Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Roch]

As a Quarter-Canadian raised in the Lower 48, my Ego, Boston-imbued, always wonders what the Canadians think about the people playing Their Game in New England or wherever else the glorious game of Ice Hockey is conducted on an on-going basis.

I'd go with Alan "The Force" IaFrate or Michael Modano for sheer power.

Sheer Power!

In goal, the guy from Germantown, Pa., Michael Richter, or a John Vanbriesbrouck would duke it out with a Thomas Barrasso when he was at his best. (Think back to when Tommy was 18 and fresh out of Acton-Boxboro High School in Taxachussetts in 1984.)

Up front, you gottta have Pat LaFontaine, Keith Ktachuck, Jeremy Roenick, Neil Broten, Tony Amonte, and the guy who would skate circles around ANYBODY from ANY country, Mark Johnson.

Rod Langway, Derian and Kevin, and Chris Chelios could, in their prime, shut down Canada's top players should they go hog towards the net.

As a First Line, Keith Ktachuk, Chelios, Roenick, Langway, Broten or Johnson, and either one of the Hatcher Bros. on back would go against Canada's All-Time-Best and make me look pretty lame or pretty good.

Thing is, you put an American All Star Team out there dating back to the Late '80's and Canadians gotta object with Johnson being the first cut, Broten on fourth line, and Johnson not even making the team.

I'd bet a lot of Canadians would not even consider Darien Hatcher as a candidate for the team.

R

[Newbie]

Lame buddy.

I love hockey, and I even love Americans who play hockey. But no way the top Americans could handle the top Canadians.

Wayne, Mario, and the Moose would skate circles around the Hatchers. I won't even bother mentioning Stevie Y, Sakic, Hawerchuck, Shanahan, Francis, Oates etc. (too many to go on)

Our defence... geez boy. No country comes even close! Bourque, Coffeey, Blake, MacInnis, Foote, Stevens, Nidermayer. Unbelievable.

There are some damn fine Americans, but if there were ever a combined team only 3-5 of the ones you listed could even be considered to replace the Canucks I've mentioned. (and definitely NONE of them would be goalies)

[Roch]

[Roch]

[ajgeddes]

Except for in 1996, has the USA national team beat the best from Canada?
This is just since the best players were able to play.

2004: Canada 2:1 USA
2002: Canada 5:2 USA
1998: Canada 4:1 USA
1996: USA 5:3 Canada
1996: Canada 4:3 USA
1996: USA 5:2 Canada
1996: USA 5:2 Canada
1991: Canada 6:3 USA
1991: Canada 4:1 USA
1991: Canada 4:2 USA
1987: Canada 3:2 USA
1984: Canada 4:4 USA
1981: Canada 8:3 USA
1981: Canada 4:1 USA
1976: Canada 4:2 USA

I think the team that has always given Canada it's hardest time have been the f-ing Czechs. I hate when we play the Czechs.



I think the one place where the USA has always had its strength has been on forward. On forward they are equal to every other country. Modano, Modano, Modano! And there are some great younger guys now.

Realistically, there has only ever been one good goalie, 1996, and aside from Chelios, the defense isn't that strong.

(Is the hockey news Canadian?)

[Roch]

[Roch]

[ajgeddes]

But you were talking about Gretzky and 1996.........


Anyways, if you love hockey so much, you should come out and play for our team, it's great fun

[ajgeddes]

Okay, now I will talk about Amateur hockey, although I don't really know what you mean by that because most good players are pro by the time they are 19 or 20. I can guarantee you there are not 1 million registered players in the GTHL.

Hockey numbers have been dwindling for years and for the past 10 years soccer has been a more popular sport than hockey, numbers wise. Even when I played minor hockey in the 90's, some towns which were traditionally hockey hotbeds, were having trouble making teams and my town which is hockey crazy would only need to cut 1-5 players to make the best team.

Another problem is that every town, village, you name it, has a team. This really dilutes the talent pool and the leagues. Players are playing for teams that they shouldn't even be allowed to try out for. In Ontario, we have 8 junior hockey leagues that are all around the same level (there are some American teams in these leagues as well). In these 8 leagues, you have roughly, 85-100 teams. Everybody wants a junior team, but few places can actually support them properly. You have players coming over from Europe and Americans coming to play for these teams.

Americans should be catching up. I think it is better organized in the USA. Canada needs to change it's system to make it more competitive. Whenever Canadian teams leave Canada or play teams from other countries, we don't fair that well until they get a lot older.

Because of all of this, I don't think we are producing as many top quality players as we used to. I should also say that this problem is more centred on Ontario, as I don't think the rest of Canada is dealing with this same problem, as least not as much. Of course the biggest problem of all for hockey is that it is so f-ing expensive. People can't afford to have their kids playing anymore, especially if they have more than one. Equipment is too expensive and ice time is too expensive, gas is too expensive, and the damn kids don't stop growing.

Anyways, I guess what I am saying is that in the next few years I don't know if Canada will be able to stay on top if we don't get our acts together.

[Newbie]

Sports... anything can happen. Canada just beat USA in the baseball thing, but I know Canada is nowhere near as good as the US in baseball. Don't get me wrong, USA Hockey is much better than Baseball Canada, but still.

As possibly making the Canadian team I would pick Chelios, Modano, Tkachuck and Schneider (this guy is awesome. Very underrated.)

Best US goalie, Richter. But I wouldn't put him up against Roy, Fuhr, Brodeur, Belfour.

I have no probems with "mediocre" (you word not mine) Americans creeping up on us.

As for your pewee tournaments... those are a joke. Traveling teams always play in divisions lower than they should. Every time I went to Buffalo/Rochester/Washington etc. my team would dominate. We weren;t really that good, just played weaker teams. Any time European teams visited Toronto, they dominated us cuz they were freaking "super-elite" kinda teams.

As for modern young talent... Crosby, Heatley. Wow.

One-on-one skills competition... Sakic in his prime could pick any corner, anytime. Mute point though, cuz as we all know hockey is about a lot more than just skills.

[Jeju Rocks]

Add Mark Howe to that US team. If he were 25, he would fit in fine with these new NHL rules.