Preseason Round the Rinks...

Hi all.

This was going to be a straight weekend preview with a brief look at each team playing and their matches, but events, as seems to be usual in British hockey, have overtaken us.

Basingstoke Bison need 30k by Sunday, or they're out of business. This is thanks to a snowball effect from the Zoom Airlines bankruptcy-the ins and outs of this are covered elsewhere but the maths are simple. Ways to donate, should you wish to, are on the main Bison site. The Breakaway has banged £20 in...let's hope that the Bison get the same miracle that Telford did just a few days ago.

On to the quick One-Minute Preseason Preview

Preseason action sees Coventry take on Newcastle in their traditional pair of (un) friendlies, which gives Carlyle Lewis and Andre Payette an early chance to get re-acquainted-and also, should they make it over in time, Tyler Willis and Chris McAllister the chance to impress. Although it's pre-season, given past meetings we can expect neither team to be holding back on the physical side of things...

Meanwhile, Hull take on Sheffield in the Yorkshire Cup. This gives the Steelers the chance to prove early that all the talk about "team toughness" is not just empty promise as they take on the team who many see as inheriting Newcastle's "toughest in the league" mantle-and Hull the chance to prove that there's skill to go along with the undoubted brawn. The rest of the league will certainly be watching both teams closely...

Belfast tune up with a pair of games against the Irish Hockey League Dundalk Bulls as they look to hit the ground running, while Manchester are giving themselves an early sight of two opponents as opposed to one, taking on Cardiff and Nottingham in the latter two teams' only games of the weekend.

Obviously these games, in the grand scheme of things, are little more than tune-ups, but with the league being what it is this is the time for messages to be sent, stalls to be laid out and new imports looking to impress their new fans, they'll still be worth watching-and teams and fans all around the league will surely be keeping a close eye on all the events of the weekend. I certainly will, as well as the situation in Hampshire...Monday will see a review of events and maybe even a match report of Blaze v Vipers if things get particularly tasty...

Good luck Bison, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...