Preseason Round the Rinks...

Hi all.

This was going to be a straight weekend preview with a brief look at each team playing and their matches, but events, as seems to be usual in British hockey, have overtaken us.

Basingstoke Bison need 30k by Sunday, or they're out of business. This is thanks to a snowball effect from the Zoom Airlines bankruptcy-the ins and outs of this are covered elsewhere but the maths are simple. Ways to donate, should you wish to, are on the main Bison site. The Breakaway has banged £20 in...let's hope that the Bison get the same miracle that Telford did just a few days ago.

On to the quick One-Minute Preseason Preview

Preseason action sees Coventry take on Newcastle in their traditional pair of (un) friendlies, which gives Carlyle Lewis and Andre Payette an early chance to get re-acquainted-and also, should they make it over in time, Tyler Willis and Chris McAllister the chance to impress. Although it's pre-season, given past meetings we can expect neither team to be holding back on the physical side of things...

Meanwhile, Hull take on Sheffield in the Yorkshire Cup. This gives the Steelers the chance to prove early that all the talk about "team toughness" is not just empty promise as they take on the team who many see as inheriting Newcastle's "toughest in the league" mantle-and Hull the chance to prove that there's skill to go along with the undoubted brawn. The rest of the league will certainly be watching both teams closely...

Belfast tune up with a pair of games against the Irish Hockey League Dundalk Bulls as they look to hit the ground running, while Manchester are giving themselves an early sight of two opponents as opposed to one, taking on Cardiff and Nottingham in the latter two teams' only games of the weekend.

Obviously these games, in the grand scheme of things, are little more than tune-ups, but with the league being what it is this is the time for messages to be sent, stalls to be laid out and new imports looking to impress their new fans, they'll still be worth watching-and teams and fans all around the league will surely be keeping a close eye on all the events of the weekend. I certainly will, as well as the situation in Hampshire...Monday will see a review of events and maybe even a match report of Blaze v Vipers if things get particularly tasty...

Good luck Bison, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Game On...

And so we're now officially off and running in the new season...and here is a brief stream-of-consciousness reflection on the events of last night at the Skydome.

Goal of the night: Sylvain Deschatelets: And it took the epic time of...seventeen seconds. Opening face-off, puck back to Ben O'Connor, skate, pass to Calder, dumped round the boards after a bit of passing back and forth, Carlson to Deschatelets on the left circle, followed by a nonchanlant flick (well, that was the impression, even though the puck was travelling as it went over Euan King's shoulder) and there you go-the Blaze Skydome account 08/09 is opened...

Applause-worthy moment: Stephen Lee firing a beauty of a slapshot past Steve Fone from the blue-line-not quite goal of the night but a fine strike in its own right.

God, the referee's new suits are ugly...there's no photos as yet but just have a gander over the weekend. Kappa tracksuits for the EIHL era...

Comedy moment: Puck crosses the GB zone, is received by the defenceman (who wore number 22-annoyingly there were no names on the back of the majority of the GB shirts so I couldn't remember who was who). As he curls round to receive the puck he's met by the sight of 6'3 and 235lbs of Canadian in the shape of Carlyle Lewis, moving at great speed towards him and about ten feet away, yelling "heads up!". Reason prevailed as Lewis both eased off and pulled out of the hit so no contact was made, but the yell of "go and change your pants, 22" as he left the ice for a line change seconds later pretty much summed up the youngster's reaction-if the look on his face was any judge then the boards narrowly missed being jet-washed with the contents of his rapidly-evacuating bowels...


Bravery Award: Bowns (again, I didn't catch his first name thanks to being in a bit late and not having a game sheet) marking his arrival in the game by taking a stinging Kelman slapshot full (as in "nosebreakingly full") on the mask, before doing it again from Weaver seconds later, and smiling ruefully each time. Well, they say goalies are a little "different" to the rest of us...Or Sam Oakford for a cheeky (and quite nasty) slash on Lewis' legs in the third period. He'd managed to somehow melt into the ice when Lewis took a casual look over his shoulder and grinned, though.

For the record, the final score was 6-2. As for judging the Blaze team-let's save the "first impressions" thing until after the weekend-the Blaze looked like they were playing well, well within themselves-and the U20's, while playing hard and no disrespect to them, were brushed aside with very little fuss.

More pluggery: The British hockey web community has two new additions...both Manchester way. The Phoenix Podcast and the Pyre look like two more excellent sources of opinion, debate and general hockey writing..particularly the Pyre's latest post on the wagecap issue, .so feel free to visit them now they're duly linked on the sidebar...

That's the quickie done for now...tomorrow morning it'll be time for Preseason Round the Rinks...

Last Night...

Well, technically the hockey season has already started with Sheffield Steelers losing 7-5 to Bietigheim-Bissingen in the LUK Cup, but this is the last day of the off-season in Coventry...there will be at least one Blaze game every week until April now. And at this time, it's even more saddening to learn of the troubles in Telford caused by Eurologix pulling out of their sponsorship. There's a bitter row going on down there at the moment-you'd have to look at the Tigers forum or THF in order to see the ins and outs, but let's just say it doesn't look good despite the heroic efforts of hockey fans across the country attempting to raise 20,000 pounds just so the Tigers can start the season, never mind finish it...

This is a very quick post, but there are some considerably longer (and better quality) ones out there you ought to be reading this week-the links are below......

