Double Overtime, 3rd December

A slightly shorter review this week, but still we go team-by-team:

Basingstoke: Two losses for the Bison in their first no-points weekend for a little while, but there's no disgrace in that given that their opponents were Newcastle and Cardiff. The Bison are cruising along in the last playoff place, and with Hull and Edinburgh below them, can more likely look above rather than below them. However, the two losses mean that, under my grading rules, they earn a...
Grade: C

Belfast: Losing to Coventry in overtime is no disgrace, nor losing to a Sheffield side on a high from their tanking of Hull the night before in front of a partisan opposition crowd. However, there's still the issue of Belfast being in a position far below that which the Giants fans would expect, and with both the Challenge Cup (definitely) and the league title (seemingly) already out of reach the Giants need a run of results quickly just to get the feelgood factor back in Northern Ireland. As above, my grading criteria rather than their actual performances mean that the Giants earn themselves...
Grade: C

Cardiff: A hiccup of a weekend for the Devils, with just the one win (a hard-fought victory in Basingstoke) followed by Nottingham nicking a point in the lottery of penalty-shots on Sunday. The OT loss means they lose a point in the race for the title, with Coventry now back on their own at the top. However, the Welsh side will not be too unhappy with themselves...and given that they only dropped one point, and that only due to the unpredictableness that is the penalty shootout, they earn...
Grade: B-

Coventry: Four more points, including a win in the Odyssey in a difficult Friday-night fixture, mean that all seems well in the Blaze camp. However, with the Capitals giving them a big scare on Sunday night by scoring three goals in six minutes, and the possible loss of captain Sylvain Cloutier to injury as well as several other walking wounded, there could be leaner times ahead for the Midlanders. However, the four points this week mean that they earn...
Grade: A-

Edinburgh: The Caps win! The Caps win! Manchester Phoenix were the victims this Saturday as the Scots pulled out an overtime win, before scaring the living hell out of me and a thousand or so other Blaze fans with three goals in six minutes to almost pull back a 4-1 deficit on Sunday night...and based on their performance, the Caps leap up in their grading despite the losses, for yet another...
Grade: C

Hull: The Stingrays lost again. Twice. Rather than rehash old ground-for this week I'm simply using this post, which I wrote on Saturday night, to explain why Hull make Breakaway history by gaining the first-ever (and possibly the only ever)...
Grade: U

Manchester: Phoenix earned themselves a win to break themselves out of their slump-while adding fuel to the fire burning under Rick Strachan's seat, but this could be seen as putting a sticking-plaster on the Berlin Wall given that a) it was Hull, who everyone in the league beats with seeming ease, and b) the loss on Saturday was to the only team below Hull in the league. Still-two points is two points, and so the loss in Edinburgh is somewhat offset to earn the Mancunians a...
Grade: C-

Newcastle: The Challenge Cup dream ended in somewhat abject style with a 5-1 home loss to Nottingham in Friday night, but bounced back with a 6-3 win against Basingstoke on Sunday to finally bring a halt to their losing run. Now they need to prove this wasn't a false dawn, but for now the Vipers earn themselves a...

Nottingham: The Panthers growled, and their fans were left purring after two victories which saw them through to the Challenge Cup Final and also gain some ground on one of the rivals above them in the league. With a new import still to come, things just might be looking up in Nottingham-their fans certainly seem to think so...
Grade: B+

Sheffield: The Steelers had by far the best weekend this time out, scoring fourteen goals and conceding only three as their high-powered attack hit top gear...delighting fans and coach alike. There's not really much else you can say that doesn't sound like cliched praise, so I shall let the grade speak for itself...
Grade: A+

Midweek action this week sees Sheffield and Cardiff battle it out in the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi, and Nottingham take on Manchester in the league...

Due to the fact that I'm now working 9 to 5, the updates will now be appearing in the evenings rather than the daytime as they have up until now...so check back tomorrow evening for your weekly dose of rumours and idle speculation...
Grade: B-

That's gotta hurt...

It wasn't just the Stingrays who had a painful weekend this weekend-last night your good writer was playing hockey himself when an awkward fall caused him to tear his right medial collateral knee ligament (or MCL). Which means I'm currently on crutches and taking the odd painkiller. It also means that, due to being back up the hospital today, Double Overtime won't appear until around 6pm tonight...for which I apologise. I shall do my best to get it done for then, though...

News and Nibbles..

First, the news-there's not a huge amount of it today, however, apart from this..

Slava Koulikov to Hull: No, you haven't entered a time-warp-the Brit with the Russian name is returning to his old stamping ground in Humberside after being released by Basingstoke, in his fourth attempt to become a proper valuable Brit for Hull rather than the third-liner he's been up until now.

Another name to throw into the Panthers pot. And it's a doozy. David Van der Gulik. This comes from no less a source than the son of Neil Black, who decided to blast it out on a Facebook group. So you never know...

