Capitals: Rolling Deep

Ever since Shawn Germain quit the club in September, the Edinburgh Capitals have been a man short on D.

But the arrival of American defenceman Sean Perkins has eased the pressure on the other defencemen.

The improving Capitals are now ranked eighth in the Elite League and Tuesday’s 4-2 victory against Basingstoke pushed them five points clear of the Bison.

“Bringing in guys like Sean Perkins and Roman Nesrsta has given us a bit more depth,” Christiansen told skysports.com.

“Rolling with four defencemen is a tough way to play in this league and Sean’s a player coming in off a championship team. He knows what it takes to win and will be important for us down the stretch.”

Perkins, 22, moved to Scotland after a stint with the championship-winning Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL and has joined a blueline that features two-way D-men Taylor Christie and Joe Dustin.

“Sean’s a skilled player who skates very well,” Christiansen added.

“I think on the Olympic sized ice he’ll do very well for us. He can distribute the puck and join the rush. We want him to come over and excel.

“I spoke to him about the opportunity to play here and have more ice time than he was getting at home. He’s come in and started well so I’ve got nothing but good first impressions of him.”

Giants: Legit Contenders?

Steve Thornton is out to prove that the Belfast Giants are true title contenders in tonight’s showdown with the league leading Sheffield Steelers.

The Giants, who trail the Steelers by six points with a game in hand, still have four more matches against Sheffield, beginning at the Odyssey Arena tonight.

Belfast were shutout 5-0 when the teams last met and after dropping more points in December Thornton knows that the Giants cannot afford to slip further behind.

“We’re coming through a tough spell and this is a game to show if we’re a legit title contender,” Thornton said in an interview with skysports.com.

“This is the biggest game of the year for us. A victory in this game puts us right back in contention for the league title after a few people had written us off when we went through a bad spell.

“We’ve dropped a little bit in the standings but the way we’re looking at it is that it’s still in our hands. We’ve still got a lot of games against the other contenders left.”

Thornton, who returns to duty tonight after serving a two-match ban for tripping Hull netminder Curtis Cruickshank, is preparing to face a Sheffield team that has only lost three games in regulation all season.

The Giants have been boosted by the recent return of star forward Paul Deniset, who scored the overtime winner against the Stingrays on Sunday and leads the team with 45 points.

“Sheffield don’t seem to be dropping a lot of points against other teams so if we’re going to catch them we can’t rely on others,” Thornton added.

“There’s a lot of time left, but home games are really important and with Deniset and myself back we’ve only got Andrew Martin missing from the line-up and we like our chances.”

Martin has only iced in 19 games this season and has been sidelined with a leg injury for over a month. The Canadian forward attempted a comeback in mid-December, but had not fully recovered and has been out since.

“Andrew’s had an MRI and the results came back similar to what we expected,” Thornton said.

“He’s got a high ankle sprain, a little bit of ligament damage and some swelling in the joint, which is a tough hockey injury.

“Hockey players would almost prefer to have a break than that. It’s one of those things that if you come back too quickly from it you can re-injure yourself.”

Devils: Hockey Smart

Gerad Adams believes that playing smart hockey was the key to the Boxing Day victory against the Coventry Blaze.

The sixth-placed Devils came through on Friday with a 3-1 victory to win their first league tie against the Blaze this season.

Despite missing three imports – Mike Prpich, Marc Fulton and Mike Hartwick – the Devils were able to beat the title contenders and, according to Adams, it was because they outsmarted the opposition.

“I think we’ve been playing smarter hockey,” Adams said in an interview with skysports.com.

"By the end of the game the other teams have been more tired than we are. And a lot of that is down to the high-energy, impact players on our team like Neil Francis and Ben Davies.”

It was Cardiff’s first victory against a top-four side since October 19 and the Devils now have combined record of two wins and 13 losses against the big four.

“I’m extremely happy with the way the guys played,” Adams added.

“The performances have been good from our side lately and we got a result against one of the top teams in the league. I thought we deserved the victory and we outplayed them in a lot of the different aspects of the game.”

Happy Holidays!

Season's greetings from elite hockey today!

Apologies for the lack of new content this month, but when you're working four jobs and spending four hours every day commuting to work it can be difficult to get everything done!

That said, elite hockey today is here to stay and will be evolving in 2009.

Enjoy the holiday hockey - there are some great games around the country and on tv too with the bonus of Eurosport's international coverage.

Steelers: Scrooge Lehman better than ever

Jody Lehman was the star of the show last night in the Bay.

And not just because he turned away 29 Cardiff shots in a man of the match performance to blank the Devils again.

Lehman was involved in a scuffle at the end of the game with Cardiff captain Brad Voth, which started an all-out brawl as the benches emptied and over six hours worth of penalty minutes were added up.

One thing's for sure, the Elite League's director of hockey Andy French will have a busy week dealing with the fallout.

The post-game ruckus overshadowed the result and a great night's work by the Sheffield stopper and his team, who did a professional job on their rivals for the third time in the Bay this year. The Devils have only scored twice on Lehman in the season series, which the Steelers have dominated 4-0.

Even more remarkable was that Lehman collected his third shutout in the last five games.

Stingy? Ebeneezer Scrooge gave away more than that in December.

“Traditionally he’s a guy who tends to get off to a slow start and I think this is the best start I’ve seen him have, playing against him and coaching him,” said Steelers coach Dave Matsos in an interview with skysports.com.

“He’s playing great and getting better as the year goes on. He’s got a good defence in front of him and our forwards are getting back too. Defensively, we’re quite a stingy team.

“On any given night he gives us a chance and we’ve got that trust in him right now, just like he’s trusting the guys playing in front of him.”

Matsos knew that a fight was always on the cards because of the recent history between the two teams and ill feeling between several players on either side.

“Cardiff’s never an easy rink to come and play in,” Matsos added.

“They’ve been playing a good brand of hockey lately. I spoke to Paul Thompson after the Coventry game and he said that the Blaze were lucky to come out 4-2 up.

“It seems that everybody ups their level of play when we come in and Cardiff have played great against us. The games have been tight and not high scoring. They’re competitive and aggressive and we expected nothing else.”

Tyson Teplitsky: The Last Time

The following article appeared in last week's Cardiff Devils game programme...
-----------------------------------------------------------

You’re Tyson Teplitsky. You’re a healthy, fit, 26-year old professional ice hockey player. You’re six-foot tall, weigh about 190 pounds. You’re doing what you always wanted to do, playing ice hockey and getting paid for the privilege. It’s what you always wanted. Now, you play in Great Britain for a team called the Cardiff Devils in the Elite Ice Hockey League. According to your coach, you’re one of the best defencemen in the league – if not the best. You’ve got at least another decade to play. Time to win trophies. You’ve got the ability to play at a higher level and plenty of time to prove it.

But when this season ends you’re going to walk away. Leave. Quit the game you love. Retire.

…Why?

-----------------------------------------------------------

At the end of last season, when it was announced that he would not be returning, Cardiff fans thought that Teplitsky would be joining the other successful members of his generation of Devils in overseas leagues. Phil Osaer – Norway. Mark Smith – Italy. Max Birbraer – Kazakhstan. Tyson Teplitsky – Finland.

When Teplitsky was close to inking a deal with Tappara Tampere, only to be released, his future was suddenly uncertain. But Teplitsky wasn’t the only one facing an uncertain future in late September – so were the Devils. Rod Hinks was misfiring, Likit Andersson was injured and the team were reeling after Brad Voth’s suspension. Upon hearing of Teplitsky’s bad luck in Finland, Gerad Adams couldn’t pick up his phone fast enough. It was a touch of old fashioned good timing. One door closes. Another door opens. And when the door opened, Teplitsky walked right through it.

“Great news: Tyson’s back.” “Did you hear we’ve re-signed Teplitsky?” “Teplitsky’s going to play for the Devils again!” Great news, right?

It was a big surprise for everyone involved. The Elite League stood up and took notice. But no sooner had Teplitsky decided to return to Cardiff, he had also made up his mind about something else…

“With my hockey career winding down, I realised that Cardiff would be a great fit for me to finish my career as I have enjoyed my time with the Devils, Cardiff University and the city itself so much,” said Teplitsky in his blog on the Devils website.

“Winding down?” “Finish my career?” – What?

He can’t be serious talking about retirement, can he?

I mean, he’s Tyson Teplitsky. He’s a healthy, fit, 26-year old professional ice hockey player. He’s six-foot tall, weighs about 190 pounds. According to his coach, he’s one of the best defencemen in the league – if not the best. He’s got at least another decade to play.

Retire?

I didn’t understand. So I asked him: Why?

-----------------------------------------------------------

“I love playing hockey and I’ve always loved playing hockey and I’m at the point where I’m ready to have one set home and get into the business world,” Teplitsky said.

“I’ve had a lot of fun playing - I went to Finland and gave it a pretty good shot there and when things didn’t work out I was ready to move on. After Finland I had to take everything into account. Do I start looking for a job now? What are my different options of what I can do? But I think this is going to be my last year playing.”

Within seconds I could tell that Teplitsky was very serious and that he’d given it a lot of thought. It wasn’t a decision that he’d made overnight. Indeed, he had been making the same choice every day for the last two years, since he enrolled on the MBA programme at Cardiff University. After spending four years at the University of New Hampshire and then following up with two more years at Cardiff Business School, Teplitsky knows that his future lies in the boardroom and not the locker room.

“I don’t know how much I’ll like to nine-to-five but at the same time I’m interested in that kind of thing,” he said.

“I don’t want to be starting a job when I’m 30-35 and have to try and work my way up. I want to try and get into the business world so I can move up as fast as I can. By the time I’m in mid thirties hopefully I’ll be working high-up in some sort of company.”

Had Teplitsky not spent six years studying for his degree and MBA, he would probably carry on playing – well into his thirties. His college education gave him a plan B if hockey failed to pan out as a career, but he’s taken it one step further. When the season ends hockey, and not education, will be his backup plan. Teplitsky is proof that the growing trend in the Elite League to partner teams with Universities and offer postgraduate courses is beneficial for everyone involved.

“I think it’s a strong recruiting tool and it’s starting to become more popular in this league,” Teplitsky said.

“Sometimes teams can’t offer as much with their budgets and as much money as other leagues can, but if you offer somebody an MBA that’s a very good financial set up for somebody to come over here. If you go to school back home you’re paying $30,000 dollars a year for two years. Here you come over and you’re getting sponsored by a team for schooling plus you’re getting to play hockey at the same time. That’s what brought me over here and a lot of teams are starting to take advantage of it. Hopefully it will help me to get a job when I do get back.”

Many top players have been tempted to the Elite League by these college deals. Basingstoke player-coach Eric Braff, Belfast forward Paul Deniset and Newcastle defenceman Chris McAllister are just three of the big names combining their hockey career with further education. The Devils taking advantage of the Cardiff Business School partnership this season are Teplitsky’s defensive partners Mike Hartwick and Wes Jarvis. The two blueliners are following in Teplitsky’s footsteps and together form the core of what must be the smartest defensive unit in the Elite League.

“Hopefully we can use our IQ on the ice a little bit in terms of our schooling,” Teplitsky joked.

“Maybe calculate some risks or something I don’t know but it’s good to have some guys in the same situation as I was. They’re both smart, talented guys so I don’t think they’ll need my help too much. I don’t know how much advice I could give them anyway – they seem to be reading the books a lot more than I was!”

Instead of sleeping on those long bus journeys to Hull and Newcastle, Teplitsky would often take his lecture notes, making use of the extra study time. All he has to do now to complete his studies is hand in his dissertation in December, whereas Hartwick and Jarvis are just getting started.

“They haven’t asked for my notes yet – maybe they’ve seen me now and they don’t want my notes,” he joked.

“They seem pretty keen on the school stuff. We’re on the bus trips and they’re often reading. But if they do need any help I’ll be there to help them out as best I can.”

