After missing for a few weeks, I've brought the Elite Report back online for you all. This edition will be concentrated into two parts, one being the December awards and the other being TER's hopes for 2016 for each of the ten Elite League clubs. So grab yourself a brew, a few hob nob biscuits, and read on whilst putting your feet up.
And that is an order!
Part One: The December Awards
Team of the Month: This month we're going to hand this out to the Coventry Blaze. They have seemingly located the habit of winning games and are steadily getting their season on track again. Chuck Weber is turning it around again and once more it took a damn awful start to kickstart it. Imagine what they would have been like if they had been playing this well since September. Hindsight is a wonderful thing eh Chuck?
Flops of the Month: Only one team for this, the Edinburgh Capitals. After a great start to the season; where at one stage they reached the heady echelons of fourth in the table - Riley Emmerson's Capitals have slid down to the area of the table that no team wants to be in: the bottom two. Up to last Sunday's penalty shot over the Steelers (completing a tally of 6/8), Caps had lost eight successive games. Will the win re-galvanise their season or is it still just gonna paper over the cracks. Over to you Riley...
Player of the Month: Jordan Pietrus, Coventry Blaze. Just as Blaze relied upon the behemoth known as Stewy to keep them in games they should have lost, the 30 year old Canadian winger has really stepped up with offence to make them dangerous at the other end of the ice. He's averaging almost a point a game so far and was in the right spot to deny Steelers a home win the Sunday before Christmas in what some saw as a surprise result. Chuck Weber has got a decent import here.
Coach of the Month: To me it was Derrick Walser of Belfast, and I had decided on this before the turn of the new year. He's seen his Giants roster buy into his principles and systems; results which have propelled them into the title challenging positions. They could be a dark horse for the title if they get some decent results on the road as well as at home.
Douchebag of the Month: You've seen it on YouTube, and if you were in Altrincham on 27 December then you would have seen this unfold live before your very eyes. Yes I'm giving it to Storm's former Devil and Steeler - Devin Didomete. On his day he can be really decent hockey player but he also has an idiotic side to his game. Sadly his time in the EIHL has seen more of the latter than the former.
Part Two: What we think each team is hoping for in 2016...
Belfast Giants - A decent run of form that could see them challenge for their second title in three seasons. It could be a step too far but after last season's disappointments then it's been a season of steady improvement. Perhaps a total refresh of the roster is needed to re-awaken the Giants?
Braehead Clan - Consistency. Clan have just 6 games left against Erhardt Conference teams, and it will be interesting to see if their own Gardiner Conference results will see them overhaul everyone. It cost them last season, pressure is on otherwise the heat could really get to Ryan Finnerty.
Cardiff Devils - Devils move to the Ice Arena Wales (IAW) is imminent. They will be seriously hoping that the mid season switch doesn't prove to undo their resurgence under Andrew Lord as the team look to add a first league win in 9 seasons to last season's Challenge Cup win. Some think it will, I'm not sure..
Coventry Blaze - A decent end to the season after such a horrendous start. Signs are abounding from the SkyDome that Weber is slowly changing around when it looked like the team was in danger of being cut adrift by the rest of the EIHL. A retain of their play-off title must be their objective in 2016.
Dundee Stars - Continuous improvement that's all. The Stars are making good strides under Marc LeFebvre and have recently seen the Canadian sign a new two year deal there. If they can keep improving then this will be a team to watch out for in the next few seasons.
Edinburgh Capitals - A brand new defence that doesn't leak goals, alarmingly! Capitals started the new season with new optimism under new player-coach Riley Emmerson. Whilst they have had some good results (6/8 against the Steelers), they have also conceded a lot. This needs to halt otherwise they will miss out on the play-offs.
Fife Flyers - Much as it pains me to say this, a new coach to give the team some much needed ideas. Yes Todd Dutiaume has Fife Flyers hockey in his blood, he's not really set the Elite League alight with his coaching. A change of coach might just do wonders for the Kirkcaldy outfit. But will Fife risk it?
Manchester Storm - An appearance in the play-offs at the end of their first season. Considering the majority of the team are a team of EIHL unknowns, and signed in rapid time, they have done pretty well and given teams a game. If only Omar Pacha could keep his emotions in check a little bit..
Nottingham Panthers - Panthers have had a few bumps in the road in the last few games and have slipped out of the top four recently. They will be hoping that the return of popular forward Stephen Schultz proves influential as they seek to get back to trophy winning days under Corey.
Sheffield Steelers - Started this season with a bang, had a blip, now starting to find that winning groove again. Paul Thompson will be hoping his side keep the pressure on the leaders as the Steelers look to be the first team to retain the Monteith Bowl since 2008 when Coventry did that: ironically under Thompson. Can they deliver it?
The above are not to be taken seriously, so agree/disagree at your leisure. It's just how I see things panning out in my crystal ball at the moment; and I have been proven wrong before too! Enjoy the rest of the season hockey fans.
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