Sound and Vision...

On we go with the Thursday dispatch from Breakaway HQ (it's really not as grand as it sounds...a messy bedroom and a laptop)..:)

Mismatch, or, as the league calls it, "Giants v Stingrays": Don't forget that the Giants webcast team will be covering this one in their usual fine fashion-the link can be found here as per usual. I somehow doubt that many Stingrays fans will like what they see, however...with the Giants bombing along the way they are and the Humbersiders looking like their last chance to get to the playoffs is slipping away. I really can't see anything beyond a fairly comprehensive Giants victory on this one-and a new EIHL top dog by around ten pm...

Someone shut him up...The Steelers aren't exactly novices when it comes to stoking the fires before games, particularly when the Panthers are involved. But they've really gone for it this time out...just have a read of this article in the Sheffield Star today...
Now that is a great way to wind up your biggest rivals just before a massive local derby. Trouble is that Ryan Shmyr is one of those players who doesn't really need much encouragement to shove the comments of others right back down their throat by playing well...not to mention the fact that making a 6'6 and 235lb opponent mad even before you've stepped on the ice with him isn't the smartest move in the book. Especially when you're seven-inches-shorter-and-forty-pounds-lighter pest Ryan Finnerty. I like the Steelers centre but I have a feeling he's in for the odd rub against the boards from Shmyr on Saturday, and he only has himself to blame...

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...Sally has commented on my questioning what it means to be a fan in yesterdays post-

I think the thing that sometimes grates with me is the constant criticism of certain things with the club or the sport which is being voiced by those without even the slightest comprehension of what goes on. The problem with the internet and forums is that it gives those with little knowledge a lot of power and a sounding board to spread negativity and opinion about a subject which most of them actually know very little about.

Easy solution there...be more open with people. Apart from anything else, a lot of fans aren't stupid...they've been watching the sport for many years in some cases and are very aware of the way things work. People talk (even owners) and that information gets passed around and often corrupted in the telling. Surely the only way to prevent misinformation and promote informed debate is for every club to be as open as possible over just what is going on (within reason-there's no need to know just how much individuals are getting paid). I know I keep returning to the Bison and the Phoenix as examples of good practice-but they have both really impressed me this season with the atmospheres around the respective rinks-it can't be a coincidence that they're two clubs who let everyone know what's going on apart from the player's individual salaries...
It's also interesting that you get a considerably higher level of debate on their forums than a lot of others...

Let's go, pop pickers...It's the return of IceTunes! After all, it's been a good month or two, so on we go with a few pieces of music that should be on every British hockey fan's Ipod...

Saliva: Ladies and Gentlemen: The Phoenix already use this as their introduction, and with good reason. It rocks. It's now adopted as one of my "travelling to the rinks" warm-up songs...the whole thing sets the mood nicely for a hockey game.

The Enemy: 40 Days and 40 Nights: As a Coventry boy it's the law for us to like this lot. However, this song is one that's not too well-known, being their first single, before It's Not OK and Away From Here sent them into orbit. Which is a shame, because it's their best one by far.

Kittie: Funeral for Yesterday: Proper rock, by four beautiful Canadian girls. And it rattles along after an opening which hits like a Brad Voth elbow. What's not to like?

Korn: Got the Life: Because.

I know it's a short list...but there you go...

That's your Thursday update...check back tomorrow afternoon for Round te Rinks, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Midweek Musings...

A few reflections for your Wednesday...

The removal men are still waiting...You know all that transfer activity that was supposed to happen coming up to the deadline? It hasn't...really. Dion Darling has returned to Cardiff, Cory Morgan hasn't returned to Newcastle (although he might end up at Nottingham) and there's been a few two-way signings...but apart from that, not much.
Which is interesting in itself, especially with teams up and down the league all saying that they're looking for something to push them up and over the competition. The (many) detractors of the EIHL say that it's a league where only three teams really stand out and all the rest are much of a muchness-but this season we've seen Cardiff make a good run at the league before being de-railed by injuries, Newcastle and Sheffield go well before complacency set in, Belfast drag themselves back from an awful start to a point where they could top the league tomorrow night, and Coventry cruise along before suffering what could be the beginnings of a big wobble last weekend. Basingstoke, Manchester and even Hull have had their moments, and with Edinburgh, Basingstoke and Hull all through to the semis of the Knockout Cup, it could be said that every team still has a realistic chance at at least one piece of silverware. If you disagree, tell me you could seriously pick an outright playoff winner from the teams in the playoff places (first to eighth) at the moment-one you'd lay serious money on, I mean.
You can't, can you? This is what the Elite League bashers choose to forget when coming up with their usual "there's no balance, money rules all, and there's only ever two or three teams in with a chance of winning anything" arguments. And this with absolutely no decent enforcement of a wagecap!
See? Everything's fine in EIHL-land...

...which means that I can't wait for the new "fully-enforced" wagecap, which will well and truly put the cat amongst the pigeons if it actually happens. Certainly teams like Coventry, Sheffield and Nottingham will find that suddenly they'll have a lot more trouble keeping their monopoly on the top Brits...

Just call me Judas: Maybe this isn't a unique thing-but recently I've met with the disapproval of certain Blaze-supporting friends, mainly due to the fact that I don't actually think "my" team will win everything this year. Apparently, by daring to express this view in public, I can no longer call myself a supporter. This idea, to borrow the phrasing of Jeremy Clarkson, is....utterly....stupid. Although, interestingly, this blind loyalty doesn't appear to be confined just to the Midlands-the Stingrays fans have been having quite vicious forum fights this season over the incompetence (or, for the sake of impartiality, alleged incompetence) which Rick Strachan has brought to Humberside, even causing the official forum to be closed down-the "not a fan if you criticise them" charge has been thrown around up there as well.
So, what do you have to do to be a true fan of your team? Is it a case of having to hold the "my country right or wrong" view, or is it better to admit that they're essentially flawed? Or does it just make far more sense to get over the whole one-upmanship thing and just get on with watching the game?
I'll take the third option any time...

And on those short reflections, these midweek musings come to an end. Tomorrow we preview Belfast v Hull, and update the Hockey Top Ten now that we've had a few months to take in the music around the league..

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Black Cats and Voodoo Dolls...

Before we get to the main thrust of this article, a few nuggets of news...

Cory crocked: Well, not necessarily, but whatever the reason Cory Morgan is not signing for Newcastle after all, citing "personal reasons". This leaves the Vipers three days to find an import forward. The joke flying around is that these personal reasons involve an ex-Newcastle United winger's wife, a few angry Peruvians and a knee injury which came from a combination of these two last time he was in Newcastle...
Either way, Rob Wilson is less than happy...

Clarke to Sheffield...or Nottingham: David Clarke is being linked with a last-minute return to the UK after his Italian Job with Alleghe this season, with Sheffield and Nottingham in the running. Given that Clarke's played with the Panthers before, and ex-team-mate Tom Askey was the last arrival at the NIC, the East Midlanders have a slight lead in my book.

James Archer signs for Blaze: Properly this time-moving from the EPL Sheffield Scimitars until the end of the season, as a replacement for Michael Tasker. I always thought James Cooke was doing a perfectly adequate job on the third line when he was actually given a shift, but there you go.

That's the news out of the way...now on to the main thrust of today, which was inspired by a thread on the Cage Forum...

Superstition. Everyone has them, but hockey players more than most. Just watch the different way players act either in the warm-ups or just before faceoff. The most notable ones I can think of are Ron Shudra having to fire a puck at the other end just before he leaves the ice, Pasi Raitanen doing his own aerobic routine at every faceoff, and any number of goalies going for a wander in breaks in play.
You'd think, being a logical hockey-watching adult, I'd see this as nothing more than a bit of amusing diversion. Trouble is, that as a rec player, I have more than my own fair share, including never standing in the pre-game huddle, skating a figure-of-eight the moment the huddle breaks up before leaving the ice (always turning left first), and of course the old tapping the pads of the goalie...
So far, so samey. After all, everyone knows that hockey players, like any sportspeople, are a superstitious bunch. This is not exactly earth-shattering news.
But fans? Now there's a bit of a new one. I've noticed in my travels round the country that there's seemingly always at least one voice (and it's always the same one at each rink) who will yell some variation on "come on lads!" just before the ending of the national anthem. Go out for a pre-match drink and you can guarantee you'll always see the same faces in the same places. And let's not even get started on the whole shirt-wearing issue...except to say that I know at least ten people from hockey teams all over the UK-rational, logical people-who honestly believe that the replica shirt they wear will influence the result, week after week. If the team lose, they change. If they win, it comes back for the next week.
All this makes me wonder-where does all this come from? Is it some deep-rooted wish to be as much a part of the team as possible? Why do people who don't even cross their fingers for fear of being labelled crazy turn into people who see omens at every street corner the moment they walk through the doors of an ice rink? Are some fan-bases more superstious tan others? And just how superstitious are hockey fans in Britain?

Let's find out...share your superstitions in the comments section-I've got my fingers crossed that there'll be some good ones...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Xenophobia in the Elite League...

In what is becoming something of a tradition, Becky has written another insightful comment (well, mini-essay would be nearer the mark :)) in response to this post last Thursday regarding the rumours about the EIHL. She and I appear to be of similar minds as regards the wage-cap...however, she does make this point, which set me thinking...

My feeling is that there was some merit to that rumour that some of the smaller teams wanted to break away from the EIHL and this is what the league are doing to try and keep them around. Merely speculation, but something must have made them realise they should be paying attention to the smaller clubs! :P

Now I did see mention of this rumour on THF-however, given that the posting at the time seemed to be from a few of the "look at the big bad EIHL ruining itself-the EPL is the way to go"-type posters who can be found willing to air their views at the drop of a hat whenever the issue of British development is brought up, I didn't give it much attention beyond a raised eyebrow. It seems that this reaction from the Elite League may give this rumour more credit than I did at first glance...

