Post by rockies on Jun 6, 2004 1:02:17 GMT -5
Speaking of A. Yashin's play in the NHL and for his national team in another topic, it reminds me of Robert Reichel. Just like Yashin, Reichel is a talented player and a star for Czech Republic in international competition but in the NHL, based on his contribution for the team in the regular season, especially in the playoff when he became "invisible", he is not a star by any standard. Twice asking for a huge raise with Calgary (1995) and Phoenix (1999), he was refused in both places so he left to play in Germany (1996) and his native Czech Republic (2000). He only went back to the NHL after being traded to Toronto and agreed to a new contract.
Toronto was probably desparate to win the cup.
This somehow reminds me another talented European player with the same "invisible in the playoff" syndrome before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers, Kent Nilsson of Sweden who used to play for Calgary Flames in the 1980s. When Glen Sather got him and put him on a line with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson in the playoff, he became a different person (who does not when play with Messier) when he could smell the cup and even running to and checking a Flyer player into the board behind the Flyer goal in the 1987 Stanley Cup final. They basically do not want to be a leader, just follower, do not want to step up to another level of intensity, afraid to get hurt or sacrifice for the winning of the team. More and more talented European players adapted well to the more physical play in the NHL (Fedorov, Forsberg for example) and since I no longer follow the NHL closely since mid-1990s, I was surprised with the number of European captains in the NHL -Koivu, Jokinen, Numminen, Alfredsson, Naslund, Sundin, Satan.
At least some of them stepped up to be a leader.
Toronto was probably desparate to win the cup.
This somehow reminds me another talented European player with the same "invisible in the playoff" syndrome before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers, Kent Nilsson of Sweden who used to play for Calgary Flames in the 1980s. When Glen Sather got him and put him on a line with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson in the playoff, he became a different person (who does not when play with Messier) when he could smell the cup and even running to and checking a Flyer player into the board behind the Flyer goal in the 1987 Stanley Cup final. They basically do not want to be a leader, just follower, do not want to step up to another level of intensity, afraid to get hurt or sacrifice for the winning of the team. More and more talented European players adapted well to the more physical play in the NHL (Fedorov, Forsberg for example) and since I no longer follow the NHL closely since mid-1990s, I was surprised with the number of European captains in the NHL -Koivu, Jokinen, Numminen, Alfredsson, Naslund, Sundin, Satan.
At least some of them stepped up to be a leader.