The majority of you have probably been enjoying the last bits of your summer but hockey is already in full swing over in Europe! The newly minted Champions Hockey League features 44 teams from six different leagues and at least eight different countries all competing for the title of Europe’s best and the pay-day of 1.5 million Euros isn’t bad either.
The 26 founding clubs send off their best every season to compete in the “A” tier. Tier “B” would be two teams from each league who have gained the top regular season title or were the playoff winners who weren’t apart of the founding group of clubs. These leagues include the DEL, Swedish Elite, Finnish Elite, Swiss league, and many others.
The “C” tier would be considered a wild card spot and made up of two to six teams from high European leagues but are not a part of the founding members. This would be your Elite league, and leagues from Denmark, Italy, Norway, France and Slovakia.
I’ve managed to catch a couple of games myself and its great hockey and interesting to see how other countries are building their teams.
For those of us from Cornwall, we do have a connection.
Former Cornwall Colt and President of Cornwall’s Own The Ice Hockey training, Brock McBride is suiting up for Villach SV from Austria. Villach has entered the tournament in Group C alongside Sweden’s Frolunda Gotherburg, Switzerland’s Geneve-Servette, and France’s Briancon Diables Rouges. They are currently tied for second with Frolunda by splitting their first two games.
During the first game against Briancon, McBride sealed the win for Villach when he scored with less then three minutes left to go in the third period. McBride who is an essential part of Villach’s first line brought the same intensity to their matchup against Geneve-Servette the following day. Despite losing 4-2, Villach played a close and rough game to counter the Swiss side.
Villach SV has won six national championships with their last one coming in 2006. This is McBride’s second year suiting up for the Austrian club. His hockey career so far has seen him makes stops with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces, Elmira Jackals, South Carolina Stingrays, the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Houston Aeros, Milwaukee Admirals and a brief tenure with the EIHL’s Belfast Giants before sitting comfortably in Austria.
Stick around Cornwall for updates on Brock’s impressive ride into the inaugural Champions Hockey League season.
Hockey in and around Edinburgh has a storied history. From the Murrayfield Racers to today’s Edinburgh Capitals, from players like Tony Hand and Scott Neil to Sean Beattie and James Wallace, the game in Scotland has seen almost everything there is to see. Starting out as a grassroots movement and moving towards a professional association, it has never been an easy task to keep the attention on the game moving higher. However, that could be said for the whole of the United Kingdom, not just Edinburgh itself.
The Murrayfield Racers also has its legacy but it’s been built in the past. The Edinburgh Capitals are looking to create a legacy of their own for the here and now. A new generation of fans have emerged and are trying to help the team take it to the next level. With the right mix of awareness, promotion and of course the product on the ice, the Capitals have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Enter Steve Salvini.
Salvini has been a hockey fan since the 1980’s following the aforementioned Murrayfield Racers but when the club went bankrupt so did the following. In October of 2012, Salvini was offered a discount ticket for the Caps. With his two daughters tagging along, he once again became hooked with the hits, saves and goals of the game of hockey. Even his one daughter Lorna became a die hard fan and started going week after week with him.
Noting that he wanted to help the club and create more promotion for the team, Salvini reached out to Scott Neil to see what he could do to help. Neil mentioned that the Supporters Club was dormant and well, it was Salvini’s to take if he wanted. The rest is history.
As the current interim chair, I spoke with Steve about some of the trials the Supporters Club is facing and threw in some good hockey chat for good measure.
March Hockey: Do you think that with time the Edinburgh Capitals can capture the reputation that the Murrayfield Racers once had?
Steve Salvini:The Racers had a great sponsor in Smirnoff at a time when the league was sponsored by a rival brewer / distiller in Heineken. This meant that Smirnoff were both generous and disinclined to give up their foothold in a league where sponsorship by any new alcohol companies was now disallowed. Caps need a similarly large and generous sponsor before the can hope to emulate the Racers success.
The Caps also need to grow their fan base. AT present there are probably 300 hard core fans who turn up to everything and another 300 who are fairly regular. After that, there are anything up to another 500 who are at best fickle: their attendance depends on the success of the team and/or discounted tickets! That said, most of these fans are already into hockey.
The all-new supporters club are reaching out to a wider audience and reach those who do not know the sport at all or simply do not know it is played in Edinburgh. The latter group may include the large groups of Eastern European’s now living in Edinburgh, for example. They might both be missing their usual hockey and fix and respond well to a team with a large proportion of players from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, etc.
MH: Breaking the old school mentality aspect of the fans (I.E. the Racer fans) is a tough task. How do they see the Caps in general? Do they give them the respect they deserve?
