The Weekly Faceoff is a regular column talking about all things Tongues, in and around the AIHL.
The Thrashers are no more, fresh teams go for Stanley and the newest AIHL team make a coastal appearance.
NHL Hockey Returns To Winnipeg After 15 Years
NHL Hockey Returns To Winnipeg After 15 Years
Period 1: Winnipeg Get The NHL… Again
The biggest news in the hockey world this last week has to be the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to and the impending move to Winnipeg, Manitoba. First of all, congratulations to all the hockey fans in Winnipeg who have been wanting the NHL back since they lost the Jets. Of course, to have a winner there must be a loser, and commiserations must be given to the Atlanta fans who have now lost an NHL team… or should I say, a second NHL team. For those who don’t remember, Atlanta had already lost an NHL team when the Flames moved from there to Calgary. Lesson here… don’t put a team in Atlanta! Hopefully the club will do much better in Winnipeg.
Period 2: Stanley Cup Fever
Isn’t it great to have a fresh set of faces playing for Lord Stanley’s Cup? No Detroit Red Wings, no Pittsburgh Penguins… in fact, the 2 teams in the finals are both ending a drought to be there. The Vancouver Canucks, arguably one of the best teams in the league over previous years are making their first appearance in the finals since 1994. Their last visit ended badly when the New York Rangers beat them in 7 games. The Boston Bruins, steeped in an incredible history were last in the Stanley Cup final in 1990/1991 where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in 5 games. The Canucks took game 1 yesterday, but the Bruins put up an incredible battle, so the series could be one to watch!
Period 3: Mustangs Make Gold Coast Appearance
The AIHL’s newest team, the Melbourne Mustangs finally make their first league appearance on the Gold Coast this weekend, June 4/5. The Stangs are a tough team and have done far better than many had expected this season, so the Tongues are going to have a very tough time getting past them. Saying that, the Tongues always play well at home and they are desperate for a win, especially over the newest team in the AIHL. Injuries to key players has made room for Tom Letki to return to the Tongues lineup, and for Alex Boyd to make his first return after playing rugby overseas.
Overtime: Merchandise Prices
A hot topic at Tongues games this season has been that of club merchandise, namely the most sought after item; Jerseys. the general consensus is that people WANT to own a Blue Tongues jersey, but the current jerseys for sales are allegedly not those the players wear and the cost at $150 is simply overpriced. I’m unsure what the quality of the jerseys are, so wont comment on this, but the pricing issue is definitely one that pops up most games. I’m curious though, what do other teams charge for team jerseys?
The Weekly Faceoff is a regular column talking about all things Tongues, in and around the AIHL.
Another Blue Tongue went down this week to injury. No Perth team visiting the coast? Canada makes the cup final and we ask, is old-school music needed in modern day AIHL.
Period 1: Injuries Showing Team Depth
Last weekend in Sydney the Blue Tongues lost another player to injury. Marco Bertossa took a puck to the face and suffered an injury that could potentially put an end to his 2011 season. Bertossa is the third player the Blue Tongues have lost to injury in recent weeks, joining Adam Geric and Matt Johnson on the sidelines. The injuries have not put a stop to the Blue Tongues though, and the Tongues depth players have stepped up their game willingly accepting the challenge. Brad Young and Bob Sannemo have continued to put up points as have Mike McRae and Matt Amado. As the Blue Tongues face the Mustangs in a few weeks on the Gold Coast, it will be interesting to see which local players fill the gaps left by these latest injuries.
Period 2: No Thunder On The Coast
As reported on the Blue Tongues website last week, the Perth Thunder games have been cancelled on the Gold Coast. This is a disappointment for Blue Tongue fans who were keen to get a look at the new team potentially joining the league next season. The Thunder traveled to Adelaide last weekend, resulting in a 3-2 shootout win to the Adrenaline on Saturday and a 3-0 shutout win to the Thunder on Sunday. If the exhibition games are anything to go by, the Thunder could be a good team if they do in fact join the league.
Period 3: Canucks Visit Stanley’s Final
The last time the Vancouver Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals was 1994, where they eventually lost to the NY Rangers in a game 7 showdown. Now, 17 years later the Canucks are back in the finals, and will play either the Boston Bruins or the Tampa Bay Lightning (who play game 7 of the East finals in a few days). According to many pundits around the world, this is the best chance a Canadian team has had of winning Lord Stanley’s cup in years. This years NHL playoffs have had some epic series’, so the finals look to be no different.
Overtime: Old School Organ Music
Recently I posted a poll on the Hockeypulse Forum about the old school Organ Music played at Blue Tongues home games. There have been groans from the crowd when the organ music is played and last home games I took the crowds temperature regarding this old school tradition. The result was clear, very few people liked, or wanted the organ music at games. Is it time to move on and leave the old school traditions to another rink? You can vote on the poll here: http://www.hockeypulse.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4216
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.
