What does the European comment matter? Hockey is cultural not part of your ethnicity. Ask Kadri and Zibenejad if it matters if your parents are native to the country or not. Europe will produce hockey players because those countries love hockey. Just like Canada loves hockey and the immigrants that love the game will want their kids to play too.
- wendel13

A side note: Scarborough's population is 600,000. You'd think a city of people that big would be able to produce enough young hockey players, yet, in a few years, their minor hockey program will fold due to lack of enrollment and any players hoping to play will need to either look towards durham or Markham/GTHL
- AngryWhiteMale

Culture and Ethinicity are to varying degrees interetwined. It's not that, say, a young black kid can't grow up in the GTA and become a pro hockey player, because some in fact become very good hockey players. It's that there is a cultural pull for young black kids to play basketball and football. There's no denying it.

There's enormous pull for young Chinese Canadians to not get into contact sports all together, as cultural pressure to focus on academics is too great.

There's cultural pull for young indians to focus on school as well, with their favourite sports being cricket, soccer et al.

Europe's a different case. They bring people in from just one part of the world, and that part of the world is hostile to so many things western that a game played on ice simply doesn't register to them.

I've been to Europe. I understand the socio-political environment there and can say that it's not the same as North America. They don't integrate minorities very well at all. along with that, many Europeans simply don't produce enough children to encourage large prospect pools

It's really going to be Canada, US, SWE in the top 3 for the next decaade.

Until Russia starts producing decent defencemen they aren't going to make it far.

I should make an exception for the Finns. Despite not having a stacked lineup they do play well for their country. Though, I wonder how they'll perform in 2014 without Selanne, Koivu(s) and Kiprusoff

A side note: Scarborough's population is 600,000. You'd think a city of people that big would be able to produce enough young hockey players, yet, in a few years, their minor hockey program will fold due to lack of enrollment and any players hoping to play will need to either look towards durham or Markham/GTHL
- AngryWhiteMale

i think you can chalk that one up to demographics. i worked in Scarborough for 2 years. didn't see many of those Sri Lankans, Pakistanis or Arabs carting hockey gear into their cars.

i think you can chalk that one up to demographics. i worked in Scarborough for 2 years. didn't see many of those Sri Lankans, Pakistanis or Arabs carting hockey gear into their cars.
- DoubleDown

ya they were carting something else..right..

WTF is everyone talking about with this European population sh!t.
- wendel13

Long story short...

Europeans don't have enough children to continue to be a hockey super power
- Leeman4Gilmour

19 year old All-Star, Stanley Cup champion, Tyler Seguin disagrees.
- Unholy_Goalie

The cup ring is nominal. He wasn't necessarily the deal-breaker for that cup anymore than Kaberle or Rask was.

He will be good, probably as good as Kessel in the end.

#

8) Agree

9) No thanks, Steve Ott anyone?
- AngryWhiteMale

Yeah you don't want him Prust is a very good bottom six forward though. kills penalties, can play on checking line, hits and will fight anybody despite his size. He won't be available though

For every play he makes like that, there are half a dozen that blow up and cost the Leafs a scoring chance against. Gardiner can skate and definitely has talent but he has a lot more work to do to balance his game.
- Unholy_Goalie

what do you think about Carter ashton?

The cup ring is nominal. He wasn't necessarily the deal-breaker for that cup anymore than Kaberle or Rask was.

He will be good, probably as good as Kessel in the end.
- AngryWhiteMale

Not just as good. Better.

At 19/20, was Kessel an All-Star with 27 goals, 65 points and +32?

Nope.

Plus Dougie Hamilton...

L4G to English translation:

"I would rather defend my Lord and Master, Pope Burke the First than realize that his promises are hallow and empty. Rather than awaken to the fact that he isn't doing what he set out to do, I will continue to lie to myself in hopes that it will all get better. And by better I mean they make 8th place because that's enough to keep me happy. Additionally, I will lie to myself to believe that Burke's pro-American strategy is the route to success based on population figures. Europe will cease to play hockey and America will reign supreme...

...God bless America."
- Unholy_Goalie

Nice try.

I'm am flattered that you decided to rip-off my style, but it really doesn't make sense in this context. The whole "translation" gag doesn't really work when there's nothing to translate.

It was a good attempt, but came up lame. I'm giving you a C+ and sending you home with the year-end report card:

"Little Uggy is making strides in his trolling, but he could reach his potential if he applied himself more. I feel that some extra study over the summer months would help him catch up to the rest of the class."

what do you think about Carter ashton?
- matt1337

14 games, 0 points, -10. Looking good so far?

