GB Squad Analysis and Much, Much More...

The Great Britain squad has been announced for the Mont Blanc Invitational, a warm-up tournament for the World Championships..GB's participation in this event is in itself a sign that someone is finally taking international hockey seriously in the UK, as up until now the team has been seen as something of an old-boys club for long-serving imports who've qualified for their British passports to go on a jolly at the end of the normal season, and compete at the second or third tier of world hockey. But now the team are playing together and leaving league action during the season in order to prepare for the World Championships in April, in the hope of a showing good enough to lay the seeds for the rise of Britain as a nation. And it's about time...traditionally us Brits will rally behind a winning team or winning sport (look at the tennis courts around Wimbledon week or the fuss over curling at every Winter Olympics)...a strong national team is vital for the whole game in this country. This is something of a transition period for the national team, with every player selected needing to establish themselves as internationals-and the long road to the Winter Olympics starts here...

So who will be wearing the Union Jack in France in February, and for those of you who don't really follow the sport beyond your club, just how good is Team GB? Let's look at the squad, position by position, as they compete to establish themselves...

NETMINDERS
Stevie Lyle (Belfast)
Stephen Murphy (Stjernen, Norway)
Joe Watkins (Guildford)

Stevie Lyle is clearly the starter in this group-and has been for some time after cementing his place as the best British nettie with consistent high level play wherever he's been. Fans who've been around a while may remember Murphy bursting onto the scene as a teenager with Fife and Dundee six or so years ago and performing truly heroically, but his career has stagnated somewhat in recent years, best shown by a nightmare season in Edinburgh last time out, while Joe Watkins has almost faded from view for many after choosing to take the Flames' shilling in the EPL rather than fight for an EIHL starting spot. He can still do a job, but has a task on his hands in order to convince the hockey community that his skills haven't suffered away from the top level...Mark Lee (ex-Newcastle) will consider himself unlucky not to have been selected, but his decision to play in North America this season may not have helped his visibility. His game, however, can only benefit...and he's surely breathing right down the necks of these three already.

DEFENCE
Luke Boothroyd (Hull)
Paul Dixon (Guildford)
Leigh Jamieson (Belfast)
Jez Lundin (Newcastle)
Paul Moran (Belfast)
James Morgan (Peterborough)
Ben Morgan (Sheffield Scimitars)
Ben O’Connor (Edinburgh)
James Pease (Coventry)
Mark Thomas (Sheffield Steelers)
Graeme Walton (Belfast)
Jonathan Weaver (Coventry)

One of the major positives of this group is that it's still growing...Paul Dixon and Jon Weaver stand out hugely as the oldest experienced "true Brit" internationals in a position traditionally dominated by dual-nationals like Rick Strachan and Brent Pope. The very fact that this group contains none, and (apart from Dixon at 34 and Weaver at 31), no-one over the age of 26, is a huge plus for the future of British hockey. With youngsters such as Ben O'Connor, Jez Lundin and Ben Morgan already impressing at their respective teams (Lundin and O'Connor at EIHL level already and Morgan ready to make the jump), and others such as James Pease and Mark Thomas established internationals already, this group can only improve with international competition...

FORWARDS
Greg Chambers (Basingstoke)
David Clarke (HC Alleghe, Italy)
Gary Clarke (Milton Keynes)
Russell Cowley (Coventry)
Mark Garside (Edinburgh)
Jason Hewitt (Sheffield Steelers)
Marc Levers (Nottingham)
David Longstaff (Newcastle)
Greg Owen (Basingstoke)
Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield)
Nathan Rempel (Peterborough)
Mark Richardson (Nottingham)
Colin Shields (Newcastle)
Ashley Tait (Sheffield Steelers)
Warren Tait (Sheffield Steelers)
Matt Towe (Cardiff)
Adam Walker (Manchester)
Tom Watkins (Coventry)

This group has a slightly older average age than the defence...and the dual-nationals rear their heads in the shape of Greg Chambers (who has been on fire for Basingstoke this season) and possibly the EPL's deadliest forward in Nathan Rempel, both of whom qualify for British passports. However, the younger players are well represented, with players such as Matt Towe (a surprise hit for Cardiff this season) and Mark Garside (one of the latest products of the Edinburgh production line which has produced, among many others, British legend Tony Hand) given the chance to stake their claim. Notable in this squad is the fact that, as well as the established names such as Tait (A) Longstaff, Clarke et al, there are a fair few players who have perhaps flown under the radar of many a casual fan but are now given their chance to shine. Basingstoke's Greg Owen and MK's Gary Clarke (both far under-rated playmaking forwards, mainly due to having spent the majority of their careers outside the top tier of British hockey) are the most notable examples, although Adam Walker and Warren Tait are also far better than they're given credit for by many.

ABSENTEES
These are a category all their own...with Danny Meyers and Matt Myers of Nottingham notable by their absence (both would certainly be in the squad if they were available) along with the young guns of Hull, the Phillips brothers and Lee Mitchell. All are certainly good enough to stand in this company....

THE SQUAD VERDICT
Boasting a young and hungry roster sprinkled with a few experienced heads, perhaps the best thing that can be said about this squad is that it doesn't really suffer for the relative lack of dual-nationals or the vast majority of the old guard (Tony Hand included). Perhaps the biggest criticisms lie with the lack of "true" offensive defensemen (Jon Weaver being the exception) and a need for more "instinctive" goalscorers. With Adam Calder and Curtis Huppe both becoming eligible next year, though, and Ben O'Connor receiving his international blooding early, this could change...

The foundations are there for something quite special to happen in GB hockey over the next few years-this April will show just how special it could be...

Meae Culpae: Once again, a few corrections to my earlier posts...It turns out that it's not only Basingstoke who communicate well with fans...Becky informs me that Manchester have been doing the enewsletter thing since last season, and were likely thus the first. I should also mention the Phoenix News on the official website...it's sometimes a bit amusing to watch given that it's not quite BBC standard yet...but it's improving nicely. Certainly many other clubs in the EIHL could do the same (as far as I'm aware only Manchester and Nottingham provide video news through their sites, along with Basingstoke's letter. Certainly they all put my club in Coventry to shame...

Sharp's Revenge: Blaze have signed Andrew Sharp on a two-wayer from Romford to add muscle to their third line...Personally I'm not quite sure about this...especially as there's a perfectly good ENL team that could do the same job of providing physical third-liners on a two-way, but we shall see...

Goalies Rated and Slated: Becky also points out that there are no goalies included in my "best of the Elite League" column here, and asks whether this means I don't rate any of them, or simply have something against picking goalies...:). Neither is true...I simply thought that there were players I enjoyed watching far more on each of the ten teams...and apart from anything else considered it slightly unfair to lump them in with outskaters. I do have something of a soft spot for Ryan McDonald-when he's on his game there are none better in the league, and it's easy to forget he's just 22. Trouble for the Vipers is, at the moment that happens only rarely. Like Becky, I wouldn't complain if Tom Askey came to the Blaze next season (if there was no better option). I refuse to pick Trevor Koenig in anything-not because I don't think he has ability but simply because he's not, as some seem to say, the greatest goalie ever to pull on an Elite League shirt-and I have never been much of a bandwagon jumper. He's good, often very good, but on his top night, no better than any other goalie on their top night. Scott Fankhouser? Nothing special despite his NHL pedigree. Phil Osaer? Unbeatable some nights, unthinkable as an EIHL goalie on others...Ladi Kudrna? Score a few quickly and his head goes down. Stevie Lyle? As a Brit...superb. As an EIHL goalie...he'll do a job, but not inspire awe. JF Perras? Give him a team that'll truly let him shine and we'll talk. Curtis Cruickshank? Hm. Jody Lehman? A great goalie, but if you want to beat him, just remember two words...high glove...
Maybe I am just not that big a goalie fan...the only ones I can remember genuinely inspiring feelings of awe in me (in Britain) were Joel Laing (Sheffield) and Steve Briere (Fife-and even that is not because of his overall ability but because he's still the author of the most astonishing save I've ever seen). Mark McArthur was also pretty special for Guildford. The best goalie I've ever seen live is still Thomas Greiss (Cologne Sharks)....although in Britain, there has been no-one, and I mean no-one, who has wound me up and delighted me more while wearing a netminder's kit -and thus can be considered my favourite ever goalie, than the immortal Pasi Raitanen.

Hope that answers your question...it certainly leads nicely onto my final point for tonight...:)

"Oh, God...it's Pasi!": These were the words that came out of my mouth at more than a few Peterborough Pirates, Newcastle Vipers, and even a few Sheffield Steelers meetings with the Blaze, as I saw the familiar yet always disturbing sight of Pasi Raitanen bending himself nearly in half during the pre-match warm-ups. This was because he was the most frustrating opponent the Blaze have ever faced while I've been watching. There was and is nowt understated about the "Finnish Octopus", as he was nicknamed...he broke Blaze hearts singlehandedly by performing truly magnificently in a Findus Cup final victory for the Vipers in their first season in the league, and constantly pulled victory from the jaws of defeat while playing for the Pirates against the Blaze. Then there was his "up, down, cross-arms, down, up" routine at every faceoff in his own zone...

