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!