Five Minute Major's superb season preview...

The Cat's Whiskers goes team-by-team for the season...

Four Point Four Seconds takes a look at events across the pond...

And, for all you amateur scouts...

The F Block ponders the Stingray lines...

While the Snow Plough considers the 4-ref system, which quite frankly I'm not going near just now because you can guarantee that, whatever prediction I make, the complete opposite will turn out to be the case. Actually, bearing that in mind...

IT'S A COMPLETE DISASTER! EGOS WILL RULE AND GAMES WILL DESCEND INTO FARCE, AND BONIFACE AND CARSON ON THE SAME ICE WILL LEAD TO THE END OF THE HOCKEY WORLD AS WE KNOW IT! DEATH, DESTRUCTION AND ANDREW SHARP WILL REIGN AND BRAD VOTH WILL UNLEASH HIS EVIL ON THE WORLD! AYEEE! WE'RE DOOMED! Particularly if the Steelers and/or Panthers are involved...

That's the system guaranteed to work now, then...:)

I know this is a short one, but that's about it...apart from the little number down in the corner of the sidebar, which has now passed 10,000, and made me very happy indeed, since I wasn't thinking I'd get that far until at least next season, if at all. So thank you, readers...

Next post on here will be a report of GB U20's v the Blaze, followed by the first Round the Rinks of 2008/2009 as we consider the pre-season match-ups... It's been far too long...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

PW's Spanking New Season Preview!

As promised, and following a tradition of...oh, three years from the EIHL forum and the Dragon's Den Blaze forum, here is the only season preview you'll ever need...every EIHL team dissected, rated and even having a song lyric applied to them. And you may even get Bubba Ray the Texan weighing in on one or two this time. And one rude word, kiddies...What more could you ask for? :)

Off and running, then...

Basingstoke Bison:
"Every single day what you say makes no sense to me
Even though I try I can't get my head around you"
The Offspring: Can't Get My Head Around You

I've been trying to work this team out all summer. Last season the exploits of theTerrific Ten became EIHL legend, but losing Steve Thornton over the summer along with half of their key players (Greg Owen being the most notable one as he left for France) spelled trouble for the Hampshire side. And then their recruitment policy over the summer-it's confusing because, apart from the returning Brad Cruikshank, Eric Braff and Greg Chambers, the team consists of players that provoke the reaction "he could be awesome, or he could be awful". Nowhere is this more true than in the case of Jeremy Cornish-the ex-Steelers and Racer forward who can do a job but isn't exactly overly blessed in the skills department. However, the backline looks intimidating, with every player being six-foot plus and the monster pairing of Eric Braff and Jason Goulet to ensure that Kevin Reiter will always see the puck-and by all accounts this means he WILL stop it. This team could finish anywhere from fourth to tenth depending on their new imports and just how well they mesh-but the signs, like last season, are promising. Unlike last season, however, they have proper owners this time. And that's yet another reason to be optimistic down south...
Most Valuable Player: Greg Chambers
Player to watch: Austin Sutter/Jason Goulet
Unsung Hero: Eric Braff

Belfast Giants:

"There is only one thing on our minds
Don't try running away 'cause you're the one we will find....
Searching...seek and destroy..."
Metallica: "Seek And Destroy"

The Giants want the title. Such is clear from new coach Steve Thornton's recruitment over the summer, with imports like the scarily good Mike Burgoyne and Taylor Howells on d feeding the goalscoring skill of Evan Cheverie, Paul Deniset, and Thornton himself. Grit and power is provided by Bobby Robins, George Awada and Malcolm McMillan, while Stevie Lyle, Dave Phillips and Colin Shields form possibly the best Brit-pack in the league. Let's be honest-they're way up in the title race reckoning. If they had a quality import goalie, then I'd have no hesitation in tipping them for the title. Thing is, Lyle is beatable, especially by the calibre of forwards the other top teams have, and the Giants have a history of imploding when favourites and starting slowly sometimes in the past few years. Can they win a trophy this season? Yes, easily. Will they win the league one? That is not so sure...
Player to watch: Taylor Howells
Unsung Hero: George Awada
Most Valuable Player: Mike Burgoyne

Cardiff Devils:
"Don't wait, don't wait
The lights will flash and fade away
The days will pass you by
Don't wait"
Dashboard Confessional: "Don't Wait"

This is the season the Devils need to play hard and win something. The pieces are in place-they have size, skill and ability despite losing Deschatelets and Birbraer to name but two. Brad Voth is the best captain in the EIHL for leading by example, and the expectation on the Devils may be a little lower than in previous years due to these losses and the players they've signed mostly being new and unknown to the country. Peter Aubry is a decent goalie, the defence is HUGE, with only one player (Jason Stone) being under 6' and the lightest weighing 198lbs, and the forward lines have grit aplenty in Voth, Derek Campbell and Mike Prpich and skill in Rod Hinks and Jason Silverthorn. A trophy is a definite possibility, particularly if the Devils can take advantage of their small rink...
Key Player: Rod Hinks
Player to Watch: Mike Prpich
Unsung Hero: Jason Stone

Coventry Blaze:
"I've heard this all before, and I've seen this over and over again. Don't let me wake."
Bleeding Through: "On Wings of Lead"

