The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues Supporters, team members, sponsors and hockey fans around South East Queensland would like to congratulate the Blue Tongues on their first ever appearance at the Australian Ice Hockey League Finals series, 29-30 August, 2009 at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium (HISS), Warners Bay, Newcastle, NSW.
We would also like to congratulate Blue Tongues import Brad Smulders on breaking the AIHL scoring record, previously of 69 points held by Brad Wanchuluk of the Newcastle Northstars in 2007. Brad finished the season with 33 goals, 43 assists for 76 points off just 22 games.
The Blue Tongues finished the regular season in 4th spot with 14 wins, 7 losses and 3 overtime losses, good for 44 points off 24 games.
The Blue Tongues will take on top seeded Newcastle Northstars in their semi-final matchup, scheduled for 7:30pm, Saturday 29 August, 2009.
Those of us up here in Brisbane and the Gold Coast have been treated by the reverred Goodall Cup over the last few weeks. Fans have been able to ogle, touch and drool at this trophy. It’s the Stanley Cup of Australian Ice Hockey, and almost as old as Lord Stanley also.
So no doubt there was a bit of “what the?” going on when word came down recently that the AIHL will not be playing for the Goodall Cup this year, and the cup will return to it’s old purpose, as a State tournament trophy. Not a bad idea, afterall that’s where it’s roots lie.
But one must ask the question… why?
Ice Hockey in this country is shaky at the best of times. We have a loyal fan-base across the nation and it is growing each year. When it comes to hockey in Australia, people are going to think of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) long before they think of the State tournament. Does the State tourny have a name? 10 points if you can think of it.
The fact is, the AIHL is the best hockey in this country, and realistically the best thing that has happened to hockey in Australia. Young local players are getting to skate alongside proven import players such as AIHL record holder Brad Smulders and former NHL players, such as Rob Zamuner and Steve McKenna.
So why does it feel like the IHA and AIHL have some kind of internal battle going on, and why, after parading the Goodall Cup around in front of AIHL fans recently are they now saying “no, your team can’t win this”. It just all seems a little strange to me.
That said, a new cup designed just for the AIHL is a great move, and will allow the AIHL to build a legacy of its own.
The Blue Tongues stand on the edge of the most historical even in the 6 years of the franchises involvement in the Australian Ice Hockey League.
This weekend, August 1 & 2 the Gold Coast Blue Tongues take on the Canberra Knights at Bundall on the Gold Coast. Getting 6 points from a back-to-back victory will be a huge boost for the Blue Tongues, but not so huge as the implication it will have heading forward.
You see, if the Tongues can pull of a double this weekend, they mathematically eliminate the Sydney Ice Dogs from playoff contention, and in the process secure their first ever AIHL playoff berth.
This years 11-6-3 record has been a major improvement for the Blue Tongues, who finished 2008 with a dismall 8-17-3 record getting just 27 points and finishing 7th in last years 8-team league.
A major part of the teams success this season has been the outstanding play of import forward, Brad Smulders. Smulders, a native of Canada leads the team and league in goals (30), assists (35) and points (65).
This year has seen some major improvements both on and off the ice. Disciplined play, successful special teams and an increase in crowd numbers have all been a huge bonus to the teams success.
2009 also happens to be the debut season of Ross Howell as team captain. Rosco as he’s affectionately known is one of Australia’s top defenseman and has played this season as both defense and forward, where his outstanding 2-way play has been paramount to the teams winning record.
With just 4 games remaining in the AIHL season, all of them at home, the Blue Tongues have plenty of reasons to feel confident.
Fighting is an oft discussed topic around the Australian Ice Hockey League and one which tends to bring out some pretty strong personalities. During a recent chat with a fellow hockey fan we were talking about the role that fighting has in this league, and more importantly, the value of import players who know how to drop the gloves.
Many Blue Tongues fans will remember the events of 2008, or maybe you’re trying to forget them. It was both a high and a low year for the Blue Tongues, which ended up being tainted by the on and off ice antics of a few import players. This isn’t about that team or those players, but they are key to this discussion.
Fighting has always played a big role in the sport of hockey. Whether it’s been used to change the flow of a game or send a message to the opposition, the sport has had both it’s heroes and villains in the area of fisticuffs. Rob Ray, Tie Domi, Bob Probert, the list goes on, these guys are thought of as gladiators of the ice.
