@ROB - any thoughts on KHL v AHL and which (with the inclusion of other european pro leagues like DEL, SHL, Liiga, etc) is the second best league in the world? how do you feel about the NHL taking on other leagues like they did in the global series of the late 2010s and early 2020s? Do you feel like teams took it easy as a mutual respect during those games and that the NHL calibur teams could've truely wiped them out?
We had an ECHL guy show up to rat one day. Think he scored 15 goals or so that day. I WAS a hotshot beer leaguer defenseman and he got behind me almost every rush. There was nothing I could do and I tried everything. No sport has a more pronounced and steep skill curve by level than hockey. Love this topic. Wish there was more of it
*I think at the end of the day, if you're a beer leaguer who isn't getting paid to be very good at hockey, there's literally 0 chance you'll be able to keep up against a player that is, or was, being paid to be very good at hockey. It's literally their job. Different motivation as well. They're so used to going hard, trying to advance their careers. Even their chill mode would be going way harder than beer leaguers going all out.*
@@AzNightmare I agree. I think the point was that before that day, I thought I was good enough to maybe get a lucky poke check or a steal off an NHL player, but then a guy 2 levels under comes in and destroys that thought. At the time, I wasn't getting completely wrecked by a 40ish ex D1 that showed up to our Saturday morning games so I always thought, how much better can NHL be than D1? A lot it turns out
lmao ain't that the truth, this reminds me playing ball hockey with Jordan Bendfeld and his brother. They didn't even try and could get points on demand, was such a fun time.
@@rogueninja1685 you're probably not that good. 40ish d1 comes from a weaker era of us college. i played in the bchl and played with echl players; they are better but im not getting fully rocked. also every sport is like this. almost anything that takes skill is like this.
When I was 12 I played with Daniel Alfredsons son Hugo on my team with Daniel coaching the team sometimes. Hugo was a different breed compared to everyone else. His speed hockey iq stick work was insane for a 12 year old. That’s the kind of player that could make the Nhl.
I'm closer to LeBron James than you are to me. Fucking gangster. I got to skate with Theo Fleury in a drop in in Santa Fe some years back. Of course, I'm not anywhere near his level, but watching him work guys who played for Dartmouth, Williams, and Amherst, who were BY FAR the best players in town, was eye opening. So much fun.
In high school we would sneak out early to make it to junior dropin at Compuware arena, where guys like Eric Lindros and Dan Keczmer would show up. Fortunately (unfortunately?) we didn't have to have any type of experience. Just pay and play. Scouts would be there too. While playing D, I stopped Dan Keczmer by allowing myself to be absolutely destroyed. While sliding on my back without my stick, I saw the puck slide into the corner. I considered that a success. During the lockout in the 90s, various NHL players would show up at the rink and ask if they could join our private drop in. Of course we always said yes. It was fun, though obviously a joke. They didn't try at all, and made us look like fools.
I played against Wayne Gretzky when I was 10-11 years old. I remember coming into the dressing room and the guys saying Wayne Gretzky is on the opposing team, and I asked who’s Wayne Gretzky? I don’t know some kid who’s been scouted by the NHL. When I was on the ice I thought what’s so special about this guy? I thought I would nail him into the boards but soon found out I could hardly get a glove on this little blond haired kid. He just saw everything coming, and would just move out of the way. I always wonder if he remembers playing against me like I remember playing against him. Lol 😂
The worst professional athlete in a major professional league (nhl, nfl, nba, mlb, etc) is still very good. You’re talking about the top fraction of a percent of athletes at that level in their sport. People who think they are better than the worst guy are kidding themselves. I’ve had guys who never made it past minor leagues wipe the floor with me in hockey even though I could tear up most beer leagues.
Though I agree there's level to this, a lot of these examples are just horrible. - Scalabrine out-weighted his opponent by a lot, that alone is a HUGE advantage for him. Huge is an understatement. - Trevor was WELL passed his peak and playing the REIGNING NHL BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD. What exactly did people expect? - B. Ryan is better than beer leaguers? ... Is that suppose to be impressive? I could be a beer leaguer and I can barely skate. - NHL team is better than AHL team... Who would have thought. The Briere and Giroux was by far the best example.
