Two games in Prague

Last week, I went to Prague and managed to catch two games at the brilliant o2 Arena, and hoped to see HC Slavia Praha be victorious in both of their games, firstly against HC Vitkovice Steel and then HC EATON Pardubice.

After catching the Metro from Mustek to Ceskomoravska, I exited the station to the sight of the towering o2 Arena, and swiftly went to the ticket tiosk to pick up my ticket for the game, an expensive 260 Kc (For Czechs that is). I was sat behind the Vitkovice bench, 8 rows from the ice and it was a great vantage point to see the action at one side of the ice, the other side, less so. It would be an interesting game, as Slavia who have been suffering with their netminder situation since the start of the year, took on Vitkovice, with arguably the best goalie tandem in the league, Jakub Stepanek and Filip Sindelar. Stepanek was not at the o2 Arena, so it was time for Sindelar to take to the goal, with youngster Tomas Vosvrda as the emergency backup. The game started well for Slavia, as they got the majority of the puck earlier on, and Roman Cervenka, the top scorer in the Extraliga and just named to the Czech Olympic roster had two good chances. However, Milan Hnilicka, making his debut for Slavia in goal was woeful, allowing 6 goals on 17 shots. Slavia failed to score and Sindelar got what was probably his easiest shutout ever, as the game finished 6-0. More worrying for Slavia was the injuries to Roman Cervenka and veteran David Hruska, who both went off injured in the second period.

So two days later, and I was back at the o2 Arena, this time in Section 107 directly behind the goal and in with the Slavia fan club. That was an experience and a half! 10,500 were at the o2 for this heated derby game, and Pardubice brought around 2000 to 2500 fans, and it certainly created a great atmosphere. In goal for Slavia was Robert Slipcenko, while at the other end, one of the best goalies of all time, Dominik Hasek. Slavia’s offence was absolutely woeful, and they looked completely lost without Cervenka. His usual linemates, Michal Vondrka and Tomas Kurka turned the puck over on numerous occasions, and they only managed to score when Hasek misjudged a wrap around, and emergency call up from HC Havlickuv Brod, Tomas Svoboda put the puck past the Dominator. Slipcenko was very good for Slavia, and was at no fault for Pardubice’s goals (A one timer in the slot and a tipped point shot). The fans were getting restless but never stopped singing, something I rarely see in Britain.

So that’s my Prague hockey experience for the year. Managed to get over twice this season to Prague, and Slavia went 1-3 in those games. Maybe I’m a curse.

So all that’s left for me to say is have a great 2010!

A merry christmas to you all!

I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas, and hope that you have a happy and safe holiday period.

I’m off to Prague on Boxing to catch Slavia vs Vitkovice and Slavia vs Pardubice. Will have write ups for those games in the first days of 2010.

Thanks again for reading during the first month, and they’ll be more to come!

Cheers,

Jon

Half term grades

With the season bearing down on its half way point over the Christmas period, I feel it’s the right time to do the typical “half term grades” for the Coventry Blaze team, as a lot of people like to do.

For the Blaze, it’s been a great start to the season, as the team has hovered around first or second place for the majority of the season, and still has numerous games in hand over their rivals. Of course, those games in hand mean nothing if you cannot be victorious, but the Blaze have certainly shown they can compete with the best teams in league, beating Belfast twice in the Odyssey, and  defeating the Nottingham Panthers twice at the Skydome, although the Blaze are yet to break their duck at the NIC so far. After this weekend, the Blaze only have one more trip to the Odyssey and two more to the NIC, which certainly leads to a better run in, although there are still three more home games after this weekend against Belfast.

The obvious disappointment this year for the Blaze has been the Challenge Cup, where they did not qualify for the semi finals for the second year in a row (let’s not go into last year’s farce), and it’s obviously a disappointment considering the Blaze’s good performance in the cup. However, I can let this slide if we can maintain our league form throughout the season, and hopefully pick up that fourth league trophy. I went into the season not expecting to do that well, so this season really has been a pleasant surprise so far. So to grade the team as a whole so far, it would have to be a B+. This is mainly because I feel the team still has an extra gear to move up to yet, and we haven’t seen the best from the likes of Calder, Chambers and Fulghum, and once they start firing for good, the Blaze will be almost unstoppable.

