Round the Rinks, 5th December

Now with added random ruminations...it's the weekend preview!



"Before you jump down my throat, I'd like to present you with
Something I call personality"

New Found Glory: "Something I Call Personality".

The rumours coming out of the NHL after the Sean Avery Incident (referred to in Wednesday's post) are that the Pickering, Ontario native and best-known pest on the planet is all but done in the world's top league, with Dallas considering buying out his contract and burying him down in the minors.

Now, call me spectacularly crazy, and I know that it likely won't happen, but how amazing would it be if someone could tempt him over to the EIHL, Theo Fleury style? I will make absolutely no secret of the fact that if the Blaze went for it and said "come and play for us, Sean, and be the most high-profile player ever to play in Britain bar none-as well as the centre of attention for an entire hockey nation", and he accepted (it's not like he needs the money, after all) I think I'd just about combust with the excitement.

Why? Because Sean Avery would well and truly put British hockey on the world map, by himself. In a Britain obsessed with celebrity sportsmen, the news that a genuine media phenomenon (with quotes that are a tabloid reporter's dream) is coming to your town would instantly get a few hundred more people through the door-the man markets himself.

Not only that, but every game with him on the ice would be an event...and that is what British hockey needs, pure and simple.

Oh yes, and with an average of a point every two games in the toughest league in the world, he can play a bit too.

Go on, British hockey. Try it. He may be the NHL's sloppy seconds, but the man is pure media gold...and let's be honest...you can only get so far with free tickets to kids...

On to the weekend preview...

Friday

Belfast take on Manchester at the Odyssey in a game which, of course, will be covered by the Breakaway's friends at the Giants Webcast, over at http://www.giantslive.tv/ for five of your British pounds. Commentary, as usual, is by Nigel Ringland and Wayne Hardman, and they're on air from 7.15pm tonight...register for free through the site to watch.
So why should you?
The game could be a beauty, that's why. With Belfast returning to almost-full-strength (Andrew Martin could still be missing) and the Phoenix one of the most complete teams in the league, there will be goals, and there will be great hockey. There may well be fights too, with the likes of Kyle Bruce and Malcolm MacMillan winding each other up to breaking point...what more could you want?

Double-headers

Basingstoke v Hull: The Stingrays lost 1-0 to Cardiff on Wednesday night, and are facing a Basingstoke who may well be boosted by two new players in the line-up, identity as yet unknown. It's hard to predict which way this one will go, as the Bison have Kevin Reiter, who can win games by himself, while the Stingrays are a team more than capable of winning at least one of these two now that Troy Neumeier is in charge of the coaching duties...

Saturday (North to South):

We begin at the Metro Arena, where Newcastle will hope to arrest their recent slide at the expense of of another struggling team in Edinburgh as the two most northern teams in the EIHL meet. Not one of the glamour ties of the EIHL, this one, but nevertheless, it'll be a game full of passion if somewhat lacking in prettiness. Much like Newcastle itself, really...

Further south, Sheffield take on Belfast in the game of the night. The Giants must have annoyed someone in the fixture department to have a weekend this tricky-the Steelers, meanwhile, will be hoping their Lancashire rivals from Manchester have done them a favour the night before in wearing down the men from across the water...

Finally, we end in South Wales, where Cardiff take on Manchester for a game which should be particularly spicy after the coming-together between Brad Voth and Kyle Bruce last weekend and the "choking" row that came out of it-these are two teams who are not on the best of terms and building themselves a healthy little rivalry as they chase the leap up to the top table of British hockey (or, indeed, a return to it after both teams have had o rebuild in the past few years...

Sunday (South to North)

We start at the Coventry Skydome as the Blaze take on the Devils. Coventry v Cardiff is one of the biggest rivalries in British hockey, rivalling Sheffield v Nottingham for passion both on and off the ice, along with a fair dose of healthy respect between the fans off the ice to sweeten things a little. With the Blaze having Matty Soderstrom on the treatment table and the win against Newcastle bringing temporary joy to what has been a uncharacteristically jittery month, the Devils will fancy their chances of two points. You wouldn't bet against the Welsh side either.

Travelling back north, we keep going all the way back up to Newcastle for the Vipers' game against the similarly-jittery Nottingham. The Panthers won the last encounter 6-3, but with Michel Robinson still needing to prove himself in the eyes of many people, and the Vipers desperately needing a bit of a pick-up, it could be a nervy night in the North East...

Finally, we return to Murrayfield for Edinburgh v Sheffield. as summit faces basement in a game that the Steelers will not want to slip up in, particularly if they've lost to Belfast the night before. The Capitals, needing to make a good showing, will take heart from the examples of Hull and Basingstoke this season and look to join the list of teams who've taken the scalps of the top four against the odds this season...

Finally, before we go...returning to the promotion angle from the beginning of this post:

Sheffield have now joined the growing number of teams producing their own media, with Steelers TV now going live at http://www.steelerstv.co.uk/. Go and have a watch-it's not a bad effort...

There you go then...that's your weekend previewed to within an inch of its life...keep keeping your eye on the puck...