British Ice Hockey

[Kowalski]

British Ice Hockey

Thanks Etienne, as you've probably guessed they don't show ice hockey on BBC Wales any more, or Glamorgan matches, or Welsh international football matches for that matter.

[Etienne]

British Ice Hockey

You should be very grateful you don't have to watch Glamorgan play at the moment. Even if this season has seen an improvement from abysmal to merely rubbish.

[Kowalski]

British Ice Hockey

aaaahh Steve Moria, BBC Wales Monday nights, it's all coming back now



As for Glamorgan on BBC Wales,



and he played too,



It was a better time then.

[rick derris]

British Ice Hockey

A lot of the kids in school used to support the bracknell bees and would go to 'the beehive'. seems to have died a death, coinciding with Reading FC becoming rather good. Although even their recent demise has not seen the old black and yellow scarves reappear. Probably as its summer.

I once saw cardiff devils play, who were then the British champions, they played Moscow Dynamo in a curtain raiser charity shield sort of thing. lost 12-0

[Ray de Galles]

British Ice Hockey

Jorge Porbillas wrote:

Cardiff Devils were playing on a temporary surface in the Bay whilst their rink was being built and they were training in Bristol - not sure what's happened recently.

They are still playing at the 2,500 capacity Planet Ice Arena. A pre-fabricated structure down the Bay that I had never heard of until it hosted Sunday's Western Masters 6-a-side football tournament.

I once saw KISS play the old Cardiff Ice Rink, the pyro technician didn't allow for the lower roof than a normal arena venue and set the ceiling on fire.

[Anton Gramscescu]

British Ice Hockey

Never having paid any attention to British Ice hockey, I decided to look up Steve Moria just now. It seems that while playing for Cardiff in 1988/89, he managed to score 178 points (85 goals, 93 assists) in 24 games.

This has to be some sort of world record.

What's a normal score in a British ice-hockey match, anyway? Do teams regularly score 8 or 9 goals per game?

[ursus arctos]

British Ice Hockey

I'd never heard of him either.

He scored 102 goals (and 232 points) for Blackburn in a longer season in 93-94.

Not bad for a guy who flopped with the New Haven Nighthawks.

More jaw-dropping stats here.

[Anton Gramscescu]

British Ice Hockey

947 goals in 821 games since going to the UK. Unbelievable.

Are the BHL, BISL, BNL, EIHL and EPL all basically the same league with a bunch of re-brands, or are there actually divisions with relegation and promotion?

[Oldelpaso]

British Ice Hockey

Antonio Gramsci wrote:

Never having paid any attention to British Ice hockey, I decided to look up Steve Moria just now. It seems that while playing for Cardiff in 1988/89, he managed to score 178 points (85 goals, 93 assists) in 24 games.

This has to be some sort of world record.

What's a normal score in a British ice-hockey match, anyway? Do teams regularly score 8 or 9 goals per game?

That didn't put Moria in the Top ten that season. Scores were generally higher in the 80s, and there were more mismatches. A high-flying team would score 20 or more against shortbenched strugglers who would have some players on the ice for 45 minutes a game. When playing against a team operating three lines that can get ugly.

Today, scoring a point a game is the sign of a good forward, scoring two points a game would make someone the highest point scorer in the league. Teams average three or four goals a game.

[Oldelpaso]

British Ice Hockey

Antonio Gramsci wrote:

947 goals in 821 games since going to the UK. Unbelievable.

Are the BHL, BISL, BNL, EIHL and EPL all basically the same league with a bunch of re-brands, or are there actually divisions with relegation and promotion?

BHL, BISL, EIHL were all the top tier at the time, the EIHL being the current top tier. The standard varied according to the ability (and pay packets) of the Canadians playing in the league at the time, the Superleague (BISL) being a kind of bubble economy which attracted better players but had no sustainability. The BNL was the second tier. The EPL used to be the third tier, but since the BNL collapsed it is the second tier, without any change in playing standard.

It is several years since proper promotion and relegation systems have been in place, in that respect it has been a mess since the Superleague replaced the BHL.

It is a tad confusing to the newcomer. In summary the top level was: British Hockey League (1982-96), then Superleague (1996-2003), then a mess for a couple of years with both Elite League and British National League claiming to be the top level, until the BNL collapsed in 2005, leaving the situation we have today: the Elite League is the highest level, with the English and Scottish Premier leagues below it.

[Jorge Porbillas]

British Ice Hockey

I watched the Devils a few times down at the Ice Rink but I did feel like an outsider - the Devils fans were a really cliquey bunch.

[Kowalski]

British Ice Hockey

Steve Moria, the Canadian British International

http://www.eurohockey.net/players/show_player.cgi?serial=10925

Shannon Hope, ditto

http://www.eurohockey.net/players/show_player.cgi?serial=11969

Doug McEwan, likewise

http://www.eurohockey.net/players/show_player.cgi?serial=11970

[Kowalski]

British Ice Hockey

Bloody hell, a player-owner and a player -Director of Hockey Operations.

http://www.sloughjets.co.uk/staff.php3

Another ex-Cardiff Player, Nicky Chinn, plays for 'em.

I thought Ice Hockey was an amazingly tough sport to play what with hits, fights and checks etc etc.

Steve Moria - 47 years old, 30 games 25 goals.

I take my hat off to him.

[Anton Gramscescu]

British Ice Hockey

Well, judging by some of those stats, I'd say there's a fair few players in those leagues who can't actually skate. And hockey is much easier on the body when the opponent is essentially immobile.

What proportion of players are Canadian? I'd guess at least half...

[Oldelpaso]

British Ice Hockey

Now Nicky Chinn really is a player who can't skate. He's been arrested more than once for his actions on the ice, which tells you all you need to know about his style of play.

[rick derris]

British Ice Hockey

as a resident of slough, i had no idea the slough jets even existed. what is more worrying, their home ground, montem leisure centre is where i frequently play 5 aside

there is no way there is an ice rink there. its not the sort of thing you would miss really.

[ursus arctos]

British Ice Hockey

It's probably under the 5-a-side pitch. Do your feet ever get cold?