Beiträge von kabidjan14

  • Nationalmannschaft der Zukunft

    Zitat von nordiques!

    Maybe because he knows him and his work (up to now) better than you or I or we or the (as you called it) Austrian Hockey Community. Maybe or maybe not, who knows. But as I understand the words of Mittendorfer, Suhonens days seem to be over nevertheless (after the end of his contract). If they merge the positions of headcoach, sport director and youth coordinator, I'm sure, that this person will not be called Alpo Suhonen.
    So just one more year and then you and others will get your wish and a new guy to criticize for absolutely everything that's wrong in Austrian hockey.

    Perception is often far more important than reality. Even if Mittendorfer knows Suhonen well as you think and knows about contributions made outside of the public knowledge that is unimportant as long as the public sentiment is against him. From to players and coaches, EBEL system staff, youth players and youth coaches, journalists, too many people are not fond of Suhonen and unaware of "his work." By the Austrian hockey community I am not referring to fans, though fans as a source of revenue are extremely important, I am referring to those actually in the Austrian hockey community as mentioned above. You are probably a working man. If many of your colleagues and clients either hate you and refuse to work with you or have reservations about working with you, it matters not what you do or how skilled you at your individual tasks you are, you have already disqualified yourself for that position in that specific company.

    You tend to throw people into a pot of people who will always be critical and I think that's unrealistic. I don't criticize for the purpose of criticizing. Suhonen could easily go elsewhere and, with a change of heart, interact gregariously with his clients and colleagues and he would be perfect for that job in that country, but unless he went on some massive, absurd, and uncharacteristic relationship mending campaign the environment is simply not amiable enough for him to viably stay, and I do blame that on him. One person hates you, well that's normal. But when enough people dislike you the question has to eventually be asked, is it everyone else's fault or is it his...

  • Nationalmannschaft der Zukunft

    Zitat von Gernot Mittendorfer

    Ich schätze Alpo Suhonen als Fachmann sehr und Riga kann man ihm nicht alleine in die Schuhe schieben. Alpo ist sehr direkt und ungeduldig, damit können manche nicht so recht umgehen. Dass er sich mit dieser Art natürlich Feinde schafft, ist mir bewusst.

    http://www.laola1.at/de/red/winters…tendorfer-2209/

    Mittendorfer doesn't sound very critical of Suhonen. Hopefully he is just speaking politically correctly, and does not actually think that the Austrian Hockey community at large is ok with Suhonen for any longer than necessary up to and not exceeding next summer.

  • Nationalmannschaft der Zukunft

    Surprised Daum is even being considered since he tuned OEHV down before.

    Mellitzer no just no. Ullrich I like more but I'm still not sure he's ready. I always have some crazy suggestions and the recent is Marty Williamson, but of course a long shot as ever.

    I don't think playing youth is a choice or not for coaches. Look at the teams that are having success and surprise success in the EBEL so far this season. 60 points doesn't allow for enough foreigners for 3 full forward lines of foreigners and veteran forwards. With the U24 zero pointer rule means that the team with the best young prospects generally do better. When coaches don't play you players a lot it's not often because they're trying to not play youth but because they don't have Christof Kromp, Mario Huber, Layne Viveiros, etc.

  • Die Zukunft der EBEL - Punkteregelung

    Salary Cap is a less and less attractive idea as the CHL becomes more and more prominent both as a marketing tool, a source of monetary gain, and important as validation of the competition level of the league. CHL prize payout will increase this next season from the usual 1.5 million to 3.7 million. If the tournament continues to gain importance I don't see clubs finding a salary cap appealing.

  • Die Zukunft der EBEL - Punkteregelung

    Ok Salary cap isn't a great idea. Other than the points system there's just the simple import quota...but the point system is meant to encourage the playing of junior players. I think as time goes on maybe the point values or point totals can be changed as necessary, again I think they're fine now. Agreed on the 24 rule but it reflects the state of things currently where players are considered young before 24...

    Denmark is Nikolaj Ehlers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, guys coming up like Mathias From, Nikolaj Krag Christensen but absolutely Germany could be ahead. Thing is there are so many built-in stabilizers that will keep Austria where it is or move it forward. Rinks for starters Austria has twice as many as Hungary, and coaching second many of their youth club coaches are still barely qualified to coach pond hockey, agents haven't begun crossing into Hungary quite yet Frank Banham is like a one man show and when his prospects begin to disappoint (inevitable) he will have less influence individually, their junior teams are consistently the level of Austrian National junior teams -2 years, their junior production system is trapped inside the Austrian one but they reap the least fruits because of the way they use each league. The one thing I'd like to see a whole lot more from the federation is marketing, but in international hockey it is very very difficult to make much progress over short periods time. I remember a Hungarian fan was speaking with a Slovak fan and he had taken note of the fact that everyone was saying "Slovakia is declining" and he went after the Slovak fan and said "We're rising, you're declining, in maybe 5 years we will be better," and the notion was absurd because Slovakia's worst year in terms of prospects would be Hungary's best. About 2 or 3 individuals on the Austrian U16 team would make the Slovak U16 team, and about 2 or 3 individuals (if that) on the Hungarian U16 would make the Austrian U16. I haven't been around Austrian hockey as long as some so perhaps I'm over-optimistic but I'm pretty into the whole international junior scene, I would be very surprised if Austria did actually fall over time because the individual youth are fairly competitive with other mid-major youth.

