The Beauty of the Playoffs

The playoffs are a special time of the season. The edge of your seat drama associated with win or your out hockey is like nothing else. Now with teams across the globe heading down the stretch looking to secure that last spot or home advantage every hockey fan has thoughts of the playoffs.

Last week however an article on from Mark Denholm (Slough Jets, EPL) on his personal blog suggested that British ice hockey and the English Premier League should return to the mini league system for its playoff format. This would involve the qualifying teams to be split into two groups who then play against each other home and away with the two teams with the best records going on to the finals weekend. This system was widely used in the UK until quite recently when a change to the knockout system was introduced first by the EIHL then by the EPL.

Denholm suggests that the mini league format would add credibility to the playoffs, as teams would have to win more than 3 games and prolong the post season past a weekend. However Denholm ignores the reasons for the change and the reasons why the playoffs in the knockout format are so exciting.

Firstly the knockout format allows the underdog to have its day. A team from the bottom half of the league can take a scalp much more easily if a tie is played over 2 games instead of over 6. This gives the fans something to cheer on whether they are at the top or the bottom of the regular season.

The knockout format is also much less complicated for everyone. Whether you are a fan, a player or an official you know if you beat the opposition you win the tie and progress. There is no missing half the game because you are busy checking the result in the other game and trying to work out how many goals your team needs. It also avoids the mess that is the head to head method of splitting teams on equal points.

A major reason for the change to the knockout system was one of logistics. The mini league possessed many headaches and pitfalls for the teams that made the playoffs both in terms of arranging the fixtures and in getting to the rink to play the games. The rushed nature of getting the fixtures organised and the short time in which teams have to play them often led to games being played in midweek, which in turn had an adverse effect on attendances as teams struggled to criss-cross the country to make games.

With the change to the knockout system there has been an increase in playoff attendances as home and away fans come along to see their team for possibly the last time. Fans are also more willing to attend, as the costs for playoff tickets are lower and they are more willing to travel, as there is a chance of an upset. Whilst the playoffs are also a focus point for fans to arrange their travel around.

In terms of competition the playoffs in a knockout format provide another challenge. In UK ice hockey the league standings decide the league champion and there is a cup competition in which the semi finalists qualify via a mini league. Therefore there is an absence of a knockout competition to challenge teams.

Ultimately which playoff system is used in the UK should come down to which is the most popular with the fans and with good attendances and a simple method why chance with a magical time of the year.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

Could the UK host a Winter Classic?

Today saw the KHL host its Russika Klassika, its version of the NHL’s winter classic. The game played in Kraysnoyarks comes just over a week since it was made official that the 2013 NHL winter classic will take place at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbour where the largest ever attendance is expected at The Big House for the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Outdoor hockey has become increasing popular with the NHL going to host it’s sixth edition and outdoor games have been played in the AHL, KHL, NCAA and ElitSerien creating massive exposure not only in ice hockey but in general sports as well. So perhaps now is the time for the Elite League to follow suit and host its own version.

There are some hurdles to get over but they are less than you might think. From a technical point of view an ice rink would be easy to construct at any location with temporary ice rinks now a common sight across the UK at Christmas in town centers.

A location is harder to pin down. There are many stadiums that are versatile enough to host such an event but soccer teams use these over the winter. However there is Murrayfield in Edinburgh, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and of course Wembley, although these grounds are probably a little bit big for an ice hockey game in this country.

But a ground could be picked depending on the teams being involved and in order to have a big interest and big attendance it could realistically only be the Sheffield Steelers and the Nottingham Panthers. Mainly because they both have fans that travel in numbers and the rivalry between has become electric. As for a location in Nottingham or Sheffield it is hard to see beyond Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

Don Valley is across the road from Ice Sheffield who could supply the rink, it is close to where the Sheffield Steelers already play and most importantly it will be available for sometime before the event with Rotherham United soccer team due to move out at the end of the current soccer season. This venue could lead to a longer event with a roses game between the Sheffield Steeldogs and the Manchester Phoenix preceding the main event.

The downside could be the Sheffield weather though. Whilst the temperature on say Boxing Day would be cold enough it might also be raining rather than snowing and this is the problem. The rain would provide a dangerous playing surface and could prove to make the game a wash out which would be terrible for the publicity.

The major snag however is the cost. Not only in hosting such an event but also in the profit the Steelers could lose out on by not having a full arena. It would be hoped that the later would be offset by the increased publicity leading to more fans but whom and how the hosting costs would be accounted for is a different matter.

Of course ticket prices would account for some of the price and hopefully sponsorship and advertising would also cover the costs but both rely on high amounts and maybe even a television deal as well.