I do wonder, however, how raising the import limit will play with clubs in the EIHL who can't afford to give their players plum jobs with sponsors in order to work their way around it-as Becky points out, there's a possibility that far from bringing the league closer together, lifting the import restrictions will lead to some teams front-loading-signing 13 or 14 at the start of the season while others can only go with eight or nine. The only way I can see this being counteracted is by the better Brits refusing to take reduced roles and thus being open to offers from teams they wouldn't have considered under the current climate.

The make-up of the rosters is certainly looking like it could change massively over the summer-however, the transfer activity is not over yet with the transfer deadline three days away...tomorrow we'll look at some of the last-minute rumours floating around as well as the regular mix of opinion and possibly the odd bit of comedy as well...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 28th January

Suddenly, the league is wide open again, despite the artificial cushion given by the Blaze's games in hand, especially after a weekend which saw the Giants gain four points as the leaders lost twice...

Basingstoke: The Terrific Ten finally suffered results perhaps more in keeping with their current injury problems, as they lost 5-1 and 5-4 to Edinburgh and Newcastle. The good news is that the Capitals and Hull both gained only two points between them on the Bison, but nevertheless the fact that the luck has finally run out for the Ten...
Grade: D

Belfast: What can you say about the Giants' winning run that hasn't already been said? Another four-pointer coupled with the Blaze losing twice means that, in a state of affairs which looked very unlikely only a few months ago, the Northern Irelanders can go top if they beat Hull on Thursday. Oh...and they've got a chance to go even further away on Saturday, because Coventry come to the Odyssey. This weekend two wins against Hull and Edinburgh earn themselves a solid...
Grade: A

Cardiff: Another torrid weekend for the Devils, but there's light at the end of the tunnel because Phil Osaer returning, and new signing Dion Darling should also bolster the roster next week. Manchester and Sheffield both beat the Welsh side by the same score of 5-1. Joe Myers will consider this weekend "character building" but the grade will only reflect the results, so it's...
Grade: D

Coventry: The wheels haven't come off, but if this weekend is the shape of things to come then they're looking distinctly wobbly already-shipping ten goals while their much-vaunted attack only scored four. On the evidence of the forums, sections of the Blaze fanbase are already in full-on panic mode, with Barrie Moore in particular taking the heat. It can't be denied that both performances were not the Blaze at their best-however, that does an injustice to both Nottingham and Newcastle, who both played superbly. The grade applies to the Blaze performances, though, and with their main rivals gaining four points on them, it doesn't look good...
Grade: E

Edinburgh: Two more points against their nearest playoff rivals, with a gain of one point thanks to the overtime win, could be crucial despite the loss to Belfast the night before...the Caps simply refuse to die. Unfortunately for them, so do the Bison, which means that their loss takes away another game in the Mission Almost Impossible of their playoff chase...
Grade: C

Hull: The Stingrays are still playing hard, but Sheffield and Belfast are a class apart and even a delayed face-off couldn't stop the Giants on Sunday. Saturday against the Steelers was another washout-3-0, to be precise...the playoff hopes on Humberside are all but gone already...
Grade: E

Manchester: This weekend was Steve Fone's coming-out party, as the Blaze back-up suited up for the Phoenix due to Scott Fankhouser's injury and immediately held the Devils to one goal as his forwards scored five at the other end. Nottingham spoiled the party for Tony Hand's thousandth league game by nicking a 4-3 win on Sunday night-however, the two points on Saturday night will be very welcome indeed as the Phoenix try and sneak a little higher in the playoff places..
Grade: C+

Newcastle: Four points-including a win away at the league leaders, with just two lines? That will do nicely for Viperland, thank you very much. On Sunday the niggling approach of the Geordies worked to perfection in knocking the Blaze off their game, and Saturday saw a professional performance against the equally short-benched Bison. The league title is gone unless three teams suffer a simultaneous collapse, but the Vipers now have a chance to build up some momentum going into the playoff run-in.
Grade: B+

Nottingham: Saturday saw one of the best performances from the Panthers this season in beating the Blaze 6-2-not only that, but young Brit Kurt Reynolds played superbly on defence and is definitely one to watch. Sunday saw a trickier game against a resilient Manchester, but Patrik Wallenberg's winner eight minutes from time led to a four-pointer which keeps the momentum going from last Wednesday's Challenge Cup final victory...
Grade: A

Sheffield: Did you know the Steelers hadn't had a shut out before this weekend? Surprising, I know-but Hull were the unlucky ones as they were the Steelers' first shutout this season on Saturday. Sunday saw them beat the struggling Cardiff Devils away from home for another two points which keep them in touch (just) with Belfast...
Grade: B+

That's your weekend review-the only midweek game this week sees Belfast with a chance to go top as they take on Hull at the Odyssey on Thursday...

Tomorrow will see further ruminations on money, as well as a round up of a few recent signings as the deadline draws ever closer...
Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Round the Rinks, 25th January

On we go with another weekend preview...starting with, as usual, the latest journeys of the Bison Terrific Ten...

Basingstoke: The Bison's merry little band take on Newcastle and Edinburgh this time out, aiming to gain four points on their rivals below and above them. The Sunday game in Scotland in particular is crucial to both side's playoff aspirations...if Bison win it'll drive another nail into the coffin of the Caps' playoff chase. Let's just say that the Terrific Ten will probably be vey tired indeed on Sunday after two seriously hard-fought games...

Belfast: A golden opportunity for the Giants to continue their run presents itself this weekend. Edinburgh and Hull are the opponents this time round-both languishing at the lower end of the table and teams the Giants will be confident of beating if they play the way they have been up until now. As both opponents would love to pull off a shock, however, there can be absolutely no slacking from the Northern Irish side...

Cardiff: The Devils come back out for another tough weekend against Sheffield and Manchester hoping to bring an end to their nightmare run of both injuries and results. Saturday perhaps gives them the best chance away in Altrincham, although beating the Steelers would provide a far bigger shock. However, I can't see them winning either unless Phil Osaer returns at least...

Coventry: Newcastle and Nottingham. Two games that can both knock the Blaze off course for the title, and two opponents who each have their own reasons for wanting to beat their rivals. The Giants will be hoping that at least one of the Vipers and the Panthers can find a way past the Blaze defence...and both games will provide very different challenges for Neal Martin and company-the title bid relies on them continuing to meet them...

Edinburgh: Belfast and Basingstoke are the latest teams bidding to end the Caps' playoff bid once and for all. The Scots will be hopeful of causing a shock in Belfast, but will be looking for revenge against Basingstoke for the 10-2 thrashing they received last time out at the hands of the Ten. You wouldn't bet against them getting it, either...especially if they do well in Northern Ireland the night before...

Hull: If you're a Stingrays fan, you're probably already prepared for another fruitless weekend against two of the top teams in the league as your team faces Sheffield and Belfast. This season is simply a case of marking time for the Humbersiders now, with a serious upturn in form needed if they're going to make the playoffs. I just can't see it coming for them, whatever the press releases say..

Manchester: The Phoenix have a home double-header against Cardiff and Nottingham. There's potential for at least one win against two teams who are both somewhat inconsistent at the moment...and if any team can pull out a win when the opposition are off form, it's Manchester. Especially with Joe Tallari and the little ball of hate that is Luke Stauffacher both on the roster...

Newcastle: Basingstoke and Coventry are the opponents on the Vipers' return to action, with worries over both new signings in Burt Henderson and Cory Morgan as the DWP drag their feet in producing the required work permits for them to make their debuts. Basingstoke aren't exactly brimming with players themselves, but the last place you want to go with a short roster is Coventry. Assuming the DWP sorts itself out, the Vipers will be hopeful of at least two points-which day they'll come, then, is open to conjecture...

Nottingham: The Panthers take on Coventry and Manchester-two games which they can win on a good day but lose horribly on a bad day. There's been two many bad days for the Panthers this season, and this has contributed to them once again not really being in the race for league honours. However, buoyed by their six-three win in the Challenge Cup final first leg in midweek, there's hope of a four-pointer springing eternal in the East Midlands...

Sheffield: Hull and Cardiff stand against the Steelers this time out-perfectly positioned to receive the backlash of the Challenge Cup disappointments in midweek. With Jody Lehman back in net and Dan Tessier now with some game action under his belt, both the Stingrays and the Devils will be looking upon this weekend with some trepidation...

And that's your preview for this week...let's play hockey...

Thursday Update: Return of the ISL?

News of a new arrival who's already had an impact on the season despite only being a few hours old kicks off our Thursday, along with rumours of striking changes in the EIHL...



Maybe they'll play some decent music at the House of Steel now...Jody Lehman was missing from the roster as Sheffield took on Nottingham in the Challenge Cup last night, thanks to being required for a more pressing engagement elsewhere-at the hospital as his wife Raquel was adding to the Steeler "family" by giving birth to a 8lb 11oz baby girl with the pleasingly alliterative name of Layla Lea Lehman. Rumours that the Sheffield playlist will be changed for the first time in six years or so in order to include a musical tribute to the new arrival are, however, hopelessly optimistic...

Congratulations to the Lehman family from your friendly Breakaway editor-should she become a goalie, hopefully she'll have far better taste in pad colour than her illustrious father...



