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