Double Overtime, 29th September

I am, as I've said before on here, fairly easy to please. My great loves in life are hockey, cloudy lemonade, the company of friends, and perhaps the odd drink or two in a rock pub on a Friday night. After this weekend I might have to add another one-that little buzz you get from seeing a big team lose to a team they expected to beat. Thank you, Sheffield, for providing that buzz on a consistent basis so far...(and, to a lesser extent, my own Coventry.)


Right...on we go with a review of the weekend...


Things we learned this weekend...


Even Supergoalies can only do so much: The stats prove it. Saturday-Kevin Reiter plays out of his skin at the Skydome, letting in five goals on a barrage of sixty shots (for comparison, JF Perras at the other end let in two from 23) and singlehandedly keeping his team in with a chance of winning. However, this appears to have worn him down just slightly, as on Sunday he let in eight from "just" 39 shots against Belfast. Message to the Bison, imports missing or otherwise, is "hey, guys-play some defence occasionally-he's damn good, but your goalie ain't immortal"...


The Phoenix are the real thing: Doing the double over Sheffield within a week, and only letting in three goals despite facing Newcastle away and Sheffield at home? Three points from four for yet another weekend keeps Manchester up with the title chasers-and bear in mind they're doing this without one of their top four d-men in Josh Garbutt, and suddenly, for me at least, the alarm bells start to ring for the rest of the league. Just how far can this team go?

The threat of losing your job does wonders: Corey Leclair and Sylvain Deschatelets are both mentioned on Saturday night as possible candidates for the chop from Coventry. Also on Saturday, there's a growing realisation that Tyson Teplitsky (who was the second-best d-man, at least offensively, after the mercurial Neal Martin last season) is still available-and supposedly already being lined up as a replacement...

Sunday, Blaze go 3-0 down in the first, and then who steps up to score? Leclair, Deschatelets, Lewis, Kelman and Moore, in that order. All of whom have been coming in for some serious stick...

Amazing what can happen when people start saying "...maybe we could get better"...

Doug Christensen has a magic touch:...for finding players from nowhere. People rave about Tony Hand (his roll of honour discoveries as a coach: Molin, Tallari, Stauffacher and now Beauregard) but Doug Christensen, after losing Colin Hemingway, appears to have found yet another gem in Mark Hurtubise-the Caps have scored 20 goals so far this season, and the Montreal native has been involved in fourteen of them. That's just over two thirds. He's been involved in setting up 60% of them as either first or second assists...as well as scoring two himself. Now that deserves some serious praise-as well as the rave reviews...

...Rob Wilson, on the other hand...: hasn't. Big-name signings like Marek Ivan, Chris McAllister and even Rob Rankin have attracted serious criticism from Vipers fans-particularly after their capitulation to Edinburgh on Sunday night, and there is talk of the axe already being wielded on Tyneside...

Hull can actually play!: Holding Nottingham to a two-all draw despite missing an import d-man and their top forward (due to departure and a ban respectively), on their own ice or otherwise, as well as consistently running teams close, shows that maybe the Stingrays aren't just about brawn this season. And yes, I know I'm praising a Rick Strachan team-I will now set fire to myself in penance...

If the EIHL had a fantasy league, Brendan Cook would be its hottest property...The Panther can't stop scoring-people rave at the threat of Dan Tessier, Johan Molin et al, but the unheralded CHLer from Reston, Manitoba already has seven goals in eight, while the much-heralded Tessier, Jade Galbraith and Molin have...five between them. Of those, Galbraith alone has four.

...closely followed by Mike Prpich: Who needs Max Birbraer? Mike Prpich, who had last season cut short by injury, is carrying the Devils along with Jason Silverthorn at the moment, leading the team in scoring and second in points to his illustrious counterpart. Not bad for a "second line energy player"...

There's your reflections on the weekend, such as they were...tomorrow we'll consider the rumbling club-vs-country argument which has divided EIHL fans up and down the country...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Mea Culpa: Belfast Webcast

A swift correction to yesterday's post and several before it...with apologies to anyone who has got lost thanks to my wrong info...

The Belfast Giants Webcast of home games is available at www.giantslive.tv. Up until now I've been using the official website as a link thanks to being a little rushed when linking the posts, but Dave Lowry, one of the team responsible for this superb service, has emailed me to let me know that this is the address you need, NOT the official site, should you wish to watch it...

As of now the webcasts are still free, and you can watch events live from the Odyssey whenever your team are over there and you haven't made it there (or even if your team aren't!)

Dave has also informed me that in the past first three weeks of this-season they've had over three thousand fans watching the webcast, from places as diverse as Spain, America and even Taiwan...which shows that other people are catching on to this...

Right-that's all things present and correct...off to watch Blaze v Basingstoke now...

Round The Rinks and More...

Sorry I missed yesterday-I did hint at doing so at the bottom of the post, but together with some news, scurrilous rumour, perhaps an IceTune or two and Round the Rinks, there should be enough to keep us going for a little while now...

Stingrays 4, Capitals 2: Not a bad game for Sky this week, it seems, with both sides raising their game to produce what appears to have been at least a half-interesting match at the Hull Ice Arena, thanks to Kostadine, Glowa, Riddle and Slonina all earning themselves 1+1, while only Joe Dustin and Martin Cingel could reply for the Capitals. With Daryl Marcoux (look him up) rumoured to be coming in for the Stingrays soon, tey can either use this as a springboard to better things or, being a Rick Strachan team, go back to winning (sometimes) and losing (often).

This is getting silly...: Alright, Elite League, you've made your point. Discipline will be stronger this year and you're not run by Sheffield. We believe you.

In the last week we've seen the following:

Steve Thornton: 9 game ban for sticking Andre Payette in the head (fair enough)

Brad Cruikshank: 2 games for a sucker punch + 2 for "bringing game into disrepute" (alright)...

Curtiss Patrick: 2 games for a sucker punch alone. (o...kay).

But hang on...Brad Voth got 6 games for a "sucker punch" alone, and Rick Kozak got four. Clearly there are now degrees of punching someone in the head when they're not looking, at least where the EIHL are concerned. My theory is, judging by the bans and precedent set by the EIHL, they run like this...