Anyway..now Pasi has earned himself a testimonial...to be held at Ice Sheffield on Tuesday, Feb 12th. If there's any way I can get there from Coventry, I will do...the man is truly a legend, and possibly my favourite goalie ever to play on British ice while I've been watching, despite not playing a single minute in a Blaze shirt. It sounds like I'm not the only one who thinks of him that way...

That's your lot for this Tuesday, then...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 14th January

It's been a busy news weekend, so there's a lot to catch up on and comment upon this week. Tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, I shall be analysing the GB squad announced for the forthcoming international matches in France, as well as responding to several comments brought up from last week's posts-however, this Monday evening is all about the weekend review. And what an unpredictable weekend it was...unless you were a Coventry or Hull fan...(you may notice that these two teams get treated slightly briefly)...:)

Basingstoke: Saturday was truly epic in Hampshire. 10 skaters scored ten goals to Edinburgh's two (from a full team) as the Bison ran riot. You can forgive them, then, for suffering a seven-three loss away in Newcastle on the Sunday, especially as they caught the Vipers on a good day. Just for the amazing goal-rush on Saturday, the Bison get a...
Grade: B

Belfast: Quietly, the Giants are pushing very hard indeed. Beating Sheffield and Cardiff by a combined total of nine goals over a weekend is pretty damn impressive in anyone's book-especially from a team who couldn't score for toffee earlier in the season. Even more so when you bear in mind that both games were away from the Odyssey. Peter Campbell simply can't miss this season, and the defensive struggles appear to be just a memory. There's really no justification for awarding the Giants anything other than...
Grade: A

Cardiff: There, but for injuries...The Devils misery continues-a fighting loss in Nottingham was followed by...a fighting loss against Belfast. With Phil Osaer still out, and no sign of a return any time soon, should the Devils be looking for a rental goalie for the playoff push? Or maybe just set up their own emergency room in the Tent? This will definitely be remembered as a season of "so near and yet..." unless the luck changes in South Wales pretty quickly. Sorry, Red Army, but your team only earn...
Grade: D

Coventry: Two games against Hull, two un-flashy wins. Michael Tasker retires. Job done. There will be far tougher weekends before the end of the season for the Blaze....
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: I've given up predicting Capitals games. Who on God's green earth would have predicted a weekend where the Caps lose ten-two to Basingstoke before coming back to their own rink and shutting out one of the top teams in the league in Nottingham, all the while missing their leading scorer on the Sunday? Or a weekend where a team could come out with a goal difference of minus five and still be happy? The Scots are truly a pundit's nightmare of a team...but you can't argue with that win against Nottingham pushing up the grade a little...
Grade: B

Hull: Two games, no points. And now the Stingrays are officially bottom. Did you expect anything more?
Grade: E

Manchester:: Now, here's a team who appear to have taken the role of the plucky losers to heart this weekend, losing by the odd goal in both games (and taking Sheffield to a penalty shootout). Despite this, I can't shake the nagging feeling that, come playoff time, the Phoenix will be the last team any other team wants in their group...they're certainly the last team I'd like to see the Blaze facing...particularly if the game must be won for qualification. They're like terriers...they will yap, chase you round and round and not really be taken seriously as a threat by anyone...and then, at the worst possible time, they'll bite. I can't help thinking I'm slightly unfair by giving them...
Grade: D

Newcastle: Four point weekend in Viperland! That gale of a north wind dropping the temperatures today is made up by a thousand Viper fans sighing in relief...their team are not done yet. Certainly the points against Manchester and Basingstoke will be welcome-the onus now is on the team to prove that, in fact, they don't deserve to be where they are right now...
Grade: B

Nottingham: Hmm. What do you say to a team that barely beats a side cripple by injuries, while playing at their own rink, and then gets shut out away from home against a side pretty much everyone would expect them to beat, all things being equal? Simple. Not bad in that there's points on the board...but must do a lot better if you're serious about winning anything this season...
Grade: C+

Sheffield: At this point, I believe I'm justified in saying the Steelers won't win the league this season. And inconsistent weekends like this last one show why. First rule of championship teams is...win your home games, and then think about stealing points on the road. This weekend, Steel City got it backwards-and one of their major rivals (Belfast) gleefully profited from it. You don't win a championship by just beating the teams you know you can, Steelers...
Grade: C+

There you go, then...another Double Overtime in the books. Be warned, tomorrow is likely to be a long post, so have the evening coffee ready...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Round the Rinks, 11th January

After a two-week break, your weekly team-by-team preview returns...

Basingstoke: The Bison face a fast-improving Edinburgh and a still-struggling Newcastle this weekend-two games that they'll need to work hard to win, for different reasons. With the Capitals looking to clinch an unlikely playoff berth and the Vipers desperate to put some sort of run together after being in the doldrums for seemingly forever, they'll both be very tricky opponents. The Saturday game against the Capitals is a must-win, although the Vipers game, while away from home, may provide the better chance of two points...

Belfast: Sheffield and Cardiff await the Giants...two teams who the Giants must beat if they're serious about challenging in the top half of the table. The Devils are in serious injury trouble right now and the 14-game streak of November and December is just a memory-and the misery looks like continuing on Sunday. Steelers will be a much tougher proposition in the Hallam Arena...but with both teams well-stocked with offensive talent, this game looks like being a shootout-well worth visiting if you're in the vicinity...

Cardiff: The misery continues for the Devils...Belfast and Nottingham are not teams you want to face without your starting goalie or several key players. Sadly for those in South Wales, I can see this being another winless weekend for the PT Maintenance Devils-although they will certainly make the opposition work for it.

Coventry: Home and away in Hull would have seemed like an easy four points as little as three weeks ago. But with the Stingrays looking more solid now that Jani Virtanen has returned and Troy Neumeier added to the lineup on the back line, four points is by no means a given. I'm not saying it won't happen-I think Coventry have too much for them. The 3-2 result up on Humberside last time out shows, however that the Stingrays will at least no longer fear being embarrassed on home ice...

Edinburgh: The Capitals, on the other hand, are flying as they chase eighth place and that last playoff spot. With Basingstoke and Nottingham standing in their way to four points this weekend, the Capitals will need to be firing like they have done recently, but don't be surprised to see more proof that this under-rated and underperforming (thus far) Caps side is finally reaching its potential...

Hull: Coventry are the opponents-and let's just say that the Stingrays will be motivated-a win on either night, particularly at the Skydome on Sunday, will send shockwaves through the league and give heart to the teams chasing the Blaze at the top of the table. As for the boost it'll give on Humberside..."rocket up the backside" is nowhere near strong enough. The last time something this unlikely happened, it involved a fellow called Lazarus. Beating the Blaze would be a sign that, like that fellow, someone on Humberside could possibly still bring Hull's season back from the dead...

Manchester: The Phoenix, stung by their exit from the KO Cup, face Newcastle and Sheffield as they attempt to get back on track. The Vipers are eminently beatable-Steelers less so. However, with Joe Tallari hovering around the opposition's goal, anything is possible for the hot-and-cold Angry Budgies...

Newcastle: The panic button has been pressed in the North East-Rob Wilson has returned to the ice. Manchester and Basingstoke are the opponents-two teams that the Vipers would have eaten for breakfast in September. Now, though, I can see another winless weekend on the horizon unless some people on Tyneside buck their ideas up fast...

Nottingham: Quietly sneaking up the table has become the Panthers' specialty. With Edinburgh and Cardiff on the slate for this weekend, Mike Ellis' men can continue their rise, but shouldn't underestimate either team despite their struggles at various times this season. I can see the Cats nicking another four points as they chase Sheffield and Cardiff in the race to lead the pack chasing the Blaze...

Sheffield: Belfast and Manchester-two opponents against whom the Steelers will want and need to win-especially as they're all playing for their jobs still. The Giants will be the tougher opponents on paper, but the Phoenix are the banana-skin side-underestimating them while concentrating on Belfast could be fatal...

That's your lot-all the games covered...

Let's play hockey...:)

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...

Only in Dreams...

So today, I'm doing my nightly trawl of the forums (although I started it slightly later than usual) and saw the intriguing topic of "if you could have one player from the rest of the EIHL, who would it be?" on one of the Elite League ones...


Naturally, I thought this wasn't enough. So I shall allow myself one player from each team on my fantasy roster. Positions no object-simply my favourite player from each EIHL team-along with reasons why...


Basingstoke: Danny Stewart: The "other" Danny is a real find. Fast, feisty and surprisingly powerful for a smallish winger, the #79 is a penalty-killing, goalscoring, soft-handed, irritating little demon of a player. Shorthanders are his specialty, and he seems to cover every inch of the ice on an average evening. Steve Thornton gets the headlines, but Stewart should get the praise and the first new contract-this 22-year-old has the potential to become a British hockey legend.


