A reader asked us to write up a primer on the complex world of European hockey to help draft watchers figure out which prospect to rate over others. That’s a fine idea, so consider this the basics.
Before we dig into the leagues, it helps to understand the club system used in Europe. Most teams in most leagues are part of a sports club that acts as the parent organization. The main feature of this we want to consider is vertical integration; that is: multiple hockey teams under one roof.
Take HV71 for example. Andreas Borgman played there his last year in Sweden, and Pierre Engvall played there this year.