Marcel Hossa shines in Sweden
Oct 21, 2004 8:27:52 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Oct 21, 2004 8:27:52 GMT -5
21-10-2004
Mathias Brunet
La Presse
Marcel Hossa is undoubtedly the Canadiens enigmatic prospect.
Equipped with exceptional natural skills, this first round choice of 2000 (16th over all) can play like his famous brother Marian some (rare) evenings and be invisible the rest of the time.
His four goals in five games on the left hand side of Saku Koivu and Richard Zednik when he was called up to Montreal in 2003, made management have sweet dreams.
But he quickly faded out of memory and passed the majority of last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American League, where he was ordinary, with a total of 40 points, including 18 goals, in 57 games.
Despite everything, the Habs intended to give him every opportunity to earn a position with the team this season, hoping that he would finally find himself. Then the lockout happened.
Hossa could have imitated some of his young colleagues like Ron Hainsey and Jason Ward by signing a minor league contract with the Bulldogs in order to continue his development in Hamilton. Instead he chose Sweden and the Canadiens did not object to his decision.
All has gone well for Hossa up to this point. He's played eight games with IK Mora and he is already among the best forwards of the Swedish Elite League with four goals, four less than leader Jonas Johnson (who has played 2 more games), but as many as Brendan Morrison, of the Canucks, and one more than Peter Forsberg of the Avalanche, and Thomas Holmstrom of the Red Wings.
IK Mora constitutes the Cinderella team in Sweden since the beginning of the season. This small club, promoted to the first division for the first time this year, was foreseen to finish at the bottom of the standing. But thanks to the brilliance of Hossa, among others, it succeeds in holding steady in the middle of the pack, only two points behind Peter Forsberg's prestigious Modo and BK Färjestads (with whom Sheldon Souray has just played his first game).
Because of its limited budget, IK Mora was constrained to limit itself to less famous players such Hossa, Shawn Horcoff of the Oilers, and Dan Cleary of Phoenix.
They are far from the payroll of IK Timra (Mikka Kiprusoff, Henrik Zetterberg, Frederik Modin and Aki Berg), of HC Linköpings (Kristian Huselius, Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble) or of Modo (Forsberg, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Tommy Salo).
"We have a good group of guys, we play as a team", confided Hossa yesterday at the end of the phone via interpreter Zdenek Matejovski. "I could have remained in Slovakia, but there was no place for me on my brother's team and I wanted to try a different experience. I did not want to return to the American League. My good buddy Rastislav Pavlikovsky had a contract with Mora and I decided to join him. We are likely to play together on the first or second line. I do not regret my decision. I am in full form and my confidence grows from game to game. I needed some, since I did not have a very good season last year."
Hossa, a strapping man of 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds who has just celebrated his 23rd birthday, notes a certain difference between the style of play in Sweden and that of the NHL. "It is definitely more physical in North America. On the other hand, the play more technical and refined here. But the growing presence of NHL players makes it so that the play in the SEL approaches that practised in the NHL."
- www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/article/1,154,1881,102004,821202.shtml
Mathias Brunet
La Presse
Marcel Hossa is undoubtedly the Canadiens enigmatic prospect.
Equipped with exceptional natural skills, this first round choice of 2000 (16th over all) can play like his famous brother Marian some (rare) evenings and be invisible the rest of the time.
His four goals in five games on the left hand side of Saku Koivu and Richard Zednik when he was called up to Montreal in 2003, made management have sweet dreams.
But he quickly faded out of memory and passed the majority of last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American League, where he was ordinary, with a total of 40 points, including 18 goals, in 57 games.
Despite everything, the Habs intended to give him every opportunity to earn a position with the team this season, hoping that he would finally find himself. Then the lockout happened.
Hossa could have imitated some of his young colleagues like Ron Hainsey and Jason Ward by signing a minor league contract with the Bulldogs in order to continue his development in Hamilton. Instead he chose Sweden and the Canadiens did not object to his decision.
All has gone well for Hossa up to this point. He's played eight games with IK Mora and he is already among the best forwards of the Swedish Elite League with four goals, four less than leader Jonas Johnson (who has played 2 more games), but as many as Brendan Morrison, of the Canucks, and one more than Peter Forsberg of the Avalanche, and Thomas Holmstrom of the Red Wings.
IK Mora constitutes the Cinderella team in Sweden since the beginning of the season. This small club, promoted to the first division for the first time this year, was foreseen to finish at the bottom of the standing. But thanks to the brilliance of Hossa, among others, it succeeds in holding steady in the middle of the pack, only two points behind Peter Forsberg's prestigious Modo and BK Färjestads (with whom Sheldon Souray has just played his first game).
Because of its limited budget, IK Mora was constrained to limit itself to less famous players such Hossa, Shawn Horcoff of the Oilers, and Dan Cleary of Phoenix.
They are far from the payroll of IK Timra (Mikka Kiprusoff, Henrik Zetterberg, Frederik Modin and Aki Berg), of HC Linköpings (Kristian Huselius, Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble) or of Modo (Forsberg, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Tommy Salo).
"We have a good group of guys, we play as a team", confided Hossa yesterday at the end of the phone via interpreter Zdenek Matejovski. "I could have remained in Slovakia, but there was no place for me on my brother's team and I wanted to try a different experience. I did not want to return to the American League. My good buddy Rastislav Pavlikovsky had a contract with Mora and I decided to join him. We are likely to play together on the first or second line. I do not regret my decision. I am in full form and my confidence grows from game to game. I needed some, since I did not have a very good season last year."
Hossa, a strapping man of 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds who has just celebrated his 23rd birthday, notes a certain difference between the style of play in Sweden and that of the NHL. "It is definitely more physical in North America. On the other hand, the play more technical and refined here. But the growing presence of NHL players makes it so that the play in the SEL approaches that practised in the NHL."
- www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/article/1,154,1881,102004,821202.shtml
recaps. They seem to show only top teams' (MoDo, Frolunda, Djugarden) action, but once upon a time they put Mora's game, too. 
