NHL players...

I'm not a sport fanatic, I occasional watch biathlon, football, cross country ski, athletics when its on but as I said before I usually just have it on in the background and do other stuff. Anyway on thing that is pissing me off quite a bit is the hypocrisy that the Swedish Hockeyligan, an organisation for the clubs that play in Elitserien, the elite division, has when it comes to lockout NHL players. All bout two teams voted not to use NHL players during the lockout in America. Well thats just stupid, plain and simple, their reasons for not allowing NHL players in Elitserien is not holding up at all and the Competition Authority said that players from NHL should be able to play but it didn't stop there, some idiot club refused to accept and appealed to the court and they overturned the decision, so now the competition authority have to reinvestigate and see if they were wrong. Only in Sweden can something this stupid happen.

I know that the last lockout made a lot of clubs economics struggle a lot but in the same time they are denying the fans maybe the biggest gift they can get. Many other European leagues are welcoming NHL players but GOD forbid we do that here. Now two clubs has used NHL players and followed the initial ruling from the competition authority and now the other clubs wants to punish them after the courts decision. Whats that about? When you thought that the other clubs and their hypocrisy couldn't go any lower, this happens. This is once and again proof that those who rules in hockey clubs in Sweden are stupid and not in touch with reality. I'm not saying you should fill up every team with only NHL players but at least allow the possibility to contract a few. If you take this to EU they would most likely take Hockeyligan by their ears because free competition on the work market is something EU loves and the stand that Hockeyligan has taken most definitely violates that rule. Just look on how much criticism Sweden got when the union and government tried to stop foreign companies to do construction jobs here in Sweden. It's the same principal that are being broken, well Hockeyligan is much for importing pros that don't have a NHL contract and destroying the league that way but even if you are under contract in America, you should be able to play during a lockout on a short term contract. I wonder why they are so afraid of allowing these players play. In Allsvenskan, the second division here in Sweden, NHL players are welcomed by the teams and it has got a positive impact due to that the league gets more attention than usual. Well my opinion is that all the teams that voted for not to use NHL players should take a long good look at themselves and be ashamed of their small minded opinions. If you don't dare to take a risk well then you should get out. For all fans that love hockey here in Sweden they would have loved to see their idols out playing on the ice in any team.

This is my personal opinions about this particular issue and I truly believe that Elitserien would benefit by contracting NHL players but at the same time I understand the economics behind it. But I feel sorry for the hardcore hockey fans that are being denied the possibility to see their idol playing in the highest level here in Sweden.