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...