Over the next 2 days the top 4 teams will fight it out to discover who will be the AIHL Champion for 2010. After a grueling regular season only the Sydney Bears, Adelaide Adrenaline, Newcastle North Stars and finals host Melbourne Ice remain in the competition. These 4 teams each play their own style of hockey and all of them want to raise the cup as much as the next. But, who will be strong enough to make it? Last seasons winners, the Adrenaline are looking to win back-to-back championships. The Newcastle North Stars have a deadly offensive lineup including Brian Bales and Peter Cartright who surpassed last seasons record set by Brad Smulders of the Blue Tongues. The Sydney Bears have been looked on as the underdogs, but have a well balanced team that is dangerous to underestimate. Lastly, the Melbourne Ice, who have a new rink, new attitude and a serious home-ice advantage.
As a fan of the sport of hockey, it’s hard not wanting to throw support behind one of these 4 teams during the finals. I personally would love to see the Bears get up over the other teams, but a first round match against the Ice could prove a mighty challenge. The Ice losing in the semi would be a great thing to see however. The North Stars / Adrenaline matchup will be a good one as we see great offense meet great defense. If the Adrenaline can shut down Bales and Cartright, I think they could take the win.
Game 1 is this afternoon with the 2nd semi Saturday night at 7:15pm. The Final is Sunday afternoon.
A year ago Brad Smulders lit the AIHL up on the score sheet, setting an impressive 76 points AIHL record in the process. His 33 Goals and 43 Assists helped the Tongues make their first ever finals appearance.
Last weekend that record was beaten, not just by 1 player but 2, from the same club.
Brian Bales & Peter Cartwright have been standout imports for the Newcastle North Stars all season, helping them finish as regular season premiers and once again be a strong contender for the cup. Last weekend while the Blue Tongues were in Newcastle for their final 2 games of the season, the Bales / Cartwright duo turned a depleted and under-manned Blue Tongues squad into new AIHL records.
In the 2 games over the weekend Bales put up 5 goals and 8 assists putting him on 81 points (30G 51A) , well past Smulders’ previous record. Cartwright put up 7 goals and 8 assists on the weekend giving him a season total of 78 points (36G 42A). Cartwright also set a new North Stars goal scoring record, passing the previous record of 35 goals set by BJ Pelkey in 2008. The current AIHL goal scoring record is held by Matt Amado of the Brisbane Blue Tongues in 2007.
Congratulations go out to both Bales and Cartwright for their accomplishment.
The level of quality of players is increasing each year in the AIHL and no doubt Bales new record will be challenged and beaten by someone else at some point in time.
Congratulations also to the Blue Tongues 15 year old rookie netminder Nick Novysedlak who was thrown in the deep end this last weekend against a very strong North Stars squad. Nick played with great poise and positioning and sent a message that he is a player to watch out for in the future. Nick is the son of Blue Tongues veteran netminder, Milan Novysedlak.
I’ve been sitting on this post for the past week, wondering whether or not it was worthy of a blog post or not.
Last week the Blue Tongues were down in Melbourne taking on the Ice for back-to-back games. There was an incident during the Saturday game which had Blue Tongues forward Dallas Costanzo dive to allegedly block a shot and inadvertently trip an Ice player who went down and got injured. Costanzo was given a 2 minute minor for tripping and a game misconduct, meaning he would not be eligible to play on Sunday. As these games were “must-wins” for the Blue Tongues, losing Costanzo was a serious blow to the Tongues.
The Ice ended up winning both games, all but ending the Tongues playoffs hopes.
Back to that tripping penalty though, as that is the central point to this post. When it happened, the ref actually went and consulted with the AIHL rulebook before making the final ruling. This move has angered a few Blue Tongues fans, who believe a 2 minute tripping minor was all that was warranted. The ref, going out of his way to check the book ended Costanzo’s weekend, which had an impact on the Tongues playoffs hopes ending. This penalty has been discussed at length on Hockeypulse since those games.