At some point, they even played a bit of hockey: Nice to see the LNAH doing its best to get rid of the "bush-league" stereotype it holds...fight fans just might find themselves in nirvana by clicking here.
By the way, all these fights took place in the same game...all nine of them, including four in the first six seconds! I've heard of sending a message, but that is just ridiculous...

And now, the nibbles: Given that it's around lunchtime, my thoughts have turned to food, and in searching for a column idea today, I decided that, for all you epicures out there (that means one who likes food for those of you who are wondering)-the top five rink food delights I've had the pleasure of experiencing in my years watching the beautiful game...

5: Pork and Stuffing Batch (Newcastle): The pig roast at the Metro Radio Arena (though us old-time (ie from the BNL days) Blaze fans call it the Telewest after the previous sponsor) is fast becoming something of a legend around the league...it's the perfect way to keep out the cold of a Tyneside winter's day. Make sure you get the applesauce with it, though-it just adds to this meal-in-a-batch...

4: Stovie (Edinburgh): It's essentially corned-beef hash in a roll, but by God does it go down a treat when you're freezing your rear-end off in the cavern that is Murrayfield. Some fans I've spoken to say that the prospect of a stovie alone is worth the trip up there...

3: Fish Supper (Fife): Sadly, with the Flyers dropping down to the SNL I haven't had chance to get up there in several years. But if you do, head for the chip-shop near the rink (which from memory, you get to by turning right out of the car-park and heading straight on through a lovely dark Scottish winters' night after the games), and experience the legendary fish-suppers. Huge in size, piping hot, melt-in-the-mouth chips-just the thing to force down on the coach back to the hotel...

2. Marmorkuchen (Duesseldorf): Hang on-selling cakes?! In an ice-rink? In Dusseldorf they do, given that the DEG Metrostars have one of Germany's biggest bakeries (Kamps) as their major sponsors. If you fancy something a little different to the hot-dog and coffee fare you usually get at rinks, then head for the second-best city in Nordrhein-Westfalen (and pair it with a Schlosser Altbier as well) Given that DEG play in the DEL, the hockey ain't too bad either...

1: Gilden und Currywurst (Cologne): Like Calder and Carlson, Gretzky and Kurri, this pairing is just meant to be enjoyed at a hockey game. Perfect German beer which you can drink like water before suddenly realising that you've had far too much to get home, and a tray of nuclear-hot curried sausage which has as much bite as the team's namesake shark will satisfy any hunger you might have, while also making you wonder just how you've managed to spend that ten euros you were saving for the post-match taxi home.

And on that note, I'm off to make my own lunch...feel free to share your own culinary delights in the comments, either those found in the rink or just down the road...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

EIHL Daily Roundup...

;Apologies to those of you logging in expecting a Round the Rinks-that will now appear in time for tomorrow morning-I'm just using my break from work to post a few titbits from yet another day in the EIHL...

Vipers go top: In the only midweek game played this week, Newcastle beat Edinburgh 4-2 at the Metro Radio Arena last night, including two goals from local prospect Ben Campbell, in order to go clear top of the Elite League-they are now on 27 points with Coventry on 25 and two games in hand. The two teams face each other in the North East on Saturday in the EIHL game of the weekend...this just adds a little extra spice to what is sure to be a fiercely contested game.

Hay Panthers-we wanna know...where your import's gone?: Ooops. It appears that Panthers will not be welcoming Dwayne Hay to the NIC after all, as a recurrence of the injury that shortened his season last term has forced the Canadian into retirement before he even made it to the UK. This is a huge pity for him, but equally so for the East Midlanders as they now have to play at least a weekend with an import down. Mike Ellis is doubtless frantically searching the waste-paper bins in the Panthers office for Dan Tessier and Donald Maclean's mobile numbers as we speak...

Principles? Isn't that just a clothing store?: Not satisfied with simply saying one thing and doing another, my team the Blaze have now used the local media to slate the Elite League for turning down their appeal to be reinstated in the Challenge Cup-the Coventry Evening Telegraph story is here. As a Blaze fan, the continuing hoo-hah over this is somewhat embarassing-firstly because the Blaze tried to take the moral high-ground by saying that they wouldn't appeal, and then did so anyway, completely removing any sense of morality whatsoever, and secondly because, rather than accept the decision they've now played the "it's just because it's Blaze" card. Read this quote from Andy Buxton in the article...""You can bet if it had been us who had made the infringement, certain people would have been calling for the book to be thrown at us." (Yes, just like loads of Blaze fans have been on forums doing exactly the same thing with Belfast and Cardiff). Don't pretend it's just Coventry who take the flak...it just sounds like the spoilt kid at school complaining because they haven't got their own way.
Meanwhile, Mike Cowley says this...
""We've asked for the rules for the Challenge Cup to be up dated. Both games would have been forfeited if it had happened in the Elite League and it's only fair that the same rules apply for all competitions.". This conveniently fails to mention that, had the same rules applied for all EIHL competitions last season, the Blaze would not have been able to ask Jody Lehman to come in to cover for Trevor Koenig when Koenig's family suffered a major emergency (which thankfully turned out well) during the playoffs last season, and playing Stevie Lyle, who they eventually asked, would also have been somewhat dubious. (Admittedly, Lyle never played for the Blaze, but this was only because the Blaze goalie returned, with the blessing of his family, at the last minute).
For the record, it wasn't Shaun Johnson (Vipers centre) who played for Cardiff-it was the same Shane Johnson who played for Belfast and Sheffield. Nice bit of fact-checking.