Meanwhile, back on the ice....Nottingham took a vital lead in the Challenge Cup as they took advantage of Jody's absence (which also meant all bets were off as regards to my prediction of a close game) to stick 6 past Davey Lawrence while only conceding three...Ryan Shmyr being kicked out of the game for "incitement" after winding up the bench following the sixth goal was just one of the many talking points. The game is live on Sky this Friday for those who want to see the amazingly rare event of Panthers winning a big cup final in regulation time...



Fifteen imports? Fifteen?!: The South Wales Echo has released news this evening of major changes to EIHL rules being considered by the ruling body. Here they are, along with my reaction...

15 ITC cards per club.

People on forums have taken this as clubs effectively being given the go-ahead to sign 15 imports if they wish, which makes last night's non-event game at the Skydome (see below) even more silly-looking. At the moment the rules are that 15 ITC (ie import) cards can be used in one season, with ten icing at any one time. However, there's no mention of an import restriction in the new rules, which effectively means that we could see a return to the ISL days of import-only rosters, with a few British players thrown in to make up the numbers or used as injury cover. It will be interesting to see where the debate goes on this one...
The Elite League wage caps to rise from £5,700 to £6,000 net per club per week.

Hm. Are we seriously expected to believe that most clubs aren't paying at least the "new" limit in wages already, despite the lower cap?

The wage cap must be strictly adhered to – and tough penalties, including a potential loss of points, will be imposed on those who break it.

Unless, of course, they can appeal. Or pay most of the wages to "fitness coach"/player X rather than player X, which is what happens at the moment. Like most British hockey fans, I'll believe that when it starts happening consistently.

The extra ITC cards could affect the current crucial importance of British players.

Now that statement, to me, implies that the 15 ITC card rule is "at one time" as opposed to "a season". Which means that all the lip-service paid to development of British players in the top league has just gone right down the pan...

Clubs can only sign ONE import player from another British team. With 10 clubs that would ensure only 10 players currently with Elite League clubs could move to a rival between seasons.

This is the most interesting one, because it effectively scuppers the "sign a player released by another team" tactic if it's true. It would also have made several rosters this season look very different, notably that of Nottingham-as it would have meant one of Johan Molin or Mark Richardson wouldn't have been allowed to sign for the Panthers under league rules...It will be interesting to see just how this rule works out.

Let's just say it wasn't a moneyspinner...Clearly a lot of people, at least those whose loyalties lie with the teams involved, are as scornful of the merits of the "Best of British" competition as I am-or saw it as the window-dressing it was...only (at my estimate) 300 people turned up at the Skydome last night to see a four-import game between Coventry and Newcastle. The actual hockey wasn't that bad, but it was far, far below Elite League and even EPL standard nevertheless, with the imports in particular seeming almost embarrassed to be playing in such an artificial and meaningless "competition". As a "showcase of British talent", it didn't work because few fans cared enough to turn up (I actually did just in order that I could at least claim to have seen the product before arguing against it)-and the proposed changes to the EIHL import rules make it even less likely that there will be opportunities for these players to progress, thereby wounding the whole "it's an important phase of their development" argument. A bit of a cock-up all round, really.

I would, however, be interested to hear the views of others on this and similar games, and indeed the proposed EIHL rule changes...will they lead to better standards or just a mass exodus/dying-off of teams unable to afford to keep up?

On that downbeat note, that's the end of the update...Round the Rinks will appear early afternoon tomorrow, so check back for your weekly guide to the weekend's fixtures, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Finals and Friendlies...

Welcome to the midweek trip round the British hockey world...warning, this post may contain sarcasm...

It's the Cosmetic Cup! Tonight sees the finals of two competitions, one being the most prestigious cup competition in Britain (the playoffs being counted as part of the league in this case, for you pedants) and the other one a friendly dressed up as a cup in order to give it some air of legitimacy. Unfortunately for me, my team are involved in the second. The "Best of British" appears at the moment to be nothing more than a bit of window-dressing-an excuse to claim that there are opportunities for young British players to progress to Elite League level,and justify two-way contracts in a league where imports are brought in to cover a few games rather than risk bringing up a junior for a shift or two-it all seems a bit hypocritical for me. Some claim that the format could be adopted for a united British Cup competition involving Elite League, EPL and even ENL teams, similar to football's FA Cup. I'm thinking this is about as likely to happen as Hull winning the treble given all the politics issues which have thus far stopped the leagues collaborating, but so be it. I shall still nip down in the hope that one day I can claim this to be the first time I saw the next great British player at the Skydome...

Meanwhile, in legitimate competition...The Sheffield Steelers take on the Nottingham Panthers tonight in the first leg of the Challenge Cup Final, and in true Breakaway style, it's time for...

One Minute Preview: Challenge Cup Final
Why Sheffield will win: Dan Tessier. The most creative forward in the EIHL returns-and making his debut against a former club will only add to the already large number of points to prove for the little centre. Add the always-dangerous Joey Talbot and the fact that Jeff Legue now has another player with almost-equal speed to play with, and the forward line looks pretty formidable. Plus, their defence simply looks more resilient than that of the Panthers.
Why Nottingham will win: Being the underdog when chasing trophies always tends to drive the Panthers along a bit-even more so when they're away from home. Tom Askey is a decent foundation to build on and will always keep the score respectable even if Robert Stancok and co decide to disappear. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they'll turn up when there's a trophy on the line. If they do, and Sean McAslan and Johan Molin are firing, this tie could be very interesting indeed.

Verdict: I have a feeling that the winner of the first leg won't necessarily win the tie, so neither side should feel too disheartened if they lose by the odd goal. Home advantage should just about see the Steelers through tonight in what will be a tight and low-scoring game...but all will still be to play for as the teams go back to the NIC.

And that's your lot for tonight...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

(Tuesday) Fighting and Frolics...

And so we return for our daily wander through the hallowed portals of British hockey-particularly the Elite league variety. And we begin with a poor excuse to use a classic song title as a headline before moving on to fighting...

Ruby Tuesday: Sergiy Rublivskiy (being a pedant, this is the Russian way of spelling it) returns to Hull after being released by Newcastle in a move that wasn't exactly unanticipated-as successful comebacks go, this looks like being more Eldorado than Take That. Mainly because the Ukrainian is a great goalscorer when given someone to feed him, but not while playing on the third line as he was in Newcastle-And looking at the Hull roster, just who is going to provide the assists on a team whose top provider is...43rd in the league ranking. And don't claim it's due to Hull's lack of goals, because Edinburgh's Ryan Crane (a d-man, by the way) is twenty-one places higher. Still...on the off-chance he touches the puck in a scoring position more than once or twice a game, the goals could trickle in a little faster for the Stingrays...

Hide the white stilettos...:...for fear they'll be thrown in anger, as rumours are coming out of Essex that the Romford Raiders will have to move due to the closure of Rom Valley Way rink. There's not much more than conjecture at the moment flying around about this, but it will certainly worry friends of the EPL side...

Only one way to settle this....fight!: Where have all the enforcers gone? Time was you couldn't go to any rink in the country without a good chance of seeing a player signed more for his ability to throw (and take) a decent punch than a decent check (players like Cornish, Rob McCaig, Louis Bedard, and Dennis Vial come to mind) Nowadays the breed is more represented by Brits, and then at EPL level, mainly by the likes of Andrew Sharp, Norm Pinnington, Mark Williams etc. But, with the cutting of Jeremy Cornish by Sheffield last week, the trend towards "team toughness" espoused particularly by Newcastle and to a lesser extent Coventry, and simply the fact that you can now go weeks without seeing a decent scrap, one wonders just where the traditional import "enforcer" has gone in British hockey. A telling example of the change in emphasis was seen recently when Blaze did sign Andrew Sharp recently as a two-wayer, they used the fact that he was a "tough Brit" as a major selling point.
I think we're seeing some sort of evolution here, and the signing of a player like Sharp is the first sign of it. The enforcer is not dead, as some seem to be claiming-he's simply more likely to be a Brit as teams have realised that someone who can fight and not much else is not much use when he's a Canadian, especially with the import quotas.
But, someone who can fight and not much else isn't much use in today's British game, as unlike the NHL, the small rosters and relatively small budgets mean every player has to be able to play several different roles in order to make a successful career. Hence the influx of players like Brad Voth, Sylvain Cloutier and Brad Cruikshank into the British game-players who prefer to rack up the points rather than the penalty minutes, while being capable of both. And this is a wonderful thing-because the more multi-dimensional the players, the more multi-dimensional and thus the better to watch the game is.

And that is your somewhat short Tuesday trip....apologies as I have a feeling this isn't my best posting ever quality-wise...but check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the Best of British Cup and more...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 20th January

Sorry this one's so late...I do love a laptop that won't bloody work half the time...anyway. On with the review of a weekend which saw Cardiff hammered, Belfast march on and an epic comeback for ten-man Bison...