The Blaze fans have been spoiled the past few seasons, there's no doubt about that. Players like Martin, Huppe and Cloutier have scored the goals while players like Trevor Koenig and Jody Lehman have stopped them, and the trophies have rolled in.
Trouble is, what goes up must come down, and this could be the season that the dreams finally end. Koenig is gone. Cloutier is gone. Martin is gone, Huppe is gone, and the players that have replaced them have massive skates to fill. Sylvain Deschatelets is a superb signing to replace Cloutier, but the jury is not so sure about JF Perras or Corey Leclair just yet. Scott Kelman has a reputation from the ECHL of having all the talent but little of the work-rate, and this will have to change or be proved dramatically wrong, especially as the whole league is now aware of the danger of AC/DC and so others will have to share the scoring load as teams actively look to shut the "Electric Twins" down...As for Corey Leclair-well, we know he can skate...Perras is a good goalie as he proved with Edinburgh last season, but with Leigh Jamieson (questions about his ego) and Ben O'Connor (very good, but inexperienced) in front of him, once again there are a few niggling worries about the back line. But then, there were last season too, and look how that turned out...
Key Player: Sylvain Deschatelets
Player to Watch: Corey LeClair
Unsung Hero: Tom Watkins

Edinburgh Capitals:
"Don’t hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don’t need your help now..."
Rise Against: "Prayer of the Refugee"

The Capitals, once again, are a tricky team to preview because half their team isn't yet known. What they have so far, though, is promising. From the league whipping-boys along with Hull to a deserved playoff place last season is a very good start, and already this off-season Doug Christiansen has made some intriguing signings, mainly on defence in the shape of Taylor Christie and attack in the form of my new EIHL favourite player, Mark Hurtubise. Andrej Rajcak returns to provide some Eastern European flair to the side, but quite frankly it's impossible to say much more about them due to the lack of a starting goalie or a genuine first line. This is the only reason I'm predicting they finish bottom at the moment. However, in Doug Christiansen they have a coach and power-forward who knows his business and has already returned pride back to the Capitals after a rocky start to their EIHL life-and this season should see further improvement. Certainly no-one can laugh at the Caps any more...
Key player: Doug Christiansen
Player to watch: Taylor Christie
Unsung Hero: Shawn Germain

Hull Stingrays
"Prepare to hate me, fall when I may
This night will hurt you like never before"
Nightwish: "Wish I Had An Angel"

Game on on Humberside. After the abject capitulation of last season, the Stingrays have gone for raw, unadulterated power sprinkled with a hint of violence for their squad this season. Jonathan Bernier, Stuart Kerr and Rick Kozak can all throw a mean punch, and human irritant Jake Riddle is still around, free to do his thing as he tries to take the mantle of most-hated player in the league off Andre Payette. Steve Slonina, Pavel Gomenyuk and Matt Reynolds make token nods towards skill as well as Kozak's undoubted ability to play (have you sussed yet that I think Rick Kozak will be the star on this team by a fair distance?), while Troy Neumeier provides a calm, experienced head at the back to rein in the hotheads, but this team doesn't care who they roll over along the way, as long as the puck hits the net at the right end more often than the wrong one. A poor-mans Newcastle, if you will. Well, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...
Key Player: Rick Kozak
Player to Watch: Jonathan Bernier
Unsung Hero: Troy Neumeier

Manchester Phoenix
"We are, we are, intriguing. We are, we are, desirable."
Dashboard Confessional: "Several Ways To Die Trying"

I like the Phoenix. I make no secret of this, even if their ticket prices are probably a little too high. Tony Hand has made this another interesting off-season, making one huge signing in proven scorer David Beauregard to replace Joe Tallari (and it will be a "beautiful view" for Phoenix fans if he keeps scoring at the same rate he has done), and many interesting ones, such as Dwight Parrish to play the "old-head" role and Kyle Bruce to be around along with Brett Clouthier when any gloves need to be dropped, as well as Stephen Murphy in goal. I do think this is a team which will surprise many, and can hope to be towards the higher reaches of the table. How high depends on just how well the defence protect Murphy in goal, because he looks a little weak when compared to most other EIHL netties. The high prices may well be worth it if a trophy comes to Altrincham, though...
Key Player: David Beauregard
Player to watch: Kyle Bruce
Unsung Hero: Brett Clouthier

Newcastle Vipers
"Raise a flag of hope, that there is a brilliant tomorrow."
Small Towns Burn a Little Slower: "A Tune of Panic"

Every year, there's one team that no-one seriously counts for honours at the beginning of the season that I look at and think "why is no-one mentioning this team as title-contenders?!" Usually, it's Nottingham, or Cardiff, but this time out they take a back seat to our Northern friends from Newcastle. This time out there is real hope on Tyneside-they appear to have already signed the league's best goalie by some distance in Andrew Verner, who, with Chris McAllister and Tyler Willis in front of him could play a huge part in deciding where the title ends up. That's not forgetting that the Vipers, who have always been a team built more on power than finesse, still have Derek Campbell, Dave Longstaff and Andre Payette already signed for a mix of grit and skill, and a first-line centre still to add. They're looking good already so things can only get better for them...The Vipers are my tip for at least one honour this season...
Key Player: Andrew Verner
Player to Watch: Tyler Willis
Unsung Hero: Derek Campbell

Nottingham Panthers:
"It's 7 o'clock on a Saturday night and I'm so fucking bored
Okay, steady, get ready
everybody gets to shoot"
Dropkick Murphys: 21-Guitar Salute

