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The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

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    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

    Not sure if there is one, I could only find specific ice hockey issue threads.

    Anyway, the MOL League is well under way - this is the new league which is a combined Romanian Hungarian league - and Romanian teams are definitely on top. Because of the local rivalry between two millionaires here in Ciuc, the two clubs from this town are having money poured in and have brought in a bunch of bona-fide stars (including a fair few Swedes, and a number of people who've played in some of the sub-NHL north American leagues). This has had a knock on effect in that Steaua Bucharest (not really any relation to the football team), after failing to qualify for the final last year for the first time in living memory, have also pumped in a bunch of cash and have even signed an ex-NHL player (the first one ever in Romanian ice hockey) [His name's Cam Severson, he's Canadian, and I think he played one season for the Mighty Ducks about 5 years ago]

    Anyway, the current league table has HC Csikszereda way out in front (unbeaten until last night) with SportClub Miercurea Ciuc in second. Steaua are 4th.

    Team GP Wins OTW OTL L Pts
    HC Csíkszereda 13 11 1 1 0 36
    SC Csíkszereda 13 8 2 - 3 28
    Újpesti TE 12 7 1 2 2 25
    Steaua Bucuresti13 7 1 - 5 23
    DAB.Docler 13 6 - 1 6 19
    NZ Stars 12 5 1 1 5 18
    Ferencváros 11 5 - - 6 15
    Progym Hargita 11 3 - 1 7 10
    Miskolci 11 1 - - 10 3
    Alba Volán II. 11 1 - - 10 3

    (The 4th Romanian team there are Progym, who are from Gyergyo/Gheorgheni, just down the road from here).

    Last night was a big local derby with Sport Club coming out on top in overtime 7-6 to inflict HC's first defeat of the season. The standard of hockey is noticeably better this year than it has been in the past, even for a novice like me.

    Anyway it sets things up nicely for this weekend when the Continental Cup comes to town - Sport Club (as Romanian champions) are hosting DAB (as above, from Hungary), Novi Sad from Serbia, and Puigcerda from Spain. The only real competition there is DAB and as can be seen from the above table, SC ought to beat them. If they do they will go on to a group featuring Coventry Blaze, Maribor, and Bolzano Foxes (in Italy in mid November)

    #2
    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

    Andy, have you got any tips for watching the game? I need something I can talk to my male in-laws about.

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      #3
      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

      My main tip would be to watch it live - on TV it's really hard to follow. Other than that, I think once you get into the rules etc it's really quite easy to follow and see what's going on. (Though having said that I've now been watching it for a few years, but wouldn't be able to have a worthwhile conversation with a Canadian. My in-depth tactical analysis would be up there with "I like the way Brazil play the game" type thing.

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        #4
        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

        Hungarian icehockey ! That would be on par with Norwegian cricket or something.

        I thought I was watching a lousy Hockey-team (AIK in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second tier). At least we can boast about having a recent Stanley Cup-finalist in Dick Tärnström on our roster.

        Never really heard about Hungarian hockey players. Do they beat the Brits ?

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          #5
          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

          Wow...You heard him Ad Hoc, you might as well give up...

          WE, it's surprisingly easy to get hockey, ask Lyra...

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            #6
            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

            According to IIHF Hungary's national team is currently ranked 20th in the world and they play in the World Championship, er, proper (the second tier is called Division I. The third tier is Division II and so on) with Russia and Canada and what not.

            I don't know if that's a fair reflection on the quality of their league, but it probably is.

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              #7
              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

              Thanks Jonny, it's difficult not to be humbled by that. I think I may start supporting Chelsea too, since you're told it to me like it is.

              To give you a sense of what the standard is here, SportClub's best platyer this season has been Patrik Wallenberg who in fact played for AIK some years ago.

              Reed: The national teams of Romania and Hungary (to give two examples of which I'm vaguely familiar) are not really representative of their leagues - you see the Romanian clubs have always imported players, previously locally from Slovakia, Ukraine etc, and increasingly from further afield (Sweden, Canada, Russia), whereas the Hungarian teams have been a lot more local. Likewise there are quite a few Hungarians playing in North America and very few Romanians. So the Hungarian national team is quite a lot better than its league, and the Romanian national team is quite a lot worse than its league.

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                #8
                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                Can 1890 or Lyra shed any light on the Servette goalie getting hit by objects thrown from the crowd in Lugano last week?

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

                  Oh, and Sportclub crashed out of the Continental Cup, losing 4-1 to DAB after beating Puigcerda and Novi Sad comfortably.

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                    #10
                    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                    I would hope this is the only hockey thread for all leagues and competitions in the world, as it's like a World Football show. Only with no highlights, and with no football. And with hockey. Or something.

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                      #11
                      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                      So the Hungarian national team is quite a lot better than its league, and the Romanian national team is quite a lot worse than its league.
                      Thanks for that info.

