Ice Hockey - Is it Worth It?

[Hazell B]

Having hit the wrong numbers, I found myself among the Ice Hockey results pages of teletext last night and discovered Hull are utter rubbish. In an effort to resolve this problem for them, I've decided to go to their next home game and shout a lot at the opposition. It may work, you never know :p :

So, is ice hockey any good? How long do the games last? How many players/halves (quarters?)/points are involved? Is it as savage as polo and do I need wet wipes for the splatter? Should I go for mince and onion pie or a burger at half time? All burning questions, I think you'll agree :p :

All I know so far is that an ex-sponsor of the Sheffield team used to invite me to his annual BBQ (mainly to talk horse), game dates and the ticket price, the ice might make it cold and Schmenke either loves or hates some Habs :confused: All further information would be of help :)

[LeonBrooke]

I don't know much about ice hockey, but I gather it isn't a proper game unless at least 20% of the players are eliminated from the game with a serious injury.

And I have a question you might be able to answer, Hazell: In water polo, how do they get all the horses into the pool? :p :

[Hazell B]

Forget lowering horses in to water, Leon. It's how they fit the flippers and bathing caps that's always bothered me ;)

[LeonBrooke]

Do you think they need snorkels as well?

[MrJan]

I was just talking about Ice Hockey. Meant to go to a Marlies game when I was in Toronto (kind of like the Toronto B team) but missed the game and now really want to go. Trouble is the English clubs have got to be awful and I don't even know where the nearest team would be. Shame really as it's actual;ly a sport that would suit England as a lot of the idea behind it is similar to football.

[Hazell B]

Do you think they need snorkels as well?


No, they're a special breed with extra long necks.
They are also don't pee in the water, and are of course totally invisible. I think it's incredible you don't already know this stuff :rolleyes:

[LeonBrooke]

You're right Hazell, I just found the Wikipedia article. It must be quite difficult to move through the water on an invisible horse. If you could see it you could take its mass and size into account but since it's invisible I imagine the players are continuously forgetting the horses are there.

[Hazell B]

To go off topic a moment, it's actually very easy to stay on a horse (though I admit to only riding visible ones :p : ) in water. The problem is that young horses who cost a fortune and have never seen the sea before tend to just keep swimming further out ... as I discovered when on somebody's new prize show jumper at Bridlington once. Ruddy thing was heading for France and I was cacking myself :laugh:

The owners just found it funny :mark:

[Eki]

To go off topic a moment, it's actually very easy to stay on a horse (though I admit to only riding visible ones :p : ) in water. The problem is that young horses who cost a fortune and have never seen the sea before tend to just keep swimming further out ... as I discovered when on somebody's new prize show jumper at Bridlington once. Ruddy thing was heading for France and I was cacking myself :laugh:

The owners just found it funny :mark:
Maybe you should get a seahorse. They have seen the sea since they were born.

[LeonBrooke]

What were they worried about? All you needed to have done if it hadn't turned around is go for a ride through the channel tunnel. You needn't have even splashed out for a ferry ticket :p :

[schmenke]

First of all "ice" is redundant. 'Round these parts it's just "hockey" :p :

Three periods of 20 minutes each to a game. The team with the most goals (points) at the end of the game wins. What can be simpler? :p :


And yes, Habs rule :D

[raikk]

First of all "ice" is redundant. 'Round these parts it's just "hockey" :p :

Three periods of 20 minutes each to a game. The team with the most goals (points) at the end of the game wins. What can be simpler? :p :


And yes, Habs rule :D

Kovalev sucks.... but so do the leafs.... STEVE STAMKOS BABY! :D

If the game goes to a tie it goes to Overtime (4 on 4) for 5 mins and if nothing is solved it goes to a shootout... great game awesome sport..
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IoSi7gQPAmw&feature=related

heres some pretty goals :)

[MrJan]

First of all "ice" is redundant. 'Round these parts it's just "hockey" :p :

Round these parts 'hockey' is a game for posh girls :p : :D

[A.F.F.]