SS:I’m not sure I completely agree with your comment about the “old school mentality”. The way I see it is that the Racers operated in a completely different environment to the Caps. In the Racers heyday there were limited numbers of imports and so they may have appeared to be some much better than the majority of players around them whereas nowadays most of the players are full-time professionals. The game has also become much more professional in its approach. For example, I am sure you have read the part in Tony Hand’s autobiography where he makes reference to players drinking BEFORE games. Nowadays that simply would not be tolerated, by management or even other players. Similarly the shorelines are different. My first game was a 12-12 draw with Durham Wasps – today’s equivalent might be a 3-3 draw as teams are more balanced in their approach to defence. In Racers heyday every team just went all out to out-shoot their opponents, back-checking was, err, something of a rarity. Also, net-minding was left to British players again leading to higher scoring games. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Racers days but I also love the game today. It was/is all hockey – nether approach is right or wrong, both are simply the product available at the particular time.
Racers days were a big party for fans and players, now it’s a professional sport – flip side it that it more impersonal, there is much less chance that the team’s star defenceman lives in the next street so there’s less of a local attachment to the team. MH: How does Edinburgh develop their local talent? Which teams do they draw from for reinforcements, if any?
SS:Well-develop junior setup – teams at under 10, 12, 15, 18 plus Scottish National League (SNL) team – sort of second string team including youngsters knocking on the door of the Big Team plus old hands who are helping the young guys develop. There is also an Academy System for those thought possibly able to make the step up from Junior / SNL level to the EIHL.
No “farm teams” as such but recruit from own Juniors set up and that of others (including arch-rivals Fife Flyers!) plus attract players from other SNL teams for example James Wallace from Solway Sharks and Callum Boyd from Kilmarnock Storm. MH: Most of us here in Canada never hear about the greats from non-hockey countries. Scottish guys like Tony Hand and Scott Neil helped put ice hockey on the map to not only create a following in Scotland but the U.K. as well. Who are some of the current up and coming stars that we should keep an eye on?
SS:“Non-hockey” country??? Hockey is the second most popular indoor sport in the UK!
Yeah, Ok, that doesn’t mean much really.
The up-and-coming stars from Edinburgh include Sean Beattie and Jay King. Both are in the Edinburgh Capitals Academy System and play for the EIHL and SNL teams. Plus both play age group for Scotland.
MH: Has Edinburgh adopted a rivalry with any of the other EIHL squads?
SS:Ever since a team played out of Murrayfield Ice Rink the big rivals have always been Fife Flyers. In fact, it’s interesting how many Fife fans have said how much they want Edinburgh to improve so they can start “hating” them properly again! The rivalry is definitely there but also the camaraderie of the “hockey family” that I think makes our sport unique.
MH: How can fans get involved to help the team grow?
SS: Join the Supporters Club and work together to build the fan base – bring along a new person to every game – stay positive and keep behind the team even (especially?) when they are going through the inevitable bad patches. Talk up the Caps at every opportunity – word of mouth is the best advertising we can have. The company running the team need more income – that will come from, a larger fan base – but they also value the various professional and technical skills we can donate to them – everything from helping paint the changing rooms to writing programme articles to helping provide jobs or work experience placements for players to introducing potential sponsors to the club. Enthusiasm, energy and support for the players we can all give. Keep the faith!
For more information on the Edinburgh Capitals Supporters Club including how to help out and become a part of the movement, check out their website at www.edcapssc.co.uk and follow them on Twitter: @EdCapsSC
In a short 20 minute documentary, Chris Burns goes to detail into his 12 year battle with depression. A former goaltender for the University of Denver and former draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, Burns tells his story of how his hockey career was taken away in one minute, his time as a professional wrestler and then his struggle with prescription medication.
In a day where depression is becoming more and more prevalent and the need for getting rid of the stigma around it is at an all time high, Burns’ story hit really hard for me. As someone who suffers from depression and has had her own lengthy battle with surgeries, Burns’ should be commended for his way of bringing this out in the public eye.
On the hockey side of things, the need for more research on how the combination of contact sports and depression need to be really looked at. I think there’s a lot more information to prepare players to deal with being a professional hockey player but there’s not a whole lot on what happens after the game is gone. For some, it’s all they’ve ever known. We need to push more resources in the sporting world for depression.
For anyone who is depressed remember, you are not alone. You can get through this. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; you’re not a burden to anyone.
Please watch this video and pass it around to everyone you can; it’s a great view.
The Canadian Women’s Hockey League held its annual draft last night and saw a number of talented women earn the honour to don the colours of the five member teams.
The Brampton Thunder selected Canadian Women’s National Team defenseman Laura Fortino with their first overall pick. The Cornell Big Red star has been a part of the national team since 2011 where she has earned four gold medals and three silvers in numerous IIHF tournaments. Fortino also has the honour of being Co-Rookie of the Year for Cornell in 2009 along with being nominated to the All Rookie and All-Star teams.
