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evtranslations · 5 years ago

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A forward and a gay man

Janne Puhakka reveals what it’s like being a gay hockey player in the Finnish Elite League, Liiga. He is the first to have the courage to speak about the matter publicly.

Source.

[T/N: The article is behind a paywall. I will call SM-liiga/the Finnish Elite League “Liiga” for the remainder of the article.]

TL;DR:

Janne Puhakka, 24, retired professional ice hockey player

Played one season (40 games) in the Finnish Elite League in 2015-2016

First Finnish pro hockey player to come out, fourth globally

Janne Puhakka played in the Espoo Blues and Espoo United in 2015-2017.

The surnames of Janne Puhakka and his boyfriend are written on a mail slot in an apartment building in Helsinki.

Puhakka’s handshake has strength. He asks me to come in and says that their move isn’t quite done yet. Some of the furniture is missing, and a light hasn’t been mounted on the ceiling.

Nonetheless, Puhakka is ready to give an interview that will go down in Finnish sports history. He is the first hockey player who has played in Liiga to publicly, with his own name and face, say he is homosexual.

Puhakka says he isn’t particularly nervous. He contemplated the matter for a long time, for his active career’s last three years.

But in the conservative and partly closed-minded Finnish hockey community, Puhakka’s surprise statement can be unique. For the first time, someone breaks the taboo: can a gay person play hockey?

Puhakka takes a breath. The topic is simultaneously important and frustrating.

“In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to talk about this. But as long as it’s kept quiet, we have to.”

In 1995, the Puhakka family had their youngest child, Janne. Mom, dad and two big sisters had moved to the metropolitan area from Oulu.

At around five or six years, Puhakka saw advertising leaflets for the local hockey club at his day-care and got interested. He announced that he wanted to go to hockey practice. He started two hobbies: ice hockey at Espoon Kiekkoseura and soccer at FC Kasi-ysi in Espoo.

Puhakka was a sporty kid. The kind that learns to skate quickly and gets balls and game equipment to obey him. For many years, he did the two sports in parallel, but at 13 years old, hockey won the day.

“I had more friends in hockey.”

Janne Puhakka returned to his home arena Espoo Metro Arena.

As a small boy, Puhakka liked playing as a winger and identified as some kind of a power forward whose game was founded on good skating and a hard shot. Later, he admired the Russian stick handling virtuoso Pavel Datsyuk and tried playing as a center like his role model.

There were many gifted hockey players among Finnish boys born in 1995. Juuse Saros and Artturi Lehkonen play in the NHL these days. Kevin Lankinen, who made saves last spring to help the national team to a gold in the IIHF World Championships, also belongs to the same age group. The generation’s brightest diamond is Aleksander Barkov, one of the most skilled players in the world.

As a teenager, Janne Puhakka competed side by side with these promising players. At 15 years old he got invited to an annual camp that brings together that year’s best players. There Puhakka realized that the level of his top contemporaries wasn’t unreachable.

“At that point the whole thing became serious in a way.”

Puhakka began training in earnest. School, practice and game journeys were scheduled carefully.

The next big step was coming at 16. The cream of the crop would get their first invitation to the junior national team. At that age many teenage boys will start to wonder if their hockey hobby could be more than a hobby. Would their skills be enough one day to cut it as a professional?

The thought excites - and brings pressure.

“For many, not making the junior national team is very tough,” says Puhakka.

Puhakka made it. In 2013 he was in the national under-18 team that won bronze at the U18 World Championships in Russia. That was one of Puhakka’s hockey career’s finest hours.

Puhakka had been thinking about his sexuality since reaching adolescence. However, the thoughts remained in the background for a long time. Being able to train, play, go to school and spend time with friends was enough.

On Saturday morning, 19th of September, Puhakka received surprising news from his morning skate coach: that same night, he would be playing his first Liiga match wearing an Espoo Blues jersey.

He got to play for roughly six minutes against Tappara of Tampere. Victory on home ice, the great feeling and an impressive goal scored by Tappara’s rookie star Patrik Laine stuck in his mind.

In the 2015-2016 season Puhakka played 40 games in Liiga. He was now part of the select few whose skills and motivation had carried over from the first practices in day-care through the junior years all the way into the Finnish Elite League. He played hockey for a living. Got paid. Dreamt of bigger leagues and the NHL.

However, Puhakka noticed he had to push a part of his identity aside while walking to the rink. He adds that he understands it is normal: it’s a workplace, the main purpose is not to shout your own matters from the rooftops.

Still, not being able to honestly say he was gay bothered him.

In the locker room his teammates spoke about what they’d done with their wives and girlfriends.

“Many times someone asked if I had a girlfriend. I waved the question off and always afterwards wondered why I couldn’t tell them about it.”

Why?

“There were mental blocks.”

Puhakka describes how he put on sorts of emotional defenses at the rink. The secrecy was also difficult on his relationship. Puhakka dated during his years of play and was forced to think about how he would introduce his boyfriend to his teammates, should they bump into each other out on the town.

“That sort of thing puts a strain on everyday life and is difficult for your partner.”

Locker room talk is its own whole world. Puhakka says you can’t make it in an ice hockey team without self-irony.

“Everyone who’s ever been in a locker room knows that there are all sorts of jokes thrown around. It’s sometimes racy, and gay jokes can be part of it.”

Puhakka says he never intervened in questionable jokes or took them personally. They went in one ear and out the other.

But Puhakka knows not everyone is like him.

“Some other guy might take it personally and retreat into a shell.”

In potentially awkward situations Puhakka was helped by support from his friends. In the locker room they’re teammates, but out of the teammates some can additionally be close friends. Puhakka found people from his teams to whom he could naturally talk about his sexuality.

The courage was worth it. When someone told a gay joke in the locker room, Puhakka could throw a glance at these trusted friends and exchange looks. They could laugh together at the shared secret.

“That eased my mind and made the situation more relaxed for me.”

