The Finishing Touches: Part 2 – Gardiner Conference

First published on 31/08/2012 on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/

Yesterday I considered the completed squads of the Erhardt Conference. Today I will be moving metaphorically north of the border (and also popping eastward-bound to Hull) to weigh up the most recent additions to the sides of The Gardiner Conference, where it could be said that in general, perhaps unsurprisingly due a comparative lack of funds, things have moved a little more slowly in terms of getting bums on benches. But teams have been building slowly but surely as the coaches have taken their time assessing who’s available and at what cost, and particularly in recent weeks, the sides who were lagging behind have finally been nailing down new blood in addition to securing familiar faces. 

Braehead Clan

Braehead’s bid to top the Gardiner conference has been strengthened with the addition of prolific sniper Ash Goldie from the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL and the surprise signing of Garrett Zemlak, who last season tended goal for rivals the Fife Flyers. Zemlak will undoubtedly be as popular in Glasgow as he was in Fife, and another rival team member in Steelers’ Steve Birnstill bolsters the Clan’s defensive ranks; basically a straight switch by coach Jordan Krestanovich for the departing Jim Jorgenson.

The signings of Bobby Chaumont, who returns having played in the Clan’s inaugural season, and Canadian defenceman Matt Hanson from the CHL, were followed by the signing last week of tough Brit Rob Farmer. Farmer, who had been linked with a move to Kazakhstan earlier in the summer, comes to the Clan after talks turned sour with former club Coventry Blaze, and will provide some much-needed grit.

Despite some decent-looking signings, I think too many people are assuming the conference title is Braehead’s to lose. I don’t think they will have it all their own way, as their rivals are picking up some good signings and may have some surprises in store for the Glasgow side. However, lest we forget, the Clan do still boast arguably the most talented player to have graced the league in recent years in Jade Galbraith, and with the mantle of assistant coach furthering his responsibility with the club, there’s no doubt Galbraith will hope to have a season as strong as his last for Braehead.

THE SQUAD:

New: Ryan Watt (Slough Jets), Mitch Maunu (US College), Ash Goldie, Garrett Zemlak, Bobby Chaumont, Steve Birnstill, Matt Hanson, Rob Farmer

Returning: Krestanovich, McPherson, Galbraith, Campbell, Walker, Zajac, Haywood, Will, K Phillips, Russell, Fulton

Dundee Stars 

All seems fairly rosy on Tayside as new player-coach Jeff Hutchins has been progressing his squad at a decent pace, making a number of new signings as well as securing a number of British players already familiar with the Stars set-up. Netminding looked to be a problem as Chris Whitley re-signed, then swiftly changed his mind after securing a move to the CHL. Into his place steps Nic Riopel, a young French Canadian goaltender, drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and with a few AHL games under his belt, who looks to be an interesting prospect between the sticks for the Stars.

A large number of local lads have committed their futures to the Stars giving Hutchins some depth, and most recently the signing of Finnish forward Sami Ryhanen, who ended last season with the Nottingham Panthers, will give the Stars fans hope about things to come. A clutch of lower league North Americans will look to improve on the efforts of last season’s squad, led by Brent Hughes, who struggled to make an impression in the league. Replacing the outgoing Jarrett Konkle and Mark Kolanos up front, the experience of American forward Billy Bagron and Braehead’s Mike Wirll, who showed promise last season, signing late on for the Clan, but will look to become a key part of the Stars set-up from day one this season. In defence, Pat Bowen and Doug Krantz will seek to improve on the disappointing efforts of the likes of Brennan Turner and Chris Zarb.

THE SQUAD:

New: Greg Moore, Jack Watkins, Vince Connon, Billy Bagron, Pat Bowen, Mike Wirll, Matt Baxter, Nic Riopel, Doug Krantz, Sami Ryhanen

Returning: Hutchins, McIntosh, McGill, MacLean, McCluskey, Harper, Forsyth, Smith, Topping, Hogan, Holland

Edinburgh Capitals

Richard Hartmann’s side were worryingly quiet during the early part of the summer but have picked up their heels in recent weeks and have begun to construct a team for the season ahead. As with last season, there is a heavy presence of Eastern European players; fresh in from the Slovakian league comes the Caps’ starting netminder for the season, young Slovakian national under 20 player Tomas Hiadlovsky, who has been playing in his home country for his entire playing career, and their most recent signing, the more experienced defenceman Michal Dobron, who played last season for Bratislava, although he spent most of his earlier career in the competitive Czech leagues. He has also played for the Czech Republic national side. Slovakian forward Peter Holecko also re-signs for the season.