Was it warranted? Did the ref go too far in making that call? As fans, we could argue this til the cows come home. Let me make it simple for you though. The AIHL rulebook clearly states under Rule 539 – Tripping:
b) A player who injures an opponent by tripping shall be assessed, at the discretion
of the Referee, a:
➤ Major penalty + Automatic Game Misconduct penalty (5’+GM)
or
➤ Match penalty (MP)
You can read the rules here: http://www.iihf.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/rules_part_two.pdf
Regardless of what we as fans think, the ref was 100% correct in making that call. In fact, by going out of his way to read the rulebook, he did incredible justice to the AIHL. Over the last few seasons we have seen and heard of our fair share of bad reffing. In this case, when a ref actually does the right thing, and goes above and beyond to ensure he does the right thing, people jump on him. This doesn’t seem right.
As fans, our hearts get in the way of our minds at times. I plead with you all though, for the love of the league and the Blue Tongues, be a a fair fan and unbiased. Leave that to fans from other teams. The penalty, while not to our liking, was a good call.
For most of us, there are places we’ve always wanted to visit that directly relate to our passions or beliefs. Our first journey to these places is more than just traveling, it’s fulfilling a goal or living a dream; a pilgrimage. In 2006 Wendy and I made our first ever “pilgrimage” when we traveled to Dallas, TX to see the Dallas Stars play. We still remember that first game, the sights, the sounds, the smells, all of it.
Dane Tilse scores for the Raiders
This weekend Wendy and I make another pilgrimage. You see, Wendy and I are Canberra Raiders fans and have never been to Canberra Stadium to see them play live. That is, until this Saturday. Wendy has been following the Raiders since 1993, and while hockey may now be her #1 favorite sport, has a big spot in her heart of Footy. Quite understandable when you consider her cousins are Kevin, Kerrod and Steve Walters.
On late Saturday afternoon when we’re sitting in the cold, wearing our Raiders gear cheering the Green Machine on, there will be another battle going on just across town.
Our Blue Tongues will also be in Canberra this weekend with 1 goal on the agenda… 2 wins against the Canberra Knights. The Tongues are playing well and have their eyes set on one of those final 4 spots on the ladder. The Knights are all but mathematically eliminated from the AIHL Playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference. Tongues fans from years back may remember when the Knights eliminated the the boys in blue from playoff contention. A season later, they pretty much did it again. There is history, and rivalry between these 2 clubs, a rivalry that is only intensified by former Blue Tongues Captain, Mark Rummukainen now wearing the C for the Knights.
While we will miss the Saturday Blue Tongues vs Knights game, we will be there Sunday ready to witness the Blue Tongues nail down a victory!
GO RAIDERS! GO TONGUES!
I’ll never forget a few seasons back, we had one of the players come and sit with us in the stands during a Blue Tongues game. It was the first time he had really sat and watched a game and saw it from a fans perspective, and he was relatively surprised by how differently he saw the game. More importantly, he started to get a better understanding of why the fans see the game often so differently from those playing it.
The reason I mention this is because it was bought to my attention recently that my posts are often critical of the Blue Tongues, and that I don’t give equal praise to the team. I started looking back over my previous comments and, much like the aforementioned player in the stands, I found myself being surprised, even slightly angered by my own comments.
I want to apologise to any of the team who have been reading my commentary here. No offense is ever intended by my comments, and my criticism was never meant to come over so negatively. I also want to personally thank the player in question who bought this to my attention.
I would like to give those players who don’t know me a little history of me and my history with the Blue Tongues.
My wife, Wendy and I have been to almost every single Blue Tongues game. We were there at the very first exhibition game in Brisbane the year before the team entered the league, and, as far as I am aware, are the longest standing fans of the team. Now please understand, I’m not blowing my own trumpet here, I just want you to understand how long we have supported the Blue Tongues. During the years since then, the team has gone through changes, moved location, had some great players and some not so great players, imports return, imports leave, and had had both highs and lows. As fans, we have been tested, pushed to extremes, and challenged over our faith in the Blue Tongues…
But we’re still here.