With the second pick in the draftr, the Toronto Furies drafted towering defenseman Megan Bozek from the United States Olympic Team. The Minnesota Golden Golpher was a monumental part of Team USA’s Silver medal performance at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. A force on the blue line with an incredible point shot, it’s too bad the Furies male counterparts in the Maple Leafs couldn’t suit her up for a game or two.
Rounding out the first round, the third pick belonged to the Calgary Inferno who stuck with the Minnesota Golden Gophers and picked up forward Sarah Davis to the mix. The Boston Blades jumped in fourth and drafted dynamite forward Jenny Potter and the 5th pick went to the Montreal Stars who stayed close to home and added forward Kim Deschenes fom the L’Universite de Montreal.
Clarkson University had the most picks iced from their domain with four. Another interesting selection came in the 8th round as the Calgary Inferno drafted Aina Takeuchi from the Japan National Team. Interesting to see how that plays out.
Here’s the full 19 rounds of who was chosen: Round 1 1 Laura Fortino D Canada Olympic Team Brampton Thunder 2 Megan Bozek D United States Olympic Team Toronto Furies 3 Sarah Davis F Minnesota Golden Gophers Calgary Inferno 4 Jenny Potter F Minnesota Whitecaps / Team USA Boston Blades 5 Kim Deschenes F l’université de Montréal Montreal Stars Round 2 1 Jamie Lee Rattray F Clarkson University Brampton Thunder 2 Kelly Terry F University of Minnesota Toronto Furies 3 Hayleigh Cudmore D Cornell University Calgary Inferno 4 Monique Lamoureux D Team USA Boston Blades 5 Vanessa Gagnon F Clarkson University Montreal Stars Round 3 1 Carly Mercer F Clarkson University Brampton Thunder 2 Tanis Lamoureux F Elmira College Toronto Furies 3 Louise Warren F Boston University Calgary Inferno 4 Brianna Decker F University of Wisconsin Badgers / Team USA Boston Blades 5 Sophie Brault D Carabins Université de Montreal Montreal Stars Round 4 1 Erica Howe G Clarkson University Golden Knights Brampton Thunder 2 Candice Styles D Wilfrid Laurier University Toronto Furies 3 Jessica Campbell F Cornell Big Red / Canada U22 Calgary Inferno 4 Alyssa Gagliardi D Cornell University Boston Blades 5 Chelsey Saunders F McGill Martlets Montreal Stars Round 5 1 Kelly O’Hanlon F University of Toronto Brampton Thunder 2 Laurel Hill D St. Norbert College Toronto Furies 3 Brittany Esposito F Northeastern University Calgary Inferno 4 Kaleigh Fratkin D Boston University Terriers Boston Blades 5 Erin Lally F Concordia University Stingers Montreal Stars Round 6 1 Ellie Seedhouse F Western Mustangs Brampton Thunder 2 Leah Whittaker D Niagara University Toronto Furies 3 Kristen Hagg F SAWHA Calgary Chargers Calgary Inferno 4 Bray Ketchum F Boston Blades / Yale Boston Blades 5 Sydney Aveson G Plattsburgh State Cardinals Montreal Stars Round 7 1 Jennifer Ward F Brampton Thunder Brampton Thunder 2 Danielle Butters G Minnesota State University, Mankato Toronto Furies 3 Samantha Fieseler D Pursuit Of Excellence Hockey Academy Calgary Inferno 4 Nicole Stock G Brown University Boston Blades Round 8 1 Fielding Montgomery F Dalhousie University Brampton Thunder 2 Laura Saar D N/A Toronto Furies 3 Aina Takeuchi D Japan National Team Calgary Inferno 4 Denna Laing F Princeton University Boston Blades Round 9 1 Michelle Ashburner G Western Mustangs Brampton Thunder 2 Camille Trautman G Red Deer College Queens Calgary Inferno 3 Janine Weber F Providence College Boston Blades Round 10 1 Calaine Inglis F University of Calgary Dinos Calgary Inferno 2 Jordan Smelker F RPI Boston Blades Round 11 1 Glenda Edie D University of Lethbridge Calgary Inferno 2 Rebecca Morse D Providence College Boston Blades Round 12 1 Christina Kelly F UPEI Panthers Calgary Inferno 2 Megan Myers F Utica College Pioneers Boston Blades Round 13 1 Olivia Ross G Western University Mustangs Calgary Inferno 2 Laura Veharanta F Providence College Boston Blades Round 14 1 Rebecca Mosher D Saint Mary’s University Calgary Inferno 2 Taylor Holza F Boston University Boston Blades Round 15 1 Cassidy Anderson D NAIT Ooks Calgary Inferno 2 Brooke Fernandez D ZSC Lions, Zurich, Switzerland Boston Blades Round 16 1 Dayna King F Sask Wheat Queens Calgary Inferno 2 Corinne Buie F Providence Friars Boston Blades Round 17 1 Denise Cardello F Castleton State College Boston Blades Round 18 1 Alexius Schutt G Sacred Heart University Boston Blades Round 19 1 Stephanie Ciampa G Mercyhurst University Boston Blades
Recently, the Toronto Maple Leafs have unveiled plans to erect a statue saluting some of their legends in the form of 10 players jumping over the boards. This statue will take its form in front of the Air Canada Centre where fans can reminisce of good times gone by. The man doing the sculpting, Erik Blome, has already done phenomenal stone work by doing Wayne Gretzky’s statue down in Los Angeles in front of the Staples Center.