Brad Voth throwing a sucker punch (ritual execution may be considered in this case, and is mandatory for a punch on a Sheffield player from now on. Pleas for clemency may be accepted if Voth agrees to join the Steelers at season's end)
Anyone else throwing a sucker punch at a Sheffield player (bans shall be in proportion to the number of hysterical press releases the Steelers produce, but shall not drop below six games. Any other offence committed at the same time, even if it would normally receive a two-minute minor, can be cited in doubling the ban, however ridiculous it is).
Sucker punch on a Nottingham player (especially if injury is caused. Otherwise Mr Black will mention how he may just refuse to let the EIHL have their big sponsors party/moneymaking exercise/playoffs at his rink. Or he'll make noises about playing in Europe again.)
Sucker punch that doesn't meet any of the above conditions (unless the offended club is one of the big four and has a whinge about it, in which case it will be considered equal with the above. If Hull or Newcastle offend then extra punishment must be given as this league WILL NOT TOLERATE roughness or an attempt to win games through force and power. That's not fair on the littler teams. Play hard but fair, kids)
Sucker punch thrown by a Nottingham player (may entail light slapping on wrist/strongly-worded press release)
Sucker punch thrown by Sheffield player (NB: ban may still be given, but please explore all avenues of equal or greater punishment for opposition team, as clearly the Steeler was provoked. Or, promise to "look into" incident and ignore it).
Sucker punch thrown at Brad Voth: (the league shall exonerate offender immediately, punish Voth for not expecting to be punched just for being the Antichrist and look into providing a ticker-tape parade for offender)

That should just about do it...

Round the Rinks time!
There we go-that's the pressing issues just about covered-let's look at the weekend ahead in true rambling style...

Basingstoke: Coventry and Belfast? Tough for any team-even more so when they're missing their captain and one of their top d-men. But the spirit of the Bison Ten was on full show in Cardiff last weekend, and neither will be taking the Bison (who have new signing Matt Miller debuting) lightly. That way lies Shockville...potential population: Blaze and Giants.

Belfast: The Giants will fancy at least three points this weekend, injuries or no. But over-confidence has been the downfall of Belfast teams on many occasions before, and Steve Thornton is missing, and with it their main creative threat, arguably, which should keep the scores slightly close at least...
Don't forget the webcast of Giants games, which you can get to through the Giants site-it'll enable you to keep up with happenings in the Odyssey on Saturday night, and it's superb...

Cardiff: Nottingham and Coventry will provide strong examination for a Voth-less Devils-two points would be a victory, and four would be a cause for celebration in the Welsh capital, as well as a knock-back to their opponents. The Devils have already beaten the Blaze away from home, which will be a filip as they welcome them back to the Tent for the first time this season...

Coventry: Basingstoke at home, Cardiff away. Two games that, even as late as last season, you'd have backed the Midlanders to win, no question. This season...who knows? It simply depends which Blaze team decide to turn up-that which ripped Nottingham apart for four goals in ten minutes last weekend or the shambolic outfit that capitulated to Sheffield and then threw away a lead to Cardiff the weekend before. Not even Blaze fans can tell you which one we'll see...

Edinburgh: Belfast and Newcastle are the opponents, two points is the realistic target. Four would be a miracle at this stage in the season, especially with some real forward punch and the Caps' top defensive d-man still not arrived and already left respectively....

Hull: Sheffield and Nottingham are the opponents. Play nicely, Stingrays-you know that all hell will break loose if you try and bully your way to the points...Then again, there's an equal chance that Curtis Cruickshank could be facing a very long weekend when you consider the forward power of these two squads and the lack of real quality in front of him (as well as the huge hole left by Jonathan Bernier. In size if not in talent...)

Manchester: The Phoenix will definitely fancy their chances of four points from a weekend against Newcastle and Sheffield, especially as in Brett Clouthier and Kyle Bruce there's more than enough pugilistic talent to take the Vipers on at their own game as well as the skilful approach they favour, and they've already beaten Sheffield on their own patch this season-after that, welcoming the Steelers to Altrincham should almost be a fun night for David Beauregard, Luke Fulghum and friends...

Newcastle: Manchester and Edinburgh for the Vipers, and another weekend in which Andrew Verner's performances may be key. Particularly as Burt Henderson is out for a long while leaving a huge hole in the transition game (please, don't tell me Rob Wilson shuffling and creaking his way up the ice is an adequate replacement). This weekend could, quite frankly, bring anything...

Nottingham:...but for the Panthers, points are what are expected. Cardiff provide a stern test, and the Stingrays mean that Sunday will be anything but a day of rest for the Black Cats up in Hull, but realistically, the Midlanders will expect to take four points out of four. But the Devils in particular won't half make them hard to get...

Sheffield: And finally, the Steelers. Hull and Manchester are the opponents, one of whom should be beaten at home. No prizes for guessing that's Hull. Sunday's revenge mission to Altrincham could easily be the game of the weekend-that War of the Roses feeling, coupled with the fact that Sheffield need to gain ground on their neighbours or risk being forced into a no-holds-barred scrap for Pennine supremacy all season on the back foot, will mean the Steelers pull into the Altair car-park with nothing but winning, and winning convincingly, on their minds.

There you go-that's your weekend well and truly previewed, and the last few days of hockey summed up briefly too...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Tuesday Thoughts...

"How'd I get up here? I always thought I'd end up way down there..."

Powder: "Up Here"

I just took a quick look at the EIHL table after this weekend, and it makes interesting reading. Belfast are top, Nottingham are second, and Manchester are third. Of those three, you'd probably only pick Belfast to consistently sit in the top three based on the EIHL era so far.
Which says to me, and I know I keep hinting at this, that changes are at last afoot in British hockey after a stagnant year or two. Sure, there was a Sky TV deal last year but some of the hockey that appeared on it (particularly when Hull were around) was ruddy awful. And the top teams don't exactly get off scot-free-some of the Skydome games were painful to watch thanks to the trap hockey (and Blaze's ability to fall into the trap).

But, three weekends into this season and we have controversy, baying crowds, hate figures (especially if you're a Nottingham fan) and heated debate on forums.

I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying myself so far...

Bubba Ray's One Minute Preview: Don't worry, the mad American sportscaster inside of me won't be making a long visit, but he's been quiet recently and I had to let him out to try the impossible task of "talking-up" an early-season Hull v Edinburgh matchup for Sky Sports tomorrow night-(a fixture that, even allowing for Hull's potential thuggery and Edinburgh's youthful exuberance, screams "quota-filler" at this early stage in the season.) Mainly because, having not yet seen either team, I can't give a x's and o's style breakdown of how I'll think it'll go, but also cause everyone needs to release their inner mad Texan once in a while (try it, a smile is guaranteed). And give the deranged Texan his due-he tried his best...

