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

Comings and Goings - Part 2

First published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 5th July 2012

Northern Conference

It is perhaps unsurprising that there is less to report in the way of signings when it comes to the Northern Conference, as teams on the whole have less to spend and will be playing the waiting game, seeing what they can get for their money and biding their time before making moves. However, here is a summary of where we are north (and slightly south-east) of the border.

Braehead Clan – Consistency the Key

The Clan have opted for stability and consistency in their dealings so far, re-signing numerous players, including pulling off the re-employment of much sought after forward Jade Galbraith who had been heavily rumoured to being joining either Sheffield or Coventry. However it seems the silkily-skilled Canadian is settled in Glasgow, although the temptation of the offer to become assistant coach may have played a part in his decision to remain at the Clan. The loss of Drew Bannister was a blow for the Glasgow side and the change in coaching staff is arguably the biggest challenge they will face this season, as well-loved Captain Jordan Krestanovich takes the reins for his first foray into coaching. His lack of experience will be a factor in Braehead’s assault on the northern conference title, which they are widely expected to take, but on his side he has the knowledge of many of the players around him, as in addition to himself and Galbraith, he can rely on key men from last season’s successful campaign, Brock McPherson and Ryan Campbell.

The only new imports to join Krestanovich’s Clan so far are Canadian defenceman Mitch Maunu who comes fresh from a stint in the US college system, another old adversary of Adam Keefe, who looks set to be a very busy enforcer this coming season. And just today the signing of Canadian forward Ash Goldie was announced, a proven goalscorer and will have Clan fans breathless with anticipation over the partnership he could build with Galbraith. The biggest question remaining for Clan fans is who will be between the sticks this season? Reviews were mixed on Jaakko Suomalainen and there has been no news of him having a potential future with the club. I see them signing an import netminder but who it will be remains a mystery, however I would not be surprised to see Krestanovich try to source a goalie with league experience, perhaps tempting Garrett Zemlak from Fife. Either way, the Clan are going to take some beating in the Northern Conference this season.

THE FACTS SO FAR:

In: Watt (Slough Jets), Mitch Maunu (US College), Ash Goldie (ECHL)
Staying: Krestanovich, McPherson, Galbraith, Campbell, Walker, Zajac, Haywood, Will, K Phillips,
Out: Bannister

Total signed: 12 – 11 skaters, 1 netminder (6 Brit, 6 import)
Still to sign: 7 skaters, 1 netminder (5 import)

Dundee Stars – Slow But Sure

The Stars are the only side in the League other than Braehead to see a coaching change this season, as Brent Hughes returns to North America and Jeff Hutchins takes the reins. Another player new to coaching, I can’t help but worry for the Stars, who struggled at times without strong leadership last season and look set to continue down that road in this. So far there is no news on whether popular Stars imports from last season will make a return; the likes of Jarrett Konkle and Mark Kolanos not yet stating their intentions for the 2012/3 season. There are returns for a few of the local players as well as Canadian forward AJ MacLean, but despite the additions of Jack Watkins from Hull/Coventry and Vince Connon from Braehead, the only new import that has committed to the Stars so far is Greg Moore, a defenceman from the CHL who looks like a promising signing. Hutchins will need to secure a few more like him as well as a few returnees to pull together any semblance of a team capable of challenging for the northern conference this coming season. The recent re-signing of goaltender Chris Whitley is a trump card which will appease the fans whilst Hutchins goes about the rest of his business, and he will feel relieved to have a solid import netminder who already knows the club in place.

THE FACTS SO FAR:

In: Greg Moore (CHL), Watkins (Hull), Connon (Braehead)
Staying: Hutchins, McIntosh, McGill, MacLean, McCluskey, Harper, Whitley
Out: Brent Hughes

Total signed: 10 – 8 skaters, 2 netminders (6 Brit, 4 import)
Still to sign: 10 skaters (7 import)

Edinburgh Capitals – All quiet on the Eastern front

The silence from the Capitals is deafening at the moment as Richard Hartmann, still in charge of the club, has not made many moves in the transfer market, his limited moves so far being the re-signing a handful of Brits and young Latvian winger Marcis Zembergs. There has been no activity outside of this and in fact, very little in the way of news at all from the Scottish capital, and it’s hard not to worry for the side, who look unlikely to fill their import quota once again, and we await movements with bated breath, in the hope that the Caps can put together a season at least comparable with the first part of their 2010/11 season, in which they looked lively and inventive. Although they could not compete with the likes of Belfast and Sheffield, they certainly gave their closer rivals a run for their money, and this will be imperative for them even this season as the new conference set-up appears to be more reflective of financial stability, and Edinburgh will want to make a mark early. As such, the club could use an injection of excitement to persuade their long-suffering fans to re-invest in a season ticket, and some signing news could provide just that lift. It should be noted that the side have retained the services of gifted goalscorer Rene Jarolin, who committed to the club prior to the close season, and he will be key in picking up points for the club going forward.

THE FACTS SO FAR:

In: None as yet
Staying: Hartmann, Steel, Goldie, Zembergs, McIntyre, Jarolin
Out: McKenzie, Valecko

Total signed: 5 – all skaters (3 Brit, 2 import)
Still to sign: 13 skaters, 2 netminders (9 import)

Fife Flyers – The Waiting Game

Like some of their other less financially blessed counterparts, the Flyers are playing the waiting game this off-season, as they allow the passage of time to hopefully bring players their way, advertising their club to potential import players in their charming video which will hopefully have the desired effect. They have made a slow start in building their squad, with the least player announcements of any club so far, although they have started with some stability in the return of coach Todd Dutiaume and influential forward Danny Stewart. In addition to this, they have added two new imports from the ECHL, defensive pair Derek Keller and Jeff Caister, whose familiarity with one another from their days at the South Carolina Stingrays will be appreciated when it comes to building a solid backline. They have yet to sign up any Brits although these are expected to be locals for the most part, however the Flyers faithful will this season be hopeful of a few more imports as they stabilise financially and look to try and compete with their conference rivals.

THE FACTS SO FAR:

In: Derek Keller (ECHL), Jeff Caister (ECHL)
Staying: Stewart
Out: Dutiaume (coaching only)

Total signed: 3 – all skaters (0 Brit, 3 import)
Still to sign: 15 skaters, 2 netminders (8 import)

Hull Stingrays – Bridge over troubled waters

The course of a summer never runs smooth on Humberside and this year has been no different. The off-season has brought uncertainty and concern for Stingrays fans as there was doubt over ownership of the club and ice time at the arena. However the doubt was laid to rest with the purchase of the club by Bobby McEwan and with the installation of Sylvain Cloutier as player-coach Hull are once again able to move on with the business of constructing a squad to take into the new season. Cloutier has lost his MVP from last season, netminder Christian Boucher as well as enforcer Derek Campbell, but he has moved quickly to secure the services of two key imports in forwards Jason SIlverthorn and Jereme Tendler. The coach is living within his means but has still managed to make a handful of new signings, a couple from the EPL, including highly rated forward Janis Ozolins, and just this week he has added Shane Lovdhal from the CHL and Tomas Valecko, formerly of the Edinburgh Captials, to bolster the defensive ranks. There’s still some way to go for Cloutier but with the backing of a new owner and something approaching financial security – for now – he can focus on the important business of building his squad.