Belfast: Roman Gavalier: Every team needs a d-man who simply thinks "they ain't scoring on my shift". Gavalier lives and dies by this motto-he doesn't fly around the ice trying to win the game on his own, nor does he try and smash the plexi with every check. But my, is he a pleasure to watch, just for his effort-you'd need to remove his limbs one by one to prevent him trying to chase his forward down, and even then he'd drag himself along, yelling "It's just a flesh wound!". In a team full of players all trying to prove they're the biggest dog offensively (Ed Courtenay, I'm looking at you in particular), the Slovak is happy to be a yappy little defensive terrier, nipping the ankles of any opposition forward with the puck hard and often for sixty minutes a night. Take your place on the blue-line...


Cardiff: Brad Voth: What?! The Canadian everyone loves to hate is the glue that holds the Devils together. Mess with a skilled forward? Voth'll be there in seconds to "have a word". Need someone to do the dirty work screening the goalie? 6'5 and 235lbs of Alberta-bred muscle is pretty good for that job. What about a captain who'll stretch every sinew for the cause? Voth'll do that too, night after night. Cardiff aren't the same team without him in the line-up. And for that reason alone, he makes the list.


Coventry: Sylvain Cloutier: Anyone who knows me will be wide-eyed, wondering why Curtis Huppe isn't in this spot. It's simple-he isn't Sylvain Cloutier. On any other team, Huppe would be the pick, but he has the misfortune to be on the same team as the greatest grinding centre (and possibly the best centre ever) to take the Skydome ice. Clouts is 6' and 195lbs of pure class. He can hit, he can create, he can defend, he can irritate, and he can score. Often he does all five on the same shift. The Quebecer's intensity was shown to perfection against Romford this season in a challenge game, after Andrej Sporina unwisely tried to rattle the young players with some stickwork. The Blaze captain watched and waited until Sporina got the puck and tried to take him on...Wallop. Perfectly cleanly, the offending Raider was almost knocked right out of his skates...and the message got through. Mess with any Blaze player, and you mess with me. And that, to me, is a flawless example of the way a captain should be.


Edinburgh: Colin Hemingway: Speed and goals. Two qualities which the Caps need desperately in order to be successful playing their game in this league. Hemingway provides both, and is a class above anyone else wearing the shirt when he's on form...Oh...and he's scored over a quarter of the Caps' goals this season by himself.



Hull: Stevie Lee: Watch him hit, pass, buzz around the ice like a mosquito on the skin of the opposition, never back away from bigger, stronger players, and become one of the brightest stars of the Stingrays' season and a darling of the Humberside crowd. Or bear in mind he took on Brad Voth, and forced the Cardiff giant to back away. Realise that he is already one of the best British dmen in the league despite being on a team which regularly faces the full force of opposition attacks for sixty minutes a game with very little respite, and that he is one of the major pieces of that defence, more so thanks to Hull's injury woes. Then remember the most amazing fact of all...he's doing this at an age where he can't even legally buy the man-of-the-match beer yet. I think that merits a place in the squad, don't you?



Manchester: Joe Tallari: Some will pick the craft and guile of Tony Hand. Some the brute force and dominating presence of Brett Clouthier. And some the silky skating and timely blue-line bullet goals of Simon Mangos (the poor man's Neal Martin). But if you're picking the most important player to his team in the league, then you'd have to go a long way to pass the Thunder Bay, Ontario native. As Joe Tallari goes, so go the Phoenix. As for my reasons for including him among my favourites...there are 34 of them this season, five more than the much-more-heralded "king of snipers" Adam Calder, who is his next challenger in the scoring race. Make that 34 and counting...

Newcastle: Colin Shields: The velvet glove of goals which covers the steel fist of the Vipers, Shields is a player you love to hate unless he's on your side. Almost invisible for long periods amongst the blood and thunder of Andre Payette, Derek Campbell et al, Shields is the silent force behind the Geordies' attacking play...And when all that crashing and banging subsides with the puck in your team's net, you can be sure that Shields had a hand in putting it there...

Nottingham: Sean McAslan: Combined with Johan Molin, he provides the Panthers' goalscoring claws. One of the few players in the league who I am always looking for when the puck is in the Blaze zone-just in case the worst happens and he gets it on his stick with a little space and a glimpse of the net behind Trevor Koenig. In that case, there's a good chance a goal will follow soon after. If you're scared of an opposition player every time he gets the puck, then he's doing something well. And in the Panthers' captain's case, scoring goals is something he does very well indeed.

Sheffield: Rod Sarich: A d-man who is equally at home in either zone, Sarich has a slapshot many dmen would kill for, the eyes of a bird of prey and the speed and elusiveness of a gazelle, as well as the killer instinct of a jungle cat when given time to pick his spot from the blue. Neal Martin may take all the praise, but Sarich is almost as good-and his best years are still to come.

There you go. Feel free to comment if I've missed a glaringly obvious player from any team who would be better...and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

On Arrogance and Money II...

Ever since I started writing this, one of the things that has impressed me the most are the thoughtful comments seen from those who read-there are clearly some very knowledgeable and erudite hockey fans out there, and many an article here has come from a comment either on a forum or from here-the latest gem of a comment, in response to this post, comes from Becky, and takes issue with my mentioning Manchester fans as the most tolerant...

Manchester fans hit the panic button incredibly quickly earlier in the season but are now content to sit back and bitch, whinge and moan. I guess they know changes are unlikely and would probably be harmful because of the budget but there's no end to the negativity in our fan-base, even when we win.KC was the target of a witch hunt for a while and finally went. Cloots and MacMillan have also been slated and Tony's always being told to hang his skates up.

This did surprise me-Brett Clouthier in particular has been impressive for Manchester when I've seen him-there are few better in the league at screening the goalie, especially on the powerplay...

However, Becky then really set me thinking with this point...especially as I support a "big-budget" club...

I think that money means you can and do make changes and smaller budgets work with what they've got. I guess if that's the way you deal with it, it's what the fans will come to expect rather than arrogance driving a constant need to win. That doesn't mean that doesn't grow as fans get used to it tho ;)

I find this interesting-I remember the first BNL season in Coventry, where the team started like an absolute house on fire and Coventry as a city went mad-after all, it's not like we as a sports city have a history of winning, unless you watch speedway...However, when it all went wrong due to injuries, there wasn't anywhere near the reaction that occurs today if things go off course slightly...or indeed in the season after the treble year...So can we say that winning breeds arrogance, money is to blame or is it just healthy expectation rather than the more negative emotion of arrogance?

This issue was further brought into sharp focus by the news that Sheffield have placed their entire team on two week's notice, despite having a season which many teams in the league would kill for (second in the league, Challenge Cup finalists, etc, etc). The Steelers fans are also criticising their team to a seemingly ludicrous degree on forums recently. Sheffield has always been a demanding place to play thanks to the standards set by the powerhouse teams of the late 90's and early 00's, but even so, chopping or attacking a team for being second best in Britain seems a little harsh even for them...

Compare this with Basingstoke fans, who are proud of their team and their effort despite the problems this season, or Cardiff fans-who still roar their team on whatever the result, or even the injuries. Or Isle of Wight Raiders fans, who turn up despite their side likely suffering defeat against far superior budgets and players in the EPL every week.

Admittedly, of the above teams you could argue that only Cardiff have a genuine history (recently at least) of success, but even so...all teams apart from Coventry (in the Skydome era) have suffered some hardship-does this mean that the only way for the Coventry (or Sheffield, or any) crowd to truly appreciate the successes of their team is to suffer catastrophic failure in the future?

I know I'm only asking questions rather than coming up with constructive answers-but I'd love to know whether there genuinely is a divide between "big budget" and "small budget" teams, not just on the ice (which is fairly obvious at times, although thankfully it's getting smaller in the EIHL) but on the ice, in the way their fans are perceived. Are Coventry, Sheffield, Nottingham fanbases arrogant for expecting their big budgets to carry the day? If you're a fan of a smaller club, do you feel bigger clubs look down upon you? Certainly this was a complaint of Newcastle as they sped to the playoff title in the first EIHL season...

Food for thought as you munch on your period-break hot-dog...I have a feeling that thinking about this will leave me with more to say on this subject....

...perhaps even tomorrow. :)

Keep checking back, keep making those insightful and thought-provoking comments, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Hate to Say...

"I told you so"...Cole Byers is now done for the season, according to Hull media sources. Hardly a surprise, really-going on the ice with a quarter of your knee missing is possibly not the best idea, as I said at the time...my comment on his decision was...

"Brave, brave man...especially as, if he gets another whack on that knee, his career could be over at the frighteningly young age of 24. And all this in an attempt to save the Stingrays from finishing bottom? Many will be asking themselves "is it worth it?" Cole Byers, the Breakaway salutes you...and hopes that you don't live to regret that decision..."

It appears that he will do, at least for the time it takes to rehab that knee...

Meanwhile, back in the league...How about those KO Cup results? There's potential at the moment for three out of four semi-finalists to be from the bottom half of the EIHL. Basingstoke are definitely through after tanking Cardiff-who have now lost Gerard Adams on top of all their other injuries. Edinburgh are also through after beating Newcastle...the Vipers must really be wondering where the light at the end of the tunnel is, or whether, when it comes, it'll just be an oncoming train.
Hull vs Manchester will guarantee a bottom-halfer in the draw..so the only real question is whether it'll be Coventry or Sheffield who go forward to play in the semis of the league's least-loved competition. Judging by the performance on Sunday night, it'll be Sheffield-don't be fooled by the 2-1 scoreline in favour of Coventry. The Blaze were simply awful at times-while Sheffield were little more than workmanlike.