Hell, even Aulie managed to get an assist with the Lightning by now. Not to mention actually use his size. And one-punch guys in a fight.

It was a good attempt, but came up lame. I'm giving you a C+ and sending you home with the year-end report card
- Leeman4Gilmour

Make sure you don't forget to send Burke his A+ for finishing in the bottom 10 four years in a row.

14 games, 0 points, -10. Looking good so far?

Hell, even Aulie managed to get an assist with the Lightning by now. Not to mention actually use his size. And one-punch guys in a fight.
- Unholy_Goalie

Now that he's traded, he's your new favorite Leaf, I take it?

How long before he makes an appearance in your avatar?

Not just as good. Better.

At 19/20, was Kessel an All-Star with 27 goals, 65 points and +32?

Nope.

Plus Dougie Hamilton...


- Unholy_Goalie

Kessel would never come close to the total sum of what we gave up to get him.

If we're lucky Colborne turns into a decent 2nd line centre and we either don't lose Kessel to UFA or he gets traded after next year

Make sure you don't forget to send Burke his A+ for finishing in the bottom 10 four years in a row.
- Unholy_Goalie

Now that he's traded, he's your new favorite Leaf, I take it?

How long before he makes an appearance in your avatar?
- Leeman4Gilmour

Actually he was Burke's favorite Leaf. Remember? The guy the Leafs wouldn't have made the deal unless he was in it? The guy they waited two weeks to finally add to the deal?

Now that he's traded, he's your new favorite Leaf, I take it?

How long before he makes an appearance in your avatar?
- Leeman4Gilmour

lol

Make sure you don't forget to send Burke his A+ for finishing in the bottom 10 four years in a row.
- Unholy_Goalie

Again, it's disappointing that you can't even be bothered to bring your best stuff lately.

All that time off has really made you rusty. What happened, man? You used to be so provocative...

Oh well, I guess we'll just have to start the search for a new Leaf-loathing Leafs fan to troll his own message boards. Somebody with some fresh material, at least.

Kessel would never come close to the total sum of what we gave up to get him.

If we're lucky Colborne turns into a decent 2nd line centre and we either don't lose Kessel to UFA or he gets traded after next year
- AngryWhiteMale

Kessel, right now, is worth as much or more than what we got him for. If they were smart, they would find some dumbass, sucker GM and recover their losses.

14 games, 0 points, -10. Looking good so far?

Hell, even Aulie managed to get an assist with the Lightning by now. Not to mention actually use his size. And one-punch guys in a fight.
- Unholy_Goalie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjW7aDjwwLs

Kessel, right now, is worth as much or more than what we got him for. If they were smart, they would find some dumbass, sucker GM and recover their losses.
- Unholy_Goalie

So, why the non-stop hatred?

Are you saying that we have, at this moment in time, won the trade?

Now THAT'S interesting coming from you.

Kessel, right now, is worth as much or more than what we got him for. If they were smart, they would find some dumbass, sucker GM and recover their losses.
- Unholy_Goalie

If by next year we haven't made the POs, then BB will be gone, and whoever steps in will prbably deal Kessel before the end of his contract.

At that point he probably will have yet another 30+ goal season under his belt before the age of 25 and have a decent final year on his cap.

That will make for a good chip.

I like Kessel, but if by next year we haven't put together a full 82 game season that means something, then yes, he along with Grabs can go, though Grabs probably won't fetch much with that cap hit

So, why the non-stop hatred?

Are you saying that we have, at this moment in time, won the trade?

Now THAT'S interesting coming from you.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Are you capable of reading something and actually being able to comprehend it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjW7aDjwwLs
- matt1337

He looked thrilled.

Burke's biggest flaw, as I see it, is his loyalty to his players. He doesn't like shaking things up if he can help it.

I understand that one must be diplomatic and attempt to keep his players happy. I also understand that so much of the success a GM has is in the professional relationships he maintains with his colleagues and his employees. Burke has many friends in the industry and many players who would follow him anywhere. Those things help, for sure.

But at some point, he needs to bite the bullet and pull the trigger on some deals. I recall hearing that even before he traded away Toskala, Blake, Stajan, etc. he was hesitant to make the deals.

He only waited so long to complete the Giguere deal (which was on the table in some form for weeks) because he truly wanted his players to turn the corner and sincerely thought they could.

Again, I admire the loyalty (even towards Wilson), but he's got to be more cut-throat to survive in Toronto.
- Leeman4Gilmour

This could be the case.. but I think it might just be a veneer that he pulls out periodically. Using the Versteeg situation as one case in point - it didn't take long to ship Versteeg out of town.

He looked thrilled.
- Unholy_Goalie

ok what about biggs?