Canada's Game, a Thing of the Past? The European Invasion.
May 13, 2002

Courtesy of On The Wall
Story by: James Bisson

Contrary to popular opinion, the state of Canadian hockey is just fine, thank you very much.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Canada claimed its first Olympic gold medal in 52 years last winter in Salt Lake City, appeasing millions of followers who had been holding their collective breath, waiting for Canada to regain its place at the top of the hockey pedestal.

Yet, despite the nation's return to prominence, there is lingering concern that, as more and more European players enter the league, and Canadian content continues to dip, Canada's place in the NHL will be compromised to the point where Canada may become "just another country".

Since the late 1980s, the influx of Russians, Czechs, Slovaks, Finns and Swedes has caused undue consternation among traditional fans of the NHL who proclaim hockey as "Canada's game", and refer to the European invasion as an infringement on old-fashioned Canadian hockey.

Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, better players will, in nearly all cases, enhance the sport they're participating in, and European NHLers are no exception. Ask any Toronto Maple Leafs fan how valuable Mats Sundin is to the hockey club. Ditto Markus Naslund of the Vancouver Canucks, or Pavel Bure of the New York Rangers, or Saku Koivu of the Montreal Canadiens.

Canadians still represent nearly two-thirds of the entire National Hockey League. This year's leading scorer, Jarome Iginla, is Canadian. Todd Bertuzzi, who finished third in points, is also a Canadian. Quebec-born netminder Jose Theodore will likely win the Vezina Trophy for his work in almost single-handedly earning the Montreal Canadiens a playoff berth this season.

If fans want to complain about the slow, plodding style of play that has taken over the league in recent years, blame expansion, or bad ice, or the inability of league officials to effectively crack down on stick infractions. But don't blame the European invasion; many of them possess skating and stick-handling abilities far beyond those of their North American counterparts.

Perhaps what is most encouraging is that many Europeans are now beginning to understand the significance of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and are now playing a very "Canadian" style in the post-season. While Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy may be the unofficial "most valuable players" for the Colorado Avalanche, with the Cup on the line, Swede forward Peter Forsberg is the first one banging in the corners, putting his body on the line.

The Don Cherry types of the world can spew diatribe after diatribe, bemoaning the "loss of Canadian identity" in the hockey world, but few can deny that the introduction of Europeans into the National Hockey League has enriched the league in a way that has made the game more entertaining and appealing to fans from across the globe.

And if that isn't enough to sway the most die-hard Canadians, remember this: We're still #1…at least until the next Olympic tournament.