The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Detriot Red Wings are on a collision course with the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL’s Western Conference. This should come as no surprise to fans of international hockey.
Team Sweden runs the most effective system in the entire world of hockey. Predicated on puck possession, speed, and defensive discipline, “Tre Kronor” perfected their style of play in the early 1970’s while competing against the dominant Soviet Red Army empire. Even today, Sweden remains a force on the international scene having won the most recent Olympic gold at Torino in 2006.
Many critics feel that the “European style” of hockey doesn’t translate to the more physical North American NHL game. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult to mount a convincing argument against the merits of the Swedish hockey system in tournament play. Just look west to see who’s still standing as we approach the Western Conference final: Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Nicklas Lidstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Johnathon Ericsson, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Alexander Edler, Mathias Ohlund, and Mats Sundin (just to name a few!)
Most of these men will continue playing hockey well into June, when Sweden experiences it’s brightest days. Careful not to stare too hard at all of those gold medals or Stanley Cup rings on the summer solstice. The glare may hurt your eyes!
Check out Swedish hockey legend Peter Forsberg’s dazzling shootout goal in the ‘94 Olympics!