The sole North American signing for Hartmann is Jade Portwood, a college graduate who will bring the enthusiasm of youth as he takes up his first pro position in Edinburgh.

The Capitals still fall a good distance short of the 11 import quota and with time ticking away until the start of the season it seems unlikely they will come close to filling that quota. Instead they will rely on homegrown talent and hope to secure a few late signings to bolster their ranks. If they are unable to do this, with the improvement in the squads around them they may find this a very long season indeed.

THE SQUAD:

New: Tomas Hiadlovsky, Michal Benadik, Jade Portwood, Jay King, Michal Dobron

Returning: Hartmann, Steel, Goldie, Zembergs, McIntyre, Holecko, Nicolson, Holland, Gautschi

Fife Flyers

Last season Fife, like Edinburgh, did not fill their import quota and although they appear to be heading for a similar fate this season, their quality of import has improved, on paper at least, and this promises to be a stronger campaign for the Elite League’s newest members. They have relied solely on North American lower league players to fill their import spots; amongst them some real gems, including young Canadian brothers Bryan and Jason Pitton, who become the second set of brothers in the Elite League this season, joining the Leebs of Coventry (between them making up for the lack of brothers in the league last season, the last set being the Hemingways of Belfast in 2010/11). Older brother Jason brings significant AHL experience which will prove invaluable to Todd Dutiaume’s side, whilst younger brother Bryan, has posted decent numbers in the ECHL for the past few seasons.

The brothers are the jewels in the crown of Dutiaume’s side this season, which has also recently seen the addition of two CHL players in 22 year old defenceman Zach Carriveau, and Canadian winger Kris Hogg, both of whom have plenty to prove in Kirkcaldy. Dutes has also signed Casey Haines, an American forward who played junior hockey with Nottingham Panthers’ Pat Galivan – in Arkansas, of all places (don’t say I don’t ever bring you exciting facts about new imports!). As ever the Flyers are building a family of players who the fans will come to love as they look to build upon a promising first season in the league.

THE SQUAD:

New: Derek Keller, Jeff Caister, Zach Carriveau, Bryan Pitton, Casey Haines, John Dolan, Jason Pitton, Kris Hogg

Returning: Dutiaume, Stewart, Gunn, Wands, Wilson, McAlpine, Scoon, Muir, Horne

Hull Stingrays

With finances stabilised under new ownership, the only English side in the Gardiner conference have made steady progress throughout the summer and laid down the gauntlet to their conference rivals, filling all 11 import spots and bringing back the core of their team from the last two seasons in Silverthorn, Tendler and Captain Kurtis Dulle. Since I last examined Hull’s signing activity, they have added an out-and-out tough guy to their ranks in the shape of 27 year old Canadian Ryan Hand, a young, gutsy fighter who comes in as a replacement for the departing Derek Campbell.

Other new signings include Canadian winger Cale Tanaka, a relatively unknown quantity with mainly college experience and coming in off the back of two seasons curtailed due to injury, and giant defenceman Jeff Smith: most recently playing for the Hague in Holland, he will be known to Elite League fans from the 2010/11 season when he played with Coventry Blaze.

This season will be a good test for Sylvain Cloutier: after the success of last season in which he steered his side to the play-off final weekend, he will be looking to repeat that success as well as challenging for the conference title, as he will look to show the league from the off that Braehead do not have the Gardiner trophy in the bag.

THE SQUAD:

New: Ben Bowns, Janis Ozolins, Chris Sykes, Shane Lovdahl, Tomas Valecko, Ryan Hand, Sam Towner, Andy Ward, Cale Tanaka, Jeff Smith, Scott Robson

Returning: Silverthorn, Cloutier, Tendler, Dulle, Osman, Davies

The Finishing Touches: Part 1 – Erhardt Conference

First published on 30/08/2012 on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/

How time flies when your country’s hosting an Olympics.

Drowning in a sea of golden moments, hockey couldn’t have been further from my mind these last few weeks but one can’t fail to respond when a cursory glance at a calendar tells you that the new Elite League season begins in less than a week’s time.

It’s crept up on me unawares and I’ve snapped out of my gold-tinged fantasy to catch up on the latest from around the Elite League, as coaches and owners go about finalising their squads ready to take on the new campaign.