Basingstoke: This team just will not lose. At least not without a monumental fight. You get the feeling you'd have to remove limbs from the remaining skaters to dampen their effort, no matter how many injuries hit down south. Saturday saw the Terrific Ten push the Panthers all the way and even look like winning with three minutes left on the clock, before Ryan Shmyr scored a rare goal to squeak the Panthers through. Then came Sunday. Hull away isn't the hardest fixture in the league, but when you're two goals down with a minute to play, most teams could be forgiven for taking the loss, even on Humberside. Not the Herd. Two goals in 85 seconds and a win on penalty shots followed to make the trip back to Hampshire a euphoric one. The Terrific Ten earn themselves full marks despite only gaining two points...
Grade: A

Belfast: Whisper it, but Coventry, the Giants are coming for you. Two more wins this weekend, both by the score of 6-2, including a demolition of the Panthers in Nottingham after a professional performance against Manchester, are clear statements that the Giants just will not give up on regaining the league title. The game at the Skydome in March now looks like a potential title decider, particularly if the Northern Irish side can beat the Blaze at home on the second of February. With Coventry having to play five more games in that time, fatigue could become a factor, and if it does, there is no team better placed to take advantage than Belfast, particularly if they continue this fine run of form...
Grade: A

Cardiff: Sorry, Devils. The league title is gone, thanks to the injury fairy having a real grudge against South Wales. Joe Myers suffered a torrid weekend this weekend against Coventry, being shelled for thirteen goals on 64 shots, including 7 in eighteen minutes on Sunday as the table-toppers cut loose. The one positive I can see is the emergence of Ben Davies, who looks scarily quick and a very good prospect indeed from the two games I saw...Building for the playoffs must be the Devils priority now...
Grade: E

Coventry: Two games, thirteen goals. And it could have been far more. The Blaze dispatched the injury-hit Devils with the minimum of fuss in both games this weekend, including a truly devastating seven-goal burst in the second period on Sunday, to keep their advantage at the top. With the Giants roaring up behind them, however, those three games in hand now look less of a cushion and more important than ever-the gap may look big but a few losses will make things tighten up at the top very quickly indeed. No complaints from the Midlands this time out, though...
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: Two losses to the Steelers, however close, have dealt a heavy blow to the Caps' playoff chase. The EIHL site says it best in stating that the lack of remaining games is the real enemy for the Scots right now. Points for effort will gain them a decent grade from me, but unfortunately for them, they don't count where the Caps need them most-in the standings.
Grade: C

Hull: When you outshoot a team of ten skaters 21-4 in the first period and score six goals in a game, you should really expect a win, shouldn't you? Not if you're the Stingrays, and not if the Bison are the opposition. If the Hampshire side seem to find new ways to win every week, the Stingrays are still finding new ways to lose-and this weekend was yet another that the Humbersiders will want to forget as soon as possible...
Grade: F

Manchester: As you may have noticed by the tone of my postings, I have something of a soft spot for the Phoenix. Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to be upbeat for them when the team's one game of the weekend was a 6-2 loss in Belfast in what was, by all accounts, a very chippy encounter,. Thanks to the Belfast web team, here are the best bits. 7th place is good enough for a playoff spot, with sixth attainable thanks to Cardiff's slump and even fifth if there's a winning streak in Altrincham, but the Phoenix need to be vigilant with the Terrific Ten of Basingstoke now just four points behind them. Sadly, though, the loss this weekend means I have to give one of my favourite opposition teams a...
Grade: E

Newcastle: The Vipers had a weekend off this time out, so for this reason are exempt from grading.

Nottingham: Barely beating Edinburgh followed by a home whipping at the hands of Belfast? That new player had better come in quickly or the Panthers' regular season could be in danger of fizzling out, especially if Dan Tessier influences Wednesday's Challenge Cup Final first leg in the way Sheffield hopes he will. The Panthers can still influence the league title (although it would take a miracle to win it themselves), with Belfast and Coventry both having to face them twice between now and the end of the season, and with two trophies still in the Panthers' sights, all is not yet lost. Not by a long shot. But a few more weekends like the one just gone, and it could be...
Grade: C-

Sheffield: The Steelers are hanging around like a bad smell in third place, ten points off the lead and only one game behind the Blaze after this weekend. One win and a loss to the team immediately above them isn't perfect, but it still just about keeps them in scrabbling distance of the summit with three months to go, and Dan Tessier will win them games they may otherwise have lost in the three months between now and April 16th. Then, of course, there's the small matter of the Challenge Cup...Steelers fans may not be dancing with joy right now (that's unrealistic after oh-so-nearly being beaten by Edinburgh on both nights) but they certainly shouldn't be complaining too much...
Grade: C+

This week sees the first leg of the CC Final between Nottingham and Sheffield, and also a game so important it isn't even advertised on the EIHL site, as Coventry take on Newcastle in the so-called "Best of British" money-making fr....sorry, Cup...

Tomorrow evening, there will definitely be the Tuesday roundup, as well as a ramble about enforcers and their slow disappearance from the British game...check back around 7pm, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Return of the Prodigal, and Round the Rinks

First, a bit of news...and it's a big bit...



Dan Tessier signs for Sheffield. Again.



Oh, goody. The little centre is and has always has been one of the best players in the league to watch, and I defy any hockey fan to say they wouldn't want him on their side. Even you, Panthers fans...



I refuse to get into the wage-cap debate this signing will no doubt provoke on hockey forums everywhere...at least not now. Suffice to say that Wednesday's game against the Panthers will now be just a little spicier than usual...



With that out of the way for at least a short while, on with Round the Rinks-which may seem confusing at first as I'm trying the new strategy of grouping teams together when they play double-headers, and there are two this week...



Basingstoke: Nottingham and Hull await for the Bison, in a weekend where they'll be grateful just to be putting a team out after being down to two (two!) fit d-men. All the laws say that this should be a hard and ultimately fruitless weekend in Hampshire, but then, all the laws said they should never have been able to score ten goals against Edinburgh last week with just ten skaters. And we all know what happened there. With the Stingrays back on form (well, for them) Sunday's trip to Humberside will be a little harder than it has been at times this season, but by the same token Panthers will not be relishing their trip to the Silverdome either. Surely the Bison can't beat the odds twice in a week?

Belfast: Manchester and Nottingham are the oppostion, as the Giants swing into another home-and-away weekend looking to put some serious pressure on Coventry at the top of the table and continue their impressive win streak at the same time. These two games are eminently winnable...except both the Phoenix and the Panthers are more than capable of pulling out a win. Several teams at the top of the table will be hoping they do...

Cardiff/Coventry: We'll take these two together, as it's a double-header of one of the most passionate and keenly-contested rivalries in the league. Blaze are coming into this weekend the stronger, as Cardiff are still in the midst of an injury crisis which means Phil Osaer is only slated to play one game this weekend (in Cardiff on Saturday) as he begins his return from a knee injury. However, nothing would please those in South Wales more than to put a bump in the road of the Blaze's seemingly relentless chase to be the first team to defend an EIHL title successfully. Nothing is ever certain as regards the results of these games, but one thing that's cast in stone is that both games will see a tooth-and-nail scrap between two teams who well and truly want to win at any cost...

Edinburgh/Sheffield: Another double-header sees two teams equally desperate for points face each other, although they currently lie at opposite ends of the table. Steelers need the points to keep in touch with Belfast and Coventry at the top, while Caps need the points to open up a gap on Hull at the bottom and close in on Basingstoke, who currently occupy the last remaining playoff spot. With the Bison weakened by injuries, and the Caps on something of a run of good form, they will fancy their chances-and may consider using Adam Stefishen as a battering-ram now that Steelers have lost their main policeman in Jeremy Cornish...

Hull: One game for the new, slightly-improved Stingrays-Basingstoke are the opponents, and Humberside is the venue on the Sunday night. Hull will fancy their chances against a weakened Bison, but would do well to be cautious after the Bison destroyed the Capitals when the Scots perhaps got caught looking ahead...A win would be a huge tonic if they can maintain their focus, however...

Manchester: Belfast are the Phoenix's only opponents this weekend-being the team to stop the winning run of the hottest side in the EIHL will certainly be motivation enough for the side who seem to delight in being the banana-skin that the top teams slip up on. Having already won in Northern Ireland this year, there is considerable reason for optimism in the North West, and the Angry Budgies will have several fanbases keeping an eye on them and hoping they can derail the Giants Express on Sunday night. I certainly wouldn't bet against it...

Newcastle: The Vipers don't play this weekend-probably a good thing as any good results would be lost in the furore surrounding a footballer deciding to return to his former club...However, the signing of Cory Morgan will add a small but not-unnoticed reason to be cheerful for those on the North East who prefer pucks to balls. If he has any sense, Rob Wilson will be using this weekend break to work out just how the new players will fit in in preparation for a hectic run-in...

Nottingham: Basingstoke and Belfast are the opposition for the Panthers, who still harbour hopes of climbing the table despite there being no sign of the promised PC Drouin replacement. With Dan Tessier going to Sheffield ahead of the Challenge Cup Final first leg on Wednesday, the Panthers need a four-point weekend this time out in order to give them the best possible lead-in to the first chance of silverware of the season. Both the Giants and the Bison will provide tough obstacles to getting it, however...

And that's your preview....let's play hockey!

Flurries of Movement...or "Kerching!"

Jesus-is it Thursday night already? I seem to spend my weekdays either at work or updating this place. But then, it makes the time between watching and/or playing hockey pass quicker-and this "ain't nothing but a G(ood) Thang" as Snoop Dogg might have put it. On we go with player movements a-plenty, and a meditation on budgets...

Lucky thirteen...Coventry and Sheffield needed overtime to settle their CC quarter final after Sheffield won 7-6 in regulation, wiping out the one-goal deficit from the first leg....however, the fourteenth goal of the night and seventeenth of the tie went Coventry's way in the extra period, courtesy of Jonny Weaver, to put the Blaze through. Now we await the draw of the semis...

Third time's the charm...Cory Morgan is once again a Newcastle Viper. As if joining the fire service wasn't enough excitement for the skilled Canadian, he's decided to return to the North East for his third stint as the Geordies' premier scorer for the rest of the season, having missed out on silverware in the Vipers' memorable 05/06 season thanks to a late-season knee injury. Last season he led the team in scoring with 26 goals despite them not making the playoff weekend, and was one of my favourite players to watch in the league. If I were a Vipers fan, I would be buzzing right about now...the Albertan from the romantically-named town of Blue Sky is a class act and will definitely pep up the team considerably in the late-season scramble for position.