New Year Blues: It appears that the New Year has affected us all differently..I got the address right for the Belfast webcast but not the game. You'd think such an experienced hockey journalist as me would have remembered to double-check the fixture list, now, wouldn't you? Two minutes for stupidity for Mr Wheeler...In the words of Slapshot's Denis Lemieux "I go to the penalty box and I feel SHAME!".

Mi Cabana es su Cabana: Paul Cabana could be making a quick return to the UK after leaving Hull, apparently-with Sheffield the destination after the Steelers were all put on two weeks' notice. Things clearly need to change in Steelerville, what with them reaching the lowly heights of second in the league and the Challenge Cup Final with the current corps of players........



....OK, I can't see the reason for it either. But maybe that's why I don't own an EIHL team. Unless this is a cunning way for Bob Phillips to ship players from one of his teams to the other (Cardiff) while getting around the whole "conflict of interest" problem...Still-at least Cabana will find out what it's like to have other goalscorers around him...and no, Hull fans, Jeff Glowa doesn't count.

Meanwhile...Hull have moved quickly to pick up their goalscoring problems with the capture of Troy Neumeier, that well-known...stay-at-home d-man. I don't even have a joke here. Although the Stingrays have been electroshocked into some sort of life recently. Now, if they could just do the same with their coach...

That's your lot for now...I apologise for the disjointedness of the blog recently, but the trouble with real life is that it isn't as simple as hockey...

More to come tomorrow as we return to the twin themes of arrogance and money...

Belfast Webcast...

Round the Rinks will appear properly around 6 this evening, work etc allowing, but given that Belfast play Nottingham at the Odyssey this evening I just thought I'd remind you all that the game, as with any Giants home game, can be found on the web courtesy of the Belfast webcast team should you be wanting to start your weekend with a bit of live EIHL action-the commentary is audio with video highlights for the first two periods and live video for the third, streamed over the interweb...not bad for three quid, really. Certainly cheaper than paying far too much in subscription for the dubious privilege of listening to Dave Simms on Sky of a Friday evening for a game that ain't even live-especially when Nottingham v Belfast promises to be a far tastier prospect than Coventry v Edinburgh (the game this week).

The webcast details can be found by clicking on the webcast link from the Giants site at http://www.belfastgiants.com/, or directly:

www.belfastgiants.com/webcast.aspx

David Lowry and his team do a good job with very little, so ignore the rants of Blaze fans on the forums and try it out for yourself...

Check back later today for Round the Rinks, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime Holiday Special

Firstly, in order to get it out of the way and with no interference from jammed mobile networks-happy new year to everyone who reads regularly, occasionally or even if you've just stumbled on here by mistake...:)

Now, as promised-a review of the holiday period now that the last glass of mulled wine has been drunk, the last turkey sandwich eaten and the last Alka-Seltzer popped to cure the New Year hangover...

Basingstoke: The Bison have very much stuck to "same old, same old" as far as the form-book goes-wins and losses alternating...although considering the injury bug bit hard over the period, with the team reduced to ten skaters at one point, a perfect Christmas is perhaps just a little unrealistic. Picking up points against Manchester and Hull will have helped in the battle for the last playoff place, and there's no disgrace in losing to the Steelers while short-benched. With players fast recovering and another to come in shortly according to owner Tomas Enerston, 2008 looks like getting off to a decent start in Hampshire...
Grade: B

Belfast: The Giants had a perfect festive period, only conceding one point to their opponents as they needed overtime to beat Newcastle on the 23rd, so it appears that all is well in Northern Ireland, not least thanks to a double-header win over Cardiff last weekend. The league title is realistically out of the Giants' reach unless they go on a Cardiffesque winning streak, but playoff glory is definitely a possibility if the team can continue this recent trend of self-belief and playing hard behind the goals of Ed Courtenay and Peter Campbell through the coldest months of the year and into spring. Much as this should pain me, being a Blaze fan, a perfect record deserves nothing less than...
Grade: A+

Cardiff: Ouch. Poor Devils. Phil Osaer injures himself just in time for the busiest period of the season, and with the revolving door of British fill-ins such as Mike Brabon and Gregg Rockman has come a lean period for the South Wales side..no festive cheer here aside from the seven-four win in Manchester on the 23rd. Despite this the Devils have continued to fire pretty well on offence, and if they can get Osaer back then perhaps they can get back into the title race. However, at the moment, it looks like a tough few weeks ahead at the Big Blue Tent...
Grade: D

Coventry: Festive wobbles hit the Midlanders on Boxing Day in Nottingham, but aside from that and the overtime loss in Belfast the Blaze have kept rolling on with the fire that has kept their fans warmed up and roasted opposition teams all season. With Curtis Huppe and Sylvain Cloutier now back from injury, Blaze fans will be hoping the only changes occuring at the Skydome will be on the calendars...
Grade: B-

Edinburgh: Two wins against Hull were a timely Christmas present for the Caps as they've now cut the gap to just four points at the bottom. This was followed up by a Hogmanay special 7-3 mauling of Newcastle-a result which few would have even dared mention in September for fear of being hauled to the hockey asylum. A friend was suggesting the other day that the Scots have the ingredients for success-all that is needed is a re-jig of the lines, with Christiansen playing with Hemingway and Wires and Stutzel-Cingel-Garside forming the second line. I can't see it myself-but the win against the Vipers shows the talent is there, and when all else fails...
Three wins out of six earn the Scots...
Grade: C+

Hull: New Year, same hopeless Stingrays. You can talk all you like about grit, effort and even Rick Strachan's way with words as he bores us all with more platitudes in press releases, but on the scoreboard, as ever, the Humbersiders just aren't getting it done this season. With Troy Neumeier coming in in order to shore up the defence, maybe the flood of shots will slow slightly, but 2008 has to be better than last year for the Stingers because there's no way it can get worse...is there?
Grade: F

Manchester: The Phoenix are cruising along as they chase a playoff place in the lower reaches of mid-table, winning three out of six including a double victory against Newcastle over Christmas which sees them settled in seventh, five points ahead of their nearest rival but eight points behind the teams above them. This team won't set the world alight, but if the season continues the same way it has up until now there'll be postseason hockey in Altrincham, and at the end of the day, that's what every team wants as a minimum out of the league season. The grade this time is....
Grade: C+

Newcastle: "Don't panic! DON'T PANIC!" The words of Corporal Jones are ringing loudly in the ears in the North East-two points from a possible eight, and even those thanks to Hull, mean that life at the MRA is not as rosy as the league position would suggest, not least because the Vipers are only 6th thanks to an eight-point cushion over Manchester, and are in danger of being isolated from both the teams above them and those below. The grade reflects the poor return over Christmas, though...
Grade: E

Nottingham: Two losses, including one in overtime, balance a win against Coventry on Boxing Day for the Panthers as they cling on to the coat-tails of the leaders. The Panthers still need new blood before the end of January brings the transfer deadline...however, Christmas wasn't too bad, so they earn...
Grade: B-

Sheffield: And finally, the Steelers, who came within two points of the lead before being summarily destroyed by the Blaze on Sunday, coming out on the wrong end of a seven-one scoreline. With Ashley Tait still injured and likely to be a little tentative when he returns from concussion, the Steel City will be hoping his team-mates can pick up the slack and continue the good form shown over Christmas, which also included a win against deadly rivals Nottingham, and earns...
Grade: B+

And there you have it. Now on to 2008, with the first game of the year seeing Edinburgh take on Coventry in Murrayfield tomorrow (2nd January)...
Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Half-Term Reports

Given that I am off up to Sheffield for New Year tomorrow and may well not be posting until the second, now seems as good a time as any for the team-by-team review of the season thus far, as promised a few days ago...



Basingstoke: The Bison have settled well after having some major problems early in the season with money...at one point it was feared they'd go right out of business. Step forward Tomas Enerston, a straight-talking Swede who took the club off the hands of the Taylors in November and has brought a new optimism to Hampshire. Playing-wise the Herd are in their usual lower-mid-table position, but have been using the talents of the ageless Steve Thornton in order to win games they'd previously have lost. The league's "other" Danny Stewart and Derek Campbell have both been hugely impressive, Stewart in particular, while on defence Mikko Purontakanen is fast establishing himself as one of the league's premier d-men.The outlook is good for the Bison, as they can only continue to improve...



Belfast: Their start could only be described as nightmarish. But the Giants, like several other clubs in the league, have bounced back from a nightmare start to begin putting wins together. It's no coincidence that results began to improve after swapping the calamitous form of Phillippe deRouville for the steadiness of Stevie Lyle in goal, and the goals of Peter Campbell have been crucial in the Giant's return to form. Recent wins at the Skydome in particular have shown that the Northern Irish side, at least at home, are back to the tough proposition they always have been...



