Patience is a Virtue

After the influx of transatlantic players to the SHL this season, coaches and general managers’ patience is beginning to be tested, as some wait to get their money’s worth from their high price signings.
The question to be asked is, will they be worth the wait?

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen two new North American recruits get the chop from their clubs, Aaron Gagnon from HV71 was the first to go, shortly followed by Sean Sullivan from Modo Hockey.

There are also many other players skating on thin ice in the minds of their club’s General Manager, as they ponder the thought of cutting their losses and begin searching for other prospects.

The big question they are asking themselves is, how patient must I be and how long do I need to wait before I begin to see results.

If we take a look back in time for a moment at some of the best and most established transatlantic players, that are still present in the league now and we glimpse at how they performed in the first quarter of their first season in Sweden, either in Elitserien or HockeyAllsvenskan, we find the results very telling.

2011/2012- Bud Holloway (SAIK), Elitserien:
4 goals and 4 assists in his first 13 games.
Season total, 49 points (21+28). Highest point scorer for Skellefteå.

2011/2012- Jason Krog (HV71), Elitserien:
4 goals and 6 assists in his first 13 games.
Season total, 40 points (12+28). Highest point scorer for HV71.

2010/2011- Ryan Gunderson (OHK), HockeyAllsvenskan:
3 goals and 6 assists in his first 13 games.
Season total, 39 points (11+28). Most points by a defenseman in HockeyAllsvenskan.

2008/2009- Cam Abbott (RBK), Elitserien:
4 goals and 5 assists in his first 13 games.
Season total, 39 points (18+21). Highest point scorer for Rögle.

2008/2009- Chris Abbott (RBK) Elitserien:
1 goal and 3 assists in his first 13 games.
Season total, 38 points (18+20). Second highest point scorer for Rögle.

If we are to use these transatlantic players as a platform, we can see that none of them were instant superstars after their first quarter of their first season in Sweden, but if you look at them now you could arguably say that they are some of the biggest stars in the SHL today.

It is completely natural and understandable that when things are not going well for your club, questions need to be asked of some players, especially marquee signings, but how much blame can you put on a player that has in most cases, joined the club late in summer training camp, played a few trial matches and only a handful of SHL matches.

Some players have been an instant success, such as Greg Scott (BIF), Chad Kolarik (LHC) and Derek Joslin (AIK), but others will take time to hit their stride in the league, not that they are doing so bad in the first place.

Växjö are a perfect example, the club as a whole had a slow start, so coincidently so did their new signings. The club as a whole began to perform and coincidently so did their new North American recruits.

At the end of the year there will be some flops, that is undeniable, but there will also be some unexpected talents that will rise out of the depths and surprise us all.

Jeremy Darke
Hockey Journalist

I’m hooked, but maybe that’s just me!

There is plenty of talk in the media at the moment about how exciting HockeyAllsvenskan has been after the first week or so of the season and how boring it has been in the SHL.
– What a joke, said I!!

My argument here is not that Allsvenskan has been unexciting, because it certainly hasn’t.

It is entertaining to see Karlskrona HK, who were very average last season, rise to the top of the standings after a perfect 5-0 start and more impressively have 24 goals scored and only 3 goals scored against.

I guess it is even also interesting that last year’s SHL team Rögle have had a nightmare start to HockeyAllsvenskan, sitting second last in the standings after 5 rounds of play.

BUT……How can you say that SHL has not been exciting/interesting?

Firstly, Regning champions Skellefteå have been dominating, as they continue where they left of last season. To add to that, we see Jimmie Ericsson and Oscar Möller return from injury, after missing the first three matches, to score 3 goals and 2 assists between them, just to let everyone known that they will continue to be clinical.

You then have the rise of Pär Arlbrandt and Linköping to keep you on the end of your seat. After a 1-5 loss against Luleå in the first round, most of the press are now making the big call that the White Lions are the new favorites to be Swedish Masters in April Next year after winning their last four straight.

Much to the fact that you have the combination of Pär Arlbrandt, Simon Hjalmarsson and Mattias Sjögren simply tearing apart everyone else’s defense.

Both SHL newcomers Örebro and Leksand have taken some big scalps and sit comfortably in the top six……. For now anyway.

20 year old, Mattias Janmark, from AIK, sits at the top of the goal scoring list and has been the shining light in Stockholm.

Johan Wiklander has scored no less than 4 penalty shots without a miss.

Then we have the interesting fact that Färjestad sit on the bottom of the ladder, after dominating in the preseason European Trophy. Interesting.

We also have the subject of all of the transatlantic players, where are they, you ask???

After four and a half rounds played, there are only 3 North American imports in the top 25 leading point scorers. Yes, I understand, but you can’t just give up hope and say that all clubs have signed a bunch of flops…….. It’s been ONLY 4 rounds!!!!

Some of you might think the SHL has began slow, but when I sit at home on a free evening eating a juicy steak and simultaneously watching three games on my T.V, computer and I phone, because I don’t want to miss any of the live action, I guess I’m hooked.

But maybe that’s just me………….

Jeremy Darke
Hockey Journalist