Quote:
Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden
Yeah, the AHL is relevant and competitive, but it's primary purpose is player development. Being the 4th or 5th best hockey league is nothing to sneeze at. There are heaps of really strong hockey leagues in the world. Making the AHL is an accomplishment, but not a primary destination for top European, or north American players whose NHL window has closed.
The SHL has a relegation system. As such only the best teams remain in the league. It is always the 14 best teams in Sweden. Conversely the AHL always has 32 teams ya that year they went to the spangler cup they sent a middling team, but that team was better than half the league no?
Sure Genève-Servette HC won the spangler cup, but they were only 4th in their league, making the semi finals. The swiss league is demonstrably worse than the SHL. The SHL almost always wins the champions hockey league.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E...314_NLA_season
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champions_Hockey_League |
That's a very good point. The number of teams in a league also really makes a difference. For instance, the WHL hasn't won the Memorial Cup in almost 10 years but if the league had 18 teams (like the Q) instead of 22 they would probably win more often because there'd be less deadweight on each team.