So at least it won’t be a laughing-stock.
The Leafs have also revealed that Ted Kennedy will be the first of the alumni to be enshrined. Former captain and five time Stanley Cup champ, Kennedy was acquired by the Leafs in 1942 from the Montreal Canadiens. Retiring at the age of 30, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1966. Seems like a no brainer pick with stats like that.
When I was first presented the idea to my own version of the Legends Row, I realized it wouldn’t be fair for me to include players from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as I never lived through their greatness. While I’m fully aware of what players were phenomenal and how much they mean to Leafs Nation, it just wouldn’t be right to me. Which leaves me with a much shorter list to pick from but I’m down for the task.
I’m also only going to name two that are a given. We already know the greatness of Mats Sundin, Curtis Joseph, Felix Potvin, Tie Domi, Darcy Tucker, and so on. After the first two names, it’s time to give some of the other guys who contributed a time to shine.
I was born in the 80s. Get ready to take a slight trip back in time to some of the Leafs mediocre times. Before I start, this is just my personal list so don’t get bent out of shape for some of the players that are named. It’s also in no particular order. I’ll include honorable mentions at the end.
Without further ado, picks one through five. Five through ten will be tomorrow!
1. Wendel Clark
Some say the greatest player to wear #17 (*cough*Rod Brind’Amour would like a word.*cough*), Clark played his junior days out the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades who just seemed to breed hockey enforcers for a few years. Taken first overall by the Leafs in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Clark was one of the few who threw punches but had the hockey skill to back it up. In his rookie year, he racked up 227 PIM and never backed down from the physicality that was needed from him. I say this as he wasn’t just known for throwing a few, he had an arsenal of body checks that could change the game’s momentum in an instant.
Obviously a crowd favourite, who can’t forget the time he went after Marty McSorley after he leveled Gilmour in the 1993 Conference Finals? I’m not even going to get into the Gretzky debacle. Or some of his tilts with Probert? Or Russ Courtnall and Clark exploding with the “Hound Line”? In my books, Wendel Clark is the first player to be on my Legends Row. (Just ignore the time he played with the Islanders. The first round pick that was traded for him ended up to be Roberto Luongo.)
Speaking of Gilmour…..
2. Doug Gilmour
Oh Dougy Gilmour, god love you.
Fun fact; my earliest memories of hockey included seeing Doug Gilmour in cow printed spandex tights in honour of his “Got Milk?” campaign. It really was the 90s.
Anyway, another obvious no brainer to add to the row. Gilmour played his junior years with my hometown Cornwall Royals and actually had the glorious oppourtunity of playing fastball during the summer here as well. Along with Dale Hawerchuk and Danny Daoust, the Royals became legendary for the Seaway City.
Obviously Gilmour was destined to bigger things then just being a Cornwall celebrity. Drafted by St. Louis and after a minor stint with Calgary, Gilmour donned the white and blue of the Leafs starting in the 199-1992 season. A crucial asset to the team, Gilmour was another who didn’t let up. Who’s to say what could have happened if Kerry Fraser never missed the call on Gretzky in 1993.
I’m not going to say anymore; I’m just going to leave this here.
3. Nikolai Borschevsky
After the demise of the USSR, Russian players were suddenly on the market for the NHL in the beginning of the 90’s. While Borschevsky wasn’t a huge powerhouse with Dynamo Moscow, he started to get into his groove after being traded to Spartek Moscow in 1989. NHL scouts kept their eye on him for the next three years and took in his play at the 1992 Albertville Olympics in which he was a part of the gold medal winning squad.
The Leafs gambled and picked him up in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft and it managed to pay off. Borschevsky exploded for almost a point a game in his rookie year and ended up second in team scoring; second only to Gilmour. Another crucial piece to that 1993 team that keep haunting the Leafs until the current group manage to reach the second round of the playoffs.
It remains to be seen what could have been of Borschevsky if injuries didn’t get the better of him. After two solid years with the Leafs, his stock plummeted and he never regained his monumental performance. I think with him being of the first Russians to make a small dent in the NHL hockey world deserves a nod to my version of the Legends Row.
He also belongs on here just because Steve Dangle named his pet bird Nikolai Birdchevsky. Brilliant.
4. Nik Antropov
Probably one of the most underrated players of his time with the Leafs, Antropov was one player I always had my eyes glued on. I even went as far as buying tickets to an IIHF game between Finland and Kazhakstan on the basis that he was playing. Now that’s dedication right? I mean, who could not go see a guy that scored 26 points in one game. (International against Iceland. 11 god damn goals.)
We all know the 2000s weren’t all that great to the Leafs however, there were a couple of rays of sunshine that stood out. Antropov was drafted 10th overall by Toronto in the 1998 Entry Draft. He came up full-time in the fall of 1999 and for the next 10 years, Antropov contributed solid numbers year after year after year. He’s one of the few was I’m devastated that the Leafs could never get on a roll and win something for. Playing on the same line as Mats Sundin would be no easy feat but Antropov did it with ease and proved that having solid wingmen is a daunting task.
He kept up his stats when he was traded to the Thrashers/Jets and even managed to become a Canadian citizen in the meantime. He played last season with Barys Artana in the KHL.
I should probably start up a Nik Antropov Fan Club.
5. Sergei Berezin
Another underrated player to lay in Toronto fandom, Berezin was selected 10th overall in the 1994 draft and after exploding with talent for the next two years in the DEL he finally headed over to North America. A pity that it was with the Leafs who I think at the time didn’t really know what to do with him or develop him into elite player status.
He managed to be selected to the All-Rookie team in 1997 and managed a career high of 59 points in 1999. However after his second career high of 50 points (only 3 points behind Sundin), he was traded off the Phoenix for Mikael Renberg. Yeah, the worked out didn’t it.
The knife in the back for the Leafs came when Berezin, now with the Canadiens, scored their 10,000th goal on home ice. Ouchie.
However, five solid years with the Leafs through the crazy early years of the 2000’s puts him on my list.
Honorable mentions for this half: Jonas Hogland, Peter Zezel, Freddy Modin, Igor Korolev, Garry Valk, oh and Nikolai BIRDschevsky.
Cornwall fans of the Ottawa Senators will get a chance to mingle with two players tomorrow as the Senators kick off their new “Hometown Tour” promotion.
CTV Ottawa, TSN 1200, RV Canada and the Senators themselves sponsor this interactive event which will see them stop at various Canadian Tire stores in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Along with the players themselves, the event will have interactive games and chances to win prizes. Chris Phillips and Mark Stone will be in attendance at the 9th Street location in Cornwall from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Fans will get a chance to get autographs starting at 6:00.
During the 6pm news hour, CTV News will be highlighting fans and locales in the area. Here’s your chance Sens Army to get your 5 minutes to wish your team the best as they head into training camp.
Earlier in the day, the Hometown Tour will make a stop in Brockville. Times are 1:30 to 5:00 with autographs starting at 3:30.
Other cities being featured on this tour is Aylmer QC, Gainteau QC, Arnprior, Barrhaven, Hawkesbury, Kingston, Pembroke, Rockland, and Smith Falls.
Wristbands for the autograph session will be available at each Canadian Tire store at 9:00am on the day of the event. For more information, check out the press release straight from the Senators: “Senators hitting the road for Hometown Tour series”
I’ve always known there was hockey played in the United Kingdom in some aspect. It would just be downright ignorant to dispute that claim. However, at what caliber and level the game was being played at remained a mystery. From here in Canada, we knew players of all levels were recruited to play for teams abroad. When it came to the United Kingdom everyone had their eyes locked on mainland England.
The advent of social media (while some say is a curse), is a wonderful invention. Every little bit of information on any topic one could want is at the tips of your fingers. When I started to dig deeper into the hockey world of the UK, a name was constantly thrown in my direction. Not only from different sites on the internet and historical hockey pieces concerning the sport in the 1980’s, but from many UK hockey fans. That name was Tony Hand.
I chalked Tony Hand up to just be a hockey great from England. I had no idea he was actually a hockey powerhouse from Edinburgh, Scotland. Now that’s no disrespect to Scotland at all. That’s just pure ignorance from yours truly; a young Canadian hockey historian. Hell, I was just being born when Hand was starting his dominance.
All throughout my life I’ve been fascinated by all the different countries and cultures of the world. I even collect flags for fun. So having another nation to add to the ever growing list of hockey lovers to research brought a smile to my face. Either I’m obsessed with the game or I have no life. You be the judge.
But I digress.
A fellow hockey friend by the name of John Oxford reached out to me to say he’d be willing to send over Tony Hand’s biography for me to read. Along with sending Paul Thompson’s “Benched”, I have been enamored with the words and world of UK hockey in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Tony Hand’s book feels like I’m going back in time to my own childhood looking up to the players I idolized at that time in the NHL. It’s a bit of an eerie feeling reading about someone you know absolutely nothing about but can relate instantly to the topic being written.
Within the first 16 pages of Hand’s book I stopped. I stopped and took a moment to reflect at how similar his hockey upbringing and the upbringing of kids in this country are. If he didn’t name drop places and teams, you would swear he was Canadian. From the graciousness of Willie Kerr keeping the rink open after dark to Hand walking miles down the road to just be able to play showed just how in sync and how comparable the game was.
Playing for and having loyalty to his hometown team of Murrayfield reminded me how much the game has changed. Loyalty is no longer a factor concerning the players today. It is all about the coin. Money. The game of hockey in the 1980’s was a fragile and odd kind of sport. Trying to grow itself but yet not wanting to sell themselves out provided a slippery slope for most players as the old guard still had not retired yet.
The Murrayfield Racers also reminded me of my hometown Cornwall Royals. While the Royals were a junior the team, the fans and talk surrounding both cemented them a legendary place in the world of hockey. I knew that there was something special about them that not many on this side of the Earth’s hockey world would ever hear about. As I continued reading it was clear that Hand was, had been, and still is an elite caliber player. Having over 100 point seasons and then over 200 is nothing short of brilliant. Case in point his being drafted to the Edmonton Oilers.
Former NHLer Garry Unger had been a scout for the Oilers in the late 80’s. He was still playing the game though over in Scotland and happened to play against Hand a few times seeing his greatness. A little phone call to Glen Sather made Tony Hand the 252nd pick in the 12th round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft and gave him a shot at that years training camp. Of course, this was all unbeknownst to Hand as he was all the way in Scotland. Phone tagged was played and he eventually headed over to Alberta.
Icing the training camp alongside the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and Dave Semenko, Hand was put up against a daunting cast of characters. However, he didn’t let the pressure get to him and had a good camp. Good enough for Sather to offer him a contract that would send him down to the minors while still in the Oilers system. Sather even remarked that Hand had the best eyes on the ice, second to Wayne Gretzky. At the same time a friend also had an offer waiting for him at the Victoria Cougars in the WHL. As the story goes, Hand did not feel comfortable. He was suffering from exhaustion from suiting up for 3 games with the Cougars and along with homesickness he flew back home, denying both contracts.
While some think that Tony Hand blew his and the chance to put UK hockey on the map, I have the upmost respect for his decision. He was young, in a new place, dealing with players who trained much harder than him and everything was just uncomfortable behind his means. Some people just can’t adjust. Also, being in the minors, there was no guaranteed way he’d ever come back and crack Edmonton’s lineup. It was a no brainer decision.
Although when I think about it some more, I firmly believe that his tune might have changed had he been drafted to another NHL team that was not stacked with talent. He would’ve no doubt made the roster right away and would be playing night in and night out. Sadly, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.
As I continued to read, the book got a bit dry in a sense that Hand would massacre the point totals year in and year out. In some ways it doesn’t even seem fair to a player of his caliber but just goes to prove what kind of character he really is. Playing for the sake of the game and his hometown team rather then grab a large contract and take off to Europe.
The story about Glen Anderson made me laugh. Showing up in a limo to play with Cardiff and demanded a wealthy pay cheque. The money I can understand but how demeaning is it to your teammates to flaunt your priviledges around.
(Photo: Manchester Evening News)
When I reached the middle of and late 90’s, you could see how Hand’s hockey mind progressed. Maturing to the business side of things. It’s essential for hockey in the United Kingdom to keep minds and people like Hand around for the progress of the sport. (Yes, that’s including David Simms.) Hand is right on the money when he starts talking about the import limit and how to grow the game domestically. He’s also on the money with teams and their budgets. Of course we can talk about all of this until we’re blue in the face. It will take a big shakeup for something of that magnitude to change.
I hope that I will get the chance to meet Tony Hand one day. It would be weird for me to say that his contribution to the game is monumental. I mean, coming from little old me it would be. I don’t have to tell him that. Without him and a few others, the game might have died and been completely washed out in the U.K – Who knows.
What I do know, is you’re going to be hard pressed to find another player come out of Scotland and compete at his elite level.
Message to all the Scots at this present time: Prove me wrong.
The Jonquiere Marquis have wasted no time in putting together the pieces that could very well become a third straight championship; something that has not been done in LNAH league history. After two years of consistent attack on the ice, the Marquis and Coach Dean are shaping up to continue that reputation that is following them.
At the beginning of the summer, Jonquiere announced a couple of what some say odd signings. The original “sheriff” Sean McMorrow will be suiting up for the big green in the league that he is not a stranger too. After spending two years with St. Hyacinthe, McMorrow headed across the pond and donned the teal and red of the Elite league’s Belfast Giants. He managed 201 penalty minutes in 25 games. At 6’4 and over 200 pounds, McMorrow will be a rock on the ice.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Back on his home continent, McMorrow was charged with smuggling marijuana into the U.S. after being stopped at the Niagara Falls border in 2012. Canadian border guards seized $27,000 in cash and a hockey bag full of marijuana. This will be McMorrow’s first return to the ice after spending close to two years in an American prison. What a moment it would be for McMorrow to capture and be a part of a Marquis three-peat.
Returning to the ice alongside Gaby Roch, captain Bruno St. Jacques and Hugo Carpentier is the feisty madness of Alex Penner. Penner had himself a hell of a tangle in Cornwall last season, climbing the bench into the stands after some unruly fans got the better of him. Always entertaining to watch, Penner is a key fit to this Marquis squad and he’s definitely in a strong mode.
Right winger Patrick Bernier is set to come to training camp this fall. An alumnus of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, Bernier held his own throughout the last half of the season and into the playoffs. Joining him on his return is defenseman Mike Novosad. Novosad is a towering six feet on the blue line with one bullet of a point shot.
The Marquis know how to build a team from year to year. With the right pieces building on the same model, we might see LNAH history this season.
In the late 80’s and early 90’s, a junior team in the middle of wheat country Canada seemed to become the heavyweight champs in producing NHL caliber hockey enforcers. The long list that donned the blue and yellow of the Saskatoon Blades included fighting legends Joey Kocur, Darcy Hordichuk, Dave Brown, Wendel Clark and more recently, the late Wade Belak. However, in 1987 the Western Hockey League squad assembled one of the best one-two punches that not only the team ever seen but one of the best the National Hockey League ever set their eyes on.
Both weighing in at over 200 pounds and a tall 6 feet, Tony Twist and Kelly Chase took no prisoners when they took to the ice. Twist’s reputation around the league was that he threw hammers and he fought to hurt. You had one shot; you better make it worth your while. Chase came into the NHL two years after having led the WHL in penalty minutes with 343. Fun fact: None of those minutes were misconducts; they were all fighting majors.
A native of Prince George, British Columbia, Twist is not only a legend of the St. Louis Blues but of the ill-fated Quebec Nordiques as well. You can tell from his stats he was only there to do one thing: intimidate. Many nights were spent bloodying up opponents who dared to take a run at the superstar player on Twist’s side. A student of the enforcing game, Twist would watch tapes upon tapes of fights; trying to master his art in time for the next game. You may even say he was obsessed.
Chase on the other hand had a little bit of skill bestowed upon him. Not much but when you’re throwing punches night in and night out, you’ll take what you can get. Among teaming up with Twist in St. Louis, Chase was similarly involved with another ill-fated team, the Hartford Whalers. Chase took it upon himself to mentor the young players that came in and mold them to the game. His leadership abilities both on and off the ice gave him the title of King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner in 1998. His hard work not going unnoticed.
The two did have the chance to tango when they were not becoming brothers on the St. Louis Blues. Chase having just been acquired from the Whalers was facing Twist while he was donning the blue and yellow on night. Behind the Blues bench was “Iron” Mike Keenan; barking orders at Twist to take Chase down a notch. The two did what they had to do as it was mostly water under the bridge but one hell of a tangle they went through.
Tony Twist’s career was cut short just as he was starting to become the undisputed heavyweight champion if you will. During the 1999 offseason, Twist was thrown from his motorcycle after being cut off. After beating off internal bleeding, a broken and dislocated pelvis, plus ligament damage to his left knee, Twist figured a message was being sent that he better hang up the skates. After all, one wrong hit during the season could mess his leg up bad. With 1121 penalty minutes in 445 games, it begs the question of what Twist could have been had he not been injured.
Kelly Chase played on a little under half a season longer after coming back to St. Louis after a very short stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When all the smoke had settled, Chase racked up 2017 penalty minutes in 458 games over a 12 year NHL career. Some of you may remember him on CBC’s Skating With The Stars where hockey players teamed up with figure skaters in an ice dancing competition.
Noted around the league as the “Bruise Brothers”, Twist and Chase are lined up in my Enforcer Hall of Fame side by side. Seeing both of these gigantic men come flying down the wings with a look of determination, fear and willingness to inflict considerable amounts of pain to their opponents gives them the respect they very well deserved.
More than ever, the Scottish EIHL teams are showing just how much they belong in the world of competitive hockey. Not only that, they’re proving the need of junior development in their ranks. While I’ve written about in the past that they were starting to make waves; it seems like the rest of the EIHL is starting to keep an eye on those lads to the north.
The newly appointed partnership between the Braehead Clan and the Scottish League’s Solway Sharks is one of the best things to come out of this offseason. Keep the junior wheel rolling and in time there will come a day where a team will ice a roster of pure Brits.