Meanwhile, "Pasty" is off the menu in Sheffield...OK, that was unfair. Jeremy Cornish has progressed far beyond the slightly cruel nickname he earned from opposition fans in his time at London, becoming an under-rated, not always visible (unless he's fighting) but always useful cog in the Steelers machine this season. And this is why it's surprising that he's the one suffering as Sheffield make changes, being cut today by coach Dave Matsos despite being one of the more steady performers for the Steelers this season. Critics will point to the fact that he doesn't score enough points to justify an import slot, his crash-and-bang style is a role which can also be filled by many other players, and he can't find fights often enough due to the fact that this is one aspect of the game in which, as other EIHL players have come to know (some by painful experience) he's very proficient indeed. However, I'm not sure Sheffield won't live to regret this-after all, like him or loathe him, no-one who's seen him play can deny that he's one of those players who will give his all for the cause and do whatever he's asked to do every single night. I wouldn't be surprised to see some other EIHL team snap him up on the cheap with a few still looking for role-players...

Ker-ching!: Recently it has been suggested by readers that I'm...well, a bit of a hockey snob. This is because of my distinction between "big-budget" and "small-budget" teams in the EIHL-it appears to have raised the ire of some in the sense that, when it comes to crowds, the differences between the biggest and smallest isn't as pronounced as, say, in the DEL (although I'd consider the difference between 4500 in Nottingham and a few hundred in Edinburgh a pretty big one). I will admit to being guilty of seeing some teams as "bigger" than others-mainly due to the sizes of the crowd. This naturally does lead to the assumption that some teams are run on a slightly tighter rein than others with regard to the pursestrings.
This, however, makes it far more interesting, praiseworthy and yes, enjoyable for me when these "smaller" teams (I am now using the word purely to refer to their attendance, not popularity, relative merits etc) do well-the reason being that I don't actually enjoy seeing teams like Sheffield, Nottingham etc constantly in the hunt for trophies, or fighting out a mini-league between themselves as has been in danger of happening a few times in the EIHL era-this does not make for a stable league. And I can't understand people who will refuse to go to a game just because the opposition is "less glamorous". Hockey is hockey, and every team should be treated with at least a minimum of respect by their opponents and the opposition fans. Mickey-taking is fine but comments like "X and Y have no right to be in this league" are pushing it too far. So from now on the terms "big-budget" and "small-budget" are banned from my posts when referring to EIHL or indeed any other British hockey teams...

In other news-I've just noticed that the year has changed again: It has also been pointed out after my last Double Overtime column that the EIHL does not, in fact, run a playoff group system, nor has it for the past two years. This I was actually aware of, but being a bit slow to change the way I talk about hockey, at least as far as terms go, I still use "group stage" to refer to the part of the playoffs that take place between the end of the regular season and the finals weekend...simply because that was the system when I started watching. One of these days I'm going to have to get with the times in word as well as deed...trouble is with this league that by the time I do that, they'll have decided a group system is in fact their chosen way to run the playoffs...

The post title was cunningly chosen with just this statistic in mind...
Before we leave budgets, however, it is interesting to note that, whatever your view of teams financial resources, there is a view expressed on THF that says 8 out of 10 teams are currently breaking the EIHL "gentlemen's agreement" on wages. Nice to see the lessons of the ISL are being learnt, isn't it?

And finally...Congratulations to Shaun Johnson-a player who has been one of the few players I've seen who has played in in Britain for every one of the eight seasons I've been watching hockey, as he reaches his 1000th professional game (all played for UK clubs) with the Vipers' meeting Belfast...a superb milestone to reach...Pity it ended in a loss as the Giants nicked it three-one to increase the gap back to Sheffield in third place...

I was going to write a long diatribe about enforcers and their disappearance (slowly) from British hockey...but might save that for a post all its own at some point, either at the weekend or early next week. Tomorrow sees Round the Rinks as another weekend draws ever closer in the EIHL...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

More KO Cup Thoughts, and Fame At Last...:)

A few more quick hits as I settle in to watch the return of Torchwood on the BBC...

Well, that was unexpected: Andy Sharp fights Jeremy Cornish in the early minutes of Blaze vs Steelers. And loses. Not a bad way to make a debut...although a text from a friend at the game says it's about the only viable contribution he's made...With the game currently poised at two each, I have a bad feeling about this...

(warning-self-indulgent section)...:)

And, speaking of the PR front...It appears that, in Manchester at least, the Breakaway splits opinion...one of the readers was nice enough to mention it on their forum...(I found the thread on the nightly trawl)...and there's some nice replies (and some not so nice ones :)) on it...at least this explains why the blog had a ton more traffic from the North West than it usually does...that's another forum I should be monitoring a bit more closely. Certainly the comments on there have been noted and will be implemented...

Edit....but not posting, thanks to the fact they won't accept hotmail addresses, such as the one the blog uses..:)

And even more...: Taking my own advice...I'm casting the net, as it were...I'm very conscious that this blog is still very EIHL-centred...and I'd like to change that. Trouble is, I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to EPL, ENL or junior hockey...so if any of you out there in cyberspace would fancy sending me an update on any of the other leagues in Britain once a week (or even bi-weekly), then let me know, or just send them unsolicited...I'll place them on with full credit.

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Midweek Musings...

Welcome once again to your daily skate around the British hockey world...

It's important...there's a trophy, so it must be!: Tonight sees the ugly duckling of British cup competitions take centre stage (and how often can you say that) with the final quarter-final between Sheffield and Coventry being resolved. It's so important they're playing in Ice Sheffield (traditionally used by the Steelers only as a last resort) and even then it could be interesting to see just whether it's full or not...The tie itself is delicately poised, with Blaze carrying a one-goal lead, and there's some intrigue on both sides as Steelers defend their title and Blaze seek to win the only Elite League competition that they haven't already held. However, there's simply no escaping the fact that many see this as very much the poor relation of British hockey competitions at the moment-and with midweek games and teams seemingly allowed to opt out or simply not be asked to take part for simple logistics reasons (you can't have an odd number of teams in the semis, and giving a bye to the final would make the whole competition a mockery). I almost hope that Blaze don't win this competition this season-as seeing a team from the lower reaches of the league win some silverware would be good for the sport as a whole...

More Communication Kerfuffle: It seems my recent praise of the Bison's enews strategy has stirred things up a little, with it being pointed out that I in fact have my facts wrong, and that the Elite League clubs are in fact all open in communicating with their fans...
Thing is...I consider there to be a difference between the Bison (and to a lesser degree Phoenix) strategies of being open about almost all aspects of the club (even to the point of Tomas Enerston eschewing the usual platitudes of owners in favour of actually telling the fans exactly what is needed from the word go), and the approach of many other teams, which is essentially always "everything is fine, the team are determined to do well-everyone is positive-come and buy the stuff that's on sale, and tell your friends about the hockey" which appears in the Panthers, Steelers etc "newsletters".
I'm not asking to be told how every penny is spent, I'm not asking to be told just how my team's star defenceman spends his Wednesday nights or which pub they drink at. But I, and I would have thought others, am asking for a little more than the same stuff you could read on every other forum or every other press release.
It's also mentioned that some teams have sponsors which produce stuff for them...and this is why they have an advantage. Well...here's the list of Blaze sponsors. Notice the "media design" companies and radio stations...surely one of them could produce something similar to the Phoenix efforts given half a chance? Looking through the list of sponsors of other teams, it's notable that a similar situation exists with all of them-yet only the Bison and the Phoenix are really making use of it to build a genuine two-way relationship with fans beyond the simple promotional appearances, PR releases in bland media-ese, or media interviews. And this is why I say they're templates to follow for the rest of the EIHL.
After all-British hockey fans, like the rest of the population, are fast becoming more savvy to the efforts of bland, samey "spin" and PR (the Stingrays in particular have become a bit of a target this season for my humour and the ire of their own fans because of their stream of cookie-cutter PR releases), and are more willing to get out there and either look for or produce stuff which makes them and others feel part of things. Why not use some of them to try and do it professionally-or at least get them more involved in the promotion of clubs beyond simply sticking up flyers....there's no better advert for a sport than the people who genuinely love what they do, after all...just like Tomas Enerston seems to.
For the record-it may sound like I'm belittling the efforts of the PR departments of the EIHL as a whole. I'm not-I appreciate how hard it is to get noticed from trying to build up a readership for this blog...and like them I appreciate every comment and (hopefully like the teams :)) also am grateful for every individual who takes the time to read (or in the team's case, go to games).

However-there's a lot of hockey fans out there, all with talents of their own-why not cast a net and see what happens? It's certainly worked for the Bison in recent weeks...

Warm up the Fax Machines...because the ice-hockey transfer deadline is in two weeks time-as of the 31st of January, the EIHL rosters are set until the end of the season unless exceptional reasons force a change (like a season-ending injury to the starting goalie). With Cardiff, Hull and Nottingham at least still on the prowl looking to give their team that final ingredient for a title/playoff push, the player movement could be far from over...

That's your slightly shortened Wednesday musings...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

GB Squad Analysis and Much, Much More...

The Great Britain squad has been announced for the Mont Blanc Invitational, a warm-up tournament for the World Championships..GB's participation in this event is in itself a sign that someone is finally taking international hockey seriously in the UK, as up until now the team has been seen as something of an old-boys club for long-serving imports who've qualified for their British passports to go on a jolly at the end of the normal season, and compete at the second or third tier of world hockey. But now the team are playing together and leaving league action during the season in order to prepare for the World Championships in April, in the hope of a showing good enough to lay the seeds for the rise of Britain as a nation. And it's about time...traditionally us Brits will rally behind a winning team or winning sport (look at the tennis courts around Wimbledon week or the fuss over curling at every Winter Olympics)...a strong national team is vital for the whole game in this country. This is something of a transition period for the national team, with every player selected needing to establish themselves as internationals-and the long road to the Winter Olympics starts here...

