International TournamentsDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
In the event of the lockout and many NHLers going over to Europe, it has me thinking of how many NHL superstars, all stars, elite players or players in general are now becoming more and more from overseas. Which had me thinking if teams were created for North American side to face the European side... who would win?
Managers, coaches, players, trainers... all either North American or elsewhere (basically Europe lol)
I limited the thought to discuss the present day. Health, age and current production value all included. Chemistry would have to be included as well, put everything into consideration. Below will be my projected rosters for each team with 3 reserves.
The rules will be NHL/KHL size rinks. NHL current rules except no trapezoid.
The rosters below are as follows...
NORTH AMERICA
Manager: Steve Yzerman
Coach: Mike Babcock
Assistant Coaches: Hitchcock, Tortorella
Off Line 1: Steve Stamkos, Sidney Crosby (C), Corry Perry
Line 2: Rick Nash, Jonathan Toewes, Claude Giroux
L3: Zach Parise, Mike Richards, Ryan Kesler
L4: Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron (A) , Ryan Callahan
Def Pair 1: Shea Weber (A), Ryan Suter
DP2: Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson
DP3: Duncan Keith, Kris Letang
Goalie: Jonathan Quick, Ryan Miller
Reserves: Eric Staal, Kevin Shatternik, Marc-Andre Fleury
World Players
Coach: Zinetula Bilyaletdinov
OFF Line1: Ilya Kovulchuk, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Gaborik
OFF Line2: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa
OL3: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Loui Eriksson
OL4: Alex Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom, Anze Kopitar
D1: Zdeno Chara, Erik Karlsson
D2: Niklas Kronwall, Marc Streit
D3: Anton Volchenkov, Sergei Gonchar
Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne
Reserves: Mikko Koivu, Cristian Erhoff, Semyon Varlamov
*** The rosters r not so important i did them for an idea and for fun. Its really the whole depth.
If you have a better idea of European roster, please share or the coaches or managers. Love 2 know more
But the main idea is who would win?
Best of 5...
2 in North America, 2 in Europe... final game in flip coin... least travel in series (so negligible)
Actually, World as put together in the OP would lose decisively.
Why? Because NA actually looks like a coherently roled team, whereas the World is more akin to an all-star squad. My first thought upon seeing that was, "who kills the penalties?"
This is more like. Even if I don't see that 4th line working because it consists of nothing but deeply-conditioned centre forwards, as a whole it has the right idea regardless. Some are roled for defensive, others for offensive duties.
Instead of just criticizing, I'll give it a roll...
I wont bother naming the rosters, but its pretty shocking to see how many top prospects, how many NHL awards are given and how many All stars are mostly being overtaken by European prospects.
If you condense the best players and coaches onto two single teams being divided by North America and European countries.
Best of 5 series. I was thinking the rules would be NHL size rink and rules. Limitation on fighting though. Does not have to be current players but does have to be based on this present day. For example, if Niklas Lidstrom is capable of playing... consider him on your roster.
So best 20 from each side of the lake... who wins?
Surely the Euro team can do better than Thoresen on that wing?
He's done well in KHL and international play. I replaced him due to all games being on NHL ice (thought it was alternating ice size ... might have been another thread).
Actually, World as put together in the OP would lose decisively.
Why? Because NA actually looks like a coherently roled team, whereas the World is more akin to an all-star squad. My first thought upon seeing that was, "who kills the penalties?"
This is more like. Even if I don't see that 4th line working because it consists of nothing but deeply-conditioned centre forwards, as a whole it has the right idea regardless. Some are roled for defensive, others for offensive duties.
Instead of just criticizing, I'll give it a roll...
There was another thread I opened, with a HUGE intro with sample teams but no one caught onto it so I figured I make the intro smaller and TADA, comments rollin in. Sadly the other thread now has other replies as well.
Listen, Thoresen is a LEGIT winger. I dont believe in the hoopla that if your not in the NHL your not a superstar or a talented player. I do believe 80-90% of the worlds best talent is in the NHL or aims to be in the NHL but there are exceptions. Thoresen has impressed at all levels of play, on great good and bad teams.
Listen, Thoresen is a LEGIT winger. I dont believe in the hoopla that if your not in the NHL your not a superstar or a talented player. I do believe 80-90% of the worlds best talent is in the NHL or aims to be in the NHL but there are exceptions. Thoresen has impressed at all levels of play, on great good and bad teams.
This is all true and easy to agree with.
Still, I suppose there is one caveat. Namely figuring out whether Thoresen, who no doubt is the best offensive talent Norway has ever produced, the best guy to wing a fourth line which often has plenty of defensive duties as well.
I'm not saying his two-way game is bad, but there likely are more complementary players to fill said slot. In the NHL and abroad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meteor
Who needs a PK? Just bribe the refs and you're good.
