Elite League – Page 6

Early Runners: An EIHL summary

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

But first, a small digression.

Most people in the world of hockey are hotly anticipating the beginning of a new NHL season and so they should; it’s looking to be an exciting year. Stories already are circulating around the newly announced hybrid icing to try and minimize injuries on icing plays, the helmet removal rule pre fight and the restructuring of the divisions.

Talent-wise, we saw an interesting offseason and it will be interesting to see which of the many rookies will be named the Calder Trophy winner. My 10 cents are that it is likely to go to, Russian forward Valeri Nichushkin. Nobody pre-draft was denying Nichushkin’s talent; comparisons were being made to Malkin and Ovechkin, BIG comparisons. Seeing him skate in pre-season, his composure on the puck is sublime. or a big guy (6ft3 – 200lbs) the comparison to Ovechkin and they way they both use speed to drive the net is proving accurate. I might be wrong, but a top 5 talent fell to 10 when the Stars picked him up because teams seemed un-easy to take a gamble on if he would (or even could) leave a KHL contract.

The deal that was struck with Jim Nill was that if Nichushkin was to not make the Stars roster/or besent down; he would be loaned back to Russia. This is another reason I think Nichushkin will step take the Calder accolade. He has everything to lose. He has made it quite clear the NHL is where he wants to be, and he’s got to prove it. The lure of the KHL has been tempting for many a Russian never to return and for the likes of MacKinnon, Jones and even Finnish centre Barkov who can mature their game close to home in the junior leagues, they can afford to play the NHL waiting game.

Back to the EIHL … Continue reading “Early Runners: An EIHL summary”

Fan Voice: Mark Woodcock AKA “The Angry Budgie” and the Manchester Phoenix/Phoenix Coyotes

Mark Woodcock comes to us from the United Kingdom and happens to be a rare breed of fan. By that I mean, a fan of of the Phoenix Coyotes. I had to get into the mind of a Phoenix fan. (No disrespect to Manchester haha).

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

Mark Woodcock: I live in a small town called Macclesfield not too far from Manchester Airport and really got into hockey from birth, by my parents. My mum was a physio for our local Ice Hockey team the Trafford Metro’s so, my brother and I, went to hockey games in the pram! It was natural that I began to play the sport too, have loved the game ever since!

MH: What makes you a passionate fan of the Manchester Phoenix?

MW: They are my team, I have been a supporter of Ice Hockey in/around Manchester since my birth and, the Phoenix are the current incarnation. I have been their since the birth of the current Phoenix and, through the two years the team were put on ice while a new Ice Rink was built. There is a real community and fan orientated passion about this club. A shared sense of pain through the years that stands the club in a good place for the future.

MH: Who is the one player that really stands out on the team and why?

MW: I was going to say one of the import forwards, you know the guys who score all the goals. But at this level players don’t usually stick around for multiple seasons. There is one name, however, that has stuck around, possibly the greatest hockey player our small island has produced, Tony Hand. While he may be the wrong side of 40 this man still puts up multi point games every season. He is the lifeblood of the club, any player who is on the same line as him, will have a career year in points! I’m sure I could score 100pts a season if he was assisting!

MH: How does the EPIHL do in terms of fan interaction?

MW: The EPL is largely a development league so is only really semi-professional. That goes for the off-ice staff as well as the players, as a result the fan interaction can only go as far as a small budget will allow. That being said clubs do their very best. Everyone will do a meet the players event, Christmas parties and end of season parties. Along with numerous player signings after a game for example. So, I guess, there is quite a good level of interaction. Continue reading “Fan Voice: Mark Woodcock AKA “The Angry Budgie” and the Manchester Phoenix/Phoenix Coyotes”

EIHL Round up: First Steps for the Dundee Stars, Coventry Blaze, Fight Night in Nottingham

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

We have had 2 weeks of games now in the EIHL and although teams are still finding their feet, one in particular has stood out, the Dundee Stars.

Usually one finds the Stars propping up the league but this year is another story altogether. In their first 4 games they have chalked up 4 wins. This itself is no mean feat but considering Dundee have half the budget of those they have beaten, (Sheffield, Coventry, Braehead and last years “grand slam” winners the Nottingham Panthers) necks are snapping to look at them as they skate by.

They are a team that stifles others really well and have a strong defensive core. Although they focus on protecting underrated netminder Dan Bakala, Dundee has defenceman Roy Rawlyk. In 4 games played, Rawlyk is tied for top points scorer on the team with 5 and has been extremely impressive at both ends of the ice. Bakala. also in 4 has posted a 1.75 with a .959 save percentage. Impressive for a goalie in only his 2nd year pro. Their offensive strength comes from counter attacking plays, often fed by a Rawlyk first pass. Incidentally Rawlyk won the Gardiner Conference player of the week last weekend. The Stars will almost certainly not finish the league without a loss or two, but they are certainly looking to upset Gardiner Conference favourites Braehead Clan and make a case for their first appearance in Nottingham at the playoff finals weekend. Continue reading “EIHL Round up: First Steps for the Dundee Stars, Coventry Blaze, Fight Night in Nottingham”

Fan Voice: Mike Walls and the Milton Keynes Lightning

The Milton Keynes Lightning are a bright team in the English Premier League. One of their passionate fans, Mike Walls, took the time to answer some questions about the team and league for me! Their season gets underway this week.

