EHM The Blue Line

How was the game? Must have been nice to see them win in your first game of the season.

I just got back from watching the Haringey Racers v Oxford City Stars. Oxford won 4 - 1. Ally Pally is a really interesting rink. It's literally just a rink within a large palace. And there's no glass - it's netting all the way around the rink. If anyone is in London on a weekend night, I'd highly recommend going to see a game as it's a great experience. It's not the best hockey and I think a lot of players in the NIHL-2 are playing just to fight and deliver heavy bodychecks, but it's a very cool and unique rink:

Yeah Archi it was great to go and see them first time in what feels like forever it was good game but I thought we were very poor defensively and very lucky not to concede more having said we should have scored a lot more than the 3 we did there goalkeeper was very good but I thought a 3-2 win for us was about right

Guys,
any interesting and well known player from abroad in UK league this season?

Yeah, there are plenty! Aside from the players who have played in the EIHL in previous seasons, some such players are:

Adam Henrich - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=9461
Nico Sacchetti - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=12509
Ryan Ginand - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=24825
Dan Bakala - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=25796

Also, in the NIHL-1 South (the third level league in the UK): Matt Vizzari - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=75920

I see..they dont seems like something special..Henrich and Sacchetti were 2nd round draft pick which is great. Sacchetti career seems to go wrong directions.

Tell me whats in you opinion average salary of players and who are in your prediction top 3 paid players in the league and money range.
Thanks

Yeah there are quite a few players in the EIHL who have NHL experience and/or were drafted by an NHL team (e.g. Bob Wren and Calvin Elfring).

Your questions about salaries are very specific! Is there any specific reason for your interest? Financial information for the UK leagues is simply unavailable. Nobody really knows what players are paid. It is common particularly for foreign players to receive free health insurance, free housing, a car and university sponsorship in addition to a salary. So it's not that straightforward to quantify. However, players on the Belfast Giants' and Nottingham Panthers' rosters are probably some of the highest paid - as are those who play for the Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze. IIRC I think British players may in fact earn more than foreign players but I think this is in part because they don't usually get some of the other benefits like foreigners do (e.g. university sponsorship). I think Robert Dowd is the highest paid player in the EIHL right now (and allegedly the highest paid player ever in the EIHL since its formation about 11 years ago) - he is apparently earning approx £1,500 - £2,000 per week (€1,700 - €2,300).

Hehe no im not an agent or anything i just wanted to know whats is the money range there.

To be honest 2000 euros per week wich makes 8000 euros per month is far from bad salary. Here in Slovenia in lets say Olimpija that playes EBEL (open Austrian championship) probaby noone make that money and yet noone from Canadians was drafted if im right. Thats why im trying to see if your league pay that much better or what In Slovenia they also get free housing and some meals + health insuriance.

Edit: my bad Nick Ross was drafter in 1st round as 30th pick by Yotes 2007 http://eurohockey.com/player/500594-nick-ross.html
but in interview GM of Olimpija gave last week Jeff Ulmer is best paid player (played for Cardiff also): http://eurohockey.com/player/38171-jeff-ulmer.html

Ah I see! Yeah the top players do very well in the EIHL. However, the average salary is much lower and many of the 3rd/4th line players have second jobs.

On a different topic, it was one heck of a game at Guildford yesterday. They played Manchester who had won all 8 of their games so far (averaging about 6 or 7 goals scored per game). The game ended up 2-2 with a few minutes left in the third period. Manchester had a penalty shot which they missed - and then Guildford scored the winner with 2 mins to go. It was a really entertaining, end to end game. Most of the goals were scored because of the occasional defensive break down. Last weekend's game vs Basingstoke was a similar game, but Guildford ended up losing on penalty shots. Next week we're up against Slough; but I think that'll be a much more straightforward game for Guildford.

Rob Sirzanni just scored a hat-trick on his debut for us against the Cardiff Devils in a 6-3 victory

Nice! I'm hoping to see the Steelers play at Coventry at some point this season (they're my nearest EIHL team - though they're still about 2hrs away by train). What do you think of the black advertising they have behind the nets at Sheffield? I can't believe they can get away with something like that! It must be very hard for the players to see the puck.



Guildford lost at Manchester 4 -7 tonight in round two of the weekend double-header. Looks like a very different game to last night - Manchester had 51 shots to Guildford's 37! Looking at IceMan's website, all of the stats leaders in the EPL are either Guildford or Manchester players (except for PIM per game). Looks like it's going to be a two-horse race this season - even moreso than last season.

archibalduk wrote:Nice! I'm hoping to see the Steelers play at Coventry at some point this season (they're my nearest EIHL team - though they're still about 2hrs away by train). What do you think of the black advertising they have behind the nets at Sheffield? I can't believe they can get away with something like that! It must be very hard for the players to see the puck.

I never really thought of it like that, I didn't notice any problems with the players behind the goal last match I went to.

archibalduk wrote:Nice! I'm hoping to see the Steelers play at Coventry at some point this season (they're my nearest EIHL team - though they're still about 2hrs away by train). What do you think of the black advertising they have behind the nets at Sheffield? I can't believe they can get away with something like that! It must be very hard for the players to see the puck.



Guildford lost at Manchester 4 -7 tonight in round two of the weekend double-header. Looks like a very different game to last night - Manchester had 51 shots to Guildford's 37! Looking at IceMan's website, all of the stats leaders in the EPL are either Guildford or Manchester players (except for PIM per game). Looks like it's going to be a two-horse race this season - even moreso than last season.

That's mad haha! I've always wandered why doesn't the league (or leagues in General) do what the KHL does and have league wide advertising? Obviously if you are Sheffield, as you can see they could cover all the ice in adverts, yet say Hull would struggle - so why not do it from the Top and spread the money! Plus a few ice adds looks alright but that is looking abit over the top!

We have loads more ads on the ice than we did last season

Garethw87 wrote:That's mad haha! I've always wandered why doesn't the league (or leagues in General) do what the KHL does and have league wide advertising? Obviously if you are Sheffield, as you can see they could cover all the ice in adverts, yet say Hull would struggle - so why not do it from the Top and spread the money! Plus a few ice adds looks alright but that is looking abit over the top!

I would guess that companies are unwilling to pay for league-wide advertising in light of the relatively small attendances the EIHL draws (compared with football, cricket, rugby, etc). I imagine a company would only be willing to pay for league-wide advertising if they get their name in the league name (e.g. Rapid Solicitors Elite League). Advertising at just one team is no doubt a heck of a lot cheaper.

I'am going to watch the Steelers play Belfast on Sunday

Nice! That'll be a great game. let us know how it goes.

I've got Slough v Guildford tomorrow. I've been spoilt the past few weeks with some really great games but I think tomorrow will be very one-sided. Slough are pretty poor this season. Still, it's a derby and it's Andrew Sharp's first game against Slough since the kicking incident in the first game of the season (which resulted in a ban of about 8 games).

Aye really looking forward to going, might get one of this seasons jerseys whilst I'am there.

Watched us beat Belfast 2-1 last night, they missed two penalty shots

A 4 point weekend for us

Two penalty shots?! Did you get your jersey?

I was completely wrong with my prediction of the Slough game. We lost 3 - 6! Wow we were really bad last night. Our defence was non-existent and that's what cost us. Neil Liddiard (one of the Flames' D-men) may as well have been awarded an assist for two of the Jets' goals (and his penalty following another of his mess-ups resulted in a PPG). I don't know what was going on, but we completely fell apart. Slough weren't up to much, but the opportunities which Guildford gave them were real gifts. Tom Duggan was pretty much the only Flames player who did well. Ales Padelek of the Jets got a hattrick - he was very impressive and has some great hands.

Telford beat Manchester last night which is a bit of a shock. It's funny because the Tigers seem to beat Manchester at least once a season despite being the weakest team in the league. Telford have had a decent start by their standards. I'd love to see them make the playoffs.

archibalduk wrote:Two penalty shots?! Did you get your jersey?

Both questionable to be honest

Didn't get a jersey bank card was playing up only had enough cash for a ticket and dinner after will get one next game I attend

How is Slovenian Rok Pajic playing? Dont know what happen to Matic Kralj...

Pajic hasn't played all that many games yet, but he's done pretty well. It seems much of the Fife team are too scared to shoot whereas Pajic is taking his chances and is their top goalscorer (despite having played half the number of games of many of his teammates).

Kralj did reasonably well in the UK for an import. AFAIK he's doing alright in France too.

This is a rubbish thread. Mod please close. Yep...trolling again.


GO MANCHESTER MONARCHS...oh wait that is a Yankee team. Go girls in skirts

Ah you love British hockey really!

Steelers lost 3-2 to Fife last night we play Coventry tonight hopefully we will pick up a win.