I don’t think there is any need to require squat language-wise of NHL players.  If they are sincerely interested in playing on a team in North America, they will learn enough English to get by with teammates and coaches, even if they aren’t comfortable with media or fans because they don’t want to say the wrong thing or they are just shy.

Besides, English is tricky enough to speak for people who grow up here - and I have heard many a hockey player speak more clearly (and with better grammar!) in his broken English than some of the born-and-raised English speakers I run into on a daily basis.

Play good hockey and worry about English later.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 08/27/08 at 12:04 PM ET

Homer would never make it if he had to pass a verbal exam! Other than that, almost all the Swedes have great English, many Euro’s think their English is bad and shy away from using it from my experiences.
The players communicate in a universal language, hockey (or Swedish on the Wings....LOL).
Many of us use worse grammar & a much worse vocabulary (or lack there of if ya asked my Grandfather cussing was nothing more than a lack of vocabulary).

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 08/27/08 at 12:24 PM ET

Hockey is a universal language...leave it at that.

If a players career ends at age 38, he still has 40 years to learn english...what’s the hurry?

Or perhaps the plan is for all players to speak french.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 08/27/08 at 12:27 PM ET

I have no problem with the NHL or NHLPA making more language-learning resources available to, say, Europeans and French-Canadians who want to learn English, or players coming to Montreal, for example, who want to learn passable French, but as long as someone can express himself, it doesn’t matter how broken his English is. 

Some players are fluently bilingual from the get-go, and others have a difficult time mastering a second language.  That shouldn’t prevent them from playing anywhere at any time.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 08/27/08 at 03:01 PM ET

I have no problem with the NHL or NHLPA making more language-learning resources available to, say, Europeans and French-Canadians who want to learn English, or players coming to Montreal, for example, who want to learn passable French, but as long as someone can express himself, it doesn’t matter how broken his English is.

I think that is where the LPGA is really getting it wrong, in saying that players will be suspended if they can’t become conversant enough in English to schmooze with sponsors.  If they had pointed out the importance of communication with mostly English-speakers, and encouraged players to learn English by making tutors and such available to help them, there would be no debate that it would be a benefit - I’m sure there are some golfers struggling with the language who would appreciate help to become more fluent.  By using a stick instead of a carrot they come across as clumsy and heavy-handed.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 08/27/08 at 04:31 PM ET

Wow, now i still won’t watch the lpga… how stupid is that rule?

Posted by coach on 08/27/08 at 05:26 PM ET

I think that teams are within their rights to expect players to learn enough English that they can communicate with coaches and teammates on the ice and in the room. If they can’t do that effectively, it’s a problem for team performance.

I really don’t care if they learn English well enough to speak to the media, though. I don’t feel like we as fans are missing out when players don’t speak English well enough to feel comfortable talking to the press. Most native English speaking NHLers just speak in strings of cliches to the media anyway.

Posted by Sarah from Columbus on 08/28/08 at 03:39 PM ET