Why is Datsyuk marginalized by the League?

[Antilles328 0]

Why doesn't Datsyuk get the same press as AO and Sidney Crosby?

Out of the Top 10 point scorers.

Points Per Minute Played (If everyone played 1000 minutes, who would score the most points)

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Evgeni Malkin

3. Zach Parise

4. Patrik Elias

5. Sidney Crosby

6. Marc Savard

7. Alexander Ovechkin

8. Ryan Getzlaf

9. Jeff Carter

10. Jarome Iginla

+/-

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Marc Savard

3. Zach Parise

4. Evgeni Malkin

5. Patrik Elias

6. Jeff Carter

7. Alexander Ovechkin

8. Ryan Getzlaf

9. Sidney Crosby

10. Jarome Iginla

Penalty Minutes

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Zach Parise

3. Jarome Iginla

4. Patrik Elias

5. Jeff Carter

6. Marc Savard

7. Evgeni Malkin

8. Alexander Ovechkin

9. Sidney Crosby

10. Ryan Getzlaf

Shooting %

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Jeff Carter

3. Zach Parise

4. Marc Savard

5. Sidney Crosby

6. Patrik Elias

7. Evgeni Malkin

8. Alexander Ovechkin

9. Jarome Iginla

10. Ryan Getzlaf

Face-off %

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Jarome Iginla

3. Ryan Getzlaf

4. Marc Savard

5. Sidney Crosby

6. Jeff Carter

7. Zach Parise

8. Evgeni Malkin

9. Patrik Elias

10. Alexander Ovechkin

He might not score the most goals but Datsyuk definitely does more to put his team in a position to win than any other player in the league. He scores more often, more efficiently, while managing to play better defense with fewer penalties.

If Datsyuk isn't clearly the best forward in the league then he should be at least tied at the top. All I ever hear is Crosby/AO/Thorton/Malkin...

[Guest Shoreline]

Maybe some people don't understand about marketing (hence the outrage about looking at Crosby's face all the time), but statistics aren't exactly the chief marketing tool used.

This is why so few goalies are used in commercials, and it's mostly scorers and people with a face that stands out are used. It isn't fair, but this is the way it works. And given that it yields success in business, I don't see it changing either.

Datsyuk and Malkin are prime examples. Their English sucks, they don't exactly have an outgoing personality to attract people to the game -- at least with Ovechkin he's entertaining in commercials. (Edit: As well as other pieces such as the funny golf episode)

Edited February 11, 2009 by Shoreline

[kozac 10]

Maybe some people don't understand about marketing (hence the outrage about looking at Crosby's face all the time), but statistics aren't exactly the chief marketing tool used.

This is why so few goalies are used in commercials, and it's mostly scorers and people with a face that stands out are used. It isn't fair, but this is the way it works. And given that it yields success in business, I don't see it changing either.

Datsyuk and Malkin are prime examples. Their English sucks, they don't exactly have an outgoing personality to attract people to the game -- at least with Ovechkin he's entertaining in commercials. (Edit: As well as other pieces such as the funny golf episode)

I was gonna say the same thing.

All I ever hear is Crosby/AO/Thorton/Malkin...

I don't really hear much about Malkin.

Like Shoreline said, its all business. Datsyuk and Malkin don't speak english well enough to be promoted too much.

[Glubki 17]

Maybe the Wing's management or Pavel himself was smart enough not to let the league make a dog and pony show out of him. Crosby was literally forced to carry the mantle by the Canadian press and league execs - do you really want that kind of pressure on a Wing's player?

I know I don't... Datsyuk gets enough accolades from around the league - if you watch streams of the oppositions broadcasts they always praise him and his ability.

[esteef 2,679]

because he's not Canadian.

esteef

[C-TownWing 0]

IDK...you mentioned Thornton, and I think Datsyuk gets just as much run as Big Joe. It's pretty much Crosby/AO/Malkin, then another group of top forwards including Iginla, Kovalchuk, Heatley, Thornton, Getzlaf, maybe a few others, that's not a comprehensive list. I think Datsyuk (and Zetterberg and Hossa) are considered in that group.