And by the way...: Since the EIHL is an owner-run league, and Messrs Buxton and Cowley are both Blaze directors and thus will have at least one seat on the board between them-they had a hand in making the rules in the first place! It's like a gun-maker complaining about someone being shot-this whole thing is slowly descending into farce.

Steelers in trouble with arena: Well, maybe that's a bit alarmist. But there has been friction between the Steelers and the Hallam Arena recently, with the arena management refusing a weekend date for the Steelers and forcing a change to Ice Sheffield for a midweek game. Could a permanent move be on the cards?

That's your lot for today...Round the Rinks to come tomorrow. And don't forget-keep your eye on the puck...

Round the Rinks, 9th November

Once again, it's time for the weekly race round the EIHL rinks of the UK as we preview the weekends' action, team-by-team...

Basingstoke: This weekend, for the first time in ages, the Bison come into the weekend on a high. With a new owner attending his first weekend in charge, the players will be wanting to impress as they take on Edinburgh at home on Saturday, and Manchester away on Sunday. These games are both eminently winnable (the Phoenix away game on will likely be the trickier one, however), and with Curtis Cruickshank making his long-awaited debut, along with new signing Mikko Purontakanen, there is a real sense of optimism in Hampshire for the first time since the first few weekends of the season, which will make an already hard-working team formidable opponents for the two northern sides...

Belfast: The games keep coming for the injury-ridden Northern Irish-Sheffield and Hull are not teams you want to face when your players are hurting. The Steelers visit the Odyssey with only victory being an option in order to keep them in the title race, while the Stingrays, meanwhile, need to win in order to keep them from slipping into the basement battle with Edinburgh. Two points from this weekend would be a bonus, four would be a lot to ask from this Giants side. But with Peter Campbell on fire recently, if the Belfast defence can hold out, there may be a shock for the confident Steelers, and/or more misery in store for the Humbersiders...

Cardiff: Manchester and Nottingham are the opponents for the Devils this week-with the trip to Altrincham on the Saturday followed by the visit of the Panthers to the rink by the Bay. With the Welsh side now up to fourth and hoping to continue that rise up the table, neither opponent will be relishing the meetings-especially as they are immediately below the Devils in the standings and desperately need the points themselves. After their excellent four-point weekend last time out, the Devils will be fired up and ready for the different tests posed by both sides. A four-pointer for the second week in succession is a definite possibility...

Coventry: Saturday's home date against second-placed Newcastle is another huge game for the Blaze, with the Vipers poised immediately below them in the table. With Adam Calder joining the list of the walking wounded this week, the Blaze will not be relishing the Vipers physical style, and there may be more than a few aching limbs on the trip up to Edinburgh on the Sunday...Even allowing for the debut of new signing K.C Timmons, neither game will be a pushover (the Vipers game will be a physical and vicious battle in itself)-could this be the weekend where the Blaze's unbeaten home record (in competitive games this season) finally falls?

Edinburgh: The Caps, on the other hand, will be happy with just the two, or indeed any points from their games against Basingstoke and Coventry-both sides on something of an upswing at the moment. However, with the Blaze facing Newcastle the night before, they may not relish dragging their aching bodies on the long trip north, and the Caps will also be looking for revenge after capitulating to the Bison at home last week. Certainly neither side will be taking the Scots lightly...but can the Caps finally reward their staunch support with a win or two?

Hull: Two tricky games for the Stingrays this week-first they make the trip to Nottingham hoping for a slightly better scoreline than the 8-2 reverse suffered on Humberside last week, before welcoming Belfast to the Hull Ice Arena. Forward Rob Rankin plays despite dislocating his shoulder last weekend, and once again the press releases are saying all the right things, but it would still take a shock to get points in the NIC. The home date against the Giants isn't the easiest of games either, injuries or not-it could be another barren weekend in the shadow of the Humber Bridge...

