Welcome once more to my column which I've decided to keep going in the off season. This particular edition sees me finish my reflections on Belfast 2017 which I attended, the Stanley Cup play-offs in the NHL and finish off by some personal thoughts on the rosters; as they are at the moment; in the Elite League.
All in all, it's a right mixed bag of a column. So what are waiting for; let's start to talk some hockey.
As you know, or not, I went to Belfast last month to watch the Division 1B World Championships featuring Great Britain and no less than four Steelers players (Dowdy, Ben, Jonna and Davey) involved. As I said in my last column, a lot of people were moaning about the size of the crowds since they were seeing loads of gaps in the Odyssey bowl when watching coverage. What they don't realise that someone did a stat, and the average crowds in Belfast were actually higher than they were for the previous two similar tournaments in Eindhoven and Zagreb. So take that as a positive.
Watching GB is an experience, you have to buy into it from the start and once you do then you start to get engrossed into it. I really found this out. You had fans from all around GB buying in as one to be that extra player on the ice for Peter Russell's men, these even included fans from Billog (Bilingham) coming to support their local boy...Dowdy! GB seemed to feed off everyone's energy, especially when it became we were on the verge of something special. The gold medal game was something else as the team produced their absolute A-game to defeat, and shut-out, Japan 4-0. For Russ Cowley, it was the perfect way to hang up his skates.
Now GB must wait to find out who will join them in Division 1A next year. Already confirmed are Kazakhstan, Poland and Hungary with the bottom two of the Elite Group yet to be decided. Whoever GB face next year promises to be another huge test but anything is possible given what happened at Belfast 2017. I made so many new friends as well, so a special shout outs to Pete and Ricky, Andy and Shona. I was grateful to my girl Gill and her family who took me all the way from their home in Down into Belfast every matchday; that's 18 miles just one way; and picked me up after the day's games had concluded...even letting me staying in Rockies for an hour extra after the final match finished.
I'm putting this piece together before game two of the Western Conference Final starts in the final race for Lord Stanley. For the fifth season in a row, I'm watching this as a neutral after a horrific season for New Jersey - we did end up with the number one draft pick somehow in the lottery. But what's surprised me is that how well some of the lesser lights have done. None more so than Nashville Predators. For a team that finished 16th out of 16 in the play off position, they've dumped out the 'Hawks and Blues and as of game two tonight: lead the much more fancied Ducks. Can they create history? Daft though some might think, it's possible.
The same can be actually said for the Eastern Conference too; where Ottawa are proving to be the surprise packet. They've dumped out Boston and the Rangers which is no mean feat in itself, and have taken game one against the Biscuits (Penguins, get the joke?) and in the Consol as well. I'm still fully expecting Crosby and Co. to bounce back and take the series and make the Final but if the Sens keep on believing in themselves then they could make their second successive Stanley Cup Final. Ironically, they lost that in five games to the Ducks so a repeat of the 2007 combatants could happen. I'll be glued as ever to watch it all unfold whilst hoping next season brings Devils more luck.
Finally let's see what we think of the rosters so far; four weeks after the season finished with that dramatic double overtime win. Steelers have been the busiest of everyone, re-signing a large core and just require four forwards (three centres and a winger) and some blueliners to finish it off as I'm still expecting Brad to back up Moose. Belfast and Braehead still haven't announced their new coaches, even though it's looking increasingly likely that Adam Keefe is going to be the new player-coach for the latter which would be an ultra smart decision in my eyes when you have a brother who is an AHL standard coach across the pond and has probably more contacts than I can fit in my mobile address book.
There's also been a right shake up within the Blaze ranks too; with lots and lots of departures through the Sky Dome doors. I'm really shocked that they didn't retain the two cousins (Syner and Almeida) and allowed them to go back to North America. If I was the much under-fire Danny Stewart I would have tried to make them an offer they couldn't refuse to return. Brian Stewart's also left which means, unless someone else signs him, those teddy tantrums are going to be missed by us all. Liam, son of Sir Rodney and Rachel, hasn't yet re-signed either. The guy is one of the best penalty killers around and so, so dangerous when his team is shorthanded...just ask Braehead as LS got a couple of "shorties" in one game against them. Bet that hacked off Finner big time.
Our nearest and dearest are in the middle of a rebuild too knowing full well that last season was, bar that sandwich tray triumph, a huge disappointment. Corey knows he needs to improve otherwise he could be looking over his shoulder. They've retained Dan Spang, the pantomime villain Jeff Brown and a new deal for the meerkat Robert Farmer. Whilst I can agree in the sense that Farmer is definitely a nuisance player, the press release which said "he can fight" made me chuckle. I recall Nick Duff really giving him a pasting in Coventry a few seasons back and that was brutal. Imagine what Fitzy would do if Farmer chanced his luck with him. Doesn't bear thinking about does it? They've also brought Sam Gospel "home" after a couple of seasons with Telford and in Jordan Kelsall a very good young prospect who impressed me in the U18 nationals final at Ice Sheffield yesterday. Quite how much ice time he and Gospel get is down to Neilson but in the former; he really needs to make use of it.
Elsewhere there's not been much to talk about bar Cardiff's capture of Craig Moore (no, not the former Rangers and Newcastle central defender) from Dundee which is a decent pick up, Ben Davies moving to newcomers Guildford on the latest stop of his nomadic existence, and Ryan Dingle swapping Kirkcaldy for Coventry which some have said says a lot about how much respect he has for Danny Stewart as opposed to dear old Todd. Whilst Dingle has a good points and scoring record, part of me harks back to Jeremie Tendler who had similar but was an absolute flop in Coventry after leaving Hull. It might be deja-vu with Dingle, you never know. Players will come and go as always with teams that's why it kind of makes me shake my head when you see comments from people saying things like: "Terrible decision by Coach A to let Player B leave. He's gonna regret this." - every decision whether it be a re-signing or a release isn't going to please everyone out there and happens for a reason.
Finally I'm getting ready for my 26th season as a Steelers fan, and 38th overall as a hockey fan. Who would have thought this would be happening after the then fresh faced eight year old me literally begged his family to let him go onto that school trip to Billingham Ice Arena. It's been part of me for the long, more than half of my life has been as a Steeler. What a frightening thought that is. However it could have been different this season as I could have been found in the O most nights if I'd gotten the new job I went for. Even if I had, I'd still be probably running this blog, appearing on the podcast and bleeding orange...teal isn't going to take me over - yet!
Well that concludes this quite lengthy article, thanks for staying around to the end if you've made this far. I'll be back again soon, not sure exactly when, with more off season thoughts. Until then, I'll bid you all a pleasant adieu.
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