EHM The Blue Line

Well, i'm lost in a country that doesn't know what hockey is... We have a championship, some good teams (well, not too bad ones in fact...), but there's no hockey at all in the medias nor on TV. So it's really hard for hockey to devellop here. All players agree to say that they stop their progression by the age of 16, because of the lack of structures. When you know that the first signs of talent appear around the age of 17, it's a bit annoying...

Despite of all those problems, team France succeeded to reach the 1/4 final at the Olympics in 1992 (in France), and was part of the elite at the world championships for over a decade. And they failed to play the last Olympics for just one goal, and are not so far to be back in the elite at the world championships. Really impressive when you know that there are few structures, no media coverage, very low budgets, and a total ignorance from the elected, so there's nearly no (and oftenly not at all!) financial help from the towns.

I'd really love to help to devellop hockey in this country, where soccer is like a religion... But i haven't got a lot of ideas about how doing this...

That's the purpose of this topic. If you have any idea/suggestion about how develloping hockey in a country that doesn't know anything about it, please post it here!

It's not only for me or for France... I think Flea has the same problem in Spain, and maybe it's the same way for other people...

Same in the UK. All we get in the media is football, football, football with a little bit of football thrown in for good measure. Our problem is too many imports and not enough home grown talent playing at the highest level, i mean in a league where we have probably 17 players on the bench 11 are imports.

For non-traditional hockey markets, the digitalization of TV (and the plethora of new channels it can bring) and especially net-based TV broadcasts could be a terrific booster. It might be a way out of the vicious circle of lack of hockey in the media -> no interest in hockey -> no hockey in media -> etc. If hockey is available, even in a limited fashion, that might be just the spark you need. Of course, it takes time, but France and the UK might have a leg up because of language issues -- the best hockey in the world is already available in both French and English.

oxenhoper wrote:Same in the UK. All we get in the media is football, football, football with a little bit of football thrown in for good measure. Our problem is too many imports and not enough home grown talent playing at the highest level, i mean in a league where we have probably 17 players on the bench 11 are imports.

in total agreenment. i have always said you should be allowed a maximum of 5 foreign players in you'r squad. No more than 3 playing at any one time. Get more home grown players back into the game and cut out the expense. Way to expensive is football.

if im honest I would lovve to be able to turn the telly of and see on BBC 1 a game of hockey. Won't heppen though.

Wish I could learn to play hockey also

mark_htfc wrote:
Wish I could learn to play hockey also

Get yourself down to the Bradford Bulldogs. They have a few teams plus rec hockey team.

I can't even skate. Well I have never tried skating. plus it is a bit late to start training really. 17?

Don't play anymore but a group of used to play gym hockey.......that was fun.

You any good at hockey??

Nah............skill gene must have been swapped for enthusiasm.

Can't skate well enough, was ok at gym hockey.

Cool. Would love to be a hockey player. Don't think I would have the strengh though if im honest.

Kekkonen wrote:For non-traditional hockey markets, the digitalization of TV (and the plethora of new channels it can bring) and especially net-based TV broadcasts could be a terrific booster. It might be a way out of the vicious circle of lack of hockey in the media -> no interest in hockey -> no hockey in media -> etc. If hockey is available, even in a limited fashion, that might be just the spark you need. Of course, it takes time, but France and the UK might have a leg up because of language issues -- the best hockey in the world is already available in both French and English.

Yeah,that is the main point i was thinking about...

But... If you want to bring more people to hockey,it has to be free. They'll never pay for something they don't know,unless they are too rich to know what to do with their money...lol. You also need someone who will make the commentaries,so that newbies could understand what happens on the ice. So you'll need people who will make the broadcast,the guy(s) who will make the commentaries,and all the material needed (cameras,etc). All of this counts some money,but if you want someone watch the show,you have to do this for free. So it costs money and you're not sure to have a good enough return for the clubs (by selling tickets) and for the image of hockey. Some federations will not want to take the risk,i'm afraid

Shadd666 wrote:You also need someone who will make the commentaries,so that newbies could understand what happens on the ice.