All the bickering and need for money is clouding the judgment of how British hockey should be developed in mainland England. While I can’t knock them for the needing money pretense, the overpowering need to win is putting a hold on junior development. We want our hockey and our teams to flourish. Why always the need to depend on imports? It’s time to start embracing the teams of the EPIHL and create lasting partnerships. Sadly, it’ll never happen while the old guard is in place.
Back to our friends in the north. Time to take a bit of an in-depth look at how these squads are shaping up. They’ll be a huge force.
Dundee Stars
Finishing third behind the Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers in 2013/2014 is nothing short of amazing work done by the lads in blue and red. Not only have they gained a respect that was much-needed but a boost of confidence to improve the moral. This season is proving to shape up to be no different. Among securing a huge sponsorship deal with Coors Light, they’ve managed to tackle signing a big 6’0 forward by the name of John Mitchell.
Before you start freaking out, no it’s not the current Colorado Avalanche player. This John Mitchell has spent his entire pro career in the AHL; having his best year with the Tampa Bay affiliated Syracuse Crunch in 2010-2011. He’s not afraid to throw the gloves off either. In fact, during that year with Syracuse, he threw punches in five different fights.
On the flipside of things, another import for the Stars comes in the shape of not so physical Rob Ricci. (I would die if he skated out with a Mike Ricci mullet but that’s another story for another time…) Ricci had a couple of huge years with the South Carolina Stingrays in the East Coast league before taking off to Europe. The guy knows how to read the puck and will come in handy as a young mentor to some of the other players.
Do I think Dundee will do as well as last season? Considering the roster of the other teams; on paper, it’s not likely. But this is the Elite league and stranger things have happened.
Also Dundee, I love ya but ask Coors Light to help you update your website. I feel like I’m stuck on a 1990’s Geocities site.
Edinburgh Capitals
Okay, everyone get your laughs out now. This team is the hockey version of “The Little Engine That Could” but I love every single things about them. I’m about to love them even more.
The Caps have signed themselves a little enforcer by the name of Riley Emmerson. Emmerson has been playing pro since 2006 and has a fight card of 120 fights. Hell, two years in the WHL put him at 24. At 6’8 and 250 pounds, this left winger is definitely going to throwing his body around and this might just be what the doctor ordered for Edinburgh.
What better way to get fans out to the games then a hockey fight? Everyone loves hockey fights! Even your grandma! Emmerson will easily turn himself into a crowd favourite not only at home but across the league. This is Edinburgh’s chance to develop a bit of a cult following. I’m not saying turn all goon squad but marketed right, it could be huge.
Unless he gets knocked out in the first game and throws my theory into submission. Lovely.
I don’t think much will change for the Caps this season other than having the best jerseys and photo marketing in the league. Chins up though! Times are changing!
Fife Flyers
I don’t know if it’s just me but I haven’t heard much from the blue and gold this offseason. Other than Matt Nickerson returning (with that glorious beard…am I the only woman who doesn’t like it? Anyways..) there hasn’t been much on my radar. Maybe I’m not following the right people on Twitter. That means Fife fans, you need to get at me!
After doing my research, it’s come to my attention that Fife has signed former Wellington Dukes Junior A star Chris Auger. I’ve seen Auger play live and if he’s still anything like he was in Junior A then Flyers fans you’re in for a treat. This kid can go on a tear like nobody’s business. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Interesting to note, he was drafted higher than Leafs superstar Leo Komarov and Braehead’s Chris Frank. Keep that handy for trivia night.
Braehead Clan
Oh you Purple Army. What will I ever do without you.
The black and purple are going to be on tough squad this season. Not just with skill but with the mitts off as well. Signing one of the biggest enforcers going in Zack Fitzgerald, the Clan has somebody to do battle with on the blue line. As a Philadelphia Flyers fan, I’ve kept an eye on Fitzgerald as he’s spent the past two years with our AHL affiliate. Easily going to turn into a crowd favourite and might even be able to give the aforementioned Capital, Riley Emmerson a run for his money. He has more on his fight card, I know that much.
Fitzgerald.
On the skillset side, the Clan have already locked Chris Frank, Leigh Salters, Neil Trimm and Tristan Harper but joining them is 31 year old Matt Keith. Keith might be on the down slope of his career but he’s going to be a huge presence not only on the ice but in the dressing room. Someone to keep the boys level-headed is a much-needed ploy in this league.
Also, Braehead signed themselves a couple of Brits in Zach Sullivan on defence and forward Ben Davies. There’s that need to add to the homegrown talent.
The Clan should definitely be a team to watch this upcoming season. On paper they’re coming in exceptionally strong and might ruffle a few feathers on the way to the top. I could easily see a top 3 finish.
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