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The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

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    #26
    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

    That description of the broadcast reminds me of the USSR-hosted matches in the '72 Summit Series (they were also in black & white, at least in the US).

    I don't think that kind of deal is common in hockey.

    I'm also surprised that it works in volleyball, as both sports tend to require a lot of teamwork, and thus be less friendly to "distance training".

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      #27
      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

      No, its the whole team that are based in Moscow and only travel to the town (wish I could remember which one) for the games. The guy had come to Finland to visit his mate, as the airfare to see 'home' games was too much, and she had three in a week.

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        #28
        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

        Ah. That definitely does not happen in hockey, but that may be a reflection of the fact that it has much deeper roots as a professional sport in the provinces.

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          #29
          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

          As expected, Blues won, beating Bern 2-1. They are now in the semis with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, who defeated Karpat 3-1. Metallurg will play current Russian champions Salavat Yulaev Ufa, while Blues will play either Slavia Praha or ZSC Lions. The Russian team that advances will be large favourites in the final.

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            #30
            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

            "Derby" week-end for GSHC, playing Fribourg away saturday and at home on sunday, the official website decided to show their appreciation to our ultras/supporters groups:

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              #31
              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

              Not to be unkind, but is there any doubt that Servette "est Geneve"?

              It's not really like Fribourg or Lausanne have any claim.

              I prefer "La Suisse Romande c'est Nous" (as if it really could be anyone else).

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                #32
                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                Ah, it's one of them "civic pride" songs, I think the originators were the Paris lads. The full verse is "Ici c'est Geneve, Geneve c'est partout" which always gets a great reception in Fribourg, a proper away day song that one. The "La Suisse Romande c'est nous" also raise a few heckles, seeing as the bumpkins in the rest of the area consider us "French"...

                I was toying with going for the week-end but economic uncertainties put a dampener on things...I'll have to do with an away at Langnau in december, proper old school hockey that, nearly every bloke has a moustache, many a McGyver haircut and you can never get too much "Cafe fertig" and mini-cheese fondues...

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                  #33
                  The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                  Ah, it makes more sense in full context,

                  Swiss hockey culture is terrific. The combination of the fervour o the support and the sheer variety of fans, towns, languages and food and drink are unique, and something to be celebrated.

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                    #34
                    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                    There's loads of books and articles out therre talking about how playing styles in football are indicative of national or regional culture - but here's one from the world of hockey that is more or less dead on as far as the Ottawa Senators are concerned.

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                      #35
                      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                      Terrific 5-1 away win for Zurich in Prague to book a semi spot against Espoo Blues. They will play in Rapperswill because the Hallenstadion is already booked on the date of their home leg...They certainly were a far better representative of our league than Bern this season.

                      52-20 in favour of Prague in the shots on goal, Sulander still does the business in goal for the Lions

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                        #36
                        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                        The NHL has suspended Sean Avery for, essentially, being a douchebag.

                        http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3747105

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                          #37
                          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                          I know everybody's been waiting for updates on how the MOL league is going, and so here you are. About 3/4 of the way through the regular season, and Csikszereda's status as the most important city in both Romania and Hungary combined* is confirmed.

                          HC Csikszereda p 27 pts 66
                          Ujpesti TC 27 61
                          SC Csikszereda 25 55
                          Steaua Bucharest 27 47
                          NZ Stars 25 45
                          DAB Docler 25 40
                          Ferencvaros 25 30
                          Progym Hargita 25 21
                          Alba Volan II 24 11
                          Miskolci 26 8

                          (*In ice hockey terms)

                          Comment


                            #38
                            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                            Just found a KHL blog, with a lot of highlights and streaming links.

                            Comment


                              #39
                              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                              Oooh, that looks excellent.

                              Those interested in a North American slant on current goings on in European hockey may be interested in the Slapshot Blog of the New York Times, which provides a level of coverage of the game outside the NHL that would have been unthinkable when I was living in NY.

                              Comment


                                #40
                                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                That's the one with the Ambri stuff innit? If it was indeed very well informed, could not find any glaring whoopers about the Swiss League.

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                                  #41
                                  The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                  Choose the wrong game to go, GS beat Zurich 7-1 tonight. The same Lions that are a game away from the final of the new Champions League after their 6-3 win against Espoo Blues in the semi first leg (Espoo only conceded 4 goals in 4 games during the group games).

                                  I'd never thought when I was watching them in the 3rd division that one day I'll be supporting a team that could claim being a top european club without descending into silliness...

                                  Comment


                                    #42
                                    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                    Fuck, I'd forgotten about that second leg. Hope I can still get a ticket.

                                    It seems that Cherepanov was doping when he died. This bit is slightly bizarre:

                                    On Christmas Day, Russian news organizations announced the dismissal of the army colonel under whom Cherepanov was serving at the time of his death. Col. Oleg Alborov was dismissed from the armed forces on Dec. 18 for countermanding orders by allowing Cherepanov to play professionally while serving in the Omsk Railway Battalion, RIA Novosti reported.