A co-worker (who has been playing regularly for 20 years) once had the opportunity to play in a charity hockey game with former Oiler (and enforcer) Georges Laraque ….and yeah Laraque, several years retired by this point, literally skated circles around everyone with minimal effort
*For sure... when someone has been playing competitively throughout their life from youth to adulthood, to the point of being paid millions of dollars to literally be good at a sport, with the proper training and mental aspect of working their ass off because it's literally their job.... they will be astronomically better than people who don't. I cannot even fathom the skill gap.*
@@AzNightmareits more dumping on the 40 year old coach patatos who say I can do it and call a 4th line hockey player washed when that 4th line hockey player can just dust them with minimal effort
As much as I love the Trevor Thompson Datsyuk video, that’s like the greatest keep away player of all time 😂 I’d be interested to see Trevor go up against Bobby, just to see. Not that I think he’d win, but just to compare
*That's what I was thinking too. That's a much better comparison. And to be honest, in the Bobby Ryan clip, he simply just used muscle and size to knock a smaller player down. I know body contact is part of the sport, but I would have loved to see him go up against someone that was at least his size.*
@@AzNightmare Well I agree it wouldve been interesting to see Bobby Ryan face off against someone closer to Trevor Thompson size/skill, but on the other hand I think its also still highly relevant in illustrating just how much skill it takes for the "smaller" skill based NHLer to overcome the brute force of a large defensemen/center... especially when that large body also can skate at a high skill level. I mean, Its really not much different then Paul Kariya vs a beast like Scott Stevens... difference of course being Kariya was a truly highly skilled player compared to the beer leaguers, but even then guys like Stevens were out to make players like Kariya pay the price everytime they could on the ice... and we all know how that turned out. Heck, even Eric Lindros who was above average height and weight wise for being such a highly skilled player still got absolutely ruined but the roguhness of the game in his era. To me that video over exemplifies the point by clearly showing just how highly skilled NHL forwards have to be to avoid and make plays/goals happen around not just 1 but multiple guys that are trying to wreck you well dangling the puck, plus you still have the goalie to fool. so to me it only gives me greater respect and truly exempifies the immense talent of the super star players during the clutch and grab (dead puck) era that had to really work to overcome the brute force laid upon them night after night by the enforcers of there era.
Based on the odds that is true, but the odds can only exist because somebody is going to make it, and it could be you. There are so many stories of guys who had no expectation of making the NHL and weren’t viewed as legit prospects, yet they made it. It’s good to have the perspective of the odds like you do, but if making the NHL is your goal, don’t ever allow that fact to enter your mind until you’ve hung up your skates. I am one of what’s likely to be thousands of ex hockey players who watch this video, just like you did. Many of us have the same thoughts about our playing careers as the narrator does at the beginning: “if this had been different…if that hadn’t happened….etc., I could have made it to the show.” It may be true in some cases, it most it won’t. In my case, some of those situational “if only’s” are applicable, but the one that will be on my mind until the day I die is this: “I wonder how far I could have gone in hockey if I had truly believed in myself and played like it…what might have been if I had given the effort and commitment that a person who believes in himself would have given?” Back then I had no control over the shitty coaches who affected my career, or the bad luck I endured, or over the environment I came up in, and I haven’t gained any more control of those aspects in the years since. The one thing I’ve had control of both then and now is the belief I had in myself, and the willingness to put everything I had into attaining my goal. Because I was young and immature back then I allowed the things I had no control over to dictate my focus far more than I should have. Like most young dudes, I lacked the emotional maturity to let that shit go and apply my focus on the one thing I had control of; my belief in myself. I imagine that my story is a common one and I’m fine with that. You though, are different than those of us who can only sit here wondering if we might’ve beaten the odds if “X, Y, or Z had been different,” because your story is still being written. You have the present and the future to write the outcome, and if you want any real chance to beat those odds, it can only happen if your belief in yourself is stronger than the obstacles you’ll face. Us older guys envy you more than you can know, but we believe that you can get yourself to where we never could…do you? Best of luck kid.😊
I played against Rocco Grimaldi about 17 years ago, and I struggled just to keep up with him. Had another time with Derian Hatcher during the 04-05 lockout, and man that dude was freaking scary as hell and so imposing. I wasn't even going to try and take the puck from him.
