THN.com Top 10: Ex-NHLers shining overseas
Zigmund Palffy skates on the ice during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Brian Costello
2008-07-23 15:32:56
Old NHLers don’t necessarily retire. Some of them travel across the Atlantic to continue their pro careers in the elite European leagues.
And some of them have tremendous seasons away from the NHL spotlight. Here are a handful:
10. Tommi Santala - Had a supernatural season finishing sixth in Finnish Elite League scoring with 58 points in 56 games with Jokerit.
9. Oleg Saprykin - Speedy ex-Flame was third in Russian Super League goal-scoring with 29 in 57 games for CSKA Moscow.
8. Pavel Brendl - Multi-time NHL bust was third in Swedish Elite League scoring after a 30-goal season in Brynas.
7. Jamie Storr - Seventh overall pick in 1994 finished third in GAA in German Elite League with Dusseldorf.
6. Nils Ekman - Two-time 55-point man for San Jose is now a top scorer in Russia with Khimik.
5. Mariusz Czerkawski - The Polish Prince is still producing more than a point per game in Switzerland with Rapperswil.
4. Alexei Morozov - Was again one of the best players outside the NHL after finishing second in Russian League scoring with Kazan.
3. Roman Turek - Led the Czech League in goals-against average at 2.14 with Ceske Budejovice.
2. Dave McLlwain - The only hockey player ever with five consecutive consonants in his last name averaged a point per game with Cologne in Germany.
1. Ziggy Palffy - Runaway winner in Slovakia League scoring with 75 points in 46 games with Skalica.
The THN.com Top 10 appears Wednesdays only on thehockeyenews.com.
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Patrick (Posted 2008-07-29 07:06:04)
Damn, sorry! A lot of clerical mistakes in my comment below.
Patrick (Posted 2008-07-28 11:31:44)
I saw Czerkawski on this list, but his not even a top 10 player in our league (so it was a sort of ignoring). My message should have been like this: "We would have some better ex-NHLs in Switzerland."
cristobal (Posted 2008-07-26 17:58:49)
Palffy is a genius. One of the best NHL'ers of all time. Got punished a lot in LA and on a line with Deadmarsh and Allison was literally unstoppable (just ask colorado avalanche). Jono is pathetic for criticizing this guy. I wish him all the best in life...he's a legend.
Flake (Posted 2008-07-25 14:36:02)
Ahhhh....Ziggy Palffy playing for the Kings on a line with Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh, the good ol days. I wish he was still in the NHL, definitely a skilled and entertaining player...
ben the leaf fan (Posted 2008-07-25 14:33:59)
r they old timer leagues or just oldies trying to make money that shows u how easy it is to make big money in those leagues
T.Roy (Posted 2008-07-25 13:18:29)
I believe they are all happy playing closer to hometowns and making enough money to get buy. I really don't blame them. They made the NHL money, then just plane got sick of all of Gary's garbage and living the high life now, no matter how old they are. More power to them.
hannu jarvenpaa (Posted 2008-07-25 08:52:52)
McLlwain? Didn't he play for the Jets in the '80s? He's gotta be 50!
Flyerfan52 (Posted 2008-07-24 19:33:24)
So what's the average age of these guys? 45? Maybe they can put together an All-Star (?) Team and play the NHL Old-timers. The Old-timers could even dress and play Hull (or Howe, if he wanted to).
saintFG (Posted 2008-07-24 17:46:51)
Palffy want be near to her daughter. She is very young. After her birth, she was longtime ill. Pálffy completed his NHL career with 329 goals and 384 assists for 713 points in 684 games.
Maxime (Posted 2008-07-24 15:31:52)
Noah must be a Leafs fan...I can feel the green hue surrounding the post...Perezhogin isn't a Habs prospect anymore doofus...but you were right about something...he wasn't really that good. Thus why he wasn't offered something to stay, and why we gladly showed him the door when he tried to bully the club for more money.
Patrick can't read (Posted 2008-07-24 15:05:52)
5. Mariusz Czerkawski - The Polish Prince is still producing more than a point per game in Switzerland with Rapperswil.
Patrick (Posted 2008-07-24 14:08:35)
What a pity that the writer didn't look in Switzerland... here are playing a couple of ex-NHLers and few of them do suprisingly good. This isn't meant derogative, but the bigger name a player has, the more problems he seems to have to compete in the Swiss league. I considerate this as a compliment us!
Matt (Posted 2008-07-24 13:02:24)
Gord Pucquegnutts you´re a noob, i guess you don´t even know the capital city of Australia... Right?
Gord Pucquegnutts (Posted 2008-07-24 12:52:38)
There's hockey outside of Canada and the US????
Kevin (Posted 2008-07-24 10:34:09)
How does Ed Belfour not make this list?
K. R. (Posted 2008-07-24 03:13:03)
The Truntschka brothers (seriously, look 'em up), who played for the German national team in the 80s and the 90s had six consonants in a row...
jono (Posted 2008-07-23 22:26:24)
did'nt ziggy"don't touch me"palffy retire? sickoning pittsburgh had to still pay him,one bonecrushing hit and crushed collerbone and he retire's what a wussy he would have been racking up some good points with malkin or crosb
SlovakFan (Posted 2008-07-23 17:52:08)
Palffy was a PPG over his entire 700+ game career in the NHL. He would look awesome back in LA this season.
john (Posted 2008-07-23 17:12:33)
how about bernd bruckler? 1.97 gaa and 7 shutouts for sm-liiga finalist espoo blues
Rocky (Posted 2008-07-23 16:56:04)
What about Alexander Daigle. 2 solid seasons for HC Davos. (104 pts in 89 games)
Brian P (Posted 2008-07-23 16:47:58)
Tim, I think the thing was that the Sens gave Saprykin a qualifying offer at around a million, thereby retaining his NHL rights, but he didn't sign it and went to Russia instead. I dunno if that means he'd have to play for the Sens or be traded to another team by them if he wanted to come back to the NHL or not. That's amazing that Dave McLlwain still plays. He must easily be over 40 by now.
Noah (Posted 2008-07-23 16:29:21)
Alexandre if the tenth place finisher Tommi Santala, finished with over a point per game that would make Perezhogin's 41 points in 50 games not worth mentioning. Face it, like every other Canadiens prospect, he ain't very good. I expect I'll be seeing Carey Price in Europe after next season.
Brandon C. (Posted 2008-07-23 16:26:56)
Ziggy just wanted to play some easy hockey. Daigle has done well over there too, out of the spotlight. I always thought Morozov would come back, especially with the Pens a top team again.
Tim (Posted 2008-07-23 16:22:52)
I thought the Senators had Oleg Saprykin under contract last season, John Muckler's last move was giving him a million dollars or something which really didn't please Murray. Maybe they bought him out.
Matt (Posted 2008-07-23 16:20:42)
How'd Ed Belfour doing? Has he retired yet or is he playing this year?
Pat Stewart (Posted 2008-07-23 15:53:12)
Its amazing what not having to keep their heads up can do for certain players...
Alexandre Bouchard (Posted 2008-07-23 15:52:52)
Where is Alexander Perezhogin ? he has an incredible season. he plays for the Salavat Yulayev of the KHL.
50games 21 goals 20 assists 41 pts 42 pim +19
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