Cardiff: Like Belfast, the Devils started badly, then seemed to wake up and went on an unbelievable fourteen game winning streak (led by the rejeuvenated Sylvain Deschatelets, who was cut and reinstated in October) which saw them briefly go top before Phil Osaer and about half the rest of the squad suffered injuries at the same time, leading to the recent dry spell points wise which has seen the Devils slip to third. However, with Osaer back in January the Welsh dragons will hopefully be roaring again as the Devils continue the chase for honours.



Coventry: "Juggernauts" is the only word you can use to describe the Blaze so far this season-the Midlanders have seen their losses come few and far between, with the three-game losing streak seen recently the first time the club has faced any real adversity. That this streak coincided with the loss of captain Sylvain Cloutier to injury is no coincidence-the gritty centre has been the player of the season by a long way thus far, leading by example at both ends of the ice. Another unexpected gem has been the returning Matty Soderstrom, who has been immense in defence and gone from "d signed to save money" back to hero status among the Blaze faithful. The New Year should bring more of the same from many fans' tip to repeat their title...



Edinburgh: Hope was high for the Capitals at the beginning of the season, but this promise hasn't really materialised as the Scots sit bottom of the table, with only a shock win against Coventry at Murrayfield to liven the gloom. However, the indomitable Scots will keep pushing, and may, given luck and the failiures of others, still have a chance of a playoff place as long as Colin Hemingway keeps scoring...



Hull: Oh, dear. The chimes of Big Ben can't come soon enough on Humberside. This season has been nightmarish, both in terms of injury, mismanagement (at least on the coaching side) and dissatisfaction. The Stingrays are more like small fry in a league of sharks at the moment, with top scorer and one of the few bright spots of Hull's season, Paul Cabana, deciding he'd had enough in early December. I've already launched into the Stingrays at great length, so shall simply use that staple phrase of school reports...Must do better. Far, far better...



Manchester: Another steady campaign from the Phoenix, picking up points and dropping them as the mood takes them. Joe Tallari has been one of the finds of the season for them, along with the skill and grit of Omar Ennaffati on D...however, the Mancs still lack that one ingredient to truly take them from mid-table mediocrity to challenging for honours...although Luke Stauffacher looks like he could provide something judging by his recent form. Scott Fankhouser will need to improve a little, however, as the Manchester attack, apart from Tallari, is not the most prolific in the world, and this doesn't look like changing at the moment.

Newcastle: The Vipers are in something of a slump at the moment, and have been since November. Rob Wilson must regret his much quoted "we deserve to be where we are" statement with every puck that hits the back of Ryan MacDonald's net, despite the young Canadian's heroic efforts in goal. Vipers need something special in order to stop their slump, and will be hoping that the New Year brings a new attitude in the North East.

Nottingham: The Panthers are suffering their usual season of not reaching expectations, with PC Drouin and Rastislav Rovnianek already casualties of the thirst for success in the East Midlands. Tom Askey has been a major improvement in net, and recently the Panthers have been playing more like the team the fans hoped to see after the big money signings/re-signings of Johan Molin, Sean McAslan and Corey Neilson. With the Panthers also in the final of the Challenge Cup, perhaps this could be one of the better seasons of recent years after the playoff success last year set the trend...

Sheffield: And finally, the Steelers, who have quietly found their way into second place thanks to the fine play of Johnathan Phillips, Ashley Tait and Joey Talbot. They have an annoying way of cruising along un-noticed, having also made their way into the Challenge Cup Final while somewhat under the radar. And that's just fine with the team. Question is, can they keep it up?

And that's the end of the half-season review...more to come either tomorrow or Tuesday..

Keep keeping your eye on the puck..

Let the witch-hunt begin...

Just a very quick post following on from the Boxing Day Brad Voth incident...the video of the hit is now up on youtube here:

Brad Voth hits Ashley Tait

To me it looks nasty, but nothing like the attempt to kill some Steeler fans are calling it...the hit comes only half a second or so after the shot and thus, under the rules, it's not "late". However, it is high and very hard indeed-Voth makes no attempt to adjust for Tait being four inches shorter nor looking in the other direction.

Certainly it's not a lot worse than this classic...which is generally viewed as one of the best few hits of the past few years-the major issue is Tait looking the other way when the hit comes in....

And I notice Steelers have also been strangely silent about Jeremy Cornish sucker-punching Sylvain Deschatelets (right hand side on the last few seconds of the clip)-that DOES look nasty...

That's just my opinion, anyway...feel free to share yours-Steelers, Devils and neutrals alike.

For the record, Voth has received six games suspension...

On Arrogance and Money

I was going to produce the Breakaway Awards today as promised, but my Update Christmas Special produced this very interesting post from Mark in the comments...

We deserve to be were we are" is sounding more like a premonition than a proclamation. The Vipers need Wins and convincing wins. The vipers were always a club that worked its socks off on the ice and wore its heart on its sleeve which seems to be lacking this season. On paper it is the most skilled side we have had in years but the on ice product is lacking. This maybe because (up until now) we've always had a strong contingent of local Players, the like of Weaver Leach Trumbley come to mind. Petr Kratky must be looking over his shoulder with a smile looking at our last 5 games. Rumor has it former players are on there way back-Hinks and Robinson have been banded about the arena. Rob Wilson needs to look at his Hockey clipboard and start doing something with the circles and x's because it's just not working.

This set me thinking somewhat, as up until a few weeks ago the general tone on Blaze forums was similar to Wilson's comment-"we're just that damn good" was the general theme. However, the recent injuries and several losses have provoked a similar reaction on Blaze forums to the above view from the North East...Barrie Moore is coming in for some stick yet again, there was a several page thread on who should be cut appearing on the Dragon's Den forum.
This has set me thinking. Is there a culture in British hockey whereby failiure is an instant cause for panic, especially among clubs who might be used to winning? I've been comparing the reactions in Coventry and Newcastle to those from Manchester, as the Phoenix also started very well indeed but have slipped off somewhat, and there's simply not the same worries...the Phoenix fans appear to be far more tolerant of their teams' mishaps. So is it a question of fanbase expectations, or is it arrogance, or what? I'd be interested to hear views on this one...

And now for the money section...It appears I'm on my own as far as the Christmas shirts go-all the comments thus far in response to my questioning their value have been fully in support of these special shirts. All the points made have been perfectly valid-however, I can't get past the old saying of "familiarity breeds contempt"...

Anyway-that is enough for now...more to come tomorrow, I hope...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

The Updates: Christmas Special...

Because of the high volume of games this week, I'm saving the Double Overtime covering Christmas and New Year's until New Year's Day/January 2nd, and not doing a Round the Rinks for this weekend, simply because it seems pointless to only preview half the games of a week. So instead you'll get the Double Overtime New Year Special on either Monday or Tuesday (calm down at the back-don't get too excited) which will review Christmas and New Year as a whole for each team.

So what will we do to fill the time? Well, in true cliché style, we'll have a look at what certain figures in the league (possibly) got themselves for Christmas-there will be a review of the season so far appearing on Saturday, and maybe an exclusive look at the EIHL new year's resolutions on Sunday. We'll also take a look at some of the major news stories which have appeared since the last update (and some of the minor ones) now, not least the one that sees Brad Voth at the centre of a witch-hunt from Sheffield fans. Oh, and sometime over the next few days I'll also sneak in the inaugural Breakaway Awards, which will take a look at both the serious and the lighter side of hockey life.

M'sieu, wiz zese Breakaway you are really spoiling uz...as the Ferrero Rocher lady would have said.

Anyway...on to the news items first of all...

Sheffield exclusive reveals Brad Voth also tried to steal Christmas: Leading off with the incident mentioned above-Cardiff's captain is in the dock yet again after leaving Sheffield's Ashley Tait unconscious on the ice with a massive hit/elbow in the Boxing Day game at the Hallam Arena-I personally haven't seen the incident, (as I was in Nottingham) but all hell has broken loose on the forums, with branding irons being heated and Steelers fans condemning the Calgary native as a danger to his fellow players. Depending on who you listen to, it was either a clean but hard hit or a blindside mugging intended to do serious damage. Or, if you read the Sheffield Star, a "hit immediately after Tait passed the puck" which was somehow "incredibly late" at the same time... The supposedly impartial Steelers report describes it as a "vicious late elbow". However, the reaction on the Sheffield site is worth a chuckle-observe this quote from Jeremy Cornish from the Steelers homepage...

"I was on the ice at the time and missed the hit, my back was facing Ash at the time, all of a sudden Ash was down and Munner had Voth, I wish I had got there ahead of Steve. How many times are we going to allow this man (Voth) to get away with this, the league has to deal with it or guys will take it upon themselves to sort this man out"

Trouble is, should Cornish be involved in an incident where Voth is injured now, he's left himself open for accusations of premeditated attempt to injure-which is just what he and others in the league (not least Sheffield and Coventry fans) are accusing Voth of being guilty of on several occasions this season and last in incidents involving Jani Virtanen of Hull among others. Not exactly taking the moral high ground, is it? Especially when we remember (and Cardiff fans certainly do) the outrage of those Sheffield fans when Mike Peron was attacked for apparently trying to break Jon Cullen's back a couple of seasons ago...now THAT was a nasty hit...