One of these trusted friends was Kim Hirschovits, captain of the Espoo Blues and one of the most well-known Liiga players of the 2000s.

On one roadtrip Puhakka told Hirschovits that he was dating a man.

“Hirso replied ‘cool, congratulations’. You don’t really even need to reply anything else.”

Kim Hirschovits (on the left), former Blues captain, was among the players to whom Puhakka dared to talk about his gayness.

The old attitudes and regularities of the sports world have been coming apart in recent years. Greater appreciation and support is being demanded for women’s and disabled people’s sports. The by-products of sports are being tackled more intensely as well.

Efforts have been started to get rid of racism in audiences as well as playing fields and rinks. The fights in hockey rinks, everyday occurrences in the NHL in the past decades, are almost completely gone. The self-governed world of sports has been forced in many ways to clean its act up so that it could stand up to outward scrutiny.

Homosexuality has been one of the last big taboos in sports. Only in recent years has the atmosphere shifted into one where a number of known athletes have openly had the courage to share their belonging to a sexual minority. NBA basketball player Jason Collins, swimmers Ari-Pekka Liukkonen and Ian Thorpe, American football player Michael Sam and many others have taken their turns coming out of the closet.

It has been more quiet in ice hockey, widely perceived as a ‘macho’ sport. In the whole world, only a handful of players that have done what Janne Puhakka did. The Danish goalkeeper Jon Lee-Olsen came out of the closet only some days ago. As far as is known, he is the only player to dare speak out during his active career.

Puhakka has been reading the news. Lee-Olsen’s gayness has been received well in Denmark.

Puhakka’s own experiences of Liiga are attached to one hockey club and 40 games. After that, he played one season in Mestis. [T/N: Second highest hockey league in Finland.] His experiences of locker rooms aren’t horrifyingly homophobic.

“But the hockey world is somehow behind. We wouldn’t have to spell this out over and over if everyone could naturally be themselves in the room.”

In Finland the conversation about gay hockey players has been agonizingly difficult. At times it has circled in downright tragicomic twists. Ex-goalkeeper and congressman representing the National Coalition Party Sinuhe Wallinheimo said in February 2014 that a gay player should hide his gayness in the locker room, so that the matter wouldn’t mess with the team’s chemistry and turn against the team.

At that time, Wallinheimo was the president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Players’ Association. He received much criticism for his statement, and apologized. The issue is made strange by the fact that only a year earlier, it was Wallinheimo who had encouraged athletes to come out of the closet.

Former national team captain Juhani Tamminen said in the autumn of 2014 at a panel talk that in his multiple career decades he had never seen a gay person in the locker room. He also added that “little mice” wouldn’t make it in the sport. Later Tamminen added that he thinks gay people are welcome to the sport.

Now, the leading role in hockey’s “gay conversation” is taken by 24-year-old Janne Puhakka. He is making it calm, and is not looking for conflicts or cheap brownie points.

He does not want to comment Juhani Tamminen’s statement.

“I don’t know the origin of Tami’s comment or what he meant. But the idea of there not being queer people in locker rooms is silly.”

There are hundreds of players in Liiga. Statistically, there are several, even dozens of gay men among them. None of these players have chosen their sexual orientation, and gayness doesn’t affect their skills as hockey players, emphasizes Puhakka.

Puhakka doesn’t recognize Sinuhe Wallinheimo’s idea of gayness disturbing the atmosphere in the locker room, either. His own experiences say otherwise. Whenever he has told his friends of his sexuality, the reception has been positive without exception.

“And then, they might tell me something about their own life that was below the surface. That strengthens a team.”

An element of danger and even violence that’s missing from other sports has always been part of ice hockey. As late as the 1990s, the game would at times resemble warfare. Especially in the NHL, bone-crushers and goons dominated the rink.

Janne Puhakka’s contemporaries made lots of reforms in the hockey world. Along with rule changes, the sport has become more fast and skillful. The modern top player is a dexterous virtuoso, not a trouble-making macho. Gradually, the atmosphere and image of the sport are changing too. The internet’s highlight reels are comprised of impressive goals instead of heads rolling off bleeding.

Masculinity itself is more varied than before in the younger generation’s men. In the spring, people admired Kevin Lankinen’s reading hobby. Patrik Laine is a feared goal-scorer as well as a teetotaler. When the young national team won Junior World Championship gold in January of 2016, no player was caught making trouble drunk in public. Basketball player Lauri Markkanen has said he avoids eating red meat.

Janne Puhakka is gay. To his contemporaries this is no longer taboo. It isn’t necessarily even that interesting of a matter.

Still, Puhakka’s statement is only the beginning. Puhakka thinks it strange that he doesn’t know any other gay players who played in Liiga.

“I can imagine that there are players who want to talk about it, but don’t dare to, because they’re afraid for their job. Especially players outside of the top lines might feel uncertain.”

Puhakka himself had wanted to talk about his sexuality during his active career. He dreamed of breaking through and becoming a public figure. He mulled it over for three years.

“But I wasn’t that good of a player, that I could’ve been sure of keeping my job. That brought uncertainty.”

And Puhakka’s career ended earlier than he’d thought.

At some point Puhakka noticed, that some of his friends were heading into the NHL and the KHL. Puhakka played one season in France, and trained one more summer with the thought of finding somewhere fitting to play. A young player always wants to believe that one or two good seasons can change their whole career.

Eventually, he wanted to see what else he could do in life.

Now, he studies international business in Helsinki at Haaga Helia University of Applied Sciences and works in the fashion industry. His boyfriend works as a vet employed by the Norwegian salmon industry.

As a high-schooler Puhakka spent two years in Canada in QMJHL. At the same time he was doing his upper secondary school studies. The experience has been helpful later in his life.

“I learned self-discipline then. You can study alongside playing hockey, if you have the will and the energy for it.”

Puhakka told his own family about being gay at 19 years old. Their reception was straightforward and easy. Last June, he published a photo of himself and his partner on his Instagram account.

