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World Cup

couldn't find 1998 rosters but here are 2002 Rosters - which of these countries ice better teams now?

Czech

Elias - Lang - Jagr
Hejduk - Reichel - Havlat
Dvorak - Dopita - Rucinsky
Patera - Cajanek - Hrdina

Spacek - Hamrlik
Kaberle - Kubina
Skoula - Smehlik

Hasek
Cechmanek


Finland

Hagman - Jokinen - Selanne
Lehtonen - Kapanen - Ylonen
Ruutu - Kallio - Eloranta
Helminen - Aalto - Lind

Timonen - Numinen
Niiniimaa - Salo
Niemenen - Lumme
Vaananen - Berg

Hurme
Nurminen
Markkanen



Russia

Bure - Fedorov - Kovalchuk
Datsyuk - Yashin - Kovalev
V.Bure - Zhamnov - Samsonov
Afinogenov - Larionov - Nikolishin/Kvasha

Malakhov - Gonchar
Tverdovsky - Markov
Kasparitis - Mironov/Kravchuk

Khabibulin
Bryzgalov


Slovakia

Hossa - Demitra - Palffy
Satan - Handzus - Stumpel
Bartecko - Padavy - Petrovicky
sechny - torok - Pavlikovsky

Visnovsky - Smret
Obsut - Majesky
Lintner Pavlikovsky


Lasak
Stana


USA

Tkachuk - Roenick - Hull
LeClair - Modano - Amonte
Rolston - Weight - Guerin
Young - Drury - Deadmarsh

Chelios - Leetch
Housley - Suter
Rafalski - Miller

Richter
Barasso


Sweden

Naslund - Sundin - Alfredsson
Holmstrom - Zetterberg - Nylander
Sundstrom - Johanssen - Renberg
Axelsson - Dahlen - Arvedsson

Lidstrom - Ohlund
Jonsson - Johnsson
Norstrom - Ragnarsson

Hedberg
Salo
Tellqvist


Ukraine: Kristich, Fedotenko, Ponikarovksy, Varlamov
Swiss: Streit, Gerber, Aebischer, Vauclair
Latvia: Ozolinsh, Irbe, Skrastins
Germany: Ehrhoff, Seidenberg, Hecht, Sturm
Belarus: Salei
France: Huet
Austria: ---
 
Russia's team today is just as good as they were back then. Team USA would be as well, if they could and would bring all of their best players. Sweden's still excellent too, and then within the next few years, the modern version of Team Finland has a good chance to be better than that 2002 roster.

Switzerland is as good, or better, considering 12 Swiss players played in the NHL last year, including seven regular players, a 20-goal forward (Niederreiter) and one of the NHL's very best defensemen (Roman Josi). Germany's in a similar situation.

A few of those countries are weaker now, though. Specifically, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Slovakia & the Czech Republic. But I'd hope that you aren't honestly trying to advance the thesis that NHL Olympic participation is to blame in some way.

Marian Hossa had a more plausible theory recently:

That was more than two years ago. And it’s only gotten worse for Slovakia. Only 12 Slovaks played in the NHL last season, and only seven played at least 40 games. And with the World Cup of Hockey starting Saturday in Toronto, there is no Team Slovakia, just six Slovaks lumped into Team Europe, along with seven other nationalities. Slovakia, which lost in the bronze-medal game in the 2010 Olympics, can’t even field a team that can compete with the likes of Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada, the Czech Republic, and the United States.

And the cruel irony is the fall of communism might have hastened Slovakia’s hockey downfall.

“We were [among] the last guys during the communist times, when we basically almost everything for free,” Marian Hossa said. “The parents didn’t have to pay big money like they parents do these days. There was big competition because everybody could play and come play and only the best can go further. Right now, there’s not enough kids because it costs so much money for the parents. It comes down to economics. I think that’s why there’s a big hole.”

....

Hossa is trying to do his part, with his charity. Hoss Heroes tries to make hockey more accessible to Slovak kids. But even some free-equipment programs have fallen short of Hossa’s hopes, which too few families taking advantage.

“I was surprised [by] that,” Hossa said. “I don’t know if they didn’t get the message, or parents basically decided it’s still going to be too expensive for them, even when they get free equipment. It’s not easy back home, and people don’t make enough money to try to support kids to play hockey. It’s really hard.”
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
LeafGm said:
Russia's team today is just as good as they were back then. Team USA would be as well, if they could and would bring all of their best players. Sweden's still excellent too, and then within the next few years, the modern version of Team Finland has a good chance to be better than that 2002 roster.

Switzerland is as good, or better, considering 12 Swiss players played in the NHL last year, including seven regular players, a 20-goal forward (Niederreiter) and one of the NHL's very best defensemen (Roman Josi). Germany's in a similar situation.

A few of those countries are weaker now, though. Specifically, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Slovakia & the Czech Republic. But I'd hope that you aren't honestly trying to advance the thesis that NHL Olympic participation is to blame in some way.

Marian Hossa had a more plausible theory recently:
Click to expand...

Eh I disagree bigtime on russia and usa - those teams were much better than what they have now imo. not really close.

and of course i'm not blaming the olympics.


I just have no idea where this "olympics make more countries competitive" belief came from. Seems baseless to me.
 
Finland has developped more players in the last 3-4 drafts than they ever have before and more are on the way.

The Czechs had about 10 years of down period, but again last 3-4 drafts there is a significant upswing

Switzerland is clearly better than before

Germany is clearly better than before

Latvia is clearly improved.

Belarus, Ukraine, Kazahkstan, and Slovakia are clearly worse.

Norway is about the same.

France and Slovenia have improved, especially slovenia.

Denmark is improving.

Japan is better.

Korea is only going to get better.

China is the sleeping giant, who now have a KHL team. Look for them in coming years.

Sweden has always been a mega power and continues to be a mega power.

Russia is producing forwards and goalies, but have had a tough time with defencemen for like a decade. That seems to have changed as Zaitsev, Orlov, Provorov, Sergachev seem to be changing things.

Team USA is getting better, not worse. They took a shitty roster, and they got hurt by Eichel, Saad, Gaudreau, Jones being ineligible for the tourney, but the US NTDP is doing great things.

I really don't see the argument that the rest of the world is worse.
 
BKerr said:
Finland has developped more players in the last 3-4 drafts than they ever have before and more are on the way.

The Czechs had about 10 years of down period, but again last 3-4 drafts there is a significant upswing

Switzerland is clearly better than before

Germany is clearly better than before

Latvia is clearly improved.

Belarus, Ukraine, Kazahkstan, and Slovakia are clearly worse.

Norway is about the same.

France and Slovenia have improved, especially slovenia.

Denmark is improving.

Japan is better.

Korea is only going to get better.

China is the sleeping giant, who now have a KHL team. Look for them in coming years.

Sweden has always been a mega power and continues to be a mega power.

Russia is producing forwards and goalies, but have had a tough time with defencemen for like a decade. That seems to have changed as Zaitsev, Orlov, Provorov, Sergachev seem to be changing things.

Team USA is getting better, not worse. They took a shitty roster, and they got hurt by Eichel, Saad, Gaudreau, Jones being ineligible for the tourney, but the US NTDP is doing great things.

I really don't see the argument that the rest of the world is worse.
Click to expand...

They are improving, I just think it's hard to see with the golden age of Canadian hockey that's currently going on.
 
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