The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

[ad hoc]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

I'm not sure if Romanian ice hockey (or even Romanian/Hungarian ice hockey) is on the up and up, I think it's just the two teams here (though the Alba Volan first team are also doing much better in the Austrian league this year than they did last).

My suspicion is that if they also end up contesting the final of the Romanian league (which is another competition that's barely got going yet) then Steaua Bucharest may just disappear which would in the end be disastrous for ice hockey in Romania.

Anyway, as predicted above it did come to pass that the final will be between both of the teams here. So we have a massive local derby to finish off the inaugural Mol Liga. Starts next Saturday. Should be an absolute cracker.

[Anton Gramscescu]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

This is one classic piece of video, combing as it does "two of the most powerful trends in our society: Sports and Disco".

God bless Montreal.

[Reed John]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

In what sense is sports a "trend."

Is that commentator famous? I sort of recognize him, but can't be sure because of his absurd 1970s do and the microphone obscuring half his face.

His voice over is the funniest part of it. It's like something Eric Idle would do.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Never heard of him. He looks like a young Michael Ignatieff.

[evilC]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Ad Hoc -

Which of 'your' neighbouring countries is there the greatest sporting rivalry with? (In general, that is, not in any one specific sport.) Y'see, if there's only two main hockey teams in Romania, it would probably be beneficial to have a league spanning two (or even three) countries. (Although Ukraine are probably best avoided, I think!)

However, I'm totally unaware of the hockey situation in Rimania and I haven't even recapped this thread yet, so maybe such a situation already exists. In which case... D'oh!

[ad hoc]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Your d'oh is correct Clive. Indeed the opening post on this thread explains the new Hungarian/Romanian league.

The problem though is that the MOL Liga comprise 10 teams - 6 Hungarian, 4 Romanian. But this does not really tell the full story, since 3 of those 4 Romanian clubs are from the ethnically Hungarian part of the country. Steaua, traditional powerhouses of Romanian hockey are sort of isolated, and if they remain unsuccessful, I suspect they will wither and die. Indeed I can see a situation in a couple of years where the two teams from here if they can continue their current rise will be knocking on the door of the Austrian league (which already includes top Hungarian team Alba Volan), in some kind of throwback Austro-Hungarian empire league.

Went to the first match of the playoff last night - 5-2 HC, with Arpad Mihaly getting a hat-trick I can't see him staying here next season, he's way too good for this league. His body language suggests he's kind of bored and looking for a better challenge next year.

[evilC]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

ad hoc wrote:

Your d'oh is correct Clive. Indeed the opening post on this thread explains the new Hungarian/Romanian league.

Whoops! Sorry, Ad Hoc.

Didn't Arpad Mihaly already have a spell in the NHL - with Minnesota or someone like that?

[ad hoc]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

No. Just in some various other US leagues according to this - including a fair amount of time of the superbly named Wheeling Nailers. The thing is, unlike others who've come to Romania, Mihaly is only 29, which suggests he's still got a year or two of playing better standard hockey than he can here.

[ursus arctos]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

I'm all for tradition, but the Habs' uniforms last night were really hard on the eyes:



And this idea of wearing modern versions of more than a half a dozen "historic" jerseys during their centennial season is hard not to see as a crass merchandising ploy.

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Well, just one game for me during my stay in Geneva, against playoffs chasing Langnau. Not the greatest game I've seen, by far and penalties defeat to boot. Quite glad I stayed in Geneva on saturday night for our 5-3 win away to Rapperswill where the scent of pepper spray was heavy in the air...

Talking about Rappi, obviously the big news in Swiss hockey is Zurich Lions magnificent performance againt Metallurg. I only caught part of the game as we were watching Latics-Liverpool on another channel but 5-0 does not leave much to the imagination as to how good the Lions were (and/or how overated the Russians were...) in a rink that was in ebullition for most of the game (it would have been different if they had played in their home of the Hallenstadion, a horrible morgue that kills any atmosphere).