There is no doubt that outdoor games have caught the imagination of hockey fans around the world. In many countries they have managed to recreate the atmosphere of cup final. It is true that in the UK as well there is a buzz around the NHL’s Winter Classic and as the UK has the capacity to host an outdoor game shouldn’t it be attempted.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

Could promotion and relegation be the future for British Ice Hockey?

With the news that the EPL side Guildford Flames have resigned Joe Kohut as their sixth import is it not time for a chance to be made to force clubs into a new challenge.

The Flames who are currently at the top of the EPL table and 6 points clear have signed the Slovakian as cover for the long term injured Curtis Huppe despite already carrying a spare import. (EPL rules say only 4 non-British trained players per bench.) The point is if sides at the top of the EPL or ENL have the cash to spend on spare imports to keep their team at full strength then isn’t the status quo becoming too easy for those teams. Are teams too comfortable being at the top end of the second or third tiers of British ice hockey to make the move up the ladder and face a tougher challenge?

If British ice hockey were to introduce a promotion and relegation system where by the champions of the EPL would move up to the EIHL and the ENL champions to the EPL this would give those clubs a new tougher challenge and the demoted teams a chance to regroup.

It is not an overnight solution but it is something to think about. According to some reports including from British ice hockey agent Gareth Chalmers there are teams in the EPL spending as much as clubs in the EIHL. Therefore a promoted club probably wouldn’t be spending that much more on their team just changing how they would spend it. Players’ contracts would also not be that much of a problem as most players are signed on a season-by-season basis and this would also negate the difference between the import quotas.

For the promoted teams there would also be increased revenue from larger attendances, more media exposure and more prize money to play for as well as a chance to try out a higher league without the risk of having to succeed. Whilst for the demoted teams it would be a chance to give their fans more wins than the previous season and gain some more media coverage by having a successful year. Demotion could also save some hockey clubs from going out of business completely by offering them an easy way to run their club at a cheaper price in a low league and give them the opportunity to return if their fortunes changed.

Promotion and relegation would also provide the league with a chance to reduce the number of meaningless games. At present with an 8-team playoff system teams in the middle order often end up playing out many games with little at stake. However with relegation a prospect the leagues could have fewer teams in the playoffs for example 5 or 6 and introduce a relegation playoff for the bottom 2 or 4. Thus making the season more interesting for longer and maintaining a climax to the season.

For the fans as well promotion and relegation is an opportunity. It would give them new places to go to, a chance to visit some of the biggest and best arenas in the country and the chance to see their team be a bigger team than they are now. Some fans seem to be very vocal in criticizing the EIHL and blaming the league for the fact that their team is not contending for the title. There are in any sport the haves and the have not’s and unfortunately the majority of teams are the have not’s but promotion and relegation gives teams the chance to move up that scale. Also it is a system widely understood by British sport fans due to its use in soccer and the promotion and relegation is used in hockey in Europe too.

It also gives rinks and their owners a reason to improve their facilities. This is because promotion could only be granted based on the standard of that clubs rink and because of the increased revenue streams on offer there is an inventive to make improvements.

There are some problems however. For instance there is the Scotland issue. What would happen if Dundee or Fife were to be relegated? They cannot really play in the EPL and the Scottish National League is at an amateur standard. And this system probably would have scuppered the Braehead Clan’s chances of coming into existence because they play in a large arena that needs good attendances from the start to survive. It also does not stop the top teams in the EIHL from loading up on imports to win the league or the issues around the salary cap.

But the point isn’t that this is a quick fix and would not solve all the problems of the EIHL and EPL. This is to argue that a new system like this would stop a culture whereby teams and fans become too comfortable with success at a lower level and end up becoming jealous and wary of those at the top of the hockey pile blaming the league set up for why they are not the best in the country.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

Sheffield Steelers Hit Coventry Blaze For 6.

More GB hockey action for our readers !!

The only Elite League game to be played on New Years Day saw the Sheffield Steelers regain 4^th spot in the Elite League with a fine 6-3 win over the Coventry Blaze.

Coventry started the opening 2 minutes looking menacing but a defensive lapse saw Colt King give Sheffield the lead at 2.33. He fired the puck high over the net but it took a funny bounce to come straight back infront of the net and with the Blaze defence asleep King stole in to fire the puck past Hirsch.

The Blaze levelled at 8.34 as Barry Jurynec was the beneficiary from a Matt Stephenson mistake as the puck found him open infront of the net and he fired past John De Caro. Stephenson was less than impressed with himself, smashing his stick on the crossbar as he realised he should have controlled and cleared the puck.

Sheffield were to take a 2-1 lead into the 2^nd period though as ex Blaze star Luke Fulgham got on the score sheet with a clinical finish at 17.46.

2 quick goals at the start of the 2^nd period saw Sheffield take a commanding 4-1 lead as Fulgham scored his 2^nd of the game at 21.48 and Jeff Legue fired  a one timer in off the bar as Colt King fed him the perfect pass on a 2-1 breakaway.