“A burden fell off my shoulders. I hoped that any hockey player would have contacted me. It would be cool to talk to someone who’s been in the same situation.”

Puhakka thinks it would be best if other players would come out after him. The bigger the names, the better. He wishes that no player would question their own talent because of their sexual orientation.

“If even one junior or adult player wrestling with this took something positive from this interview, I’m happy.”

#janne puhakka #lgbt hockey #liiga #hockey #you can play #idk how to tag this but it's a good read #article #warning though this article is LONG AS FUCK #so i made the tldr pointers before the cut lol #it's about his story and reflections about hockey and sports

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jenmedsbookreviews · 5 years ago

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Now you may have seen a bit of buzz on social media in the past week and a bit. Why? Well because the lovely Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books has announced the dates and host bookshops for this years series of Orenda Roadshows. I for one am very excited as I love this time of year, and I know a number of my fellow booklovers and Orenda-shippers are equally as bouncy as me.

Orenda Roadshow Birmingham in 2019

So what is an Orenda Roadshow I hear (some of) you ask? This is the nationwide celebration of all things Orenda where you will find the largest number of authors in any one place, outside of a bog standard festival, talking about their books, sharing the book love and spending time with their readers. It is both informative and entertaining. Fun and a place for serious book purchasing. There is also the chance you may be able to pick up some not yet released titles as the authors prepare for their upcoming launches. You just don’t know.

To give you an idea what to expect, over the next few weekends I’m going to be resharing my round up of the last three years worth of Orenda Roadshows. Before I do though, here is the list of this years venues and the bookshops you need to stalk on Twitter and Facebook to keep abreast of the bookings opening.

24th February: Waterstones Glasgow 25th February: Drake the Bookshop, Stockton on Tees 26th February: Linghams Booksellers, Heswall 27th February: The Bookcase, Lowdham 28th February: Griffin Books, Penarth

Tickets are already on sale for Heswall and Glasgow so don’t delay. Book today. For those of you who are still undecided, let me tempt you some more with what happened at my first ever Orenda Roadshow in Liverpool, way back in 2017…

My Bookish Night Out Orenda Roadshow 2017

So Tuesday I decided to cash in a little annual leave and took the afternoon off to head off to Liverpool with my sister. Our destination? Waterstones at Liverpool One and the Orenda Books International Crime Fiction Roadshow.

Now, if you’re a follower of the blog (poor folks) you’ll probably have an inkling that I’m somewhat of a fan of Orenda Books’ authors. I’ve got to be honest; I haven’t read a duff book yet that Karen has backed and released. I was absolutely thrilled to see that she was going on tour with some of her crack team of writers, many of whom I’d already read and reviewed. Like – well 7.5 out of the 8 if I’m being honest, and it was only 0.5 of one because I have started the book but haven’t quite finished it yet. (This was true then – I’ve read 82 books now – they’re all fabulous)

It was a brilliant night, with the wonderful Karen Sullivan (@OrendaBooks) introducing her authors. They told us a little bit about their books as well as reading short excerpts from all eight novels, before answering a few questions about who inspires their work, where their ideas come from and, in the case of Steph Broadribb, giving us a little insight into the training she did as a Bounty Hunter as part of her research for her sensational debut, Deep Down Dead. There was also some debate over whether there was any pressure on authors to write ‘noir’ which led to an emphatic no from all parties and the agreement that they write what they want to read first, rather than being confined by genre expectations.

If you aren’t aware of the eight fabulous authors who were at the event (shame on you) then here is a little bit about each of their superb books which, in the words of Antti Tuomainen, are all ‘really good’ and are all ‘really cheap’. Trust me, you had to be there but this guy has a totally wicked sense of humour.

Thomas Enger – Reading from Cursed

Follow on Twitter: @EngerThomas

What secret would you kill to protect?

When Hedda Hellberg fails to return from a retreat in Italy, where she has been grieving for her recently dead father, her husband discovers that his wife’s life is tangled in mystery. Hedda never left Oslo, the retreat has no record of her and, what’s more, she appears to be connected to the death of an old man, gunned down on the first day of the hunting season in the depths of the Swedish forests.

Henning Juul becomes involved in the case when his ex-wife joins in the search for the missing woman, and the estranged pair find themselves enmeshed both in the murky secrets of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, and in the painful truths surrounding the death of their own son.

With the loss of his son to deal with, as well as threats to his own life and to that of his ex-wife, Juul is prepared to risk everything to uncover a sinister maze of secrets that ultimately leads to the dark heart of European history.

Although this is book 4 in the series, you can read this as a standalone (though why would you want to). I really enjoyed Cursed, so much so that I went out to buy the first three before I’d made it even half way through. You can purchase Cursed here and also get a taste of what’s in store for you by reading my review, here.

Louise Beech reading from The Mountain In My Shoe

Follow on Twitter: @LouiseWriter

A missing boy. A missing book. A missing husband. A woman who must find them all to find herself.

On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she’s leaving, he doesn’t come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she’s befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor’s foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband’s secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all.

Exquisitely written and deeply touching, The Mountain in My Shoe is both a gripping psychological thriller and a powerful and emotive examination of the meaning of family … and just how far we’re willing to go for the people we love.

It was fantastic finally getting to meet Louise Beech although it was perhaps mildly disturbing that by the end of the night her ‘boobs’ seemed to be everywhere… 😉 You can purchase the brilliant The Mountain In My Shoe here and read my review here.

Steph Broadribb reading from Deep Down Dead

Follow on Twitter: @crimethrillgirl

Lori Anderson is as tough as they come, managing to keep her career as a fearless Florida bounty hunter separate from her role as single mother to nine-year-old Dakota, who suffers from leukaemia. But when the hospital bills start to rack up, she has no choice but to take her daughter along on a job that will make her a fast buck. And that’s when things start to go wrong.