I had a chat about this with coach McSorley on thursday evening, as we sat next to him in the little italian restaurant where he goes all the times in Geneva. Very friendly chap, very busy as well, his face was a picture when he told us he was doing the playoffs rosters for GSHC and Lausanne. Good food recomendation as well, the gnocchi with bolognese baked in the oven that he told my wife to try were excellent!

[ursus arctos]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

The last three goals came rather late, but I really don't think that ZSC have gotten the international credit they deserve for that result (and their entire CHL campaign). They simply outplayed everyone they faced, and are more than worthy champions.

1890, you might enjoy the NY Times live blog of the match (complete with a Forza Ambri Piotta comment!).

[ad hoc]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

HC Csikszereda wrapped up the inaugural MOL Liga with a 5-3 win on Saturday (and therefore a 3-0 series victory). This is their first ever trophy (not counting pre-season tournaments).

Now attention switches to the Romanian league, which has kind of already got under way and is all a bit silly. The 5 "first division" teams - the four in the MOL Liga plus Brasov, had a season which ran concurrently with the MOL, with the games against Brasov added to the scores between the teams in the more important competition. The final standings of that were
HC 40
SC 35
Steaua 22
Brasov 13
Progym 10

This means that Progym have to play off against the top team in what passes for a second division - in this case Sportul Studentesc (another Bucharest team). Meanwhile the top four have now entered some kind of pre-final round. The points gained from playing each other so far stand, and then there is one more home and away fixture against all the others. At the end of that there will be a playoff between 1st and 2nd for the championship. But the gaps are so big as to render all of this more or less meaningless - currently (with 5 games left):
HC 31
SC 26
Steaua 13
Brasov 8

So we already more or less are guaranteed of another HC-SC matchup for the final, and the next month of games seems like a right waste of time.

One further oddity for your delectation - This is Brasov's second season, but there still isn't a rink in Brasov (I guess it's planned, but who knows when it will be finished), so the team play all their home matches here, meaning that effectively 3 of the top 4 teams in Romania are are actually from my home town (population 40,000)

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

The playoffs have started, with a home defeat for Zurich against...Fribourg. I'll post a few more things after round 2.

Tabloid Le Matin has an election of "mr hockey" going, this below is the captain of the European champions and that's his mean of transport. His favourite haunts are the "alternative szene" bars of Zurich and he goes mushrooming with his teammate Severin Blindbacher. Somehow I think I rather have a pint with him than with John Terry....

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Well, last year finalists are both out, Servette lost the 1/4 4-0 to Kloten and Zurich lost also 4-0 against Fribourg...

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

To keep an eye on all the results of playoffs in Switzerland, LNA and LNB:

http://www.planetehockey.com/playoff.php

[Ball Comrade]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

European attendance figures from the IIHF

Off to see Tappara-Ässät tonight in the playout series, then Ilves-Pelicans in the playoffs tomorrow. Tampere sport has been really, really shit for the last year, now I come to think of it. Pyrinto are a relegation side in the basketball, TamU were a disaster in 2008's Veikkausliiga (but are looking good for next year), Ilves have been the same as usual, and Tappara much worse than that in SM-Liiga.

It's left to Classic in Salibandy and IskuVolley in Volleyball to have half decent seasons, but I struggle to maintain an interest in either sport. Hopefully TamU's exhilerating pre-season (a very young team has taken 10 points from 12 in the pre season league cup) will translate into a decent Veikkausliiga this year.

[ursus arctos]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Top-ranked Bern have lost the last two matches of their first round playoff series to unfancied Zug, and are now one game from elimination after having won the regular season championship.

[ad hoc]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

After the tiresome and pointless four weeks of the "playoff league", the matchups which were known for sure three and a half weeks ago, can now begin. HC Csikszereda will face Sport Club for the Romanian title, while Steaua will play Brasov for third place. With Sport Club apparently falling apart and HC still going strong it's hard to see anything but a series sweep for HC (yesterday in the last match of the "league" they won 5-0).