It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that a number of sides have stacked their ranks up with big, physical players – particularly in the southern conference where coincidentally or not, sides seem to be matching like for like – anything you can do, they cry, we can do better.

Twitter has been littered in recent weeks with YouTube link after YouTube link of new EIHL players squaring off against one another. Yes, it promises to be one of the most physical seasons we have seen in some time and fans will be agog from the first minutes of the friendly games, let alone the season proper – watching for the first signs of conflict, the first attempts to establish dominance, the first statement of intent (some would argue this took place in last night’s ‘friendly’ clash between the  Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze).

However, physical or no, there will be a great deal of skill on display in the forthcoming season, the level of quality arguably significantly greater than in recent seasons, with real NHL experience scattered throughout the league as well as players from Germany, Sweden and Austria – all leagues considered to be higher in quality than our Elite League. It looks to be a season of depth, as many teams seek to balance a strong British contingent with dynamic new import talent, combining players with years of British league experience with new faces from both Europe and North America. So without further ado, let’s have a look at the latest additions to our fair league, the veritable cherries on top of the almost perfect hockey-shaped pies – and for the first time ordered by their shiny new conference titles!

THE ERHARDT CONFERENCE

Belfast Giants

When we last visited Belfast, Doug Christiansen had the most still to do with a massive 8 imports left to sign. However Giants fans had nothing to worry about, as signing news came thick and fast throughout July and August, with the import roster completed just last week. A host of fine import talent has joined the league champions and their title defending side looks a strong one, balancing the vast experience of NHL star Greg Stewart and former Giant Rob Sandrock with young talent like Andrew Fournier who comes to the Giants off the back of a brilliant season in the Swedish Elite League in which he racked up an impressive 27 goals from 40 appearances.

Christiansen has gone boldly where no EIHL coach has gone before, continuing in his quest to sign up players under 6 feet tall, throwing fuel on the fire of the rumour that he has a complex about not being the tallest man in a room, and that Mike Hoffman was only signed because he was sitting down at the time. Yes, it’s another smaller than average side; Stewart, Will Colbert and most recently Brock Matheson the only new players over six feet tall, but with the retention of Adam Keefe and Darryl Lloyd there is no sign that the Giants intend to roll over this season, and what they lack in stature they will continue to make up for in tenacity. And players called Brock.

THE SQUAD:

New: David Phillips, Matt Towe, Noah Clarke, Daymen Rycroft, Will Colbert, Sam Roberts, Greg Stewart, Scott Champagne, Rob Sandrock, Andrew Fournier, Brock Matheson

Returning: Murphy, Keefe, Lloyd, Garside, Peacock, Walton, Roberts, Dickson

Cardiff Devils

When we last caught up with the Devils, Gerad Adams was already close to completing his roster. He has since re-signed and re-appointed popular captain Stuart Macrae, in addition to possibly his most controversial signing of the summer, Devin DiDiomete, who for a young man of just 24 comes with considerable high-level experience, having played in excess of 170 AHL games including a full season for Connecticut Whale in 2010/11. Didiomete, affectionately known as ‘Deeds’, has already made his presence felt via Twitter, winding up all and sundry with less tact than an elephant at a funeral, and undoubtedly placing himself top of the hitlist for most of the tough guys in the Elite League, particularly those at rivals Coventry Blaze.  

Whether Didiomete will adapt to the British game remains to be seen; he has been drafted in seemingly as a replacement for Brad Voth and if nothing else, he certainly promises to be as divisive amongst Elite League fans as the mighty Vother once was  – what is yet to become apparent is whether his own fans will warm to his abrasive personality or not. Topping off the pile of Welsh import talent is Jamie Milam, an attacking defenceman with stacks of ECHL and CHL experience behind him. Cardiff have a wealth of experience to call upon this season along with size and toughness – hallmarks of Adams’ style of play – and they will once again be difficult to beat, particularly on their own turf.

THE SQUAD:

New: Phil Osaer, Tyson Marsh, Mac Faulkner, Chris Blight, Piggott, Bari McKenzie, Devin DiDiomete, Jamie Milam

Returning: Adams, Birbraer, Batch, Hill, Harding, K Smith, M Smith, Davies, Macrae

Coventry Blaze

Earlier in the summer Coventry were the team grabbing all the headlines as they snapped up an eye-catching array of early signings, however they have stuttered in recent weeks and these are days of uncertainty in the previously confident Blaze camp as news emerged just over a week ago of the rejection of winger Mike Danton’s visa application. It’s safe to say that without having set foot on the ice yet this season, Danton is already a fan favourite and his experience and skill would be a big loss to the team. At the time of writing, fingers and toes are all crossed for Danton’s safe passage to the UK.

