I'm going to finish my personal column this season with some reflections back on it. There's been a few highlights and a few low ones too, as you can imagine because if we won all the time then people would be bored and predictable. So sit down and see if these thoughts reconcile with you. Sorry for the length of the article though...
The season kicked in for us in mid August when we had a couple of pre-season scrimmages with Danes Aalborg Pirates, conveniently arranged through Mr Thompson's contacts there no less. Pretty competitive workouts and the first look at the newly assembled squad; and wasn't that interesting with Mike Ratchuk getting stuck in when some Dane roughed up one of ours? I remember coming out of Ice Sheffield thinking, blimey that new number 44 looks a bit keen and feisty!
Aalborg's game was a warm up for the upcoming Champions Hockey League a few days after and it took a couple of late goals in the final 10 minutes to seal the deal for the Swedes after Steelers had them on the ropes at 3-3. What unravelled us was the next game was just two days away, and a lengthy trip from southern Sweden to Austria. Not exactly a short hop for a couple of stops is it? Er, no. We held it to 1-0 at the end of twenty but then fatigue kicked in big time daddio, especially in the third to concede four and crash 8-1. I wonder if Panthers and Devils will get this kinda schedule next year. Let us watch that one carefully...
The return games back in Sheffield were good, and to be honest I enjoyed them better than the previous year's against Frolunda HC and JYP. HV71 schooled us on how to run a powerplay in game three of the group games, they won 5-2 and all five came on the man advantage. We did compete and you know, I felt comfortable and happy with the roster. Loved HV71 and their supporters so much I've been back since on an independent trip (non-CHL) and come back with the shirt...you'll have seen me in the jersey in the Arena - some think it looks like a Panthers top but it's not!
I really started to feel more confident about the team after the return with Red Bull, for that night we stood as one and we battered them even if they had a usual back up starting. Steelers came off to thunderous applause and a 5-2 win. New signing Jesse Schultz scored a hat-trick which made most of us think, me certainly, that we had found a sniper at last after seasons of searching following Joey Talbot's departure. How wrong we were eventually...
The team changed a bit over the season. We lost Tyler Mosienko jfirst , as he exercised an option in his contract extension to leave if a better offer came in. As much as players come and players go, I think we never really replaced Tyler. He had an uncanny knack of making plays happen when least expected and had an energy level that just seemed to go on and on like a Duracell bunny as I sometimes referred to him. Tyler's replacement came was Yared Hagos, an experienced Swedish internationalist, and I can't really say he was a replacement because the style played by each was completely different. He certainly looks like Theopoulis P Wildbeeste from the 80s TV comedy "The Lenny Henry Show" - just google and see.
Just before Christmas, we released Schultz. Although he was averaging a point a game prior his departure, that does not tell the real picture. He had a few niggles, like all hockey players do, but he was "missing" in games and wasn't up to expectations: especially after the CHL hat-trick mentioned above. After what seemed an age, we replaced him with Geoff Walker who had scored fun for Fassa HC in the Alps League. Walker, as time went on, got used to the Thompson/Andersson systems worked and in a certain game really was at his best. Finally, on deadline day Christoffer Bjorklund went back to Mora and we asked Rod Sarich back as injury cover. Due to Mike Ratchuk's unfortunate hand injury, Rod ended playing the rest of the season on the blue line.
As for everyone, Moose was fantastic. I don't care what Corey Neilson thinks, because he's a deluded Panther from down the M1, but Moose is better than Miika Wiikman. Granted Wiikman had very little defence in front of times and had to bail them out; but then again so did Moose for us. The defence as a whole for us was a weak point, Zack was steady and dependable as ever, "Shaggy" (David Phillips) improved as games went on after an uncertain start, Ben (O'Connor) was offensive as ever but developing a decent two way game but none of the others really stood out. Franzon was simple but to his own strengths, whilst Coyle didn't look comfy on occasions. Ratchuk, I think has untapped potential.