The good news is that Tait himself, while suffering a nasty concussion, is apparently recovering well, and should be back in two weeks or so...

Crash, bang...: Marc Levers will be looking for a new nose after deciding to elbow Danny Stewart during last night's game-however, it is interesting that there was very little complaint from Blaze fans nor any reaction from the notoriously short-fused Blaze agitator when Ryan Shmyr put in a big hit on him just before, which saw the Panther come in from behind after letting the Blaze player skate past and drive him into the plexi using a shove in the back-the trouble was that all the complaints that did come were of the "attempt to injure" variety....with all the furore regarding these late hits, maybe people should remember that hits from behind will happen in hockey, and often look worse than they are purely because the players tend to fall to the ice afterwards. A problem at the Skydome and other rinks is you get a lot of people who will condone anything from their players and scream "dirty" the moment their own team is hit, clean or not....it would help to remove a lot of guff from forums if people remember hockey is essentially a contact sport...

...and wallop: Some of you may have got the impression that KC Timmons is not exactly my favourite Blaze signing ever. However, I have been seeing that I may have been just a little unfair to him in my initial reaction-particularly bearing in mind the amount of ice-time the third line are now getting. Then came Sunday night's demolition of Corey Neilson-for those of you who weren't there, Timmons and Neilson came together behind the net, there was a flurry of punches and suddenly Neilson was down, picked up, and down again as KC went absolutely psycho...Perhaps there is a new enforcer in the EIHL-certainly I don't remember hearing of him doing much in that vein for the Phoenix...

However, this new softening doesn't mean I'm liking Troy Neumeier yet...the Blaze are certainly missing the two import forwards out at the moment...

Christmas shirts-cynical marketing ploy or attempt to connect with the fans?: Interestingly, this year almost every EIHL team has produced a Christmas shirt (the Blaze one just consisted of sticking some snow on the numbers) and once again people are paying ridiculous amounts of money for them. With Cardiff also auctioning a Halloween shirt and Nottingham bringing out a third kit, as well as the playoff shirts, am I the only one who gets the feeling that the whole game-worn shirt market is a little saturated in the UK at the moment? Soon it'll be replica shirts which are the true status symbol at this rate...

and before you ask-yes, I do own a gamer-Steve O'Brien from the 03/04 season, thanks to the shirt raffle.

Fools and their ACL's are soon parted..or torn: Regular readers of this page will be falling over themselves right now...I'm about to praise a Hull Stingray. Cole Byers is the reason-or more to the point, his incredible mix of bravery and stupidity is. Barely three months after tearing his ACL in a knee which seemed to sideline him for the season (and has put players in the slightly more wussy sport of football out for a year, Michael Owen among them) the Stingray hardman is back on the ice, through his own decision. To put that into perspective, three weeks after suffering a possible "damaged" (ie not necessarily torn) ACL as part of my own knee ligament injury, I was told "if the ACL is damaged, you won't be skating until April or May, and playing hockey properly won't be an option until July or August". And Byers is back at a much higher level, with only a knee brace for protection. Brave, brave man...especially as, if he gets another whack on that knee, his career could be over at the frighteningly young age of 24. And all this in an attempt to save the Stingrays from finishing bottom? Many will be asking themselves "is it worth it?"

Cole Byers, the Breakaway salutes you...and hopes that you don't live to regret that decision...


Anyway, thanks to computer problems this Christmas mish-mash has appeared a day later than planned...however, the schedule of sorts still stands, so keep checking back over the next few days because there's a good chance there'll be something new on here, whether it be pontificating, a dose of (mostly bad) British hockey humour, or just the plain common-or-garden action reviews...

Meanwhile, keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Hockey Christmas! Double Overtime, 25th December

There was no way I was missing December 25th...in honour of the festive season, we shall be rating the teams on a scale of nice to naughty depending on just how good they were this weekend. Yes, it's cheesy, but the Breakaway should at least look like it's in the festive spirit...For those of you who aren't sure where on the scale things are, the grades will also appear beside them. :)

Basingstoke: Poor old Bison. Nine players fit as they travelled up to Sheffield led to the expected tanking on Sunday after a loss by two goals on Saturday...although nine-one is a little harsh on the valiant Herd-the five-three result on Saturday was nearer the mark as far as fairness goes. However, given that I have something of a soft spot for the Hampshire-ites, they don't suffer too much and get the grade of
Lovable Rogues (grade C)

Belfast: Two games in overtime, and the Giants win both, so they come out on top as far as the scales of justices fall this week-given that they gained some valuable ground by gutting out a win against Newcastle and also beat Blaze for the second time in a week, they just about scrape from into...
Postively Angelic (grade A-)

Cardiff: This will not be a Christmas run-in to remember for the Devils, although they haven't suffered too much thanks to the nip-and-tuck nature of the battle for second in recent weeks. This weekend must have seen some fairy dust sprinkled on the goalmouths in both Cardiff and Altrincham, because the Devils and Manchester combined for twenty-four goals in two games, with Devils avenging a six-five loss after OT in Cardiff with a seven-four win in Altrincham. Given the fact that Manchester are becoming tough to play again, they scrape the grade of
Teacher's Pets (grade B-)

Coventry: This is getting monotonous now...one win, one loss for the Blaze also, although the win was a demolition of Nottingham which was summed up in KC Timmons well and truly destroying Corey Neilson in a fight in a Biblical beating, the like of which is only usually seen in Westerns being administered by the hero behind a woodshed, usually with a horsewhip...However, the loss on Friday puts the Blaze back down into Cardiff territory grade-wise, as they also get...
Teacher's Pets (grade B-)

Edinburgh: Four-point weekend! Now there is a Christmas present Caps fans will be overjoyed to receive, even if it is at the expense of Hull. And, just to add the tinsel on the presents, the Sunday night saw JF Perras gain his first EIHL shutout as the Caps won 3-0. Thus, for being one of only two teams to earn the four-point maximum, the Capitals should pinch themselves as, like Belfast, they earn the title...
Postively Angelic (grade A)

Hull: I hope the fires need stoking on Humberside, because there's a lot of lumps of coal coming the Stingrays' way. Two more losses against the only side below them drive another nail into the coffin of the Fishies' season, and earn themselves the dreaded grade, once again, of...
Beyond Redemption (grade U)

Manchester: Credit to the Phoenix...this weekend saw the best and the worst of them at the same time-goals aplenty, but also leaking aplenty. One win and one loss, especially against Cardiff, is a creditable return, but the defensive shambles of conceding twelve in two games will never win them anything. In tribute to their two sides and also to Home Alone, that Christmas staple on TV, they earn the grade of...
Angels with Dirty Faces (Grade D)

Newcastle: Oh, Vipers, Vipers, Vipers. Those heady days of autumn must seem a way away now...Two more losses, to Nottingham and Belfast respectively, mean that they're not quite down in Hull territory, but they could start sliding there if there's not a noticeable improvement fairly quickly...
Naughty, naughty...(Grade E)

Nottingham: Tom Askey had a bad night on Sunday as the Panthers undid all the good work they'd done in winning in Newcastle by simply rolling over against Coventry in their five-two loss. However, revenge could come quickly on Boxing Day, so this second schizophrenic team also go into Christmas as
Angels with Dirty Faces (grade D)

Sheffield: Two wins, fourteen goals. All is well in Steelerville. The question now is, can they maintain it over a tricky Christmas and New Year stretch? No surprises as they go into Christmas Day as...
Positively Angelic (A)

And there you are. All that remains is to say...Merry Christmas to all...

Round the Rinks, 21st December...

Apologies all (especially Ringer who commented below :))...the last week has been nightmarish what with physiotherapy for my injured knee, Christmas shopping, work and Lord only knows what else. I simply haven't had time to keep up with all the news floating round the hockey world, and refuse to post anything simply for the sake of it...However, I have grabbed myself a spare half-hour in each evening, and hopefully something approaching normal service will be resumed...beginning with this week's Round the Rinks...

Basingstoke: Happy Christmas, Steve Thornton-here's a broken hand for the festive period...an event which somewhat took the shine off Bison's 5-3 victory vs the Blaze yesterday, and will make this weekend's games against Sheffield a much trickier proposition despite the Herd being on a good run of form recently. However, with Sheffield also up and down at the moment form-wise, don't bet against the Hampshire side taking at least two points...

Belfast: After the fine win in Coventry last Saturday, the Giants meet Coventry again tomorrow, this time at home, in a game which is live on the web at this address (full details on the service are in this post) before visiting Newcastle on Sunday, a rink where they won 6-3 last time out. The Northern Irish looked a completely different side from the early-season shambles last seen at the Skydome in winning last weekend, and with the Blaze in something of a mini-slump and the Vipers still trying to find their form after losing it spectacularly, Irish eyes could be smiling for more than just the obvious reasons come Christmas Eve morning...

