Olympics, playoffs, Russians, hockey

What do Croatia, Germany and Denmark hockey players all have in common?

They're all going to watch Olympic games on TV. 

Robert Kristan standing firm for Slovenia against Denmark

Austria and Slovenia made an uproar and qualified to the Olympic hockey tournament in Socchi 2014! Beating "hockey" countries like Belarus, Ukraine and Denmark Slovenia qualified for the first time (since 1984 and OG in Sarajevo where they played as part of Yugoslavia), while Austria took a point from Germany with a goal in last minute to tie the score.

Slovenian team trying to hug their goalie all at once for stellar performance
at OGQ tournament. Photo by iihf.com

What do Austria and Slovenia have in common? Well, its a similarity at least. Almost all players from Austria play in the local/regional EBEL league, but almost all players from Slovenia play abroad. And they're mostly out of a single, and world-known, hockey school. A school where Anže Kopitar was made, on a sunny side of Alps in Jesenice.

So, in a league where Vanek stayed with his folks in a village in Austria (Graz) and scored like 15 points in 11 games. A bit less then he managed to do in his dozen or so games of a shortened NHL season. Yikes, EBEL is better league than NHL!

Btw. three countries with teams playing in EBEL are going to Olympic games. Only two countries with teams playing in NHL are going to Olympic games. Do the math! I know I did.

So, Sammy Gagner said congrats to his Austrian Eskimo brothers:

Big Congratulations to Austria on qualifying for Sochi 2014. Really enjoyed my time there and wish them all the best. Except vs Canada :)
— Sam Gagner (@89SGagner) February 10, 2013

Also, Andy Chiodo, his former teammate and two times draftee commented the same. He discovered twitter as well recently. Coincidence? I think not.

Congrats to the KAC boys and all of Austrian National Team on qualifying for 2014 Olympics . Great job !
— Andy chiodo (@ChicoChiodo31) February 10, 2013

Though, somehow I think Gagner's tweet went to a broader audience. But we're all praying that finally this is the year Oilers and Sammy go to playoffs. If not, he'll always have the Alps.

Anže Kopitar was also proud on his baby bro and his papy who pulled Slovenia to the first Olympic Games tournament in history. No one understood what he wrote though. Well, his teammates in Slo did. Maybe. Not sure.

Iskrene cestitke vsem fantom! Pise se zgodovina! #strupjevmejhnihflaškah #ifeelslovenia #risi
— Anze Kopitar (@AnzeKopitar) February 8, 2013

He did say though that he's playing in Socchi 2014. Take that NHL.

"This is a miracle," Slovenia head coach Matjaz Kopitar, father of the Los Angeles Kings Anze Kopitar, was quoted as saying afterwards. "A great success, not only for our sport, but for our nation."

http://instagram.com/p/VmrMGWrOc1/ This picture sums it all up.


What else? Oh yeah, they have to brothers actually named Rodman. Cool right? And their brightest stars is a young trio that emerged from Jesenice school Sabolič - Tičar - Jeglič, twenty something kids playing in DEL and Allsvenskan. Going to Olympic games. Good luck boys!

Dustin Jeffrey is doing some graveyard shifts in NHL. And he was a star in Europe. Just like Muršak. Hope Jan gets better though and starts playing again like he knows he can.

Russians are coming

Ergo Arena in Gdansk

Or are they? Poland nominated Gdansk for KHL team. Their idea of a KHL team is a road show that'll be based in Gdansk but will tour around Poland in order to promote hockey. 

Seriously? Who comes up with ideas like those? 

In other news: Russians plan to have Milano in for 13/14 and by 14/15 another Swiss based team. That would sum up to 28 teams, with one spot open for either a Croatian team and Polish team, or someone else with money. 

Two cups one league 

But there's still playoffs to be played in EBEL league before Russians arrive (if?). EBEL has a really silly intermission round system worked in a way to give bottom teams a chance to qualify for playoffs while doing jack shit all season. Also gives chance to Red Bull Salzburg to dress a 28th foreign (transfer card) player this season. A frenchie. Yikes, seriously guys?