Up top, we had a few bit of scoring with four players topping 20 goals in the league campaign, but then secondary scoring dried up: Levi Nelson's 18 being the next best. Talking about Nelson, and his "Bash Brother" (Robert Dowd): how much did they miss the absence of Swede Andreas Valdix on their line when the latter was injured? Valdix missed 20 league games, that's a lot. When those three were together, they glued stronger than Loctite and were imperious. Imagine what could have been achieved if Valdi played a full season? Gets you thinking...
So onto the season itself. League first, and if ever a couple of words could describe it then "Consistently inconsistent" would be them. Cardiff were deserved winners in the end but we could have been much more closer, maybe overtaken them, if we hadn't hit too many bumps in the road proverbially speaking. The home double header defeat in January against the Giants, the Christmas blank against an average Bears (I couldn't resist mentioning the Bear, sorry) roster as prime examples and that's eight points down the drain which if taken would have given us the title on regulation wins. That much of a difference, and history could have been made.
Challenge Cup, a competition that many of us (including me) despise with a passion. Up to recently we should have renamed it the Nottingham Bears Cup due to their dominance they had it in. We made the Final in Cardiff, which reminds me "Todd (Kelman), sort out some public mobile reception in IAW and/or wi-fi. Thanks!", and we did kinda alright for the first period then we let the Devils snowball slowly steamroll us. Five shots on Bowns in the second and third periods combined is abysmal, sorry but it is. We were lucky Moose was on hand to stop an absolute drubbing, 3-2 flattered us.
Now the play-offs, and you would have not thought what did happen would happen after the first twenty minutes in Nottingham at the quarter final first leg stage as we trailed 4-0, yes I repeat 4-0! We rallied and left on April Fool's night 5-2 behind. Three goals to pull back at home, that's a task and half we thought but we took it back to them and despite Wiikman's accidental injury (anyone who thinks otherwise, you're deluded as Corey) we were 4-0 up with eight seconds left until Chris Lawrence levelled. But it seemed to inspire the boys to more and when Desbiens scored that winner at 61:39 the roof almost came off of the old building. Quite simply the most sensational game ever there.
Semi-Final against the Giants and I admit it we were so cautious it was unreal but we saw them off despite being out-shot. Then could we stop that snowball once and for all? What followed now remains the best memory ever. Cardiff score early, we level not long after but two more goals have Cardiff up by 3-1. Staring like the barrel of a gun I thought but we take it to them and finish it 5-4 ahead after the second. Remarkable.
Devils pull it to 5-5 then Moose and Bownsy are in clinic mode, save after save. It goes to overtime, then double overtime and we're just over five minutes left of that (bearing it's now 8pm, four hours play and ice cut time) when Nelson; bless his orange socks; winds up one effort despite playing damn hurt (turns out at the end he's been playing this hurt for six damn weeks!) and it sails over Bownsy and lights that red lamp. Steelers fans go mental, I end up with a nose bleed as if Brian McGrattan had decided to lump ten bells out of me, and the rest of the Arena is stunned with the rest of the Cardiff team. Quite simply the best hockey game I've ever been to and I know many will agree.
And that was my hockey season, 2016-17. How was yours?
Just before Christmas, we released Schultz. Although he was averaging a point a game prior his departure, that does not tell the real picture. He had a few niggles, like all hockey players do, but he was "missing" in games and wasn't up to expectations: especially after the CHL hat-trick mentioned above. After what seemed an age, we replaced him with Geoff Walker who had scored fun for Fassa HC in the Alps League. Walker, as time went on, got used to the Thompson/Andersson systems worked and in a certain game really was at his best. Finally, on deadline day Christoffer Bjorklund went back to Mora and we asked Rod Sarich back as injury cover. Due to Mike Ratchuk's unfortunate hand injury, Rod ended playing the rest of the season on the blue line.