Cardiff: Beaten twice by Hull, nicking a win against Newcastle in overtime-a goalie coming back from injury and uncertainty because of this-the Devils have finally come back to earth. This weekend sees a double-header against Manchester, which would seem a tricky task given the Phoenix's slow resurgence recently. I can see a split weekend on the cards and festivities being a little more subdued than they were a few weeks ago...

Coventry: Meanwhile, Blaze fans are also learning that their team is mortal, with another loss away to Basingstoke on Wednesday night pegging back the league leaders. It could get worse this weekend as they face two form teams in Belfast and Nottingham, although a Saturday off will at least give a day's recovery time. I can foresee Christmas being good to the chasing pack, though, with two more losses a real possibility. If they happen, suddenly the Midlanders will seem all too generous in giving away presents to their rivals just when they need them, at least to those of a Sky Blue persuasion...

Edinburgh: The Caps will be hoping for some Christmas cheer against Hull this weekend, although with the Stingrays on something of a mini-run they will have to work hard to win the battle of the basement clubs. However, it can be done-after all, miracles happen this time of year...at least if you believe the TV fare...

Hull: Just three weeks ago I ripped into the Stingrays, writing this blistering post after they lost 9-1 to Sheffield at home. And frankly, I'm still baffled by the incompetency shown on Humberside. Yes, they're on something of a mini-run recently, with two notable victories against a (weakened) Cardiff, but the latest twist sees Marlon Joseph signed and then released barely three weeks into his contract, with Rick Strachan admitting he "wasn't what we needed, but we gave him a chance". Erm..why sign him, then? Edinburgh are perhaps the ideal opponents as confusion reigns supreme by the North Sea, as they will merely beat the Stingrays if given the chance, and not hammer them. However, Christmas cards for Rick Strachan will be few and far between from the Stingrays fans-he'll be lucky if they don't start hurling lumps of coal should the Capitals win...

Manchester: Cardiff are the opponents for the Phoenix this time out, and with injuries receding and Luke Stauffacher finding the net, the holidays could be happier than expected, particularly if the Manchester side play to their full potential-four points would go down very nicely as a present to the Altrincham faithful right now..

Newcastle: The Vipers need wins-or are they still "where they deserve to be" as carols hang in the air like fog over the Tyne? Nottingham and Belfast are the Grinches looking to steal points from the North East this weekend, and you really wouldn't bet against them doing so, despite Ryan MacDonald's heroics and Andre Payette's desperate attempts to put the weight he'll gain from the pre-Christmas party buffet to intimidatory use. Certainly the Vipers should be looking to people other than their opponents if they want to receive anything gift-wrapped this weekend...

Nottingham: Christmas is spent away from home for the Panthers, in Newcastle and Coventry...both teams they've proved they can beat even without being on top form. So now they are running on all cylinders, and have faith that the high-powered Coventry attack can be held off by more than just luck thanks to Tom Askey, look for the Panthers to roar and try to make Christmas an unhappy one for their near rivals...

Sheffield: Finally, the Steelers face Basingstoke twice this weekend-they've already received a boost thanks to the bad luck of Steve Thornton, but can they capitalise on that and Cardiff's stutter to haul themselves back into the slipstream of Coventry and leave their Midland rivals to deal with a bitter-tasting Christmas dinner? Certainly they have the talent-but at this time of year, all that glitters isn't necessarily useful, and two losses will leave the decorations without their sparkle...

So, the games then...

Friday

Belfast v Coventry

Saturday

Hull v Edinburgh

Basingstoke v Sheffield

Cardiff v Manchester

Nottingham v Newcastle

Sunday

Manchester v Cardiff

Sheffield v Basingstoke

Edinburgh v Hull

Coventry v Nottingham

Newcastle v Belfast

Let's play hockey...:)

And of course, should this be the last post you read before the festivities next week (there will be a Double Overtime on Christmas Day and a Round the Rinks for the midweek games appearing on Boxing Day should the kids get too much, however...:0)), merry Christmas to you and indeed all other hockey fans in the UK...

Round the Rinks, 16th December

Another quiet Saturday (only three games) leads into another packed Sunday on the penultimate weekend before Christmas, as off we go around the EIHL…

Basingstoke: The Bison face two struggling teams in Hull and Manchester, while being on something of an upward turn themselves-although with Hull pulling off the shock of the year in Cardiff last week, the Stingrays in particular will be a proposition not taken lightly by the Hampshire side. With Manchester coming off a tanking from Coventry in their last home game, Sunday should see the Bison tested to the full also, injuries or no injuries…

Belfast: The Giants face Nottingham tonight in the Odyssey in a meeting of two of the league’s form teams, before renewing hostilities against Coventry at the Skydome on Sunday in one of the EIHL’s bigger rivalries. With the team now settled and Shaun Sutter and Peter Campbell in particular on dangerously hot streaks, Northern Ireland will see this weekend as a major chance to get back into the pack immediately below the top two…

Cardiff: Revenge is on the Devils’ minds as Newcastle visit on Saturday before the trip to Hull on Sunday. Neither opposition side will be relishing the contest, although the Devils are weakened by Phil Osaer’s injury in goal, the EPL’s Gregg Rockman deputising. Wins are vital in order to prove that last Sunday was just a blip-the Vipers visit on Saturday as an example of just what can happen when a hot team goes off the boil. South Wales fans will not long tolerate things if the Devils appear to suffer the same fate…

Coventry: Blaze only play once this weekend, but what a game-Belfast at the Skydome, with the now-signed Troy Neumeier eager to impress against his former club after being released this week by the Giants. With Michael Tasker also returning, only Curtis Huppe’s injury and Sylvain Cloutier’s rehab (which has seen Neumeier brought in short-term to cover on defence) will be missing as the Blaze look to pull ever further away in the league race…

Edinburgh: What do the Caps have to do? A torrid weekend against Belfast last week is followed by a further pair of tough games against Nottingham and basement rivals Manchester. With Hull winning last week the Scots desperately need something from this weekend, or even reaching the playoffs will become nothing more than a Christmas dream….

Hull: The Stingrays need to continue winning, now they’ve proved they can in the most unlikely fashion. A midweek loss to Newcastle could see normal losing service resumed unless the Humbersiders really buckle down against Basingstoke and Cardiff. If so, then another shock could be on the cards. It is the season for miracles, after all…
Manchester: The Phoenix need to bounce back after shipping twelve goals to Coventry last weekend, and their chance will come in games against Edinburgh and Basingstoke-two teams who are very close to them in the league standings. As the fight for the lower end of the playoff places gathers speed, this weekend is more important than it seems at first glance for the Lancashire men...

Newcastle: Vipers need wins, fast-the victory against Hull was a start but the early-season form is a long way away from the Metro Radio Arena at the moment. This weekend the opponents are Cardiff and Sheffield-the two teams immediately above the Vipers. In the fight to catch up on Coventry, the Geordies need to win right now, or they'll find themselves dragged into the lower end of the playoff battle very quickly indeed...

Nottingham: The Panthers are a new team since the arrival of Tom Askey, and this weekend have a chance to continue the charge against Belfast and Edinburgh. All eyes in the East Midlands will doubtless be smiling in the hope of a result on Sunday, but first of all the Panthers have to beat a resurgent Belfast-a game which could set the tone for their performance for the next few weeks. Win and the good feelings continue-lose and the revival could be brought to a crushing halt...

Sheffield: The Steelers have just the one game this time round-Newcastle away. Sheffield will be fully aware of just how close behind them in the table the Vipers are, and thus this game will be a bitterly-fought battle as the two sides scramble for position in the pack chasing Coventry...

The games, then...

Friday:

Belfast v Nottingham

Saturday

Edinburgh v Manchester

Basingstoke v Hull

Cardiff v Newcastle

Sunday

Nottingham v Edinburgh

Manchester v Basingstoke

Newcastle v Sheffield

Hull v Cardiff

Coventry v Belfast

Let's play hockey...:)

Mea Culpa...

Apologies all if you've come here today expecting to find Round the Rinks...it will be up byt just not until around 6pm this evening thanks to time pressures...
Check back later on, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Tuesday Rumours....

There aren't that many rumours floating around now as rosters begin to settle, but there are still a few items of news to get your teeth into...

Giants release Neumeier: Belfast have solved their import surplus by releasing defenceman Troy Neumeier, after deciding that he was the d-man surplus to requirements. To almost nobody's surprise, after he was generally viewed by the opposition as the weak link in a shaky Belfast defence during their nightmare start, and was even nicknamed "Nightmare" by many of his own fans. However, he may not have played his last in British hockey....

That sound you hear is two thousand Blaze fans swallowing their own tongues in amazement. At the same time:...because good old (at 37, he really is in hockey terms) Troy is coming to...Coventry. That is, if you believe the rumours of the Blaze bringing in another d-man for this weekend. On the plus side, he actually is a d-man, which makes him more suited to the position than KC Timmons (who to be fair did score three on Sunday as a forward), and he used to be very good. On the minus side, he isn't good any more, and on the evidence of this season can be left behind by continental drift in a skating race. Blaze fans have already been worried about the signing of Matty Soderstrom (proved to be groundless as the little Swede has played out of his skin and regained folk-hero status at his favourite club), KC Timmons (in this corner at least, the jury's still out) and now we sign a player who was the target of roughly 30 million pensioner jokes and offers of Zimmer frame hire the last time he came to the Dome. Merry flipping Christmas, Coventry...