Growing up in the GTA I have a few friends that went on to be drafted. I went and skated with them again during corona lockdowns. I had no business being there
I went to school at Michael Power St. Joseph and 90% of the Highschool hockey team played in the OHL I actually played on a line during practice for the Highschool hockey team with Connor Brown he was a year older than me I could hardly keep up because I only played select witch is one level above house league 😂 yea I did not even sniff the team let alone make it 😂😂
at the end of the day, if you are a dude who got on to an NHL roster (or any professional roster) you obviously have some talent and thats what people fail to realize. Even the most horrid player will still beat the average person. So the next time you see a dude and say “hes a bum!” just remember your more bum than him cause hes in the league.
This reminds me of seeing a Firefighters vs NHL Alumni charity. The firefighters were all solid hockey players who were obviously in fantastic shape while the NHL Alumni were in their 40s and 50s. You'd think that the firefighters would put up a good fight based on conditioing alone but the NHlers made it look easy.
Had a cousin who played D1 hockey, he would cook us all on the ODR without trying. We would have to play 4v1 to have any chance. And we have been playing hockey since we were kids so it’s not like we are complete dusters.
I’ve raced motocross for a long time and seeing the different levels in that sport blows my mind. Some people think its easy cause the top pros make it look easy, but if you have ever played the sport you’re watching you really appreciate what you’re watching.
This is a fantastic video and really something I’ve preached for years. Even the worst player in a professional league is heaps better than the average person. One of my old hockey buddies played shinny with Kevin Bieksa a few times and he was like “dude. Say what you will about the dude in the NHL but he absolutely wrecked everyone out there and wasn’t even trying. Dangles. Snipes. Shots he had no business taking etc. it was absolutely effortless” If you make the it to the bigs, there’s a reason you’re there. Even if you’re the worst of the best. Edit: I’m by no means saying Kevin was the worst of the best btw. Please don’t @ me. Didn’t mean to come off like that. Just my story I was able to share that related to this video.
I ran the hurdles in high school and raced against a guy who got drafted to the NFL and went to the Olympics. Second hurdle I knew I wasn’t winning that shit.
Really puts things in perspective just how nuts you have to be to even be considered for the Show. That vid of Datsyuk dangling Trevor's socks off is still one of my all-time favorites- great vid as always, Rob!
I remember back when Peter Nedved defected and he was on the ice for a game of shinny. There were a bunch of junior A and B plus major junior players and then there was me. Nedved was skating circles around everyone back then. I realized real quick where I stood on. The totem pole. Respect to the skills of NHL players.
Perfect timing. Xmas day years ago in Calgary got to play UMass stud Cale Makar at the ODR and he made every grown man look like a bag of potatoes. A beautiful humbling sight.
I thought I was a good high school player. We had a practice with the local AHL team once, immediately knew I had no chance to go anywhere in hockey lol the way they passed and received passes so fast man... just insane and that's not even NHL level!
I was a Beer league goalie for decades. Lots of ex-juniors and guys that played in Europe in our league. One day Glen Cochrane came out to one of our scrimmages. Put on a show at our urging. He went through the whole team and lit the lamp before I even thought of moving. Pretty sure we were pylons on the ice. FYI, super nice guy. He was a lot of laughs. I’ve faced dozens of retired NHL’s over the years. Two things I’ve learnt. Never make them mad enough to turn it on and if you do, pray they don’t hit you with the puck. Mad props to David Ayers.
Did you know that the Russian team was getting shit faced with the Russian female figure skating team the night before that miracle? In a best out of 3 series with an NHL team, I'm sure that the Olympic team would look like the amateurs that they were.
Probs would’ve been a diff story had they been practicing as a team but still. It showed the Russians teamwork and chemistry far outweighed the nhl players raw skill
@@ElyWaves. What are you talking about, in an all star game? The Russians haven't won a best on best hockey tournament in decades. They only won in the Olympics when there were no NHL players allowed.
