Welcome once more to The Frozen Steel Blog Hockey Soapbox; a place where Steelers fans vent their opinions on the hot topics in hockey land. On the panel for this week are your Editors Mark and Tony, Steel Talk co-owner Jay Smith, the ever entertaining Eric Green, the frank and honest Nathan; and joining us for the first time - Fay Wadsworth.
What's on their minds this week? Read on, as it's time to get on those soapboxes everybody.
1. Five words on Saturday please.
I always love winning there
Good Road Win Confidence Booster
New
player, Moose was brilliant
Moose stood on his head
Thanks
Moose Thanks Thanks Thanks
Moose the magnificent in Nottingham
2. Five words on Sunday please.
Dull Boring Drab Turgid Win
Certainly
a very boring game
Better but still sterile hockey
Dull
game against dreadful opposition
Not brilliant but we won
Got the job done eventually
3. Is the fact that Roy plays hurt all game
a worry that it might keep him out long term?
Jay: Yes,
if we keep playing anyone injured - what chance will they get to recover from
their injuries?
Eric: Any
ice hockey player wants to play hockey and they don't do injury. My guess is
Roy has had a long term injury, even as far back as last season, which
has never healed. The stresses and strains of the competitive game have had a
negative effect on this long standing injury, whatever that maybe, hope I'm
wrong but I believe this has been kept quiet by the club and Roy could be out
even longer than we currently think.
Tony: I
fear we have already seen the best of Roysy, and injuries preventing him from
taking knocks in front of goal or knocking back his pace another notch doesn't
help. To run four lines we need some spares, but that would mean less quality
or higher ticket prices so I understand why we play injured players but it'll
bite us back eventually.
Mark: We need to manage the treatment of such iconic team players so carefully because if we don't then as a team we will suffer. Roy takes so much punishment due to the way he plays, and it does concern me that we just keep asking him to continue even if the roster is large enough to allow him to miss the odd shift here or there. He needs a proper rest, and that will benefit him and the team. Rush him and he could be out again days after coming back.
Fay: Yes I think any injury to a key player like Roysy is a concern. I love the warrior attitude don’t get me wrong but think he needs a well deserved rest to regain his fitness. Big boots to fill while he’s out of action though.
Nathan: It is a worry and although he's playing nowhere
near his full capability he's still one of the best in the league at what he
does so a spell on the sidelines might be what's needed. He's no use injured so
go get unbanged up and back to 100%.
4. If you could build a new arena for us,
and Tony would let you do so, where would it be?
Eric: Got
the best place already lined up. Spireites football stadium, relegated last
season, playing poor this, semi pro players and the owner wants to sell for £10
million, currently he's throwing £250,000 a week at it. Infrastructure is all
there seats 10-12k of them, road infrastructure in place etc.
Leave
it until August and offer him £5 million Tony. That's top dollar and all it
will be worth at most. Add a roof with the saving, an ice plant and BINGO! (not
the game either). Steelers own Arena..
Tony: Too
many ice rinks in Sheffield already so no need for another. We all have moans
but it's a rink many other teams would love to have.
Mark: I would have it on the site of the British Steel site on Shepcote Lane. There's room for a proper facility there and it's handily placed just coming off the M1. The longer we leave it, the lesser chance something will be available at the right price - we've had some good times in the Arena but maybe the time has come to start anew.
Fay: City Centre. And make some kind of deal with both Sheffield football clubs for tickets.
Nathan: As far away from Attercliffe as possible. Although
being a stones throw from the M1 is perfect really for visiting teams and fans
travelling long distance.
Jay: On
the site of the old Sheffield Airport, but retain the runway for visiting teams
and our private charter plane for away games...
5. Are Manchester more a rival now than the
Panthers?
Tony: Nope Manchester are not really enough of
a threat to worry about. Don't get this rivalry thing and I'll be cheering on
Nottingham in the CHL.
Mark: They are in a small sense, but it's not really a rivalry as of yet even though it's starting to bubble up. The Panthers one has been diluted by the amount of times we play them these days, despite the overhype from both sides. If we do have a serious rival these days, I consider Cardiff far and away above everyone.
Fay: No.
Nathan: For
me, yes they are. The Panthers games are just routine now and have little if
any of the 'old' intensity or rivalry. Despite the spin ground out by the club
about it being the biggest hockey rivalry in the known universe, I look forward
to playing Devils, Blaze and Storm more than the 'Bears' and given time
Steelers vs Storm could really develop into something big.
Jay: Cardiff
are a bigger rival than either of them, Manchester was always a great game back
in the day, and the Nottingham games come third for me now... I still hate
losing to them of course but the rivalry has been done to death by the 12+
games a season rubbish...
Eric: Yes! So are Cardiff and Coventry. It's a myth
now in the Nottingham/Steelers games. Looking at how the modern games are being
played now, all the rivalries are gone, the game now is too sterile, too
European. Not enough grit to get the fans baying for opposition blood.
6. And finally, back up netminders. Would it be better if
we had 2 imports to call upon and give Moose more competition/rest time?
Mark: You'll need to re-write the eligibility criteria if you do. Not every team can afford to run the expense, Panthers and MK excepted, and then how many netminders would be happy to sit out 1 in 2 games? I don't think many would. It also dilutes the opportunities for British-trained goalies if you went down this way, and if the national team wants to keep evolving and progressing then you've got to keep a Brit in your line-up.
Fay: Not for me. We need to keep British players in the top league in Britain. GB need quality netminders too!
Nathan: Absolutely. Moose is no where near 100% atm and
looks to me like he's carrying some sort of injury so it would be ideal to have
someone else to step in to the crease so to give him a rest and provide some
healthy competition. As much as I like Brad Day he's not up to having an extended
run between the pipes so if budget would allow I'd have 2 top quality
netminders for sure.
Jay: No
not at all, our squads are not big enough to run 2 imports all that does is
dilute the quality of the other imports in the team... A starting netminder in
our league needs to play every night.. the Elite league isnt up to the standard
yet where we have to have competition for starting goalies...
Eric: I
don't believe having 2 import netminders is worth the money, I would rather
have a number 1 minder and back up. Having two netminders competing for one
place is an expense the British clubs can do without at the moment. Far better
spent if the club has extra cash to use it on an out player as injury
cover the law of averages would suggest that your out players are more likely
to get injured.
Tony: Yes
and I thought more teams would run a spare import netty this year - especially
those with older players, or those doing an MBA too just to spread the load.
The second Moose gets injured we need Thommo to grab someone else from his
phone book as Day's not up to the job of starter. I also think Belfast may come
unstuck this year as neither Brit can play all their games and think they'll
grab an import injury replacement during the season.
And that is this week's Soapbox. Join us next week, new panellists always welcomed on board.
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