Please, is there really no way we can just plant a Christmas tree on the blueline instead? At least it would be more mobile...

(you may be thinking that I'm not happy about this rumour. You'd be wrong. I'm way beyond unhappy...grief-stricken is nearer the mark)...

Still, we shall see. I have been proved wrong before, and, for the sake of my blood pressure and that of everyone else in the Skydome, I hope I am again...

That is your lot for now...more to come later in the week...

Double Overtime, 10th December

Saturday ran to form, but Sunday saw several shocks including one massive one-on we go with the review of the weekend...there may be a few curious grades this week though as several teams only play one game...

Basingstoke:...and we start with one of them-the Bison nicking a win against the Sheffield Steelers at home this Sunday evening to put a bump in the Yorkshire side's winning run. Ryan Aldridge will be faced with a tough decision soon, with Mikko Purontakanen scoring yet another goal this evening. Three to two was the final score in Hampshire, which does the Bison's playoff chances no harm at all-they really do look like the dark times of September and October are now well behind them.
Grade: B+

Belfast: Two wins in Edinburgh and a seven-goal weekend for Shaun Sutter mean that all is well in Northern Ireland. There was a big scare with enforcer Carlyle Lewis sustaining a suspected sliced femoral artery thanks to a skate blade during the Saturday night game, but thankfully, after treatment the injury was nowhere near as severe as first feared and it is believed he'll be back in three weeks or so. It's amazing what releasing one old, slow millstone of a defender in the shape of Troy Neumeier can do...
Grade: B

Cardiff: What the...South Wales will be in shock this weekend, as the Devils lose their only game of the weekend two-one. To Hull Stingrays. At home. Somehow the worst team in the league has beaten one of the best in their own rink with two very early goals, in what is by far the biggest shock of at least the month if not the season. It must be said, though, that as a result of this, no team will want to be the next to play the Devils because the backlash will be very nasty indeed.
Grade: D-

Coventry: Injuries? What injuries? Despite missing Curtis Huppe, and Sylvain Cloutier playing his final weekend before disappearing for a much-needed operation, the Blaze scored twelve goals this weekend in two games against Manchester, including a KC Timmons hat-trick on Sunday night in Altrincham. Saturday's game will definitely not go down in history...in fact it was dire and the 4-0 scoreline flattered the Blaze insanely-however, their eight goals in Altrincham tonight show what they can do. Staying top with a five-point gap and four games in hand, the Midlanders are well set as they run into a tough month of games...
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: The Capitals ran into a Belfast side who simply wouldn't be denied this weekend, and a Shaun Sutter who was unable to stop scoring, taking the Capitals for an almost unbelievable seven goals by himself in the two games. With Hull actually winning this weekend, the Capitals stay rooted to the bottom and actually lose ground on the team immediately above them, so sadly they only earn..
Grade: D-

Hull: Stingrays win! Stingrays win! Stingrays win! I've said it three times and I still can't quite believe the result in Cardiff on Sunday night. Maybe all the criticism is finally getting through-but being a cynical young-ish sod I refuse to go overboard and start praising them to the skies. However, and much as it hurts to say it...
Grade: A

Manchester: Ouch. Literally and figuratively, this was a painful weekend if you're a Phoenix fan-shipping twelve goals in two games against Coventry including a hat-trick from a player you've released earlier in the season isn't ideal. But there are positives for the Phoenix-they stifled the Blaze on Saturday night for the majority of the game before the floodgates opened, and they're still nicely settled for the playoffs. However, for this weekend I can't see further than a grade...
Grade: E

Newcastle: Panic! What is going on in the North-East? They lose 8-3 in Sheffield, 4-0 at home to Nottingham, and by all accounts look disinterested. Rob Wilson must be haunted by his foolish words, which have seen the Vipers drop like a stone since he said that Vipers deserved to be high in the table three weeks ago. These low grades are becoming all too familiar now...
Grade: F

Nottingham: One game, one win. Nothing more to be said for the Panthers, who appear rejeuvenated since the signing of Tom Askey, the American getting himself a shutout tonight in the North East. I'm sure there''ll be no argument in the East Midlands for this...
Grade: B+

Sheffield: The Steelers get one win, one loss-it appears that they far prefer playing at home to playing away, particularly in Basingstoke, as they lose three-two tonight after their 8-3 demolishing of Newcastle back in Sheffield. They gain another two points in the title race, however, and are now only three points behind Cardiff in second place with a grade...
Grade: B

Midweek games this week see two struggling teams face each other on Wednesday, as Hull face Newcastle...

And that's your weekend review...check back throughout the week for more updates..

Round the Rinks, 7th December

Apologies for the lack of updates this week…real life has intruded in the shape of work, which means the blog has taken something of a back seat briefly. I shall try to incorporate the team news into the previews, however…team-by-team as off we go on another EIHL weekend…

Basingstoke: The Bison only have the one game this weekend, versus Sheffield at the Silverdome. This will be tricky given that the Steelers are on close to top form at the moment-the Hampshire side will be hoping that the Steelers get a workout at the hands of Newcastle the night before so that tiredness will become a factor. Don’t bet against something of a surprise result, however. The Bison seem to have overcome their early-season problems and are more than a match for any team on home ice…

Belfast: Two games in Edinburgh for the Giants this weekend-so four points will definitely be seen as a distinct possibility in Northern Ireland. But the Caps will push hard as they try to overhaul Hull in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon, so even a full-strength Giants side will find that there are no easy points in this league unless you’re playing a certain team from Humberside, it seems…

Cardiff: Just the one outing for the Welsh side, and it should be two points as they face the abject Hull at home on Sunday. With Coventry making up one of their games in hand this weekend, the Devils will want a win to minimise the gain for the Blaze, and with Stingrays in the state they’re in, it would be a huge shock if they didn’t get it…

Coventry: Manchester are the opponents this weekend in the battle of the injury-ridden-Sylvain Cloutier and Curtis Huppe are the two missing for the Blaze as well as Michael Tasker, with the Phoenix missing two d-men in Scott Basiuk and Jeff MacMillan. The Blaze will be hoping not to lose any points in the chase for the title, but the Phoenix are always tough opponents, and Sunday’s away leg in particular will be a game that will require the Blaze to dig deep if they want to come away with the points…

Edinburgh: The Caps spend the weekend at home, facing Belfast after scaring the heck out of Coventry last weekend, and looking to build on a good performance against the league leaders. I can see them at least getting one result to please their fans, but the Giants will ask some very tough questions which the Capitals defence will need to answer convincingly in order to have any chance of moving closer to Hull in the table…

Hull: The Stingrays face Cardiff away in a game which the supporters will be dreading, particularly with Paul Cabana (their second top scorer and one of the few bright spots of this season) jumping ship this week after becoming disillusioned with living in a nightmare season. I’m sorry, but I really can’t see anything other than a convincing Devils win and yet more misery for the Humbersiders-if the Hull season were a horse, they’d have been shot by now…

Manchester: Home and away against Coventry is a tough weekend by anyone’s standards, and when you’re missing two of your top d-men, it’s even more so. However, with their opponents suffering their own injury epidemic, the Phoenix may be hopeful of nicking at least two points and doing Cardiff a favour, as well as helping their own chances of making the playoffs. A win at the Skydome on Saturday would be a major boost to this team-and set things up nicely for the return leg…

Newcastle: Out of the Challenge Cup, with Petr Kratky released (a casualty of his recent poor form) and Todd Jackson doubtful for their games against Sheffield and Nottingham, this is the time the remaining Vipers need to find their form and dig out some points, particularly after their recent and continuing slump has left some questioning whether the early season was a false dawn, and this appears to have spread to the players, with their workrate suffering as a result. A win this weekend would go some way to helping them turn the corner, however…

Nottingham: After knocking the Vipers out of the Challenge Cup thanks to a 5-1 away win, the Panthers return up north to Newcastle in their only game of the weekend to try to do the same in the league. And with a new optimism coming in with new goalie Tom Askey last week, you wouldn’t bet against them doing it…

Sheffield: The Steelers are on fire, and through to the Challenge Cup final thanks to winning 2-0 against Cardiff on Wednesday. They face Newcastle at home tomorrow looking to rack up another two valuable points as they strive to catch Coventry and Cardiff, and Basingstoke on Sunday in possibly the trickier game of the weekend. Four points is a definite possibility, but with both the Bison and the Vipers needing wins desperately, obtaining them will be a struggle and a half…

So, the games, then…

Saturday:
Edinburgh v Belfast

Sheffield v Newcastle

Coventry v Manchester

Sunday
Manchester v Coventry

Newcastle v Nottingham

Edinburgh v Belfast

Cardiff v Hull

Basingstoke v Sheffield

Let’s play hockey…