this is starting to crack me up - it's always mentioned, the old stereotype of the pushover Swede, and it's always stated that 'this was a Swede you couldn't push around" Everytime. I wonder if it even needs to be mentioned anymore, or if it would be better for someone important to rectify this by saying, "Oh ya, most of that **** we said in the 70's and 80's was just xenophobic insecurity... erase erase"
i don't disagree with what you're saying. but i think in that particular instance, jim robson mentioned gradin's courage and toughness because the guy he's immediately compared to (the canucks' second scoring star and the guy who replaced him as vancouver's number one center) is patrik sundstrom. hardly a warrior.
i don't disagree with what you're saying. but i think in that particular instance, jim robson mentioned gradin's courage and toughness because the guy he's immediately compared to (the canucks' second scoring star and the guy who replaced him as vancouver's number one center) is patrik sundstrom. hardly a warrior.
What??
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Originally Posted by Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who has Ever Played in the NHL
...and, with Tony Tanti, became one of the more dangerous pairs of forwards in the league. their roles upended the stereotypes. Sundstrom was the biggest player on the team, and he was the net crasher...
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Originally Posted by canucks legends
smooth-skating... unselfish...would rather pass than shoot.
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Originally Posted by Complete Handbook Of Pro Hockey 1985
Superbly talented player, strong skater, good puckhandler, excellent touch around the net.
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Originally Posted by Complete Handbook Of Pro Hockey 1986
playing for weak team often diminishes his exceptional skills... many NHL teams have tried to coax Canucks into trading him.
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1986-87
Sundstrom is an excellent skater, strong on his feet and fast and very agile for a bigger man. he has good lateral movement and change of direction skills and his skating readily complements his puckhandling, which is excellent. Patrik can carry the puck at top speed and make his plays, passing equally well to both sides. Or he can carry the puck deeper into the offensive zone and will control it excellently, teasing the defensemen by keeping it just out of their reach, then dipping a shoulder and heading around them to the goal. He uses his teammates excellently, getting the puck to them regardless of circumstance. Sundstrom can pass around corners if need be, or he can float a pass into traffic. That passing skill makes Patrik particularly effective on the power play, where he can take advantage of the open ice. Sundstrom has a terrific wrist shot but he doesn't shoot to score enough, preferring to skim the puck for a deflection or tip-in. Perhaps if he just unloaded more often, his goal scoring confidence would return.
Sundstrom is big and strong and he can take the rough going, though he is not one to initiate that style. He definitely works better in the open ice, but Sundstrom is unafraid of the traffic areas around the net or the corners and will do what he has to to make his plays. He still surprises people in the corners or along the boards with his strength and he is able to outmuscle many members of the opposition because of it. He also has good strength in his hands and wrists and can pull the puck out of traffic for a play. Sundstrom has all the talent and potential in the world and the only thing stopping him from breaking into that 100-point barrier is himself. Perhaps, with the acquisition of Barry Pederson and the attention that will be focused on him, Sundstrom will be able to loosen up and gain that edge his play needs.
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Originally Posted by Complete Handbook Of Pro Hockey 1987
goal production tailed off but he led the team in assists... possesses all of hockey's graces... prone to slumps...
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Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated, November 23, 1987
Evidently, someone forgot to tell Sundstrom that he doesn't have to throw his body in front of slap shots, because Sundstrom absorbs a few every game. He plays defense as well as he scores, he backchecks, and he's an able penalty killer
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1987-88
He uses his teammates well, getting the puck to them regardless of the circumstance, and that's why he'll see PP duty at the point... he is not intimidated by physical play... the only word for Sundstrom is enigma. He is superbly talented, but - for some reason - has only been able to bring his talents to bear completely once in his career.
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Originally Posted by Complete Handbook Of Pro Hockey 1988
shy and reticent individual who lets his actions speak for him... linemate Tony Tanti describes him as "the best center I've ever played beside. He skates like the wind, and is as tough as nails in the corners."
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1988-89
blessed with almost unlimited ability... stops and starts well, changes direction on a dime... his skating dovetails excellently with his puckhandling, and playmaking abilities, which are also of superior calibre. Patrik can not only carry the puck at top speed, but he can make any play at that speed... he controls the puck as if it were nailed to his stick... handles the puck as well in traffic as he does in the open ice... his anticipating and hockey sense are superb and he reads the play easily and clearly, that's why he's a PP and PK regular. The only finesse skill not at the same level as the others is his shot... should become more selfish...
not only can he take the rough stuff, he can initiate his share as well. that's not to say that he always does, and his finesse game would certainly expand if he did... it's his balance that helps him get the job done in the corners. Patrick is also aided by his reach, which puts his hands into places his body can't get to. Good hand and wrist strength make Patrik a good faceoff man. He is also willing to sacrifice his body to block shots (doing so to particularly good effect while penalty killing), and is one of the NHL's better shot blocking forwards.