"Hee-yah, hockey fans! The Humber Bridge'll be shakin' and the fish'll all stay away in fear as the river town of Hull once again hides the sharp objects and releases the deadly Stingrays! And facing them are those rampaging lionhearts from north of the border, the Edinburgh Capitals, in a no-holds-barred, hundred-mile-an-hour England v Scotland match-up. If you want speed and skill, then the Caps are your team. But if you're like me and just like seeing people punched in the face and big tough men going toe-to-toe, then by golly, scream blue murder for the Stingrays. Mark Hurtubise and Doug Christiansen need to stand up to the pounding from Jason Kostadine and co, and the Caps can take two points from their cross-border raid-and this writer isn't betting against them doing it. Lock the kiddies upstairs, Momma, cause this Wednesday in the EIHL there's gonna be nothin' but a Brawl in the Basement!"

And...breathe. It's OK...he's gone now...

"Oh my god...it's HIDEOUS!": Perhaps more one for the puck-bunnies, this one, but is it just me or are there some horrific-looking players in the EIHL this year? Obviously, Marek Ivan takes the biscuit, but Davis Parley looks like he's attended a few practice sessions missing a helmet and Corey LeClair's aesthetic appeal (or lack of such) is now a running joke among the crueller Blaze fans...I shall wait until I've seen all the teams before compiling one, but if you don't see an EIHL All-Ugly team on here by December, then frankly, I'm not doing my job properly...

I know it's a bit short, and a little random tonight, but hey, it's hard producing daily notes when the EIHL won't even have the grace to make a dodgy decision or Sheffield produce (many) inflammatory press releases in a week. Won't someone, please, think of the journalists??!*

*this is tongue-in-cheek, Simmsy. Not a challenge...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 22nd September

"What a difference a day makes...24 little hours..."

Dinah Washington: "What A Difference (A Day Makes)"


The above song sums up the Elite League this last weekend to perfection, I think...at least in the case of Basingstoke...but this stream-of-consciousness look back at the weekend may be slightly overloaded with superlatives after an absolutely storming game at the Skydome on Sunday night followed a barn-burner in Nottingham. Oh...and the games not involving the Panthers weren't bad either...

So-things we learned this weekend...

Double-headers are fun!: The two double-headers (Newcastle/Belfast and Cardiff/Basingstoke) saw honours even for both teams, and a little bit (read, a lot) of nastiness on the physical side, culminating in Andre Payette being a recipient of a dig to the head from Steve Thornton's stick (no, those names are really the right way round. I know. I'm scared too...) Could be interesting to see what the league do with this one-after all, Thornton is the player coach of one of the biggest teams in the league, a player respected for his skill by all and sundry in British hockey (he's bordering on a legend league-wide, and certainly is in Cardiff) and it could be argued that the Giants just may have a little influence on the league board just to their sheer size club-wise. Plus, Thornton isn't known for this sort of thing.

But, a stick to the head is a stick to the head (you can see it on Vipers TV via the Newcastle website) and if Brad Voth deserves twelve games for a "slash" and sucker punch, then this should be similar.

24 is a lot of hours in hockey: Meanwhile, down south, Basingstoke go from a performance described by their own fans as "the worst they've ever seen a Bison team play" to grinding out a win minus their captain and top d-man. In Cardiff. The spirit of the Bison 10 appears alive and well. As for Cardiff...now there is a bi-polar team, it appears. When they click, it appears they'll be frighteningly good, as witnessed by their demolition comeback against Coventry last weekend and Saturday's result. But there must surely be questions over just how much Voth missing will hurt them...

"And I've got nothing to fear...in this city": Shamelessly nicking the words of Iglu and Hartley is probably unforgivable, even though the song is one of my favourite "chart" songs out at the moment, but it sums up the message from the Coventry/Nottingham barn-burner (Blaze go 4-0 up in the first and then hang on for dear life, with only a HUGE call of interference on Matt Myers which wiped out a Corey Neilson bullet giving the Panthers a 5-4 lead late in the game preventing a total collapse.) Adam Calder firing home three goals by himself probably was the saving grace...if he plays anywhere else, Blaze lose that game. But Nottingham (who let's not forget, also pulled out another barn-burner against Sheffield the night before) are damn good when they click, and are my tip for the title.

What this game showed more than anything, though, along with Cardiff's comeback last week, is that Fortress Skydome is crumbling slowly. It may not be collapsing, but the Blaze no longer have that aura of invincibility which has followed them through the period of recent success. Nottingham, on the other hand, veer between just good with shaky moments (Davis Parley and the defence) and plain frightening (the attack, when they click). This game proved beyond doubt that there really is nothing between the top teams in the EIHL any more, and they're just shaky enough that the wins can (and will) come for any team in the league. We could be at the very early stages of seeing a power-shift in British hockey thanks to the stricter wage-cap rules. And quite frankly, if Sunday's game is the future, then ignore those who worry that their "powerhouse" teams will be less succesful because of it...the future can't come soon enough. The last time I felt as alive and buzzing yet exhausted as I did at the end of that game, there was probably a need to roll over and have a cigarette, so to speak...it really was that good.

Phoenix. Rising: How good is David Beauregard? Good enough, along with his team-mates, that Manchester will win a trophy this season. The win in the Hallam Arena, while a shock for some (maybe especially Sheffield) is further indication this early on of a team who are building themselves up under the radar for a serious go at a trophy. And yet still no-one is taking any of the traditionally mid-table teams seriously, blinded by the star power of the Big Four. As for Edinburgh and Hull-they'll take points off each other and other teams all season long. I can't see how anyone can seriously say that there are only a few teams in with a chance of honours this year-and each weekend only strengthens the case to the contrary so far...any team really can beat any other. Yes, even Hull.

Adam Calder is a bit of a put-down merchant:...paired up with Bruce Richardson in the box after a bit of shoving back and forth, the Blaze sniper displayed flawless comic timing (warning, naughty word). As Richardson sits, Calds moves across to the gap in the plexi and yells...

"Hey, Bruce, nice year in Wichita (Thunder, a CHL team both players played at at different times. With Richardson last year they finished bottom of their division) (pause until Richardson looks round to acknowledge the compliment...and then...) ya fucking bum!"

From that moment, they're off, with Richardson's sole reply being "This is it for you-this league is your career" and Calder replying "You're here with me, shithead!". Richardson then offers a fight, before Calds finishes him with "why would I fight, we're four-nil up. Look at the score!"

Not quite as epic as Danny Stewart destroying Andreij Sporina with a scream of "welcome to the UK, bitch!" after flattening him, but good enough...

Coventry fans are people too: Yes, I know I had a go at them as a fan-base last week, and tend to look more at the negative side of fandom when considering fan's reactions, but my faith in the Skydome crowd and indeed fans in general was restored somewhat when, while buying my ticket just before F/O on Sunday, a nice lady next to me interrupted politely before I paid to offer me a spare one of hers, and try as I might, she would not take face-value for it...she asked me how much I'd pay so, tentatively, I said "£10?" to which she said "too much-have it for £7.50"...and sought me out to give me change later in the game because she didn't have any for the note I gave her at the time... And the nice thing is I'm fairly sure that this could be a scene repeated at all the other rinks in the country. So thank you, madam-your generosity was much, much appreciated, and I hope you and your family enjoyed the game as much as I did...