Panthers fans are tired. Tired of being second-best, tired of endlessly reflecting on cup wins that get further away every year, and tired of watching teams promise much and under-achieve. And so, this season, they've finally, finally signed a team that look like it could challenge for the title. But the similarities between the Panthers and the Blaze this season are scary. Two teams with defensive question-marks, two teams with two outright star player in their ranks (Coventry with Adam Calder and Dan Carlson, Nottingham with Dan Tessier and Bruce Richardson) and two sets of fans who expect the best, night in, night out. Quite frankly, the Panthers could come anywhere between second and seventh this time out...But put it this way. You know a team is loaded with forward talent when Dave Clarke can only find a spot as "Unsung Hero" in a season preview...
Key Player: Dan Tessier
Player to Watch: Bruce Richardson
Unsung Hero: David Clarke

Sheffield Steelers:
"I don't care how things were and I won't apologize."
Alexisonfire: "Pulmonary Archery"

The Steelers are a team who are already settled-"evolution, not revolution" has been Dave Matsos' mantra. Adding Nathan Gillies, Andrew Sharp and Scott Basiuk as the only newbies means that we know exactly what the Steelers are about. Losing Dan Tessier to Nottingham could be a blow, but the Steelers aren't looking worried, at least in public. They will need Steve Munn to repeat his epic season of last time out, Joey Talbot to do the same, and everyone to stand up for each other, but there's nothing saying that the playoff-winners last time out can't repeat their success, especially if Gillies slots into the team and provides the same kick that Tessier did...
Key Player: Joey Talbot/Steve Munn
Player to Watch: Nathan Gillies
Unsung Hero: Ryan Finnerty.

That's it. Every team previewed, rated and slated. I've held him back all column but maybe it's time, on the eve of the new season, and with preseason games beginning in Sheffield today, to let Bubba Ray out for the last word...

"Heee-yah, sports fans! Get the fire-brigade on speed-dial, warn the emergency rooms and prepare to scream until your throats get sore, cause EIHL action is back on the ice and in your face, and it's gonna be the most rockin' sockin', barn burnin', screamin' and hollerin' season of the EIHL yet! Whichever team you support, the wait is over, so good luck to 'em all, grab your sticks and gloves, pull on your replica shirts and LET'S PLAY HOCKEY!"

The summer wait's over. Forget football, the true winter sport is back!

Hockey's Back...and more...

Yee-HAH, cowboy!

Lock the doggie in the barn, pack the kids off to your mothers and settle in for a rollercoaster from now until April, cause it's wetter outside than a horny dolphin's undercarriage, and the sweet winter sound of a well-struck slapshot is back in the rinks of the UK. As Lemmy says before every Skydome face-off, it's time to play the GAAAAAAAMMMME!

Sorry. I was temporarily taken over by the malevolent spirit of an American commentator then...I do apologise. However, he (let's call him Bubba Ray) will likely be making regular appearances in this column from now on when nothing but the rantings of an over-excited Texan will do. Call it releasing my inner Dave Simms. Only without the naffness.

The point made above is a good one, though...here in Coventry, hockey is officially back with the ENL team's first warm-up game yesterday-which saw a good crowd of people, mainly there to see the brand-new Blaze shirts for the first time. The hockey wasn't bad though, with a nice goal from Tom Ledgard being the highlight of the night, and gave a nice appetite-wetter for when the big boys hit the ice in, believe it or not, nine days.

Which (swift plug here) must mean that it'll shortly be time for the all-singing, all-dancing PW's Season Preview, which is currently being worked on with me scouring the Internet for clues on past form of players and my record collection for song-lyrics to fit to teams, and should hopefully appear on Saturday. I am fully aware that I've not been on here for a week, though, and there is much to cover, so let's begin.

Anyone know a good first-line centre?: Sorry, Panthers blog friends, but few things have amused me more this week than Chris Richards deciding he'd rather stay in the US. Given that it's not Bruce Richardson, who I see as far more crucial to the Panthers' success this season, I'm not sure hugely why this is such an issue, especially with Matt Myers, Molin, Dave Clarke et al, especially with Dan Tessier still on the market. After all, as I said earlier on this off-season, the lad can sure play...And it could be worse...

Steelers sign Andrew Sharp: No, stop laughing. Seriously. The team who claim that they "were as tough as anyone and would win games on the PP while others gooned it up" (paraphrasing Dave Matsos) have signed...erm...a player who is known for firing the pucks at others in warm-up, fighting and...that's about it.

Oh, all right then...have a giggle. But don't push it, Panthers fans...you're the ones who'll have to suffer the laughter of the rest of the league should he score past you and there be a 15-page thread on the Cage about him...

I would write more about the fact that Sharpy's entire Coventry career consisted of one shift, one fight against Jeremy Cornish (which he lost) and the fact that he has actually stuck his own fights on Youtube...but quite frankly, I don't want to get on the wrong side of him because fighting, and throwing punches, is one thing he clearly can do...this'll be why the Romford fans loved him...

Off-Ice Innovation: Coventry are launching an online ticketing service through their own website. Now this is a superb idea, and the rest of the league, have they not already done so, would do well to follow suit...

Random Hockey Video: Just to get you in the mood...awesome soundtrack too...

That's all for now-mammoth season preview to come on Saturday...

Friday Frolics...

