Euro-Focus
Aug 5, 2003 15:15:56 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Aug 5, 2003 15:15:56 GMT -5
Copied this in its entirety from Spector's site (http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/Eurofocus.html) because black text on a teal background just wasn't doing it for me. Interesting speculation on post-CBA hockey.
By Danny Pugsley.
While the prospect of a lockout in the NHL following the expiry of the CBA could result in players coming over to Europe, it may suprise some that Russia could be the most attractive option.
Since the beginning of the nineties, player movement from Russia has strictly been one way, with Russian sides continually losing it's star players to North America. However, over the last couple of seasons the tide has begun to turn, and with the changing fiscal nature seen over the summer in the NHL, Russia could be set to become the attractive destination for many players.
Unlike the NHL, there are no published player salaries here in Europe, but it was widely recognised that Switzerland and Germany were the two countries which paid the most lucrative salaries. Now though, with most of the Russian sides backed by corporations or wealthy individuals, they are now armed with budgets which are beginning to dwarf other European countries. This in turn is having the effect that many players from elsewhere in Europe and North America are arriving to cash in on this new found wealth.
The eighteen clubs which comprise the RHL now operate with a budget of US$191 million, more than three times the German elite league budget of US$60 million.
Last season, AK Bars Kazan signed former NHL-ers Valery Zelepukin and Vladimir Tsyplakov, and for the forthcoming season have added Czech forward Radek Duda to their line-up. Severstal Cherepovets made it all the way to the playoff finals before being defeated by powerhouse Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. They reached the finals largely on the back of goaltender Marcel Cousineau. Other teams have now tried to emulate their success by bringing over goaltenders, and Norm Maracle will this year play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, whilst Jean-Francois Labbe will play for the Lada backed side Togliatti.
Faced with the prospect of a long NHL lockout, this could merely be the start of a much larger influx of players into Russia as players begin to look elsewhere for next season.
The annual Pajulahti Cup has been won this year by Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The preseason summer tournament, held in Finland but contested by Russian sides was won by Salavat on results between the four sides who all finished level on points at the top following the round-robin tournament. Sergei Nikolaev and Nikolai Semin of Salavat were named to the all-star team whist Anton But was the top goalscorer.
The brother of Florida's Marcus Nilson has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone. Patrik Nilson, who had signed to play through this season with Djurgardens, now awaits the results of a second test before any punishment is handed down. Nilson believes the substance (which is not prohibited in North American hockey) came from a dietary supplement he purchased on a recent visit to Florida when visiting his brother.
One of the ongoing sagas often featured in EuroFocus may be over....or is it? The rumoured cross-border league between Dutch and German clubs appears to back on if news coming from Holland is to believed. They say that six teams from the German Oberliga (the third level in Germa hockey) will join forces with the Dutch sides with effect from 2004-05, after previous talks with German lower league NRW collapsed amidst concerns over the gulf in standard between the two countries. However, news coming out of Germany is not as positive. Magazine Eishockey News quoted Oberliga director Helmut Bauer as saying "there is hardly any chance the new league can fit into the Oberliga season in 2004-05".
And finally, to touch on a topic that I have received some emails about - The Federal Hockey League.
The League, which according to it's website and press releases, hopes to be operational this September and seems to be trying to position itself as an alternative to Canadian players who are playing in the US, but predominantly in Europe.
The league has been featured in The Hockey News and is trumpeting it's successful player trials and franchise announcements on it's website. Potentially, this could have a big effect on the game in Europe, particularly in those countries (such as here in the UK) which rely mainly on imported players to fill rosters. However, there has been nothing in the press or on websites throughout regarding this possible threat to European hockey.
I emailed the league, listing various questions which I thought were relevant to the European game (both in the short and long term), but unfortunately have not received a reply. On posting a notice on a European hockey website forum, news of the league was greeted with little concern and a healthy does of scepticism.
