Mark Bell told me that the SHL will not release players for NHL camps. His understanding is that the players in the SHL are there for the entire season.
Great write-up! I don't get into investigating draft prospects as some do, but I enjoy watching the development of players in the system once they are drafted. Prospect dev camp, rookie camp every year... I'm just an amateur really, but seeing who has made changes and improved year to year is interesting to me. The challenges the staff have now? "Having their work cut out for them" doesn't begin to touch it.
Happy to read our prospects are playing and doing well abroad...just hope they stay healthy and that we actually have a hockey season. Thanks for the insight into our young players
Thank you for another great article. I especially appreciated the maps because geography is not my forte. I try to follow all our prospects development from draft day to Coyote/Roadrunner roster. The interviews give me a better idea of who the players are, rather than just their skill development. In Australia, teens finish their public education at 16 and are required to do an OE (overseas excursion) for two years to broaden their world view. I think that living abroad is invaluable to character development and makes for a more well rounded and mature player who has more affinity with players from around the world in the locker room allowing for closer bonding. IMHO Americans, and Canadians to a much lesser degree, suffer from this lack of exposure. I'm curious as to why Hayton wasn't shopped to Europe last season rather than "wasting" a year playing so few games with the Coyotes. Is it because it would have prevented his playing for Canada? It seems that most players who've had European experience as a part of their NHL development path have profited from it. Auston Matthews comes to mind as someone who purposely sought this path. I think Hayton was physically capable of having played in Europe with men last season. Except for his age, he would have fit well with the Roadrunners. I'm hoping his time in Europe helps him make the leap to the NHL, though as a somewhat selfish RR STH I'd love to see him play up close and personal as is afforded in Tucson.
The Coyotes really thought Hayton was going to play more games and if he hadn't been injured at the WJC he likely would have. You can still make the argument that playing in a pro league would have helped him more, although Barrett insists he still got a lot out of being around the team last season.
Being stationed overseas for 5 years was the best thing I ever volunteered for. Riding the rails in a Eurail pass ( when I had time), Weinerschnitzel mit spatzle, coca-cola without ice ( I went to one restaurant in Ludwigsburg so many times that one night the guy brought me my coke with an ice cube in it! That was a big honor)
Hanging out in Bahnhofs in the middle of the night and going through those musty smelling book stores ha
Walking in and just looking up at the board with no plans and saying “ where to?”... hey Munich sounds good... nah, Paris... nah....Rome
Living in other cultures, or at least in proximity to other cultures offers perspective on your own. IMO, we lack that in the United States and it creates an inflated and often distorted sense of self.
That is 100% true. Luckily was able to travel independently over much of Europe - no tours, having to "live off the land". As a High Schooler I was in a very small Spanish village and was amazed how much the British/Germans/Danes there knew about the U.S. government, how everything we did was scrutinized overseas and how important we were as a world leader. Made me step up my game. Sadly many Americans have no clue about the rest of the world and how "America First" stuff can be so arrogant and distorted.
I'm the daughter of Mexican immigrants who became naturalized citizens. In the 50's everyone told me I was Mexican despite being born in Los Angeles. I thought I was Mexican and understood Mexican culture until I spent 5 weeks living with a Mexican family in Guanajuato, GTO, Mexico. It was there I discovered how American I really was. The time in Mexico served me well to correct my Spanglish and Calo speech so that I could speak the King's Spanish. It also helped me to work most efficiently with my Mexican national clients. Having traveled in all but 3 Mexican states I recognize the cultural differences from one state to another and rural to urban Mexican nationals. At one point we had a 12 year who was in the US "alone" who had shoplifted. We wanted to return him to his parents but they had no phone. My supervisors didn't know what to do and he almost became a dependent ward of the state. I was able to get the name of the village he came from and called the equivalent of 411 for Mexico. I just asked for the store in his village and was connected. I told the worker to send a runner to the boy's family so they could be reunited. I waited on the line for the 20 minutes for the family to appear chatting happily with the worker. My knowledge of how life works in rural Mexico saved that boy from being separated from his family until 18. That's the kind of education that you and I both received by living outside the US. Experience can trump education in many ways.
Well said. My wife and I have told both of our daughters that they will spend at least one semester abroad during college. The experience is invaluable.
Really enjoyed this. Thanks, Craig. Always look forward to your articles!
Thanks, Christina.
Nice job as usual Craig. Why is Söderström playing in Allsvenskan rather than the SHL? Is the SHL shut down because of COVID?