Wendy and I drive from north Brisbane to every game, over 90 minutes each way, rain or shine to watch our team play. We’ve flown once and driven the 14 hours to Newcastle (and Erina) twice times to watch the team play, two trips for regular league games and last year to support the team for the Finals. We’ve flown to Canberra and Sydney to watch the team play on the road. We wear our jerseys proudly, scream support to the point of losing our voices and will ferociously defend our team if anybody dare insult them. Hell, in 2006 we even gave Blue Tongues jerseys to Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars!
We’re fans.
Which I guess is where my posts here have confused, or even angered some people. How can fans say such horrible things about their team? I got challenged a few days back on Facebook, and a player (the gentle giant he is) asked me if I was a fan, or a critic. To me, they are not so different. The only real difference is that a critic has no team loyalty, whereas a fan of course does. I always thought of myself as a fan who is honest, but i’ve been shocked to see that what my posts show me as is a critical fan, and that actually made me sick to my stomach.
I believe fans should be critical of their team. I don’t believe in rose coloured glasses and believe honesty is always better than simply cheering blindly. But, there comes a point where critique becomes negativity. I crossed that line, and I am incredibly sorry that I did.
Last NHL season I read an article on one of the hundreds of emails I receive each week that talked about “when fans go bad”. At the time I thought it was funny because it talked about fans who literally lose their minds after games. Montreal Canadiens fans are a great example for those who followed the playoffs. The article coined this great phrase, “IPF Syndrome”, or “Insanely Passionate Fan Syndrome”. Great phrase eh? All it means is we get so caught up in our passion for the game and the team that small things become big issues, and losing… well, that just becomes painful to take. As many of those who know me understand, when the Blue Tongues lose, it hurts. I forget however, that the players are even more upset at losing than I, as a fan am. Heck, that gives you guys (the players) such a huge amount of respect in my mind… seriously!
You guys are more than a team to us. The Blue Tongues have become an integral part of our hearts.
In 2 weeks the Blue Tongues travel to Canberra to take on the Knights. Wendy and I are traveling to Canberra that weekend and will be at the Sunday game, decked out in Blue and as always, screaming on our team to win… GO BLUE TONGUES!
Reese kalleitner made 3 giant shootout saves tonight and the Blue Tongues special teams excelled to secure the Blue Tongues 3-2 shootout victory against the visiting Sydney Bears. Mike McRae netted a fantastic shorthanded goal and Alex Boyd put in a 1st period goal in a game that was fast-paced and full of intensity.
The key standout feature in todays game was the Blue Tongues presence in front off the Bears goalie, Nick Boucher. The boys in blue crashed the net and screened the goalie perfectly, and it was on one such occasion that Alex Boyd put the Tongues ahead.
The last line of defense, Reese Kalleitner was once again, outstanding between the pipes making this fan swallow his words posted in an earlier blog. I admit it, i was wrong about Reese.
I want to give a very special shout-out to Ben Spillane and the other injured players. It’s not easy being injured and having to watch the game instead of play in it, and these guys are professional in both victory and defeat. I know that Ben is itching to get out there and will see action when the team travels to Canberra in 2 weeks time.
The Blue Tongues are looking strong and all the boys are ready to make a strong run for their spot in Melbourne at the end of August!
Go Tongues!
As any hockey player will tell you, your best player in any game must be your goalie. That is the reasoning the Blue Tongues used recently to sign their 5th import of the 2010 season; Reese Kalleitner. Reese, an experienced netminder who has seen time in leagues across North America is said to bring stability between the pipes for the Blue Tongues…
at the cost of the defense?
The Blue Tongues suffered a major loss a few weeks ago when Voldy Dashko returned to Canada, opting not to return. Voldy was a monster on the Blue Line, and when paired up with local Ben Spillane provided what could arguably be described as the biggest, and most fearsome Defensive pair in the AIHL this season. Voldy and Ben provided a line of defense that would not just stop the puck, but on more than one occasion, would flatten the opponent in the process.