Hockey fans-you wouldn't believe it reading the forums but they truly are a wonderful bunch of people as a whole...

And on that upbeat note, here ends the review of the weekend-tomorrow night we'll preview the Sky fixture (Hull v Edinburgh) and review all the happenings on and off the ice in the last 24 hours or so of the EIHL world...

We may, just for the hell of it, throw a bit of Breakaway randomness in there as well...

And last word before we go-after the use of terribly bad puns in the last piece, this column has been re-read and approved by the Cliché Police. It won't happen again...:)

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Hot And Cold Round the Rinks...

"You're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out, you're up then you're down
You're wrong when it's right, it's black and it's white"

Katy Perry: "Hot and Cold"

And so I'm back from the wilds of Cheshire and Shropshire, and it would appear that in Coventry at least, the sky is falling...two losses and the Sky Blue City is panicking. Sack Perras! Sack Leclair! Sack Stewart! Sack Moore!

And they say Nottingham fans can turn on their team in a knife-edge...

Meanwhile, back in EIHL Towers there is panic of a different kind as Cardiff, to no-one's surprise, have lodged a vociferous appeal against the stupidity that is Brad Voth's ban. I must admit to being surprised at the warmth of the response to my attack on it just before I left (the post below) but appreciative nevertheless-thanks to those who've commented. However, I doubt the EIHL are as receptive to feedback, as they're now in one hell of a pickle. Uphold the ban, and confirm themselves to be a bunch of puppets of the Sheffield PR machine (and leave open the chance that any less response to similar incidences, such as Scott Basiuk throwing three sucker-punches to the back of Adam Calder's head last Saturday, will raise hell) or reduce the ban (or, as some argue they should, annul it) and admit that, yes, they are, on this occasion, the muppets they are often accused of being.

Or, they can take the option they are currently, which is "hide, say nothing and hope it goes away". None of them are particularly attractive, I grant you, but if Mr French and his friends hadn't cocked up so spectacularly in the first place (while at the same time completely ignoring Andrew Sharp, coincidentally a Sheffield player, licking the blood off his hands the week before) then this wouldn't be an issue. Interesting that there has been no public reaction to the Battle of the Odyssey last Saturday, either, which saw seven players thrown out-doubtless the proper procedures are being followed, though, so we shall see what occurs from that, if anything.
The British hockey world (well, the EIHL part of it, at least) watches with interest...

Anyway...now on to Round the Rinks, back in its tried and trusted format...

Belfast/Newcastle: We'll take these two as a pair, since they're playing each other in a double-header this weekend which could get a little tasty after team toughness met team brutality last weekend in an epic confrontation at the Odyssey. Expect no quarter to be asked or given, and Rob Wilson to spend a fair amount of time in polite conversation with whoever is refereeing...

Basingstoke/Cardiff: The only game of the weekend for both teams, and they meet with one needing to kick-start their season already (Bison) and one looking to keep riding the crest of a wave from last Sunday (Devils). The Devils will have Jay Latulippe finally making his debut, but may or may not have Brad Voth depending on just what the league decides to do. Basingstoke will also be lacking new signing Matt Miller as he simply won't be able to get over in time. Should be an interesting game, especially now Basingstoke have starting goalie Kevin Reiter over and ready to go...

Coventry: DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC! Two capitulations last week (Sheffield on Saturday romping to a 5-1 win, and throwing away a three-goal lead at home against Cardiff on Sunday) mean that the Blaze have to rebound, and fast. With the pantomime villains of Hull on Saturday, there's a physical evening in store and Carlyle Lewis may well be busy. Sunday sees Nottingham visit the Skydome, and I don't mind admitting I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Panthers for the first time due to their rave reviews thus far. Four points is a must to stop the natives getting twitchy already...

Nottingham: Big weekend for the Panthers. Sheffield at home on Saturday and Coventry away on Sunday mean that by Sunday night there will either be real and growing confidence in the East Midlands, or a sense of anti-climax after a very good start. Should the Panthers win both, then they'll be firing a big warning shot to the rest of the league regarding their intentions this season...especially as they've performed up til now missing Dan Tessier and Jade Galbraith, who are a frightening addition to any team, especially if you're an opposition goalie...

Hull: No Rick Kozak, but a whole heap of trouble as the Stingrays take their brand of sports entertainment up a notch against Coventry, and then north to Edinburgh. At least two points is possible for the Stingrays, but it's far more likely to come in the Scottish capital, given the problems the Caps have had this week. If they come against Coventry, then it will only intensify the muttering in the Sky Blue City-which the rest of the league will love...

Manchester: The Phoenix need to rise from their mauling by the Panthers last Sunday, and a game against Edinburgh gives them the perfect chance to do so early in the weekend, before the War of the Roses against Sheffield on Sunday...

Edinburgh: Batten down the hatches in the Scottish capital...it's going to be a long weekend. Manchester and Hull are the opponents, and two points is the most the Caps can hope for after a turbulent week which saw two players (John Dolan and Shawn Germain) leave...

Sheffield: Two derbies in a weekend? Dave Simms may just spontaenaeously combust from excitement. Nottingham and Manchester are the opponents which have the Steel City hockey fan contingent working itself into a fever-pitch...and the rest of the league watching with interest in an attempt to measure whether last weekend's 5-1 demolition of Coventry was a fluke or the sign of a team who are already tightly together and ready to make their usual waves on ice as well as off it...

And so there you go...the weekend previewed to within an inch of its life...

Let's play hockey...

Rough Justice

I'm almost lost for words.

I've purposely delayed this post until the combined sage minds of the Elite League disciplinary panel finally decided what punishments to hand out to Rick Kozak (for, let's not forget, doing this damage to Marc Levers by smashing his face into the ice, and then kicking the blood all over the rink with his skates on the way off) and Brad Voth (for slashing Randy Dagenais' legs and then having a fight, which you can see for yourself 39 seconds on into this clip). And they have...

Rick Kozak gets 10 games (+10 should he reoffend)

Brad Voth gets 12 (+12).

Here's the official EIHL press release, via the Panthers site, just so you can see I'm not making this up.

So let's get this straight.

According to the EIHL, driving a defenceless player's head into the ice, from behind, and then kicking bodily fluids from that same fallen opponent over the ice, on purpose, is worth LESS than the kind of offence which occurs in every game (a slash to the back of the legs) followed by a rough (as in, punches thrown by both sides, but one being clearly on top) fight in which both players are willing or at least semi-willing participants? Does anyone seriously believe that?