Netminders

Peter Hirsch - The first Blaze player to win Player of the Month for two months in a row, and he certainly has been the Blaze’s MVP so far this season. Backing a defence that has not always looked so sure in itself, Hirschy as he is affectionately known has been the star for the blue and white this year, and the Blaze will have to fight hard to try and retain his services next season. The man with a character almost as big as his smile after a win brings amazing reflexes alongside elite experience playing against the likes of Sidney Crosby, and will be a shoe-in to at least be the back up for Team Denmark at the 2010 World Championships in Germany. Hirschy will have to continue this form if the Blaze are to succeed, and with him rarely conceding any soft goals at all, I have every confidence in Hirschy’s ability. Grade: A

Tom Murdy – We haven’t seen a lot of the GB Under 20 starter, so it’s hard to give a grade to Murdy, but he has two wins under his belt in the two games he’s played, and has a very nice save percentage of 93.2%, which he can be proud of. He’ll gain valuable experience in the ENL Blaze, and hopefully he can progress as well as Steve Fone did in Blaze colours. Grade: B- (Average due to games played)

Defence

Brian Lee: A lot of Blaze fans (including myself) were apprehensive of Lee coming in to take the number 2 spot on the Blaze blueline, but Lee has been an absolute revelation since joining the Blaze. His combination of solid tactical play, good decision making and a never say die attitude has lead to Lee becoming one of the fan favourites. Lee has shone in the months of November and December, where the extra responsibility of added minutes has made him shine. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and plays through the pain barrier. The spirit that Lee shows is one that makes him future captain material for any team that he plays for, and I would want Thommo to be trying to sign him right now! For me he has been the best defenceman on at least the Blaze this season, if not the league. Grade: A

Jonathan Weaver – The GB Captain will probably be enjoying this season more than last season. Where he had to carry the defensive corps last season, Weaver has relished the chance to play his favoured offensive game. Still prone to some defensive errors, Weaver’s scoring form at the start of the season was blistering. He can still make a great pass, but I would like to see him getting more shots through traffic. His play has dipped in the past few weeks, mainly due to having to log the extra minutes, and play as 2 defencemen out there, but I’m sure when we have the full corps back, the true Weaves will shine through. Grade: B

Jason Robinson – Robbo has certainly been the surprise of the season. After bouncing around the Racers, Steelers and Vipers, Robinson went back to North America, via Italy but then got the call from Thommo, and made a return to the EIHL. Robinson, a big bruising defenceman has certainly lived up to his no nonsense title, laying a fair few hits, including injuring Ross Dalgleish for a month! One aspect of his game that has been very impressive is his speed, and his lack of silly penalties. This was one of my worries when we signed him, but I’m very pleased with his performances in that sense. The only problem I have with big Robbo is his gallivanting up the ice at often the wrong time. I like his enthusiasm and his spirit, but sometimes he needs to make sure that there’s someone covering him, before he goes charging behind the net. That’s only a minor complaint, on the whole, very very good. Grade: B+

Tom Watkins – Ever reliable Tommy Watkins has ended up on defence for the majority of this season, and although he’s a natural forward, Watkins is doing all the right things on defence. Never spectacular, Watkins has kept his his reputation of doing all the fundamentals right, and never compromising the basics for the fancy stuff. Watkins will never be one to rack up the points, but as long as he isn’t conceding while on the ice, I’m happy with how Tommy’s playing, and he’s a very useful player to have, where he can contribute at both ends of the ice. Grade: B

Matthias Soderstrom – Matty really is an enigma. Some nights he’ll do everything right, and some nights he’ll make mistakes all over the shop (Cite the home loss against Nottingham). Some nights he’ll do all the basic plays right, and on others he’ll make the wrong decisions, charge on horrible pinches or give the puck away with sloppy passing. If he just tightens up on his defensive game, and stops trying to play expansive hockey, Matty will always make a useful contribution as a 4th/5th defenceman. I’m not sure if we’ll see another year of the Swede at the Skydome, as I don’t think he’ll have the legs for another season, especially on the big ice, but so-so for this season. Grade: C+