Manchester: The Phoenix, boosted by their new signing Luke Stauffacher, have two games in front of their home crowd, and they should be good ones as Cardiff and the buoyant Basingstoke are the visitors. With the Phoenix able to potentially gain two places this weekend if results go their way, they will want nothing less than the four points-the trouble is, so will the other two sides. Joe Tallari finally has some scoring help-will it be enough to fire the Mancunians up the table this weekend?

Newcastle: The Vipers face a weekend which could define their season-a trip to the team immediately above them in the table, followed by a game to decide Challenge Cup semi-final qualification. Coventry are the opponents on Saturday at the Skydome, and Sheffield welcome the Vipers on the Sunday, in two of the toughest places for opposition sides in the EIHL. Win on Saturday and the Vipers go top, win on Sunday and they leave their chances of silverware wide open. Lose one or both games and their chances of trophy success, even this early in the season, diminish. It's that simple. You can guarantee that Rob Wilson's bruisers will hold absolutely nothing back-the question is, can they keep their discipline? If not, then they will come out of this weekend a lot less optimistic than they are going in.

Nottingham: The Panthers, without one of their talismans in the released PC Drouin, face possibly their easier game on the Saturday as Hull visit the NIC, before they make the trip across the country to face Cardiff in South Wales on Sunday-two games in which wins are vital in order to avoid charges of mid-table mediocrity. With Mike Ellis returning to fill the gap, the Big Cats will at least be at full strength. However, this hasn't automatically translated to wins this season (or indeed ever) so it will be interesting to see if the East Midlanders can finally start to begin their title challenge this weekend...it's better late than never...

Sheffield: And finally the Steelers, who face Belfast away on Saturday in a game they'll probably expect to win, before the massive Challenge Cup game against Newcastle on Sunday at the Hallam Arena. It is a measure of how much the league has changed that the Vipers game is currently considered the tougher one, and indeed the one which at this stage of the season will have the most impact on the chase for silverware. Rest assured that either way, Remembrance Day in the Steel City will provide an absolute feast of a game for hockey fans...

So, a full list of all the fixtures, then (Elite League unless stated)

Saturday

Basingstoke v Edinburgh

Manchester v Cardiff

Belfast v Sheffield

Coventry v Newcastle

Nottingham v Hull

Sunday
Manchester v Basingstoke

Sheffield v Newcastle (Challenge Cup)

Hull v Belfast

Cardiff v Nottingham

Edinburgh v Coventry

Let's play hockey...:)

Blog Wars, part one: State of the Game

They're springing up everywhere, these hockey blogs. Was linked to this article from The Hockey Forum, which is basically a dissection of the game in the UK, from one of the moderators of what is probably the most respected forum on UK ice hockey. Trouble is, I disagree with it slightly, and in the spirit of debate (and the fact that my team are away this Saturday evening and I can't afford to travel) here's my reply, The article, as always, is quoted in italics, with my response below.

"Let's start by just skimming the surface of what we currently have. Amusingly regarded by some as the "top tier", the Elite League is a shambles and a perfect example of how to get things totally wrong. A league where decisions are made and changed from week to week. A league where those involved in it's running are so out of touch with the fanbase and reality, it defies belief. A league where decisions are made on a club basis instead of in the interest of the sport as a whole."

So far, so fair. Possibly a slightly exagerrated view, but essentially the points are echoed by many fans of the EIHL when it comes to the country-wide administration of the sport...But then, it begins to go a little creaky...

A league that offers nothing in the way of variety. A league that is considered 'stable' yet has teams struggling for finances year in, year out. A league that thinks it is bigger than it actually is. A league with a thought process and mentality that does neither the sport nor itself any favours at all.

Variety? To me, ten teams, each with their own style, their own unique histories and rivalries, and their own unique quirks is somewhat varied. As for "teams struggling year in year out", the EIHL has lost one team due to finances in four years (London Racers) -as opposed to the EPL, which, while not actually losing teams, is constantly fraught with rumours of teams being on the brink or players being cut due to money (unless you're Guildford or Slough). There are constant rumours of overspending, but the vast majority of that (as in the Bison case) is over-ambition, not the fact that the product itself is essentially non-viable. As for "bigger than it actually is"-don't forget that the sniping from the EIHL and the EPL comes from BOTH sides, with some EPLers claiming theirs is the true "British" league. You can't criticise one mentality without taking a hard look at the other.

I've been known for quite a while as an 'Elite Hater'. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want the UK sport to be played at it's highest ever level - I want the sport to succeed, not die. In it's present form, it isn't going to survive much longer, the money isn't there to sustain 10 Import Hockey and neither are the fans. If the current trend continues, neither will the teams. Import laden Hockey isn't affordable or sustainable in this country, it's a pipe dream that the UK version of Hockey isn't ready for or can afford. Just to clarify my position though, what I do actually hate is the way that this sport is allowed to be driven into the ground by stupidity, ignorance and arrogance. I also hate the divisions in the sport that have been created.

