The Get Real Guide to the Edinburgh Capitals: Tradition in the Face of Adversity

Home Arena: Murrayfield Ice Rink, Edinburgh, Scotland

League: Elite League

Colours: Blue, White

Founded: 1998

The Edinburgh Capitals may not the most famous name in British ice hockey but the team’s origins and ice hockey in the city certainly do.

The Capitals were formed in 1998 as the new team for Edinburgh, the city having been previously represented in the sport by the Murrayfield Racers. The Racers were one of the most famous names in the sport in Great Britain winning 13 league titles since the 1960’s. However with the sport modernising in the 1990’s the Racers and their old fashioned rink were left behind and after failing to secure Superleague status in 1995 the team folded. The gap that was left was eventually to be filled by the Capitals.

In 1998 the Capitals were formed by ex Racer Scott Neil and still play at the same Murrayfield rink (although with added plexi glass). That team entered the British National League and after that league folded in 2005 like all Scottish clubs the Capitals faced a dilemma. Either go into obscurity or move in to the Elite League. Unlike the other Scottish teams however the Capitals took the plunge and moved into the Elite League.

The move has not made life easier for the Capitals who have fought constant money issues and as a result have failed to be very competitive. However the Capitals did make the playoffs in 2008, 09 and 2010. The 2010 season even saw the side finish sixth in the league and record their highest number of points.

The 2011 season was a disaster however as first head coach Brad Gratton left after 4 months in charge and was followed by 8 more players before the season ended. The lowest point was an 18 – 0 defeat to the Sheffield Steelers as the team finished bottom of the table with only 6 wins.

This season however has been more promising with the side in the playoffs and battling with the Braehead Clan for the honour of top Scottish side. Despite this life will always be hard for the Edinburgh Capitals. Their rink is not as modern and they face a massive amount of competition for fans, sponsors and backing from soccer and rugby union as well as the many other attractions a capital city has to offer. Although in the face of all this the Capitals have survived and continue the tradition of ice hockey in Edinburgh.

Website

http://www.edinburgh-capitals.com/

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

The Get Real Guide to the Dundee Stars: Continuing the Hockey Tradition of a City.

League: EIHL

Home Ice: Dundee Ice Arena, Dundee, Scotland

Colours: Red, White and Blue

Founded: 2001

The Dundee Stars are one the UK’s new breed of growing teams. This is because that whilst the Stars may only be ten years old they, like Edinburgh, Coventry and Manchester follow in the footsteps of famous teams before them.

Ice Hockey in Dundee has a long history with the Dundee Tigers and the Dundee Rockets and in 2001 the Dundee Stars arrived and brought British league ice back to the Ice Arena. This was in the second tier British National League that they dewily won in their first season and followed it up with a win in the playoffs. Before the BNL was disbanded in 2005 the Stars would make several cup final appearances as well winning the playoffs again in 2005.

Following the disbanding of the BNL the Stars refused to enter the EIHL due to fears about being competitive and the lack of Scottish opponents with the Fife Flyers also not being admitted into the EIHL. This let the Stars with a problem. Their fellow BNL members either made the jump to the EIHL or stepped down to the English Premier League but the latter does not have a Scottish equivalent and the so the Stars were forced to drop effectively 2 tiers to the Scottish National League along with the Flyers.

In 2010 though the Stars did join the EIHL and made a successful first campaign. The team made the playoffs and narrowly lost to the league champions in the first round. Their second year in the EIHL has been less successful so far with the team struggling for home form and sacking their Head Coach Dan Ceman in early December.

Ice hockey in Dundee has survived through many phases and changes both in league structure and owner ship. In many ways this is typical of teams in Scotland and will continue to be the case as long as there is a rink.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

The GetRealHockey Guide to the Braehead Clan

Home: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scottland

Founded: 2010

Colours: Purple, Black, Silver,

The Braehead Clan are one the UK’s newest hockey clubs but represent an area with a deep and rich ice hockey history. The Clan were founded in 2010 following a continued effort to re-establish a professional team in the south western part of Scotland following the loss of the Scottish Eagles during the 2002 season.

The Clan’s first season was not without its own problems though.  Almost as soon as the clubs first head coach Adam Calder was announced he left and the season hadn’t even started yet. But things did turn around and the Clan went on to finish the season in the playoffs and picked up their first piece of silverware with the four team tournament Aladdin Cup trophy in 2011. The Braehead Clan also took the Scottish bragging rights by finishing higher than the other three Scottish clubs in the EIHL.

As for this season Braehead will once again be aiming for the play offs and going one better by reaching the finals weekend. And with wins against Belfast and Cardiff they have shown the potential to do that. Whilst with two games left in the challenge cup group stage they remain in a good position to qualify for the semi finals.

So far Braehead have done a great job in putting Glasgow back on the hockey map but they will have a lot to live up to because of the success of their predecessor the Scottish Eagles in the nineties but with time and the ground they have made in such a short space of time the Clan seem to be well placed to do that.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com