Forwards

Dan Carlson - To sum up Dan Carlson in one word, it would be warrior. The American has had to log ridiculous amounts of minutes this season, play as a third defenceman on shifts, and be relied upon to score points too. While the latter one of those started slowly, Carlson is starting to put the points on the board in the last month or so, without compromising the defensive aspects of his game. An awesome penalty killer and a relentless skater, DC is showing he still has a few years left, and hopefully we see those years with him in a Blaze jersey. Grade: A-

Adam Calder – Captain fantastic got off to a slow start, but this season sees the return of the gritty Calder we’ve seen in years past. His shot may not be all there as we saw in 2007-8, but the Manitoba native has thrown away the stereotype of when he’s not scoring he’s anonymous. Calder’s defensive game has improved drastically from the last couple of years, and he’s starting to pick up the scrappy goals, rather than the finesse shots. His skating looks improved, and he’s showing the effort that a captain should. I’ve been very impressed with Calder’s form, especially since the end of October, and long may it continue! Grade: A-

Greg Chambers: When we first saw Chambers, he started showing us some of the the miracle passes that made his name when he was with the Basingstoke Bison. The chubby playmaker has changed tack in the past couple of weeks, and has turned into a sniper, with three goals against the Nottingham Panthers, and 1 a piece against the Cardiff Devils and the Sheffield Steelers. Never relied upon to be a penalty killer, Chubbsy needs to be racking up the points, and sitting at fourth in the league in points he’s certainly doing the job that Thommo would want him to be doing. Sometimes he can fade in and out of games, which is something that he would want to rectify, and there are times when he makes the wrong pass at the wrong time and puts the team in jeopardy, but overall I’ve been pleased. Grade: B+

Russ Cowley – Cowley is further making his claim to be the best British defensive forward. With a never say die attitude, quick skating and great defensive awareness, Russ has all the tools to become an elite defensive forward in the EIHL. As usual with Russ though, he just needs to improve his offensive output if he wants to be considered one of the games greats. One of the best penalty killers in the league, and deadly when on a breakaway, Russ just needs to make sure he doesn’t get lost when the game gets physical. Easily becoming our true replacement for Ashley Tait. Grade: B+

Luke Fulghum – Luke seems to be the scapegoat of this years team, and I can sort of understand where a lot of fans are coming from. Suiting up as the fifth (yes fifth!) forward, Luke has been a revelation when it comes to secondary scoring, one of the major areas in which we lacked last season. He has a deadly eye for goal, and tends to score clutch goals. The one area in which I’m disappointed with Luke is in the defensive area of his game. He can often be seen gliding back to the defensive zone, and he does tend to waste quite a few chances, but I can’t complain when he’s putting up the point totals: Grade: B

Greg Owen – Defensive sound, and very useful offensively, Owen has been a great addition to the Blaze team. Arguably the best faceoff man on the team, Owen is very useful in these situations. A great penalty killer and plays solid hockey in both ends of the ice. Greg doesn’t have the points return that he would have wanted really, playing with guys like Chambers, and that’s where I think the slight disappointment with Owen comes from. I would like to see him getting stuck in a bit more in front of the goalie when he returns, but a great addition to the team. Grade: B

Derek Campbell – Was brought in to add the grit and muscle to the team, and he certainly has done that, while also contributing a lot more than people expected. Campbell has been controlled very well by Thommo, and is returning to the form that saw him average a point per game for the Manchester Phoenix. The only daft thing he has really done in a Blaze shirt was the mugging of Brad Voth last weekend, but he has shown that the Blaze won’t take anything lying, down, and has stepped up against the true heavyweights of the EIHL. If he continues to focus on the playing, and keep his minor penalty minutes relatively though, then I will continue to be impressed. Grade: B