Now should Datsyuk be considered in that top 3 group? Probably, but I'm a homer. I've said it before, I'll say it again: there's not a single thing involved with the game of hockey that he doesn't do at the highest level. However, I don't think being pretty much universally considered a top 10 forward = marginalization. You act like he never gets respect from anyone, and I don't think that's the case.

[AtomicPunk 296]

Maybe it is because the "RedWings" as a TEAM emphasize the TEAM and not the PLAYER. Everything they do is geared around the team concept.

Crosby was a "phenom" when he was a kid, Canadians knew about him LONG before the draft. When he was drafted, it was the Crosby sweepstakes. They invested a lot in him and had to give him a title, all that marketing crap machinery started rolling.

Pavel proves it on the ice. He is a funny, enjoyable personality that he might be struggling with being able to translate in English. Give him a few years.

[stormboy 47]

i'm honestly surprised by those stats. the points per minute stat is a bit questionable, since it doesn't PROVE that dats would score more with more minutes, it simply suggests it. still, i am surprised by all those other stats. (those being all only among the top ten point-getters, right? b/c pav is only second in +/- overall?)

anyhow, i'm alright with him flying under the radar a bit (though he's certainly not an unknown out there). makes him feel more like a home-town boy.

[C-TownWing 0]

Maybe the Wing's management or Pavel himself was smart enough not to let the league make a dog and pony show out of him. Crosby was literally forced to carry the mantle by the Canadian press and league execs - do you really want that kind of pressure on a Wing's player?

I know I don't... Datsyuk gets enough accolades from around the league - if you watch streams of the oppositions broadcasts they always praise him and his ability.

Good point--suspensions aside, I imagine Crosby was under infinite more pressure to show up at the All-Star Game because of his "face of the game" status than either Datsyuk or Lidstrom. And don't forget, he played in the Q and speaks French, so I'm sure he's viewed as an honorary French-Canadian by some, and the game was in the epicenter of French Canada. I'm perfectly fine with our guys being recognized as top players in the world (and they are) but without having to do all the dancing that a Crosby (and AO to a lesser extent) does.

[Green Wing 26]

Maybe the Wing's management or Pavel himself was smart enough not to let the league make a dog and pony show out of him. Crosby was literally forced to carry the mantle by the Canadian press and league execs - do you really want that kind of pressure on a Wing's player?

I know I don't... Datsyuk gets enough accolades from around the league - if you watch streams of the oppositions broadcasts they always praise him and his ability.

Exactly. Who needs all that excess baggage when you want to concentrate on winning?

[YoungGuns1340 1]

because he's not Canadian.

esteef

+1. Malkin is better than Crosby.

The only way you're gonna get the press you deserve as a non-North American player is to market yourself. Ovechkin has a magnetic personality all his own, and the Caps/NHL caught on quickly, and realized hed be marketable in fricking Mozambique, if he could hack it in Portuguese. Ovy came in to the league with hype, but he himself built on that and made himself a face. Just another reason to respect the guy.

[esteef 2,679]

+1. Malkin is better than Crosby.

The only way you're gonna get the press you deserve as a non-North American player is to market yourself. Ovechkin has a magnetic personality all his own, and the Caps/NHL caught on quickly, and realized hed be marketable in fricking Mozambique, if he could hack it in Portuguese. Ovy came in to the league with hype, but he himself built on that and made himself a face. Just another reason to respect the guy.

Yep, if Dats was Canadian, you'd see people walking around Toronto with tatoos of his deke on Turco.

esteef

[Holmstrom96 347]

Yep, if Dats was Canadian, you'd see people walking around Toronto with tatoos of his deke on Turco.

esteef

LMFAO.

I think the Ovecheckin would make the best spokesperson. Crosby is inflamatory to fans of other teams because he's a crybaby ***** that sneaks in little cheap shots, slashes, and cross checks all game long and gets away with it.

Ovecheckin is fun to watch, has TONS of emotion, and is a very good player. He would be MUCH better than Crosby and also Datsyuk.

I wonder what it would be like if Datsyuk was the spokesperson for something.....

[Nev 1,085]

Because he doesn't play in the Eastern Conference.

Trust me, if he played for one of the big market teams in the East (Philly, Rangers, Boston, Toronto etc) his profile would be MUCH higher. However, since all the media big-boys rarely get to see him, they have no idea how good he really is. Thats the way it goes I'm afraid.