Roman Josi came to one of my hockey practices when I was 10, and he played with us kids. He had just been drafted to the NHL. I'll never forget how absolutely astronomically good he was, and he was an 18 year old. He made everything about hockey look so damn easy. It had all of us absolutely awestruck. I literally don't have the words to describe how brilliant he was. That day put it into perspective for me, even as a little kid, that I'd never be good enough for the NHL. Edit: He was so talented (as all professional athletes are) that no matter how hard you practice, you will NEVER be that good.
@malakaspawt3190 you might be right but fr I played hockey in Tennessee. I never could get enough time for practice because there was only 4 sheets of ice in Nashville excluding of Bridgestone arena.
@@Maxville2 damn, every elementary school in Canada at least has an outdoor rink, but you guys get high school hockey which we once had, i think that's excellent
We should add ACHA hockey as those teams can go NCAA with the right funding. Lots of D3 players opt out and go play ACHA. Lots of talent there that is overlooked. At UMaine I played ACHA and the colligate D1 coach would sometimes watch our practices/games if he was around
There's an old guy that comes to stick and puck sometimes that played some games back in the show in the late 90's (Detroit I think). This guy is a beast (at least 6.3/250-ish now). Hardest shot I've ever witnessed while on the ice (his wristers). And he isn't really ripping it either. When he skates, you can hear him cutting up the ice, I've played hockey off and on for over 30 years and he could skates circles around me wearing kids skates.
I never had any such illusions because I could never skate for shit. I've said it before: The skill ceiling in the NHL is somewhere in the next galaxy. I've seen players who got maybe a couple games at the ECHL on a beer league team and they just completely dominate. Players who couldn't make the cut in the ECHL, let alone get a sniff of NHL ice, are WAY better than most.
I played in a beer league with Gary Rissling for a number of years. Look him up and play for the penguins as an enforcer and had a couple points. I think he was in his '60s early '70s when I played against him and although he was slow on the ice his hands were unbelievable and his strength was four times mine and that was me at 25
I heard Hossa in interview talking about Datsyuk 1 on 1 training they did when he came to the Detroit. He said Datsyuk was pulling all kind of stuff he never saw and didn't have any chance when they started. But they did this whole season and by the end of it Hossa would hold his own. Along with Toews these 3 guys were best 200ft forward in the league, and no wonder Hossa became that crazy backchecker. Not many players in NHL like them.
I had one buddy who was an absolute monster of a kid. When he was 12 he was 6'1 and 160lbs... however what got in the way was his ego and thinking he could rely purely on his raw skill and didn't need to train or practice. Fast forward a few years later and he gets invited to Oil Kings camp trying to carve a WHL path but showed up out of shape whilst still being skillful (kind of like a crappier skating Rick Nash) but flamed out due to poor work ethic, inflated ego, and already being a partier...
Truth is a lot of NHL players have rich parents and that's how they make it. I know a few names that's hockey wise weren't impressive at all. Nicolas Beaudin in mtl Antoine Morand Samuel Laberge just to name a few. These players were average at best. Played midget AAA parents had money that's how they made it. Only a few of these guys are elite level players... put any fringe NHL player agaisnt a CHL player the disparity between the two wouldnt be thats significant.
I remember Dale Weise also crushed it in the Dutch league one year and he was a 4th liner on a struggling Canucks roster. Sami Salo also when he had to play a couple games in the AHL after recovering an injury, he looked like McDavid among the AHLers lol.
It shows how good Bedard is. He is making NHL players look bad in his first season. In Junior hockey with Regina he was in his own league. Often the top players in junior make it to the NHL and are brought to reality, but with Bedard it's like it didn't matter that he was playing against the best players.
When I was young, 10-11 years old, I played against Jaromir Jagr for the first time. He was the same age as me, but had almost as many points as our entire offense. and we played in the same league and were not a bad team. All the officials were already saying back then that he was going to be something big.
I had the opportunity if that’s what you want to call it, to wrestle one of the top wrestlers in the country from Arizona state which is the closest thing to professional wrestling there is. I got absolutely humiliated. The coach was a legend so I was also grateful to shake his hand in a loss and grateful to know what the best looks like.