Danny Stewart – While I know he’s had the misfortune to be the one who’s had to switch between offence and defence, Stewart has done reasonably well this season. The points totals are returning to the first season he was with the Blaze, and he is still a ferocious skater and penalty killer. I still get infuriated when he doesn’t keep his mouth shut and takes silly penalties (cite: Last week against Sheffield), but I think Stewart is still one of the most underrated players in the country, especially on the third line. Grade: B-

Joe Henry – Was given his chance to make a name for himself on the top line, and every season all we here is that Joe needs to bulk up and add the muscle required to not get bullied out of games, but as with every season, Joe just seems to get bullied out of games, and has no room to use his skills. He has obvious stick skills, and when he gets a chance to shoot, he seems to have a great shot, but he doesn’t get the chance to use it. I think that it’s make or break time for Henry now, and he needs to go to the EPL next season to try and get some regular experience playing against quality players, while having the chance to play hockey. Grade: C

Jack Watkins – Not enough appearances to make a fair judgment. Seems to have all the basics necessary to become similar to Ashley Tait. Good size, a good skater and from what I’ve seen he has a laser of a shot. Just needs to work on using his frame, and also making the right decisions, but at the ripe age of 16, he has a lot of time to develop. Grade: B-

I don’t feel it’s fair to comment on the other players, as we rarely see them get any quality time on the ice to show their worth to the Blaze.

So that’s what I think of the Blaze team so far this season, but what about you? I’d love to hear what you, the readers think of my blog, and the sorts of things you’d like to hear about. Do you think I’ve over or under marked someone? Add a comment.

Where are they now? Part 2

Time for the second edition of my yearly “Where are they now?” feature, and for this edition I’m going to feature some of the defencemen that have graced the Skydome blue line, and are now plying their trade in a foreign land. Firstly, going all the way back to the Grand Slam year…

Jozef Lukac – 2004-05

Jozef Lukac arrived at the Blaze in late 2004, as a replacement for Pavol Mihalik, who damaged his shoulder after a brutal hit by the Sheffield Steelers pantomime villain at that time, Jeff Christian. Lukac was signed from the Basingstoke Bison, for whom he played 30 games and was allowed to sign for the Blaze. Lukac only played a paltry 15 games for the Blaze, but his quality showed, and he quickly became one of the fan favourites, for his attempts at hip checks, his deadly passing, and also his goal against the Basingstoke Bison, where he scored from his own zone. Lukac’s biggest contribution for the Blaze was when he sent the pass to Ashley Tait, to bury the Playoff Final winner in Overtime, against the Nottingham Panthers.

After leaving the Blaze, Lukac returned to his native land and signed for SK Slavia Trebic in the Czech 1.liga. Lukac excelled for Trebic, and netted an impressive 7 goals and 11 assists from the blueline, and also was some of the muscle on the Trebic blue line.

The season after, Lukac was on the move again, this time going to one of the most famous Czech teams of all time, Dukla Jihlava. Dukla were a force to be reckoned with in the past, but a combination of financial difficulties and lack of talent has lead to their slide down the ranks in the Czech Republic. Lukac had his career year for Dukla, scoring 23 points, and helping Dukla go deep in the playoffs.

Another year another team for Lukac, and in 2007-8 he signed for BK Mlada Boleslav, and was part of the championship team, that saw Mlada get promoted to the Extraliga. Lukac was on the roster for the 2008-9 season, but it became obvious that he would not get many chances on the roster, and dropped down to the 1.liga again, firstly signing for Vrchlabi, and then HC Benatky nad Jizerou for the remainder of the season.

This season, Lukac has re-signed for Benatky, and will be looking to make another push to the Extraliga.

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Pavol Mihalik 2004-6

Another fan favourite, Slovak Pavol Mihalik has not strayed far from Coventry since leaving the Blaze in 2006. After a year with the Newcastle Vipers, where he was once again cursed with the injury bug that plagued him during his time with the Blaze, the hip checking defenceman made his way to France, and signed with Angers.

 In his first season with the club, Mihalik only managed to play 19 out of a possible 30 league games, and struggled to fit in with the team. Angers reached the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round.

