NHL players are finding Finland, Germany and Russia friendly places during the league's labor strife. The same cannot be said of Sweden.
The Swedish Elite League froze out NHL players for all intents and purposes with an announcement Saturday it would only allow them to play if they committed to an entire season."We think it would be unfair to let NHLers play for a shorter period," said Tommy Topel, president of the Swedish Elite League. "It could affect the league in an unnatural way. And the rosters have already been set a long time ago."
The vote among the 12 teams was not unanimous, but it was enough to keep most Swedish-born players from returning to their homeland while a work stoppage existed in the NHL.