So that would be the "non-sustainable ten-import hockey" which has run for four years, building on the eight-import BNL which ran for another five years before that? And that lack of fans would be shown by the 5000 who turn up in Sheffield and Nottingham each week, or the 2500 in Coventry, or the 2000 in Cardiff and Newcastle, or the 1000 in Hull or Basingstoke? OK, then. Moving on, read the last line carefully. Then, observe how, in the next paragraph, those divisions are played upon by attacking one single aspect of hockey:

But hey, back to the Elite league and it's faults. I've long been of the opinion that Bison, Caps, Devils, Giants, Phoenix, Stingrays and Vipers are there merely to give Blaze, Panthers and Steelers fans something to do on the weekends when they're not playing each other. They're simply making up the numbers.

OK then-let's look at the winners of the EIHL competitions since 2003/04 (dates are season ends):
2004: Panthers, Steelers, Steelers
2005: Blaze x3 (but realistically, how often is a treble year going to happen?)
2006: Devils, Giants, Vipers, Steelers (some "making up the numbers" job that year, hey? The "big three" had to be satisfied with one of them winning a competition which even the smaller teams derided at the beginning of the year. Blaze Four trophies, four different winners-the Blaze and Panthers didn't even make the playoff weekend-the Giants and the Devils did.)
2007: Blaze, Blaze, Panthers, Devils. (Take into account that the Blaze had to come from twelve points back against a "make-up" side in the Giants, who led the league before self-destructing after Christmas. Also bear in mind that the Panthers only won the playoffs on penalty shots after knocking out the Giants, the Steelers didn't even make the season finale and the Devils destroyed an until-then dominant Blaze side in order to reach the final)

Some make-up performance-out of fourteen trophies, the big three won nine. Just over half. Three each over four seasons, or one a season each. And that is taking into account the Blaze going on a spectacular run of five in three years. All the other teams mentioned regularly beat the "big three" (especially Panthers) and so far this season,Vipers are third (above Nottingham) and Manchester and Hull are fifth and sixth, a maximum of three points behind the Panthers with two games in hand. Surely, following the logic of the "numbers" argument, the table should show the big three way out in front?

I'll make a quick prediction here: Blaze, Panthers and Steelers fighting out the titles between themselves and the only real teams that have a realistic chance. Devils, Giants, Phoenix and Vipers being the middling teams and Bison, Caps and Stingrays fighting for bottom spot. To be fair, it's a relatively easy prediction to make, mainly because that's how it always finishes. So predicatable.

Always finishes? Clearly the Giants title win and Devils several cup triumphs were just mistakes, then. I'll predict that Guildford and Bracknell will make the EPL finals along with Slough and maybe MK or Peterborough, cause three of those five seem to always make it. But no-one is complaining there of "predictability".

There is also no development of British players in the Elite league despite them and their apologists trying to state otherwise. Yes, they do pay lip service by playing Brits - but most of those Brits are cherry-picked after having being developed at other clubs in other leagues. There is nothing clever in that.

You mean, by two-way contracts? That's the same way the "farm" system in America works-does that mean that at the NHL teams don't develop players? Then we have the much-vaunted Cardiff farm system, with graduates such as Stevie Lyle, Matt Myers and Johnathan Phillips, the Nottingham system (James Neil, Paul Moran), and the Coventry system (newly set up a few years ago, it's already producing fruit in Joe Henry). Then we have the Tait brothers (Nottingham), Matt Towe and Ben Morgan (Sheffield) and many more prospects in the North East (eg Dean Holland, Ben Campbell). The development is there if you look for it, rather than choosing to see the EIHL as it was back in the ISL days of import-only rosters.
Second question-if these players don't get ice time at Elite level due to age-do they stayin juniors? Nope-they fill EPL rosters,benefiting the very league which claims they do all the developing-except their juniors are forced out-because why play a junior when you can play a player with Elite pedigree who's already tried and either been found wanting or forced out due to another more promising or younger junior taking his "development" spot (eg Bracknell signing Tom Carlon from Coventry).

After making some good points about the spark being gone for some with the new push for casual fans (a topic on which I see his point, and offer one solution here) the author comes up with this...

Ice Hockey isn't a TV sport. Fact

Excuse me? I have a feeling a few million Canadians would disagree. And so would Grandstand, when it was regularly shown on the BBC in the mid nineties. Plus, just how are fans going to be attracted if they don't know about the sport in the first place?

Then we come to "the answers". Most of which I agree with. However, there is the odd bone of contention. He says:

Drop the Import level to 7, like right now. A league awash with Johnny Foreigner gives no opportunity to developing British players, don't let others try and convince you otherwise.

