PAUL BUCZKOWSKI       Bio       Setting Goals       Respect       Back to School       Professionalism       Those in the know       Turn It Positive       Finding a Job       Eye Protection       Playing Injured       Gearing Up       WCHL vs. CHL       Europe v. N.A.       Specific Training       Training Camps       Road to Success       Dedication       Life in the WHL SANDY LAMARRE       Bio       Season to Forget       College vs. Junior       Sportsmanship       Game Prep       Conditioning FORBES MACPHERSON       Making the Jump BRIAN PATAFIE       Bio       Stretching       ICE PATRICK POWERS       Is Hockey Just a Sport? ANDREW ZOPPO       Be Tenacious
	PlayYourGame.com is proud to welcome Paul Buczkowski as a feature writer. From the WHL to the NHL, Paul will bring insight to every aspect of the game, as a sport and as a career. Europe v. North America By Paul Buczkowski December 13, 2000 After playing three years in Europe and now one and a half years professionally in the U.S., I have noticed a few similarities and a few major differences. The first thing that I have noticed is obvious. Bodychecking! The size of the rink is a major factor, but it is not the only reason it is more physical. I think that one of the reasons is that of the fans. In Europe, a big hit was sometimes frowned upon simply because they(the fans) were not accustomed to it. My first year in Germany, some Canadian players were "booed" early in the season because of a big hit. After the fans adjusted to the players hitting, they began to like it, and after the regular season was over and things were gearing up for the playoffs, they actually cheered for it. In North America, we are brought up playing the physical game and as a player you expected it. The size of the rink is a major contributing factor, because the smaller the rink the more bodies will eventually collide and the more turnovers there will be. In Europe, the rink is bigger which means less bodychecking and less turnovers. I have also noticed that the skill level is higher with the younger players growing up and starting the game of hockey in Europe than here in North America. I think that the reason for this is our youngsters are taught almost to be robots and have no creativity. Kids are taught at a very young age to do things only one way. Dump it in, hit, shoot etc. etc. After doing a few hockey schools in Europe, I noticed that the kids were given free time to develop their skills on their own. I would like to see this happen more often with our young and upcoming hockey players. Give the kids a chance to develop skills on their own. Kids are having a tough time getting out of that mold of being a "robot" and only learning to "go up and down the wing" or play the x's and o's. Is this a reason why the European teams are winning most of the international tournaments? Because they are more creative and play less systems? Maybe not, but it's given us all something to think about. Here are my quotes of the month: "The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him-- and it was for me." - Wayne Gretzky "If you ask a fifty-goal scorer what the goalie looks like, he'll say the goalie's just a blur. But if you ask a five-goal scorer, he'll say the goalie looks like a huge glob of pads. A five-goal scorer can tell you the brand name of the pad of every goalie in the league. I'm seeing the net, he's seeing the pad." - Wayne Gretzky Paul Buczkowski 1 Year ECHL 3 Years Europe 6 Years WHL
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