Vienna continues to dominate, and are now a team most would bet to win championship. Two cups one league? Yes, thats EBEL. Vienna will miss their star D-man, Dan Bjornlie who's out with a season ending concussion.

Trade deadline doesn't end by 15th so we'll see if they'll bring a substitute by then.

Bears from Zagreb, who are declining in this intermission round, got a new goal scorer, Roman Tomas from Slovakian team Poprad is supposed to arrive to Zagreb tomorrow and join the team for the away game in Vienna. Live video will be at www.medvescakizbliza.com under STREAM. Hopefully we'll have a good game to watch. Its about time.

Geoff Waugh might return to roster after a month long absence due to concussion.

Clayton Stoner still didn't reply to a few questions, but its okay, he's busy in NHL. Hopefully he'll do it soon and we'll have something to read about.

And we're off!

We got ourselves a season. Europe is feeling better, KHL is still crying over Ovi, Malkin and not sure about Kovi. But hey, its not first time best and brightest are running out of USSR

Also, USA beat Canada. Then Canada got mad. And Don Cherry almost got a heart attack. Poor man, getting so excited over nothing. Lets pretend we cared and lets go on.

So, as we wait for hockey for another week or so, lets preview what happened so far in #Europe

1. Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL in Austria and surrounding countries) had its share of linking and popularity thanks to a nice guy playing for Olimpija Ljubljana, Mike Ratchuk. Over a million views total, not bad man, and nice goal. Feel poor for the kid goalie.
2. Then Patrick Kane went to dangle a bit around Corey Schneider in Swiss. Showoff mostly, and a battle of nerves. Kane won. Woooot.

3. And finally it was time for good old Pavel Datsyuk to teach these kids a lesson. In a KHL game shootout he decided to add a new move. Check out this:
4. But nothing can top Ilya Kovalchuk. I'm sure there are lots of guys on Devils' team that are sweating and swearing just watching this pure art. Спасибо Илье
What can you say? I'm sure lots of these Locked-out guys had fun in Europe. In USA and Canada its all just work. Most of these guys have had first Xmas off since way before they were even drafted. Most of them worked out, enjoyed the Europe for first time.

Dustin Jeffrey selling Xmas cards for Medvescak partner UNICEF

Just think of guys like Dustin Jeffrey, who worked hard to get into a star filled Pens roster. And had first Christmas off. He decided to spend it with his family and friends in Canada.

Michael Grabner got a chance to play for his childhood team, EC VSV in same league as Jeffrey. Guys made him such a sweet video, wonder if he got a mix tape as well? Villach is so cute I just cuddle them all together. Also you can see how awesome Grabner's beard got over time.

Rumours are Grabner's beard got sentient and he had to remove it upon landing on US soil. Or something like that.

Tyler Myers as a farewell gift got a pounding by Nathan Perkovich. 203cm vs 196cm and 10s fight. But was nice. Notice the screams in the arena. Hi Becky.


And another POV with a camera guy having a great feeling of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80LNkJ6o-50

Damn he must be proud.

Anyways, thats it guys. Lockout is over, tears over new fan favorites have been shed, and we're off to see another, very short, NHL season. Go draft your fantasy teams, set up your leagues and we're off to go.

And Gagner's team is doing great since he left. They might even get to playoffs now. Which is unlikely for Edmonton Oilers.

Burke who?

You can't take the game from us

Although you've tried hard!

Hockey is a game of passion. Brotherly love and hate. Of curses, swearwords and great plays. Six men with bats, knives on feet and armor go out on the ice hitting each other in battle for the small rubber band. How can we not love it? Well.. when the top league isn't being played, that's how. Give us our game back guys. Think we deserve it.

And it looks like we're going in that way. NHLPA has taken a vote and its a loud "YES". So these guys are going to court to file a dispute against the league. This will be fun.