THE FACTS SO FAR:

In: Bowns (EPL), Ozolins (EPL), Sykes (EPL), Lovdahl (CHL), Valecko (Edinburgh)
Staying: Silverthorn, Cloutier, Tendler, Dulle
Out: Campbell, Boucher, Chamberlain

Total signed: 9 – 8 skaters, 1 netminder (2 Brit, 7 import)
Still to sign: 11 skaters, 1 netminder (4 import)

Join me in a few weeks when I’ll examine in more depth some of the key players to watch out for over the coming season and to have another look at how the sides are shaping up as the opening games draw ever nearer.

The Divison Bell

First posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 13th June 2012

Having had a couple of weeks to reflect on the changes being implemented by the Elite League this season, I’ve decided it’s about time to pitch in. Is it change for the sake of change? Or is there method to the madness? Let’s examine some of the key points that have cropped up in the British hockey media since the announcement to try and figure out whether or not this conference malarkey is a good plan or a bit of a shambles.

‘It’s surely better for some teams than others?’

Well, in a nutshell, yes. There are the haves and the have nots within the new system. There’s no doubting that the Hull Stingrays are the club worst off in the move, as being placed in the Northern conference means they will have one less trip to neighbouring Sheffield Steelers (a distance of just 67 miles) and in return, one less visit of the Steelers considerable cohort of travelling fans. Instead, their closest inter-league rivals will now be the Edinburgh Capitals (a distance of 248 miles). From a financial point of view, for a club that’s already struggling, this cannot be good news.

Coventry Blaze could by rights feel aggrieved as of the teams in the Southern conference, they are the only ones openly struggling with finances, however based on their signings so far, and the fact that Hull have secured new ownership so are no longer a rod for the Blaze’s back, they may not struggle as much as previously thought.

‘Be honest – it’s going to be a lot easier to win the Northern conference.’

Well, in a nutshell, yes. Let’s face it – the Southern conference is stacked with money and as a result, quality players – it’s going to be an extremely competitive group and will undoubtedly be hard-fought right to the death. North of the border things look distinctly less of an uphill struggle for the Glaswegian Braehead Clan. Well positioned in the league last season, their nearest rivals were a whole 30 points behind them in the final league table. Add to this their not inconsiderable resources (let’s not forget they are financed by the same owner as the Nottingham Panthers) and on paper, it’s the Clan’s conference to lose.

‘But won’t it devalue the league title?’

Well, in a nutshell, yes. It’s a simple fact that the two conferences are not equally weighted in terms of quality teams. In fact, rather than two equal groups, the conferences are more like divisions – draw a line right in the middle of last season’s final league table and you have the exact groupings for the conferences. Despite this, at the end of the season the two will be placed side by side as if they were equals. And if the league is decided on the basis of who has the most points overall, it’s more likely to be the winner of the Northern conference that will take the overall title – as in theory, their fixtures across the season will have been less challenging. This totally devalues the league title which up to this point, has been the top prize in British ice hockey, eclipsing the challenge cup and play-off trophy in terms of importance. A definite con.

‘Increased competition is good for the poorer teams though, isn’t it?’

It’s hard to say. As a Vipers fan, the encounters that were the most key to our success, or lack thereof, were those against our closest rivals in the league at the time, Edinburgh and Dundee, as we scrapped for points and a play-off spot. They were always tense, and exciting, and towards the end of the season became all the more important. And let’s face it, being repeatedly tonked by bigger, better teams isn’t fun from the perspective of either a fan OR a neutral. The Northern conference sides will feel they really have something to play for instead of losing heart sitting in ninth or tenth place before Christmas has even come around. However, let’s not forget, nothing’s a given in sport, and on the odd occasion the Vipers did chalk up a win against the Giants or Panthers, they were all the sweeter – it’s not always a one-sided affair. Just look at the play-off semi-finals in the season just gone. We’ll log this one in the ‘neutral’ pile.

‘The Challenge Cup will mean something again, though.’

Yes, it will. It’s looking likely that the Challenge Cup will become a more meaningful competition to win than the league title itself, as it will feature more teams from both conferences and will be a more level playing field, with the introduction of quarter final stages. Probably only the southern conference title will be a more desirable prize next season.

‘Everyone’s making a bit of a big deal of this. It’s not THAT different.’

No, it’s not that different. Each team will only play once less at home and once less away against teams from the other conference; once more at home and once more away against teams from their own. It’s not earth-shattering in terms of ramifications, travel-wise or financially. The Fife Flyers will still get to go to Belfast twice. Cardiff will still host Dundee twice. We’re not talking total separation here.

‘Would it allow for future expansion?’

Absolutely. With rumours abounding of an Elite League side in Dublin, and the perpetual Chinese whispers about the possibility of a re-emergence of a North-East based side, the conference system does offer great potential for expansion. It would be easier to integrate new teams and at five sides apiece, the conferences are very small and the League would undoubtedly be open to bolstering the ranks. A definite pro.

‘So what’s the verdict? Is it worth a try, or just a bit rubbish?’

Overall, it’s hard to make a definitive judgement when you weigh up all the elements involved. The biggest negative – and it is a big one – is the devaluation of the league title. There are positives including improved competition for lower placed sides, an improvement in the Challenge Cup competition and a brilliant conference for neutrals to keep an eye on in the shape of the Southern conference.

In a league where SOMETHING needed to happen, something has happened – whether it’s the right thing or not is up for debate, but other than a mass reorganisation of the league’s finances (never going to happen) I can’t think what else they could have done whilst still being seen to be making a change. Let’s see how it goes for a season and make our judgements this time next year. In the meantime, I will still be attending as many games as I can this season. Will they mostly be involving teams from the Southern Conference? Well, in a nutshell, yes.

EIHL Play-off Weekend Review – Chapter 2

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 12th April 2012

Semi-Final 2: Nottingham Panthers v Hull Stingrays

There are some sporting occasions that demand the attention of the media types writing about them in the same way an arresting landscape demands to be captured by an avid photographer. Some games where the keyboard thrills to the touch of the intrepid journalist as it experiences through their frenetic fingers the passion, the tension, the drama and the excitement of said contest, and the reader devours the resulting report like a favourite meal, savouring each well-phrased memory like a tasty morsel as they relive a spectacle that they were privileged to be a part of.

Sadly, this was not one of those games.

There was no doubting the allegiance of the many neutral fans in the building: everyone loves a plucky underdog and they don’t come any more plucky than Hull, whose win over the Sheffield Steelers was one of the biggest surprises of the Elite League season. I hoped against hope that they would show up against the Panthers and take the game to them; the second semi-final had a lot to live up to after the first one and there was no denying the feeling around the NIC was one of vague anti-climax.

