New book with old alegations

[RadioGaGa 162]

(from tsn.ca)

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=295379

As always: Comment on the content of the article of the book itself...if it turns into personal attacks this gets locked/warnings will be issued.

[camhockey16 5]

sounds like it is just a conspiracy theory book? is the author saying that french canadiens are the only people that are discriminated against in the nhl or that they are the most discriminated against?

[Chadd 916]

Does he talk about the stereotypes for other areas? Newfies being dumber than a box of rocks or western guys having more toughness than talent? There are always going to be stereotypes, you can either prove them right or wrong.

[D3nZ 0]

Personally, I think it's just the Q not selling their players well when it comes to the WJHC.

[Chadd 916]

Personally, I think it's just the Q not selling their players well when it comes to the WJHC.

It has more to do with the type of players the coaches are looking for. You don't see many tough power forwards developed in the Q.

[Balzinsker 0]

This is what happens when your development model starts going to hell, and you approach it with a provincial mindset. All this guy is doing is passing the buck. Of course its not the corrupt organizations or bad coaches that are preventing more Francophone players from developing into productive NHL players. The reality is that the way things are done in Quebec with regards to player development is fundamentally wrong. This topic was brought up a few years ago here, but it was swept under the rug, and so and so on.

[Chadd 916]

This is what happens when your development model starts going to hell, and you approach it with a provincial mindset. All this guy is doing is passing the buck. Of course its not the corrupt organizations or bad coaches that are preventing more Francophone players from developing into productive NHL players. The reality is that the way things are done in Quebec with regards to player development is fundamentally wrong. This topic was brought up a few years ago here, but it was swept under the rug, and so and so on.

David is an excellent example of that. Unfortunately his success despite the system in place hasn't done anything to bring changes to that system.

[D3nZ 0]

Personally, I think it's just the Q not selling their players well when it comes to the WJHC.

It has more to do with the type of players the coaches are looking for. You don't see many tough power forwards developed in the Q.

I think there are, but they are never brought up by the Q coaches. But maybe they just don't like sending their players away for a month or tge risk of them comming back injured, who knows?

[Chadd 916]

Personally, I think it's just the Q not selling their players well when it comes to the WJHC.

It has more to do with the type of players the coaches are looking for. You don't see many tough power forwards developed in the Q.

I think there are, but they are never brought up by the Q coaches. But maybe they just don't like sending their players away for a month or tge risk of them comming back injured, who knows?

The Q is not known for developing those type players who continue on to the NHL level and most of the WJC players go on to have some type of NHL career. The Q coaches holding their players back from the WJC seems much less likely.

[chippa13 1844]

When I think of the Q I think finesse players and inflated offensive stats. Right or wrong, that is the reputation of the league.

[Balzinsker 0]

I think one thing to note is that there are cycles that CHL goes through. If you look through the draft, there are periods where the Q dominates in the draft, then the O, then the W. Right now, quite a few more players in the draft are coming from the O and the W than the Q. Also, more and more Europeans (mainly Russian and Czech) coming over are going to the O and W instead of the Q which used to be the starting point in North America for those players.

That's a very good point, but the problem lies beyond major junior hockey. Much of the problem at that level is the same it has always been. The Q is and always will be a finesse league, and that breeds high scoring forwards and excellent goaltenders, which is fine so long as they're being produced. So in a few years the Q may produce more high draft picks, just because the next way of kids born in a boom will start appearing. Also one thing that hinders the Q is the fact that they really haven't taken a progressive approach to the game. Compared to its neighbor the OHL, its still stuck in the dark ages with regards to goonery, and the like. I bring up development because at the lower levels its really beginning to waver and falter. Part of the problem can be attributed to the fact that more people are playing soccer now, and other sports, but Hockey Quebec isn't reacting to that properly, they think everything will stay the same and things will be fine. They've been keeping their heads in the sand with regards to everything, changing demographics, the cost of playing the game, and how most parents regard hockey not as a sport but as a high priced babysitting service. I'm sure some the mods that are involved with organised hockey will say the same problems exist everywhere, but its getting worse in Quebec, and discrimination form the "potato eaters" is definitely not part of it.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Saw the tailend of the report on TSN about this book. It's only published in French because:

1. An expected limited/specific audience for the topic

2. Oh, and...No English publisher would take the book.

[Jason Harris 31]

I don't follow the Q, but my observation from following the NHL is I couldn't see prejudices against individuals. In other words, I could imagine biases against certain regions, such as Swedish players are X, Russian players are Y and US players are Z, but when it comes to drafting players, I'm sure they're going off their scouting of particular players regardless where they are from.

[DarkStar50 679]

This is worthwhile reading if you have any interest in the subject.

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/ne....html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=955&cHash=389baaf380