The fugitive she’s assigned to haul back to court is none other than JT, Lori’s former mentor – the man who taught her everything she knows … the man who also knows the secrets of her murky past. Not only is JT fighting a child exploitation racket operating out of one of Florida’s biggest theme parks, Winter Wonderland, a place where ‘bad things never happen’, but he’s also mixed up with the powerful Miami Mob. With two fearsome foes on their tails, just three days to get JT back to Florida, and her daughter to protect, Lori has her work cut out for her. When they’re ambushed at a gas station, the stakes go from high to stratospheric, and things become personal.

What can you say about the woman who knows how to use a Taser? Why she’s fabulous of course. Completely fabulous. Actually, bounty hunter training aside, she really is pretty cool, an absolute fabulous blogger and has released one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. You can purchase a copy here and read my review here.

Antti Tuomainen reading from The Mine

Follow on Twitter: @antti_tuomainen

A hitman. A journalist. A family torn apart. Can he uncover the truth before it’s too late?

In the dead of winter, investigative reporter Janne Vuori sets out to uncover the truth about a mining company, whose illegal activities have created an environmental disaster in a small town in Northern Finland. When the company’s executives begin to die in a string of mysterious accidents, and Janne’s personal life starts to unravel, past meets present in a catastrophic series of events that could cost him his life. A traumatic story of family, a study in corruption, and a shocking reminder that secrets from the past can return to haunt us, with deadly results … The Mine is a gripping, beautifully written, terrifying and explosive thriller by the King of Helsinki Noir.

I absolutely loved reading this and it was brilliant listening to Antti reading the book in his native tongue. Have no idea what he said; in truth it could have been the local Chinese takeaway menu he was reading from, but it sounded good and the book is fabulous in any language. 😉 You can purchase The Mine here and read my review here.

Michael J Malone reading from A Suitable Lie

Follow on Twitter: @michaelJmalone1

Andy Boyd thinks he is the luckiest man alive. Widowed with a young child, after his wife dies in childbirth, he is certain that he will never again experience true love. Then he meets Anna.

Feisty, fun and beautiful, she’s his perfect match… And she loves his son, too. When Andy ends up in the hospital on his wedding night, he receives his first clue that Anna is not all that she seems. He ignores it; a dangerous mistake that could cost him everything.

A brave, deeply moving psychological thriller which marks a stunning departure for one of Scotland’s top crime writers.

For a read that turns the whole subject of domestic violence on its head while providing a truly emotionally engaging read, then look no further than this little beauty. You can purchase A Suitable Lie here and read my review here.

Kati Hiekkapelto reading from The Exiled

Follow on Twitter: @HiekkapeltoKati

Murder. Corruption. Dark secrets. A titanic wave of refugees. Can Anna solve a terrifying case that’s become personal?

Anna Fekete returns to the Balkan village of her birth for a relaxing summer holiday. But when her purse is stolen and the thief is found dead on the banks of the river, Anna is pulled into a murder case. Her investigation leads straight to her own family, to closely guarded secrets concealing a horrendous travesty of justice that threatens them all. As layer after layer of corruption, deceit and guilt are revealed, Anna is caught up in the refugee crisis spreading like wildfire across Europe. How long will it take before everything explodes?

This is book 3 in the Anna Fekete series but again it can be read as a standalone. This taps into the socio-economic issues affecting Europe as a whole, with a really emotive look at prejudice and the refugee crisis as Anna returns to her home village for a summer holiday. It’s a simply brilliant book and well worth a look – and with her love of punk, Kati has the best taste in neck wear ever. I know someone who would love her studded collar! You can purchase The Exiled here and read my review here.

Matt Johnson reading from Deadly Game

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Johnson_UK

Reeling from the attempts on his life and that of his family, Police Inspector Robert Finlay returns to work to discover that any hope of a peaceful existence has been dashed. Assigned to investigate the Eastern European sex-slave industry just as a key witness is murdered. Finlay, along with his new partner Nina Brasov, finds himself facing a ruthless criminal gang, determined to keep control of the traffic of people into the UK.

Now I have only just listened to the audio book of Wicked Game, the first in the Robert Finlay series, on my recent trip to Edinburgh, so my review is going to be posted this weekend. Have to say though that I loved it. It tapped into everything I like about the action and thriller genre while displaying the emotion and authenticity that can only come from the author’s personal experiences. And Mr Johnson is a really nice chap too – such a pleasure to speak to him. In the meantime you can order Deadly Game here and perhaps pick up Wicked Game while you’re at it. Read my review of Deadly Game and Wicked Game if you’d like a taster

Matt Wesolowski reading from Six Stories

Follow on Twitter: @ConcreteKraken

1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an outward bound centre. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who took that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby.

2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivalled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure. In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death. And who’s to blame… As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth. A chilling, unpredictable and startling thriller, Six Stories is also a classic murder mystery with a modern twist, and a devastating ending.

One of Karen’s newest finds, Matt Wesolowski’s novel, Six Stories is currently available in e-book format with the paperback due for release on 15th March. You can purchase/preorder the book here and you read my thoughts on the book here.

It was an absolutely brilliant night and both Mandie and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Well worth the 160 mile round trip and braving the small rain shower to attend. And I may have purchased the odd one or two (or eight) books (again). After all, it’s the new internal grafitti that adds value and I never ever read any of my signed books…

Now tell me you don’t want to go to one of these roadshows this year. I do hope to see a few of you there. I’m going to be at all five, roving reporter stylee for our year of Orenda feature. Cannot wait. (My sincere apologies to all of the authors who will be sick of the sight of me by then end of the week …)

Have a brilliant weekend everyone.

Jen

Orenda Roadshows 2020 - A Preview @OrendaBooks #AYearOfOrenda Now you may have seen a bit of buzz on social media in the past week and a bit.