The more you talk to Teplitsky about his decision, the more you realise how serious he is and how much he’s actually thought about it. Retiring from the game in the prime of your career is an incredibly tough call. And it won’t just be Teplitsky himself who misses seeing his name show up on the game sheet – his parents won’t be able to see how many assists he got on the weekend either.

“They’re definitely ok with it,” Teplitsky said.

“They’re educated people that don’t mind me starting to look for a real job. They love me playing hockey, but there’s a certain realization when if you really want to start saving money and start preparing for a family, getting married and those kind of things. They’ll be sad when they can’t follow my hockey any more, but that’s just part of the package they’ll have to deal with.”

Still, in an era when players like Chris Chelios in the NHL or Tony Hand in the EIHL are still playing into their forties, how can Teplitsky leave so early?

You can’t just walk away Tyson. The game won’t you allow you to.

The itch to return is inevitable. Like a prizefighter seeking that one last fight or a bank robber trying to pull off one last heist, a hockey player seeks that one last trophy or that one last season just to be part of the game. When Teplitsky gets that itch, how will he handle it?

“I’ve been playing hockey all of my life and to be out of it completely - I don’t know if I ever will,” he admitted.

“I’ll be involved somehow. I have some friends back home who are coaching high school-type hockey, and they’ve asked me to help out already. And there are those type of situations around Boston, where I’ll probably settle down with my fiancé. I think I will get the itch, but as long as I’m around the game I should be ok. I love to play but I think if I can pass on what I’ve learnt to younger kids and see them take into account what I’ve told them and be able to use it in their game, I think that’s something special. And hopefully I’ll get an opportunity like that when I get home.”

You soon realise that starting off in the business world isn’t Teplitsky’s only reason to leave hockey behind. He’s preparing for his wedding next year, and after dealing with the nomadic lifestyle of a hockey player he’s ready to take a break.

“I’ve been bouncing around from home to home, leaving my stuff all over Canada and the USA,” Teplitsky added.

“I’m excited to have one set place where me and my wife can live after we get married next summer and settle down and have a place I can call home. The thought of that is pretty exciting for me.”

Teplitsky would ideally like to call Boston his new hometown. He played college hockey just up the road in New Hampshire and still has a lot of friends in the area.

“My fiancé can work from home, so she can work anywhere and I’ll hopefully I can find a job around there somewhere,” he said.

“That’s where I’m going to look first and if something doesn’t come up I’ll start looking elsewhere. Boston’s a great sports city right now, they’ve won a lot of championships lately. For the past two or three summers I’ve been around there and I love it. I have a lot of college friends in that area who live there now and a lot of them are only an hour away so it makes that transition easier.”

Most people who study for an extra six years after high school haven’t had the opportunity to play sports for a living. But what about his former college team-mates, who were good enough to make the pros and are now in a similar situation - do they share his mindset?

“A few of my friends who went to college are looking to wind down their careers,” Teplitsky said.

“It’s nice that they have that college background to fall back on and to have a better opportunity to find a job. I see their lifestyle, and the nine-to-five thing isn’t ideal, but they’re happy.”

Teplitsky has made his mind up, but what if the opportunities just aren’t there? Even for someone with an MBA jobs are becoming increasingly limited with the worldwide economy in disarray. By next summer, things may have changed, but nobody can really predict how.

“It is a scary thing. It’s a whole new ball game now,” Teplitsky said.

“The stock market has been fluctuating and it’s a crazy world out there right now. Hopefully, things will settle down somewhat soon. Who knows when it will be - nobody can really predict the market right now. As soon as I get back I’ll start looking for work and if it does get to the point where it’s very difficult to get a job then I will consider playing another year.”

And there you have it. He hasn’t shut the door completely. It’s slightly ajar, just enough room for sunlight to peek through. His career might not be over, if it’s too difficult to find the right job. Nothing is guaranteed. Not a hockey career, not a job. He might, just might, come back.

“The realization that I can’t play forever (has hit me),” he said.

“To go out while I still think I’m playing well, I think it’s a good thing for me. The more I think about it, it is a little bit upsetting. But the reality is I think it’s going to be my last year.”

So if that is the case, if this is it, if this is his final season, if these are his final games, then surely the pressure each time he steps out onto the ice becomes more intense with every passing weekend. The days are numbered, the games are growing with importance. Teplitsky hasn’t quite started to see it that way yet, but he will come March when the regular season winds up and the playoffs begin.

“I haven’t really got into that thought process yet where I’m going out every game where I think this is the last year and I really want to prove myself and really want to win a championship,” he said.

“I’ve played on some very good teams that have been close to winning the big prize. I’ve won some cups in college, but haven’t won the whole thing. I’m going to work as hard as I can and lead by example on the ice and have the guys follow and work as hard. It’s about getting hot at the right time of year in this league in terms of that final four weekend. Things are slowly starting to come together for us and having all of our imports back in the line-up will help a lot.”

Indeed, the Devils are only about 10 points from the top of the league and last year’s top scorer Brad Voth has barely put his skates on. Coach Adams has never looked down at the bench in front of him and seen a full roster. Marc Fulton’s only just turned up. Teplitsky and Jay Latulippe took a while to arrive as well. The Devils are a hot streak away from shaking up the league table or doing some damage in the playoffs.

-----------------------------------------------------------

After discussing his decision to retire, you see Teplitsky in a different light.

He’s Tyson Teplitsky. He’s a healthy, fit, 26-year old professional ice hockey player. He’s six-foot tall, weighs about 190 pounds. He’s spent six years of his adult life spending countless hours studying, preparing assignments, turning up for lectures and revising for exams. He’s an international student who has attended one of most revered business schools in Britain. He’s about to get married, settle down, maybe start a family.

We haven’t seen them yet, but there are games ahead that will be very emotional for Tyson Teplitsky. Games that will determine how he remembers Cardiff, how he remembers the Devils and ultimately how he remembers his career.

“It would be unbelievable to go out on top, that’s for sure,” he said.

“This year is pretty special for me. I’m going to do everything I can to leave everything out there on the ice to make sure that I have no regrets when the end of the season comes to think maybe I could have done more or our team could have done more.”

No regrets. Let’s hope so.