                                    Comment


                                      #43
                                      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                      Poor evilC...first the Jets choke, then the Blackhawks blow a 3-1 lead against the Red Wings and lose 6-4 in the Winter Classic in Wrigley Field.

                                      Comment


                                        #44
                                        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                        Canada just won its fifth straight World Junior Championship.

                                        This is the one and only time Ottawa will see a trophy presentation in the Scotiabank Centre.

                                        As you were.

                                        Comment


                                          #45
                                          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                          jason voorhees wrote:
                                          Poor evilC...first the Jets choke, then the Blackhawks blow a 3-1 lead against the Red Wings and lose 6-4 in the Winter Classic in Wrigley Field.
                                          I'm sick. I haven't even got any decent motorsport to distract myself with!

                                          NHL coverage has started again tonight on Channel 5 (we only get coverage of the second half of the season) and I've got the Rangers-Canadiens game on in the background as I type this. They showed highlights of the Winter Classic and it looked like the same old Hawks, both in terms of how they thought a lead was enough and in terms of where they are in the standings. That's what really worries me - the fact that Columbus could easily pip them, if they have a (usually inevitable) bad run between now and the playoffs.

                                          I don't know whether to watch the run in or not! :-S

                                          Comment


                                            #46
                                            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                            Well, it was a night to remember for the 500 Lions fans who made the trip to Finland to see their team beat the host 4-1 and book their place in the final of the Champions League, thanks again to the magnificent Ari Sulander who at 40 remains a top class goalie.

                                            So here it is, Magnitorsk-Zurich Lions, what else can happen...

                                            Comment


                                              #47
                                              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                              The ZSC fans were very impressive. They brought easily 500, spread between the two tiers directly opposite where I was sitting, and were much louder than the small number of Espoo fans behind the goal just to my left. Espoo's position as the most pointlesly soulless place in Finland is effortlessly maintained by the LänsiAutoAreena, where there are seemingly thousands of corporate boxes, hospitality lounges, waitress-service restaurants and other opportunities for ligging. It seemed like everyone was on a jolly paid for by their employer.

                                              As pointed out, Sulander was magnificent. Blues didn't really show up even when they had more of the puck in the 2nd and 3rd periods, and a fair few of Sulander's 33 saves were punted, bouncing chips from long range. Dunno why they do that.

                                              This was my first CHL game, and I was very impressed by the branding and all that shit. I'm used to completely corporate hockey experiences, with every spare patch of ice and board covered with a logo from some company or other. This looked so clean in comparison, even if Gazprom are not exactly the most popular sponsor in the world. The hockey was aggressive and fast too, much better than regular season games but I'm not sure how it compared to the old European Cup. I'm guessing the prize money made a difference to these two teams at least.

                                              Comment


                                                #48
                                                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                                First leg of the final was played this afternoon in Magnitorsk, it ended 2-2, the Russians equalising with 43 seconds to spare...Should be interesting in Rapperswill next week!

                                                We beat the Lion 3-0 away last week, I feel like a Scot in 67 at the moment

                                                Comment


                                                  #49
                                                  The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                                  So, proof, as if any kind of proof were in fact needed that Csikszereda/Miercurea Ciuc (ie my home town) is without doubt the biggest and most important place in Hungary and Romania combined*

                                                  (*in ice hockey)

                                                  Final table of the Mol League combining the pro teams from both countries:
                                                  HC Csikszereda
                                                  SC Miercurea Ciuc
                                                  Ujpest (Budapest)
                                                  NZ Stars (Budapest)
                                                  DAB (Dunaujvaros- Hungary)
                                                  Steaua Bucharest
                                                  Ferencvaros (Budapest)
                                                  Progym Gheorgheni (Romania)
                                                  Miskolc (Hungary)
                                                  Alba Volan II (Szekesfehervar - hungary)

                                                  Pretty convincing dominance, I'd say.

                                                  Anyway this weekend is the Csikszereda vs Budapest play off frenzy. I went to HC vs NZ yesterday afternoon and SC - Ujpest was in the evening. Both home town teams won, and if they both win again today then every single play off match in the league will be played here (semis are best of 3, with third games in Budapest if necessary, no third place match up).

                                                  The standard of hockey here has improved dramatically in the time I've lived here. Yesterday's match was superb (5-3 to HC), and in Mihaly Arpad they (HC) have by far the best player I've ever seen in the flesh. (Arpad is a home town boy wo played in the AHL in the States for ten years, before coming back to Europe last year and being one of the best players in the Bolzano team that won(?) the Italian championship last season. HC persuading him to come home to Csikszereda has been a masterstroke. I hope he sticks around.

                                                  Comment


                                                    #50
                                                    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                                    Bolzano/Bozen did indeed win the Italian championship last season (and are in second place and the Cup Final this year).

                                                    From the little I've seen on television this season (the once all conquering Milano team went bankrupt last year), it sounds as if the relative trends of Italian and Romanian ice hockey may be mirror images of each other.

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