Quote nadera78="nadera78"I'd love to see a local team in that comp. Essentially a GB team but with four or five really top end imports, a bit like Catalans I suppose.
The problem I have with the imports in the Elite League (and before that the Super League that almost killed off the game in this country) is that very few of them are actually top line players. I remember watching Doug Smail play for Fife and, even at that age, he was fantastic. But players like him have been few and far between, Stanley Cup winners like Ken Priestlay and Jamie Leach, but I also saw an awful lot of dross come over and milk a living.
You also have to consider the damage done to the British game. Tony Hand was a genius, and outplayed the likes of Priestlay. How many local boys, potentially as good as Hand, were denied the opportunity to progress because of the college-standard Canadians who filled the playing rosters? The only reason Hand became that good was that he was afforded the chance to play, not simply sit on the bench as a token British player.'"
Good points but i cant help thinking Tony Hand is / was a one off, hard to believe he turned down a contract at Edmonton Oilers during their peak trophy laden era. Theres also a counter arguement that the imports help raise our players skill levels and the product wouldnt be as attractive to punters with mostly Brits. Though all sides have good Brit players and some are as good as anyone on their team there wouldnt be enough top level ones to go round to run the top leagues at the current skill level. My team only has 2 imports allowed but if i was allowed to choose i would want to see more imports, probably be happy to pay more to fund it too. What would be a good idea in the Elite and EPL imo is force top sides to have a minimum of 1 or 2 under Brit 21's on each team getting regular ice time.
Never went to see the Knights in the Superleague, remember seeing their DLR train and the ads but never got around to going, wish i had now. Would have loved the level of play, im told there was plenty of AHL's making up the squads, but its easy to see how ot collapsed with 18 or so imports per side it must have cost a fortune to run.
Btw ESPN are showing KHL games as from Wednesday, I've just signed up, Ovechkins Moscow side is first UP iirc.