The opening exchanges between the sides were scrappy but the crowd were in fine voice. Hull flailed early on but netminder Christian Boucher made an assured save from a Brandon Benedict breakaway effort and settled the jangling nerves. The early signs were worrying for the ‘Rays fans. The Panthers looked up for it and were playing their fluid, attacking style of hockey with aplomb. Hull weren’t rolling over however, and despite the nerves showed some guts, throwing some big hits and getting involved when their hosts allowed them to.

They were like rabbits in the headlights going forward however, unable to make any impression on the Nottingham goal, and soon Nottingham were off the mark, the goal coming from a delayed penalty 6-on-5 situation, David Clarke the scorer. Boucher made a great save to deny the Panthers a second and it looked for a moment as if we may have a tied game on our hands as Jereme Tendler broke away up the ice but he was stopped by Craig Kowalski. Boucher once again came up big for Hull making an outstanding double save and Hull killed a Nottingham powerplay, before a spot of roughing between David-Alexandre Beauregard and Sylvain Cloutier resulted in some 4-on-4 action. The first period closed with Panthers just one goal to the good and it seemed as though Hull might be in this game for the long haul.

This theory was quickly disproved as the second period opened however, Nottingham scoring two goals in the space of thirty seconds from Marc Levers and Sami Ryhanen to knock the wind out of Hull. It was clear who’d had their Weetabix in the period break. Boucher looked like a different netminder, his confidence rocked, and it felt as though all the life had been completely sucked out of the game, Hull deflated, the Panthers fans jubilant.

There was life in the old dog yet however, as despite all members of the crowd to a person admitting this one was 99.9% decided, Hull had a powerplay and were unlucky not to score, Boucher getting his act together once again and blocking a few shots, and finally, after a successful penalty kill, Hull scored, Jason Silverthorn sending the Stingrays fans crazy, and neutrals asking the hockey gods if perhaps we could have ourselves a game now, thank you very much?

Apparently not. Just over a minute later David Clarke struck to make it 4-1 and restore the 3-goal cushion, and completing another killer double blow to the ‘Rays chances of staying competitive in the game, Rhett Gordon made it 5-1 less than a minute after that. The Panthers were more than dominant and were stabbing the already flailing corpse of this poor, battered game without sympathy. It was clinical. Just in case we were in any doubt they scored yet again just before the end of the period to compound Hull’s misery, and surrounded by Nottingham’s celebrating fans I felt something of the pain of being the ‘little club’, head in hands, the cold hand of inevitably gaining a creeping hold on the pit of my stomach.

Nobody felt much like a third period, but something or other, perhaps the ‘nothing to lose’ factor had given Hull a boost, and Boucher settled the ship before they scored a second goal from Derek Campbell. It would not lift the spirits for long however, a cruel bounce seeing the puck skip over Boucher’s head from an attempted glove save to make it 8-2. Hull bit back, nailing Panthers to boards. Dan Green came into the net for Nottingham. They scored again. I didn’t win the 50/50. To add insult to already massive injury, Jordan Fox clinically despatched a tenth goal. I worried for the Devils in the final with Nottingham in this form. I worried for the Hull fans in the pubs of Nottingham after this game. There were five minutes left but I had lost my mojo. The embarrassing scoreline became mildly less so as Cloutier scored a third for Hull and gallows humour prevailed: ‘We’re going to win 11-10.’ It didn’t even sound right. I needed a pint. So did everyone else.

And that was that. The sound of the final horn had never been so welcome. The underdogs were just that, the Panthers victorious: they would go on to challenge Cardiff in the 2012 play-off final. It promised to be a thrilling contest. Or at least, that’s what we hoped, after this damp squib of a semi.

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal – Week 2, Part 2

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 6th April 2012

Hey, you! Look at me! I’m about to perform the collected works of Sir Elton John on the spoons whilst wearing a neon pink romper suit and platform trainers!

Sadly, many parts of the above statement are lies. But it got your attention, didn’t it. That’s good. As my voice is drowned out and diminishes to little more than a ripple in the pond of the many clamouring voices you will hear throughout this play-off finals weekend, I will do my best to shout loudest so you can still hear me, even if it means standing on somebody’s shoulders or jumping up and down. Or wearing a neon pink romper suit. I WILL grab your attention. And I will strive to, as always, bring you a different perspective (I don’t see the BBC reporters in pink romper suits. Beige, maybe). And I hope it will be worth the precious time it takes for your eyes to peruse my many lines of wisdom. So, hear me now! This is one hockey nomad’s neutral view of how the play-off semi-finals might come to pass. And how many Hockey Nomad Neutrals do you know. There, I told you I’d be different.

Semi-final 1 – Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils

Yes, okay, Belfast are very good. We all get it.

Awards and plaudits have been piling up at the Northern Irish side’s doorstep in recent weeks like Valentine gifts in Justin Bieber’s dressing room, and the collective media, myself included, have run dry of superlatives to describe what has been a truly dominant force in UK hockey this season. Although the Steelers ran them fairly close for the title, it was never in doubt and an astonishing (don’t think I’ve used that one yet) away record was one of the many factors that assured the Giants their title.

So they’ve got play-offs in the bag, right? If their 14-0 demolition of the Dundee Stars is anything to go by, they must have. But wait. Not so fast. Doug Christiansen’s side have lost only five games all season in regulation time; but two of those have been to Cardiff. They haven’t always been able to find their way around a notoriously stubborn Devils side who play a determined, physical, attacking style of hockey and don’t fold under any circumstances, even when short-benched and missing key imports as they have been for much of this season.

In front of a loud and proud red army Cardiff will hope to approach the game in the same manner as they did in the corresponding tie last year: like a bulldog with a bone. They will bite down and not let go, and hope that they can contain the Giants’ intimidating attacking force and use their own to penetrate the impenetrable – the Giants defence, and the unerring instrument of their supremacy, Stephen Murphy. That will be the sternest challenge for the Welsh side, but they will look to key forward men Stu Macrae, Phil Hill and Jeff Pierce to use a little of the speed and invention that took them to fourth in the league and the final four weekend. The fitness of defenceman Chris Frank will be vital as they try to match the Giants physically, the American a massive part of the Devils’ hard-edged style.

It’s by no means an impossible task for the Devils and I fancy that the Giants will find it tough, tougher at least than what they have been used to in their recent encounters, as they took care of business, sauntering off with the league trophy at the expense of their hapless competition without so much as breaking a sweat. No biggie.

I envision a low scoring and cagey affair, punctuated with some physical encounters and the merest hint of a goal or two to divide the teams. Prediction: A Giants win, 2-1.

Semi-final 2 – Nottingham Panthers v Hull Stingrays

On paper, things don’t look good for Hull.

They haven’t beaten the Panthers on a single occasion this season, and only twice have they managed to lose by just a one goal margin. But this isn’t the same Hull who slogged their way through the regular season, and as such, you might just as well throw the head-to-head statistics into a waste paper basket and set fire to them than try to analyse them. It’s play-offs. It’s like the FA Cup – anything can happen. And as Hull have proven, it sometimes does. Was their win over Sheffield fluke? Did it come about merely as a result of Sheffield’s failings? Or did they earn it fair and square, by playing the better hockey across the 120 minutes? And even if the latter is the case, will that same Stingrays side show up when facing once of the strongest home sides in the league?

Nottingham are ordinarily more susceptible to the whims of fortune than the other ‘big’ clubs – could Hull’s new-found vim and vigour along with the confidence drawn from beating the league runners-up be enough to overturn the Panthers? It’s possible, however it cannot be forgotten, the National Ice Centre is the Panthers’ lair and they will be looking to make the most of what they will of course see as a home ice advantage. This could potentially undermine Hull’s confidence and coming into the game as underdogs, the threat of a Panthers’ side in their comfort zone could prove unsettling.

On the other hand, Hull have absolutely nothing to lose. Their fans will be in fine voice, and every single person associated with the club will be enjoying what is their first appearance in an Elite League play-off finals weekend. The team will be buoyant and hopefully boisterous, possibly even rambunctious. If they can bring these and other adjectives into play against Nottingham they stand a chance of exacting some revenge, as long as they can keep their defences tight and have netminder Christian Boucher play a similar blinder to the one that he pulled out of the bag against Sheffield.

Nottingham have one of the most formidable attacking forces in the league with a  host of striking options, the heavy artillery of Jordan Fox and Matt Francis complemented by the style and grace of David-Alexandre Beauregard and Sami Ryhanen. They need to focus on the job at hand and if Corey Neilson can keep a tight ship against Hull, I foresee them going on to challenge Belfast for their second piece of silverware of the 2011/12 campaign. Prediction – 3-1 Panthers.

—

I’m off folks. Tomorrow morning I wend my merry way southwards to the district of Nottinghamshire armed only with my trusty pen and paper, ready to bring you news of all the weekend’s drama. (Well, I may also have a laptop, camera, and that pink romper suit). Stay tuned here for match reports, idle gossip and beards, and check me out on Twitter (@ktdude) for real time updates, hashtag #POFW. Yes, yes, I know - I’m achingly hip. See you on the flip side!

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal: Week 2

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 4th April 2012

Monday 2nd April

 I hope that although Saturday and Sunday’s journal entries were nothing more than a spewing stream of over-exuberant consciousness on my part, they managed to sum up the rollercoaster ride that is following multiple ice hockey play-off quarter-final games on Twitter, and that they somehow captured the intensity of the experience of a sad and lonely laptop-loving neutral such as myself. Now on we go, roaring full throttle into week two of the action.

Debates continue over the drawing of the semi-final line-up – should the teams have been re-seeded like in the NHL, or are Elite League playoffs set up like a bracket in which case the outcome is as it should be? There are rumblings of dissent from players about the decision-making process and Giants’ forward Mike Hoffman unwittingly begins the ‘Kelman In!’ campaign to have the Belfast owner take over running of the Elite League. League politics scare me however I would innocently venture to say I think this could be a very good thing indeed. I would also like to offer my services as his deputy and/or assistant. Because it’s about time I had a career change. Can we consider that my formal job application? I think so.

The Hull Stingrays players’ Twitter feeds make for brilliant reading this morning as the triumphant underdogs returned home to a heroes’ welcome late on Sunday night and seemingly enjoyed the subsequent celebrations. They believed they could do it, and they did it. News stories come flooding in congratulating the side who have beaten the odds to take their place in the final four. Steelers lick their wounds; some call for the head of Ryan Finnerty. A kneejerk but perhaps understandable reaction given the set of circumstances that led up to their quarter-final defeat. However Finnerty will have learnt a lot from this season and any team loyalties aside I personally hope to see him do well next season as I feel he will improve as his focus shifts to a pure coaching role and on the whole, I’ve enjoyed the way the Steelers have played this season.

Players say goodbye to colleagues and fans and it dawns on me with a tinge of sadness that for six of the ten Elite League sides, the season is over and they’re officially on holiday. We may never see many of the imports who have entertained us all season on these shores again. But for four teams of players, their fans, and a bunch of rabid hockey-loving neutrals, we have one big weekend left. There are hasty reassessments and realignments of loyalty as the new underdogs are factored into the equation and everyone figures out who they will be cheering for. I’m struggling with the notion at the present time and will re-visit this particular issue later in the week.

Tuesday 3rd April

Estate agents around the UK find their phones ringing off the hook as intrepid fans try to find out just where it is that Rob Dowd has bought a house. Rumours that it’s in Fife gather pace. Overall it’s a telling move from a man who many suggested could be on his way to Europe in the summer.

*STOP PRESS* It's not in Belfast... (cue dramatic music)

I decide it’s time to think about a semi-final preview and wonder idly just how much coverage I will manage over an infamously debaucherous weekend.

I fall into the womanly trap of losing myself to Steelers-related sympathy after hearing reaction to their loss on Twitter and in the media. There were tears apparently. As much as it’s fun to have some banter and rivalry, the pathetic girl in me cannot abide watching others suffer and as such, despite trying to remain stiff of the upper lip, I dissolve into a mass of ‘aww’-ing and anguished expressions and battle with the desperate urge to run down to Sheffield and administer firm yet tender hugs to Finnerty and co.

But as well as being a pathetic girl, I’m a lover of sport, and at the end of the day, what do we demand from the athletes we support above all else? Passion and desire. Simply put, we want them to want to win as much as we do, more preferably, if that’s possible, because it’s how we relate to them and to be frank, it’s why we all watch sport in the first place. So anyone who can’t empathise with Finner, or indeed any broken sportsman after a heartbreaking loss, is denying their own inner pathetic girl, or passionate sportsfan – whatever you want to dress it up as. It’s a sad fact however that passion alone is, more often than not, not enough to win trophies, and it’s a shame that not all of Finnerty’s team shared the passion of their player-coach, or perhaps the outcome may have been different, as we consider by contrast the balls-to-the-wall, never-say-die mentality of the triumphant Hull side who were eventually to be their undoing.

On the other hand, I laughed, some might say quite loudly despite my attempts to be muted and respectful, at some of the witty chants and songs that were being created and circulated by Steelers’ rivals. I’m a horrible person. But they were funny. There’s empathy, but then there’s really great banter.

Wednesday 4th April

I feel all procrastinatey and decide I’ll write the weekend preview tomorrow.

Katy’s Elite League Playoff Journal – Week 1 Finale

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 2nd April 2012

Sunday 1st April

It might be April Fools Day but there’s no joking about the importance of today in the world of British Ice Hockey. Who will join the Nottingham Panthers in the final four? There’s no questioning which team have their game faces on, the Hull Stingrays players bigging up their David v Goliath clash in Sheffield via the medium of Twitter and clearly up for the tough challenge ahead of them. Max Birbraer sets a few of the less astute Cardiff Devils fans’ hearts racing claiming he’s been given the all clear to play in the second leg against the Blaze that evening; hopes are dashed later on when it’s realised that Max was merely getting into the spirit of the occasion and pulling an April Fool’s prank.

I spend the day doing normal people things and trying not to let my every second thought be about hockey. I fail.

By the time I reach my computer around five minutes have passed in the first period of both 6:00pm face-offs and both homes sides are already one goal to the good. On paper it doesn’t bode well for the Stingrays; the Blaze I feel can still make a decent fist of it and I wait to watch the action unfold. Cardiff are still without hard-hitting defenceman Chris Frank. Would it matter? Possibly: within minutes of each other, both games are tied, Blaze equalising through Rob Farmer on the powerplay and Hull through Jason Silverthorn, the East Yorkshire team seemingly ready to shut me right up – they really are up for this after all. Goliath 1 – 1 David.

Then, a triple hit of action and the statuses on Twitter come flooding in. First, a goal in Dundee, Belfast going up within just 27 seconds through Tom Dignard (yay!) although this is later altered to Aaron Clarke (aw). At IceSheffield Hull go ahead in both the game and on aggregate, and in Cardiff there’s drama as the Devils are awarded a penalty shot, which is subsequently taken and missed by Jeff Pierce, Peter Hirsch pulling a huge save out of the bag to keep the Blaze’s hopes alive – Cardiff and penalty shots go together about as well as politics and trifle.

Then Belfast score again. It’s now 7-0 on aggregate – can Dundee muster up some dignity and at least take the rest of the game to the Giants? Hmm, apparently not. A third goal for Belfast. Aaand then a fourth. Oh dear. What the hell Dundee? Dig in, dudes. Nobody wants to see a rout. But it’s surely already a case of lights out, all out on Tayside (anyone who gets that reference – high five).

The other two games are on period breaks. Can Hull hang onto their ever-so-slim lead? And just who will prevail in the as ever finely poised Cardiff v Coventry battle? It’s still all to play for, it’s a game of three thirds, and other such footballing clichés. Going into the first period break in Dundee, the Stars have interestingly had 12 shots on goal to Belfast’s 15, proving that however close a game might seem, it’s all about taking your chances, and the Giants are absolutely deadly in front of goal.

The second period begins in Sheffield and the home side quickly equalise but few minutes later the Stingrays re-take the lead. I was wrong to doubt them. There’s no denying they have the bit between their teeth, but can they hold out against a side that are notoriously good at coming back from deficits? They are leading despite apparently being backs to the wall throughout the second. Do they have the mettle to see it through? (There’s a metal/Steelers pun in there somewhere. I’m ever so droll).

What about the hapless Stars? Happily for them there have been no further goals in Dundee, but this is mainly because it’s the first period break, whilst in Cardiff the home side take the lead through Stuuuuuu Macrae (complete with the requisite number of u’s) and Blaze seem to be losing their grip on a semi-final berth as momentum swings in favour of the Devils.

Into the final period in Sheffield and Hull are still leading. Belfast put back-up netminder Andrew Dickson in goal and proceed to score a 5th and 6th goal, and Dundee players and fans alike must be counting down the seconds until this painful encounter, along with their season, is over. I am momentarily distracted as I discover last season’s Vipers favourite, netminder Charlie Effinger, has joined Twitter, and I proceed to harass him.

At the Big Blue Tent it sounds as though Blaze just don’t have enough invention or energy in the tank. In Dundee Brennan Turner has his second fight in as many nights, squaring up to Nick Kuiper. Hull add a fourth goal to their tally – this is looking majorly ominous for Sheffield. Could Ryan Finnerty’s big decision be coming back to bite him in the behind? Or are Hull just that motivated? Their defence and netminder Christian Boucher are playing a proverbial blinder. It will make for a great underdog story if they can make the final four. Two seconds after the first fight in Dundee comes the second, Jeff Hutchins dropping the gloves with Darryl Lloyd. The latter is an agitator not an enforcer by trade so I’m keen to see how he fared with the gloves off.

Hull continue to hang on. Lord knows their fans must have no nails left. Cardiff give themselves a two goal cushion, the man of many u’s Macrae scoring once again. Blaze look to be out of this one. Hull score again to go 5-2 up, former Steeler Derek Campbell completing an unlikely hat-trick to become the hero of the day. Wow. Sheffield, you’ve officially scuppered this one.

And then it’s over. People, we have an upset. It was so nearly Braehead Clan, but in the end it was the Hull Stingrays who defied the history books to win through, and richly deserved it is too. The final four weekend will be a little more interesting than expected due to the presence of a true underdog, and will also be largely devoid of orange shirts. Colt King, you are clearly a god amongst men. Cutting off noses to spite faces is a thought that crosses my mind but still not knowing the full picture, I clearly can’t speculate. Oops, I just did. My bad. Needless to say, Ryan Finnerty has to be feeling sick as a parrot, and being as that this was his last competitive hockey game, it has to hurt.

Cardiff put a cherry on top of their successful quarter final challenge with a fourth goal, Jeff Pierce making up for his earlier penalty miss with less than two minutes remaining. Belfast score three more goals to compound Dundee’s misery. An aggregate score of 14-0 does not make for easy reading.

I go to bed to prepare for another working week with my mind still buzzing with hockey action and reaction. The Easter weekend is going to be a good one quite apart from any mention of bunnies, chicks or chocolate eggs. And I shall be there to deliver you full coverage of the action!

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal – Week 1 continued…

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 1st April 2012

Friday 30th March

Anticipation builds up prior to the weekend’s games. I feel more than a shade of jealousy following the excitement as it gathers pace on the social networks, wishing I could be a part of it. To comfort me, the thought of 48 hours of basking in the full-on hockey glory that only the playoff final weekend can provide.

I consider who the favourites to qualify are. I’ve started to feel as though Coventry Blaze may be in with a good chance; in terms of momentum they are flying: of the nine games they have played so far in March they have lost only two, although worryingly, both of these losses were sustained at the hands of the Devils. I wonder if they can find a way around them this weekend. They seem to have a really positive vibe coming out of the camp at the moment. And I really feel that if Hull approach their game in an attacking mindset and go all out, they have a chance against a Steelers team who seem from the outside looking in, to be an unsettled group. I worry for Dundee. The confidence surrounding the Giants on and off the ice is ridiculous. And I am purple through and through as I keep everything crossed that Braehead can hang onto their lead at the NIC.

Saturday 31st March

Game faces are summoned up and down the country. I’m restless, involving myself in the afternoon’s football action to try and dull the nagging sense of needing to be somewhere, needing to be a part of the building tension going on in Belfast, Hull, Coventry and Nottingham. It’s not so bad: it’s not as if I’ve experienced this situation before, as Vipers finished 9th last season, so I don’t really know what I’m missing. But I’m missing it nonetheless.

I place a cheeky wager on the outcome of the games. Can’t resist. There’s drama in Belfast as the bomb squad are summoned near the Odyssey Arena but thankfully nothing comes of the scare. I’ll be following the action via the medium of Twitter and even through that I can feel the tension building as face-off time creeps ever closer. I settle down for an evening of clicking and waiting.

First blood Cardiff Devils, who go 1-0 up in Coventry with a short-handed goal through Scott Dobben. Shortly afterwards Blaze equalise – all the action so far coming from the West Midlands. It sounds lively in Hull too despite a lack of goals, but there’s not a word from the other two rinks – I set off on an Elite League live scores page mission.

First periods end. A cagey start in Hull where the score is still tied 0-0. I vaguely wonder if a tied game would go to overtime and realise I should really know these things. I figure there wouldn’t be much point seeing as the games were two-legged affairs. Belfast are one up on Dundee and Nottingham one up on Braehead. Come on Clan.

First period break… radio silence…

Then a flurry of activity – Steelers 1-0, Blaze 2-1. A little while later, Giants take a 3-0 lead despite Chris Whitley seemingly standing on his head in net. The claws are coming out around the rinks as frustrations begin to bubble and rise to the surface. Penalties are chalked up and banter gets serious. Hull equalise. Things get chippy and there’s some chirping as the second period draws to a close in Hull. Whitley can’t do it all on his own at the Odyssey and Jon Pelle chalks up a fourth for the Giants – this one looks as though it may be over before it starts. Nottingham pull level with Braehead – the end may be in sight for the Glasgow side despite thousands of hockey fans willing them to victory.

Blaze score again from Fussey. Looks like my betting slip is up the swanny. Then Steelers score and it looks like double bad news. But Hull equalise! It’s all happening! Then Braehead score through Galbraith – what did I tell you! Come ON the Clan! Cardiff pull one back to make it 3-2 – now we have some real playoff hockey on our hands, and aside from the Belfast game every single tie could go either way at this point – I love it! Cardiff EQUALISE!!! Not just game on, but GAMES ON! And what on earth has happened to the Blaze? A few weak moments and suddenly it’s anybody’s game. It sounds like an electrifying atmosphere and a great effort, but the Cardiff fans have to be the happier of the two.

And then it all goes wrong. Despite being arguably the better side, and clearly being the more passionate and fired up, coach Sylvain Cloutier reportedly dancing with the fans, it ends 2-2 at Hull and my bet is off, but fair play to the ‘Rays for taking it to the Steelers – who knows how they will fare back in Sheffield tomorrow. The Devils end with a draw and have to feel confident going back to the Big Blue Tent. Giants grab a last gasp goal from Mike Hoffman to effectively put an end to Dundee’s hopes, bar a miracle, and it goes to overtime in Nottingham but there is heartbreak for the Clan fans and indeed for hockey fans all over the UK who have been honorary members of the purple army as Brandon Benedict scores, making Panthers the first side to qualify for finals weekend.

What a night. And I didn’t even see a single minute of hockey! The anticipation for tomorrow and next weekend is palpable, I can almost taste it. Things are finely poised and anything could happen. Time to get some sleep, I need to be fresh for another night of the thrills and spills that only Elite League ice hockey can provide. More coverage tomorrow!

Re-views and Previews – Part 1

The final weekend of the regular season. This time last season, the Vipers faithful had their final game at Whitley Bay against Dundee, and travelled there the following day to complete an unforgettable season and say goodbye to Danny Stewart’s tireless and amazing squad. It was pretty momentous, especially in consideration of all that came to pass in the following weeks and months with the club being dissolved, so it was understandably less of an occasion for me personally this time around. It came and went in the blink of an eye. I sat at home on the sofa mostly, quaffing a variety of alcoholic beverages and eating curry whilst watching scores come in on Twitter. However the weekend contained more drama and talking points than the prior few weeks put together, as the warm weather seemed to spark players into action as they caught scent of the playoffs on the spring breeze, and it really set the tone for what looks to be a thrilling series of playoff encounters.

Despite there being almost a full schedule on Sunday the quarter-final berths were settled on Saturday. So I’ll pass comment on the weekend’s activity team by team, in a playoff preview style. I haven’t even figured out how this is going to work yet. But come along for the ride and we’ll figure it out together. We’ll do two today and two tomorrow. Bitesize previewing, if you will. Big bites, but still.

1st v 8th – Belfast Giants v Dundee Stars

Belfast had just a single game for their final weekend, and they hoisted the Championship banner at the Odyssey before taking on a Panthers side they had seen a fair bit of in recent weeks, losing the Challenge Cup final and seemingly building up a bit of tension between the two sides as the game turned out to be rather feisty, with a fair bit of rough stuff between the two sides. The most agitating agitator in all of British hockey-dom, Darryl Lloyd, threw himself into the game 110% and succeeded in getting under the skin of Panthers defenceman Brock Wilson and a six-man brawl ensued, resulting in a fight between Giants captain Jeremy Rebek and heavyweight Guillaume Lepine. Still waiting for the decision on that one, although hats off to Rebek for getting involved with one of the league’s best fighters. It sounded like a fantastic, hard-fought game and resulted in a late win for the Champions, Craig Peacock netting in overtime to put a cherry on top of an already very tasty and exceedingly large cake. It could safely be said that these two sides are ready for some playoff hockey, and could potentially meet in what would be a very juicy final at the NIC.

But first things first, Belfast enter into a two game quarter final series with the Dundee Stars, whose late spate of wins to lift themselves into a playoff berth seemed to catch up with them somewhat in the final weekend. They managed an overtime win against Fife after a low-scoring 1-1 game before being soundly beaten by 7th place Hull on Sunday, however, with what is clearly the toughest quarter final draw on offer it could conceivably be argued that the Scottish side were right to try and preserve their bodies, as they will need every ounce of energy at their disposal in next weekend’s double header.

The tie will take Dundee over to Northern Ireland for the first leg before both teams return to Scotland to contest the second leg, and Belfast will undoubtedly be looking to get the job done in front of their home crowd and take an unassailable lead back to Dundee, who cannot be underestimated, having run Belfast surprisingly close on almost every occasion that the two teams have met so far this season.

Prediction: As hard as Dundee will work for this one, it’s a tall order and I can’t imagine any outcome other than a Giants win. However I do think it will be a closer tie than the gap in league positions suggests. I’ll plump for an aggregate score of 10-6.

2nd v 7th – Sheffield Steelers v Hull Stingrays

Sheffield had something of a topsy-turvy final weekend as they travelled to the Scottish capital and pummelled its inhabitants 13-2, before returning home on Sunday to face the Glasgow contingent in the Braehead Clan, who were able to pull out a massive victory at the Motorpoint, beating the Steelers 5-4 with just 3 seconds remaining in regulation time, and posing questions over the Steelers’ mental toughness going into what could potentially be a tricky quarter-final match-up for them. It’s their fourth loss in five games, one of those being against their quarter final opponents. Could it be that Ryan Finnerty’s side have let the pressure of a long season get to them? They will need to show their mettle if they want to avoid disappointing an orange army who will be travelling the short distance to Nottingham en masse for the playoff final four weekend and will fully expect to see their team a part of the action.

Hull had a mixed final weekend, losing to Braehead before beating Dundee to secure 7th spot, a place which has been theirs for some time and never seemed in doubt despite their mixed fortunes this season, as they mixed some great wins in with some unacceptable defeats, but they have toughened up of late and will be fully prepared to dig their heels in and take this one to the wire.

The head to head statistics make interesting reading: the Steelers dominated the opening exchanges between the teams but the scorelines became closer and closer until the Stingrays were finally able to beat their Yorkshire rivals just last weekend. Have they learnt what it takes to beat the Steelers, and more importantly can they do it twice? Key for the Steelers, the fitness of Jeff Legue, who was the star of the weekend for them as he has been so many times this season, scoring 5 goals in two games and proving his consistency to be one of the main reasons Sheffield remained in contention for the title for such a long time. His ability to score clutch goals will surely come into play and in a tie that will finish in front of home fans at Ice Sheffield on Sunday, Hull will need to have a commanding lead in order to give themselves the best possible chance in Sheffield, who will not be easy to beat on their home ice, despite the more limited crowd size of IceSheffield which rather strangely is where the tie will be played.

Prediction: I think another close encounter is on the cards with Hull’s recent good form against the Steelers. I think they can win the home leg, but I believe Jeff Legue and the Steelers will dominate the second. Aggregate score? I’m going for 7-6

Part 2 shortly...

The Business End: Elite League Run-in Analysis

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 13th March 2012

Is it just me, or has this season flown by? It only seems like yesterday I was previewing new teams and giggling at the names of new players and just a few short months later, here we are with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, said players have become household names and it's time for us to try and figure out how it will all end.

It's been a season of three mini-leagues; key battles have been fought at the top, in the middle and at the bottom of the league and will continue to be fought for the remaining fixtures. Here is a summary of what each team has in store for them over the final two weeks, and where I predict the chips will fall when the season draws to a close on 25th March.

Tough at the Top

Belfast Giants

Games remaining: Sheffield twice, and Nottingham once, all at Home

This is the sort of run-in that separates the men from the boys. With their remaining games against top 3 opponents, this will make or break the season and decide the championship. Despite their away form being the key to this seasonӳ success for the Giants, it seems unlikely they will not win two of the three games in front of an Odyssey crowd who will be baying for blood. Even if Sheffield win one of their two games in Belfast and achieve a full complement of points from their remaining fixtures, if the Giants can win two, the title will be sewn up. Nottingham will be tough final opponents, particularly given that the two will have faced each other in the double-headed Challenge Cup final, a tie which the Giants look set to lose given their poor showing in the first leg. However with a strong showing against the Steelers they could potentially lift the cup this Saturday night, rendering the final game meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Points Prediction: I think they will pick up 5 of the 6 available

Predicted final position: 1st

Play-off opponent: Dundee Stars

Sheffield Steelers

Games remaining: Belfast twice and Hull on the road; Edinburgh and Braehead at home

Sheffield can pick up a clutch of points in their remaining games, however if they don't win both games against Belfast this weekend the title race is over and the incentive may be somewhat lost. It's too little too late for the Steelers, who despite a valiant effort with a densely packed schedule in the second half of the season haven't maximised their opportunities and unless they can pull something absolutely monumental out of the bag at the Odyssey this weekend, they cannot win the league this year. They look to set up a play-off quarter-final meeting with the Hull Stingrays.

Points Prediction: 8 of the 10 available

Predicted final position: 2nd

Play-off opponent: Hull Stingrays

Nottingham Panthers

Games remaining: Braehead, Edinburgh at Home, Belfast on the road

With nothing to play for but pride and third place all but in the bag it's possible the Panthers will take their foot off the gas and look towards lifting the play-off trophy in front of their home crowd, but Corey Neilson and co. will not want to lose against the likes of Braehead at home so will dig their heels in and pick up a few late points. This game in particular looks likely to be a preview of their potential play-off quarter-final match-up so they will be taking notes on an opponent who has bested them twice already this season and could prove a stumbling block on their road to the finals weekend.

Points Prediction: 4 of a possible 6

Predicted final position: 3rd

Play-off opponent: Braehead Clan

The Middlemen

Cardiff Devils

Games remaining: Edinburgh, Dundee, Coventry at Home; Fife, Coventry on the road

Cardiff have a chance to finish their season on a high, with one of the easier run-ins and a chance to pick up a clutch of late points and secure fourth spot in the league. However they will need to be careful ֠with their two Scottish opponents battling for 8th spot and Coventry battling for 5th, it will be far from an easy ride. However with the Blaze having a chance to overtake Braehead in 5th, it looks likely as it has all season that they will face each other in the play-off quarter-finals, with a double-header against one another in the final weekend of the season things could get feisty between these two sides, and itӳ hard to say who will have the mental fortitude to fight their way through to the finals. For the Devils the return of Mark Smith could be key.

Points Prediction: 8 from a possible 10

Predicted final position: 4th

Play-off opponent: Coventry Blaze

Braehead Clan

Games remaining: Fife and Hull at Home; Nottingham and Sheffield on the road

With two difficult road trips on the horizon, Braehead will be looking to their home form to keep the ship steady and clinch 5th spot; the battle between them and Coventry is key to avoiding a clash with the Panthers in the play-off quarter-finals. Notoriously good in pressure situations, the Nottingham side will be desperate to avoid an embarrassing absence from the play-off final weekend and will be arguably a much tougher match-up for one of these two sides. However Braehead have faltered of late and Iӭ not sure they are strong enough to hold off the challenge of a Blaze side who are having a storming run-in and who have a game in hand on their Scottish rivals.

Points Prediction: 2 of a possible 8

Predicted final position: 6th

Play-off opponent: Nottingham Panthers

Coventry Blaze

Games remaining: Edinburgh and Cardiff at Home; Edinburgh, Dundee and Cardiff on the road

Like Braehead, Coventry will be looking to avoid finishing in 6th place, where they currently reside. They have a game in hand on the Glasgow side however and will look to take advantage of this; the Blaze are in great form at the moment, scoring plenty and playing well, Shea Guthrie, Mike McLean and Robert Farmer all improving their game just at the right time. Itӳ late in the season for them to come good but itӳ promising for a play-off quarter-final against potentially the Cardiff Devils, with whom they have been closely matched all season.

Points Prediction: 7 of a possible 10

Predicted final position: 5th

Play-off opponent: Cardiff Devils

Basement Battles

Hull Stingrays

Games remaining: Sheffield and Dundee at Home; Fife and Braehead on the road

The Rays have quietly gone about their business this season maintaining what seems to be a very comfortable and familiar position for them in 7th, their performance matching that of the 2010/11 season, although at times it seemed as though they should be doing a lot better; no doubt Sylvain Cloutier will hope that next season they can be battling with the likes of Coventry and Braehead for a higher spot. In their final run-in, they have a chance to collect a few extra points to consolidate 7th spot and prepare for a tough play-off quarter-final clash, probably against the Steelers.

Points Prediction: 6 of a possible 8

Predicted final position: 7th

Play-off opponent: Sheffield Steelers

Dundee Stars

Games remaining: Coventry at Home; Cardiff, Fife and Hull on the road

Dundee are resurgent at the moment – where was this team earlier in the season? With free-scoring Mark Kolanos, who Stars fans are so enamoured with they are purportedly offering cash to the club from their own pockets on order to secure his services again next season, and goaltender Chris Whitley also in sparkling form, they have picked the perfect time to hit their stride and I believe they have the momentum to see it through. With Edinburgh in freefall, 8th spot is theirs to lose; even with the Caps’ game in hand I can’t see Dundee losing their grip on this one. They have some winnable games remaining despite most of them being on the road, as they look to set up a daunting play-off quarter final against the league champions – most likely Belfast.

Points Prediction: 7 of a possible 8

Predicted final position: 8th

Play-off opponent: Belfast Giants

Edinburgh Capitals

Games remaining: Coventry and Fife at home; Coventry, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield on the road

Despite a surprisingly successful first half of the season, the Capitals find themselves back in the familiar surroundings of the bottom two with the end of the season closing in on them. TheyӶe had a terrible run of form despite some really strong team performances, and the late resurgence of Dundee all but puts paid to their play-off hopes unless they can string together some shock results in what is by far the hardest run-in of any team in the league. Their fate is in their hands, however I think it will prove to be too much for them.

Points Prediction: 2 of a possible 12

Predicted final position: 9th

Fife Flyers

Games remaining: Hull, Cardiff and Dundee at Home; Braehead and Edinburgh on the road

In a season in which they were always going to struggle, Fife have at times stuck their head above the parapet and looked to be a cohesive and hard-working side, and they have pulled off some decent results at home. Sadly with key imports missing and tragic circumstances putting on-ice matters into perspective, Fife will be unable to make much of an impression in their remaining games, but will undoubtedly pull together to try and put smiles on the faces of their loyal fans, who will hope for a stronger campaign next time around.

Points Prediction: 1 of a possible 10

Predicted final position: 10th

The Bel-fast and the… Not So Furious

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 19/02/2012

Despite my misgivings with regard to the potential quality of the hockey on offer at Friday night’s meeting of the Belfast Giants and the Hull Stingrays, my spirits couldn’t be dampened: nothing ever takes the edge, for me, from walking into an ice rink just as a hockey game is about to start.

And the Giants know how to do entrances: the lights, the music, the drama. Nothing beats it. With the exception of one thing: when it’s actually your team. The merry band of travelling Vipers once again took their seats in the neutral zone, between the home faithful and a group of travelling Stingrays fans who were in fine voice from the word go. Was I jealous? You bet I was.

The game started out briskly but little of consequence occurred until around three and a half minutes in, when the Giants opened the scoring, short-handed, a breakaway effort resulting in a neat pass from Paul Deniset in the centre to right of goal, Rob Dowd able to slot home with ease. Hull wanted to make it a game of it though and had a chance or two or their own in the first period, a good effort from a sprawling Jason Silverthorn probably the best to speak of, along with a decent shot from Sam McCluskey following a rare moment of poor defending from the Giants, and a solo effort from Dominic Osman providing a further gasp of frustration from the travelling fans.

The first period was fairly lively all around without a great deal of end product, however, in any area of the ice. Shots on goal were few and far between, and the atmosphere in the Odyssey was decidedly flat despite a sizeable crowd, the Hull fans providing the lion’s share of the noise. They finally had something to cheer about with 1:50 left on the clock, a tidy pass from Derek Campbell connecting with the stick of Andrew McKinney who finished the chance to level the scores. The 1-1 scoreline reflected the lack of real fizz on display in the first period, and it stayed that way into the period break thanks to a solid glove save from Hull netminder Christian Boucher from a Belfast powerplay.


The second period had a different flavour to it, and that flavour was distinctly Giant-y. It was all Belfast. They sieged the Stingrays’ goal for almost the entire 20 minutes, but with frustratingly little impact. Hull defended resolutely and kept the score level for nearly three quarters of the period, a sterling effort although at the expense of any attacking pressure, having just one shot on goal themselves all period. It was only a matter of time until the home side pressed home their advantage, although it took a lot more time than expected. Jeff Mason finally broke through Boucher’s defences from Mike Hoffman, who had been key in the steadily mounting pressure during the build-up to the goal. It was my first time seeing Hoffman back in action for the Giants since his last-gasp end of transfer window return to the club. His presence is as formidable as ever, perhaps more so this season, his size conspicuous amongst a fairly diminutive team, and his impact working as a forward more daunting to an opposing team than he ever was in defence. He was one of the Giants’ main impact players on the night.

I’m sorry. I’m not making this exciting for you at all, am I. You know I don’t want to be one of ‘those’ reporters. You know, the ones who just tell you stuff that happened. I want to entertain you, regale you with tales of breathtaking excitement, but sadly this particular game was lacking in well, any of that at all. It seemed my curse had returned. To add insult to injury there was a lengthy gap to the beginning of the third period as the officials tried to make the ice game-worthy once again, the temporary distraction of clouds of CO2 floating artistically across the ice more entertaining than the 20 minutes of hockey that followed.

Let’s be fair to Hull for a minute. They were a couple of imports short, young Brits bolstering their numbers, and only 13 skaters in their ranks, their top goal scorer not among them. But the Giants were nothing special either. They did just enough; no more. Come back Darryl Lloyd, all is forgiven. They sorely miss him, and so do I. Lloyd’s balls-out feisty attitude and physical play was what was glaringly absent from the Giants on Friday. There wasn’t a player willing to finish a check, and there was no bite to the game whatsoever. Even the cheerleaders were lacklustre, failing to provide a coordinated routine throughout the entire third period. Oops, sorry, I appear to have made the inevitable but disappointing switch from hockey writer to Strictly Come Dancing judge. I do apologise.

No matter, the GIants continued to exert pressure throughout the third period and with only one goal in it, all Hull would need to tie things up would be a lucky breakaway goal. But it wasn’t to be. The defensive pairing of Tom Dignard and Nick Kuiper effortlessly mopped up the minimal chances Hull had, and the tired Rays were forced to resort to taking long shots, without the legs to muster any decent build-up play. Mike Hoffman and Jeff Mason were the men of the night, adding two goals each in the final period, Mason abandoning his defensive post to become a forward for the night. The goals came thick and fast and Hull had no response; they were nowhere to be seen.

And that was that. Day one, game one, result within one goal of my prediction and the excitement non-existent as feared. Saturday’s game against Fife promised more. It at least promised Danny Stewart, who alone possesses the ability to niggle and shake up the Giants, and hopefully rouse the crowd from their slumber. It couldn’t be much worse. Could it? Check back to find out shortly.