So who will be wearing the Union Jack in France in February, and for those of you who don't really follow the sport beyond your club, just how good is Team GB? Let's look at the squad, position by position, as they compete to establish themselves...

NETMINDERS
Stevie Lyle (Belfast)
Stephen Murphy (Stjernen, Norway)
Joe Watkins (Guildford)

Stevie Lyle is clearly the starter in this group-and has been for some time after cementing his place as the best British nettie with consistent high level play wherever he's been. Fans who've been around a while may remember Murphy bursting onto the scene as a teenager with Fife and Dundee six or so years ago and performing truly heroically, but his career has stagnated somewhat in recent years, best shown by a nightmare season in Edinburgh last time out, while Joe Watkins has almost faded from view for many after choosing to take the Flames' shilling in the EPL rather than fight for an EIHL starting spot. He can still do a job, but has a task on his hands in order to convince the hockey community that his skills haven't suffered away from the top level...Mark Lee (ex-Newcastle) will consider himself unlucky not to have been selected, but his decision to play in North America this season may not have helped his visibility. His game, however, can only benefit...and he's surely breathing right down the necks of these three already.

DEFENCE
Luke Boothroyd (Hull)
Paul Dixon (Guildford)
Leigh Jamieson (Belfast)
Jez Lundin (Newcastle)
Paul Moran (Belfast)
James Morgan (Peterborough)
Ben Morgan (Sheffield Scimitars)
Ben O’Connor (Edinburgh)
James Pease (Coventry)
Mark Thomas (Sheffield Steelers)
Graeme Walton (Belfast)
Jonathan Weaver (Coventry)

One of the major positives of this group is that it's still growing...Paul Dixon and Jon Weaver stand out hugely as the oldest experienced "true Brit" internationals in a position traditionally dominated by dual-nationals like Rick Strachan and Brent Pope. The very fact that this group contains none, and (apart from Dixon at 34 and Weaver at 31), no-one over the age of 26, is a huge plus for the future of British hockey. With youngsters such as Ben O'Connor, Jez Lundin and Ben Morgan already impressing at their respective teams (Lundin and O'Connor at EIHL level already and Morgan ready to make the jump), and others such as James Pease and Mark Thomas established internationals already, this group can only improve with international competition...

FORWARDS
Greg Chambers (Basingstoke)
David Clarke (HC Alleghe, Italy)
Gary Clarke (Milton Keynes)
Russell Cowley (Coventry)
Mark Garside (Edinburgh)
Jason Hewitt (Sheffield Steelers)
Marc Levers (Nottingham)
David Longstaff (Newcastle)
Greg Owen (Basingstoke)
Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield)
Nathan Rempel (Peterborough)
Mark Richardson (Nottingham)
Colin Shields (Newcastle)
Ashley Tait (Sheffield Steelers)
Warren Tait (Sheffield Steelers)
Matt Towe (Cardiff)
Adam Walker (Manchester)
Tom Watkins (Coventry)

This group has a slightly older average age than the defence...and the dual-nationals rear their heads in the shape of Greg Chambers (who has been on fire for Basingstoke this season) and possibly the EPL's deadliest forward in Nathan Rempel, both of whom qualify for British passports. However, the younger players are well represented, with players such as Matt Towe (a surprise hit for Cardiff this season) and Mark Garside (one of the latest products of the Edinburgh production line which has produced, among many others, British legend Tony Hand) given the chance to stake their claim. Notable in this squad is the fact that, as well as the established names such as Tait (A) Longstaff, Clarke et al, there are a fair few players who have perhaps flown under the radar of many a casual fan but are now given their chance to shine. Basingstoke's Greg Owen and MK's Gary Clarke (both far under-rated playmaking forwards, mainly due to having spent the majority of their careers outside the top tier of British hockey) are the most notable examples, although Adam Walker and Warren Tait are also far better than they're given credit for by many.

ABSENTEES
These are a category all their own...with Danny Meyers and Matt Myers of Nottingham notable by their absence (both would certainly be in the squad if they were available) along with the young guns of Hull, the Phillips brothers and Lee Mitchell. All are certainly good enough to stand in this company....

THE SQUAD VERDICT
Boasting a young and hungry roster sprinkled with a few experienced heads, perhaps the best thing that can be said about this squad is that it doesn't really suffer for the relative lack of dual-nationals or the vast majority of the old guard (Tony Hand included). Perhaps the biggest criticisms lie with the lack of "true" offensive defensemen (Jon Weaver being the exception) and a need for more "instinctive" goalscorers. With Adam Calder and Curtis Huppe both becoming eligible next year, though, and Ben O'Connor receiving his international blooding early, this could change...

The foundations are there for something quite special to happen in GB hockey over the next few years-this April will show just how special it could be...

Meae Culpae: Once again, a few corrections to my earlier posts...It turns out that it's not only Basingstoke who communicate well with fans...Becky informs me that Manchester have been doing the enewsletter thing since last season, and were likely thus the first. I should also mention the Phoenix News on the official website...it's sometimes a bit amusing to watch given that it's not quite BBC standard yet...but it's improving nicely. Certainly many other clubs in the EIHL could do the same (as far as I'm aware only Manchester and Nottingham provide video news through their sites, along with Basingstoke's letter. Certainly they all put my club in Coventry to shame...

Sharp's Revenge: Blaze have signed Andrew Sharp on a two-wayer from Romford to add muscle to their third line...Personally I'm not quite sure about this...especially as there's a perfectly good ENL team that could do the same job of providing physical third-liners on a two-way, but we shall see...

Goalies Rated and Slated: Becky also points out that there are no goalies included in my "best of the Elite League" column here, and asks whether this means I don't rate any of them, or simply have something against picking goalies...:). Neither is true...I simply thought that there were players I enjoyed watching far more on each of the ten teams...and apart from anything else considered it slightly unfair to lump them in with outskaters. I do have something of a soft spot for Ryan McDonald-when he's on his game there are none better in the league, and it's easy to forget he's just 22. Trouble for the Vipers is, at the moment that happens only rarely. Like Becky, I wouldn't complain if Tom Askey came to the Blaze next season (if there was no better option). I refuse to pick Trevor Koenig in anything-not because I don't think he has ability but simply because he's not, as some seem to say, the greatest goalie ever to pull on an Elite League shirt-and I have never been much of a bandwagon jumper. He's good, often very good, but on his top night, no better than any other goalie on their top night. Scott Fankhouser? Nothing special despite his NHL pedigree. Phil Osaer? Unbeatable some nights, unthinkable as an EIHL goalie on others...Ladi Kudrna? Score a few quickly and his head goes down. Stevie Lyle? As a Brit...superb. As an EIHL goalie...he'll do a job, but not inspire awe. JF Perras? Give him a team that'll truly let him shine and we'll talk. Curtis Cruickshank? Hm. Jody Lehman? A great goalie, but if you want to beat him, just remember two words...high glove...
Maybe I am just not that big a goalie fan...the only ones I can remember genuinely inspiring feelings of awe in me (in Britain) were Joel Laing (Sheffield) and Steve Briere (Fife-and even that is not because of his overall ability but because he's still the author of the most astonishing save I've ever seen). Mark McArthur was also pretty special for Guildford. The best goalie I've ever seen live is still Thomas Greiss (Cologne Sharks)....although in Britain, there has been no-one, and I mean no-one, who has wound me up and delighted me more while wearing a netminder's kit -and thus can be considered my favourite ever goalie, than the immortal Pasi Raitanen.

Hope that answers your question...it certainly leads nicely onto my final point for tonight...:)

"Oh, God...it's Pasi!": These were the words that came out of my mouth at more than a few Peterborough Pirates, Newcastle Vipers, and even a few Sheffield Steelers meetings with the Blaze, as I saw the familiar yet always disturbing sight of Pasi Raitanen bending himself nearly in half during the pre-match warm-ups. This was because he was the most frustrating opponent the Blaze have ever faced while I've been watching. There was and is nowt understated about the "Finnish Octopus", as he was nicknamed...he broke Blaze hearts singlehandedly by performing truly magnificently in a Findus Cup final victory for the Vipers in their first season in the league, and constantly pulled victory from the jaws of defeat while playing for the Pirates against the Blaze. Then there was his "up, down, cross-arms, down, up" routine at every faceoff in his own zone...

Anyway..now Pasi has earned himself a testimonial...to be held at Ice Sheffield on Tuesday, Feb 12th. If there's any way I can get there from Coventry, I will do...the man is truly a legend, and possibly my favourite goalie ever to play on British ice while I've been watching, despite not playing a single minute in a Blaze shirt. It sounds like I'm not the only one who thinks of him that way...