However, next season Mihalik shone, netting 3 goals and 13 assists in 24 games, to help Angers go deep into the playoffs, and just miss out on being crowned the champions.

This season, Mihalik got married and is firmly settled in France. As a result, Mihalik re-signed with Angers, and I can see him staying there for a few more years still.

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Samy Nasreddine 2006-7

Samy Nasreddine’s tenure with the Blaze was short, but the French Canadian was blessed with great defensive skills, and never looked flustered. Nasreddine was part of the great championship winning side of 2006-7 with the Blaze, and although we would’ve loved to have had him back, he decided to move onto bigger and better things, signing with SønderjyskE in Denmark.

In his first season with SønderjyskE, Nasreddine settled in very well, and was a key part of their early season success. Nasreddine scored 20 points in 45 games in his first season in Denmark, and although the season promised so much for the team from Vojens, they were eliminated in the playoff semi finals, to the fans disappointment.

However, 2008-09 was a great year for Nasreddine, as he beat his points total from the previous season, but it was in the playoffs that the Montreal native shone. In SønderjyskE’s 16 playoff games, Nasreddine scored 13 points, 3 goals and 10 assists, and was integral to SønderjyskE winning the Danish championship, his third major trophy in his career.

Nasreddine has stayed on with SønderjyskE for this season, and looks to be in even better form than last year, averaging over a point per game from the blueline. Nasreddine was a great find for Thommo, and it looks like he’s a great find for SønderjyskE too.

Form is temporary, class is permanent

This season has seen the return of numerous players from retirement, to try their hand at professional hockey. But why have they come back? The credit crunch caused them to try and make a quick buck, or are they just trying to help out their old team?

The most high profile of these returns was Theoren Fleury’s attempt to try and make the Calgary Flames in the pre-season. It had been almost 4 seasons since Fleury had played professional hockey, albeit with the Belfast Giants of the “glamorous” EIHL. By all accounts, Fleury was very unluckly to miss out on a roster spot with the Flames, and certainly couldve gone to the AHL. It sure is amazing how a guy can leave the game for almost a decade and still perform somewhere near top level hockey.

This brings me onto the next of these returning players, but this time we look to Russia. This week, 51 year old legendary defenceman Slava Fetisov returned to the ice to play as emergency cover for his beolved club CSKA Moskva, which he is the GM of. CSKA was missing defensive stalwart Denis Kulyash and Fetisov, who has beens skating since retiring in 1998 after winning his second Stanley Cup as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Fetisov played 8 and a half minutes in his comeback, and even though he had trouble with some of SKA’s better offensive players, by all accounts he did well.

Some players will always play the same, and this week us Coventry Blaze saw the return of the great James Pease. The man mountain, who hasn’t scored for the Blaze in almost a decade returned for Saturdays game against the Cardiff Devils and still keeps the same nuances, including not being able to make an outlet, and playing like a player half his size, but still, you can’t dislike Peasey!

The Russians set to make a name for themselves at the Olympics

I don’t mean to sound elitist, but there’s a lot of fans, especially in North America who know very little about the KHL. However, news came out this week that Russian hockey legend, Vladislav Tretiak says that the Russian Olympic team will probably be made up of half NHL players, and half KHL players (Source: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2009/11/29/sp-russia-tretiak.html). This will be interesting news for the Russian team, who’s victorious team in the 2009 World Championships was made up of around 75% KHL players, with the main star being Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers. So with that in mind, I’m going to give you guys a preview of what Team Russia will have to offer in terms of KHL players coming up to the Olympics.

In goal it’s very doubtful that we’ll see any KHLers join up the Russian team. The best of the Russian netminders are in the NHL, and the trio of Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov will share the duties, barring injury. The only possible call up I could see for the Russian team would be Ilya Proskuryakov, but I highly doubt he would see any playing time.

