The British Hockey Thread 2015-2016

[Calv]

He really needs to work on his coaching for me. Recruitment-wise he always seems to find a few gems, but he's been found out quite a lot of the time for playing two-line hockey - he did a particularly poor job when he was in charge of GB. I am hoping this is not the case again this season, as Phoenix really look like they're lacking depth and it would be a shame to resort back to 2-line hockey.

[archibalduk]

Yeah I absolutely agree. His coaching is a little hit and miss IMO - but perhaps that might change now he doesn't have to worry about playing. As for the best coach in the league, I'd have to say Slava Koulikov is certainly up there.

I do worry about Phoenix's future. As with the past few seasons, they have such a small squad and it only takes one or two injuries for them to nosedive (as has happened the past two seasons). No doubt finances play a big part in this. I'd have thought perhaps Red Hockey's involvement might have allowed a larger squad, but I guess not.

[MWE]

Steelers first pre-season game against Braehead Clan is tonight

[rmt_1982]

Panthers sign Cam Janssen....

[MWE]

Someone to sit in the box for you

[rmt_1982]

Someone to sit in the box for you

Is that before or after Peckham runs over them?

[MWE]

Haha maybe your lot are trying to scare the opposition into not playing

[rmt_1982]

Haha maybe your lot are trying to scare the opposition into not playing

We tried that before with Penner. He was hilarious at times (especially in the bench clearance at Coventry), although, David Ling tried it in different ways..

[MWE]

Steelers beat Braehead 4-0 last night return game is tonight.

[Calv]

Another great advert of British Hockey, and the season hasn't even started yet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=y ... pp=desktop

and

https://www.facebook.com/daniel.cooper. ... 1/?fref=nf

The chap on the floor is Dean Holland, who is currently in hospital with a broken pelvis and a concussion after the hit that started it all off.

[nino33]

Wow, that did not look good


Was the second player that was down, that got up and fought (got beat up)...was he hurt and that's why he was down? Or scared to get up? Known as a dirty player? Did he hurt the other player with a dirty play?

And the "challenging of the bench" like that, are the players that did that known as "goons"? Sure seemed like something out of the movie Slapshot...why challenge the other team like that? Were the blue team known as a "dirty" team (sure doesn't seem like the blue team responded like a "tough" team)

I couldn't catch the kick to the face being talked about, but in the hockey world I grew up in kicking someone with your skates is one of the worst things you can ever do...


P.S. Is the 1970s "intimidation" style common in British hockey? or is this kind of thing a rare thing?

[Calv]

The details are a little hazy and I don't know many of the players, Whitley (home) are in the third tier of hockey over here, mainly a mix of pay to play and players getting paid a small amount/expenses. The coach of Whitley is David Longstaff, a very well respected player in British hockey (spent a season in the SHL a long time ago, http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=84) and he basically admitted that he wanted his players to 'sort out' the situation after the hit. The player going to the bench is Andre Payette (http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=15097) who is nothing more than a goon, he's had 2857 PIMs in 475 games in the UK (in half of those games he played in the EPL which gives a 2+2 after a fight rather than 5 minutes).

I don't know any of the Kirkcaldy players tbh, or whether there were any other injuries.

The 'kick' happens when a Kirkcaldy player on the floor is spun around by a Whitley player I think, it looks accidental to me. It's about 17 seconds in to the second video

[Calv]

Sounds as though Peckham might not be making it over here after all? Looks like he's having some visa issues

[MWE]

Should just fly to France then come in through Calais everyone else seems to do it

[Calv]

Now confirmed! http://panthers.co.uk/content/coach-hit ... ham-u-turn

[archibalduk]

The "kick" on Holland looked accidentally to me. It's a shame the original incident that caused it wasn't captured on video because it sounds like something the police should be involved with. As far as sucker punches/attacks go, it sounds pretty nasty. The Kirkcaldy player at the centre of the incident apparently has a reputation following a previous nasty incident about a year ago involving a different team.

I'm surprised Longstaff lost it like he did. He's normally a very calm player (although I think he was involved in a fair few scraps when he was younger).

Should just fly to France then come in through Calais everyone else seems to do it

Controversial, but possibly true...

[MWE]

Should just fly to France then come in through Calais everyone else seems to do it

Controversial, but possibly true...

Was only jesting

[Calv]

So, any predictions for the coming season?

