It's Official: Happy Hudler is Back

[Finnish Wing 110]

Finland in the Finnish Elite league maybe, but at the NHL level finland barely has players that can translate that toughness at the highest level. The ruutus are the only 2 I can think of. I'm not talking about the leagues in Europe I'm talking about the best league in the world, the NHL. I don't care if Finnish people play tough in a lower level league, there is barely any players who have that toughness and skill to hack it.

Its just a different brand of hockey and everyone knows it. Sure they may not play that way in Finland but in the NHL it just doesn't show. I'm not saying there isn't tough Europeans, theres plenty. Oliwa, Ivanans, Volchenkov and even OV all play a tough game. But they are few and far between, I'm speaking in generalities but theres a reasno its like this. The way the players are brought up with emphasis on the skilled part of the game. Theres nothing wrong with it, it just is how it is.

I was actually talking about international tournaments where Finland has gained success with hard work and grinding against the more skilled countries.

It's just that most of the people here think "Europeans are soft", in GENERAL. Even outside hockey.

Then again. You don't know basically anything about players who don't play in the NHL. You don't have a clue what kinda players there are.

I've said it before that if there are two players battling for the 4th line spot and they're both equally good in everything the spot usually goes to the NA guy. That's why most European players who want to succeed in the NHL have to offer something different. That's the biggest reason why you don't see many tough guy Europeans in the NHL.

There are always less players who are skilled compared to players who are tough. There are numerous tough players, tough guys outside NHL but they really have nothing special to offer. If you are an European player growing up it's more likely that you get in to the NHL by taking the skill road. Of course that has also made the European players more skill-wise, because everyone wants to get in to the NHL.

The thing is, most of you guys have never watched a single game of any European league. The general picture you have of Europeans is flawed. You think there are only Europeans and North Americans, and you probably even think that it's the same way in real life - that NA guys would generally be tougher.

Basically it's about demand and supply. There are many tough players in the NHL, but there have always been surplus when it comes to the skilled players. That's why European players who crack in the NHL are usually skilled.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Finnish Wing

[Guest mjtm77]

Hes too small

[HappyHudler26 1]

Awesome!!! Surprised to see so many people happy about this after reading others opinions on a different board, Hudler will be a great addition.

Sorry I know a lot of you like Hudler but couldn't that money go to somehting better??

Like what? The free agent class this year is complete garbage and $2.8 Million for 60 points is pretty damn good. If we get rid of anyone, make it Cleary.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Awesome!!! Surprised to see so many people happy about this after reading others opinions on a different board, Hudler will be a great addition.

Like what? The free agent class this year is complete garbage and $2.8 Million for 60 points is pretty damn good. If we get rid of anyone, make it Cleary.

Hudler for Williams.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Cleary? why because he had a groin pull and was still moderately effective? Get him 100% and I promise he is back up to the 2nd line (or should be).

[kylee 727]

hudler @ 50 points seems realistic and would be very helpful as a 2nd line PP 2nd line guy

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Cleary? why because he had a groin pull and was still moderately effective? Get him 100% and I promise he is back up to the 2nd line (or should be).

This. A healthy, 100% effective Cleary plus Happy Hudler back in the lineup equals many smiles for next season.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Finland in the Finnish Elite league maybe, but at the NHL level finland barely has players that can translate that toughness at the highest level. The ruutus are the only 2 I can think of. I'm not talking about the leagues in Europe I'm talking about the best league in the world, the NHL. I don't care if Finnish people play tough in a lower level league, there is barely any players who have that toughness and skill to hack it.

Its just a different brand of hockey and everyone knows it. Sure they may not play that way in Finland but in the NHL it just doesn't show. I'm not saying there isn't tough Europeans, theres plenty. Oliwa, Ivanans, Volchenkov and even OV all play a tough game. But they are few and far between, I'm speaking in generalities but theres a reasno its like this. The way the players are brought up with emphasis on the skilled part of the game. Theres nothing wrong with it, it just is how it is.

Boris Valabik is an absolute monster.

I was actually talking about international tournaments where Finland has gained success with hard work and grinding against the more skilled countries.