Clearly, the minds that run British hockey do.

Devils fans have lost it completely-and you can't blame them. Hull fans are "wow...but that's not unexpected". The rest of the league reaction appears to be "thank you, Sheffield and friends...you've just well and truly lost all credibility for the league".

I very much doubt anyone in EIHL power reads this blog. I doubt even more that, if they did, they would take a blind bit of notice over what's said on it. But on the one-in-a-million chance they do...

Explain yourselves. Now. Properly. How on earth was this decision arrived at? Who drove it? Why were Sheffield allowed to release inflammatory press release after press release about an incident that was still being considered by league disciplinary officials? And can you honestly stand in front of Marc Levers (or Steve Moore, since the incident was British hockey's version of it) and say that his neck potentially being broken, a scar that will need plastic surgery to rectify, a possible civil prosecution, and his bodily fluids being sprayed at people, is worse than two things that happen in rinks all around the country, most weekends-i.e a nasty slash to the legs and a heated scrap in which one player comes off worse?

If you don't respond now, properly, then questions will begin to be asked about impartiality. And they'll only get louder. The British hockey community is waiting. And its blood is up.

Round the Rinks is something of a fallacy tonight...especially given that there will be no Double Overtime this week thanks to the Breakaway taking a week off-so it too is taking a holiday. I shall be keeping up with British hockey news from a distance in the next week, but for now, a correction.

Adam, a Phoenix fan who has contributed many an idea to this blog through his thoughtful emails and responses to topics, has pointed out a basic flaw in my rubbishing of the end of the world from Wednesday. It seems it would never have happened then since a) nothing has actually hit anything else yet and b) the combined energy released had anything done so within the LHC would have added up to...well, about the pop of a soft-drink can. I stand duly corrected...and thank him for informing me of this fact and that I now know a little more about why, despite all the doomsday predicitions, I've still got a canal to go on holiday on...

That's all until next Friday, folks...enjoy your weekend of hockey (yes, even you, Steelers fans) and we shall be back with a proper review of the week just gone next Friday.

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Midweek Musings...

Hello all…still here then?

Given that, depending on who you believe (BBC radio say the black-hole machine mentioned yesterday was switched on at 8:30, Internet sources (the ones I use) say 3pm and some reports today say the scientists couldn’t even start the thing up-well, not so it ran well enough to potentially destroy the planet, anyway) we’ve survived the apocalypse unscathed, let’s first of all look at someone who, sadly for him, didn’t manage to survive the weekend of hockey in the same fashion...

Ouch...Marc Levers has spoken out in the Nottingham Evening Post about his “scrap” with/assault by Rick Kozak, and credit to the man, has avoided fuelling the forum fires with any quotes of the “I couldn’t believe his actions-what a scumbag!” variety, sticking simply to his view of the facts of the actual incident-Sheffield PR machine please take note. He does mention that he may seek plastic surgery to repair the damage, though, which you can see for yourselves in a fetching photo above…and you can’t blame him-it looks like he’s had the bonnet badge of a Mercedes embedded in his forehead…The man is also a master of understatement and clearly has a bit of a sense of humour too, as witness his reaction on realising the severity of the injury...

"I lay still and didn't know what was happening until I opened my eyes, saw all the blood on the ice and thought I'd better get off quickly."

Marc Levers, I salute you.

And from class to...well, you decide: Speaking of the Sheffield PR machine, all hell has now broken loose-to the point where the Cardiff fans are accusing Bob Phillips (Sheffield and ex-Cardiff owner) of extending his influence to close down the Cardiff Elite forum. As for the war of words, the Steelers just will not shut up. Here's the latest shot from Ryan Finnerty at Brad Voth. Strangely, the Star makes no mention of the fact that Finnerty (who, by the way, is one of my favourite players when he just gets on with the business of playing-but still a complete pillock at times on the ice) isn't exactly averse to sticking in the odd elbow/late hit himself...

Meanwhile, Randy Dagenais has stuck his two pennyworth in...ably aided by the flapping pen of Steelers' mouthpiece Bob Westerdale. This is the same man who, barely a week ago, cost his team the Charity Shield by getting physically involved in a nothing altercation at the end of normal time, putting his team on the PK, and seeing them concede the OT winner 30 seconds later, so for him to take the moral high-ground, especially after putting in a knee-to-knee hit on Jason Silverthorn, is just a bit amusing...The best bit is this contradiction-within-a-sentence...

""The whole thing was unprovoked, The Cardiff players were upset about an earlier hit I made on Jason Silverthorn".

So, Randy, it's an unprovoked attack, even though you know why the Cardiff players were angry? All right then...and just for your info, from Webster's English Dictionary....

pro·voked, pro·vok·ing, pro·vokes (v):
1.To incite to anger or resentment.
2.To stir to action or feeling.
3.To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter.
4. To bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.

I'd say that, intended or not, a hit on the knee would "incite to anger or resentment", and "stir the action or feeling" of wanting to punch the person who delivered it in both the hit player and his teammates, friend or otherwise. As a player myself, it certainly would wind me up...

But then, this is Dave Simms and friends we're dealing with. The man may know his hockey (don't laugh at the back) but trying to get them to admit that maybe the Steelers aren't the most wronged team on the planet gives you an insight into the frustration not felt since Zeus gave Sisyphus a rock and said "just put that over there"...

And as for the disciplinary panel...well, that's worth watching. The decision due today has been delayed by 24 hours-given the amount of hot air that will no doubt come out of the Steel City in that time perhaps hockey fans will begin to wish that ruddy machine had worked after all...

Hockey, physics, Armageddon and a random Greek myth reference in the one post...where else in the hockey universe could you get that? :)

Happy holidays: Oh, and by the way...you'll have to do without my musings for a week-I am off around the canals of Great Britain this week, from Friday 12 until Friday 19th, with no Internet, so there will be no posts after Friday morning until Round The Rinks next Friday. Check back tomorrow for more reaction (especially if the disciplinary panel do their thing) and, of course, Round the Rinks...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Apocalypse Now!

"It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it,
and I feel fine."

REM: It's the End of the World As We Know It

No, really. At 3pm British time tomorrow, according to some, we shall all be sucked into a man-made black hole thanks to the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider, a bloody great 17 mile-long tube beneath the Alps that through clever science stuff will recreate the Big Bang...and people are even placing bets on it (read the terms of the bet for a few seconds of hysterical laughter).

