The Vsetín fans gathered together to protest at their Extraliga expulsion. The fans marched through the town in a show of unity. Check it out:
The clubs court case against the league has just recently started!.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Slow News: Video Of The Day
Not much has been happening publicly with the Caps recently but with around 45 days to go till the new season gets under way that will surely have to change very, very soon. The Capitals have announced just seven players so far to the fans, so atleast another 11 names have still to be announced to make up the full squad. I hope some of them have are already signed up with the team. Hopefully the coming weeks are going to be a busy P.R time with lots of news coming out from the Capitals organisation, making it alot easier for me to write about stuff....
So until the next piece of Capitals news, here is another youtube hockey vid:
Poor quality vid but you still get the idea of Jan Marek's genius...
So until the next piece of Capitals news, here is another youtube hockey vid:
Poor quality vid but you still get the idea of Jan Marek's genius...
Thursday, 19 July 2007
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
WATN II:
Fredrik Oduya - The journey man added a few more miles to his clock last season skating for three different teams through out the year. Oduya left the Capitals to start the 06/07 season in the Swedish Allsvenskan for Nybro, 16 games and 1 assist later he was on his way to Vallentuna. The big D man lasted just 7 games with the 1st division club picking up 3 assists and 56 penalty minutes. His 3rd team of the season was CHL outfit Laredo Bucks. The Bucks traded with the Tulsa Oilers for Oduya's rights on the CHLs deadline day. Going with the Eurohockey and Hockeydb stats 'Knuckles' Oduya pulled on the Bucks jersey just three times.
Travis Lisabeth - Well, does he really count as an Ex Player?. Sure he skated about and touched the puck maybe once during his 18 game stint with us but did he actually take part in the games?. He was virtually anonymous at all times BUT I will include him in the 'Where are they now' list. I'm also quite sure if you concentrate really, reeeaaally hard you will remember something positive he did out on the ice for the Caps, well maybe. The shot shy forward decided to end his short Capitals career very early on during the 05/06 season. After his spell in the EIHL he returned to North America where he skated out the rest of the season for the ECHL's Columbia Inferno. He posted 18+32 with them in 60 games played, proving that he is a decent hockey player given the right surroundings.
Last year he pulled on more than one teams colours like Oduya, Lisabeth skated for three teams during the 06/07 season. He started off the year with the Phoenix Roadrunners before switching to the Pensacola Ice Pilots. 25 games later he was involved in a five player swap deal that took him over to the Cincinnati Cyclons. He saw out the season with them helping the Cyclons secure a playoff spot
His 06/07 stats
Phoenix RoadRunners
9 3+1 4 16
Pensacola Ice Pilots
25 9+17 43
Cincinnati Cyclones
26 8+13 21
We definitely didn't see the best of Travis Lisabeth that's for sure...
Jaroslav Prosvic - Jaro played less than 20 games for the Caps during the o5/06 season before moving on to play his hockey in Austria. After a very average 18 games with the Caps that saw him score just one goal he moved on to play for Zeltweg in the Austrian 1st division. He didn't have the greatest of times there either stats wise, playing in just seven games, scoring six assists. It doesn't look like his 'almost' a point a game average kept him in the playing squad for long. Last season he teamed up with Ladislav Kudrna in France with HC Caen. He put up 10+6 in 26 games some decent numbers for the former Skalica man. His team though struggled to an 11th (from 14) place finish. Caen scraped into the playoffs but were swept 2-0 in the 1st round by Amiens.
Travis Lisabeth - Well, does he really count as an Ex Player?. Sure he skated about and touched the puck maybe once during his 18 game stint with us but did he actually take part in the games?. He was virtually anonymous at all times BUT I will include him in the 'Where are they now' list. I'm also quite sure if you concentrate really, reeeaaally hard you will remember something positive he did out on the ice for the Caps, well maybe. The shot shy forward decided to end his short Capitals career very early on during the 05/06 season. After his spell in the EIHL he returned to North America where he skated out the rest of the season for the ECHL's Columbia Inferno. He posted 18+32 with them in 60 games played, proving that he is a decent hockey player given the right surroundings.
Last year he pulled on more than one teams colours like Oduya, Lisabeth skated for three teams during the 06/07 season. He started off the year with the Phoenix Roadrunners before switching to the Pensacola Ice Pilots. 25 games later he was involved in a five player swap deal that took him over to the Cincinnati Cyclons. He saw out the season with them helping the Cyclons secure a playoff spot
His 06/07 stats
Phoenix RoadRunners
9 3+1 4 16
Pensacola Ice Pilots
25 9+17 43
Cincinnati Cyclones
26 8+13 21
We definitely didn't see the best of Travis Lisabeth that's for sure...
Jaroslav Prosvic - Jaro played less than 20 games for the Caps during the o5/06 season before moving on to play his hockey in Austria. After a very average 18 games with the Caps that saw him score just one goal he moved on to play for Zeltweg in the Austrian 1st division. He didn't have the greatest of times there either stats wise, playing in just seven games, scoring six assists. It doesn't look like his 'almost' a point a game average kept him in the playing squad for long. Last season he teamed up with Ladislav Kudrna in France with HC Caen. He put up 10+6 in 26 games some decent numbers for the former Skalica man. His team though struggled to an 11th (from 14) place finish. Caen scraped into the playoffs but were swept 2-0 in the 1st round by Amiens.
Monday, 16 July 2007
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Where are they now?
A random 'Where are they now?' post....
Martin Kucera - An easy one to start out with. After leaving the Caps the Slovak "goalie" headed over to Eastern Europe to enjoy the excitement of the Romanian hockey league. He back-stopped SC Miercurea Ciuc for a season, winning the title there. Kucera has recently made a return to Slovak Extraliga to play for HK Skalica. He will share the netminding duties with a good friend of his Pavol Rybar who has also recently returned to the club after a short time spent in Russia.
Miroslav Droppa - After a decent spell playing for the Capitals over two seasons Miro headed off home back to Slovakia. He laced up his skates once more for Liptovský Mikulás the team he has spent almost all of his career with. For the past two season Miro, still #77, has been playing his hockey with Lipt Mik. He has hardly set the place alight though scoring just 3+4 in his 1st season back with the club and last year he put up a 3+7 in 37 games played. My friends from Martín told me he was cut from the club and ended up at MHK Ruzomberok. The stats say he played two games from them. He doesn't appear on their team list now.
Neil Stevenson-Moore - The former Capitals player of the year left the club to try his luck over the pond in the AHL. His dreams of playing in such a high quality league never quite materialised and he ended up signing for the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL. He obviously set very high targets for himself that year and he wanted to be the best he could be but for me he lacked the quality to be an AHL regular. That proved to be the case as on the 16th of October 2006 the Condors ended his rookie season in the ECHL and released him from his contract. I've not been able to find his stats for the Condors games he took part in or in fact anything else on him since.
Darius Pliskauskas - Dino's international team mate skated just fourteen times in the league for the Caps before he upped sticks for Neman Grodno in the Belorussian league. He has recently moved on from them though to join up with another one of his former teams. He has signed with Latvian outfit Liepâjas Metalurgs on a three year contract. Pliskauskas also represented Lithuania against Team GB at the 07 world championships.
Rastislav Böhme - The steady D-man parted company with the Caps at the end of the 04/05 season. He returned home to Slovakia for a few weeks icing in five games for MHC Martín before being tempted over HC Chamonix in the french ligue magnus. In his first season with the defending french champions he put up 5+7 and had the ability to stay out of the penalty box puting up only eight minutes in penalites. During his second year with the team he scored 6+9 for fifteen points, a great number for Rusty to put up. Chamonix secured a playoff spot with their 7th place finish. The were victorious in the 1st round knocking out Epinal but were swept 3-0 in the 1/4 final against Grenoble. He is still on there current squad list so I guess he will be playing his hockey in France again next season.
I will be looking to do some more 'Where are they now?' type posts in the near future.
Martin Kucera - An easy one to start out with. After leaving the Caps the Slovak "goalie" headed over to Eastern Europe to enjoy the excitement of the Romanian hockey league. He back-stopped SC Miercurea Ciuc for a season, winning the title there. Kucera has recently made a return to Slovak Extraliga to play for HK Skalica. He will share the netminding duties with a good friend of his Pavol Rybar who has also recently returned to the club after a short time spent in Russia.
Miroslav Droppa - After a decent spell playing for the Capitals over two seasons Miro headed off home back to Slovakia. He laced up his skates once more for Liptovský Mikulás the team he has spent almost all of his career with. For the past two season Miro, still #77, has been playing his hockey with Lipt Mik. He has hardly set the place alight though scoring just 3+4 in his 1st season back with the club and last year he put up a 3+7 in 37 games played. My friends from Martín told me he was cut from the club and ended up at MHK Ruzomberok. The stats say he played two games from them. He doesn't appear on their team list now.
Neil Stevenson-Moore - The former Capitals player of the year left the club to try his luck over the pond in the AHL. His dreams of playing in such a high quality league never quite materialised and he ended up signing for the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL. He obviously set very high targets for himself that year and he wanted to be the best he could be but for me he lacked the quality to be an AHL regular. That proved to be the case as on the 16th of October 2006 the Condors ended his rookie season in the ECHL and released him from his contract. I've not been able to find his stats for the Condors games he took part in or in fact anything else on him since.
Darius Pliskauskas - Dino's international team mate skated just fourteen times in the league for the Caps before he upped sticks for Neman Grodno in the Belorussian league. He has recently moved on from them though to join up with another one of his former teams. He has signed with Latvian outfit Liepâjas Metalurgs on a three year contract. Pliskauskas also represented Lithuania against Team GB at the 07 world championships.
Rastislav Böhme - The steady D-man parted company with the Caps at the end of the 04/05 season. He returned home to Slovakia for a few weeks icing in five games for MHC Martín before being tempted over HC Chamonix in the french ligue magnus. In his first season with the defending french champions he put up 5+7 and had the ability to stay out of the penalty box puting up only eight minutes in penalites. During his second year with the team he scored 6+9 for fifteen points, a great number for Rusty to put up. Chamonix secured a playoff spot with their 7th place finish. The were victorious in the 1st round knocking out Epinal but were swept 3-0 in the 1/4 final against Grenoble. He is still on there current squad list so I guess he will be playing his hockey in France again next season.
I will be looking to do some more 'Where are they now?' type posts in the near future.
Thursday, 12 July 2007
Video Of The Day - Tommy Salo Salute
Re-living another classic hockey moment:
Every hockey fan has seen this clip a million times before, each time it is brought out of the vaults the same reaction occurs amongst hockey fans. The collective slapping of the forehead in utter disbelief. Anyway this play still remains today as one of my all time favourites. So this is a video salute to the sloppy Swedish goalie. (The music is a bonus).
So, Tommy Salo will no doubt be remembered for that moment for the rest of his life. Even to this day so many years after the event it has to haunt his dreams every single night. He probably thinks to himself late at night " why Tommy?, why?... Why was I such a "poo" bag. I am a netminder for Christ sake I'm allowed to touch puck, why didn't I save it?, god I suck"
He thinks all of that in Swedish ofcourse ;p
I'm also going to guess that he even catches his wife looking at him shaking her head every now and then for no apparent reason. He doesn't ask why though, he already knows deep inside the feelings of habitual dislike she has for him all because of that goal!.
So here's to Tommy Salo and the years of therapy ahead!
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Suomi Here I Come:
Never advertise your holidays plans until you've actually made them. My schedule has changed country about three times, the games I plan to see has changed about ten times and the dates for the journey taking place has changed about a million times. It has all been very confusing but AT LAST I have some solid plans put in place. Bookings have been made and flights arranged. I'm 100% all in for a new Finnish hockey experience. Well for the first week of the holiday at least, the second week is still up in the air and open for change. It might be Finland, it might be Sweden...
During the first seven days I will take in three games. I am flying to Tampere to catch the Tappara vs Jokerit game. I have previously witnessed a warm up match at the Tampere Ice Hall but this time I want to see Mika Lehto steal the game from the Helsinki Jesters. The second game involves a short train journey up to Jyväskylä to see JYP take on TPS.
TPS are far from the team I saw play a few years back, they have struggled to put results together and have found themselves slipping down the SM-Liiga table. Saying that thought they still have quality players in their line up. Marko Kiprusoff and Aki-Berg to name two should be exciting to see.
The last game I plan to see in Finland involves TPS again but this time up in Oulu. I hope their is gonna be tons of snow that far north and Oulu better have all the bikes the lonley planet guide book says it does. Its a reason for going itself apparently. I also can't wait to taste the genius of Lapin Kulta beer and to experience the awesomeness of Hesburger again. Both are highly recommended by the way. So back to the hockey. The Kärpät vs TPS game is the one I'm most excited about, I seriously cant wait to witness the genius of Kärpät on their home ice. The players they have are simply amazing and having the chance to see the likes of Janne Pesonen, Michal Bros, Hannes Hyvönen, Kalle Sahlstedt, Ondrej Kratena and not forgetting Ex Paisley Pirate netminder Jaakko Suomalainen all skate for the same team is possibly a once in a life-time opportunity for me. So I'll certainly be enjoying that game to the fullest!!
After that who knows maybe a game in Stockholm or maybe back to the south of Finland for a Pelicans match. I don't really know just yet but Suomi here I come!
During the first seven days I will take in three games. I am flying to Tampere to catch the Tappara vs Jokerit game. I have previously witnessed a warm up match at the Tampere Ice Hall but this time I want to see Mika Lehto steal the game from the Helsinki Jesters. The second game involves a short train journey up to Jyväskylä to see JYP take on TPS.
TPS are far from the team I saw play a few years back, they have struggled to put results together and have found themselves slipping down the SM-Liiga table. Saying that thought they still have quality players in their line up. Marko Kiprusoff and Aki-Berg to name two should be exciting to see.
The last game I plan to see in Finland involves TPS again but this time up in Oulu. I hope their is gonna be tons of snow that far north and Oulu better have all the bikes the lonley planet guide book says it does. Its a reason for going itself apparently. I also can't wait to taste the genius of Lapin Kulta beer and to experience the awesomeness of Hesburger again. Both are highly recommended by the way. So back to the hockey. The Kärpät vs TPS game is the one I'm most excited about, I seriously cant wait to witness the genius of Kärpät on their home ice. The players they have are simply amazing and having the chance to see the likes of Janne Pesonen, Michal Bros, Hannes Hyvönen, Kalle Sahlstedt, Ondrej Kratena and not forgetting Ex Paisley Pirate netminder Jaakko Suomalainen all skate for the same team is possibly a once in a life-time opportunity for me. So I'll certainly be enjoying that game to the fullest!!
After that who knows maybe a game in Stockholm or maybe back to the south of Finland for a Pelicans match. I don't really know just yet but Suomi here I come!
Friday, 6 July 2007
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Europes Top Clubs
This years completely un-official listing has been released. I can't say I agree with it all even though I'm not 100% sure how they actually work out the rankings. It must be a points system based on the level of competition played against, what the clubs results were and where each team finished in their regular season table. I guess whether or not the teams actually win their respective countries titles doesn't matter to much either. Plus the players each team actually has available to them isn't taken into it, which for me decides who really has the best team.
Anyway, the list looks like this
1) Ak Bars Kazan (RUS)
2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS)
3) Avangard Omsk (RUS)
4) Kärpät Oulu (FIN)
5) Salavat Yulaev Ufa (RUS)
6) Färjestad (SWE)
7) Jokerit Helsinki (FIN)
8) MoDo Örnsköldsvik (SWE)
9) HC Davos (SWI)
10) Mannheim (GER)
Other notable positions -
14) Sparta Prague
15) Pardubice
36) Slovan Bratislava - Slovak Champs well down the list
78) MHC Martin -
153) Coventry Blaze ( Highest ranked EIHL club)
The Russians clearly dominate the top ten in this years rankings but I am shocked to find Sparta outside of the top 10 clubs. They did have a poor start to their season last year but they dominated in the playoffs and eventually won the competition with relative ease. ( I hated typing that just now) No way can Sparta be below Mannheim and Davos. They have won the Extraliga title for the past two seasons plus they take part in the Super Six competition so it doesn't make any real sense to me to find them down in 14th. I also can't quite work out why Kärpät are as low as 4th. They are more or less setting a dynasty in Finland with their dominant play. They are easily the best team in the SM-Liiga and therefore shouldn't be anywhere other than 2nd place on that list...
The Caps and 'Rays are the only EIHL clubs not to be listed. So we are ranked outside the top 250 clubs within Europe. If the Caps can make the playoffs next season we might just move up and be counted! woop, woop ;p
Full list can be seen at http://www.hockeyarchives.info/top.htm
Anyway, the list looks like this
1) Ak Bars Kazan (RUS)
2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS)
3) Avangard Omsk (RUS)
4) Kärpät Oulu (FIN)
5) Salavat Yulaev Ufa (RUS)
6) Färjestad (SWE)
7) Jokerit Helsinki (FIN)
8) MoDo Örnsköldsvik (SWE)
9) HC Davos (SWI)
10) Mannheim (GER)
Other notable positions -
14) Sparta Prague
15) Pardubice
36) Slovan Bratislava - Slovak Champs well down the list
78) MHC Martin -
153) Coventry Blaze ( Highest ranked EIHL club)
The Russians clearly dominate the top ten in this years rankings but I am shocked to find Sparta outside of the top 10 clubs. They did have a poor start to their season last year but they dominated in the playoffs and eventually won the competition with relative ease. ( I hated typing that just now) No way can Sparta be below Mannheim and Davos. They have won the Extraliga title for the past two seasons plus they take part in the Super Six competition so it doesn't make any real sense to me to find them down in 14th. I also can't quite work out why Kärpät are as low as 4th. They are more or less setting a dynasty in Finland with their dominant play. They are easily the best team in the SM-Liiga and therefore shouldn't be anywhere other than 2nd place on that list...
The Caps and 'Rays are the only EIHL clubs not to be listed. So we are ranked outside the top 250 clubs within Europe. If the Caps can make the playoffs next season we might just move up and be counted! woop, woop ;p
Full list can be seen at http://www.hockeyarchives.info/top.htm
Wednesday, 4 July 2007
Video Of The Day: Kaboom!!
A quick look back at RJ Umberger being destroyed by Brian Campbell from last years playoffs. It doesn't matter how many times you see this hit the impact still amazes you....
Enjoy (once again)
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Stupid Sweden:
Well my plans to visit Sweden didn't last very long at all.. :(
How mental is this all, yes ALL! the games I had planned to see over there have sold out already, months before the beginning of the new Elitserien season. Djugardens decisions to play at a smaller venue didn't help matters either. I knew the games would be popular with the locals so I'm glad I checked for ticket prices last night on the teams websites or I would have been over there in November with no game to see. So a decision has been made to go with old faithful and pay a return visit to the mighty Czech Extraliga and to witness the genius of Pardubice on home ice once again. I love the country, town and the hockey so it makes sense to go back. I also have plans to sneak over the border to Slovakia to catch a game or three there and to meet up with some Slovak friends...
SO TO SWEDEN I SAY.... YOU SUCK!!!
How mental is this all, yes ALL! the games I had planned to see over there have sold out already, months before the beginning of the new Elitserien season. Djugardens decisions to play at a smaller venue didn't help matters either. I knew the games would be popular with the locals so I'm glad I checked for ticket prices last night on the teams websites or I would have been over there in November with no game to see. So a decision has been made to go with old faithful and pay a return visit to the mighty Czech Extraliga and to witness the genius of Pardubice on home ice once again. I love the country, town and the hockey so it makes sense to go back. I also have plans to sneak over the border to Slovakia to catch a game or three there and to meet up with some Slovak friends...
SO TO SWEDEN I SAY.... YOU SUCK!!!
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