From: mattb@ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Jarmo Myllys & European Goalies
Date: 7 Oct 92 13:31:14 GMT
Reply-To: mattb@olympus.ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

(Staffan Axelsson) writes:

>North America has produced a lot of top quality goalies themselves
>and there really hasn't been any need for European goalies, even
>if they have been 'great' in our (Europeans') eyes. 

There have been a good number of European goaltenders that have started
for NHL/WHA teams, starting (I believe) with the WHA Whalers back in the
70's (Abramsson? I'll have to look it up at home). Almost every team has
had a European goalie in their line-up for a full season, at least, over
the years. If you look at on ice statistics, none have reached the level
of performance of the best North American goalie in a given year. Only
one that I can remember has reached something close to superstar status, 
Pelle Lindberg, and his career was cut short by his death in a car accident.

Two points about this, however.
1) It is difficult to tell if they have been given equal chances. I have
   seen no visible discrimination or favoritism, and haven't heard any
   reported, but that is no proof. However, it seems like many of the
   European goalies have given up early, rather than sticking it out the
   way North Americans do. You don't see European goalies playing years
   in the minors before sticking with an NHL club. This may change, now
   that there are more XSoviet goalkeepers available, and they have less
   to return home to (both Irbe and Trefilov are in the minors this year,
   for example). Other Europeans can return home and get comparatively
   easy work. The stress of an 84 game season is harder on a goalie than
   a skater, in my opinion, and playing half that in a familiar setting
   must be much less stressful.
2) Only 1 to 4 goalies in the league reach this level per year, so it isn't
   that surprising that most have been North American, by numbers alone.

>Also, the goalie's task is a bit different on small rinks, sometimes acting
>like a third defenseman as opposed to the European goalie who is usually a 
>bit more stationary. This has been an advantage for N American goalies over
>European goalies since they're used to this from the minor leagues.

This is a fascinating point. I had never noticed this before Staffan pointed
it out, but looking back over the international games I have seen, and the 
european goalies in the NHL, I recollect that in the international games,
goalies are less likely to leave the goal area to stop a puck behind the
net, and even less likely to go to the corner to play the puck. Now, with 
a wider rink, this makes perfect sense. But with the larger area behind the
goal, I would have guessed that having the goalie stop the puck behind
the net would become more important. More difficult, but more important.
I would have also thought that if the goalies didn't do this regularly, that
dumping the puck in would be more effective. But this isn't usually thought
of as a characteristic of the European game. Curious. Any insight from our
European correspondents?

Or is this just a selective memory/halucination on my part, triggered
by Staffan's comment?

>European defensemen and forwards have been/are attractive for NHL teams in
>the sense that they are usually more skilled in passing and skating than the
>typical NHL enforcer. There has not been any such advantage (quite naturally)
>for the European goalie over the N American goalie.

Is the (or was the) NHL style game harder to adjust to for goalies used to
European hockey? If so, is it the way offense is generated, or is it the
defensive system? How big a factor is language? Goalies tend to give more
verbal instruction or feedback to teammates during play. Is the language
barrier bigger here than for a French Canadian goalie? Any thoughts?

If I've got some time, I'll hit the books and post some Euro-goalie stats
from yesteryear.

Matt
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey