August 2013

Fighting in the Elite Ice Hockey League: Part Two

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

What does this mean for the EIHL fighting mix? Teams need tough guys but they need to be able to do something more than be an out and out fighter. Just as an example I will use the Coventry Blaze from 04/05 then 05/06. In 04/05 they won everything, and had a lot of fights with Payette, Wade Belak etc. year after they employed Graham Belak who like his brother was a big fighter with a lot of AHL experience that never quite made the NHL and Dave Kaczowka. Both had NHL contracts at some point in their career. Kaczowka was quickly cut and although Belak carried on, he injured his back and didn’t look as imposing as his brother despite this fight with one of the toughest ever players Mel Angelstad:

Jeff Hutchins (now coach of the Dundee Stars) made his EIHL debut for the Blaze that year and had 16 scraps. Now looking at it from my point of view, Graham Belak who played D despite chalking up most of his career as a Forward was an experiment that didn’t work. Although he could clear the crease, it was clear he didn’t have the defensive talents of his brother. Kaczwoka couldn’t do much else but fight and even then the only win he chalked up in the EIHL was vs Shawn Maltby of Sheffield, not known for his pugilistic talents. He lasted all of 3 regular season games and both Kaczowka and Belak would have commanded quite a wage bill. Although Kaczowka was replaced by pacey winger Dan Welch it seemed too many cooks spoilt the broth. Did the Blaze need to spend that much on Belak? Later the Blaze would sign Jason Robinson who split that year between London and Sheffield, if they hadn’t had signed Kaczowka, hypothetically got the cheaper Robinson for Belak they could have had enough money to sign another scorer who could’ve made a difference while Hutchins and Robinson carried the fighting load.

Players that come to the EIHL can generally get a new lease of life as a player, enforcer or not. Brian McMillin comes to the Blaze this year following a career where he was pigeonholed to be a checking 3rdliner. Last season he led the Allen Americans to the playoff championship, and won playoff MVP with 12 goals in 19 games. This year the Blaze want him to carry offensive responsibility. Also Hull Stingrays star forward Jereme Tendler came into the league after a 30pts in 60games season with the Corpus Christie Ice Rayz and he scored the most goals in the EIHL last year (43). In regards to tough guys there is no better case in point is Brad Voth, who was one of the most talked about players in his time with the Cardiff Devils. Every other team wanted to sign him year after year but he stuck with Cardiff. He came to the UK in 05/06 for his skills with gloves off and despite this racked up 220pts in 322 games. Not bad for a guy signed as an out and out fighter. A conclusion for me is that if a team in the EIHL are singing a tough guy, he needs to be able to do something else other that fight. Continue reading “Fighting in the Elite Ice Hockey League: Part Two”

Fighting In The Elite Ice Hockey League Part One

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

I was having a nice chat with Ashley about fighting in hockey the other day and I thought it would be good to explore the role of enforcers and tough guys in the EIHL. I love fighting in hockey and although it is something not everyone condones and with recent legislation in the NHL about protecting players from concussions and other injuries related to fights it’s a bit of a hot topic.

Fighting in the UK is something that is widely anticipated and there is a lot of discussion when tough-guys/enforcers are signed. Some of what is said is positive. For example Kevin Harvey who signed for the Coventry Blaze earlier in the summer is coming off the back of a season where he posted a pro-career points high with 31pts in 53 games for the Elmira Jackals in the ECHL while racking up 191pims and 10 fighting majors including this slugfest vs Mathieu Gagnon:

Some of the talk is negative. Tim Spencer who recently signed for the Sheffield Steelers, has only amassed 35 points in his pro career. His signing is aimed at taking away some of the pugilistic load off star defenseman, and returnee Drew Fata. The Steelers fell short of silverware last year that ultimately cost their coach Ryan Finnerty his job. Finnerty built a team that epitomises a notion that is popular in UK hockey as a roster with “team toughness ” and boasted fighters like Fata, Chris Frank, Simon Ferguson, Shawn Limpright and Tylor Michel.

For a few seasons now teams have tried to err away from having an out and out fighter and focus on team toughness however this seems to be a redundant exercise as even with team toughness clubs have to sign someone to carry the load. Looking briefly at the champions rosters most have a guy signed to carry the weight: Continue reading “Fighting In The Elite Ice Hockey League Part One”

Former Cornwall Colts talent Hugo Boisvert being inducted into Ohio State University Athletics Hall Of Fame

At one point growing up in Cornwall, it was the cool thing to do to gather up your 13 and 14 year old friends and head to the Si Miller arena on a Thursday night for a game of Cornwall Colts hockey. Most of my friends were there to socialize where I on the other hand actually paid attention to the game. Names like Derek Wagar, Tim Vokey, Ross McCain, Andrew Schembri and Matt Verdone are still enriched in my mind. Of course, Hugo Boisvert was no exception.

Boisvert with Dresden. (Photo: http://www.eisloewen.de)

Boisvert stated his his junior career in Cornwall in the mid 90’s. From there he went on to star with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the team that is giving him the Hall of Fame honour. He lead the team in scoring in his last two seasons and earned himself a list of awards while being named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team in 1997, the All-CCHA First Team and the First Team All-American in 1998 and the All-CCHA First Team and Second Team All-American, making him the only two-time All-American in Ohio State history. Not bad for a kid from Quebec.

After turning pro with the Orlando Solar Bears of the then IHL, he turned over to the AHL and starred with the Grand Rapids Griffins for 3 years. Looking for a change Boisvert headed across the pond where he has since called Germany home. He suited up for the Kassel Huskies of the German Elite League for a few season before the team folded due to financial difficulties.

Boisvert now is a part of the Dresden Ice Lions and is still a dominating presence on the ice. Also apart of that same league is another former Colt, Andrew Schembri who is suited up for the Deggendorf Fire.

As a young kid from Quebec who started his hockey career in Cornwall and is now continuing his professional career, this is an astonishing recognition. Congratulations Hugo and all the best with Dresden this year!

Fan Voice with Coast to Coast: The U.K.’s #1 blog for NIHL action

Michael Black runs Coast to Coast which is an independent blog that is solely dedicated to the United Kingdom’s National Ice Hockey League. The NIHL is seen as a third tier stepping stone to the EPIHL and EIHL. It’s also features stars from years past on the tail end of their careers. Here’s an interesting look at the state of hockey in the NIHL and a look at the Blackburn Hawks.

March Hockey: Where are you located and how did you get into hockey?

Michael Black: I’m based in Blackburn – around 30 miles north of Manchester. I’d always been a fan of the NHL and when Blackburn Arena opened in 1991 I started watching the Hawks. There was a steady stream of quality imports back then – Fred Perlini, Oleg Sinkov, Steve Chartrand to name a few. It was impossible not to get hooked.

MH: What makes you cover a league like the NIHL instead of the pro leagues?

MB: I initially started Coast to Coast as a blog covering just the Hawks. Interest in the site from around NIHL quickly grew, so I took the decision to expand the coverage across the whole league. During the season the site also includes content from the Elite League and EPL, but the main focus is NIHL North with some NIHL South too. In just over two years the site has grown from nothing to around 10,000 hits per month. While there were plenty of people covering the bigger leagues, coverage of NIHL wasn’t great. I’d like to think Coast to Coast has gone some way to filling that gap in the market and help increase exposure of the sport at a lower level. Continue reading “Fan Voice with Coast to Coast: The U.K.’s #1 blog for NIHL action”

Five Ontario Hockey League games to mark on your calender

As the Ontario Hockey League training camps get underway this week, it’s a good time to make a list of five important games in the first half of the season to check out. It’s going to be a strong and competitive year this season with most teams icing a high calibre of young talent.

1. Friday, October 11th. Peterborough Petes at North Bay Battalion

In a historic night for North Bay, the Battalion make there first home appearance after being moved from Brampton. Their home arena is currently being renovated and won’t be ready until puck drop on October 11th. This keeps them on the road from September 20th to October 6th. It will be their first meet up with the Petes.

2. Sunday, October 13th. Guelph Storm at Kingston Frontenacs

Arguably two of the strongest teams in the Ontario Hockey League this year, this game will be a barn burner. Guelph has 11 players who have attended NHL training camps and that experience will definitely play a part this year. Kingston on the other hand have 3 skills Team Canada veterans (amazing to say their Team Canada veterans already at this age) and have had plenty of international hockey experience to add to their roster. Look out for both of these teams through out the season.

3. Friday, November 8th. Barrie Colts at London Knights

In there first meeting since last year’s J. Ross Robertson Cup final, the Barrie Colts will be looking for some retaliation on the London Knights. Redemption won’t come easy however as the Knights will be looking for a three-peat this year as champions. In 2012 they made it all the way to the Memorial Cup finals but lost to the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes.

4. Sunday December 29th. Belleville Bulls at Kingston Frontenacs

The 3rd installment of this years Battle of Highway 401 continues. I’ve already mentioned the key players on the Frontenacs but both teams will have plenty of fire power. Looking at the talent that is just showing up for the Bulls training camp, Belleville is going to be coming out of the gates firing this year.

5. Sunday, December 29th. Ottawa 67’s at Oshawa Generals

Can’t write a list of must watch games without mentioning both the Ottawa 67’s and Oshawa Generals. Although Ottawa is in a bit of rebuilding mode, they are not a team to be taken lightly and neither are the Generals. Both training camp rosters are stacked with young talent, some of the best in years. No doubt this is a match watch game as we close out the first half of the OHL season.

Guelph Storm oozes NHL Talent

The Guelph Storm announced today that they had to cancel their exhibition game that was supposed to take place on September 6th against the Mississauga Steelheads. The reason may intrigue you.

The Storm can’t ice a team as they have 11 players reporting to various National Hockey League training camps. 8 of those players were draftees (between the 2012 and 2013 draft) and are returning to the squad this season along with 3 forwards who were invited to camps as free agents.

The 2012 draftee class included Matt Finn, who will report to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brock McGinn, who will report to the Carolina Hurricanes are spending some time with their AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers, Scott Kosmachuk, who will report to the Winnipeg Jets and Tanner Richard who will report to the Tampa Bay Lightning and unfortunately will not return to the Storm as he has signed on with the organization. The other three will return to Guelph for another season.

Tyler Bertuzzi. (Photo: Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

The 2013 draftee class included Jason Dickinson who will report to the Dallas Stars, Tyler Bertuzzi who will report to the Detroit Red Wings, Ben Harpur who will report to the Ottawa Senators, and Justin Auger and Zac Leslie who will both be headed to the west coast with the Los Angeles Kings. All five will be back on the Storm’s roster.

The final three who were invited to camps as free agents are Ryan Horvat who will report to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and Hunter Garlent and Zack Mitchell who both will join Soo Greyhound Sergey Tolchinsky with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Guelph Storm has a history of developing strong players over the years. Notable Storm alumni include Drew Doughty, Craig Anderson, Ryan Callahan, Todd Bertuzzi, Cam Janssen and Dustin Brown just to name a few.

With this kind of young talent calibre on hand, the rest of the Midwest division better get out their rain coats and be ready for a wild Storm this upcoming OHL season.

Fan Voice: Pete Lewis and the Chelmsford Chieftains

The Chelmsford Chieftains are a team located in Chelmsford, Essex and after a few seasons of play in the EPIHL, the decision was made to have them play in the English National League. Since that decision in 2008 they’ve been a dominating team.

March Hockey: Where are you located and how did you get into hockey?

Pete Lewis: I am based in Harlow, Essex and I follow the Chelmsford Chieftains. I originally watched the ISL’s London Knights, but when they folded I needed a new team to follow and having been to a Chieftains V Knights friendly, I naturally turned to follow the Chieftains. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the last 10years or so, but the recent seasons have seen things settle down and we’re regularly winning trophies now.

MH: What makes you a passionate fan of the Chelmsford Cheiftains?

PL: It’s such a great club to be a part of. The players are completely accessible to anyone, the club is passionate and dedicated to their fans and giving them all the news first before the media get the news. We’re out in the community as often as possible and we also work tirelessly with the local ice hockey Academy to bring on local youngsters into the senior side. This year I believe we have about 65% of the squad have come through the junior system in Chelmsford.

MH: Who’s one player on the team to look out for and why?