#Orenda Books #Orenda Roadshow

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thrashermaxey · 6 years ago

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Ramblings: Dobber’s early-season notes (Oct 08)

Late draft? Pick up the Fantasy Guide! Last update was October 3 and since nothing major has happened since that date, that is where I’m calling it this year. Shortly, in Frozen Tools, we will have an “on pace” row for each player so you can review what each of their stats are on pace for over 82 games. We had that in the old version, we’ll be bringing that back.

I was bullish on Thomas Chabot in the Guide, bumping him up to 42 points after the Erik Karlsson trade. But from what I saw on Saturday I wonder if he shoots past that mark by the middle of March. Very composed and mature, and six moves ahead of everyone else. Then again, it was the Leafs’ defense he was up against so I’ll reserve judgment for a few more games. But man, so far so good.

The debate of Elias Lindholm vs. James Neal was never really a debate in my mind, but I’ve seen too many hockey writers assume that Neal would be Johnny Gaudreau’s linemate that it created this imaginary debate. Long-time hockey fans and writers have a lot respect for James Neal. That’s the ticket that gets punched when you tally 80 points in a season – once you do that, you’re considered “can’t miss” for years, even though you’re frequently missing. Neal had 81 points playing with Evgeni Malkin back in 2011-12. Since then, he hasn’t topped 62 points and is usually around 45 points thanks to injuries holding him to 70 or 75 games. This is over five seasons with three different teams, and this is clearly a well-established second-line number. Meanwhile, Lindholm is seven years younger, on the rise, he shoots right (which is what the Gaudreau line needs) and can play center as a backup to Sean Monahan. Two games into the season, Neal is still finding his way on one of the other lines (third line with Derek Ryan on Saturday), he has one point and is averaging 16:43 of ice time. Lindholm is on the top line, has three points and is averaging 21 minutes per game. In my Keep 12, back in September I traded Ryan Johansen for a draft pick so that I could make Lindholm my keeper over him. Any lingering doubts you have over Lindholm and what he will do this season, you can probably start letting them go.

I grabbed Austin Czarnik in two of my leagues, late (almost the last pick in one) because I felt that the Flames pursued him hard, signed him early and promised him certain things for signing him such as ice time and PP time. To me, that says that they have scouted him, done their homework and brought him in to succeed. So he will be given every chance to do so. So far his ice time has been middling, he has seen secondary PP time, and has two points in two games with very solid linemates (Matt Tkachuk, for one). I’m not counting my chickens before they have hatched here, but I like the promising signs so far.

Scoring was up last year by 7.4% and I projected another 2.2% increase for this year. As I explained in the Fantasy Guide, I attributed some of this to the addition of Vegas, but most of it was due to the clampdown and reduction of the size of goalie equipment. Give a shooter even 5% more net to shoot at, and more pucks are going in. This year the league has added specific rules regarding elbow pad size, clavicle and shoulder pad size, and goalie pants/thigh guards. I don’t know what percentage of net the changes last season exposed, but you can bet that percentage has increased this year and so will the goals. I’m now thinking 2.2% is conservative. It won’t continue at the ridiculous pace we’re at so far just a few days in, but it will still increase over last year mark my words.

What does an increase in scoring mean for fantasy hockey? Well, I think it means that more forwards will give you fantasy-worthy production. Defensemen, too, but since the amount of forwards double the amount of defensemen, a percentage increase in the number of forwards has more of an impact on your league. In a nutshell, I think this means that more forwards available on the waiver wire will help you. The domino effect of that being that a focus on goalies and defensemen in the draft would be very helpful, since forwards are easier to replace (after the upper tiers of forwards, that is). If you drafted six solid forwards, six solid defensemen and two or three solid goalies, you have an advantage over someone who drafted 10 solid forwards, three solid defensemen and two solid goalies. Thankfully, I employ this strategy anyway, so I don’t regret my drafting.

An observation I made late last week (follow me on twitter here)

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Interesting observation on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLCanes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLCanes</a> rookies last night. Ice time:<br>Svechnikov: 10:43<br>Zykov: 11:44<br>Necas: 11:05<br>and then…<br>Foegele: 17:34 <br><br>No PP time for him, but speaks to coach's trust and length of leash</p>— Dobber (@DobberHockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DobberHockey/status/1048586721447763968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2018</a></blockquote>

On one hand, this is great in the sense that Warren Foegele is likely in the NHL for good thanks to everything he brings. On the other hand, he’s not being pigeonholed offensively – so the early PP opportunities go to the highly-touted troika. This will probably put a cap on what Foegele will do, at least for the short-term. If he wants to change that for the long term, he’ll need to start putting pucks in the net and make his mark.

Disclosure: the above spiel was written Sunday afternoon before I went to Thanksgiving dinner (and I got to watch the game during dessert) – and then Foegele goes out and gets three points. Rather than edit my words, I’ll leave them in and reflect further. Sunday against the Rangers he still had no PP time, saw his ice time cut a bit to 13:27 (Svechnikov, two points and up to 13:17 TOI, Necas one point and up to 10:06). Zykov was scratched – and that’s where I think Foegele is safest among the Carolina rookies. He’ll get to play, he’s getting a longer leash, and if he keeps producing early the PP time will come. He’s clearly the most NHL-ready of the group. His zone starts are merely 40% and yet he’s driving possession despite pretty much zero sheltering. A diamond in the rough.

Here were Carolina’s line combinations:

32%

FOEGELE,WARREN – STAAL,JORDAN – WILLIAMS,JUSTIN

17%

MARTINOOK,JORDAN – SVECHNIKOV,ANDREI – WALLMARK,LUCAS

15.8%

AHO,SEBASTIAN – FERLAND,MICHEAL – TERAVAINEN,TEUVO

14.6%

DI GIUSEPPE,PHILLIP – MCGINN,BROCK – NECAS,MARTIN

Martinook in for Zykov paid dividends offensively. Rather – Martinook has been in the lineup all along, but he was promoted to Zykov’s line. And because those three clicked it may be tough for Zykov to get back into the lineup now. I love Zykov’s upside, but he was always a bit of a wildcard and we all knew that.