Mark Bell told me that the SHL will not release players for NHL camps. His understanding is that the players in the SHL are there for the entire season.
I updated the story for clarity on that point.
Great write-up! I don't get into investigating draft prospects as some do, but I enjoy watching the development of players in the system once they are drafted. Prospect dev camp, rookie camp every year... I'm just an amateur really, but seeing who has made changes and improved year to year is interesting to me. The challenges the staff have now? "Having their work cut out for them" doesn't begin to touch it.
So true. It is a monumental challenge to keep these players on track, development wise.
Happy to read our prospects are playing and doing well abroad...just hope they stay healthy and that we actually have a hockey season. Thanks for the insight into our young players
COVID is one of their many challenges. That aside, it's a pretty cool experience to live & work in another country. I hope to do it myself some day.
Outstanding analysis. Great job.
Thanks, Robert. It was an interesting story to report/write.
Thank you for another great article. I especially appreciated the maps because geography is not my forte. I try to follow all our prospects development from draft day to Coyote/Roadrunner roster. The interviews give me a better idea of who the players are, rather than just their skill development. In Australia, teens finish their public education at 16 and are required to do an OE (overseas excursion) for two years to broaden their world view. I think that living abroad is invaluable to character development and makes for a more well rounded and mature player who has more affinity with players from around the world in the locker room allowing for closer bonding. IMHO Americans, and Canadians to a much lesser degree, suffer from this lack of exposure. I'm curious as to why Hayton wasn't shopped to Europe last season rather than "wasting" a year playing so few games with the Coyotes. Is it because it would have prevented his playing for Canada? It seems that most players who've had European experience as a part of their NHL development path have profited from it. Auston Matthews comes to mind as someone who purposely sought this path. I think Hayton was physically capable of having played in Europe with men last season. Except for his age, he would have fit well with the Roadrunners. I'm hoping his time in Europe helps him make the leap to the NHL, though as a somewhat selfish RR STH I'd love to see him play up close and personal as is afforded in Tucson.
The Coyotes really thought Hayton was going to play more games and if he hadn't been injured at the WJC he likely would have. You can still make the argument that playing in a pro league would have helped him more, although Barrett insists he still got a lot out of being around the team last season.
Being stationed overseas for 5 years was the best thing I ever volunteered for. Riding the rails in a Eurail pass ( when I had time), Weinerschnitzel mit spatzle, coca-cola without ice ( I went to one restaurant in Ludwigsburg so many times that one night the guy brought me my coke with an ice cube in it! That was a big honor)
Hanging out in Bahnhofs in the middle of the night and going through those musty smelling book stores ha
Walking in and just looking up at the board with no plans and saying “ where to?”... hey Munich sounds good... nah, Paris... nah....Rome
Living in other cultures, or at least in proximity to other cultures offers perspective on your own. IMO, we lack that in the United States and it creates an inflated and often distorted sense of self.
That is 100% true. Luckily was able to travel independently over much of Europe - no tours, having to "live off the land". As a High Schooler I was in a very small Spanish village and was amazed how much the British/Germans/Danes there knew about the U.S. government, how everything we did was scrutinized overseas and how important we were as a world leader. Made me step up my game. Sadly many Americans have no clue about the rest of the world and how "America First" stuff can be so arrogant and distorted.
Exactly.
I'm the daughter of Mexican immigrants who became naturalized citizens. In the 50's everyone told me I was Mexican despite being born in Los Angeles. I thought I was Mexican and understood Mexican culture until I spent 5 weeks living with a Mexican family in Guanajuato, GTO, Mexico. It was there I discovered how American I really was. The time in Mexico served me well to correct my Spanglish and Calo speech so that I could speak the King's Spanish. It also helped me to work most efficiently with my Mexican national clients. Having traveled in all but 3 Mexican states I recognize the cultural differences from one state to another and rural to urban Mexican nationals. At one point we had a 12 year who was in the US "alone" who had shoplifted. We wanted to return him to his parents but they had no phone. My supervisors didn't know what to do and he almost became a dependent ward of the state. I was able to get the name of the village he came from and called the equivalent of 411 for Mexico. I just asked for the store in his village and was connected. I told the worker to send a runner to the boy's family so they could be reunited. I waited on the line for the 20 minutes for the family to appear chatting happily with the worker. My knowledge of how life works in rural Mexico saved that boy from being separated from his family until 18. That's the kind of education that you and I both received by living outside the US. Experience can trump education in many ways.
Well said. My wife and I have told both of our daughters that they will spend at least one semester abroad during college. The experience is invaluable.