More hockey fun to come-this post is mainly taken up with responses to comments etc...but the fun continues thanks to the reader ideas, and there's some new stuff in there too...



Boys Like Girls: A gold star to Kid in his last comment for referencing one of my favourite sports writers in ESPN's Bill Simmons, particularly his reference to the latter's "Lindsey Hunter All-Stars" which is basically a team of athletes whose names sound a little like they should be hot girls. The original, containing American athletes, is on this page, but Kid asks if we could make an all-EIHL version. I've had to stretch it a little to contain people who've played in the old Superleague, but there are many still in the league this season-in fact almost a whole line...



Goalie: Jody Lehman (Sheffield): Cardiff fans everywhere will applaud this after their invention of the "Jody is a girl's name" chant when he played for Coventry. Sounds like he should be a nurse on Grey's Anatomy, to my ears...



Defence: Taylor Christie (Edinburgh) (C): As the first person to catch my eye as an obvious member of this team, he has to be captain...



Leigh Jamieson (Coventry): A bit more left-field, perhaps, but there's a sniff of Midwestern college-girl or perhaps American track-and-field athlete/soccer player in there...



Taylor Howells (Belfast): Nickelodeon series ahoy!



Blair Scott: (ex-Bracknell and Cardiff): Just because.



Forwards:

Corey Spring: (ex-Manchester): Is it me or does this name just scream "porn-star" if applied to a woman?



Jade Galbraith (Nottingham): The easiest inclusion on this list-by far. You can just see the fictional Jade being involved in some sort of blockbuster movie. Either that or a long career as the resident totty in an Australian soap. Or Sunset Beach.



That's about all I can think of for now, though. Probably missed a few glaring ones (Corey LeClair came close to making the cut apart from having too many Coreys and d-men in the team)...Feel free to add your own...



Richardson Rules!: Yotes asks me if I really think Bruce Richardson will be better than Chris Richards. Simple answer is...yes. Mainly because, while Chris Richards has impressive stats, they've all been at CHL level. Richardson, on the other hand, has been around the AHL, ECHL and is equally experienced. He reminds me more of a Tessier-type player than Chris Richards and, particularly if placed with Johan Molin and Jade Galbraith, will rack up the points as he's consistently had stats far more akin to those of a creator than a scorer. He may not score as many as Richards, but I reckon he'll set more up...

Run for the Hills!: Following on from Five Minute Major's post on The All-Scary Line, there's a new addition in Phoenix's latest signing, Luke Fulghum. He looks a very good player, but Jesus, look at that facial hair! And just because I will not pass up any opportunity to ridicule the white-gloved pansy that is Marek Ivan-imagine your daughter bringing this zombie home. Worst haircut-and-zombie-stare combo ever...

Big Trouble in Little Belfast: The Giants have new owners after previous owner Jim Yaworski (he of the NHL contacts)...erm...failed to give them any money for three years. Ouch. From the official site...

Despite an announcement three seasons ago that Canadian businessman Jim Yaworski had invested a significant sum of money to secure the future of the Giants in Belfast, the money never materialized. After three years of waiting, Gillespie and the Giants had to look elsewhere, with a strong preference for participation by the local Northern Ireland business community.

Not that I'm one to start rumours, but just how much money have the Giants got now, especially as one man (Jim Gillespie) has effectively kept them running by himself for three seasons-and just how stable are they?

I know that's just a few tidbits for a Friday, but hey-even hockey bloggers are allowed a little time off in the off-season. :)

Back to Hockey,...

At the request of Kid and no dount many others-we now return to the hockey...

With rosters finalised (or nearly so-Sheffield are now already looking askance at their roster given their definition of "team toughness" appears to be "let Ryan Finnerty get pounded into the ice every time he tries to stand up for ANOTHER team-mate smeared all over the plexi. Or feed Steve Munn raw meat and growth hormone until the season starts"...I never thought I'd say this but it appears the only time you're guaranteed NOT to see a fight at a game this season will be when the Steelers play the Panthers. The thing with that rivalry is that this could be the first season both sets of fans start whining that the referees don't protect them at the same time, and don't slag off the other) it's time to look at the one signing for each team thus far that has made me think "hmm...he could be worth watching on his own", or, to put it another way...if you HAD to go to a game based solely on wanting to see one player on the ice, this is who it would be in my case.

Basingstoke: Austin Sutter (F): You thought I'd pick Cornish, didn't you? He's just the comedy sideshow, though. Sutter is the one-a diamond in the rough from the CHL. And if you're sat there scoffing because he's an unknown from the Central Hockey League-well, a certain EIHL favourite called Adam Calder came from the same league, and he's not done too badly...

Belfast: Mike Burgoyne (D): Oh, pants. This guy is good. Neal Martin with three more inches and ten more lbs. 38 goals from the blue line in the last two seasons, and 116 points? In a tesm full of signings that make you go "hmmm...." (Cheverie, Howells, Deniset, Robins) the ex-OC Blazer still stands out. For comparison, in a similar-standard EIHL in the last two seasons, Neal Martin got himself 18 goals and 66 assists. Bolts from the Belfast blue-line ahoy...

Cardiff: Rod Hinks (C): Fast-skating, skilful, wily (at age 35) and proven quality in the EIHL after his stint with Newcastle. If they gel, Hinks and Silverthorn could be Carlson and Calder, with a Welsh accent. And don't forget the mountains of flesh on the Devils blue-line (Doug McIver especially) either...

