Joffrey Lupul on his KHL experience...

[preissingg]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/...hockey-feschuk


"Games played: Nine. Goals: One. Sticks lost to suspected airport-baggage thievery: Eight. Splendid meals: Zero."


“I was really surprised to see the style and the systems and the big ice and just their philosophy on playing,” Lupul said. “There’s basically no forechecking. Everyone just kind of stands back and traps — and waits, actually — at the other blue line. It’s weird. I don’t find it nearly as entertaining to watch. There’s no physical play, not really. . . . But the players definitely have a lot of skill over there. They are a lot smaller. But there’s a lot more passing and less dump-it-in, straight-ahead hockey.”

[Sivek]

So NHL-level Canadian players are finally realizing what it's like to play in a different culture and different style of game and a number of them don't like it?

Is the Russian sports media calling guys like Lupul, Evander Kane, etc enigmatic, soft and so on yet? Those guys go over the KHL just to collect a paycheck and find out that skill level gap isn't as big as it they'd figure it'd be and not get the ice-time they want and then head back home and complain.

I doubt anyone learns anything about how difficult the transition from cultures and styles can be and expect to hear the next top Russian prospect to be tagged with the lazy, enigmatic label like always.