European rosters appear to be taking shape as the seasons draw ever closer, and there does not seem to be any noticeable decline in the number of US and Canadian players signing for teams. Granted that I don't have any published rosters from the league to work with, but The Federal Hockey league, at this point at least, has not made any impact whatsoever on he European game.
By Danny Pugsley.
While the prospect of a lockout in the NHL following the expiry of the CBA could result in players coming over to Europe, it may suprise some that Russia could be the most attractive option.
Since the beginning of the nineties, player movement from Russia has strictly been one way, with Russian sides continually losing it's star players to North America. However, over the last couple of seasons the tide has begun to turn, and with the changing fiscal nature seen over the summer in the NHL, Russia could be set to become the attractive destination for many players.
Unlike the NHL, there are no published player salaries here in Europe, but it was widely recognised that Switzerland and Germany were the two countries which paid the most lucrative salaries. Now though, with most of the Russian sides backed by corporations or wealthy individuals, they are now armed with budgets which are beginning to dwarf other European countries. This in turn is having the effect that many players from elsewhere in Europe and North America are arriving to cash in on this new found wealth.
The eighteen clubs which comprise the RHL now operate with a budget of US$191 million, more than three times the German elite league budget of US$60 million.
Last season, AK Bars Kazan signed former NHL-ers Valery Zelepukin and Vladimir Tsyplakov, and for the forthcoming season have added Czech forward Radek Duda to their line-up. Severstal Cherepovets made it all the way to the playoff finals before being defeated by powerhouse Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. They reached the finals largely on the back of goaltender Marcel Cousineau. Other teams have now tried to emulate their success by bringing over goaltenders, and Norm Maracle will this year play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, whilst Jean-Francois Labbe will play for the Lada backed side Togliatti.
Faced with the prospect of a long NHL lockout, this could merely be the start of a much larger influx of players into Russia as players begin to look elsewhere for next season.
The annual Pajulahti Cup has been won this year by Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The preseason summer tournament, held in Finland but contested by Russian sides was won by Salavat on results between the four sides who all finished level on points at the top following the round-robin tournament. Sergei Nikolaev and Nikolai Semin of Salavat were named to the all-star team whist Anton But was the top goalscorer.
The brother of Florida's Marcus Nilson has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone. Patrik Nilson, who had signed to play through this season with Djurgardens, now awaits the results of a second test before any punishment is handed down. Nilson believes the substance (which is not prohibited in North American hockey) came from a dietary supplement he purchased on a recent visit to Florida when visiting his brother.
One of the ongoing sagas often featured in EuroFocus may be over....or is it? The rumoured cross-border league between Dutch and German clubs appears to back on if news coming from Holland is to believed. They say that six teams from the German Oberliga (the third level in Germa hockey) will join forces with the Dutch sides with effect from 2004-05, after previous talks with German lower league NRW collapsed amidst concerns over the gulf in standard between the two countries. However, news coming out of Germany is not as positive. Magazine Eishockey News quoted Oberliga director Helmut Bauer as saying "there is hardly any chance the new league can fit into the Oberliga season in 2004-05".
And finally, to touch on a topic that I have received some emails about - The Federal Hockey League.
The League, which according to it's website and press releases, hopes to be operational this September and seems to be trying to position itself as an alternative to Canadian players who are playing in the US, but predominantly in Europe.
The league has been featured in The Hockey News and is trumpeting it's successful player trials and franchise announcements on it's website. Potentially, this could have a big effect on the game in Europe, particularly in those countries (such as here in the UK) which rely mainly on imported players to fill rosters. However, there has been nothing in the press or on websites throughout regarding this possible threat to European hockey.
I emailed the league, listing various questions which I thought were relevant to the European game (both in the short and long term), but unfortunately have not received a reply. On posting a notice on a European hockey website forum, news of the league was greeted with little concern and a healthy does of scepticism.
European rosters appear to be taking shape as the seasons draw ever closer, and there does not seem to be any noticeable decline in the number of US and Canadian players signing for teams. Granted that I don't have any published rosters from the league to work with, but The Federal Hockey league, at this point at least, has not made any impact whatsoever on he European game.