I know what you mean. I like my ice hockey etc but I can't say I knew the exact rules. What happens if it is level after 3 periods etc.

Surely there is a site out there that could teach newbies. just finiding it I guess.

I learnt the rules playing on a sega megadrive many moons ago................

oxenhoper wrote:I learnt the rules playing on a sega megadrive many moons ago................

That is how I came of learning about hockey aswell. NHL 95 I think it was. A really great game.

Shadd, I can see the enthusiasm in you to bring the hockey level in France up a notch. I really believe if you want a non hockey market to start loving hockey you must start from the roots. Translation: YOUTH HOCKEY! Building towards the next generation is key in a country's developing sport. If there's people playing hockey, there will be people watching hockey, and their families and friends will have a chance to see what hockey is all about.

I dont know how old you are Shadd, but help hockey developes in France is one job I WISH I have the opportunity to do. I know a little French, but you Shadd are different. You are amongst the few people in France that have a passion for the coolest game on earth. You are one of the few bridges between Canada's knowledge of hockey and France's knowledge of hockey. If the French increase their knowledge of hockey, there will be no stoppage of development at the age of 16, and you can take on that job of increasing hockey knowledge in France. Afterall, I see tremendous potential for hockey in France.

Shadd, after all this talk, what I'm suggesting is you can start coaching your local minor league hockey or youth hockey team. Increase your knowledge of coaching hockey players by buying books on amazon or ebay. There's also tones of books out there that teaches you hockey techniques; whether its skating, puckhandling, shooting, strategies, goaltending or even mental preparation for the game, there are books that teach u all that.

But IMO the best way to KNOW the game is to PLAY it. It doesnt matter how old you are, if you're younger than 30 years old you can still learn to skate and do pretty well at it. For myself, I'm born a goaltender. I love stopping pucks more than I love scoring goals. I have a natural feel for this position, it just comes natural, and above all I Love to PLAY goal. Because I love it, I want to know more about it, I want to better my techniques and therefore better my performance. I know what the book means by putting your paddle down on the ice to decrease the chance of a wrap-around, I know what a goalie sees on the ice so when the books instructed me to look for the face-off spot and the blue lines to stay square to the shooter I feel comfortable about how I should approach it and refine my techniques. Because I played ---> therefore I know. That's why I think playing hockey is the basic thing you must have before you start coaching.

Shadd, you have the passion for hockey, and that's all you need from the beginning. I look forward to see you become the coach of the Frace national team. Good luck, and God speed (with helping hockey develops in France)!

Thecoolstuff: Thanks a lot for this long and interesting post And thanks for the compliments, even if it wasn't the purpose of this topic lol

Well, i'm 24 (as you asked...) and i'd love to play hockey, but i already have some problems with my back and one of my knees, and for sure hockey won't make it better

I think about coaching for some time... But you're a far better coach when you played the game. I asked my local club if they had some spots to fill in their staff (no matter what the job is, since i can contribute to hockey), but they have so few budget that they can't have anything else than voluntaries now...and the problem is that i actually need money...

So actually i'm a bit out for those things, i'm afraid... But your advices are really good, and some other people may follow it if they can!

On my side, i make my friends discover hockey. I always talk about hockey and music, so one day or another they begin to ask me some questions about hockey, and i'm more than happy to explain them all they want to know My best friend now really enjoy hockey, so i converted him to EHM! An other friend came with me to see a game and now he wants to play hockey Others begin to have a small interest... I hope i'll make it grow!

But even if this is positive, it's nearly nothing... I'm looking for bigger things... Or, like Dagoba (french metal band) said: "i need something stronger!"

I don't despair however, but i don't know yet what to do, according to my capacities... Maybe coaching, unless i won't really be able to play... But i also want something of a bigger dimension, like bringing hockey on french TV on a regular basis, instead of just having half of the Olympics, that's to say around 10 games every 4 years...

Thanks again for your advices and your support

I'll become a Hockey Crusader! lol

Ohhh Shaddd....I know just too good what u are talking about!!! Trust me!!!