That and his English is poor and he is a shy kind of person. He reminds me a lot of Paul Scholes at Manchester United - world class player who has won everything in the game, but never does interviews, promotions, adverts etc. Just wants to be at home with his wife and kids.

[digitaljohn88 4]

Datsyuk does not get the credit he deserves because he plays on a team with Zetterberg, Hossa, Lidstrom, etc.

Although, if you look around HFboards, he is finally getting some recognition as one of the league's best players.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

LMFAO.

I think the Ovecheckin would make the best spokesperson. Crosby is inflamatory to fans of other teams because he's a crybaby ***** that sneaks in little cheap shots, slashes, and cross checks all game long and gets away with it.

Ovecheckin is fun to watch, has TONS of emotion, and is a very good player. He would be MUCH better than Crosby and also Datsyuk.

I wonder what it would be like if Datsyuk was the spokesperson for something.....

I trust mine eyes to Dr. Ramani and you should too.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

In my opinion, out of the media spotlight - Datsyuk is widely respected by both players and fans throughout the league. Just about any game that I've been to.. if I'm sitting near a fan of the opposing team, they make a comment about how good he is when he has the puck. A Blackhawks fan once said "There's nothing scarier to me than when Pavel Datsyuk is storming across the blue line with the puck."

In the media spotlight, it's completely different. He's ignored by the general media. I can only guess that this comes down to one thing. He has broken English. Think about the Rahmani eye commercial posted in this thread. When we all first saw it, despite our love for Datsyuk, what did we do? We laughed. We laughed and then had to listen to it two times before we understood what he was saying. If we were to see Sidney Crosby doing that exact same commercial - most of us would throw our evening meals at the TV - but we'd be able to understand him. It's all marketing.

The only thing I can remotely compare it to is politics. (No, this won't be incredibly boring, bear with me.) Some people are passionate about politics. Some people are passionate about hockey. You get a presidential candidate with a heavy accent - and instead of listening to what the person is actually saying, people are going to laugh and make fun of the way they say things instead. I can imagine that if Datsyuk were in the position of Crosby, as the face of the NHL, the same would apply.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Ms_Hockey

[Yzersyukstromberg 0]

The reason you hear nothing about Pavel is because Gary Bettman is a blowhard, and forces all of the media to talk only about Cindy Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. We all know he's the best player in the league, and that's good enough for me. Who cares if he doesn't win all the flashy individual awards the others do, he'll be more than happy to walk away with the big silver cup at the end of the season...

[stactum 4]

As far as I am concerned in one year team Russia suppose to look pretty good with Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin and all other guys in the lineup for the Olympics!

I think part of the problem why Dats isn't getting all media attention because Wings are generally pretty good team and it's very hard to stood out when you have Z, Hossa, Lids, Rafalski etc. guys.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Because he looks goofy and doesn't speak English.

It's the same reason for why Malkin isn't marketed heavily.

The better question is, why is Henrik Zetterberg marginalized by the league?

[55fan 5,133]

Maybe Datsyuk charges too much for commercials, interviews, speeches, and all of that.

All done? 5 bucks.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

Because he looks goofy and doesn't speak English.

It's the same reason for why Malkin isn't marketed heavily.

The better question is, why is Henrik Zetterberg marginalized by the league?

Because he's so damn attractive that nobody would pay attention to anything he says when he talks.

[Echolalia 2,961]

When the Wings were versing the Predators the other night I had to watch via a Nashville stream, so I got the privileged of hearing the game told from the voice of the enemy. They actually praised Datsyuk's play almost to the same degree that Kenny does. I specifically remember a point where Datsyuk stripped someone of the puck at the Wings' blueline and took off with it. The commentator said something like "the everpresent and dangerous Datsyuk steals the puck", and it was also said with a slight air of awe, not monotone. It made me appreciate Nashville's commentators.

[eva unit zero 271]

"the everpresent and dangerous Datsyuk steals the puck"

That's CLASSIC! As if he silently emerged from the shadows unnoticed and took the puck.

[Echolalia 2,961]

That's CLASSIC! As if he silently emerged from the shadows unnoticed and took the puck.

Dats the ninja