It then turned into the Peter Hirsch show as the Blaze netminder started to stand on his head to keep the score down. He pulled off some jaw dropping saves from Legue, King and Finnerty – the latter the most upset as he slammed his stick into the plexi after being denied on his chance.

The Blaze did pull a goal back in the midst of all these Steelers chances as Owen Fussey scored a powerplay goal at 5.53.

Hirsch was still on top form at the start of the 3^rd period as he again denied Finnerty a certain goal but he was finally beaten for a 5^th time as Matt Stephenson atoned for his earlier error and managed to force the puck in behind the Blaze netminder.

Coventry weren’t finished yet though and brought the game back to within 2 as Greg Owen scored at 9.32 of the third, firing the puck in off De Caro’s skates from just behind the goal line.

However, Mike Ramsay finished off the scoring at 11.45 of the period as he was put clean in on Hirsch and this time the netminder couldn’t pull off the big save as Ramsay deked round him and fired it into the net.

A superb game from both teams but Sheffield proved they are a force on home ice and got back to winning ways after 2 disappointing games over Christmas.

My man of the match awards go to Peter Hirsch in the Blaze goal who certainly stopped the Steelers scoring 10 in this game. There were at least 5 / 6 one on ones where he pulled of miraculous stops and he kept his team in the game in the 2^nd period.

For Sheffield, Colt King really impressed me. Having a reputation as more of an enforcer type of player he is certainly a lot more than that. A great power forward display and his passing was excellent throughout the game. 1 + 1 on the board and was one of the ones that Hirsch stoned otherwise would have scored more.

- Adam Yates

Panthers Owner’s Ideas Highlight the Need for EIHL Leadership

All the talk this week in the EIHL and UK ice hockey has been about the Nottingham Panthers owner and his comments over the week in the Nottingham Post.

Owner Neil Black spoke out about the financial crises in the sport at the moment but insisted that it was the teams’ fault and that they shouldn’t be spending money they don’t have. This is true but what Black did not touch upon is that other teams have spent more money than they should have because they are keeping up with his sides spending.

Nor did Black mention about the rumoured strict salary cap that would stop teams spending more money. Instead the cost cutting measure that he proposed was for a two-conference system. In his proposal there would one ‘southern’ conference with Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Sheffield and Belfast in and a ‘northern’ conference with Hull, Edinburgh, Dundee, Fife and Braehead.

It is an interesting idea but does have some flaws. Black suggests that under this systems teams play more times against teams in their own conference than in the other. Black argues this would cut costs, as it would mean shorter journeys for teams. However it does not cut costs for either Belfast or Hull. In Belfast’s case they will need to fly more to England instead of catching the boat to Scotland. Hull on the other hand would need to make the 618 mile round trip to Dundee four times and their nearest geographical neighbour in their conference would be Edinburgh which is 506 mile round trip. Whilst there nearest geographical rival Sheffield (120 mile round trip) would only be visited twice.

This could be solved by swapping Belfast and Hull around. However Black sees this system as increasing competitive games and conference title races and if Hull and Belfast were to trade places Hull would be massively disadvantaged by being financially less powerful than their conference rivals. On the other hand Belfast would be the overwhelming favourite for their conference given their superior finances and facilities. This would also have a bad effect on their fan base as Belfast General Manager Todd Kelman said ‘it is easier to sell tickets for tight game than a rout.’

Sticking with the competiveness issue. Black thinks that this system will lead to a more meaningful playoff series and this too will be more competitive. Whilst the playoff series would be more meaningful, as the winners would be classed as the Elite League champions, it will be less competitive as the final will be between the winner of the stronger ‘southern’ conference and the winner of the weaker ‘northern’ conference. Thus leading to a one sided, damp squid of a final.

Black also argues that this system would increase away fan travel. This may be true in the ‘southern’ conference but with increased air travel for Belfast fans this doesn’t seem true for them. Nor with the distances seen for the Hull Stingrays does this seem likely for them. In fact Hull’s away fan attendance’s are likely to fall dramatically as fans of the Scottish teams are more likely to save their money for games more locally.

Away from the conference system, Black also spoke about the hot topic of import players. Black’s argument that teams are paying a premium for top GB Internationals is fair. Coventry’s top earners are GB Internationals David Phillips and Jonathan Weaver. However by getting rid of the import quota will have a negative effect on the national side because less young British talent will come through. For example would Robert Lachowicz as a young British forward have been signed by the Nottingham Panthers when they could have brought in a proven goal scorer from North America?

Black’s words concerning teams spending more money than they have however are more than apt. Teams in Sheffield and Cardiff have been driven to succeed at all costs and by trying to keep up with the Nottingham’s and Belfast’s who have the cash to spend. Black did not mention this in the articles but his reluctance to talk about a salary cap combined with his wanted conference structure sum up what is wrong with the EIHL.