Why do I mention this? Because, if you've been reading any of the forums this week pertaining to UK hockey, you'd have thought it had already been switched on. With Sheffield and Cardiff locked in bitter arguments over Andrew Sharp and the events at the end of their game (basically, Sharpy got one shift all game, and went out looking for someone to kill), Hull and Nottingham arguing over whether Rick Kozak is the Antichrist (he's not the nicest of individuals, it seems, but if you read some of the posts on the Cage Forum you'd think he had cloven hooves and could kill people with a single touch) and everyone else just sitting back and watching the wailing and gnashing of teeth, there's already enough forum fodder to feed us all season long.

When it gets to the point where Sheffield are releasing press releases about not being given a DVD , it all gets just a little sad, doesn't it? And as for this quote, freely available on the front page....relating to the incident which sparked the melee in Cardiff-Brad Voth maybe or maybe not putting in a knee-on-knee hit on Randy Dagenais (hardly one to pull his leg out of the way unless absolutely necessary himself).

""We all like our toughness and our tough guys they are part of the sport but this is now getting daft, if the league doesn't stamp this out someone is going to get seriously hurt. We will see what the video shows and make our point well known. My view is that there is no place in hockey for this kind of action"

Matsos, you have signed Andrew Sharp-a player who you iced for 25 seconds at the end of a game, and whose sole shift consisted of him leaping onto the ice, dropping his gloves and punching Mike Hartwick. And you talk about "no place in hockey for this kind of action".

Please, just shut up before you embarrass yourself. And whoever writes the Steelers press releases-it may be an idea to check they punctuate your quotes properly.

Rant over...:)

Just to clear up any confusion-I'm not a Man Utd fan either-Cole and Yorke just happened to be the best sporting double-act I could think of...

That's it from me today-short and sweet. Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 8th September

Before I start, I'm amazed that no-one managed to spot the deliberate (honest) loss of a month in Friday's Round the Rinks-how on earth I managed to get away with putting the date as 5th October is almost as unexplainable as how Rick Strachan still had a coaching job at Hull at the end of last season. And, in true "seamless link" fashion, that brings us to the main thrust of the post...


Team-by-team is still, at this stage of the season, a bit pointless in my eyes-mainly due to the fact that you can't really judge anything from the first competitive weekend of the season, aside from who has actually had all their players turn up and avoid the Zoom catastrophe. So let's just have a grasshopper-style look and jump around the Elite League's first weekend of play...


Dude....that's just wrong: Two games into the EIHL season, and unless (God forbid) someone suffers a triple-compound fracture or actually commits murder on EIHL ice, we have the sickest moment of the year already. Step forward Rick Kozak, who endears himself to the Panthers crowd by punching Marc Levers to the ice. Given that Levers is an annoying little sod of a player (although very good at his job), a clean fight may have raised a smile from me. However, if the reports of Levers' head being driven from behind into the ice Todd Bertuzzi-style to leave a huge pool of blood, followed by the Hull forward...and I can't believe I'm actually about to write this...skating through the pool of blood and kicking it over the ice in a spray are true, it just makes my dinner rise in my throat. And for someone who saw Andre Payette allegedly end Kim Ahlroos's career by driving his head into the boards from behind for a concussion, and Brad Voth running over Martin Klempa so hard that some people in the Skydome crowd were heard to gasp "jesus-he's broken his neck", that is some going.


Oh yes...and the game's on Sky...you can guarantee that'll get a viewer or two, even if they just stick to showing some of the other incidents leading to the 105 Hull and 48 Nottingham PiM's...

Warning: information may not be 100% accurate: Here's what I wrote regarding Edinburgh's chances against Sheffield this weekend, before the weekend began...

Edinburgh can expect nothing more than a shooting gallery in their opening two games-they're still missing half a roster as they take on (Sheffield and Belfast)
And so now we come to Saturday night at the House of Steel...final score Sheffield 1, Edinburgh...three. Some shooting gallery that was. Pasi Raitanen pulled on a Caps jersey and promptly had one of the games of his life. Not bad going, really.

To call it a "good" start is to call Usain Bolt "a bit nippy": The Jeff Ulmer Memorial Best Debut award goes to Andrew Martin of Belfast...first game in his new home arena against Cardiff, and he scores 3+1, while Bobby Robins has a shocker with a "mere" 2+2 on the same line. It would appear that Adam Calder and Dan Carlson have competition in the "most-feared forward double-act since these two" stakes...

Snapper's Challenge: I know there are a bunch of photographers around the rinks of the EIHL, including Blaze's own Mark Tredgold. This bit's for you. When your team plays Basingstoke, can someone please, please try and get an action shot of Brent Hughes and Jason Goulet in the same picture-words can't describe how funny a 5'7 angry midget and a 6'5 hunchback of a d-man (if Goulet had a neck, which on first sight at least he appears to be lacking, he'd be 6'7-8, easy) look following each other out of the box-with Hughes following Goulet it looked just like a hockey-player version of a duck and duckling. You even had the waddle in Hughes' case...it certainly brightened up a bit of a dull game for me. In fairness to the Bison, though, with their starting goalie and several imports missing they still put up a decent fight, even if they went down 4-2 at home and 8-2 away...

Human Sunburn: It seems that EIHL goalies, however good they are, may have to put sun lotion on their necks when facing the Phoenix, just to avoid getting a tan from the goal-lamp. Why? Here's the reason in two sentences. David Beauregard: four games, seven goals. Adam Walker: four games, six goals. Can you say "snipers ahoy"?

Next, more ice hockey, live from the frozen lakes of hell...Panthers fans have played two EIHL games, and not a single person on the Cage Forum is moaning about either performance. It's amazing what happens when your team wins...

Random Marek Ivan mention: Fair play to the bloke, even if he hasn't yet done the decent thing and officially changed his name to Marek "bloody" Ivan-scoring twice on your debut isn't a bad way to endear yourself to your new fans. However, at this point the whole of the Panthers fraternity is wincing...they thought he was a good signing to begin with, too. Then his mouth warmed up...

However-and putting the whole "money where my mouth is" thing. In order to give him something of a chance as well as having a comedy wager (which is always good) I'll put something of a bet down. If either of the following should happen...

Marek Ivan ends the season leading the league in goals, assists OR points

or

Vipers win the league

I shall admit I'm wrong, and should one be obtained, wear a Marek Ivan jersey (of any team, and let's face it, he's had a few of them) to the Saturday of the playoff weekend. If nothing else that should give you a reason to cheer him on...

And on that philosophical thought, here ends the first DOT of the season proper. Check back tomorrow for more silliness and maybe even some proper hockey chat for a change...

Fasten Your Seatbelts...

