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
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