In other news, a couple of weeks ago there was a mini tournament here to celebrate 80 years of ice hockey in the town. It featured HC and SC and Alba Volan's first squad. (Alba Volan are the top side in Hungary, but their first squad plays in the Austrian league. This season they came 9th out of 10 in that league, but did much better than last year, and are obviously competitive, even if not up there with the big clubs in Austria/Slovenia). I was very much looking forward to this so I could see how well HC (in particular) matched up against higher quality opposition. Both clubs easily beat SC and in the final, HC beat Alba Volan 4-3 which was a great result, and proof that they really are punching above their weight in both Hungary and Romania.

[Ball Comrade]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

ursus arctos wrote:

Top-ranked Bern have lost the last two matches of their first round playoff series to unfancied Zug, and are now one game from elimination after having won the regular season championship.

The regular season win will get them into next year's CHL though, won't it? That must be quite a consolation. I expect JyP to be a bit rubbish in the playoffs too, for the same reason: they've done the job and (at least in SM Liiga) won more money already than they would if they won the playoffs.

[ursus arctos]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

I hadn't realised that, but you're right.

And it is even more surprising that Russian (KHL) regular season winners Salavat Ufa went out to 16 seed Avangard Omsk in the opening round of their playoffs. Omsk had a losing record and won exactly half as many regular season matches as Ufa.

Perhaps it's catching (though I would guess that the financial rewards for playoff success in the Swiss and Russian leagues are greater than those in Finland).

BTW, current CHL champions Zurich SC are out of next year's competion unless Bern recover from their current situation and win the playoffs.

[Ball Comrade]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Yeah, Zurich was the big shock. You'd think the CHL would offer winners automatic qualification to prevent situations like that.

SM Liiga has a weird formula to redistribute even the gate money from playoff matches, so success doesn't really bring much of a financial reward. The crowds for playout matches have been pitiful so far, but nobody has to market the games as the clubs will still get a cut of the final series, and these are really bad teams.

It's been a good season, anyway. Göran Stubb was saying in HBL how the CHL and the threat of relegation have completely revitalised the league this year, and the idiots who were talking about a Nordic League or joining the KHL should now eat their collective hats.

HIFK went out to TPS at the weekend, continuing HIFK's awful run of form for the club with the biggest budget in the league. TPS have finally woken up now the threat of relegation has forced them to put together a proper team, and have an interesting series with JyP starting on Friday.

I hope Sami Kapanen's KalPa win the playoffs, but I fear it will be Blues.

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Well, Zurich might be out but there might be another Zurich club in Europe, I fancy Kloten against Zug. The Flyers were really on top form for most of the season before suffering a dip towards the end of the regular season. It seems they are back in business. I can't see Fribourg going past Davos or Lugano but you never know...

Ambri's season is taking a turn for the worse, playout final against either Langnau or Bienne. One of those three will meet either Lausanne or Chaux-de-Fonds for the LNA/LNB final. The LNB final will probably have bigger crowds than the two semis in LNA btw...

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

The Swiss league is turning into some US league where every team in the playoffs can post results. Kloten have made mince-meat of Zug after Servette, 4-0 and are now in the final. It is looking likely that it will be Fribourg against them, as they lead 3-1 against Davos after yet another perfect tactical display (read very dull but very effective hockey). Where are the Lugano and Bern...in holiday...?

[evilC]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

British national team makes it onto BBC news website shockah!

Anyone going to the Worlds??

[Moonlight Shadow]

The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

Well, well...Davos 3-1 down in the semis went through 4-3 against miserabilists Fribourg, thanks to a last minute goal in game 7 (duly welcomed by a big cheer by my posse of mates at the pub, enjoyable evening that!).

Bienne blew a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 against Ambri thus guaranteing that mad little team another season at the top.

The latest news is that the final between Davos and Kloten is tied 1-1 whilst Lausanne, LNB champions, are 2-0 up against Bienne and on course to gain promotion. Which will be very good news for Servette's treasurer...