  • Die Zukunft der EBEL - Punkteregelung

    See, I'm a bit of an optimist in this regard. I honestly think Austrian hockey is on the right path, and I could write a book on why. New rinks would be great, more competent coaches would be amazing too, but if you compare Austria to the other mid-majors (IIHF rank 9-20) in every aspect from rinks to junior players Austria is doing pretty average. Coaches are getting better. Athletes are getting better. Fed, well every country and I mean every country hates their fed haha. This is going to be the power rankings of the mid-majors in 5 years.

    Denmark - Germany - Latvia - Austria - Norway - Belarus - France - Kazakhstan - Italy - Slovenia - Hungary - Poland

    More rinks, more juniors, a better federation, maybe leapfrog Latvia. Suhonen has to go, Kalt Sr. had to go and he's gone. I mean what's your thoughts, I'm always curious since it seems everyone is extremely pessimistic, where do you see Austria among the mid-majors in a couple years and if you don't think the outlook is good why so?

  • Die Zukunft der EBEL - Punkteregelung

    Zitat von R.Bourque

    as for the other point, sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you're wrong with our basic assumption: the EBEL is an international league, not an austrian one and neither is it a charitable vehicle used to give Austrian hockey players a chance to earn a living on their sport.

    As for your final sentence: Since the points regulation is in place, people came up with ways to replace becuase they didn't like it. However, none was so well thought-out that more than a forum post with two replies along the lines of "that's impossible because you're making assumptions which simply are not true/applicable in EBEL/in line with EU-laws/borderline stupid". I don't see how "giving up too quickly" has a role in that movie ;)

    The EBEL is in international league in that it has teams in multiple nations such as Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The EBEL is not an international league in that it does not have national affiliation. The point system is a perfect example of that. Sorry to break it to you but if the EBEL were a truly international league there would be no point system. The existence of the point system inherently implies existential value in the presence of Natural born players. No one has ever asked for a charity to allow local players an opportunity to play professional hockey. The EBEL is better described as a transnational league, a poor man's version of the KHL, which has extremely stringent import regulations. Calling it an "international league" is giving it a self-importance that is inappropriate. Yes there are teams from multiple nations. Yes there are players who come from other nations, continents even. But that does not eradicate the need for local players nor does it make the need to accommodate them less pressing.

    I may agree with you that the larger share of work must be done by Austrian players to accommodate the level of the league rather than actions by the league in order to accommodate local players and I believe for now that the point system both now and in it's current form is an appropriate system. However, your comments come across as a little haughty, a little condescending, and a little insensitive. I know people and players especially in the community. Nobody wants charity. Nobody is asking for a handout. You make it seem like either the point system must stay exactly the way it is or the league is just a homeless shelter for hockey players. I think that's rude and disrespectful to the players. Changes have been made since the inception of the point system. I think at least for now the current form the point system is in is the best possible, but that may change and if results are not produced then it is ridiculous to suggest that one must live and die with the status quo.

  • EBEL 2016/17

    Getting tired of some of the press constantly chirping about how Austria is falling behind countries like Norway, France, Slovenia, seriously have the columnists not looked at who's in the tank for Norway, France and Slovenia? MEP, but otherwise I'll save you the time, nobody.

  • Die Zukunft der EBEL - Punkteregelung

    Correct me if it was incorrect, but my translation said that you claimed Lembacher "gambled" and demanded too much. I don't think it's gambling to say "I have a family, mouths to feed, give me X amount or I'll go make that money doing construction work." I don't have exact figures, but I've talked to people (perhaps biased people) before and I have the general concept. Contract money for local players in general needs to go up. You can say, and I agree, that Lembacher was probably not worth what he was asking for, but I don't think he asked for too much and paid for his mistake I just think he wasn't good enough to make a living off of hockey.

    About the young players, you're absolutely right, it should be survival of the fittest. But someone has to survive. If no one survives, then the point is lost on the crowd a bit. It's the Austrian hockey league, for high quality hockey there's the NHL, what the Austrian hockey league provides that is unique is the opportunity for local players to play at home and in front of communities etc. I think there are half a dozen problems that are preventing Austrian youth from breaking out as bad or worse than the point system (favoritism in the federation concerning National Teams, lack of confidence among local agents, junior clubs misleading parents about their children's career choices, etc.) but it's interesting to see players like Michael Raffl and Konstantin Komarek who have been successful because of the lenient import rules give their thoughts concerning the point system and I think it's important to acknowledge both sides. I still believe in the point system. I've said that multiple times. But to say there is no possible better solution is also giving up a little too quickly.