Blaze: Coleman's Mustard

Jon Coleman made an immediate impact in his Blaze debut, helping his new team to a 4-2 win against the Devils.

With Swedish blueliner Matt Soderstrom sidelined with a Stomach injury, the former Detroit Red Wings draft pick was brought in to provide cover during the festive schedule.

And Blaze coach Paul Thompson has been impressed by the incoming D-man.

“He can make a pass and his positioning is very good," Thompson said in an interview with skysports.com.

"What he gives us at the back is that experience because we’re quite young on defence. Soderstrom is our most experience defenceman and our most defensive defenceman and he’s out of the line-up."

Soderstrom will have surgery on Wednesday to repair a hernia and is expected to be out for a month. Coleman’s arrival will ease the pressure on the Swede to return to the active roster, allowing him the time to fully recover.

Coleman, 33, has played in several leagues in Europe and could well return to the continent for the second half of the season.

“He’s only signed a contract here until January,” Thompson added.

“I think he was waiting for a bigger offer to come through from Europe and this gives him an opportunity to start playing again and get into some game shape.”

Thompson compared Coleman to former Blaze defenceman Reid Simonton, who was a key part of the league-winning side in 2006/07.

“He reminds me of Reid because he’s very cool and calm on the puck, very smooth,” Thompson said.

“Coleman brings us that leadership and experience, even in his first game the comments that he was making on the bench were all positive. He was supporting guys and talking to them – he’s a 13 year veteran who has played at the highest levels.”

Phoenix: Rock the Bells

The Manchester Phoenix have grown quite used to that "winning feeling" this year.

Thanks to the exploits of David Beauregard and company the Phoenix have chalked up more Ws than Ls. A home game in Altrincham always results in the Johan Molin-inspired Swedish wave celebration that became popular in the new rink, but this year's roster have their own winning traditions.

During his time playing for the Lakers of Lake Superior State University, D-man Alex Dunn took part in a unique college tradition and he shared his fond memories of with the Manchester Phoenix game programme.

"After we won a home game we used to ring what they called the Victory Bell, which was an experience itself," Dunn said.

"After the game you’d come in and take your skates off and run outside into the snow and ring the bell. Each player would ring take their turn to ring it once.The University that I went to was really small and I met some great people there, some of my lifetime friends."

Asked what the team did after losing, Dunn replied: "Sit around in the locker room."

Not quite so much fun, eh?

Vipers: Diversity on D

After announcing the capture of Swedish-Thai defenceman Likit Andersson, Vipers coach Rob Wilson is relieved to finally find a player to help his team move from zone to zone.

Having a core of solid defencemen is all well and good, but successful teams need extra diversity to link with the forwards and get the puck moving quickly up the ice.

Henderson's absence has thwarted the Vipers' transition game and although Wilson has former NHLer Chris McAllister alongside him, he identified the need for having a puck-moving D-man to create offence.

“Next to losing Burt, not having that has been the biggest problem that we’ve faced this season,” Wilson said in an interview with skysports.com.

“We have guys like Mark Gouett, Jez Lundin and Chris McAllister and they’re all good defenceman. But their strengths are maybe not on the puck - their strengths are in the other parts of the game defensively.”

The Vipers picked up a three-point weekend after beating Edinburgh 6-3 and losing 2-1 on penalties to Nottingham to halt a seven-game losing streak in league competition.

Wilson, who has also brought in forward pair Jeff Hutchins and Ed Courtenay to improve his team, said that it was a frustrating wait for the right player to become available.

“It’s been an uphill battle,” Wilson said.

“I’ve been wanting to bring somebody in for a long time after losing Henderson for most of the year. And after looking at some of our options, Likit became available. He fits the bill, we needed a puck moving defenceman because Burt was the guy who was going to do that for us.”

Wilson, 40, has continued to play in defence for the Vipers despite his desire to act as a full time bench coach. However, when Henderson returns to full fitness Wilson is aiming to leave the ice.

“Without Burt there’s been a big hole there and bringing Likit in he can provide that for us,” he said.

“Once we get Burt back we’ll have two puck-moving defencemen and hopefully I can get back on the bench.“

Devils: Teplitsky's shock decision

"To go out while I still think I’m playing well, I think it’s a good thing for me. The more I think about it, it is a little bit upsetting. But the reality is I think it’s going to be my last year.”

- Tyson Teplitsky

Hard to believe isn't it.

One of the best players in the Elite League considering hanging his skates up for good to pursue a career in the world of business. After a lifetime playing hockey and the better part of the last decade studying for a degree and MBA, Tyson Teplitsky is ready to say goodbye.

Still can't believe it.

But it's true.

And in an interview for an upcoming edition of the Cardiff Devils game programme Teplitsky explains why.

Bison: Waiting game

After weeks of watching players walk out of the door, Basingstoke player-coach Eric Braff is glad to have someone walk in the door.

Brad Cruikshank, Mark Richardson, Matt Miller, Jason Goulet, Curtiss Patr...all left the club when its financial position became even worse.

But the Bison announced on Saturday that two new imports have committed to the club and now it's all a matter of work permits.

If it wasn't for Kevin Reiter's heroics, the last month would have been a even harder one for Braff, who is happy to be making progress.

“It’s tough we have had offers out for a while for other players and it’s frustrating because you get delayed,” Braff said in an interview with skysports.com.

“Some guy says he’s going to come but then he’s not any more. That’s what we’ve been running into, but we’re at the point now where we are just waiting for paperwork at the moment. Hopefully, we can get the work permits done to get them here as soon as possible because we could definitely use the extra bodies.”

The Bison have brought in several younger British players since Planet Ice took control of the team at the end of October and are hoping to have the two new imports in place soon.

Attracting overseas players to Basingstoke has proved difficult because of its publicised financial problems, but Braff has welcomed the change in atmosphere around the club and thanked the new owners for helping out.

“Things have changed but the aspect of new players coming in hasn’t really, yet,” Braff added.

“But that’s got nothing to do with the owners or Planet Ice and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. We’ve definitely seen a change in attitude from the guys, who are happier now. We just need the reinforcements to come in and hopefully that will happen in soon.”

Phoenix: Boothroyd's Learning Curve

After coming up through the ranks in Bradford and Hull, Luke Boothroyd is now continuing to learn his trade with the Manchester Phoenix.

The Phoenix D is a versatile crew marshalled by standout blueliner Kenton Smith and Boothroyd says he's got plenty to learn from his team-mates. As he told the Phoenix game programme:

Kenton Smith – "A hard working captain, leads by example, an intense character."

Dwight Parrish – "A good teacher, he always tells me if I’m doing well and if you make mistakes he won’t get on your back, he just encourages you in a positive way, which I find helps."

Josh Garbutt – "He’s good physical D-man, and he’s got such a hard shot."

Alex Dunn – "Alex is very clever on the puck, he brings it forward very well – so you can see that between them I’ve got different things to learn and these will all help me to become a better player."

Besides learning from his team-mates about the game itself, Boothroyd could also teach them a thing or two about the mental approach to hockey - he's studying Sports Psychology at Huddersfield University!

Matsos: Every second counts

Heading into Saturday night's showdown against Coventry, Dave Matsos has been focusing on thwarting the Blaze powerplay.

Of course the best way to stop the powerplay is to stay out of the box, but when the inevitable happens PK units need to step up.

And in an interview with skysports.com, Matsos revealed how the Steelers have been preparing.

“This week in practice we’ve emphasised the importance of making line changes on the penalty kill,” he said.

“If you’re on the ice for 15 seconds and you’re not tired, it doesn’t matter – you’re coming off the ice and we’re going to get fresh legs on. If we can make those quick changes and get through five units in a two-minute powerplay it will be a very positive thing for our team.“

The Steelers are one of only two teams to beat Coventry in the league this season, winning 5-1 at home on September 13.

However, Matsos is expecting a much closer game this time as he goes head-to-head with Paul Thompson.

“Everybody seems to raise their level of play when Coventry comes into town,” Matsos said.

“We know that we need to stay out of the box, but you’re never going to make it through the game without taking some minor penalties. The way that their powerplay is set up, I think our penalty kill has to be very active, very aggressive and very quick.”

Michel, my belle

"Michelle, my belle.
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble,
tres bien ensemble."
- The Beatles - "Michelle"

Two weeks ago elite hockey today originally broke the story that Michel Robinson had been released by the Capitals. Well, two weeks are up.

But Robinson's not going anywhere just yet.

The Capitals have announced that Robinson will remain with the team to enable his replacement Pasi Raitanen to make the transition to Edinburgh.

Last year it was Sylvain Deschatelets, now Robinson. These French Canadians just don't want to leave!

However, it's doubtful that Robinson will repeat Deschatelets' feat. Unless Raitanen or another EIHL stopper gets injured, it's very unlikely that Robinson will remain in the league too long, purely for cost reasons.

Given his previous numbers and success in Italy, Robinson was expected to be a top tier goalie in the EIHL. However, the struggling Capitals and injury concerns haven't done him any favours. He's clearly got the talent to be a number one in the league, but sometimes things just don't work out.

Double or Nothing

This week's featured game on Sky Sports sees the Devils visit the Panthers in a buy one, get one free match-up at the Nottingham Arena.

Thursday night's contest counts towards both the Elite League and the Challenge Cup. This is where the phrase "four-point game" really does apply.

With Cardiff coach Gerad Adams aiming to double his money, he'll be turning to goalie Peter Aubry to shut down the Panthers.

In the last meeting between the teams on October 19 the Devils prevailed 1-0 in overtime thanks to a 38-save shutout from Aubry, who was between the pipes when Cardiff last won the trophy in 2005/06.

“Peter’s been really solid since he came back to Cardiff and of course he won the cup a couple of years ago,” Adams said, in an interview with skysports.com.

“He’s a great goalie to have in these situations. There’s no question that we are only as good as he is on the night. With the style that we play we can tend to give up shots and we need him at his best and he knows that.”

Nottingham, the reigning Challenge Cup champions, warmed up for the clash with an exhibition match in Switzerland, while the Devils won both of their league fixtures on the weekend.

“We’re really happy with where we are right now heading into it,” Adams added.

“It’ll be a good test for us and provide a reference point for us later in the year when we get into the playoffs. We’re really excited about playing in a big game like this - it’s great to be a part of.”

With such high stakes riding on the outcome, Adams knows that it's all or nothing.

“It’s gonna be a do or die game,” Adams said.

“I think Coventry look pretty set. Whoever wins has a big advantage – it will probably decide which of the two teams go through between us two.”

A win for either team would give them one foot in the next round, although the other members of Group B - Basingstoke and Hull - still have a say in the matter.

Belfast and Manchester are safely through from Group A.

Here one minute, gone the next

Well, at least Jeff Hutchins had time for a cup of coffee in Edinburgh.

Six games and eight points later the Hutchins era in Murrayfield is all over and now he's back on Tyneside, where Lee Ryder of the Evening Chronicle thinks he'll get a cold reception:

"And, in another twist, the return of unpopular (skater) Jeff Hutchins will also prompt a mixed response from season ticket holders."

After Hutchins' quick move to the Vipers, Capitals player-coach Doug Christiansen remained philosophical.

“I’ve absolutely no ill will towards him and I told Jeff that I wouldn’t hold him back,” admitted Christiansen, in an interview with skysports.com.

"I’ve know him for 10 years and he came up here to do a job to help turnaround our season and we won three of the games that he started. So he helped us out a lot but on the other side of the coin it’s disappointing that he’s going to a team that we’re trying to catch like Newcastle."

After elite hockey today recently reported that the Capitals had put goalie Michel Robinson on two weeks notice, Christiansen said he was considering further transactions to improve the Capitals’ roster.

“What we do now depends on financial constraints,” he said.

“We’re going to do our absolute best to put the best team on the ice and it’s my job is to rebuild the team as quickly as possible.”

Layin' the Smack Down

If you've seen Cardiff's Derek Campbell play this year then you've seen one of the premier heavy hitters in the Elite League.

Campbell's right up there with the likes of Newcastle's towering slab of granite Chris McAllister or Manchester's whirlwind winger Kyle Bruce when it comes to separating other players from their senses.

Campbell notched a six-point weekend and no doubt threw in a string of checks to boot in the road wins against the Bison and Capitals, showing that he can hit the scoreboard just as hard.

But what's the secret to a good check? What makes a good hit? How does Campbell do it?

"Just staying nice and low and exploding through the check," Campbell told the Cardiff Devils game programme.

"Trying to get as much speed as you can without being called for a charge. Obviously, hitting the gym helps."

Campbell's fellow glass rattler Bruce agrees.

"You want to stay low and if your legs are straight your centre of gravity will be higher," said Bruce, in an interview with the Manchester Phoenix game programme.

"You need strong legs and a strong core, which is what we’ve been working on lately in the gym – strengthening our core muscles.

"You want to catch guys when they’re off guard and not expecting it. You have to stay low to generate the power to knock them off their feet. Obviously, you don’t want to go straight for a guy’s head."

Road to Vancouver ends in Poland

Team GB won't be going to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Friday's 2-1 defeat to Japan means that it's all over for head coach Paul Thompson and co.

Of course, even if Team GB had come through the pre-qualification event, they would have had to negotiate an even tougher final round in February in Group E, Group F or Group G.

Reaching Vancouver was always unlikely, but getting through to the final qualification stage in February would have undoubtedly elevated the game's profile in Britain, especially when all things Olympic are in vogue.

Next time, hopefully the game in Britain will be economically stable enough to allow for a schedule break around qualification.

As Thompson told the elite league website:

"It's a crying shame for the guys who have done everything we expected of them. Some of the younger players have really shown their quality, we are down and disappointed today but I'm as sure as I can be that the future with these lads is more promising than it has been in the past."

Still, let's not be too disappointed. When it comes to Olympic dreams being shattered, it could be worse.

Team GB vs Poland

For those of you near a computer tonight, or living in the midlands, the BBC are broadcasting live from Sanok tonight with commentary from Geoff Foster.

November to Remember?

Paul Thompson is ready for the busiest month in his career as he begins his mission to take the national side to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

With Olympic qualification on the line, the Blaze competing for their third straight Elite League title and also entering European club competition later this month, Thompson has a hectic November schedule.

And in an interview with skysports.com, Thompson revealed just how busy he is.

“It’s ridiculous – I keep having to look up at the scoreboard to see who we’re playing in all of these different competitions!” Thompson joked.

“It is an awfully busy time and a draining time, but it’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to our first game.”

Team GB's first game is against Poland, who won the last meeting between the teams at the World Championships in April after a penalty shootout.

“I’ve been speaking to my assistant coaches on a daily basis,” Thompson said.

“For the last couple of weeks we’ve been discussing how we are going to put the lines together and work on our powerplays and penalty killing to get the right balance.”

With so much administrative work required this month in addition to the actual games, Thompson praised the work of Andy Buxton, who is the general manager of the GB senior men’s team.

“I’m grateful to have a guy like Andy to help me out because he does a lot of work and takes care of many of the problems and issues that come up,” Thompson added.

“While I do a lot of admin work for the Blaze, Andy does a lot of the admin for the national team and it would be very difficult to get it all done without him.”

Buxton believes that allowing Thompson to concentrate on winning games and not have to worry about paperwork will enable the team to perform better in Poland.

“We have a good off-ice team and we try to take away all the worries and concerns from the coaching staff and players,” Buxton told skysports.com.

“If we can do the best job that we can to take care of everything off the ice, all Paul has to worry about is his team and trying to win the game.”

Have Skates, Will Travel

Ideally, Team GB would have flown into Poland last weekend, took a few days to unwind, practice and get ready for Thursday’s opening game against the host country in the pre Olympic qualification tournament.

But with Elite League fixtures and the extra cost of financing an extended stay both factoring in, head coach Paul Thompson and company are travelling today.

In an interview with skysports.com, Andy Buxton, the GM of the men’s senior team, outlined the travel itinerary.

“We leave Coventry at 5:00am for a two hour bus journey to Heathrow,” Buxton said.

“Then we have a flight to Warsaw and then we have an internal flight in Poland. From there we have another hour and a half on the coach to Sanok and then when we arrive we’ll probably just collapse!”

Still, it could be worse. It’s fair to say that Japan, who are also in Group D, have a slightly harder travel itinerary!

Wilson talks Team GB

With only two days remaining until Team GB face Poland to begin their mission to qualify for Vancouver 2010, Newcastle Vipers coach Rob Wilson has said that depth up front will give the national side the edge they need.

In an interview with skysports.com, Wilson said that the team’s ability to rotate four forward units will be the key to success.

“Going to Poland is not going to be easy,” he said.

“There are going to be some tough teams over there, but I like how our team is put together. I think that for the first time in a long time we’re going to be able to play four very strong lines with some good hockey players.”

Two players from Wilson’s Vipers squad have been called up to play in the tournament – defenceman Jez Lundin and forward David Longstaff.

Longstaff is one of five Team GB players in the top 15 for individual points scoring in the Elite League.

“We’ve got the likes of Longstaff, Steve Thornton, Colin Shields, Greg Chambers, Greg Owen and Ashley Tait – there’s some pretty good offence there,” Wilson added.

“If we can get some good play around them, some solid goaltending and our defence step up we’ll have the offence to win some games so I think it will be interesting to see how we do.”

Update: Does Murphy have the upper hand?

Having seen Stephen Murphy's performance in the 6-2 win against Cardiff on Sunday night, it would be big a surprise to see Stevie Lyle start in goal for Team GB on Thursday against Poland. Lyle's only game this weekend was Saturday's 6-3 home defeat against Hull.

Murphy was the number one to finish the World Championships in April and, if anything, he has only improved since. Of course, we won't find out until head coach Paul Thompson confirms it, but if I were a betting man...

Still, it's not exactly an easy decision. And Murphy's Phoenix team-mate Nathan Ward wouldn't like to be the one to choose between them.

"It’s tough to say, but I’m sure whoever gets in there will be deserving," Ward told the Manchester Phoenix game programme.

"Murphy’s a great goalie, he’s proved it this year and he’s given us a chance to win every game."

You can hear more from Ward in next weekend's Phoenix game programme.

Does Murphy have the upper hand?

Continuing elite hockey today's coverage of the build up to next week's Olympic qualification tournament, here's an update on the Team GB goalie battle between Stevie Lyle and Stephen Murphy.

Belfast goalie Lyle might have lost his chance at being the starter after conceding five goals on 24 shots on Saturday as the G-men crashed 6-3 at home against Hull.

Phoenix netminder Murphy allowed the same amount of goals in a 5-4 defeat to the Panthers. However, considering the relative strength of the opposition, looking at the league table, Saturday's results could give Murphy one hand on the starting job.

With the Giants out of action tonight, a good outing from Murphy at the Altrincham Ice Dome, where the Phoenix host the Devils, could help him lock down the position.

At this point, it's fair to say that head coach Paul Thompson is no wiser about who should start, unless he's secretly made up his mind already.

Maybe Murphy will make his decision much easier tonight.

One Love, One Glove

Earlier this week, elite hockey today discovered that Stephen Murphy was in the dark as to who would start for Team GB in the upcoming Olympic qualifiers - himself, or Stevie Lyle?

Murphy's apparently not the only one who doesn't know.

In an interview with skysports.com, head coach Paul Thompson said that he's not made up his mind yet and will be keeping an eye on the two netminders this weekend.

Lyle only has one game (home vs Hull on Saturday), but Murphy has a more difficult challenge ahead (away vs Nottingham on Saturday, home vs Cardiff on Sunday).

Will the tougher schedule hurt or harm Murphy's chances? Or is Thompson just keeping his cards close to his chest?

“We’ve got a weekend of games to go and anything can happen in that time,” Thompson said.

“I’m not a man who is afraid to make a decision and I’d rather have a hard decision to make than an easy one. They’re both playing well and by having that healthy competition it means we have a better national team.”

Murphy is the only Phoenix player in the squad, but Lyle is one of six Giants.

“I’m delighted with the form of both of them,” Thompson added.

“Goaltending is a crucial part of every team and it helps when you have two guys in competition for that number one spot.”

In the World Championships in April it was Murphy who played the majority of minutes, starting the team’s final three games. Lyle played in the shootout defeat against Poland and was pulled in the third period of the 10-5 loss to Austria.

Both goalies have experience of playing in Europe and Thompson has been impressed by Murphy’s development after he iced in Norway last year.

“When Murphy came back halfway through last year in France (at the Mont Blanc Euro Challenge Tournament), I saw a different netminder,” he said.

“He was playing in the Norwegian league on a poor team and doing really well. With him being back in the Elite League and Manchester and near the top of the table it’s great, just as it is for Lyle at Belfast.”

Thompson’s squad travel to Sanok, a town in south-eastern Poland, to play the host country (Nov 6), Japan (Nov 7) and Romania (Nov 9) in Group D of the pre-qualification tournament.

The group winners will advance to the final qualification round in February 2009.

Full Team GB squad here.

Robinson squashed

The goalie carousel has grinded to a sudden halt in Edinburgh...

In an interview with skysports.com, Caps player coach Doug Christiansen revealed that Michel Robinson has been given two weeks notice.

The Capitals have replaced Robinson with Finnish goalie Pasi Raitanen, who played in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Newcastle Vipers.

Edinburgh have used three foreign netminders this season, including backup goalie Jacey Moore.

“Pasi is signed with the club and Michel Robinson has been given his two weeks notice,” Christiansen confirmed.

“Michel will be here for the next two weeks and he and Pasi will be working on the goaltending duties. Moore has been de-activated.”

Raitanen’s performance on Thursday gave the Capitals their first win in October and moved them off the bottom of the Elite League table.

Raitanen, 37, has won two out of three starts for the Capitals this season, including a huge upset in the season opener against Sheffield, and Christiansen believes that his presence will give the struggling Scottish club the boost they need.

“It’s a big lift for us,” Christiansen added.

“Things didn’t go well for Robinson at times and he struggled, but a lot of times we struggled in front of him. It wasn’t just him it was our team defence. Sometimes there isn’t a rhyme or reason, but Pasi’s done well when he’s played and we’re looking forward to going forward with him in net.”

Raitanen has played for a host of teams in Britain and has also spent time this season working with former Edinburgh netminder JF Perras in Coventry.

Christiansen, who added import forward Jeff Hutchins to the Capitals roster this week, said that he was still considering making further changes to the squad.

“Right now we’re going to see how things go,” Christiansen said.

“You don’t want to change everything overnight but there could be a couple more transactions. There are a lot of good players and good characters on this team and we’re feeling better going into this weekend’s games.”

Defence Budget

Tony Hand is still the elder statesman of the EIHL, but he's now got more company in the 40-plus club.

After the Newcastle Vipers today confirmed the long-rumoured signing of veteran import Ed Courtenay there's another 40-year old in the league. Courtenay will be teaming up with Vipers player-coach Rob Wilson, who can also be counted in the grey-haired gentleman category.

While the three old timers have all remained productive, often showing younger import players how it's done in the Elite League, there comes a time when they'd like to finally hang 'em up.

And for Wilson, it's arrived.

But due to the Vipers' financial position, he's not going to be leaving his patrol on the blueline at the Metro Radio Arena anytime soon.

Ahead of Thursday's game against the Edinburgh Capitals, Wilson admitted that he'd rather be watching the Vipers from the bench and not the blueline.

“For myself, I’d rather be behind the bench if I was being 100% honest,” Wilson said in an interview with skysports.com.

“But right now our budget is not really allowing us to do that. I just want to try and do the best I can, as I’m a very competitive person. If you want something bad enough you’ll keep chasing it and I like competing. We’re playing well so right now it’s been going ok.”

With Wilson continuing to play because of financial reasons, Courtenay also cited money as a reason for his return to the EIHL.

“I had planned to retire from playing but the Vipers have given me a good offer to come back and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the ice,” Courtenay told the Newcastle Vipers website.

As the old saying goes: “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number.”

And the Vipers' number was good enough for Courtenay's age.

elite hockey today can now be accessed via elitehockeytoday.co.uk

Starting Gridlock

With only a week until Team GB travel to Poland for the Pre Olympic Qualification Tournament, head coach Paul Thompson is facing a selection dilemma.

Thompson’s already named his squad for the games against Poland (Nov 6), Japan (Nov 7) and Romania (Nov 9), but he’s yet to name his starting goalie. It comes down to either Belfast's Stevie Lyle or Manchester's Stephen Murphy.

If Thompson has made up his mind, he hasn’t told Murphy yet.

“I’m not sure which way he’s going to go at the moment.” Murphy told the Manchester Phoenix game programme.

“I think it’ll be a tough one for him. For myself, obviously I want to play the games and I’ve played the last three games for the national team going back to the world championships earlier this year.”

Who would you pick?

You can read the entire article in this week's Phoenix game night programme.

Bison on another planet

The Elite League table doesn't lie.

There is a clear divide between the haves and the have nots.

On one hand there are those with solid financial backing, sponsorship deals and high attendances. And on the other there are the clubs still reeling from the collapse of Zoom airlines, failed agreements and relatively low crowds.

The Basingstoke Bison are clearly in the latter, but at least they won't be heading into the third category, which is reserved for teams not in the Elite League.

After Planet Ice stepped in to save the Herd, Basingstoke player-coach Eric Braff told skysports.com just how desperate things had become for the ailing team in recent days before the takeover.

A statement released on Monday confirmed that Planet Ice have taken control of the Bison, securing the club’s future for at least the remainder of the season.

“Players were coming up three of four times a week asking: “What’s going on – are we even going to make it through the weekend?” Braff told skysports.com.

“The mental side of it takes a toll and having to worry about your pay cheque and getting evicted from your houses is tough because we all had eviction letters.”

Braff, who became player coach following the resignation of Ryan Aldridge earlier this month, knows that there are still a lot of matters to resolve despite the team’s new ownership.

“Planet Ice may have announced that they have taken over, but there’s still going to be a lot of unsettled business for the players and staff,” Braff added.

“It will be an interesting couple of weeks but by mid November we should be a smooth running ship and all of this will be behind us and we can concentrate on playing hockey.”

In addition to the financial worries, Braff’s job has been made even harder following the departure of three key players.

Captain Brad Cruikshank left last week to join the Sheffield Steelers, British forward Mark Richardson has asked to be released from his contract and Canadian defenceman Jason Goulet decided to return home.

Following the initial press release, Braff also confirmed further details regarding the takeover and the position of former owner Tomas Enerston.

“Tomas is now out of the picture completely,” Braff said.

“Planet Ice have taken over and they are here for the year. We’re going to be here for the remainder of the season, which is a huge relief for the players, fans and town of Basingstoke.”

Kalm down, Kalm down

This year's Hull Stingrays were supposed to be rough, tough and good enough.

Jonathan Bernier, Jake Riddle and Rick Kozak were expected to form the core of a team built around power, size and an eagerness to drop the gloves.

Not for long.

Less than two months into the season all three have moved on, forcing the Rays to adjust and find their identity again.

Enter Konstantin Kalmikov.

Since arriving in Hull, the Ukrainian power-forward has notched five points in three games, breathing new life into the drowning Stingrays. Kalmikov converted his penalty shot in the 4-3 win against Newcastle on Saturday and, together with Matt Reynolds and Lee Mitchell, has quickly given Hull coach Rick Strachan a go-to forward unit.

"They just all gelled together quickly," Strachan told skysports.com

"We've been fortunate to get a guy with stats like Kalmikov. Until he joined us, he hadn't played a proper game since last April. Kalmikov does a lot ofthings right, he's a not a flashy guy who will score a highlight reel goal, but he shoots the puck extremely hard and will create space for his line-mates."

After previously favouring European imports when Hull joined the Elite League, Strachan turned to North America to beef the Rays up. However, with Kalmikov the Rays have a balance of muscle and flair that may tempt Strachan back to Eastern Europe as he tries to find another replacement forward.

Business decision

With pink slips and P45s being handed out left, right and centre as the economic slump continues, we've now seen a couple of job losses in the Elite League. Albeit, not entirely due to financial reasons.

Rod Hinks has become the latest casualty of the EIHL season, being axed by the Cardiff Devils this week.

While hearing the words that were made famours by Donald Trump and Alan Sugar come out of Devils coach Gerad Adams' mouth must have been tough to take, Hinks reacted with professionalism.

"I didn't come in and perform," Hinks said in an interview with skysports.com

"I didn't come in and play the way I wanted to. I'm probably the hardest person on myself. I don't blame Gerad at all for doing what he had to do."

Adams stated that the decision to release Hinks was "part salary cap, part performance."

Considering that Hinks had notched 11 points on a Devils team that has been up against it so far this season, his performance wasn't that bad.

But when those points were matched against Adams' expectation of playing Hinks on the first line, and therefore paying first line wages, it's not hard to understand the present situation.

You can read Hinks' entire interview with skysports.com here.

Tony Hand's tried and tested recipe

"Hand feeds the puck to Molin... GOAL!!"
"Hand passes to Tallari... GOAL!!"
"Hand finds Beauregard... GOAL!!"

The year has changed, the players have changed, but the outcome remains the same. Tony Hand has unearthed another gem in Phoenix forward David Beauregard (14 goals, 9 assists) and has re-established the playmaker-sniper relationship that has worked perfectly for the last two years in Altrincham.

Beauregard, a former San Jose Sharks draft pick, previously scored 47 goals in the UHL and is tied for the Elite League lead with Belfast's Paul Deniset. The scary thing is that he says he's never played with an All Star playmaker like Hand before.

"Before I came over to the UK everybody was telling me how many goals I would score just playing with Tony," Beauregard told the Manchester Phoenix game programme.

"I can understand that now. Throughout my career I’ve been scoring goals without really playing with a true playmaker on my line. "

You can read the entire interview in this week's Manchester Phoenix match night programme.