Starkov refuses to join Red Deer

[WHL Rules]

Latest on Starkov...

According to a Danish poster on hfboards, Starkov was called in for a meeting with the Crunch yesterday, where he was told there was a ticket for Red Deer (WHL) in his email inbox. He refused assignment, and is now likely headed to the ECHL.

There's a brief interview in a Danish newspaper, where he says that while he realizes that this probably isn't the smart career move, in terms of relations with the organization, he does NOT want to play with kids anymore. He has already played pro, and "no longer wants to be treated like a 15 year old, with curfews, etc. It'd feel like a jail".

[SectionNDeserter]

Sad.... He has the talent to make it in the pros, but NHL teams generally don't like their 6th rounders telling them how the team should develop them--and I wouldn't be surprised if they suspend/release him. Never saw him fight here, but for his sake I hope he knows how to, that is a pretty big part of the game in the ECHL/CHL.....

The Bauer deal was obviously the reaction to this turn of events, as it didn't seem to immediately address the team's problems, but if our overage forwards are not coming back it is looking more and more like it does!

[Rebel66]

If this is the case then that's a very poor career move by Starkov. Sure he's frustrated and disappointed but if he wants to earn money from this sport he should really adhere to his club's desires. The Rebels have produced some top class pros now, not just the elite Phaneuf/Ward variety either, so the organization is not exactly a poor destination for wannabees. He may live to regret a decision such as this. The ECHL can be a graveyard for players with NHL aspirations.

[hockey4]

Most athletes who have some degree of self-discipline probably choose not to stay out past midnight so they can get proper rest. i dont really understand how having an 11 o clock curfew is a terriblr thing. i guess he just wants the freedom. but hell he's only 20, the greatest age difference he is gong to face in red deer is like 3.5 years. chelios is still playing with people 25 years younger than him. obviously not good enough to play with men in the AHL, so what makes him any better than most of these kids in junior. sounds like a soiled kid to me who likely saw his dreams go down the drain with this move. He obviously values his life off the ice than his development as a player, whic means he will never be one. the east coast league, while likely full of partying, IS a graveyard for players trying to make it into the NHL.

[sbtatter]

Wow, from the outside this looks like a poor life/career choice. Come back to Red Deer (which i imagine is a great place to live), play your heart out for one more year with a team who's owner/coach have great links to the NHL....Don't these kids realize that you have to sacrifice sometimes in order to achieve????

[SectionNDeserter]

I honestly wasn't surprised to hear this from him, as I heard some rumours last season that he wasn't ecstatic about the whole Junior hockey experience.

[dagley]

Aw, poor baby doesn't want curfews...let's get out the handkerchief. He sounds like a child, should be treated like one.

[grainbear]

He stirred up the ***** now let him get a lesson in the real world as he struggles in the ECHL. This type of selfish player doesn,t do any junior club any good, yes he had skills but who needs that king of attitude.

[Tinner]

before we totally trash the kid lets see if he made the right move. Every kid I know wants to play at a higher level. He's made a choice he feels will help him attain his ultimate goal. So whats with the trashing. I say...good for him and only time will tell if he made the right choice.

[hockey4]

he even admitted that going to the echl is not the best choice for his career, this was a decision based on him being more concerned about what he's going to do away from the rink then on the ice. how can we not be mad, its a slap in that face to every franchise in junior hockey. i hope to god he fails, nobody with that mindset will ever go anywhere in hockey or life in general.

[dagley]

He's Russian, should have expected it.

[RebelsFan]

I think it's a bad decision but it's his decision to make. Every player has to live with his decisions both on and off the ice. Time will tell. If he doesn't have huge success in the ECHL I think he can kiss his hockey career on this side of the big pond goodbye. He can probably go back to Europe and make a decent living in one of the leagues there.

[SectionNDeserter]

Word is that he isn't going to the ECHL, but rather a league below that.

[Rebel66]

Word is that he isn't going to the ECHL, but rather a league below that.

Ouch!

I believe a little criticism is warranted here at least from a hockey standpoint. After all this is a forum to voice our opinions, right? I truly believe that Starkov has made a poor decision career wise and as he has seemingly stated that it may be a bad career move you have to think that there is more at work than simply hockey. The 11pm curfew and playing with kids seems to be a huge deal to him. This seems more like a lifestyle decision to me.

I see him going back and playing in Europe eventually and being a success there. He can make a decent living over there in any case.

I honestly wish the player luck in the future, even if I don't agree with the hockey decision in this case.

[WHL Rules]

Obviously he wants to go back to Sweden, to play either in the SEL or the AllSvenskan.

If anyone is further interested in this, CBJ and Danish hockey fans discuss his options here (http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=240384&page=38) and here (http://forums.internationalhockey.net/showthread.php?p=93887#post93887).

[SectionNDeserter]

After reading some of Starkov's comments that I saw on one of those two links, one would have to wonder if they should maybe consider having him tested for drugs. Sounds to me like he wants to play in the NHL--just not in North America. Most of the European posters on there seem to think he is a much better and/or "complete" hockey player than he actually is.

[Rebel66]

Most of the European posters on there seem to think he is a much better and/or "complete" hockey player than he actually is.

Yeah, that's what I took from that too. The comments about his 71 points in the dub show their lack of knowledge. Starkov benefited tremendously from playing with Hanzal who is a much more complete player.

Starkov is still very rough around the edges for the North American game imo. He would be much more successful in the SEL or the Finnish league though. That might be the direction he has to take.

[WHL Rules]

After reading some of Starkov's comments that I saw on one of those two links, one would have to wonder if they should maybe consider having him tested for drugs. Sounds to me like he wants to play in the NHL--just not in North America. Most of the European posters on there seem to think he is a much better and/or "complete" hockey player than he actually is.

Those guys are funny, aren't they. :clown:
Especially the one complaining about the fact that junior teams in Canada don't house their players in hotels but with families... :laugh:

[AlanC]

Those guys are funny, aren't they. :clown:
Especially the one complaining about the fact that junior teams in Canada don't house their players in hotels but with families... :laugh:

I like the idiot who says that by Scandinavian standards, the Canadian junior leagues are organized like a kindergarten. Well, by Canadian standards, Danish hockey is a kindergarten so maybe that's where a Danish player belongs.

When they start to produce the quality and number of elite hockey players that Canada does, then they can criticize the way our development system works. As it is, they have what, one Danish player in the NHL (and certainly nobody close to being a star) and are a second-tier calibre country internationally. So they're not really in a position of strength to be calling down Canada's junior system. Every junior player in Denmark would give their left nut to be able to play in our kindergarten.

Starkov is an idiot who (if the quotes are accurate) is prepared to throw away an NHL career because he perceives the Blue Jackets as having slighted European hockey. Grow up already. If you didn't want to do what they told you to do and play where they wanted you to play, they you shouldn't have signed a contract. Be a man and be a professional and not a child.

[WHL Rules]

Starkov reported to Elmira (ECHL) and scored their only goal in a 2-1 loss to Trenton.