PL: It’s really hard to pick one player from the team as all of them stand out for one reason or another. If you did a straw poll of 100 fans of the club who their stand out players is/will be then you’d likely get the whole squad mentioned at least once! We lost arguably the best player to come out of the junior system in Chelmsford ice hockey history in Danny Hammond this summer, but his more than capable replacement is the return of Matt Turner from London Raiders. Matty is a fine two-way forward and is exciting to watch and should probably be one of, if not the, leading scorer this season for the club. Honourable mentions, on a personal level, also go to Alex Green, Michael Ranby, Ben Clements, Ross Brears and Alex Staples. Continue reading “Fan Voice: Pete Lewis and the Chelmsford Chieftains”

New Look River Kings: The Times They Are A-Changin’

The news just keeps on rolling out for the Cornwall River Kings. After making the coaching change and welcoming fearless Robert Desjardins as bench boss, the Cornwall River Kings have announced another big change. The logo.

Adopting this season as one of “change” the River Kings are looking at this more modern logo as one of pride. The crown represents the King, being that of the fans. The fans are their kings and the ones they value the most. That being said, here’s another thing fans will look forward too. Here’s a preliminary look at the roster of who’s signed and who has agreed verbally.

SIGNED: Ryan Jardine, Ryan Hand, Jonathan Jasper, Ian Boots, Mike Stacy, Chris Ayotte, Miguel Delisle, Brett Angel, Nick Romano, Anthony Pittarelli, Fred Piche, Casey Swamp, Ryan Sullivan

AGREED: Nicolas Sigouin, Samuel Drouin, Patrick Lapostolle, Sebastien Payette, Yvan Busque, Karl Wittner, Josh Tordjman, Mathieu Wathier, Loic Lacasse, Pierre Luc Faubert, Nicolas Corbeil, Olivier Proux, Brennan Barker

With training camps around the corner, here is a good look of who could be lacing up the skates for your Cornwall River Kings this season.

A big Thank You to the New Zealand Ice Hockey League

Another Grand Final has come and gone with the Canterbury Red Devils winning their second straight Birgel Cup.

Do I see a dynasty in the making? Hard to tell but it was nonetheless an exciting weekend of hockey being played down in Dunedin. Both teams were stellar and it was such an exciting game to watch. Only time will tell if they can make it a three peat and they may have a hard time of pulling that off.

With that being said, I’d like to give a big thank you to the NZIHL. I’d like to thank you for being a hard working and talented league. All the teams/players and everyone behind the scenes deserves every moment of thanks for making this season a memorable one. I started following the NZIHL half way through this season and I could not have come across a more exciting, fast paced, hockey league to cover.

Thank you to the many contacts I now call friends for being so friendly and allowing me into your hockey community. I will strive to broaden my coverage of the league for next year and it might even be possible that you will see me down there for a game or two! Going to try and make this happen.

The world should know about all the talented players coming from New Zealand and I will make it my duty to let it be known and try to give some more exposure to the league. To the Canterbury Red Devils, Dunedin Thunder, Southern Stampede, West Auckland Admirals, and Botany Swarm, keep playing hard hitting and fast paced hockey. You’ll never know who’s watching.

Let’s all gear up for a great Skate of Origin.

Oh Captain My Captain: Coventry Blaze and the case for Captaincy

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

Coventry Blaze Captain Mike Egener will not return to the blaze due to illness.

Losing a player you thought you had signed weeks before the start of the season is always a nightmare for a coach and for the Blaze; losing their intended captain for the 2013-2014 campaign is going to provide a large headache.

Mike is suffering from Guillain–Barré syndrome. The syndrome affects the nervous system and can cause progressive paralysis. By all accounts Gullian-Barre syndrome is a nasty little affliction and I would like to wish Mike a speedy recovery while his family remain in my thoughts.

Without a doubt the loss of Egener is a big one, literally considering his 6ft4 215lbs frame. Eg was surprisingly mobile for a big guy and threw board shuddering hits night in night out, easily cleared his crease and could be relied upon to make a solid first pass. He was a guy who was an integral part of the locker room and his professionalism and tireless work ethic led to him being given the C in his second year. While also racked up 6 fighting majors including this doozie against Panthers tough-guy Kelsey Wilson he became somewhat of a fan favourite: