Did You Know....

The Alan Hough edition....

• Alan Hough once ate the M.I.R sound sytem and pooped it out fully functioning.
• When Scott Neil goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Alan Hough.
• The Universe was created when Alan Hough body checked Jim Vickers. The energy released is commonly known as the big bang
• There are no disabled people, only those whom Alan Hough hasn't played against
• If tapped the kinetic energy generated by a single Alan Hough slap shot is enough to power Edinburgh for a little over two years.
• Alan Hough never turn on the lights at a rink, his skills light up the building
• It takes Alan Hough just 20 minutes to play 60 Minutes
• Hadrian's wall was orginally built to keep Alan Hough out, it failled miserably
• Alan Hough can score a hat-trick with just two touches of the puck
• Alan Hough sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled defensive strength. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Hough cross-checked the devil to the head and promptly took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted that Alan Hough was the better man and the he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

And one more fact you should know about the Capitals living legend...

• An Alan Hough wrist shot it so powerful, it can be seen from outer space by the naked eye

Czech Extraliga's Extra Team

Czech 1.liga champions 'HC Slovan Ústí or 'Ústí Nad Labem' or just plain old 'Ústí' or whatever the hell they are officially named have been given the chance to take part in next seasons Extraliga competition, increasing the number of teams taking part to fifteen. Two seasons ago after the regular season had finished finished Ústí who were the 1.liga champions played off against Vsetín for the right to play in the Extraliga the following year. Thanks to super ugly Sasu Hovi their Finnish goalie Vsetín won the play-down series and retained their all important life saving Extraliga status. After that and probably much to Ústí's horror the Extraligas governors decided to do away with the promotion and relegation ruling leaving an arguably superior Ústí squad stuck in the first division.... Fast forward a complete season and things have changed once again. Ústí have been given a slot in the top league along side Vsetín and the others. The plan just now (It will probably change) is for the league to run with fifteen teams until the 2008/09 season when it will return to a fourteen team competition. The bottom two Extraliga squads will enter into a relegation playoff mini tournament with whatever team is the 1.liga champions. The winning club will be in the Extraliga for the following year.

I think this new rule will put the long term future of Vsetín in some serious doubt. The small Moravian club has recently struggled to gain any serious sponsorship and as a result has seen them languish year after year at the foot of the table. It has also been responsible for the team losing the vast majority of its better players who have left to play their hockey for stronger rival squads that can pay them much better. Ústí seem to have money to spend and a decent fan base to call apon that could go along way to helping them become a main stay in the top division. (exactly what the league wants) In that case Vsetín must find a willing sponsor to help them out. They can then search for and capture the right players at the right price to get the job done. Their highly talented youth set up will bring few a through players but another Sasu Hovi who they plucked from the obscure world of SM-Liiga backup goalies would go along way to helping the club move up the table and to future safety. If not and the team are relegated from the Extraliga and as friend from Vsetin once told me hockey could disappear altogether from the town. Their amazing fans deserve so much better....

So similar to the Caps situation eh??

http://www.hcusti.cz/ vs http://www.hc-vsetin.cz/

Introducing Ivo Prorok

Random Historical World Championships Moment Of The Week

Leant that one at Slavia Praha

I.H.W.C Medal Predictions

So the WC's started today with the USA spanking Austria 6-2 in the opening game of the tournament, An expect result of course and Finland thumped the Ukrainians 5-0. I like this competition despite it being rated as "Mickey Mouse" by some. I wonder if the tournament would actually gain some more respect in North America if it was played later in the year. Anyway the competition gives a few of the European based players a chance to shine on the world stage, a chance for them to show the T.V cameras from around the globe what they can do out on the ice. Take Zbynek Irgl of the Czech Republic. He became a national hero last year after he scored 7:58 into overtime to give the Czechs a 4-3 victory over Russia in the quarter-finals. A moment the Vitkovice forward and many fans will never forget...

I think this years competition is going to be a very close fought affair. It's highly competitive with the games amongst the bigger teams being very difficult to call. I think the Slovaks and the Russians have the most talented forwards lines. The Russians have named a very strong squad including Malkin, Ovechkin, Morozov, Kovalchuk, Radulov, Forlov and Gonchar. They of course also have the home crowd on their side in Moscow. That is why I'm tipping them to take the gold medal this time around. I expect run and gun hockey from them with plenty of goals being scored and little attention being paid to the defence.

The silver medal, could go to any team really. So hard to predict the Czechs, Slovaks, Canadians, Finns and Americans are all obviously in with a decent shout. I'd love to see the Czechs picking up a medal but I'm not so sure it's their year, too many questions about the line-up chosen. I think the Canadians will have the goal-tending to take them far, probably up their with the Finns as the best in the competition but I question their commitment to the tournament. So I'm going to go with the Finns for the Silver. They deserve some more success, I love their hockey and they have the main man Janne Pesonen on their squad.

Bronze will go to Slovakia. Marián Hossa, Miroslav Šatan, Richard Zedník, Pavol Demitra, Marián Gáborík and Branko Radivojevič will see to that!

The Matti Höylä Show

You thought Rastislav Rovnianek's celebrations were good, check out Vaasan Sports Matti Höylä's dance moves...

NHL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Western Conference

Anaheim vs. Vancouver - Ducks In 5

I think the Ducks will be to strong for the low scoring Canucks. Pronger and Niedermayer to rule the series


Detroit vs. San Jose - Red Wings in 6

Redwings disposed of a plucky Flames side when the going got tough. I think their experience and know how will get through against the Sharks.


Eastern Conference

New Jersey vs. Ottawa - Devils in 7

A hard series to predict for. New Jersey always seem to get the job done in the playoffs. Its defence vs offence. Im gonna go with the Devils in 7. Brodeur swings it for me

Buffalo vs. NY Rangers - Sabres in 6

There is going to be lots of goals in this series most of them will goto the Sabres with their speed and skill. They will over come and prove to be to much for a Rangers squad that has a lot of heart!

D I I I I I I N O...

Remember Dino denting the Vipers league hopes!... Awooooooga!

MORE OF THIS PLEASE!!!

Some more of this for the Swedes at the up-coming world championships in Russia.....

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DIV 1 GRP B

So this is my first posting for my new mainly UK hockey based blog. I hope to update the sucka as much as I can with the hockey happenings of the british isles as they happen and of course I'll provide my fully trustworthy opinions on them....

Division 1 Group B hockey is over for another year and how exciting it was. We ( Team GB of course) survived thanks to the general pantsness - yes it is a word - of Romania who propped up the six strong table. So it got me randomly thinking about Romanian hockey and what the set up is like over there just now. So my first British hockey blog is all about the relegated Romanians!!!..... It makes sense to me....

To the facts:

The league itself is made up of just six teams. Those being:

CSA Steaua Bucureşti
SC Miercurea Ciuc
CS Progym Gheorgheni
HCM Galaţi
HC Csíkszereda
HC Sportul Studenţesc Bucureşti

Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc are the champions for season 06/07 after defeating Steaua in the playoff finals in five games. The mighty Miercurea Ciuc who just happen to have former Capitals netminder Martin Kučera as their #1 stopper, well I say stopper I actually mean a guy that just happens to stands between the pipes. Anyway his team also topped the regular season table just a few points ahead of Steaua. I wonder how many shots he saved with his head again this season?. So its no real surprise to find out that seven players came from the champions to help make up the Romanian national squad and that Steaua provided the next highest amount with six skaters coming from their club. Everyone of their players were based in Romania. Seeing as they lost every game they played this year, including a complete blow out against Anze Kopitar it provided an insight into what standard of their league really is. So to me it is obviously below each of their Group B rivals national competitions.



Looking at some of the scorelines from last years play their isn't much competition for Ciuc either, they scored over twenty goals in three consecutive games at one point during their season. Scorelines of 29-0, 23-0, and a lowly 20-1. Can't believe Kucera let one past him. The sieve. In a third period showing alone they netted fifteen times against Galati. So a league of haves and have nots....





Kucera has finally found his level, he doesn't really need to play at all!