But… Voldy left, therefore opening up the 5th import spot, and the Blue Tongues had until July 1st to fill that, or play the remainder of the 2010 season with just 4 imports. Not long after, the Blue Tongues suffered another big hit, when both Adam Gebara and Ben Spillane got injured. All of a sudden, the Blue Tongues went from a solid team with outstanding defense to a shaky team with swiss cheese in the Neutral Zone.
So… put yourself in the teams position. You have 2 good goalies in Luke Fiveash and CJ Anderson, and a third capable backup in Mark Paulsen. You have just lost one of your best defensive players for the season, and 2 others short-term. You have an import spot…
You go and get an import defenseman, right? I know I would, and from discussions with many people at the recent games, so would about 95% of everybody else watching the games.
So why the Blue Tongues went and used their 5th import spot on Reese Kalleitner is absolutely mind-boggling.
Which brings us to last weekends games against the visiting Melbourne Ice.
It took all of 30 seconds for fans to stare in wonder as new import Reese got caught out of position and made one of the most sloppy saves we’ve seen all season. To his credit, he did improve over the Saturday game and looked much better on Sunday. But did he play any better than Luke or CJ have? No, I don’t believe he did.
For those 2 games last weekend, we were witness to a dominant Melbourne Ice team tear holes in our defense. Time and time again, the Blue Tongues made bad passes or got caught behind the play as the Melbourne team simply turned our neutral zone into swiss cheese. Defensively, the Blue Tongues were out-matched by a fitter, faster and more skilled team. We missed Voldy, Ben and Adam on the Blue line, and it showed.
Kalleitner, in his debut game stopped 31 of 36 shots and followed that up on sunday stopping 35 of 39 shots. Good stats if you look at the numbers. Great stats if you look at the actual games themselves. But 2 losses all the same… and losses that many are wondering, may not have happened if the team had filled their defensive issues, rather than pick up another goalie.
From where the fans sit, the jury is still out on Reese Kalleitner.
There comes a time when every fan has to wonder… how can that happen?
Twice this weekend I had to witness a referee make a grave mistake regarding the release of players from the penalty box, decisions going in favour of the away team and done at the screaming demands of the away coach.
I was under the impression that referees controlled the game, not protesting coaches. I was also under the impression that coaches had to keep their mouths shut and not talk back to a referee. Of course I also thought that you had to be able to read and count too but after this weekend’s games I’m left to wonder.
How can such a grave mistake happen as the release of a player from the penalty box 58 seconds before the 2 minute penalty is up? And how can the ref take the word of a coach over the scorer or the penalty box attendant whose jobs it is to keep track of these things!
This type of mistake ruins the experience for the fans of both teams. No one likes to be cheated and no one likes their team to cheat.
Man up refs and rule the game fairly and squarely.
As fans of the AIHL we are used to seeing import players come and go each season. It’s not so often however that we find ourselves saying farewell to long-term local players, a position Blue Tongues fans find themselves in now with the departure of #96, Dave Upton, who is pursuing a Rugby Union career.
Dave Upton
Dave Upton is one of those guys who can only be described as a freak. Naturally talented at most sports, Dave smashed his way into the AIHL with the Brisbane Blue Tongues at the age of 15, the youngest player ever to play in the league to date. Since then fans have watched Dave grow, not just as an extremely talented hockey player, but as a person.
There are many highlight reel moments over the years including amazing goals, blazing speed and some of the best checking and hittin the Blue Tongues have seen. Fans may remember the massive open ice hit Dave put on a Central Coast Rhino a few years ago in brisbane, or the countless times Dave’s passion and determination shone through as he worked hard to carry the team back into games.
It is fitting and pleasing then to know that Dave’s last game as a Blue Tongue was also a historical one; the Blue Tongues first ever AIHL finals game, a game that was the culmination of 5 years hard work, determination and pure grit by players such as Dave Upton.
