From: tarkkone@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lauri Tarkkonen)
Subject: Re: WJHC: Stats
Organization: University of Helsinki
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 09:12:46 GMT

In <1992Dec27.224524.13715@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:

>In article <1992Dec27.164616.9713@klaava.Helsinki.FI> tarkkone@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lauri Tarkkonen) writes:
>>
>>In Europe practically all players over 21 that have some real talent 
>>are playing for their club teams. It is difficult to get event the 
>>below 20 agegroup to practice together, because the clubs do not
>>like to give them for the internationla tournaments, because they
>>are just 'baby' tournamenst. Any single Swede or Finn coming before
>>the age of 23 are a great factor in the respective countries teams.
>>

>The Europeans stop their leagues for the Olympics anyway...right!

Yeas, but they have then their best players with it. If their best players
(above 23) would be home, they would not stop their leagues. This might
be a very difficult thing for you to understand, but if you change one
variable, some other related variables tend to change too.

>Our juniors have very little practice time also. 

Did you revela some secret?

>And since when have Europeans cared about 'baby' tournaments...the
>alleged World Championship has been such a 'baby' tournament for
>decades because the European Ice Hockey Federations wanted it that
>way.

There is no such thing as European Ice Hockey Federation. But as usual
facts have never been your strong side. Theher has been a International
Amateur Hockey Association. (Please try to read that carefully.) They
had championships that had the best they had, inluding Canada. Canada
dropped out, so it was one country out, but the most of the other made
it. Look and listen carefully. Even though we recard Canada to be among
the premiere hockey countries, we do not regard a tournament baby tour-
namet depending of the presence or absence of Canada, one and only one
country, if we have the best players from all the European countries.
If we have only the players under 23 (even with Canada) then it is a
baby tournament. 

When the level of 'amateur' hockey came to the level comparable to
the professionals, there was the idea to have them with us. There
was a strong opposition among the old men who roled the organization,
the opposition was based on the goonlike reputation of NHL. Some 
did not see any difference between NHL and the american pro wrestling.
So they wanted to keep these things separated and the wrestling out
of hockey, at least European hockey. Luckily there has been some sence
in the NHL and they try to clean their act. I do not say that the
decicions done by the IAHA or IOC have been smart or sound, I just
try to explain why they have been made. They have been made in the
spirit of the time, I have not agreed with them, I have already over 
25 years ago tried to get rid of the double moral amateur rules and
I am happy to see there is some light in this department,the IOC
accepted the NBA stars to the games.

>I want a true World Cup...and an Olympic tournament that isn't a
>fraudulent exhibition.

That is why you want to send a team in the true olympic spirit:
The most important is not the winning but the good sport. But as
I already have said it: Because you cannot take any players of 
proper calibre away from the teams paying the salaries, you better
to stick with the system we have. Take the time you get, and take
the best players. I do not mean the best scoresrs, but a proper mix
of talent to make a team. This is the way it is done in sccer, and
you keep telling us that it is perfect.

>The NHL in the Olympics is not a good idea politically, economically,
>or in idealistic sports terms.

I think it is a good thing to get the best hockey players to play in
the same tournament, it is good for the sport, it is ood for the eco-
nomics of the games. The best players of all thenations in the same
games is idealisticly good and sound thing. The NBA Dream team proved
it. There were games, won by them by more than 50 points, but wven the
losers were proud to be at once in their lives on the same court with
Magic or Air and to even try to compete with them.

>Kitsch will not solve the problems of hockey...and it is naive and/or
>foolish to think it will. 

Some of the problems exsist only in your head, not in the real world.
Sometimes if it is impossible to get the best, then you try to settle 
with good.

>Gerald


- Lauri Tarkkonen