The PK is a good point, but understand the rosters named are most likely not the actual ones they would choose.
Good European Penalty Killers:
Michael Grabner- Austria- his speed will also be valuable in this game. We all forget about him
Milan Michalek- Czech- Another solid 3rd or 4th liner you can have out there, put up 60points last year with Karlsson and Alfredsson on his team
Frans Nielson- Denmark- Another great penalty killer and solid player
Marian Hossa- Slovakia- Amazingly talented forward whose also a VERY underrated PK
Darren Helm- I focused on bigger stars but hes exactly what a european PK is all about... take control and bring it deep into the other zone.
Alex Ovechkin- is not a reliable defensive structured player but his speed late in a PK could come of use for a counterattack as he has done so with Washington many times
Mikko Koivu- A solid smart poised defensive minded player
Tomas Plekanac- On mostly everyones top 20 PK in the NHL, some rate him in top 10
Carl Hagelin- Maybe hes too young and underdeveloped for this game, or maybe hes more mature than his age shows and his speed might be the most useful thing on a 3rd 4th line plus PK... which he has done now for the Rangers on a normal basis and for Michigan 3 years in a row as a starter.
Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg to name other guys...
SORRY ABOUT DARREN HELM... I got him mixed up with another Red Wing whose no longer a Red Wing ... he is a Canadian sorrrryyy
Europe
Ilya Kovulchuk- Evgeni Malkin- Marian Hossa
Alex Ovechkin- Niklas Backstrom- Alex Semin
Daniel Sedin- Henrik Sedin- Milan Michalek
Gabriel Landeskog- Pavel Datsyuk- Henrik Zetterberg
Reserve- Tomas Plekanac
Defense-
1) Zdeno Chara - Erik Karlsson
2) Denis Seidenberg - Niklas Kronwall
3) Kimmo Timonen - Alex Edler
Reserve- Andrej Meszaros
Goalies- Henrik Lundqvist
- Pekka Rinne
Reserve- Jaroslav Halak
PP U
Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Semin
Erik Karlsson Ilya Kovulchuk
PPU2
Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Marian Hossa
Zdeno Chara, Alex Edler
PK1
Milan Mikhalek, Gabriel Landeskog
Zdeno Chara, Niklas Kronwall
PK2
Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg/ Tomas Plekanac
Kimmo Timmonen, Denis Seidinberg
Still, I suppose there is one caveat. Namely figuring out whether Thoresen, who no doubt is the best offensive talent Norway has ever produced, the best guy to wing a fourth line which often has plenty of defensive duties as well.
I'm not saying his two-way game is bad, but there likely are more complementary players to fill said slot. In the NHL and abroad.
Thoresen was a complementary player with lots of defensive duties during his brief time in the NHL. I don't really watch many KHL games, but I imagined he'd still be good defensively with much better offensive game now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thesensation19
The PK is a good point, but understand the rosters named are most likely not the actual ones they would choose.
Good European Penalty Killers:
Michael Grabner- Austria- his speed will also be valuable in this game. We all forget about him
Milan Michalek- Czech- Another solid 3rd or 4th liner you can have out there, put up 60points last year with Karlsson and Alfredsson on his team
Frans Nielson- Denmark- Another great penalty killer and solid player
Marian Hossa- Slovakia- Amazingly talented forward whose also a VERY underrated PK
Darren Helm- I focused on bigger stars but hes exactly what a european PK is all about... take control and bring it deep into the other zone.
Alex Ovechkin- is not a reliable defensive structured player but his speed late in a PK could come of use for a counterattack as he has done so with Washington many times
Mikko Koivu- A solid smart poised defensive minded player
Tomas Plekanac- On mostly everyones top 20 PK in the NHL, some rate him in top 10
Carl Hagelin- Maybe hes too young and underdeveloped for this game, or maybe hes more mature than his age shows and his speed might be the most useful thing on a 3rd 4th line plus PK... which he has done now for the Rangers on a normal basis and for Michigan 3 years in a row as a starter.
Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg to name other guys...
The roster I posted above would allow for two solid PK units, even without using Datsyuk.
M. Koivu-Hossa
Chara-Seidenberg
Zetterberg-Kopitar
Timonen-OEL
Plekanec would probably be a good addition as a 13th forward. Great defensive forward.
Thoresen was a complementary player with lots of defensive duties during his brief time in the NHL. I don't really watch many KHL games, but I imagined he'd still be good defensively with much better offensive game now.
Fair enough. Besides, I suppose it's also fair to say that even if we Thoresen is somewhat better known as offense-first kind of guy, I can totally see him happily accepting more defensive duties if he'd just get to be a part of squad like that.
... he is a Canadian sorrrryyy
