2008 Woodie Awards
Hockey looks to Europe for talent
Kyle Whitney
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: Sports
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In an attempt to prepare for the upcoming hockey season, the Northern Michigan Wildcats have dipped into a largely untapped NCAA talent pool: Sweden.
Erik Gustafsson, who played last season at Sweden's Superelit level, is currently the only NMU recruit to have signed and returned a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
In the last two seasons, Gustafsson played 79 games for Timra and posted 10 goals and 17 assists. For his career, he picked up 16 goals and 20 assists.
Although Gustafsson is the only player to have signed an NLI thus far, NMU head coach Walt Kyle would not rule out the possibility of more European players joining next year's squad.
"One of the things we tried to do this year was we tried to make in-roads into a couple of countries in Europe," he said.
Kyle said European hockey is a high-skill, fast-paced game. It is also played on an Olympic-sized ice sheet, exactly like the one in the Berry Events Center, and in that regard, the transition should be seamless.
The switch to American hockey, however, can still pose a challenge for incoming European freshman. Such was the case with former NMU goaltender Tuomas Tarkki, who came to Marquette from Finland in 2001. After three years on the bench, Tarkki became an all-American and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his senior season.
"With these guys, it is probably a longer learning curve than with the other guys," Kyle said. "They are going to have to come over here and adjust to culture as well as hockey."
An adjustment must also be made by the NMU staff members, who have put a great deal of time into establishing connections and a positive rapport throughout European hockey. One of the most attractive aspects of the European hockey scene is the fact that very few NCAA clubs are currently scouting it, said Kyle, who sent assistant coach John Olver overseas on a recruiting trip.
"I don't think very many schools are in there right now," Kyle said. "John Olver told me, 'What a treat to go over and watch games in Sweden and to be sitting in the stands and be the only college guy there.'"
Erik Gustafsson, who played last season at Sweden's Superelit level, is currently the only NMU recruit to have signed and returned a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
In the last two seasons, Gustafsson played 79 games for Timra and posted 10 goals and 17 assists. For his career, he picked up 16 goals and 20 assists.
Although Gustafsson is the only player to have signed an NLI thus far, NMU head coach Walt Kyle would not rule out the possibility of more European players joining next year's squad.
"One of the things we tried to do this year was we tried to make in-roads into a couple of countries in Europe," he said.
Kyle said European hockey is a high-skill, fast-paced game. It is also played on an Olympic-sized ice sheet, exactly like the one in the Berry Events Center, and in that regard, the transition should be seamless.
The switch to American hockey, however, can still pose a challenge for incoming European freshman. Such was the case with former NMU goaltender Tuomas Tarkki, who came to Marquette from Finland in 2001. After three years on the bench, Tarkki became an all-American and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his senior season.
"With these guys, it is probably a longer learning curve than with the other guys," Kyle said. "They are going to have to come over here and adjust to culture as well as hockey."
An adjustment must also be made by the NMU staff members, who have put a great deal of time into establishing connections and a positive rapport throughout European hockey. One of the most attractive aspects of the European hockey scene is the fact that very few NCAA clubs are currently scouting it, said Kyle, who sent assistant coach John Olver overseas on a recruiting trip.
"I don't think very many schools are in there right now," Kyle said. "John Olver told me, 'What a treat to go over and watch games in Sweden and to be sitting in the stands and be the only college guy there.'"
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Joe Bernardy
posted 4/26/07 @ 11:36 AM EST
Hard to believe that with all the players in the U.S. and then Canada, that a school can't find qualitiy home-grown talent to fill out a roster.
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