Ferland didn’t get the sweet linemates through much of training camp when I last checked, so I tempered expectations. But if he can stick there – and back-to-back two-point games says he can – then you have to think he can mimic what he was doing in Calgary on that big line. As always with him though, beware of injuries.

I remember when Jeff Skinner was traded a few big hockey analysts asked “where will the goals come from?” I shook my head at the time, thinking that wouldn’t be a problem. And now we’re seeing it. What is the problem is goaltending. Petr Mrazek won that by the skin of his teeth (it was 8-6) and has allowed seven goals on 44 shots so far (ouch). Could Curtis McElhinney actually take the backup job, as Don Cherry alluded to on Saturday? I think he’s worth the stash. I looked into doing it myself, but due to the idiot Tom Wilson suspension I’m stuck with one less reserve spot.

Speaking of bad goaltending, I could go on and on about the goalies who played Sunday. Not just Mrazek, but I’m not impressed with Garrett Sparks nor Cam Ward either. And that was before the Sunday games! Out of those three and Alexandar Georgiev, I was most looking forward to seeing what Georgiev could do. Woops. Yes, he was hung out to dry on a couple of them, but some of those were pretty ugly.

Vladislav Namestnikov was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch. After his big two points in his last 18 games to end last season with his new team, I don’t have very high hopes for him although he did pick up an assist. Just 9:30 of ice time for him, which speaks to the faith his coach has in him. Good on Steve Yzerman for trading him with a classic “sell high”. I wonder if more teams will mimic that: take a one-dimensional fringe offensive player like a Namestnikov or a Ty Rattie – have him play with a couple of superstars for two months and put up gaudy numbers, and then trade him for a “real” player such as a J.T. Miller. Do that three or four times before other GMs eventually catch on, but by then you’ve added a great core to your squad. Dobber for GM!

I know Filip Chytil picked up an assist Sunday, but I don’t like how his ice time dropped from 17 minutes Saturday to just 10 minutes. He has two points in three games, but the production won’t continue if the trend in ice time does.

One more note on Carolina – not only is the team having no trouble scoring, but the farm team is doing the same thing. Prospects Nicolas Roy has six points in two games for Charlotte while Janne Kuokkanen has four.

I looked into a forward on the waiver wire worth grabbing for a four-game week starting tonight and settled on Max Comtois. A goal in each of his first two games, reasonable ice time, and a pedigree of production.

Jonathan Quick is out again. Another lower-body injury. This is the time to obviously jump on Jack Campbell. As some of you know, I am a big fan of Cal Petersen. I believe the Kings are bringing him along to take over in two or three years. But Campbell really proved himself last season and I think can do well as the starter for a week or two. Anything longer than that? I have my doubts. Is Petersen any better? Well, he didn’t have a great game in the AHL on Saturday. But long term I do like him better, yes, in keeper leagues. He's just not ready yet.

Here and now – Campbell gets first dibs. We saw this already on Sunday when he stopped 36 of 38 shots. Campbell had a great game and paid immediate dividends to the savvy poolie who managed to catch the news in time and claim him off the wire. But let’s see how well he does against Winnipeg on Tuesday, against a team that can score. That would sell me a lot more. For all we know, Quick will be back within a week in which case the question is moot.

Peter Budaj was recalled to be the backup, this way Petersen can continue getting AHL work.

With Dustin Brown sidelined, there was not much question that Alex Iafallo would play with Ilya Kovalchuk and Anze Kopitar at some point. After trying Adrian Kempe there with little results, Iafallo was put on the line Sunday and he picked up two points (so did Kovalchuk). So that line will stick for a few more games methinks.

Contract year alert! Gustav Nyquist. Three points in two games so far. I smell a career year, just in time to cash in next July.

San Jose recalled Dylan Gambrell from the AHL as Joe Thornton has been placed on IR. Thornton has swelling in his surgically-repaired knee and it sounds like this could be a problem on and off throughout the season. His ice time was cut by three or four shifts last game. With him off the top line, the line no longer is the top one in my opinion. Joe Pavelski and Timo Meier? To me it is now Logan Couture with Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc. The Pavelski line will likely try Gambrell there or possibly Barclay Goodrow, who had a fabulous preseason but carries little fantasy value. Gambrell has second-line upside and is coming off a three-point game in the AHL.

Regardless of what happens with, or what we think will happen with, William Karlsson this year in terms of repeating last year’s numbers, one thing I know for sure is that Jonathan Marchessault is as safe as it gets in fantasy hockey. He’s the driver, Karlsson is the passenger. I just think hockey sense wins out here, Marchy has it in spades. While I have questions of Karlsson getting 55 points or 75, I think Marchy gets to 70 safely.

In another move Sunday – the Ducks waived Pontus Aberg, so he’s about run through his gauntlet of chances.

Back to the bad goaltending and the Toronto/Chicago score-fest.

First of all, I’m disappointed that it didn’t work out with Tyler Ennis. I think we all knew that it wouldn’t, but we all hoped in our hearts that this oft-injured former stud prospect would find his mojo. And how better to do that than by playing with Auston Matthews? But he was taken off the line and Kasperi Kapanen was inserted there – and along with Patrick Marleau the threesome promptly picked up a combined eight points.

So yeah – Kapanen. Your next waiver-wire target (I literally paused midsentence here to grab him, and it’s a deep league so I suspect he’s available for you). I don’t believe he’s a long-term solution for this year, but he’s streaky as hell so I fully expect at least a week of greatness.

I still have my eye on undrafted prospect Dominik Kahun, who has settled in on the Jonathan Toews line (with Alex DeBrincat). He picked up a pair of nice assists Sunday.