The elite league looks very tight at the top. It's difficult to separate Braehead, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield. With the conference system, maybe Braehead will win it. At the bottom, it also looks pretty close, but it looks like Fife might be a step above Dundee, Edinburgh and Manchester, although their netminding is a bit of a question mark. Brown was quite inconsistent last season. Edinburgh and Dundee both look like they've improved over last season, and both look to have more scoring depth - Edinburgh have Hayes & Rutherford and Dundee have Dickenson and Chaumont. Storm currently look a bit light on scoring, although they have 2 imports left and have better brits in Phillips, Davies & Chilcott. They're a bit of a wait and see team.
I don't think Coventry will get dragged down to a battle with the Gardiner teams. I'm going to go with
1. Braehead
2. Sheffield
3. Nottingham
4. Belfast
5. Cardiff
6. Coventry
7. Fife
8. Edinburgh
9. Dundee
10. Manchester

but this might change depending on extra signings that Manchester make.

In the EPL, it looks as though teams have caught up with Telford a bit. I know that Tigers will allow Phil Hill to leave for the Steelers if he impresses enough during the CHL to get a contract. That would be a massive blow, but I think that Telford will win. Of the other teams, MK & Swindon look like they've improved and Guildford look good as always. Bison have Thompson and Hiadlovsky (who is crazy!) who are good signings. Peterborough don't look that impressive to me. At the bottom it looks like Hull, Sheffield and Phoenix will battle it out, with Bees maybe slightly above them.

I don't know the EPL as well, but I'll go with

1. Tigers
2. Guildford
3. MK
4. Swindon
5. Basingstoke
6. Peterborough
7. Bees
8. Phoenix
9. Sheffield
10. Hull

Probably will be massively out come the end of the season

[Calv]

Oh and I'm going to Phantoms v Storm on Sunday, first hockey game of the season

[archibalduk]

I'm the opposite - I'm much more aware of the EPL than the EIHL. So my EPL predictions are:

1. Telford
2. Guildford (assuming their new imports aren't duds)
3. Milton Keynes
4. Basingstoke
5. Peterborough
6. Swindon
7. Bracknell
8. Manchester
9. Sheffield
10. Hull

I think numbers 1, 2 and 10 are relatively easy predictions. As for the middle; I think it's a lot harder. Basingstoke seem to have little depth this season but the players they have are tried and tested. Milton Keynes look good. Last season the lack of depth was their downfall, but this season I think they look much better. Swindon always look good on paper but never seem to last the full season. Assuming this to be the case, Peterborough could pip Swindon to 5th place - assuming they can repeat the same sort of performances as last season - and I think they could given that they still have Auzins and he has a cooler head than he did at the beginning of last season. Bracknell/Manchester/Sheffield are likely to prop up the bottom of the table (above the obviously weak Hull). I think Bracknell (more money and better players) and Sheffield (hopefully they'll no longer goon it up) will be stronger than last season whereas Manchester will be weaker. I almost put Manchester at 9 and Sheffield at 8, but I'm not sure Manchester have declined quite that much.

[Calv]

Manchesters 3rd line looks really poor, 3 of their imports look good,and archer will get points but that's it. They have 2 players, Hope and Spanswick who played rec hockey in Canada last year and apart from boothroyd and Thomas they look light at the back.

Also, Telford Bracknell and Manchester have dropped their locations from their names due to some sort of streaming deal! So they're Tigers,Bees and Phoenix

[archibalduk]

I wonder if the name change is so that Phoenix can be more smoothly moved to another city once the Manchester planning application falls through!!!

[Calv]

Apparently, theyve bought all the equipment for a temporary rink and its going to be built in Ashton!! (So much for city centre).

As with any ice rink in the UK, I'll remain sceptical until they actually start playing hockey in it

[Calv]

I really like the look of the Storm jerseys

[archibalduk]

Apparently, theyve bought all the equipment for a temporary rink and its going to be built in Ashton!! (So much for city centre).

As with any ice rink in the UK, I'll remain sceptical until they actually start playing hockey in it

Yeah I saw that on THF too. That's really out of the way for those fans based in and around Altrincham. Why spend all that time and money to travel all that way when you have Storm playing on your doorstep - particularly if you don't have a car.

Storm's jersey isn't too bad - but not as good as the original ones from the ISL days!! I'm not too sure about the Flames' new third jersey.