Dave Upton’s hit on a Rhino’s player. We apologise for the video quality.
Dave’s departure from the Blue Tongues leaves more than just an empty roster spot, it leaves a “Davie shaped hole” in the very heart of the team, as one fan was recently quoted as saying. A lineup without Dave Upton wont feel like a proper Blue Tongues lineup.
We would like to thank Dave for the time and effort he has put into this team over the last 5 years, and want to express how deeply we appreciate the memories he have given us. Whereever the future takes Dave, we know he will excel and do well.
So to #96, Dave Upton; farewell and thank you for the memories.
We’ve reached that part of the season we love to hate. The skates are put away, the schedule is complete and the champion has been crowned; the 2009 AIHL season is over.
Adelaide Adrenaline, AIHL Champions
Congratulations to the Adelaide Adrenaline who played some of the best hockey this fan has seen in recent times, dominating the Melbourne Ice 6-1 in their semi-final and defeating the defending champions, Newcastle North Stars in a 3-2 overtime victory on Sunday to secure the championship.
With IHA declaring the revered Goodall Cup was going back to a state competition, the AIHL introduced a new trophy which AIHL teams will now play for. The trophy was on display during the finals and handed to Adrenaline Greg Oddy as the captain of the victorious Adelaide Adrenaline.
The Gold Coast Blue Tongues made their first ever finals appearance to the roar of a dedicated Tongues fan base. Players later expressed that the Blue Tongues fans, who numbered less than 20 out-screamed the packed North Stars crowd. Keeping even through 2 periods, the Blue Tongues lost to the Newcastle North Stars 5-3 in their semi-final matchup.
The Melbourne Ice team, who were defeated 6-1 by the Adrenaline in semi-final #1 should take away many positive things from this season, one in which saw them rebuilding with youth and inexperience. Greg Oddy and the boys did fantastic to get them to the playoffs.
Brad Smulders, AIHL MVP
Brad Smuldes was awarded the AIHL regular season MVP award. He broke the AIHL scoring record, putting up 33 goals, 43 assists for 76 points, beating the old record by 7 points.
Cass Delsar of the Adelaide Adrenaline was awarded the playoff MVP, for what we can tell, deflecting a puck and scoring the overtime game winner agains the North Stars. This has sparked a discussion as to whether scoring “that” goal is deserving of the playoff MVP. We feel Greg Oddy or Thilthorpe would have been more deserving personally.
Mike Crowhurst of Slapshot.com.au has posted that DVDs of the finals games (all 3 of them) are available for purchase via their website: http://www.slapshot.com.au. According to Mike, they had 300 people tuning in to watch the games! A huge thanks to Mike, Mischa and the rest of the Slapshot boys for making the games available to the world.
The AIHL Trophy
The AIHL off-season is a long one, stretching through til April/May next year. Over the next 7 months teams will work on securing new imports, work on training the local guys and prepare for another AIHL season. The AIHL is notorious for it’s rumour mill, so here are few to whet your appetite.
According to people in the know, the talk around the league is that there could be new teams in the AIHL next season. Nobody has been able to confirm anything as yet, however 3 names keep popping up; Melbourne, Central Coast and Brisbane. Melbourne have their new ice arena next season, making room for another team down there. The Central Coast has the Rhinos, although I find it hard to believe they would be back if the same owner is involved. Brisbane used to have the Blue Tongues, so has the ability and fan base to hold a team.
According to sources who we believe had one too many, Matt Ezzy’s days in Newcastle are over, and he could be on the move to a new team. This rumour was also popular this time last year, so take it as you will. I sincerely hope he does not move to the Gold Coast unless he welcomes the taste of humble pie, as there is zero chance fans up there will worship him as the Newcastle crowd do.
Loads of rumours of returning import players, including 1 from the Blue Tongues, 1 from Newcastle and 1 from the Adrenaline.