Before my draft I traded to acquire Ty Rattie, a player I had actually drafted seven years ago and he’s somehow stayed in our league all along (the team that owned him last year ran out of draft picks before he could replace him, so he was kept one more year – and good thing). It required a good prospect on my part (Vitaly Abramov) plus a couple of pick upgrades, including one for this year that gave him the 24th overall pick. At the time, I had been hoping that Henri Jokiharju would slide to me at that spot. Turns out – that very pick was flipped to another team mid-draft and that team actually took Jokiharju with it! Just to rub salt in the wounds, I guess. So Rattie better pay off for me.

Anyway, I obviously bring that story up because Jokiharju put up three assists Sunday and already has five points this year in three games. To me, he’s the reason why Duncan Keith might have a bit of a resurgence. He is a master at moving the puck. Thankfully, I drafted Jokiharju in my other league, so all is not lost!

William Nylander is holding firm on his (speculated) $8 million demands and Leon Draisaitl comparable. The Nylander camp feels that the hardline approach is the negotiating tactic that will work. The problem is – there isn't a negotiation. Kyle Dubas has moved on and is running the organization without Nylander. When he signs the offer given to him, he is welcome to join them. The more I read Dubas' favorite book (and I'm almost done) 'The Score Will Take Care of Itself', the more I see this. He's not even paying attention to what the Nylander camp is doing or saying. The paper that Dubas pushed to the corner of his desk towards Nylander's agent is still sitting in the same spot three weeks later, probably with a paperweight on it so it doesn't blow away. In a few weeks Nylander will return to sign it, possibly after firing his agent.

And the Draisaitl comparison is garbage. I like the Nikolaj Ehlers comparable better. /rant

One more note. Before you go dumping any of your Arizona players (i.e. Vinnie Hinostroza), hold up. They have only played two games and were shut out in both of them. No players have points yet, so don’t be discouraged that your (my?) Hinostroza sleeper pick hasn’t panned out yet. Don’t (Richard) panic. Let it play out. In the early-season crazy scoring rate, they could make up for lost time in about ten minutes.

Man, I had lots to say. And I could keep going, but it's 2am. Hey, if you want more Ramblings – check out the Goalie Post Monday Ramblings here!

See you next Monday.

{youtube}QBNnlwMfLs0{/youtube}

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-dobbers-early-season-notes-oct-08/

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ultrasfcb-blog · 6 years ago

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World Cup 2018: All you need to know about Sweden

Highlights: Sweden 1-0 Switzerland

England v Sweden Date: Saturday, 7 July (15:00 BST). Venue: Samara Arena, Samara. Coverage: Watch the game live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and app. Listen live on 5 live, with live text commentary online.

Sweden stand between England and a place in the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1990.

Janne Andersson’s side arrived in Russia without a win in six games, no goal in 337 minutes and without national hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Yet Sweden, 24th in Fifa’s rankings – 12 places below England – find themselves two wins from a first final since 1958.

We take a look at the Scandinavians as they prepare to meet Gareth Southgate’s team in Samara on Saturday (15:00 BST) – Sweden’s first World Cup quarter-final since 1994.

How Sweden got to the quarter-finals

This is Sweden’s first World Cup since making it to the last 16 in Germany in 2006, a campaign which included a 90th-minute equaliser by Henrik Larsson in a 2-2 group draw with England.

They got to Russia the hard way.

Despite beating France, Sweden were runners-up to Les Bleus in their qualifying group although they did finish above the Netherlands.

They then beat four-time world champions Italy 1-0 over two legs in the play-offs to book their place at the World Cup.

In Russia, Sweden were placed in Group F along with world champions Germany, Mexico and South Korea yet finished top with six points before overcoming Switzerland 1-0 in the last 16.

What can England expect from Sweden? Analysis by Shearer & Jenas

No Zlatan but beware Sweden’s ice-Berg

There was talk Ibrahimovic – one of the most decorated and iconic players of the modern game – could come out of international retirement for this tournament.

“If I want I am there,” said the 36-year-old – scorer of 62 goals in 116 games for his country – in March.

Ibrahimovic, who announced his retirement after Sweden were knocked out of Euro 2016, is not part of Andersson’s squad yet Sweden are progressing nicely without the former Manchester United striker.

In total, they have scored 33 goals in 16 games in qualifying and at this tournament. Goals have come from all areas of the team. In qualifying, defenders Mikael Lustig, Victor Lindelof and Andreas Granqvist scored seven of Sweden’s 27 goal between themselves.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – watch the full interview

Striker Marcus Berg was Sweden’s leading scorer in qualifying with eight goals in 11 matches, including four in one game against Luxembourg, but has yet to find the net in Russia despite starting all four games.

Indeed, Berg has had 13 shots without scoring, the most of any player to fail to score at this World Cup.

However the 31-year-old, who plays his club football in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain, did manage to win a penalty in the 3-0 group win over Mexico on 27 June.

Spot-kick kings

Sweden have netted six times in four games at this tournament. However, only half of those have been scored in open play by a player in a Swedish shirt.

An own goal helped seal their win against Mexico, while former Wigan Athletic player Granqvist is the first Swede to score two or more goals in a single World Cup tournament since Larsson in 2002 after netting two spot-kicks against South Korea and Mexico.

Sweden also scored a further four penalties in qualifying, with Granqvist getting three of them.

Penalties taken in a shootout are less likely to find the back of the net than those taken in regular play, according to research by Ben Lyttleton, football writer and author of a book on penalties

Sweden revelling in their underdog status

Analysis from BBC Sport’s Paul Fletcher, who watched Sweden beat Switzerland in St Petersburg

It has not gone unnoticed that BBC Radio 5 live pundit Pat Nevin – a Scot, it should be noted – suggested the other day that 99 times out of 100 England should beat Sweden.

Indeed, in the Swedish camp near Krasnodar they are absolutely delighted with this kind of comment.

The players were discussing it the day after their win over the Swiss and see it as a sign that the message they love to spread is once again taking hold.

“Well, it is fun for England to have that sort of confidence,” said captain Granqvist. “Let’s just see how the game goes.”