Coventry: Sylvain Deschatelets (C/LW): I have a soft-spot for Deschatelets anyway, so I admit to a little bias. But this guy was the best player no-one noticed in the EIHL last year, by a long, long way. I haven't been this happy about a Blaze signing since...well, ever. He even just about trumps my joy on signing Curtis Huppe last season. And, considering I was widely considered to have a man-crush on the sharpshooting Manitoban while he was at Belfast, this is some feat.

Edinburgh: TBA: Let's be nice and say that, as yet, no-one they've signed has been "wow" good. Or close to it. About the nicest I can say is that if Taylor Christie doesn't make it in hockey, then he can always dress up in drag and become a troubled teen queen on the OC with a name like that...it even sounds like a character from Dawson's Creek or similar...

Hull: Rick Kozak: Unlike most of the club-wielding cavem...sorry, "physical" players who Strachan has signed this season, it appears Kozak has brains to go with his brawn. Goals appear when this guy's around, it seems. So does controversy, too. At least Hull, should they lose, will now go down fighting. Literally.

Manchester: David Beauregard (W): All you need to know about this gentleman is that in his last four pro-hockey seasons, he has scored 49, 41, 39 and 35 goals in the UHL. That's 164 goals, or 41 average a season. And 151 assists. That's average stats of 41+37. Pretty impressive, don't you think?

Then, bear this staggering fact in mind...he only has one eye! I defy you not to get excited by him now...

Newcastle: Tyler Willis (W): Chris McAllister has the brawn, Derek Campbell and Andre Payette have the mouth, but Willis, despite being the smallest of them all, has all three. And an AHL pedigree. If Danny Stewart (Blaze version) winds you up now, prepare to have a new target for pure hatred. Unless you're a Vipers fan, that is.

Nottingham: Bruce Richardson (C): Panthers fans-prepare to forget you ever thought Dan Tessier was the best centre you'd seen in a Panthers shirt in the EIHL era...

Sheffield: Nathan Gillies (C): Hm. Mike Peron, mark two. This is really, really not a bad thing. Especially if he has an equally ridiculous way of bouncing up and down when settling into face-offs. Or an irritating habit of scoring just when it would be most useful...

I accept this is relatively short, but with rosters finalised and less than a month to go to the start of the season, the countdown officially begins now...

Spinning Around

This is the last word on the PR debate so far this week-and for a while...the next post will go back to considering the hockey, including a quick breakdown of "best new signing" in the EIHL (one player allowed per team). But before that-and very quickly....

There has been much debate raised this week after my columns referring to all the PR suggestions etc and particularly "Right To Reply". You can definitely say that it was probably the most open attack on certain sections of the EIHL I've ever written, and occasioned a reaction from several clubs in the EIHL-most notably my own Coventry team in the person of Sally, with whom I've had extensive conversation via email and forum recently. Most of it is out there in public but some, for various reasons, isn't and won't be.

As as result of these and the comments she has left regarding my posts, I feel the need to state publicly that the Blaze have been nothing less than fully open in replying to my concerns/attacks aired both here and elsewhere. I am fully aware that them being my team hasn't meant they've got off lightly-in fact it's probably only Hull who've been more of a target-in their case due to the fact they were utterly dire on-ice and (in many Stingray fans' opinion) on the bench last season...

Anyway-simply put (and this may cause some of those from Coventry who read to fall over in astonishment)-I'm just putting on record that the highest praise is due to Sally and the Blaze in general for the way they've responded-I've gone after them with a will in the past but have to give full public credit here...if all clubs were willing to do the same with their fans (I'm talking to you, Nottingham in particular) then the hockey community would be far better.

(This doesn't mean they have a free pass now-but it's only fair to acknowledge when someone does something well, in the interests of a balanced blog)

Right. Serious bit over. Now back to taking the mickey out of Brad Voth's haircut, and ordering my Deschatelets replica...:)

Keep keeping your eye on the puck, people. Now we get back to the hockey!

Right To Reply...Reader's Edition. Plus a link or two.

Just to follow up on the "PR People must Die" epic-my single most commented-upon post with the princely total of four, by the way...a link/idea or two which are related..

Dan at Four Point Four Seconds laments the missed opportunities of EIHL playoff weekend...

Becky's reply to "PR People Must Die (read it in full by clicking on the comments tab below the post) contains this interesting statistic: a rough breakdown of season-ticket holders at the Phoenix which shows that families are not the biggest audience by a long way. In fact, she works out (taking u16's and 20-50 year olds as the groups most representative of a "family" that only a quarter of the audience can be considered that way, with 41% being in their late teens or (if we take half of the 20-30 age group as unmarrieds without children, nearly half of the crowd being in the 16-25 age group. Which begs the question, as Becky asks "why the obssession with families?" Doubtless someone will claim that the Phoenix are atypical, but let's be honest, if you go round the rinks of the UK nowadays, the phrase "wow, this crowd is full of families sat together" never enters your head. The only thing I can think of is that families are targeted mainly because they're the ones that have the most "pester power", and clubs find it better economically to have a thousand families who will spend 50 quid a season (often much more) on merchandise than 2000 young people who may only spend a tenner each.

Remember, these are not figures I've made up, but official figures used by the Manchester Phoenix in order to show their sponsors. So-the question is-why are clubs concentrating on a quarter of their market rather than nearly half-especially when those families are arguably going to come anyway?