As for everyone, Moose was fantastic. I don't care what Corey Neilson thinks, because he's a deluded Panther from down the M1, but Moose is better than Miika Wiikman. Granted Wiikman had very little defence in front of times and had to bail them out; but then again so did Moose for us. The defence as a whole for us was a weak point, Zack was steady and dependable as ever, "Shaggy" (David Phillips) improved as games went on after an uncertain start, Ben (O'Connor) was offensive as ever but developing a decent two way game but none of the others really stood out. Franzon was simple but to his own strengths, whilst Coyle didn't look comfy on occasions. Ratchuk, I think has untapped potential.
Up top, we had a few bit of scoring with four players topping 20 goals in the league campaign, but then secondary scoring dried up: Levi Nelson's 18 being the next best. Talking about Nelson, and his "Bash Brother" (Robert Dowd): how much did they miss the absence of Swede Andreas Valdix on their line when the latter was injured? Valdix missed 20 league games, that's a lot. When those three were together, they glued stronger than Loctite and were imperious. Imagine what could have been achieved if Valdi played a full season? Gets you thinking...
So onto the season itself. League first, and if ever a couple of words could describe it then "Consistently inconsistent" would be them. Cardiff were deserved winners in the end but we could have been much more closer, maybe overtaken them, if we hadn't hit too many bumps in the road proverbially speaking. The home double header defeat in January against the Giants, the Christmas blank against an average Bears (I couldn't resist mentioning the Bear, sorry) roster as prime examples and that's eight points down the drain which if taken would have given us the title on regulation wins. That much of a difference, and history could have been made.
Challenge Cup, a competition that many of us (including me) despise with a passion. Up to recently we should have renamed it the Nottingham Bears Cup due to their dominance they had it in. We made the Final in Cardiff, which reminds me "Todd (Kelman), sort out some public mobile reception in IAW and/or wi-fi. Thanks!", and we did kinda alright for the first period then we let the Devils snowball slowly steamroll us. Five shots on Bowns in the second and third periods combined is abysmal, sorry but it is. We were lucky Moose was on hand to stop an absolute drubbing, 3-2 flattered us.
Now the play-offs, and you would have not thought what did happen would happen after the first twenty minutes in Nottingham at the quarter final first leg stage as we trailed 4-0, yes I repeat 4-0! We rallied and left on April Fool's night 5-2 behind. Three goals to pull back at home, that's a task and half we thought but we took it back to them and despite Wiikman's accidental injury (anyone who thinks otherwise, you're deluded as Corey) we were 4-0 up with eight seconds left until Chris Lawrence levelled. But it seemed to inspire the boys to more and when Desbiens scored that winner at 61:39 the roof almost came off of the old building. Quite simply the most sensational game ever there.
Semi-Final against the Giants and I admit it we were so cautious it was unreal but we saw them off despite being out-shot. Then could we stop that snowball once and for all? What followed now remains the best memory ever. Cardiff score early, we level not long after but two more goals have Cardiff up by 3-1. Staring like the barrel of a gun I thought but we take it to them and finish it 5-4 ahead after the second. Remarkable.
Devils pull it to 5-5 then Moose and Bownsy are in clinic mode, save after save. It goes to overtime, then double overtime and we're just over five minutes left of that (bearing it's now 8pm, four hours play and ice cut time) when Nelson; bless his orange socks; winds up one effort despite playing damn hurt (turns out at the end he's been playing this hurt for six damn weeks!) and it sails over Bownsy and lights that red lamp. Steelers fans go mental, I end up with a nose bleed as if Brian McGrattan had decided to lump ten bells out of me, and the rest of the Arena is stunned with the rest of the Cardiff team. Quite simply the best hockey game I've ever been to and I know many will agree.
And that was my hockey season, 2016-17. How was yours?
Starting later this week, I'll relaunch "The Elite Report" on an ad-hoc basis so we can track the team roster updates as they happen. I'm including Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife until as we know.
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