France and Italy in World Cup qualification, Mexico and Switzerland here in Russia – all have under-estimated Sweden, all lost. Germany were minutes away from the same fate in their group game.

Sweden know that they lack star quality, they know that their strength is that they are a team in the true sense of the word; a group of individuals working towards a common goal.

World Cup 2018: Mexico 0-3 Sweden highlights

The Swedish players think they can frustrate the English by playing in a defensive, kind of boring way. They want to slow the game down, draw its sting.

Southgate’s team showed that they could stay cool and focused against opponents who tried to spoil and aggravate in seeing off Colombia on Tuesday.

Now they must show that they have the intelligence to recognise the Swedish plan and the patience to overcome it.

‘Lack of pace and short of ideas’

Analysis by BBC Sport’s football expert Mark Lawrenson

Granqvist made more clearances than anyone else against Switzerland but he is their biggest voice as well as their stand-out defender.

Granqvist is the man who organises everything for them at the back, and he does a very good job. That organisation is their obvious strength – they were really compact against the Swiss and denied them any space between their defensive lines.

But despite Sweden’s impressive defensive record in Russia, I can see England causing them lots of problems in a way Switzerland could not do.

With the speed and mobility of England’s attacking players, including their full-backs, I think they can move Sweden around in midfield as well as defence.

Sweden are competing in their fifth World Cup quarter-final – they have progressed to the semi-final in three of their previous four (1938, 1958 and 1994), losing only in 1934 against Germany

If they make the pitch as big as possible, and get Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young bombing forward, then I am sure they will find some gaps.

I don’t see Sweden causing England many issues at the other end, though.

Pace is something that Sweden don’t have when they come forward and they seemed short of ideas – they only had a handful of opportunities against Switzerland and had a little bit of good fortune with the deflected goal they scored.

I know they have momentum but, to be brutally honest, they don’t really look like scoring goals.

Head-to-head

England and Sweden have met each other 24 times, and things are very close with eight English wins, nine draws and seven Swedish successes.

However, England won six of the first nine matches, and have only won two of the most recent 15 games – with both coming in the 2011-12 season.

England won 1-0 in a Wembley friendly in November 2011 with Gareth Barry scoring the only goal, before England beat Sweden 3-2 in a thrilling Euro 2012 group game.

Andy Carroll scored a wonderful header to put Roy Hodgson’s side ahead, Sweden scored twice to take a 2-1 lead, before goals from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck gave England the three points.

Highlights: Sweden 2-3 England

England and Sweden have twice met in the group stages of World Cup finals, drawing 1-1 in their first match of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan and then drawing 2-2 in Germany four years later.

The only other time England and Sweden have met during a major tournament came back at the 1992 European Championships, which were staged in Sweden.

Again it was a group match, with the winners going into the semi-finals. David Platt put Graham Taylor’s England ahead early on, Jan Eriksson equalised before Tomas Brolin linked up with Martin Dahlin to score a late winner and seal a 2-1 victory to send the hosts through and knock England out.

That game was also Gary Lineker’s last for England. He needed one goal to equal the then-record of most England goals, which was held by Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals, but with the score at 1-1, Lineker was taken off after 62 minutes and replaced by Alan Smith.

The last meeting between the two nations was an international friendly in November 2012, which included an England debut for 17-year-old Raheem Sterling. However, the game saw Ibrahimovic produce a stunning individual performance as he scored four times in a 4-2 Sweden win, including a spectacular 30-yard bicycle kick.

‘England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup’ – Eriksson

Former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson expects his home country to win the match. He told Swedish newspaper Expressen: “England will struggle to score goals against Sweden. I think it will be a Swedish victory.”

In a later interview with Aftonbladet, Eriksson said he thought the tie would at least go to extra time. “You can’t claim that either of the two teams line-ups have lots of goal chances in open play,” said the Swede, who was in charge of England from 2001 to 2006.

“There will be few goals and some detail that determines the outcome of the game. I’ll say draw after 90 minutes and then we’ll see how many people have cramps in each team.”

With Sweden’s Sven Goran Eriksson in charge, England reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 before losing to Brazil and Portugal respectively

Despite the England players being dubbed ‘The Golden Generation’ when Eriksson was in charge, England went out in the quarter-finals of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

“England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup again,” added Eriksson. “Frankly, they have beaten Tunisia and Panama. It takes a little more to win the World Cup. They will not get so many opportunities against Sweden.”

Former Sweden midfielder Hakan Mild thought England will underestimate the Scandinavians. “England is easy to score against”, Mild said in Goteborgs-Posten. “They think they are so damn good. They are not.

“You hardly get terrified when you see the team. They are spoilt youths who earn millions. They don’t have the total desperation required.”

Kennet Andersson, who helped Sweden finish third in the 1994 World Cup, thought Sweden’s better defence would be crucial. “Sweden has renewed their defensive game in such a way that the opponents can’t unpick it,” he told SVT.

“I think there are many teams who don’t want to meet Sweden, because they can’t make their game work against us. I don’t understand how England will be able to score any goals against Sweden.”

How they compare

Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen has kept three clean sheets at the 2018 World Cup, while England have conceded one goal in each of their four games.

However, England have more goals, more shots and corners than the Scandinavians.

Interestingly, England’s ball possession at this World Cup is 53% compared to Sweden’s 38% while the Three Lions have attempted 2,140 passes to their opponents’ 1,113.

England have also had 55 goal opportunities and covered 455.23 kilometres – that’s 282 miles. Sweden have not covered as much ground. They’ve clocked up 419 kilometres or 260 miles.

Getting shirty – what the media is saying

Swedish paper Svenska Dagblade (SvD), reports that Sweden fans are finding it difficult to find national replica football shirts at home thanks to the team’s World Cup success.

“Things have gone a bit too well for Sweden”, a spokesman for Adidas told SvD.

“We have been told here at customer service to tell the customers that there is no point going to the shops. The shirts are almost completely gone,” a worker at Adidas’ customer services was quoted saying.

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