Midweek Musings

Afternoon all…

Your midweek helping of hockey news and views includes a look at a night of nostalgia as Cardiff play Hull this evening, a brief meditation on the point of All-Star games and, first of all, a deed that even Andre Payette would think twice about…

I don’t think “heads up” is really an adequate response for this. “Run like hell” might be, though: Sean Avery, that friend-to-all-men and all round good guy of the NHL, has got in touch with his inner Newcastle Viper (or possibly put in an audition to write Sheffield’s interviews) by deciding to come out with this masterful bit of wind-up talk before Dallas (his team) face Calgary…

“I love Calgary…but I just want to comment on how players in the NHL always seem to end up dating my sloppy seconds”

The “sloppy seconds” referred to in this case is his ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert (surely, far and away, the best looking puck-bunny alive-although if Coventry is owt to go by that isn't a hard title to win), who is now going out with one of the Calgary players. Or, Rachel Hunter, who is now going out with Edmonton's Jarret Stoll. So far, so trash-talk…until you bear in mind that the Flame in question happens to be Dion Phaneuf, who is well known around the NHL and to hockey fans everywhere for doing stuff like this and this on a regular basis.

The NHL have suspended Avery, supposedly for “conduct detrimental to the game” so he didn’t play that night. Personally, I have a hunch that “for his own safety” might have been a truer reflection of the reason…

Fans in the EIHL may think that Ryan Finnerty or Dave Simms are annoying, but this really is a whole new level…and the stupidity of it makes their recent efforts look like Oscar Wilde in comparison…

One thing’s for sure-the next time Dallas face Calgary, it may be worth watching.



Oh, and if Dallas cut him...Sean Avery to Sheffield, anyone? :D

It’s not an All-Star game if everyone’s included: The EIHL have announced that they will hold the first ever All-Star game in February, at the Coventry Skydome. However, unlike the North American versions, the rosters will be picked by the respective coaches, and they’ll be given quotas of two imports and two Brits from each team in their respective squads, as EIHL North take on EIHL South.

Now, is it me, or is the whole point of an All-Star game that it contains the best players in the league, irrespective of team or nationality? I appreciate the need for the EIHL to attract as many fans as possible to what is essentially a meaningless friendly, but saying that every team must have two Brits and two imports representing them is…well, a bit artificial. Especially as the All-Star teams picked by the fans would likely have a far weightier amount of imports than Brits. Imposing a tariff on it just smacks of protectionism...I'm not saying there aren't good Brits worthy of a place on all the teams, but let them get picked properly...


And so the attack continues: Mark at the Angry Budgie has launched his own refuting of the fast-becoming-infamous "no well-supported clubs apart from Sheffield and Nottingham" article of Mick Holland...have a read here...



One Minute Preview: Cardiff v Hull


With both teams still able to qualify for the CC semis, this Nostalgia Night in Cardiff (basically, a night in which the Devils will look back over their history, wear special commemorative shirts and generally get a bit misty-eyed) should be fairly interesting on the ice as well as off it. Hull and Cardiff are both hard-working, physical teams garnished with a few skill players, and on Cardiff's small ice space will be at a premium with the likes of 6'5 Brad Voth and 6'4 Aaron Wilson jostling for space with 6'4 Doug MacIver in front of the net. Don't expect a pretty game, but do expect a hell of a battle and more than a few moments where the tension may rise slightly above normal...

There you are then-there's your somewhat shortened Midweek Musings for a snowy Wednesday...