Here in Spain, as u can imagine, soccer is religion, then comes basketball (normal if u are World Champ) and I would say handball (World Champs also) then................waaaaaaaaaay, waaaaaaay back.....everything else...

Well, in the northern part of Spain hockey is a bit more popular and I still can remember whan a spanish guy went on to play in the Minors it came down in the news.....but not in sports.....it came down in "strange happenings" ...well, Spain is different, right???

My case is curious in a way because I could experience both sides of the cake: I was born in Switzerland, where hockey is nearly as popular as king soccer!! I grew up playing hockey and I still remember my youth couches joking that I could be the captain in Spain's national team .......(well, before u guys think I was good in hockey.....exactly THAT is the joke ).
I grew up breathing and living hockey, playing it, going to games, watching my buddies getting better and finally seeing them going pro's, leaving me behind them because I choose having a normal life....I still remember one of them training all day long...

Now, since 11 years, Iam living the total opposite!!!
No hockey anywhere!!!! No ice in a city of 1,5 millions, no infrastructure, no passion for the game, nothing!!!
Here, when I talk or ask somebody about hockey they just keep looking at me like crazy!!! So yes Shadd, I know what u are talking about!!!

I really think that things like EHM or the other NHL games are helping in brining the love for the game....or at least making them curious, but u have also to understand that for playing hockey u have to have an ice, a stick and a puck....and thats very rare here!!!
I will move to the northern part of Spain in January-February and I really hope that hockey is a bit more popular than here in the Mediterranean sea....

But I have to say that I agree with thecoolstuff: youth hockey is key!!!
If u can make them curious about hockey then the kids will start to ask their parents about hockey.....and thats probably the first step!!!

Have to go now, but will report back with some ideas!!!!

PLATFORM: "Make hockey popular in southern Europe!!!!"

....hard, but not impossible!!!

Greets mon ami!!!

Greets flea! I was sure that you would perfectly understand my frustration!

I can't wait for anyone's ideas i won't see it for a while as i go tomorrow for around 10 days...in an obscure city lost somewhere in a strange place where i don't think i'll be able to go on the internet...

I know what u mean!!!

Was away for two days and already missed internet!!!

Its incredible.....just some year ago internet was only a thing for "strange people"

Nevermind....have fun and try to disconnect a bit from the "real world"!!!

Greets

flea wrote:have fun and try to disconnect a bit from the "real world"!!!

I'll have my PC with, so i'll have EHM07 with me... I think it will be enough

Now that I have started to keep a track on Hockey. This will be my first ever season on wanting to keep a track on it. Thank EHM and game for that. £5 for ehm 05 what a bargain

I now talk (well mention at least) about it with my dad and brother now, I got my brother to download EHM 07 and he said it was good. So hopfully he will like it alot and wan't to go out and buy it and follow hockey. I don't think he has a team yet but I will soon ask him to get one.

Also at college I have started talking about it with my mates. There not overly botherd about it

It would be good for the Hockey world if we was able to get free EHIL hockey on TV. This would make the game more known and get more people into it. It would then encourage people to want to follow hockey further afar, America and Canada for example.

If im honest I would rather them take soaps of and heve BBC1 showing live EHIL games. Even if it was only 1-2 game a month still more than enough to try get people into it. The only problem is though is money rights etc. That would have to be sorted between BBC and EIHL.

maybe because I live in a town where there is no Hockey team that is why it is not really spoken about here. because we have a football team I do admit that is probably my favoraite sport. that is because I have grown up with it. Then hockey would follow in second.

It would be good to start a comminty for people who like hockey here in the UK. Just trying to find people where I live who are intrested in it though.

Some good news

my brother has just quoted this to me on msn

"I at one time loved ice hockey and wanted to become a ice hockey player but i lost intrest because I never thought there was england ice hockey teams"

he now said he wants to follow it though

mark_htfc wrote:Some good news

my brother has just quoted this to me on msn

"I at one time loved ice hockey and wanted to become a ice hockey player but i lost intrest because I never thought there was england ice hockey teams"

he now said he wants to follow it though

Bah. you're mean

But how is it good news?

Means there is more Hockey supporters and you can help spread the Hockey world