Its not suprizing each lvl gets to farm out the handful of its best guys, and then move them stepping them up and keep only the best still, only to do it several more times, its such weeding out process, the guy's left by the end can probably beat you at damn near anything you both do.
great video but I think having the datsyuk comparison kinda hinders your point instead of helping, he is the magic man with possibly the best hand eye coordination on the planet in his prime, he put couture on his butt without even touching him, made hall of fame level goalies and defenseman look like pylons and could probably put on the same performance in keep away against 5 average nhl level players as long as its non contact
Claude Giroux had 19 points in 9 games. Though Germany (DEL) is ranked 8 in the world. In Sweden many NHL players came to play during the lockout, Henrik Zetterberg for example had a 1.0 a game point with 50 points for 50 games. Peter Forsberg had 39 points during 33 games. So its a big difference in the proplayers in Germany or for example SHL. Forsberg #21 actually had a higher point per game in NHL then SHL. But your right, DEL is a proleague and they got smacked big time when Claude Giroux with friend came to visit.
My intramural college team lost to another intramural team that had some of my college's DIII players on it. They were the DIII national champs. So my team lost 12-0...and I was the goalie who let in all those goals. We weren't even CLOSE to being in the same league as them. One guy even scored a goal and broke my water bottle with the shot. I think the other team all had a hat-trick!
The US colleges considered CHL players as professionals and not acceptable. I was a scout in the 90s and if a Jr player even sat in the bench of any CHL teams in uniform he was not accepted. Jr. A league players were however totally acceptable. Did that change ?
I met the canucks roster when i was a young teen...i dared the canucks to face up against top end aboriginal soccer players...back in the schneider luongo days...not only did i manage to get a signed jersey...the canucks accepted the challenge...i made a bad mistake as the goalie to do a soccer-like slide...the puck drilled the back of my right leg below the knee cap...i ended up with a huge grosse bruise...i ended up choosing who could train me...even just for the day...thats where i met canadian born Sidney Crosby...not only did he show me up big time...Crosby himself told me to stick with soccer...which is crazier cuz i was on the verge to starting my training camp to make it on manchester united team...might have been the shortest dude back home...i worked my ass off to be better then the mens team...i didnt just impress all of manchester united fans...i wanted fans all over BC to help me determine my overall...sir alex furgeson told me...i was an all around complete soccer player...my overall ended up at 100...thanks to the likes of playing alongside cristiano ronaldo and david beckham...i was a mid teenager at the time...now im in my mid 30s...my career was demolished after a doggypile...from my right kneecap to my right foot...had some heavy ass dude pin my right leg so bad even if i laid down or on my stomach...my right leg would have busted...thanks to a very amazing person mr. Miyagi...he did his best to make my right leg proper...oh my lord did i scream like a little girl...the good side of this situation...swiss girl alisha lehmann ran to me...i wasnt expecting a long ass french kiss from Alisha but it did the job to sidetrack my brain off the pain...the power of a very caring man and the power of a beautiful young lady...i damn near married Alisha on the spot...
I watched my cousin decimate Wojtek at 10 years old and that's the only kid I believe when they say they could of done the pros and been known, and also I know how his life fell apart by 15 so it's not like he was given a chance. Wojtek the Small Cap got his help needed from fellow Bettman.
He's right, I consider Milan Lucic the worst NHLer I have ever seen... he could probably skate circles around beer leaguer, but then again maybe it's just me.
This video isn’t the same and definitely speaks on the sport you’re more passionate about, but to avoid anyone saying you jack ideas or plagiarize it wouldn’t hurt to give jxmmy a Inspo line in the vid. He’s a great creator in the sports world. Good vid tho.
I remember years ago when the Canucks were dead last in the NHL but unfortunately their AHL affiliate was the top in their league. This means theres no hope of improvement if you do an up / down trade of players between the two teams.
The beer leaguers didn’t help your point they totally sucked compared to many beer leaguers but that ohl’r (old dude) you could tell new hockey and he was blown away at that magic haha.
I still think I would have played pro as 1 year of development when I was 15 put me in a double A midgets team when I was 16 I had never played hockey before that. I am a complete ass player now though.😊
this was great. wish there was a way to show the same for coaching, because man, some of the armchair coaches out there in social media have got some wild takes on how to win. 😆