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                        #12
                        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                        ad hoc wrote:
                        My main tip would be to watch it live - on TV it's really hard to follow. Other than that, I think once you get into the rules etc it's really quite easy to follow and see what's going on. (Though having said that I've now been watching it for a few years, but wouldn't be able to have a worthwhile conversation with a Canadian. My in-depth tactical analysis would be up there with "I like the way Brazil play the game" type thing.
                        There are surprisingly few tactical discussions in hockey. It's not at all like football, or baseball. Even baketball arguably is more tactical than hockey. As long as you have five guys who can skate, pass and shoot (the Leafs are usually short on at least one of these three, WE) you're doing fine. I'm sure you'd do just fine in Canada, ad hoc.

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                          #13
                          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                          The big news over here, btw, is that the NHL is pondering the notion of putting a second team in Toronto.

                          This would be fantastic news. I'd like to watch more hockey but can't stand the Leafs. With a new club we could try all sorts of things - maybe even a more European atmosphere with singing and banners. Hey, it worked at TFC...

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                            #14
                            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                            Please God, let this be true.

                            Though surely Hamilton makes more sense than Toronto proper (or even North York or whatever).

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                              #15
                              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                              I'm pretty sure they'd stick it in Mississauga, to provide easier access for people from Hamilton, Guelph, Niagara, Kitchener, Waterloo, London, etc. Although this Globe story suggests they might play out of the Air Canada Centre - in part because wooing too many fans from south-western ontario would kill the Sabres.

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                                #16
                                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                The idea that you buy off the Leafs by having the new team play in their rink is an interesting twist on what has always been the sticking point.

                                The danger with that set up is that the tenant always feels like a second class citizen, as evidenced by the NFL Jets in New Jersey and the NBA Clippers in LA.

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                                  #17
                                  The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                  According to the sign I think I saw, Mississauga has 700,000 people. Is that right?

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                                    #18
                                    The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                    Did not see that question Ursus. It got a bit hep up at the Resega when our Gobbi reduced the score to 5-4 and got sinbinned. A spectator threw a punch at him (Gobbi is from Ambri...)then the Curva Nord started throwing stuff at our goalie Mona (he is also from Ambri...). McSorley took the team out and it was 20min before the game was restarted. An inquiry is taking place but after Fribourg was fined 500chf when one of their fans threw beer at McSorley, I'm not holding my breath...

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                                      #19
                                      The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                      Are you scouting for SGHC on the side?

                                      Two Ambri boys in the big city sounds very much like your handiwork.

                                      BTW, Bern lost to Espoo at home last night. The Nordic leagues teally are stronger than the Swiss one. Metallurg also beat Karpat in Oulu.

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                                        #20
                                        The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                        On the other hand Zurich won 7-2 in Sweden, jury's out!

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                                          #21
                                          The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                          Great McSorley moment in Rapperswill for our game against the Lakers. 4-4 after regular time, sudden death 5min OT during which both teams play 4vs4 and the Lakers go down to three men, what does our Canadian genius does...? He takes off the goalie and has us play 5vs3. It did not work and only luck (and the post) prevented the home side to score the winner. That came for us in the last seconds of OT.

                                          Ref had to stopped the game 7 times to clear debris on the ice thrown by the muppets in the stands (not from the corner where their naughty boys and assorted ultras stand but from the sitting stands where the respectable denizens of Rapperswill take their seat...)

                                          Anyhow, next game against Langnau, we play in pink as it is Breast Cancer charity day.

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                                            #22
                                            The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                            Blues can clinch a semi final spot if they take Bern to overtime tonight, although I'm still unlikely to watch it.

                                            SM Liiga just sent a press release that appears to suggest they will allow EU players as natives for 2009-2010, with 3 non-EU players in the match day squads.

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                                              #23
                                              The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                              Blues should win pretty easily. They won in Bern, and Bern have been much tougher at home than away.

                                              Should we expect to see a large influx of Czechs and Swedes into the SM Liga next year?

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                                                #24
                                                The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                                I assume not, as Finns will still want to play at home and I'm not sure the available Czechs are all that much better. But of course some clubs will go over the 'limit' of 4 foreigners, and probably be pilloried for it.

                                                MTV3 are showing the last period of Kärpät-Magnitorsk at the moment. The broadcast is awful, with a jerky, occasionally freezing picture, and a commentary done by phone and a caption blaming the Russians for the problems.

                                                I met a volleyball player the other wek, whose fiance plays for Gazprom VC somewhere in Siberia. She trains in Moscow and only goes to the town she supposedly represents for matches. I wonder, is this arrangement common in hockey as well?

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                                                  #25
                                                  The official thread of the 2008/9 IceHockey Season

                                                  It's 2-1, by the way, with a Kuusela shot just disallowed for Kärpät as the ref didn't think it crossed the line.

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