I know, I know. This "posting about posting" lark could get pretty tiresome. Just to warn you, though, this weekend was well, well worth a Double Overtime, especially if you're a Hull or Nottingham fan. You may want to check back here around 7-ish as we try to unravel, amongst other things, how tall Jason Goulet would be if he actually stood up straight and whether Rick Kozak has committed one of the sickest acts ever seen in UK hockey (I say yes, personally, if half the reports from either side are true)...

Double OT to come later today when I get back from work, though...and I shall do my best to make sure it's a good 'un...

Round the Rinks: 5th September

Season opener time! Some would say it's pointless trying to do a team-by-team preview when you haven't seen seven of the ten teams yet, and I agree. So rather than doing team-by-team for this time out, let's look at the weekend as a whole...

Miracle Men: And we start with the Basingstoke Bison v Coventry Blaze double-header. Few know that it is now actually written into the EIHL constitution that the first two weekends of the league season must involve Coventry playing Basingstoke, ideally at the Silverdome but sometimes in Coventry too, just to add a bit of variety. Two teams equally blessed with size and speed should make for a pair of intriguing games, especially as they are two of the few teams actually at full strength. And Jason Goulet meeting Carlyle Lewis should make for some pitched battles in front of Kevin Reiter, too...

Meanwhile: The rest of the teams are more difficult to preview, and it will be difficult to assess this early on just how they match up, since Nottingham and Newcastle, two of the pre-season strong teams, are both missing some of their top imports. Manchester and Nottingham can make an early physical mark as they meet two of the "power" teams in the league in Newcastle and Hull-the Phoenix in that order and Nottingham in reverse order. Cardiff have the toughest opening weekend with games against the mercurial-looking Belfast Giants and the known excellence of the Sheffield Steelers. Edinburgh can expect nothing more than a shooting gallery in their opening two games-they're still missing half a roster as they take on the same two teams in reverse order. to round out the fixtures.

I know that's a relatively short post, but the Double Overtime on Monday will be a bit longer...and there may be apost earlier in the weekend if anything particularly notable happens...

Oh yes, and just to make it perfectly clear...

Yes, I do hate Marek Ivan. With a burning passion...:)

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Sweet Charity...

Charity is something of a theme of today's bumper post-beginning with the news that the Cardiff Devils were a part of the massive fundraising effort to save Bison this week, in the persona of owner Matt Burge. Here's part of the press release:

The Cardiff Devils are proud to have provided substantial, immediate five figure cash injection that will enable the Basingstoke Bison to compete in the BMI Baby Elite League next season.Cardiff Devils owner Matt Burge commented: “I am delighted to be able to help Basingstoke out in this way. We need to look at the bigger picture and the impact of no Bison team in the Elite League would have been severe; it would have not only been terrible news for Bison fans, but the league as a whole.”


There's not really much else you can say other than "fair play to the man"...

Following that, Coventry are due to play the Telford Tigers in a fundraising game later this month...I'm feeling quite warm and fuzzy now...

Charity Shield: Thirty Second Review: Cracking game, this, although the somewhat sparse crowd may be a worry at the Skydome if it continues (1300 or so by my estimate is very low for a curtain-raiser)...

Belfast Webcast is back: Starting this weekend, the much-praised Belfast webcast team will be broadcasting all Giants games at the Odyssey-this Saturday against Cardiff is free to listen to, so give 'em a try, you won't regret it. The new address is here: http://www.giantslive.tv

Round the Rinks to (hopefully) appear later tonight (around 9pm), assuming the Internet problems at my house are fixed (bloody lightning)...

If not, it'll be tomorrow afternoon. Which I appreciate is a bit late, but I'm doing my best with a rubbish BT phoneline...:)

Tuesday Thoughts...

Let's begin with the feel-good news...

Bison will hit the ice: From today's Daily Star:

Basingstoke have gone from doom to zoom in just three days. Swedish owner Tomas Enerston last night confirmed that Bison will be on the ice for this weekend's opening of the Elite League season after fans throughout the country chipped in to keep the club afloat. Enerston had warned he would have to pull out after losing nearly £25,000 following the collapse of Zoom airline.Ten North-American based imports were booked on sponsored flights to the UK, but Bison now have to foot the bill for their players and their equipment. Enerston said "We've raised £20,000 in three days. It would not happen anywhere else, the pure dedication of the fans is unbelievable. And it's not only our fans, we've had supporters from all the other clubs helping and now we can look forward to the new season"

So there you go. £20,000 in three days. It seems lightning can strike not once, but twice in the same few days, thanks to fans of UK hockey...

On dark nights, stay away from the Bay...or the Skydome...or you may have the pleasure of meeting Doug MacIver-an early nomination for "scariest-looking player in the EIHL". Although many in Coventry have already nominated Corey Leclair (how did he let that photo get past the censors?), memorably described by someone next to me as looking like a "zombie version of Moby". Poor sod-I think he's got a bit of a bad rap myself. Here he is as he is now...is it me or does he have a touch of Joel Poirier about him?

"Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like you...":
I am a reasonable man. I stuck up for Theo Fleury when he was hated for the rest of the league. I think Derek Campbell (Newcastle variety) is a very useful player when he can be. I prefer to call Rob Wilson "experienced" rather than just plain "old". I even think Payette has his uses on occasion...but sometimes, there comes a time when reason just goes out the window for me, and this is one of them.
I now have a new reason to hate the Vipers...they have signed my all-time most-despised player. Those of you who think Andre Payette is an object worthy of hatred have clearly not been exposed sufficiently to Marek Ivan, the ex-Panther who is now the Vipers' first line centre. There is no swearword vile enough to sum up my opinion of this white-gloved, chicken-hearted zombie lookalike from the Czech Republic-a man who celebrated a last minute game-winner in front of possibly the hardest team bench in the EIHL (London Racers, 04/05) and then ran like hell when they attempted to take physical retribution in a scrap which has become legendary in British hockey. A man who considered white gloves and a yellow shirt a fashion statement. A man who will never pass when he can shoot, and never check cleanly when he can swing a stick. A man so unpopular that even Steve McKenna turned away from a fight because it involved sticking up for him. Many people who have heard me talk about him are convinced his name is actually "Marek bloody Ivan!" and can only be said in a tone of utter disgust. I really don't like him much, no matter that he can actually play when he's not hiding under a bench...
(Oh, and by the way, if you think I'm not looking forward to "welcoming" him to the Skydome with a volley of family-friendly mickey-taking and generally getting on his back every time he makes his mistake, you're wrong. Very, very wrong...Within the limits of good taste and fair language, fishing season just well and truly opened...)

One Minute Preview: Charity Shield:
And so we're off into the season proper tomorrow night with the curtain-raiser/PR bonanza that is the Charity Shield. Sadly there may not be as much money raised as last time due to it being held at the 2,500 seat Skydome rather than the 7,000 seat NIC, but Coventry v Sheffield is always a game worth watching.

