Penguins 21-year-old defense prospect Niclas Almari said that "everyone has been telling me since forever" that the difference in international rink sizes and North American rink sizes was going to be a big adjustment when he made the jump from Finland.
Almari, now 45 games into his first professional season in North America with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, quickly took notice of the increased speed that comes with the smaller ice surface.
"You have to be so alert of everything," Almari told me of what he's learned. "That's the biggest difference from the European game style."
When people talk about the speed of the North American game compared to games on international ice, it's less about increased foot speed and more so about the pace at which plays happen.