Merchandise Mayhem: It has been said that I'm willing to criticise, but not come up with ideas. Well, OK then...leaving the in-game atmosphere/music etc well alone-here's a brief blueprint for the EIHL clubs:

Fan events are great-but they don't get newbies in. Advertising does that. As Dan says on Four Point Four Seconds, make your team a permanent presence. Forget the odd "Club x supports Council Initiative Y" PR's, laudable though they may be. They give a positive image but don't make people wonder "wow, what's that?". Posters on bus shelters or in town centres do, or. memorably, the huge picture of Johnathan Phillips which used to be draped over the side of the WNIR with "Home of Devils Hockey" or some such underneath it. Stands at season's beginning in the City Center, stalls at markets or fairs (eg Coventry's Godiva Festival) , and even people handing out free tickets in the City Centre-that works. Tie-ups with other local sports (you plug us, we'll plug you". Ticket deals with them. Deals at places where young people go-clubs and the like. Yes, it may mean that there's a little less champagne at the end of season do, but boy, do they work...and there's enough passionate people out there to staff the stands.
Radio ads. Expensive but they work-and don't just use city stations, use regional ones. Speculate to accumulate....

Then there's the shirts. Make them mean something-if you want more than just a home and away kit forget "Christmas" shirts or "Halloween" shirts. Retro (alternate) shirts are the way to go-you simply put in a league rule that you wear them (home and away) for half the games. games, home and away. You don't even have to have both teams wearing at the same time as long as the colours don't clash. All the teams in the EIHL have enough history to appeal to the nostalgia of longtime fans and the pockets of new ones, simply because the shirts are different. Then there's the extra money from those who have it to burn at the shirt auctions-as well as giving more people to own a (well-worn) gamer of their favourite player...

Basingstoke: Beavers design
Belfast: (possibly the dodgiest, but the first-season shirt, maybe)
Cardiff: (Rhapsody in Red)
Coventry: Solihull Blaze-all you need is to remove the "Coventry" from above the dragon. Imagine Adam Calder in this beauty.
Edinburgh: Murrayfield Racers. Enough said...
Hull: Humberside Seahawks. Kingston Jets. Hull Thunder. One of the most storied teams in British hockey? Spoilt for choice there...
Manchester: Return of the Storm!
Nottingham: 60 years? There's a shirt in there somewhere....
Newcastle: Cobras. Riverkings, Jesters. Even (dare I mention it) the Durham Wasps...tell me THOSE shirts wouldn't sell in the North East.
Sheffield: Jody Lehman wearing this? Squint and Nathan Gillies could be Ken Priestlay...

There you go-you combine nostalgia AND a nod to the past-and it means that some of the great teams in British hockey will return to the ice-at least in shirt form. It works in the NHL, so why not here?

We will return to on-ice matters soon...I promise..:)

Right to Reply....

It seems my last post has ruffled feathers at the Blaze, with people there accusing me of not responding to them but simply continuing to attack them on here, even though an email was sent twice AND a PM was sent on the Elite forum advising them of the fact. So I shall now put it on the blog for all to see, in a straight open letter, as an example of the club's side of the story when it comes to such things. Italics are the club email, responses are mine from the email that was sent...if this doesn't get seen, there's no hope for the Internet...

Hi,
Be warned-essay coming up. The character limit on the EIHL forum would have meant this message would have been several parts long, so I thought an email would be easier...There has been a lot of thought put into this reply and I shall be as honest as possible as that is one thing you've always been with me...

If there was indeed no dig in that post then I do apologise. However in a world where posts tend to be peppered with digs about the club or me where we are either "ramming down throats" or guilty of spin (even when what we're putting out is actually true) I do tend to believe there is a dig in most of them

Thanks-and fair enough-I get my fair share of digs from people too based on third-hand opinions of stuff that happenened a long time ago, and it winds me up the same way. There genuinely was and never has been no personal digs at you or anyone else within the club-as far as I'm concerned you do the best job you can (and I include everyone behind the cluib in this) and while I may (quite often) disagree with you on the best way to put on a hockey night, I don't dispute the effort put in by anyone either behind the scenes or on the matchinight team-I've seen it first-hand, remember..

Defending myself, the club and the unbelievable amount of hard work we do trying to please as many people as possible is, in my opinion, in fact not boring but my right to not have untruths, fiction and third hand rumours bandied about.

Hey-it happened to me-you should have heard some of the stuff I was told as fact. Did you know you were going to sue me for libel (after I pointed out on forums afte the much-ballyhooed Theo Fleury incident at the Skydome in 2006), I've got contacts in the Canadian press I used on purpose, and I openly threatened you with violence after a game? All things people have said I've done...

I genuinely wouldn't mind if you had any facts or reason for what you're talking about with regard to many of the things you comment on or believe. Despite the things you've had issues with in the past, that I have sat down, explained point by point why things are the way they are you still choose to not believe what i'm saying

I don't necessarily not believe it-I just question it-particularly as I'm getting told different things by people I'm friends with who've done things for the club in the past (and still do in various roles)-and the common theme is that there is a lot more emphasis on the commercial side of things then the hockey. Especially as I do firmly believe that the success over the past few seasons has meant that the atmosphere at the hockey has changed for the worse. Certainly it's not as fun for me even as 04/05

I have sat and listened to the opinions of more fans that I think you will ever believe and I have tried my damndest to please as many people as possible.