Whats going on with the game we love?

What Ovi, Stammer, PK and everyone round the world has been asking the same question. And these guys replied - Hockey is ours. The game is on, regardless of what few billionaire owners say about it. And another multi - billion company just found a way to use it to generate revenue. Because NHL doesn't want to generate it, better not to make any money than to give away some of it.

NHL is cancelled until mid January

And fans are outraged. Hell, we want our guys to play, stop bitching about peanuts. NHL cancelled the games, NHLPA player's vote ended with a loud "YES" and we're going to court now. Man the fuck up and get the game where it belongs. Back on ice.

Meanwhile in Europe

There's hockey. Russia is busy voting on their ALL STAR game rosters, many other leagues are shuffling NHL lockout players, washed up AHL players and just trying to bring fans on the rink to spend a dime or two. Support your local hockey club guys! Or local rich guy owning your club.

EBEL league in Austria is particularly funny this week. Actually, not the whole league, but one special part ran by mr. Pierre "I turn the" Page.  What do guys like: Alex Auld, Tobias Enström, David Clarkson, Derrick Brassard, Derek Dorsett have in common with Johnny Boychuk, Mike Duco, Rob Schremp and Mark Cullen?

They were all teammates at one point in Salzburg in last couple of weeks. Yeah, all these guys passed through Salzburg in last two months or so.

Derick Brassard in days of glory for Red Bull Salzburg

Aaron Portzline via twitter: Derick Brassard left his Austrian team without their permission, agent Allan Walsh had this to say: ”Derick Brassard is the 5th NHL player to sign with Red Bull this season and the 5th player to leave within 3 weeks of arrival. Talk to Tobias Enstrom, David Clarkson, Derek Dorsett or any of Red Bull’s current players. There is no more unprofessional organization in all of Europe. The club is misrepresenting the facts in an attempt to justify to their fans and media why NHL players keep leaving.”

Wow. Guys with unlimited money managed to turn away PRO players from it? No idea, no tactics, no hope for future as they are sitting on a 9th place and train to Playoffs is going further and further away. 

And then there is... Switzerland! (and Austria and Croatia)

Congrats to Sam Gagner of EC KAC (Austria) on his first invitation to play for Team Canada in Spengler Cup next week! He'll be joining John Tavares, Carlo Coloaiacovo and many others who are yet to be named. 

Sam Gagner in KAC doing a "victory chicken dance" native to a farm he plays at

Sam Gagner ‏@89SGagner

Very excited to get the invite to play for @HockeyCanada in the Spengler Cup. Always a tremendous honour to play for your country.#Canada

His new line mate in KAC is Tom Zanoski who ran away from a bad bad coach in Zagreb and went to big league rivals in the most uprising story of the last week. No one outside Zagreb cares about it so we'll leave it at that.

Francois Bouchard in Zagreb, decent on ice, 82kg, rly?

Zagreb went on and tried to sign Bouchard. They couldn't get the actual NHL hockey player so they signed his baby brother Francois Bouchard. Frankie got to town couple days ago and then hopped on buy, went to Czech hooker town of Znojmo and scored a nice goal after a pass of a face off draw. Not bad kid. Now get your cousin PA over here and we can talk some more. Right? Okay thanks.

And don't forget to check out whats Dustin Jeffrey been doing when he's not playing hockey for Penguins.

Michal Handzus, epic hair guy

Stupid Dornbirn also went in line to break Zagreb's record of biggest defeat in season (11:2 against EV VSV Villach). These chaps sitting on 11th (out of 12) place managed to lose by 12:3 in Salzburg. By a team marginally better then theirs and around thousand times more costly.

Good job guys scoring three goals on these boys.

We're on pretty soon again, hopefully some guys (shoutout to Ned Lukacevic and Mike Handzus) will finish up their interviews. Will you guys? Thanks!

p.s. Ned go work out and get out of that slump. We need you back on scoring track buddy!