All of Black’s ideas whilst a good talking point and a good introduction into making strong changes actually really benefit one club, his. Nottingham have one of the best financial structures in place and so can afford to pay players a lot more than other clubs, Nottingham is geographically close to all the teams in their proposed conference and would benefit from increased away fan gate receipts. In addition the Nottingham Panthers have not had any league success since the 1950’s but have been playoff champions and the new system would reward playoff success immensely.

This is why the Elite League needs to find a replacement for the now departed chairman Eammon Convey quickly and be releasing ideas such as Black has done on a more regular basis.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

Changes a Foot For British Ice Hockey

Following on from the news that 4 time Elite League winners Coventry have hit into money trouble their head coach Paul Thompson has now stepped down from his role as the Great Britain team head coach.

Thompson had taken charge of the national programme in 2007 and under his stewardship the national team rose up the IIHF ranking. The greatest achievement was probably the victory over the Ukraine in the 2011 World Championships when his side beat the home team live on Ukrainian television on their way to narrowly missing out on promotion to the full World Championship group.

Thompson added in a statement that he was leaving the post to concentrate on the crises at the Blaze and leaves Ice Hockey UK with a massive task of finding his replacement before the build up to the 2012 World Championships.

A successor however will be had to come by, as currently Thompson is the only British although Corey Nielsen of the Nottingham Panthers could be a frontrunner for the role. Nielsen although born in Canada did represent the Great Britain team in the last World Championships and his side currently sits second in the Elite League.

Another name could be Rob Wilson who has served as Paul Thompson’s assistant and has coached in the Elite League with Newcastle and is well known in the UK with fans and players. However Wilson is currently in charge of Italian side Neumarkt Egna that will make him an unlikely candidate.

Tony Hand’s name could also be on a shortlist. Hand has also been an assistant under Paul Thompson and has coached in the Elite League with Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester. Like Wilson, Hand is extremely well known within the game and with the players and was also a member of the last Great Britain team to play in the World Championship group. However Hand is currently the player coach of the second tier Manchester Phoenix and like Wilson would find in difficult to watch the players enough times to be able to pick the best squad. 

Ice Hockey UK may opt for a foreign coach and that could open the door to Doug Christiansen of the Belfast Giants.

Two things are for certain. One is that this is a huge job to fill and is immensely difficult given the time with players and lack of funding. The second is that there is not a long list of candidates with the experience, knowledge, success and perseverance needed to kept the Great Britain team moving forward.

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 Get Real Guide to the Coventry Blaze: Building Success from the Ground Up

Founded: 2000

Colours: Black, White, Navy, Sky Blue

Home: Skydome Arena, Coventry

The Coventry Blaze are a team that has built its self up from the very bottom to become one of the most successful teams in British ice hockey over the last 10 years. And now features many of the Great Britain team as well as being coached by national team coach Paul Thompson.

The Blaze story though begins a short distance up the road with the Solihull Barons. The Barons were themselves a famous name in the 1980's and early 1990's but the race to professionalism and lack of a larger arena combined with some money issues left the Barons behind their counterparts in Sheffield and Nottingham. And so in 1996 the Barons where bought out and became the Solihull Blaze before in the year 2000 making the short move south to the new Skydome Arena in Coventry to become the Coventry Blaze.

Their move to the Skydome also saw the club maintain their place in the British National League and in 2003 with the formation of the new Elite League the Blaze made the jump to the top flight. In that first season in the top flight the side laid out their stall early beating eventual winners Sheffield 6-1 and the Manchester Phoenix 11-0 before finishing third in the league.

The following season the Blaze had there most successful season ever winning not only the Challenge Cup for their first ever piece of silverware but added the league title and the playoff trophy for grand slam.

The Blaze went on to win 3 more titles in the next 4 seasons adding a Challenge Cup victory in 2007 as well as a Knockout Cup win in 2008.

In all the Blaze are the most successful club in the Elite League but have so far this season hit some finaincial problems. As of now the future of the Blaze is unclear beyond this season but their raise to become a powerhouse of the game in Great Britain can only benefit the club going forward.

Honours

British National League Champions

ñ2002–03

British National League Play Off Champions

ñ2002–03

Elite Ice Hockey League Champions

ñ2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10

Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Champions

ñ2004–05

Elite Ice Hockey League Challenge Cup Champions

ñ2004–05, 2006–07

Elite Ice Hockey League British Knockout Cup Champions

ñ2007–08

Elite Ice Hockey League Charity Shield Champions

ñ2008–09

Links

Official Website

http://www.coventryblaze.co.uk/

Fans Forum

http://www.fireandiceforum.co.uk/index.php

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com