It's just that most of the people here think "Europeans are soft", in GENERAL. Even outside hockey.

Then again. You don't know basically anything about players who don't play in the NHL. You don't have a clue what kinda players there are.

I've said it before that if there are two players battling for the 4th line spot and they're both equally good in everything the spot usually goes to the NA guy. That's why most European players who want to succeed in the NHL have to offer something different. That's the biggest reason why you don't see many tough guy Europeans in the NHL.

There are always less players who are skilled compared to players who are tough. There are numerous tough players, tough guys outside NHL but they really have nothing special to offer. If you are an European player growing up it's more likely that you get in to the NHL by taking the skill road. Of course that has also made the European players more skill-wise, because everyone wants to get in to the NHL.

The thing is, most of you guys have never watched a single game of any European league. The general picture you have of Europeans is flawed. You think there are only Europeans and North Americans, and you probably even think that it's the same way in real life - that NA guys would generally be tougher.

Basically it's about demand and supply. There are many tough players in the NHL, but there have always been surplus when it comes to the skilled players. That's why European players who crack in the NHL are usually skilled.

Dude you're on an NHL forum.This is pound for pound the best league in the world.Why go loking at other leagues when the best league in the world is right here.

[Rick 42]

Babcock seems to think Huddler is good for 70. Not sure what to think about that.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/05/mike_babcocks_great_expectatio.html

[Guest nutz2u]

Cleary? why because he had a groin pull and was still moderately effective? Get him 100% and I promise he is back up to the 2nd line (or should be).

Cleary has never been healthy for a full season, so blaming his lack of goals, lack of hits and all round s***ty play on injuries doesn't compute. Fact is that since he got his NTC he has been s***TY and NOT WORTH 3M.

Babcock seems to think Huddler is good for 70. Not sure what to think about that.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/05/mike_babcocks_great_expectatio.html

Well he makes a wee bit less than Cleary and Filp so ya think Babcock expects 70 points from them also?

[Rick 42]

Well he makes a wee bit less than Cleary and Filp so ya think Babcock expects 70 points from them also?

I doubt he would expect that from Cleary.

[Crashnburnluder 385]

I deffinitly see Hudler putting up career numbers this year... Around the 60's maybe hitting the 70 mark. He played on the 3rd and 4th line before he left and the 2nd pp unit. Now he will be getting 2nd line minutes instead of 3rd and 4th line minutes...

For 3 million Hudler has to put up points because he doesn't play a great defensive role from what I remember and he doesn't have size to bang people around... I have a feeling at some point during the season we see the Giddy UP line come back into play.... Hudler-Filp-franzen with ZDH as the first line... Especailly if we don't retain bertuzzi...

[Finnish Wing 110]

Dude you're on an NHL forum.This is pound for pound the best league in the world.Why go loking at other leagues when the best league in the world is right here.

LOL. Read the whole post and reply after that. I said how you don't know how tough "average" Finnish player is not to mention about European players in general because you haven't seen anything else but NHL games. I'm not gonna argue about this again and I certainly wasn't bashing NHL or anything. Read the other posts and THINK before you say something.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I doubt he would expect that from Cleary.

40-50 points is more reasonable for Cleary.

[SuperCalaFilppulastic! 34]

Not that this is the most exciting thing in the world, but a friend of mine on Facebook posted this late last night.

"3 run-ins and a beer with Jiri Hudler.... He's back!!!!!"

I thought it was funny.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

Then I don't know how you determine the types, because for example Finland plays more Canadian type hockey than USA.

Can you please explain this more in-depth?

[Finnish Wing 110]

Can you please explain this more in-depth?

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

[eva unit zero 271]

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

Brian Rolston, Mike Knuble, Aaron Ward, etc. don't have heart or work hard?

[thedisappearer 291]

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

Wow, that's an incredibly stupid and offensive thing to say.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

Wow. Care to show some evidence of that fact? Growing up in the US, I played against teams from all over the US and Canada at the AA and AAA levels. The style of play was not much different, and I don't see how a large divergence could occur between midgets (15-18 year olds) and the higher levels. As far as heart and work-ethic are considered, I would be weary of making over-arching judgments on any country.

