You hear the familiar phrase all too often; "The problem with this team is they have too many Europeans." People barely bat an eyelash to the comment because they choose not to argue the validity of the comment. Just imagine if you replaced the word "Europeans" with a race or religious sect and suddenly you would have a very slanderous and ignorant statement that people would rightfully not tolerate. Can you imagine the outrage people would have if they opened up their local paper and read a statement like the Detroit Red Wings or Washington Capitals will never win a cup because they have Jewish players like Mathieu Schneider and Jeff Halpern on their rosters? Or just imagine the backlash that would be created if someone made a statement that the Calgary Flames cannot win with a black captain like Jarome Iginla? Statements like these are not made because they are an idiotic form of discrimination and segregation, yet the backlash on European players continues on a regular basis.

	You can't question the toughness of a guy who lost his spleen.

We shouldn't be so hung up on where players are from. If you want to state that Markus Naslund, Daniel Alfredsson and Mats Sundin don't have what it takes to lead their teams to a Stanley Cup then make the argument on the grounds of their individual play and leadership skills and not on the countries they were born in. If people want to judge a player's character and heart on their country of birth then it may shock some to find out that good ol' Canadian boys like Owen Nolan, Dany Heatley and Steve Thomas are in fact European born players. One needs to look no further then Peter Forsberg to see that the stereotype of European players not having the necessary heart and character to thrive is just that, a stereotype and not fact. Forsberg is arguably the most dominant player in hockey, an accomplished champion at the NHL, Olympic, and World level who plays a physically demanding style of game where initiating contact is as common to his game as finding someone complaining about gas prices these days. His physical style of play has resulted in multiple shoulder surgeries and also the loss of his spleen. To quote Jim Rome: "Dude loses his spleen! Now I'm not a doctor but I'm guessing that's something you may want to hang onto." Let's put it this way; any man who is willing to lose an organ to help his team win the playoffs cannot have his heart questioned.

	He dove...a little bit.

One area where I do believe that the influence of European players has been felt negatively is in the diving and embellishment of contact. I believe the origin of diving in the NHL has been influenced by the influx of Europeans entering the league over the past 25 years or so. Before you start comparing me to Don Cherry give me a chance to explain. Soccer is without a doubt the most popular and played sport in Europe and much of the world for that matter. Anyone who watches soccer knows that diving and embellishment is at the root and forefront of every soccer game. Diving is so prevalent in soccer because scoring chances are at such a premium and getting the opportunity for a penalty kick is more cherished than a free swing at the "Why don't I drink American beer guy". Seriously is there anyone more cocky or annoying then that guy from the Molson Canadian commercials? "Why don't I have a girlfriend?", "Why doesn't anyone call me to go out?" Maybe because you're so damn arrogant! Diving has truly become an art form in the game of soccer. Players put on acting displays that would leave members of the Academy Awards gushing and have them drawing comparisons to De Niro and Hanks. I believe it is that influence of soccer that so many European born players were raised with that has contributed to the wide-scale emergence of diving in the NHL. Let me be clear; European born players are not the only culprits of diving in the league. North American born players have gravitated towards this movement and are equal in terms of their lack of respect and observation of the rules. Watching Darcy Tucker on any given shift just illustrates my point.

To quote the Black Eyed Peas: Where is the love? The NHL needs to look to the NBA as an example of how to be more tolerant of European players. Peja Stojakovic would have been a legitimate MVP candidate if not for the impressive season of Kevin Garnett. International stars like Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, and Yao Ming are respected and thought of as equals and their character and heart never come into question. If Tony Parker, a native from France, can be so openly embraced by the American masses for his unabashed courageous style of play on the court then at the very least NHL fans can stop carrying on the stigma they have towards European players.