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

Mike Walls: I am located in the new town of Milton Keynes, which is pretty much right in the middle between Birmingham and London. I got into hockey supporting the MK Kings and then the MK Lightning, after the Kings relocated to Solihull. A friend at school played junior hockey in MK, and his dad was involved with the team, and they took me to my first game, MK Kings v Telford. I don’t remember much about the game, except the Kings won. I went to a game a few years later (Kings v Basingstoke) with my dad, then the rink shut. Two years later it reopened and I spent most Saturday nights of my teenage life watching hockey.

MH: What makes you a passionate fan of the MK Lightning?

MW: Without wanting to sound too cheesy, being a MK Lightning fan is like being in a family. The players are great with the fans and always chat to supporters, they are also really appreciative of the support, the fans are close and home or away always get behind the team. The management are open and honest, and we have a fantastic supporters club that raises a massive amount of money for the team every season. The MK Barmy Army are known throughout UK hockey as a loud bunch, which suits me fine, as I normally found chanting and banging the drum. Also, as a MK born and bred lad, I can relate to this team made up of local players who love the town and team that started in Milton Keynes, rather than the MK Dons football team which moved to MK from Wimbledon. Continue reading “Fan Voice: Mike Walls and the Milton Keynes Lightning”

Protect The Net: Cardiff Devils and Dan LaCosta

By Ed Kimberley
Coventry, England

When Cardiff signed 3rd round pick and former Columbus Blue Jacket Dan LaCosta, the EIHL world spat out whatever it was that they had in their mouths at the time in either: joy, disbelief, excitement or worry that he will be a bit good.

LaCosta with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

In two consecutive games the star goalie was ran by two different teams, from two different countries, playing in two different leagues, leaving him with a concussion that will see him sit out 2-3 weeks. I don’t condone running of goalies at all. I find it a deplorable tactic that is an acknowledgement, intentional or not, that the goalie is causing you trouble and you need to try and throw him off his game. This might be quite important psychologically for LaCosta who said that he was strongly considering retiring before the season and being able to study for a Masters Degree led him to sign in Cardiff. I played a bit of hockey and I remember a Latvian goalie I played with got run in an incident that broke his helmet. He was fine but I never saw him ice again. He said “I have a wife and kids, I don’t need this shit.”

LaCosta is clearly thinking about his future. He sat a year out after a failed try-out in Austria and went from being on the cusp of playing in the NHL to going to the CIS to play and study. Now no doubt Dan has poise, you don’t keep an NHL shutout without having a calm head on your shoulders but at this point he might be worried and especially for a goalie who according to one scouting report that “lacks rebound control” this might not be good. Continue reading “Protect The Net: Cardiff Devils and Dan LaCosta”

Fan Voice: Matthew Gunstone and the Bracknell Bees Supporters Club

Matthew Gunstone is the current treasurer of the Bracknell Bees Supporters Club. The Supporters Club is made up of die hard fans who, you guessed it, support the team in various roles. The Bracknell Bees play out of an ice rink called “the Hive” and are a force in the EPIHL.

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

Matthew Gunstone: I actually live in the next town over from Bracknell: Wokingham, but I grew up for the first 11 years of my life in Bracknell. When I was in primary school we had a visit from Chris Brant and the whole class was given free tickets, but it kind of passed me by at that time. Then during my tenure at university Channel 5 in this country showed the NHL realllllly late at night and someone persuaded me to check it out; this was pre-HD and I found the action hard to follow so I missed out again. Finally, 4-5 years ago a Canadian friend introduced me to fantasy hockey (and in turn I conned him into participating in fantasy football/soccer), this led me to researching the game and eventually watching the NHL online – this triggered a long buried memory that we had a local hockey team and the rest is history.

MH: What makes you a passionate fan of the Bracknell Bees?

MG: I love hockey, it’s the most insanely dynamic sport imaginable. The next logical step is loving your local team; akin to loving local produce. The Bees are the scrappy underdog on the ice and there’s a family atmosphere around the franchise – the players are approachable, the coach is a fantastic guy, management are friendly, the fans are united. Also, the rink is actually warm whilst spectating (not so good for the ice, maybe, but saves wearing a coat in winter). I’m passionate about the Bees because they’re simply fun to watch, the current incarnation of the team can agitate, score, throw a check, throw a punch, dazzle with skill. It’s the complete package and balance between on and off ice shenanigans.

MH: What does the supporters club consist of? Are the Bees the only team to have this?

MG: The Supporters Club is an external organization symbiotically linked to the team, the essence of our existence is to help out with financial contributions by various methods of fundraising: social events, merchandise sales, raffles, that sort of thing. As far as I am aware every team in the league has such a Supporters Club – they’re pretty vital to the EPIHL because they’re exclusively run by unpaid volunteers and can provide thousands of pounds to their respective teams, such extra money is often very necessary. Continue reading “Fan Voice: Matthew Gunstone and the Bracknell Bees Supporters Club”

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”