Why Sheffield will win: Their players know each other, and most of Coventry's, very well indeed. And thus, as they proved in the PO final last season, they know how to stop them. Joey Talbot is lethal even without Dan Tessier, Steve Munn is simply a machine on defence (no human can be that good, that often) and Nathan Gillies is a promising addition. Combine wind-up merchants par excellence (Ryan Finnerty), top Brits (Ashley Tait, Jonathan Phillips) and steel and skill on d (Mark Thomas and Rod Sarich) and the Steelers are more than capable of repeating their result in Nottingham tomorrow night.

Why Coventry will win: As always, they can flat-out play from top to the bottom of the team. And now they have size to add to their skill in the shape of Scott Kelman (both), Corey Leclair (both in one) and Carlyle Lewis (size and...well, he can play damn well where necessary, even if Belfast fans would have you believe otherwise). You will simply have to score four or five goals to beat this team for certain, and even then, you may find getting them a lot less easy than you think.

Key match-up: Scott Kelman v Ryan Finnerty. Two centres who can both play, and one who will do his best to be winding up the other, these players need to be firing for their line to score-this is obvious even this early in the season. Finnerty can get under people's skin like no-one else, and should he knock Kelman off his game and force Lewis to take penalties at the same time, that is a lot of Coventry's attacking size neutralised. With four goals in three games already this off-season, Kelman is fast becoming a fan favourite. Shut his line down and all the pressure moves to the AC/DC line-and they too can be stopped if you hustle hard enough...

Prediction: Maybe no goal-fest here, but a storming game which the Blaze will just (and I mean "by a gnat's wing" just...edge, purely due to being able to cope with the sometimes-unpredictable Skydome ice slightly better.

That's your lot for today...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime: Preseason Edition...

Rather than a considered team-by-team run through the pre-season, this will be more of a jump-about stream-of-consciousness post, although I'll try and at least keep the games in some sort of order...

Fight!: Getting the rough stuff out of the way first of all with a pic that speaks louder than words...

This is why it's a bad idea to wind up a 6'3, 215lb centre, skill player or not...(thanks to Mark Tredgold for the pictures as per usual). For the record, the fight was a clear Scott Kelman win...

"Team toughness" isn't about size, it's about state of mind: Hull and Sheffield have six scraps in two games...let no-one say the Steelers don't stick up for themselves on this showing...

Twist and (probably) shout: Cardiff have signed a contortionist for a d-man in Mike Hartwick-is it me or does his body look like it's going completely the opposite way to his legs? I've seen many slapshot pictures but that is just plain wrong...(picture from Helen Fryer)

Goal, after goal, after goal... So, all the pre-season weekend results...

Saturday 30th August

Dundalk Bulls/Hawks Select 0 Belfast Giants 10
Cardiff Devils 4 Manchester Phoenix 3
Hull Stingrays 4 Sheffield Steelers 10
Newcastle Vipers 2 Coventry Blaze 3

Sunday 31st August

Dundalk Bulls/Hawks Select 1 Belfast Giants 9
Manchester Phoenix 7 Nottingham Panthers 5
Sheffield Steelers 5 Hull Stingrays 2
Coventry Blaze 10 Newcastle Vipers 2

With 36 goals in four games on Saturday and 41 in four on Sunday (for you maths whizzes, that's 77, or nearly eight goals a game over the weekend) can we safely assume that that's the highest scoring (on average) weekend of the season already out of the way?

And the "FMTWABI" Award goes to: Shamelessly nicking the "silly acronym" award from Five Minute Major with the "(sounds like puck) Me, That Was A Bad Idea" award, David Longstaff wins it after attempting to wind up Scott Kelman. You can see the consequences in the first bit of this post, but seeing Longstaff's greasy builder's mullet fly back as his head was thumped extremely hard and repeatedly was one of the highlights of Sunday night for many. closely followed by the fact that Kelman then proceeded to score twice (and beauties they were, too). The Vipers didn't exactly cover themselves in glory, lack of imports or otherwise, as Rob Wilson and Derek Campbell spent more time trying (and failing) to hit shadows then use their experience and gritty skill respectively. Meanwhile Andrew Verner went from sublime (46 saves from 49 shots) to ridiculous (3 goals in 10 minutes, including a shot from Lewis that hit both pads before dribbling over the line) between Saturday and Sunday. Tyler Willis looked like the kind of player everyone not from Newcastle will quickly grow to despise and admire at the same time, capping his night with a well-taken goal, and Todd Griffith was the standout player of a pretty poor bunch-not least as he demolished Leigh Jamieson in a fight at the MRA. Meanwhile (and I may have to find something negative to say about him already as I sense that I'm beginning to develop something of a favouritism for him) Scott Kelman shone, Carlyle Lewis concentrated on scoring rather than physical presence and the rest of the Blaze team looked like last year's side. Which is really not a bad thing, unless you support one of the nine other teams in the league, I suppose.

And in the "pic equals thousand words" file: This is why the chaveree suits are a bad idea. The Viper is on the left, but on the right is not a team-mate coming in to help but one of the linespeople (the comely Alice Stanley, I think) keeping a watchful eye on things. Just for a half-second you weren't sure, though, were you? Now imagine playing the Vipers and just how many times you'll catch yourself starting to yell "too many men!" before realising...

In the interests of balance: Apologies that this preseason review is a bit Blaze-centric...for other perspectives, take a gander at Five Minute Major (including a nice bit of textbook controlled ranting from Becky regarding people predicting shutouts), the Pyre and the Podcast for Manchester, The Cat's Whiskers for Nottingham and F Block for the Stingrays, all which can be accessed via the Recommended Reading panel. There's even a Belfast blog popped up now...

And some good news: Basingstoke, as of yesterday, are 19k towards their 30k target to compete this season. With 11k to raise and an extended deadline until Wednesday to do it by, there is hope anew in Hampshire.

Coming up next: Tomorrow will see a Breakaway-trademark One Minute Preview of the "official" curtain-raiser to the season-the Charity Shield, between Coventry and Sheffield, as well as all the randomness you've come to expect of the Breakaway. There will likely as not not be a post on Wednesday thanks to my evening routine looking like "home from work. shower, change, pint in the Old Windmill, watch Blaze/Steelers, out on the lash". However, there will be a match report up on Thursday evening, followed by Round the Rinks on Friday morning (all being well)...

Until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck....

Stay tuned..

I appreciate I said that there'd be a post this morning. Work's a bit busy though, so it should be on this evening by around 7pm at the latest...apologies for the delay...