That's your lot for this Tuesday, then...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 14th January

It's been a busy news weekend, so there's a lot to catch up on and comment upon this week. Tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, I shall be analysing the GB squad announced for the forthcoming international matches in France, as well as responding to several comments brought up from last week's posts-however, this Monday evening is all about the weekend review. And what an unpredictable weekend it was...unless you were a Coventry or Hull fan...(you may notice that these two teams get treated slightly briefly)...:)

Basingstoke: Saturday was truly epic in Hampshire. 10 skaters scored ten goals to Edinburgh's two (from a full team) as the Bison ran riot. You can forgive them, then, for suffering a seven-three loss away in Newcastle on the Sunday, especially as they caught the Vipers on a good day. Just for the amazing goal-rush on Saturday, the Bison get a...
Grade: B

Belfast: Quietly, the Giants are pushing very hard indeed. Beating Sheffield and Cardiff by a combined total of nine goals over a weekend is pretty damn impressive in anyone's book-especially from a team who couldn't score for toffee earlier in the season. Even more so when you bear in mind that both games were away from the Odyssey. Peter Campbell simply can't miss this season, and the defensive struggles appear to be just a memory. There's really no justification for awarding the Giants anything other than...
Grade: A

Cardiff: There, but for injuries...The Devils misery continues-a fighting loss in Nottingham was followed by...a fighting loss against Belfast. With Phil Osaer still out, and no sign of a return any time soon, should the Devils be looking for a rental goalie for the playoff push? Or maybe just set up their own emergency room in the Tent? This will definitely be remembered as a season of "so near and yet..." unless the luck changes in South Wales pretty quickly. Sorry, Red Army, but your team only earn...
Grade: D

Coventry: Two games against Hull, two un-flashy wins. Michael Tasker retires. Job done. There will be far tougher weekends before the end of the season for the Blaze....
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: I've given up predicting Capitals games. Who on God's green earth would have predicted a weekend where the Caps lose ten-two to Basingstoke before coming back to their own rink and shutting out one of the top teams in the league in Nottingham, all the while missing their leading scorer on the Sunday? Or a weekend where a team could come out with a goal difference of minus five and still be happy? The Scots are truly a pundit's nightmare of a team...but you can't argue with that win against Nottingham pushing up the grade a little...
Grade: B

Hull: Two games, no points. And now the Stingrays are officially bottom. Did you expect anything more?
Grade: E

Manchester:: Now, here's a team who appear to have taken the role of the plucky losers to heart this weekend, losing by the odd goal in both games (and taking Sheffield to a penalty shootout). Despite this, I can't shake the nagging feeling that, come playoff time, the Phoenix will be the last team any other team wants in their group...they're certainly the last team I'd like to see the Blaze facing...particularly if the game must be won for qualification. They're like terriers...they will yap, chase you round and round and not really be taken seriously as a threat by anyone...and then, at the worst possible time, they'll bite. I can't help thinking I'm slightly unfair by giving them...
Grade: D

Newcastle: Four point weekend in Viperland! That gale of a north wind dropping the temperatures today is made up by a thousand Viper fans sighing in relief...their team are not done yet. Certainly the points against Manchester and Basingstoke will be welcome-the onus now is on the team to prove that, in fact, they don't deserve to be where they are right now...
Grade: B

Nottingham: Hmm. What do you say to a team that barely beats a side cripple by injuries, while playing at their own rink, and then gets shut out away from home against a side pretty much everyone would expect them to beat, all things being equal? Simple. Not bad in that there's points on the board...but must do a lot better if you're serious about winning anything this season...
Grade: C+

Sheffield: At this point, I believe I'm justified in saying the Steelers won't win the league this season. And inconsistent weekends like this last one show why. First rule of championship teams is...win your home games, and then think about stealing points on the road. This weekend, Steel City got it backwards-and one of their major rivals (Belfast) gleefully profited from it. You don't win a championship by just beating the teams you know you can, Steelers...
Grade: C+

There you go, then...another Double Overtime in the books. Be warned, tomorrow is likely to be a long post, so have the evening coffee ready...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Round the Rinks, 11th January

After a two-week break, your weekly team-by-team preview returns...

Basingstoke: The Bison face a fast-improving Edinburgh and a still-struggling Newcastle this weekend-two games that they'll need to work hard to win, for different reasons. With the Capitals looking to clinch an unlikely playoff berth and the Vipers desperate to put some sort of run together after being in the doldrums for seemingly forever, they'll both be very tricky opponents. The Saturday game against the Capitals is a must-win, although the Vipers game, while away from home, may provide the better chance of two points...

Belfast: Sheffield and Cardiff await the Giants...two teams who the Giants must beat if they're serious about challenging in the top half of the table. The Devils are in serious injury trouble right now and the 14-game streak of November and December is just a memory-and the misery looks like continuing on Sunday. Steelers will be a much tougher proposition in the Hallam Arena...but with both teams well-stocked with offensive talent, this game looks like being a shootout-well worth visiting if you're in the vicinity...

Cardiff: The misery continues for the Devils...Belfast and Nottingham are not teams you want to face without your starting goalie or several key players. Sadly for those in South Wales, I can see this being another winless weekend for the PT Maintenance Devils-although they will certainly make the opposition work for it.

Coventry: Home and away in Hull would have seemed like an easy four points as little as three weeks ago. But with the Stingrays looking more solid now that Jani Virtanen has returned and Troy Neumeier added to the lineup on the back line, four points is by no means a given. I'm not saying it won't happen-I think Coventry have too much for them. The 3-2 result up on Humberside last time out shows, however that the Stingrays will at least no longer fear being embarrassed on home ice...

Edinburgh: The Capitals, on the other hand, are flying as they chase eighth place and that last playoff spot. With Basingstoke and Nottingham standing in their way to four points this weekend, the Capitals will need to be firing like they have done recently, but don't be surprised to see more proof that this under-rated and underperforming (thus far) Caps side is finally reaching its potential...

Hull: Coventry are the opponents-and let's just say that the Stingrays will be motivated-a win on either night, particularly at the Skydome on Sunday, will send shockwaves through the league and give heart to the teams chasing the Blaze at the top of the table. As for the boost it'll give on Humberside..."rocket up the backside" is nowhere near strong enough. The last time something this unlikely happened, it involved a fellow called Lazarus. Beating the Blaze would be a sign that, like that fellow, someone on Humberside could possibly still bring Hull's season back from the dead...

Manchester: The Phoenix, stung by their exit from the KO Cup, face Newcastle and Sheffield as they attempt to get back on track. The Vipers are eminently beatable-Steelers less so. However, with Joe Tallari hovering around the opposition's goal, anything is possible for the hot-and-cold Angry Budgies...

Newcastle: The panic button has been pressed in the North East-Rob Wilson has returned to the ice. Manchester and Basingstoke are the opponents-two teams that the Vipers would have eaten for breakfast in September. Now, though, I can see another winless weekend on the horizon unless some people on Tyneside buck their ideas up fast...

Nottingham: Quietly sneaking up the table has become the Panthers' specialty. With Edinburgh and Cardiff on the slate for this weekend, Mike Ellis' men can continue their rise, but shouldn't underestimate either team despite their struggles at various times this season. I can see the Cats nicking another four points as they chase Sheffield and Cardiff in the race to lead the pack chasing the Blaze...

Sheffield: Belfast and Manchester-two opponents against whom the Steelers will want and need to win-especially as they're all playing for their jobs still. The Giants will be the tougher opponents on paper, but the Phoenix are the banana-skin side-underestimating them while concentrating on Belfast could be fatal...

That's your lot-all the games covered...

Let's play hockey...:)

Thursday Catch-up...

Just a few odd news items from this week which haven't already appeared anywhere else for your Thursday evening...Round the Rinks will return tomorrow...

Bison v Giants live on the web: Don't forget the Belfast webcast if you're needing a British hockey fix tonight...they're covering the game at the Odyssey this evening as with all Giants home games-details, as always, are here...

Cardiff get new sponsor:...and are now the PT Maintenance Cardiff Devils. Doesn't quite have the same ring as the glory days of "Coca-Cola Devils" or "BT Cardiff Devils", does it-but the good news is that the recent financial woes in South Wales are eased considerably thanks to this, so one of the great clubs of British hockey will continue around for at least another season.

Vipers sign Burt Henderson:...who doesn't exist, according to most hockey stats sites. This may be due to the fact that he's played in Japan the past few seasons-not exactly a hockey hotbed. Although perhaps this scepticism isn't fair, given that the last player to join a UK team from the J-League was Ryan Kuwabara, who was part of the Belfast Giants side which swept all before them in the last ISL season ever before losing the title to Sheffield by one point. He could be a decent signing-although he appears not to have played since '03 if you believe the stats sites. Since he won't be in the UK until after the weekend, Rob Wilson will be bringing his variety act (consisting of skating slowly, moaning at the referees at every call, moaning at the referees at every call, and generally looking like he should have given up three years ago) to British ice for (hopefully) the last time in order to fill the gap.

Straight from the (Bison's) mouth...: I was sent an email by Simon a few days ago (don't forget, address is on the left should you wish to contact the blog) telling me about a fine idea brought in by the Basingstoke management-a free weekly enews letter written by the owner, Tomas Enerston (who is also a regular contributor to the Bison section of the Official EIHL Forum), keeping the fans up to date with exactly what is going on behind the scenes (well, up to a reasonable point, anyway-don't expect names of new signings until they're announced or complex financial details, naturally). This openness from team management is very rare in British hockey, unless it's a PR initiative or yet another request for some of your hard-earned cash (I can hear Blaze and Panthers fans at least sighing in agreement) and seems to me to be an excellent idea. Obviously a lot of the content is more of interest to Bison fans than anyone else, but the very fact that there is an owner out there who is willing to tell people just what is going on with their team rather than stay silent and allow rumour, hearsay and "privileged insiders" (read: sponsors) to create an "I know something you don't know" culture of fan one-upmanship is very positive indeed, and a lot of clubs in the EIHL (and indeed the league themselves) could learn from the Bison example.