OK. So instead we should follow the EPL model of "four high-paid imports, a few exorbitantly paid Brits who are cherry picked from those no longer able to play the EIHL for either age or work reasons, and a few veterans. Plus one or two juniors". Just how is that better for British development?

It is basic common sense that Imports are taking up the places of British players.

As they are doing in the EPL-which is surely more of a crime for a league which prides itself on its junior development? Plus, the British players are often veterans looking to combine hockey with another career anyway, not juniors. They play in the ENL.

Then the "template for a new league" is discussed. It makes perfect sense until...

A National league where those clubs in the league can afford to be there without reliance on handouts and more bucket collections.

What is seemingly a dig at Basingstoke's financial problems backfires somewhat-so you'd also exclude Romford, Slough, Chelmsford, Wightlink, Bracknell...all teams who have also suffered financial woes in the past few seasons.

And then, in something of a contradiction...

I also believe that the only way forward for the sport now is regional conferences with crossover games and one National league final.

So, on the one hand there's not enough variety on a ten-team league, so we shall solve this by...playing less teams, more often with the odd crossover game to give the pretence that every team plays every other. Hasn't that been tried before? If it worked so well then, why did teams change?

The post finishes strongly, though-essentially with a pleat to treat every team equally and unite the leagues. Which is something the vast majority (yes, even us EIHL fans) want to see happen. Trouble is, at the moment, fans on both sides are wanting it to happen solely on their league's terms. And the one truth everyone can agree on is that are too far apart already for that, whichever side you blame...

Music Matters...

This post starts with an apology-due to Internet connection woes you may have noticed that I missed a day or two, and indeed this post is slightly later. But before Round the Rinks I must mention the comments I got from the last post on music, especially the one from Matt, who says that in Altrincham at least the whole hockey/rock marriage is still going along nicely-Metallica and Rammstein and Megadeth and Iron Maiden in sequence? Excellent...and yet another reason for me to make a visit up there to see the Phoenix's new rink (aside from the hockey, obviously) Sadly, I can't claim credit for his comments about the excellent Skydome music in 03/04-that was the year before I did my stint on the decks (September 04 until September 05, when Germany called...)

Another comment mentions that perhaps hip-hop would sound good-and after being a bit sceptical at first I thought...hang on a minute-if it works for American football and basketball, then why not hockey? Just so long as it's "proper" hip-hop and not the R-and-B lite love songs that currently pass for hip-hop...This got me to thinking of ten tracks that every rink in the UK should have on their playlist, and after some consideration, here's my first draft of "the list"

Lamb of God: Redneck
Ooooohhh, yes. This one rumbles along with an unholy scream for vocals and THE most aggressive challenge in the chorus...perfect for a fight-song. Although it may need a slight edit for the "this is a motherf-ing invitation!" line...

Fort Minor: Remember the Name
First hip-hop entry-this one just can't fail to get you up for it...and the chorus is mesmerising. Plus, it's a great song to play if you're leading...If it works for football, it works for hockey..
"This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill..."

Rammstein: Feuer Frei
The best wake-up call ever...and the title (Fire at Will, in English) is perfect for the powerplay.

Cypress Hill: Superstar
Just because.

Kanye West: Jesus Walks
All together now..."bom, bom, bom, ba-bom bom, bom, bom...". Makes no sense unless you download it...but if you want the odd bit of new school hip-hopiness, then put this on. Plus, if you're so inclined you can clap along with the bass. And the lyrics ain't bad either...

Metallica: Master of Puppets
Let's face it, you could stick pretty much any Metallica track in here and there's part of it that'll fit a hockey game. But this, in the warm-up, is eight-and-a-half-minutes of metal heaven. Just for the intro and guitar solo alone-the Trivium version isn't bad either if you want a more modern cover...

Megadeth: Crush 'Em
Yes, the lyrics may sound like a high school fight song, but come on-play this just as the lights go down and it sets the hostile mood beauifully. And not a swearword in sight...

M.O.P: Cold as Ice
See above. Unfortunately there's probably a bit too much swearing in this for it to be safely played at games. In which case, this is just the wild-card entry...

New Found Glory: Dressed to Kill
Just because it's happy...not all rock has to be screaming and crunching guitars. Although I like that sort of thing, this is the one for girls to bounce around to...

Dragonforce: Valley of the Damned
One I played at the Skydome and which still gets used to this day in the gap between the anthem and face-off, this is a hockey song par-excellence. And then you have the lyrics which could be made for the British hockey season...

"on a cold dark winter night, lit by the stormy light, battle rages for the right to what we'll become..."

LL Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out
When this starts, you know that a fight ain't far away...

And finally-my personal favourite...
Arch Enemy: We Will Rise
The scariest woman's voice on the planet. Angela Gossow's menacing growl fits the guitars perfectly. And then you have the lyrics themselves-which scream a challenge...