The biggest name from the KHL has to be Aleksey Morozov. The former Pittsburgh Penguins winger has made his home in Tatarstan with AK Bars Kazan, scoring at over a point per game pace in the 5 year period he’s been back in Russia so far. Morozov, 32, will more than certainly be the captain for Team Russia, and will be looking to lead the Russians to success in their old enemy’s back yard. Morozov who’s fatnastic scoring skills, coupled with great leadership attributes make him the perfect captain for Russia, and he has bags of experience, being part of both the 2008 and 2009 World Championship winning teams.

SU-33 as he is affectionatey known will also be making what will probably be his final Olympic appearance, as the Veteran winger is now 35 years old, but is in the form of his life. Maksim Sushinskiy will be a lock for a place on the Olympic roster, as father time doesn’t seem to be catching up with the St. Petersburg native, who has netted 33 points in 28 games for the Eastern Conference leaders, SKA St. Petersburg. Sushinskiy made only 30 appearances in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild, but his speed coupled with great vision on the ice make him a potent threat in the Russian line up, and his partnership with SKA new boy Alexei Yashin has been one of the real keys to SKA’s success this season.

If I were Slava Bykov, I would take Yashin on the team in an instant, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Bykov has stated that he doesn’t think Yashin fits into the plans that he has for the team, and this would be a real shame for Yashin, who’s performances this season more than certainly make him deserve a place on the team.

Other names that we will probably see on the Russian team include: Alexander Radulov, Sergei Mozyakin and the possible reunion of one of the greatest lines in Russian history, as the possible reincarnation of the famous ZZM line in Kazan is probable, as Sergei Zinoviev of Salavat Yualev Ufa and Danis Zaripov of Ak Bars Kazan will probably be on the roster, and the chemistry of these three players would cause a huge problem for the lower lines of other teams in the tournament

Defensively, the KHL will have a big part to play, as there is a real lack of quality Russian defencemen in the NHL. Players such as Sergei Gonchar, Andrei Markov, Anton Volchenkov and Fedor Tyutin are certs to feature (barring injury of course), but to fill out the rest of the D, the KHL players will come in handy. Arguably the best Russian D-man in the KHL is Danill Markov of Dinamo Moskva. Markov is a tough physical d-man who will be essential to Russia’s success, and making sure they are able to shut down the likes of Heatley, Marleau and Thornton for Canada.

Other d-men that will probably feature for Russia will include former NHL veterans Sergei Zubov and Oleg Tverdovsky. Zubov has enjoyed success as part of the SKA St. Petersburg lineup, with 19 points in 27 games, and he still has his class from his days with the Dallas Stars, even though he’s at the age of 39. Tverdovsky, who bounced around NHL teams for a brief period has enjoyed a lot of success on a personal with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and will be looking to show he’s still got it in him. The Stanley Cup winner will want to add to his trophy cabinet at the Olympics, and he will be a key player if included.

Hopefully that’s given you guys who aren’t totally in touch with the KHL, a bit of an insight into who will be lining up for Team Russia.

Hirsch to return to the national team?

Coventry Blaze starting netminder, Peter Hirsch is set to return to the national set up for Denmark after a years absence. Denmark, who went with Patrick Galbraith for last years world championships look set to invite Hirsch back to play for Denmark in Germany 2010

The source of this speculation has come out of Denmark with this article (http://www.sporten.dk/ishockey/peter-hirsch-varm-pa-vm). Loosely translated, Hirsch says that he would be willing to play for Denmark again if given a place in the team, and would be happy to be either the back up or the third goalie, as long as he is part of the set up. After his great performances in the Allsvenskan so far this season, I’m pretty sure that Galbraith will be the starter, but Hirsch has tons of experience in the World Championships, and would certainly be an asset for Denmark.

The good news for Blaze fans is that Hirschy won’t be leaving the team mid-season to play for the Denmark team in the Euro Hockey Challenge, or any friendly games, so although he wants to return to the Denmark team, he is maintaining his contractual obligation to the Blaze, and will play for the Blaze even when Denmark is playing.

It would be great news for Hirschy if he was invited back to the team, and a great reward for his efforts so far this season. While I think that Galbraith will start, having two solid goalies is always an advantage, ask Great Britain with Lyle and Murphy.