Thursday Catch-up...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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