"...tear down the walls, wake up the world, ignorance is not....bliss...fed up with the second best. Our time....is here....NOW!"

Let's keep this running-I of course am aware that there are probably readers thumping the keyboard in frustration that I've missed out an obvious song-so leave a comment and we'll see just how many hockey songs we can get on here. And then hope to hear them thumping out of the speakers at your local rink some time soon...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

The Rinks Are Alive...

...with the sound of music. Be warned-this is something of an opinion post rather than anything else, and there is a good chance you may not have heard of some of the bands I'm about to go on about-but have a listen to 'em either way...

There is a plague appearing in rinks around the country...it's called "bad music". As clubs try and appeal to the casual fan more and more, the hockey culture which has thrived for years (of fan friendliness, spontaneous support, and a soundtrack of good old fashioned proper rock music) is being diluted in favour of choreographed chants, inane between-period competitions and inoffensiveness. Sure, the product on the ice is just as fast and hard as ever, but the passion off the ice isn't being shown or even kindled anywhere near as much as team owners try to make their product as inoffensive and its appeal as wide as possible.

At this point the keyboards are no doubt smoking as you fire up a blistering "teams need fans to survive and this sport can't be picky and choosy" email. But every sport needs a unique selling point, and hockey's is its whole culture, and the drive and power of the game kind of loses its impact when Girls Aloud is thudding through the system, even if everyone under the age of twelve is happy because they think they're at a kids party. However, give the same break in play a burst of Metallica (Seek and Destroy) or Led Zeppelin (Immigrant Song) and you can't help but feel sucked along with the game and well and truly hyped up (if nothing else, there won't be a drowsy eye in the building when the guitars kick in).

Look at the videos on Youtube. Listen to the soundtracks of the games in the US and Canada. Not a cheesy pop song in sight. The guitars are up loud, the drums are thumping and the pace is fast. So why, in the UK, do we feel the need to dilute hockey's unique culture to make it just like any other kid's party/club-night/generic sporting event? Rock music and hockey go together, and when you try and bring anything else into it it either sounds wrong or just plain silly...Watch this clip, even the first four minutes, and then pick any chart song (I always find that bloody annoying "Beautiful Girls" song is funniest) and imagine that over the top instead. See my point?

I'm ashamed to admit that my home-town team are probably the worst offenders at this-at some Skydome games you'd be forgiven for thinking you're at a kid's party rather than a sporting event. This is not to slag off the guy playing the music-I recommended him to replace me because I knew he thought the same as I did as far as music goes-but if the owners of teams are saying on the one hand that they want to get people hooked on the unique culture of hockey and then telling those responsible for matchnight entertainment to dilute it to the point where the crowd (many of whom like rock anyway and aren't shy in saying that the uniqueness of the soundtrack is one of the things that makes hockey stand out for them) are wincing as their ears are assaulted by another burst of Shane Ward or the Spice Girls purely in order to attract some demographic dreamed up in a marketing room, then there's something slightly off.

Hockey is unique among sports in the UK in the wit and spontaneity of the banter between fans, the speed and controlled aggression of the game itself, and the culture surrounding it. Let's use these as selling points, rather than trying to stifle them with "organised" chanting, owners aiming for casual fans' money at the expense of the passion of those who've been watching a while (and indeed are a far more likely way to attract new fans through word of mouth), and corporate cookie-cutter entertainment packages, and get the game back to a state where the hits are hard, the fans roar and, most of all, every break in play is the signal for a full-on rocking night out...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Playing Catch-Up...again.

Believe it or not it's actually been a fairly quiet Friday and first half of Saturday-as noted by the fact that for once I didn't have to make five posts in the space of twenty-four hours just in order to keep up with the speed of information coming out onto the Internet. However, several things of note have happened in both the EIHL and the EPL, so here's a brief summary before I take a few hours off to watch the rugby this evening (come on England!) :)...

Hiking for Hockey is called off: See this post (scroll to the bottom) for the original idea from Rick Strang. He's now called it off, however, saying in a statement on the Hockey Forum that it just wouldn't be right to do now that Basingstoke are safe. Which is his decision...When I find a text of the full statement to link to, I shall place it on here.

Thornton to Sweden?: The rumours around players leaving the Bison just won't die-the latest one going around sees Steve Thornton wanting away from the Bison, with Sweden being quoted as the destination. At the moment, the 34 year-old centre is staying put, but there will no doubt be a queue of EIHL teams looking to go after the skilful ex-Belfast and Cardiff forward should the slightest hint of his becoming available surface.

Changes at Romford: Moving down to the EPL, Norm Pinnington has moved from the Isle of Wight to Romford in one of a raft of player changes this week in Essex. Mark Williams is said to be on his way out due to the well-known personal animosity between the two big bruisers, and there is much discussion as to just exactly where the Raiders will go from here threading through the EPL forums.

