 |
|
|
|
|
|
An International Idea!
Good players want to play in good leagues. The Elitserien is one of the best leagues in the ice hockey business. To play for one of the top twelve clubs in Europe has got to be high on the wish list of the best hockey players on the continent. Malmö Redhawks, being one of the twelve, is a club where good players want to come and play. In many top leagues, for most sports, borders between countries are becoming less and less defined. European Union laws have made it easier for players to move around and develop their careers in a variety of situations and environments. Ice hockey is no exception and so the doors are open for players from all over the ice hockey world to play in Sweden. As a result it becomes more difficult for young developing Swedish players to make the breakthrough into the top teams in the country.
Malmö Redhawks have learned, to their cost, that signing foreign players is inherently risky. The number of players who have signed and then left soon afterwards is close on unbelievable. Many will argue that a change in approach is badly needed. On closer examination however one will find that despite these lessons there are many reasons for supporters of Malmö Redhawks have a lot to look forward to. One cannot argue that there are not a lot of positives to be taken from Malmö’s present position. Last in the league table is just that, last in the league. With an apparent Kvalserien to look forward to what can Redhawks supporters expect?
Despite the number of international players that have departed from Malmö, a couple have made a very positive impact. Dave King believes that the Elitserien is a league that places a lot of emphasis on defense,” lots of clubs believe you can win titles just with a good defense.” Jyrki Välivaara and Jason Woolley have come in and certainly made the defense more stable defensively and better able to make a contribution in attack. Since their arrival in the autumn, things have certainly started to look better. The fact that Malmö have been unlucky with injuries, particularly among the defenders, is a contributing factor in Malmö’s lack of progress this term. Dave says “sometimes there is a fine line between victory and defeat. We have been in a few situations where we had a chance to even games up or even close them out but luck went against us.” The return of Lubomir Sekeras and Välivaara from injury for the later stages of the season will certainly help turn fortunes around. The arrival of Vladimir Sicak certainly will not do any harm.
Dave compares the Swedish leagues and the Russian leagues saying that there are differences to be found. “The Russian league is a very offensive league. Players like to get forward and get among the goals.” One can hope that the blend of eastern European players will click to provide Malmö with a real offensive option. The impact of Jussi Tarvainen was almost immediate making the Malmö attack much more potent. Added to this the imminent arrival of Fedor Fedorov will certainly fill the gap left behind by the absence of Carl Söderberg and hopefully make the Redhawks a feared opponent once again.
Despite some of the problems that Malmö have experienced with a number of foreign players one can only feel that they have a big say in how the Redhawks finish the season. In the long term one area where Malmö have a big advantage is the policy within the club of the development of young players. Success at under age level plus a very healthy number of “home grown” players in the A-team suggest that Malmö are certainly getting that element of the club right. Giving time to provide an environment where exciting young players can develop and make a name for themselves is always what the Redhawks have been strong at. It is a fair assumption that in the fullness of time the combination of a rich, young, home grown talent with the experience offered by the foreign brigade will not only help keep the Redhawks amongst Europe’s elite this season but be one of the absolute best in the years ahead.
Detta är en gästkrönika av
John Noonan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|