Michael Tasker retires this weekend: The press release says, and I quote...
With a proud career spanning over 16 years, British forward Michael Tasker has taken the decision to retire following the Mobilx Vipers v Coors Belfast Giants bmibaby Elite League clash on Sunday 22nd October 2006....
Oh, wait. Sorry. That was last time he retired, only to sign back in Coventry less than a month later. The press release this time is in full here. And we're only two years further down the line. Needless to say there won't be many Vipers fans wishing him a fond goodbye this time round...and I assume it would be far too cynical of me to say that his last game at the Skydome just happens to involve Hull as the opposition-traditionally a game which many home fans give a miss. Now the Blaze are all but guaranteed a sellout...

For the record, though...good luck, Task-and thanks for your service at the Blaze...

And that's your lot...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Only in Dreams...

So today, I'm doing my nightly trawl of the forums (although I started it slightly later than usual) and saw the intriguing topic of "if you could have one player from the rest of the EIHL, who would it be?" on one of the Elite League ones...


Naturally, I thought this wasn't enough. So I shall allow myself one player from each team on my fantasy roster. Positions no object-simply my favourite player from each EIHL team-along with reasons why...


Basingstoke: Danny Stewart: The "other" Danny is a real find. Fast, feisty and surprisingly powerful for a smallish winger, the #79 is a penalty-killing, goalscoring, soft-handed, irritating little demon of a player. Shorthanders are his specialty, and he seems to cover every inch of the ice on an average evening. Steve Thornton gets the headlines, but Stewart should get the praise and the first new contract-this 22-year-old has the potential to become a British hockey legend.


Belfast: Roman Gavalier: Every team needs a d-man who simply thinks "they ain't scoring on my shift". Gavalier lives and dies by this motto-he doesn't fly around the ice trying to win the game on his own, nor does he try and smash the plexi with every check. But my, is he a pleasure to watch, just for his effort-you'd need to remove his limbs one by one to prevent him trying to chase his forward down, and even then he'd drag himself along, yelling "It's just a flesh wound!". In a team full of players all trying to prove they're the biggest dog offensively (Ed Courtenay, I'm looking at you in particular), the Slovak is happy to be a yappy little defensive terrier, nipping the ankles of any opposition forward with the puck hard and often for sixty minutes a night. Take your place on the blue-line...


Cardiff: Brad Voth: What?! The Canadian everyone loves to hate is the glue that holds the Devils together. Mess with a skilled forward? Voth'll be there in seconds to "have a word". Need someone to do the dirty work screening the goalie? 6'5 and 235lbs of Alberta-bred muscle is pretty good for that job. What about a captain who'll stretch every sinew for the cause? Voth'll do that too, night after night. Cardiff aren't the same team without him in the line-up. And for that reason alone, he makes the list.


Coventry: Sylvain Cloutier: Anyone who knows me will be wide-eyed, wondering why Curtis Huppe isn't in this spot. It's simple-he isn't Sylvain Cloutier. On any other team, Huppe would be the pick, but he has the misfortune to be on the same team as the greatest grinding centre (and possibly the best centre ever) to take the Skydome ice. Clouts is 6' and 195lbs of pure class. He can hit, he can create, he can defend, he can irritate, and he can score. Often he does all five on the same shift. The Quebecer's intensity was shown to perfection against Romford this season in a challenge game, after Andrej Sporina unwisely tried to rattle the young players with some stickwork. The Blaze captain watched and waited until Sporina got the puck and tried to take him on...Wallop. Perfectly cleanly, the offending Raider was almost knocked right out of his skates...and the message got through. Mess with any Blaze player, and you mess with me. And that, to me, is a flawless example of the way a captain should be.


Edinburgh: Colin Hemingway: Speed and goals. Two qualities which the Caps need desperately in order to be successful playing their game in this league. Hemingway provides both, and is a class above anyone else wearing the shirt when he's on form...Oh...and he's scored over a quarter of the Caps' goals this season by himself.



Hull: Stevie Lee: Watch him hit, pass, buzz around the ice like a mosquito on the skin of the opposition, never back away from bigger, stronger players, and become one of the brightest stars of the Stingrays' season and a darling of the Humberside crowd. Or bear in mind he took on Brad Voth, and forced the Cardiff giant to back away. Realise that he is already one of the best British dmen in the league despite being on a team which regularly faces the full force of opposition attacks for sixty minutes a game with very little respite, and that he is one of the major pieces of that defence, more so thanks to Hull's injury woes. Then remember the most amazing fact of all...he's doing this at an age where he can't even legally buy the man-of-the-match beer yet. I think that merits a place in the squad, don't you?



Manchester: Joe Tallari: Some will pick the craft and guile of Tony Hand. Some the brute force and dominating presence of Brett Clouthier. And some the silky skating and timely blue-line bullet goals of Simon Mangos (the poor man's Neal Martin). But if you're picking the most important player to his team in the league, then you'd have to go a long way to pass the Thunder Bay, Ontario native. As Joe Tallari goes, so go the Phoenix. As for my reasons for including him among my favourites...there are 34 of them this season, five more than the much-more-heralded "king of snipers" Adam Calder, who is his next challenger in the scoring race. Make that 34 and counting...

Newcastle: Colin Shields: The velvet glove of goals which covers the steel fist of the Vipers, Shields is a player you love to hate unless he's on your side. Almost invisible for long periods amongst the blood and thunder of Andre Payette, Derek Campbell et al, Shields is the silent force behind the Geordies' attacking play...And when all that crashing and banging subsides with the puck in your team's net, you can be sure that Shields had a hand in putting it there...

Nottingham: Sean McAslan: Combined with Johan Molin, he provides the Panthers' goalscoring claws. One of the few players in the league who I am always looking for when the puck is in the Blaze zone-just in case the worst happens and he gets it on his stick with a little space and a glimpse of the net behind Trevor Koenig. In that case, there's a good chance a goal will follow soon after. If you're scared of an opposition player every time he gets the puck, then he's doing something well. And in the Panthers' captain's case, scoring goals is something he does very well indeed.

Sheffield: Rod Sarich: A d-man who is equally at home in either zone, Sarich has a slapshot many dmen would kill for, the eyes of a bird of prey and the speed and elusiveness of a gazelle, as well as the killer instinct of a jungle cat when given time to pick his spot from the blue. Neal Martin may take all the praise, but Sarich is almost as good-and his best years are still to come.

There you go. Feel free to comment if I've missed a glaringly obvious player from any team who would be better...and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

On Arrogance and Money II...

Ever since I started writing this, one of the things that has impressed me the most are the thoughtful comments seen from those who read-there are clearly some very knowledgeable and erudite hockey fans out there, and many an article here has come from a comment either on a forum or from here-the latest gem of a comment, in response to this post, comes from Becky, and takes issue with my mentioning Manchester fans as the most tolerant...

Manchester fans hit the panic button incredibly quickly earlier in the season but are now content to sit back and bitch, whinge and moan. I guess they know changes are unlikely and would probably be harmful because of the budget but there's no end to the negativity in our fan-base, even when we win.KC was the target of a witch hunt for a while and finally went. Cloots and MacMillan have also been slated and Tony's always being told to hang his skates up.

This did surprise me-Brett Clouthier in particular has been impressive for Manchester when I've seen him-there are few better in the league at screening the goalie, especially on the powerplay...

However, Becky then really set me thinking with this point...especially as I support a "big-budget" club...

I think that money means you can and do make changes and smaller budgets work with what they've got. I guess if that's the way you deal with it, it's what the fans will come to expect rather than arrogance driving a constant need to win. That doesn't mean that doesn't grow as fans get used to it tho ;)

I find this interesting-I remember the first BNL season in Coventry, where the team started like an absolute house on fire and Coventry as a city went mad-after all, it's not like we as a sports city have a history of winning, unless you watch speedway...However, when it all went wrong due to injuries, there wasn't anywhere near the reaction that occurs today if things go off course slightly...or indeed in the season after the treble year...So can we say that winning breeds arrogance, money is to blame or is it just healthy expectation rather than the more negative emotion of arrogance?

This issue was further brought into sharp focus by the news that Sheffield have placed their entire team on two week's notice, despite having a season which many teams in the league would kill for (second in the league, Challenge Cup finalists, etc, etc). The Steelers fans are also criticising their team to a seemingly ludicrous degree on forums recently. Sheffield has always been a demanding place to play thanks to the standards set by the powerhouse teams of the late 90's and early 00's, but even so, chopping or attacking a team for being second best in Britain seems a little harsh even for them...

Compare this with Basingstoke fans, who are proud of their team and their effort despite the problems this season, or Cardiff fans-who still roar their team on whatever the result, or even the injuries. Or Isle of Wight Raiders fans, who turn up despite their side likely suffering defeat against far superior budgets and players in the EPL every week.

Admittedly, of the above teams you could argue that only Cardiff have a genuine history (recently at least) of success, but even so...all teams apart from Coventry (in the Skydome era) have suffered some hardship-does this mean that the only way for the Coventry (or Sheffield, or any) crowd to truly appreciate the successes of their team is to suffer catastrophic failure in the future?

I know I'm only asking questions rather than coming up with constructive answers-but I'd love to know whether there genuinely is a divide between "big budget" and "small budget" teams, not just on the ice (which is fairly obvious at times, although thankfully it's getting smaller in the EIHL) but on the ice, in the way their fans are perceived. Are Coventry, Sheffield, Nottingham fanbases arrogant for expecting their big budgets to carry the day? If you're a fan of a smaller club, do you feel bigger clubs look down upon you? Certainly this was a complaint of Newcastle as they sped to the playoff title in the first EIHL season...

Food for thought as you munch on your period-break hot-dog...I have a feeling that thinking about this will leave me with more to say on this subject....

...perhaps even tomorrow. :)

Keep checking back, keep making those insightful and thought-provoking comments, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...