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1989-90
An excellent skater because all components of his skating are excellent... for those who questioned Sundstrom's talent and refused to accept the Devils' playoff run as a testament to his ability, consider this: Two players have come into their own in the last two campaigns: John MacLean and Brendan Shanahan. Know who the common denominator is for those two? Right - Sundstrom. Patrik is supremely talented and supremely courageous; he's played in pain for most of the last two seasons. He's also more than upheld his end of the bargain by improving his offensive output in an attempt to make the Devils more than just a one-line club. He's quality goods, and GM Lou Lamoreillo should be complimented for acquiring this excellent player.
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Originally Posted by 1990 Score Hockey Card
A skilled two-way forward...
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1990-91
Sundstrom is one of the most complete players in the NHL... has excellent speed (he'll beat all but the very fastest skaters to an opening or a loose puck)... His hockey sense (the ability to anticipate plays and see undeveloped openings) is keen, and he combines his skating with his sense to use the entire ice. He saves his ice to keep opportunities in front of him, and he uses his brains and exceptional hand skills to lead teammates into the openings he has created... he plays the game as well defensively as he does offensively, and his smarts and skills make him a special teams necessity...
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Sundstrom is absolutely oblivious to personal safety on the ice, using his body to give and take hits with impunity. His outstanding balance allows him to lean away from hits, and still maintain sufficient body position to make plays, and that same balance serves to keep him upright and ready to make plays after giving or taking hits... Sundstrom gains body position excellently, and will sacrifice his body to make whatever play is necessary... he's not only one of the best shot-blocking forwards in the NHL, but one of the best shot blocking players period... His hand and wrist strength make him a fine faceoff man, the man most likely to take those critical draws (when penalty killing, by the way, he almost always tries to go forward to clear the puck)... Sundstrom is the kind of player who makes other players better. He is durable and, considering how he plays with pain from his back injurues, we would say a courageous player. He has a fine character and is a top person, and is also New Jersey's best player.
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Originally Posted by 1991 Pinnacle hockey card (translated)
Patrik is a complete player who excels in all areas of the ice. he contributes his share defensively, which is why his offensive stats have declined.
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Originally Posted by 1991 Pro Set Card
One of the more underrated two-way forwards in the league... blocks shots as well as any defenseman and is an unselfish playmaker.
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Originally Posted by 1991 Score Card
Patrik's numbers were down in 199-91, but he played very well down the stretch. "Over the course of a long season, you appreciate his work", says teammate Brendan Shanahan... "Sunny played well for us the last month and a half", said teammate Bruce Driver. "It may have gone unnoticed, but he turned it up a notch. He's definitely a money player."
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Originally Posted by Hockey Scouting Report 1991-92
Has never been a flashy scorer, but he is one of the top two-way forwards in the league when healthy. He has enough polish and style to make the game look easy, but he is a very hard worker. There is no one aspect of his game that stands out from any other...seldom makes a bad pass, never panics... a support player who brings out the best in his linemates...can move the puck up ice himself or put a tape-to-tape pass through traffic... His value as a penalty killer is also underrrated. Over the past three seasons, he has probably been among the top half-dozen defensive forwards in the NHL. He is aggressive in his pursuit of the puck and his skating ability and poke checking skills don't give point men much time to handle the puck.
Sundstrom is very big boned and sinewy, and doesn't give an impression of size or strength. He is a deceptively strong player, willing to hit and willing to sacrifice his body (one of the main reasons he spends so much time in the trainer's room)... He is not a fighter by any means, but is very tough in his own way... Sundstrom blocks shots as well as most defensemen, and his fearlessness seems almost foolhardy. Sundstrom gets tremendous respect from his teammates for the price he is willing to pay to win a game... If he had played for better teams than the Canucks and Devils through his career, this atypical Swede would have singlehandedly dispelled the myth of what a European player plays like. Injuries have taken their toll, so this very quiet leader may never get his due. He knows the game as well as any coaches he plays for and will remain an asset to any team as long as his body holds out. In fact, he would make an excellent coaching prospect.
