team dresses 11 foreigners and one of them leaves the team, they can't sign another one as replacement.
I think that's the main reason why there are so few NHL player in the DEL... Only a small bunch of teams took the gamble - similar to the Davos-situation. The top teams tried to stay away from NHL-players while Ingolstadt and Iserlohn - with little chances to win anything got out there and signed some "go-to-guys" (York, Sturm) to put them into the play-off's for this season.

The only one I know who signed for the whole season in the DEL is Erik Cole (Eisbären Berlin). :dunno:

The only one I know who signed for the whole season in the DEL is Erik Cole (Eisbären Berlin). :dunno:

I still don't understand how Cole and the Polar Bears think that this will work out. As far as I know, Cole signed a new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in July. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the NHL season should really start within the next few weeks (which I still seriously doubt, by the way).

I think Mike York signed for a year as well. Also think the prediction of hockey in a few weeks is off......by oh, a year,but we'll see.

I still don't understand how Cole and the Polar Bears think that this will work out. As far as I know, Cole signed a new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in July. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the NHL season should really start within the next few weeks (which I still seriously doubt, by the way).

He'll leave?!? :D

I can't imagine an established NHL player (top 2 line player on the Canes) playing ("wasting") the whole season in the DEL.
Well, maybe he thinks (or knows) that there won't be a season...

I think Mike York signed for a year as well. Also think the prediction of hockey in a few weeks is off......by oh, a year,but we'll see.


I'm pretty sure that York signed only for the duration of the lockout!

nick schultz would finally leave kassel then and that would be the best that could happen. this guy sucks. most likely the worst lockout player in europe.