Back on topic- I am glad to see Huds back. Unfortunately, he might (should) be on the third line to give us another scoring line. He'll also get PP time, so hopefully be can still get 15+ min a night.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

Brian Rolston, Mike Knuble, Aaron Ward, etc. don't have heart or work hard?

Brian Rolston

heart?

hard work?

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

So Yzerman and Shanahan didnt have heart?McCarty didn't have heart?none of them worked hard?What about a guy like Mike Richards?he doesn't have heart or work hard?What a ridiculously stupid comment to make when you have nothing to back it up.Olli Jokinen does not have what I consider heart.Everyone knows he causes problems within the team he's playing for.Just an all around idiotic thing to say.wow.

[Opie 308]

Not to be a dink Bring back the bruise brothers but you just named 3 Canadian players, he said Finnish players play more Canadian style than US born players.

His intentions (I think) were to say that Finnish players do indeed play like Shanny, Yzerman and the such.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

Finnish players have more heart and they work harder.

Did you watch the Olympics or World Juniors this past year? Both US teams out-worked and out-performed higher skilled teams to exceed expectations. Also, when comparing NHL players, there are a lot more US players than Finnish players. Therefore, for every five (roughly) US players that are 'lazy with no heart' only one would Finnish player would have to be 'lazy with no heart' for the percentages to be equal.

[Finnish Wing 110]

LOL. I was comparing Team Finland's playing style with Team USA and Team Canada. How does it have anything to do with those individual players you are naming? Learn to read people.

USA have always had much more skilled players than Team Finland. We have never been amongst the favourites, yet we have been able to win the most olympic medals since -88. Working hard and working together has always been the label of Team Finland.

Brian Rolston, Mike Knuble, Aaron Ward, etc. don't have heart or work hard?

Did I say Team USA doesn't have any heart or what?

I was comparing Team Finland's playing style with Team USA. Team Finland plays more like Team Canada than Team USA does. Please read through the other arguments instead of just replying to one post.

Wow, that's an incredibly stupid and offensive thing to say.

Please read through the whole conversation before posting a stupid reply regarding one post.

Wow. Care to show some evidence of that fact? Growing up in the US, I played against teams from all over the US and Canada at the AA and AAA levels. The style of play was not much different, and I don't see how a large divergence could occur between midgets (15-18 year olds) and the higher levels. As far as heart and work-ethic are considered, I would be weary of making over-arching judgments on any country.

Back on topic- I am glad to see Huds back. Unfortunately, he might (should) be on the third line to give us another scoring line. He'll also get PP time, so hopefully be can still get 15+ min a night.

We were talking about Team Finland, Team USA and Team Canada. Understand? Doesn't have s*** to do with the players you've played against in your childhood.

So Yzerman and Shanahan didnt have heart?McCarty didn't have heart?none of them worked hard?What about a guy like Mike Richards?he doesn't have heart or work hard?What a ridiculously stupid comment to make when you have nothing to back it up.Olli Jokinen does not have what I consider heart.Everyone knows he causes problems within the team he's playing for.Just an all around idiotic thing to say.wow.

First of all, those are Canadian players you're naming. Learn to read (also, learn to write). Did I say someone has "no heart"? No, I don't think so.

How does one player like OJ or Leino being something anything to do with Team Finland's style of play?

Just an all around iditoc reply by you. So much fail in that post that I'm not gonna even comment any further about it.

Did you watch the Olympics or World Juniors this past year? Both US teams out-worked and out-performed higher skilled teams to exceed expectations. Also, when comparing NHL players, there are a lot more US players than Finnish players. Therefore, for every five (roughly) US players that are 'lazy with no heart' only one would Finnish player would have to be 'lazy with no heart' for the percentages to be equal.

Team USA have always had much more skill than Team Finland. Yet somehow Team Finland has had about equal or better results for the past twenty years. We've never had any real scorers or stars. Team Finland has always been about working hard together.

Also, you do understand that there are over 300 million people living in the United States. There are 5 million people living in Finland. Finland has more NHL players per capita than USA.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Finnish Wing