That I do not doubt. However, this was the case also in 04/05 and people still constantly mention that as the best year for atmosphere, music etc-and that year I will freely admit that I simply did my own thing up there-there was never any need to nick stuff from other teams, come up with gimmicks or whatever else-so I wonder if, as soon as people become aware that they're trying to please everyone and actively do so, the whole enjoyment goes out of it and it [I]does [/I] all seem forced-as I and seemingly others feel now. The fact that the sample on a forum of Blaze fans of all ages have gone for rock must count for something, however small it is-maybe it's time to stop trying so hard to please everyone through the presentation, just go for rock and let the game speak for itself-that's what I did....

We've tried to do more fan events, more stuff for kids, more season ticket benefits (launching monday) easier ways of booking tickets, different music (see other thread) gamenight ideas and a hundred other things that people have an opinion on.

And you'll notice that I've not been critical of them-I personally don't attend most of them through choice but I don't deny that they are much enjoyed by those that do...

When asked what people want to see on matchnights and people suggested player songs and dances etc you accused us of being "too choregraphed"

Only because they're now made up (this is a problem at several teams) or it's "quick, let's play a player's song/Fratellis after every goal"-or it's being initiated by the club rather than organically-e.g shouting of the players surnames at goals. I first saw this in Cologne and what was noticeable there was that there was no "when I say this, you shout" in it-it was something the fans had developed themselves.
What exactly do you want me to do. Play every single of your choices of songs.

That would be nice. But I'm fully aware it isn't going to happen. What I would say though (and again, this is coming from my experience up there) is that if you're doing the job you don't want to be feel restricted (as I did occasionally, but then, being a stubborn sod nine times out of ten I just stuck stuff on anyway)-tell James on Thursday "look-forget getting the crowd involved, forget not playing something because it's too cheesy or too heavy, forget creating an intro people can clap along to-just pick songs you like. Pick stuff that SOUNDS like it belongs at a hockey game". God knows he's got enough knowledge of hockey culture and enough experience doing the job to know what goes where. That's all I did-played songs I liked or thought belonged, when I liked. And hopefully you'll agree it worked pretty well.

[quote]Get rid of MOTD (even though we had lots of emails asking us to sotp playing music so they could do that - so we listened and thought we would try it) get rid of Fratellis - which was exactly what we wanted it to be when it started - a spontaneous pee-take at Panthers expense.[/quote]

Yes. Not because they weren't good, but because they've gone on too long-the moment's passed. It's stale.

[quote]And come up with new things - wouldn;t that make a matchnight "too choreographed" wouldn't we then be "ramming it down peoples throats" to do certain things at certain times?[/quote]

Play new songs. You don't have to come up with the dances etc. We never had to. And for hell's sake don't borrow from other teams even if it does work...that robs the Blaze of a unique identity. [quote]We're just asking for suggestions and people to start doing silly things. If people have ideas they think will work and ask us to stick a song on the box to give it a whirl of course we'll try it...whether it looks choreographed or not. Our fans have asked for it and we've listened.[/quote]

Honest opinion-no dig at you personally...It doesn't feel like it-at least musically. It feels like there's a lack of willingness to try anything risky or non-mainstream now in case it offends Mr and Mrs Smith and their kids in row C who've got used to the same songs in the same order. Even the goal song is years old, for heck's sake...

[quote]Something I really do try and spend time doing. Yet I don't think whatever I do or try and do it will be rignt with you.[/quote]

Honest question-does my opinion matter that much to you? Especially as you've clearly built up a view of me which goes contrary to everything you experienced in 04/05, based on one argument and me being portrayed as Public Enemy Number one and personally attacked on forums by people who don't know me from Adam-I have offered on many occasions to still be helpful but if even someone you've worked with and knows otherwise is attcking you and calling you bitter and negative in a public forum you tend to take it the wrong way. That hurt far more than you or anyone else realises. And so does the crap from people on the forum who've never me before also relying on third-hand rumours and stuff that happened four years ago...Especially as I don't think I've ever resorted to open personal attacks on any member of the organisation. I may have had a go at some of the changes or some of the press releases because I disagree with either the tone or the way things were handled (the fallout of the Fleury incident being one, the Challenge Cup controversy last season where the organisation went publicly after the Elite League etc beign another)... If I had, maybe I could understand some of the vitriol....If I don't like a song or a period-break entertainment I might go "oh, God" around my friends, but I'm still there watching the hockey, the 15 quid is still going into the coffers, and I still cheer when Blaze score.

[quote]Ask for suggestions because people want more rock - worked quite well, got lots of ideas.[/quote]

Fair point.

[quote]People start suggesting clappy songs, audience participation songs so we'll look at them.[/quote]

Fair point. But if I could give one thing for you to change it would be "tell the matchnight crew to stop trying to please everyone, stop focusing so much on keeping a crowd happy and concentrate on creating a proper hockey night-full-on rock and all. It works for the NHL...[quote]As I do not know from one day to the next what is the right thing to do according to you.[/QUOTE]

Again-honest question-does it matter that much to you what I think? Or at least any more than the other 2,500 people?

There we go-just to prove that I'm not just one to sit on a blog and take pot-shots...

Tomorrow, we go back to discussing the hockey with Vipers making a massive signing in Tyler Willis....

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...