And you know what… in the leagues they played in, they were. A fight in the NHL will get you 5 minutes in the penalty box. Sure there are rules about not fighting in the closing minutes of the game which is more severe but the fact is, a 5 minute major penalty is not nearly as bad as a 5 minute major and a 10 minute misconduct you’d get here.
The thing is, down here in Australia fighting is heavily frowned upon. We play by the IIHF rulebook (ie. international / Olympic rules) which clearly states the following:
528 – FISTICUFFS OR ROUGHING
a) A player who intentionally takes off his glove/s in a fight or altercation shall be
assessed a: Misconduct penalty (10’)
b) A player who starts fisticuffs shall be assessed a: Match penalty (MP)
c) A player who, having been struck, retaliates with a blow or attempted blow, shall
be assessed a: Minor penalty (2’)
d) Any player or goalkeeper who is the first to intervene in an altercation already in progress, shall be assessed in addition to any other penalties incurred in the incident a: Game Misconduct penalty (GM)
e) If a player, after he has been ordered by the Referee to stop, continues the
altercation, attempts to continue, or resists a Linesman in the discharge of his
duties, he shall be assessed, at the discretion of the Referee, a: Double Minor penalty (2’+2’) or Major penalty + Automatic Game Misconduct penalty (5’+GM) or Match penalty (MP)
f) A player or team official who is on or off the ice and is involved in an
altercation or fisticuffs with a player or team official off the playing surface,
he shall be assessed, at the discretion of the Referee, a: Misconduct penalty (10’) or Game Misconduct penalty (GM) or Match penalty (MP)
g) If a player is deemed guilty of unnecessary roughness, he shall be assessed, at
the discretion of the Referee, a: Minor penalty (2’) or Double Minor penalty (2’+2’) or Major penalty + Automatic Game Misconduct penalty (5’+GM)
h) A player who grabs or holds the face mask or helmet or pulls the hair of an opponent shall be assessed, at the discretion of the Referee, a: Minor penalty (2’) or Major penalty + Automatic Game Misconduct penalty (5’+GM)
Lots of rules just for dropping the gloves, and these are generally considered subjective depending on the type of fight and the reason for it. In fact a fight here in the AIHL is usually going to get you a 5 minute major, and any of the following:
- Misconduct (10min)
- Game Misconduct (20min + ejection)
- Match Penalty
- Instigator
In a game with 15 minute periods, a fight means you’re out for a third of the game… AT LEAST.
Goons Vs Enforcers
Due to the strict rules in the AIHL on this issue, one could offer up a fantastic reason why the limited and valuable import spots should not be wasted on players who could be considered “goons”.
A goon IMO is one of those guys who knows how to fight and likes to fight and tends to have lapses in self-control. Goons are often not team players, and will generally end up in the penalty box or out of the game because they can’t keep their emotions in check. This should not be confused with an enforcer, who can fight the same way, but know when and how it should be done for the betterment of the team.
This is where I want to bring up the difference between the 2008 and 2009 Blue Tongues. Last season we saw one of our import spots go to Bryan Lachance, a guy who averages low point numbers and high PIMs in almost every league he’s played in. This right here should have been a warning that he’s not going to work, but alas, out he came. In the 20 games he played with the Blue Tongues he managed to put up 33 points and 188 penalty minutes. For a top 2 import, he spent 10 minutes of every single game (average) in the penalty box. For Lachance, self-control was as foreign as damper rolls and kangaroo steaks. Gaetan Royer, although better, had much the same issues. Those who were around in 2008 know of the events, so no need to talk about them here.
The 2009 Blue Tongues is a different team. They have guys who can fight (Selander, Spillane, Howell, etc) but these guys know that playing hockey is a far better way to spend the game. They will drop the gloves, as is evident in the picture above, but they wont do it for the sake of fighting.
The Fans / Game Audience
The other major factor in fighting within the sport of hockey are the people sitting in the seats. As is the goal of the Blue Tongues, and most other teams here in Australia, we want non-hockey fans to start following the sport. Each game we see more and more people come to games who have never experienced ice hockey before. As fantastic as this is, it also means they don’t know the rules or the “game”. When it comes to fighting, the impact is both positive and negative. Last year we saw many people stop coming to games, especially those with children or families. In Australia, which is still considered a non-hockey market, we must ensure we appeal to the target audience, and that audience is not necessarily going to want to see guys punching each other.
The 2008 Tongues played hard, often dirty and penalised themselves out of playoff contention. The 2009 Tongues play fast, non-goon, end-to-end hockey while keeping a strong physical game and are second on the ladder.
Keep the gloves on, scoring goals, not punches, wins championships.
