NDFlyer

Enough to know that this league does not produce a whole lot of NHLers. Oh, and stop acting as if you are an expert on the subject.

I am hacking at the assertion that this Austro league is a "springboard" to the NHL. It would apply to any player. If I could I would play pro hockey at any level and wouldn't care what some message board poster said even if he were correct. I agree with you that it is "possible" that he can one day play in the NHL. One of my all time favorite players, Dave Poulin, came from a crap college hockey program and became one of the all time great Flyers. Poulin was undrafted and played in Sweden before being signed by the Flyers. However, I am not going to compare the Swedish Elite League to hockey in Austria.

One final footnote while we are on the subject: I distinctly recall arguing with some UND fan about J.P. while standing in the tent next to Al Hrabosky's sports bar in St. Louis approximately 15 months ago. He referred to him Brodeur's "heir apparent." I said he was wrong.

Many are implying it. It is neither fair nor accurate to allege that the stating of a simple and obvious fact constitutes "bashing." Ridiculous.

No. I had never seen him play prior to his UND career. I had no basis for offering an opinion either way.

Please stop all of your hand wringing and crying. Simply stating that a certain league is not a "springboard" to the NHL or that a certain player may not be good enough to play in the NHL does not constitute bashing nor does it mean that the poster enjoys bashing a player. YOU are the one proceeding on misguided assumptions.

But the majority of posters on this board believe that the simple act of donning a green and white hockey jersey automatically entitles that player to an NHL career. Sorry to shatter all of your hopes and dreams.

LMAO

Anyone who wants to play pro hockey should go do it. More power to them. But do not delude yourselves into believing that Austria is the way to the NHL. That is laughable.

Riiiggght. It happens all the time. Except that we are not talking about the Finnish Elite League, are we? Again, how many NHLers have used this obscure, Austrian beer league as a "springboard" to the NHL? This is a clear demotion for J.P. If he were good enough he would be playing in the either the NHL or the AHL.

Uh, yes, Goon I am aware of this fact. UND has a premiere hockey program and always turns out good pro players. This is hardly the issue I raised. Of the former UND players who have played or are playing in the NHL, how many went from UND to the AHL to some obscure league in Austria then the NHL? For that matter how many current NHL'ers have made it to the NHL via this route? While it is most certainly possible the odds of him now making it to the NHL are very, very poor. J.P. was a restricted free agent with the debbies. When they did not make him a qualifying offer he became an unrestricted free agent which, of course, meant any team could sign him. When Big Lou didn't make him an offer and when no other NHL team made him an offer, well, what does that tell you? Again, anyone who honestly believes going from a premiere college hockey program to the AHL and then to some low bred Euro league is a "springboard" to the NHL is an idiot.

Whoever said "he intends to use our programme as a springboard to the NHL" is an idiot. You know what else is better springboard to the NHL? The AHL.

Yes. A "change of scenery" so that a player may play in Austria is alway the most compelling reason an NHL team would not re-sign a propsect. LOL

What do you think is going to happen when you double the incompetence on the ice? More minor penalties; more phantom calls; more diving; more games decided by special teams. The Butmannization of North American Hockey continues. Next up: penalties for shooting the puck too hard and for glaring at opposing players.

You might happen to love their future but they are going to be a different team next season. Do you realize that literally half of their team will be UFA or RFA in approx 27 days? Right now they have a team full of young, inexpensive talent with the exceptions of Fleury, The Chernobyl Kid and Cindy Criesby. After this run they are going to be a team of young, EXPENSIVE talent. With the salary cap in place you can wave bye-bye to a handful of the players whose value will have shot up after this season.

NHL standards? Why would you want that? It would ruin the college game. Frankly, I prefer to watch a game where players have to fight through checks and hooks. As far as I am concerned NHL officials are the worst of any pro sport. There is no flow or intensity when you play a substantial portion of the game on the pk. Be careful what you wish for unless you enjoy seeing games decided by special teams on a regular basis. It's not that the NHL refs are the best in the business (LOL!!!) all they are doing is implementing the idiotic mandates from the league. Call everything. LOL! It's chick hockey.

I forgot about that WJT. I was looking forward to seeing JVR play here. I would hope that a high pick will be ready to play for the big club next year, but there is no need to rush him....Flyers have some good depth at forward right now.

LOL! This is just an incredible, incredible statement even for a cheerleader such as yourself. Easily the most idiotic thing you have ever said and that is saying a lot.

LOL at this entire thread and the people in it. LOL!

Most impressive. Obi-Wan has taught you well.

1. Name the former Sioux goalie who started the first Flyers game after Pelle Lindbergh was killed in a car accident. For Bonus Points: 2. Name the team the Flyers played. 3. Final score of the game.

Sid The Squid is the biggest moron in the history of the universe if he believes this about Buttman. Buttman is the worst thing to ever happen to the NHL. Under his reign we have seen two work stoppages; teams located everywhere except downtown Baghdad or Mexico City; the overall pu$$ification of NHL hockey; gimmicks and gayouts to hide the death of a once great sport. Attendance records? LOL! I am not sure who is doing his accounting but on any given night just have a look at the seats in the arena of any random city. You'll see entire sections nearly empty. Wait until next season. It's going to be worse. The league is losing the hard core fan and is catering to the corporate fool who takes up a perfectly good seat and then spends his time talking on the cell phone and not watching the game. Buttman has made the NHL game unwatchable. Hartman is a the King of Idiots. This is smply an incredible statement by him.

Gonna be rather difficult to win the rookie of the trophy when he is going to miss 3, 4 or even 5 months.

Which is more important: how he performs on the ice? or, what ranking HF has him at this moment? HF's ranking of him at this point is literally inconsequential.

Goon, You are most certainly NOT missing anything regarding Montoya. The blueskirts drafted him so highly based upon a couple of good games in the 2003 WJT. As you say, he stunk it up here in GF. This ranking is based solely upon his high draft status. Furthermore, with Lundquist appearing the be the smurf goalie of the future it is doubtful that Montoya will get much of a chance outside of Hartford unless he is traded.