Meanwhile, back in Basingstoke...The statement from the Taylors which I analysed in detail here has not gone down well amongst the Bison fans, with more questions than answers (some of which I mention in the analysis) being raised ahead of tonight's game against the Bison. While the immediate survival of the Bison is by all accounts assured, there is a fast-developing rift between the ownership and fans. David Taylor was interviewed last night on BBC Radio Berkshire, available here. It's an interesting listen if you're a Bison fan...

And across the pond...First NHL mention-mainly just to check on how my Pens are doing...especially after their 6-4 come-from-behind win against the Leafs last Saturday, they do Carolina 4-3 again last night...Things are looking good in Steeltown for us long-suffering (well, ever since I've been watching, anyway) Pens fans...:)

And finally, a bit of blatant self-promotion: This site has been up and running properly for a week, after a few months or so of preparation, working out of format, etc. When I set it up I expected maybe 150 hits in the first week. As of today, there've been nearly 600. I'm overjoyed that people are coming to read what, at the moment, is essentially the ramblings of one hockey fan, and I thank every single visitor. If you've got any ideas for features etc that I've missed out or have an idea for something that I can discuss in a blog post which I may not be touching on, then feel free to use the email link at the side of the page...and keep coming back, cause I shall keep trying to improve the coverage of British hockey now that I know there is clearly a fair few people out there who want to read it.

And, as always, keep your eye on the puck...

Slavija v Salzburg, David v Goliath...

...and it appears David has forgotten his slingshot. Salzburg are 4-0 up already, and their forum are into full "well, this one is over" mode...they've already got the back up in. Something of a running diary will now follow in preparation for later...but then, seven NHLers against a team where the oldest player is 24 is always going to turn out badly...

16:12 BST: Salzburg have five in the box. Hmm. I reckon penalties could be a problem...although there is a classic moment on the Salzburg forum as a poster modifies the sign seen outside German football matches, posting...

"Penalty bench sold out. Standing room, and season ticket holders only."....

16:38 BST: Make that Salzburg seven, Slavija 0 at the end of the second. Hmm. This could be a bit of a nothing third period. We are told there are about ten Austrians and maybe a hundred Blaze fans. Could make tomorrow's game interesting..

16:56: Third period begins. But I'm not fancying following this much-so I'll leave it until the last minute and go and sort myself some chores...

17:24: The game finishes 8-0. Ouch. Now for the important game of the evening...check back in an hour or so...

British hockey loses a legend...

Just read on the Panthers site that one of their greatest ever players, Chick Zamick (who played in the 40's and 50's when the Panthers were set up) has died.

Obviously his playing exploits were WAY before my time, but nevertheless, it's always sad when a Hall of Famer (any Hall of Famer) dies...

So-from someone who only knows of your exploits based on the stories of those far older...rest in peace...

Opening Face-Off

Morning all.

Given that I spend the vast majority of my leisure time either watching or playing hockey here in the sunny UK (well, in sunny Coventry to be precise, home of the current British Elite League Champions), I've decided I may as well write about it, because while there are plenty of hockey blogs, there aren't that many about the UK scene. So now there will be at least one...I will try to update this blog most days with news from around the UK and my views on it, and you might even get some NHL and DEL in amongst the postings as well, for all you transatlanticans...:)

But anyway-this post is just to get some of the boring introductory stuff out of the way...

My name is Paul Wheeler, I am 23, and I've been watching hockey for about eight years, and playing it at amateur (recreational or beer league level) for seven, ever since the Blaze moved to Coventry from Solihull. I've also spent my year living in Germany two years ago watching the DEL. You can usually find me down by the plexi at the Zamboni end of the Skydome on a game night (hence the web address), although I sometimes move into block 15 depending on the mood-and I travel to every away game I can (although given that I can't drive, this is sometimes tricky).
My teams are Coventry Blaze (EIHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Cologne Sharks (DEL), and Germany and GB (international).
I play left wing (badly) and my number is ten.
My favourite NHLers are Evgeni Malkin (legend already), Marco Sturm (favourite German), and I quite like the look of this Patrick Kane kid that Chicago have drafted. So do they, by all accounts...:)
My favourite players outside the NHL are Stéphane Julien (Cologne), Curtis Huppe (Coventry) and Ryan Finnerty (Sheffield).
Best hockey memory is seeing the Blaze win the Challenge Cup against Cardiff Devils, their biggest rivals. In their barn. That was a fun evening. Luckily I was in Germany the following year when they took revenge...
Least favourite players are Theo Fleury (for his chippy game on the ice, not the off-ice stuff) and a whole list of those who've played in Britain, which is probably a whole seperate other post.

There you go-a little info about me. Now, given that there's a lot happening in British hockey at the moment-straight on to the meaty stuff...:)