Since we last caught up with Paul Thompson, he has made a collection of new signings, including a trio of Brits, two from the ENL side and one from the Dundee in Steven Chalmers. He completed his import quota by adding Greg Leeb’s brother Brad, who also played in the DEL last season, Mike Shutte, who played most recently in the Italian top league, and Dustin Cameron, a young forward fresh from the ECHL. The side lacks the quality Brits that some of the other Erhardt sides boast and the lack of depth may come back to bite them down the stretch, but with time to spare and toughness in spades there’s no denying the Blaze are a side to watch this season – they could be a dark horse and will certainly cause a few sleepless nights for the smaller, weaker sides in the Elite League.

THE SQUAD:

New: Sam Smith, Mike Danton, Gerome Giudice, Mike Egener, Benn Olson, Greg Leeb, Brad Leeb, Michael Schutte, Adam Goss, Matt Selby, Dustin Cameron, Steven Chalmers

Returning: Venus, Griffin, Guthrie, Cowley, Hirsch, Domish

Nottingham Panthers

Much of Panthers’ business was done early in the summer as they sought to secure the signatures of many of their team regulars. But Coach Neilson had a precious final few spots to fill, and he used the final import spots to bring in a collection of highly experienced players: two defencemen – Eric Werner, with a number of years in Europe behind him, and huge Czech presence Martin Tuma – along with forward David Ling who comes from a season in Italy, has been around the block and then some, and can surely claim to be the only Elite League player drafted by an NHL team who are no longer in existence (Quebec Nordiques).

I question Corey’s choices this year; letting Danny Meyers go in favour of Jonathan Weaver could prove to be a costly mistake and although they have some promising new import talent in Jason Beckett and Bruce Graham, Corey’s reliance on age and experience may be his undoing as the season wears on and younger legs carry the momentum. His trump card is the retention of the core of his team in goaltender Craig ‘K-Wall’ Kowalski and the cream of the UK’s ice hockey talent in such players as David Clarke, Matthew Myers and Rob Lachowicz. For me however, I don’t think it will be enough to compete at the level of the likes of the Giants and the Steelers, and I predict Corey will once again go without the league title he so dearly desires.

THE SQUAD:

New: Jonathan Weaver, Jason Beckett, Pat Galivan, Tom Norton, Bruce Graham, David Ling, Eric Werner, Martin Tuma, Sam Gospel

Returning: Neilson, Kowalski, Benedict, Francis, Green, Clarke, Fox, Levers, Lachowicz, Ward, Lee, Myers

Sheffield Steelers

Consistency is also key to Ryan Finnerty’s gameplan this season, the Steelers too having retained the services of their top-performing Brits, the like of Ashley Tait, Jason Hewitt and Mark Thomas.  I believe the key to  Sheffield’s pursuit of the conference title lies in the confidence of netminder John DeCaro  – will it be rocked from his less than convincing performance last season, or strengthened by his coach’s faith in him and the strength of the defence in front of him, along with the comfort of knowing the rinks and many of the players he will be facing up against? There’s no denying that a netminder with league experience is a valuable asset and DeCaro will be looking to hit the ground running.

Finnerty completed his collection of imports with a trio of strong Canadian signings: Shawn Limpright, a 31 year old forward with years of ECHL experience; Drew Fata, a 29 year old defenceman with  a wealth of AHL games under his belt and Steven Goertzen, 28, one of the strongest signings by any team this summer, with both NHL and AHL games on his impressive CV. The Steelers have strength in depth this season, and a variety of different styles of player – if they gel well together as a team, they will pose the current champions a serious threat. If Finnerty can show his mettle as a coach, watching from the bench as he will be this season, the title could be theirs to lose.

THE SQUAD:

New: Danny Meyers, Colin Shields, Jim Jorgenson, Danny Wood, Cory Pecker, Tylor Michel, Steven Goertzen, Shawn Limpright, Drew Fata

Returning: DeCaro, Hewitt, J Phillips, Esders, Thomas, Tait, Woolhouse, Stephenson, Legue, Sarich

TOMORROW: I take a closer look at the squads of the Gardiner Conference sides