I tried to answer this thread. Honestly, I really did. But then I realized it would have felt the same than explaining the beauty of rallying to my female co-workers. Mission impossible.

[AndyRAC]

To me real Hockey is played on ice, the girls game is 'Field Hockey'.
But, anyway, it's a great game. Never been to a game only seen it on TV - Channel 5. Remember the old coverage on Grandstand on a Saturday of the British League, Durham Wasps. Seeing as there is new Arena in Liverpool I was hoping a team would spring up, but no. It's just wasted on music. Would love to go to Canada to watch the Habs...

[Hazell B]

Round these parts 'hockey' is a game for posh girls :p : :D

Oi! Who you callin' posh?

I used to play hockey (under duress at school) and my ex-lodger, a Buckfast drinking tattooed lesbian pig farmer, played for her county. Okay, she now mainly partakes in threesomes and has lost a lot of weight, but she was damned fine goalie in her day :p :

Thanks AFF, treat me like a gormless girlie :rolleyes: :p :

[Garry Walker]

I tried to answer this thread. Honestly, I really did. But then I realized it would have felt the same than explaining the beauty of rallying to my female co-workers. Mission impossible.

Yep. There are some things chicks will never understand, just as we will never understand why someone would need another pair of shoes or a new bag, when she already has 60 of them.

Ice-hockey is an amazing sport, especially when played by guys with unbelieveable talent like Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux and dare I say it... Crosby :D .

It is also one of those sports, where if you are actually at the place, seeing it live, it will be more amazing. I have had the pleasure of seeing some of the worlds best players play live, more than once, (including Crosby) and it was great, very emotional.

[COD]

If U go to Hull ice hockey game, U never want to see ice-hockey again. Watch a proper game on TV or something first.

[BTCC2]

I have a season ticket at Newcastle Vipers and have done for 3 years. I am a MASSIVE Ice Hockey fan.

But Hazell be warned, The British Elite League is controlled by money I GUARANTEE that Coventry Blaze will win this year.... Again.

But I hope you get into it because we need more fans going to British ice Hockey games, and you have a fantastic setup at hull Stingrays with a great coach, have been down to Hull twice this season and have witnessed two great games.

[MrJan]

I'm probably going to watch Cardiff in a few weeks and would like to make it a regular thing but really don't think it'll be worth the money in fuel to get there. Hockey needs more teams in the UK before more people will start going.

[BTCC2]

More teams?? There's loads of them...

Take your pick:

Basingstoke Bison
Belfast Giants
Cardiff Devils
Coventry Blaze
Edinburgh Capitals
Hull Stingrays
Manchester Phoenix
Newcastle Vipers
Nottingham Panthers
Sheffield Steelers

Bracknell Bees
Chelmsford Chieftains
Guildford Flames
Milton Keynes Lightning
Peterborough Phantoms
Romford Raiders
Sheffield Scimitars
Slough Jets
Swindon Wildcats
Telford Tigers
Wightlink Raiders

Dundee Stars
Fife Flyers
Paisley Pirates
Solway Sharks

Cambridge University
Oxford university

Basingstoke Buffalo
Billingham Bombers
Blackburn Hawks
Bracknell Hornets
Bradford Bulldogs
Flintshire Freeze
Grimsby Red Wings
Haringey Greyhounds
Invicta Dynamos
Kingston Jets
Lee Valley Lions
Milton Keynes Thunder
Nottingham Lions
Oxford City Stars
Peterborough Islanders
Romford Spitfires
Solent & Gosport Sharks
Solihull Barons
Streatham Redskins
Whitley Warriors
Vectis Tigers

[MrJan]

More teams?? There's loads of them...

Take your pick:

Basingstoke Bison
Belfast Giants
Cardiff Devils
Coventry Blaze
Edinburgh Capitals
Hull Stingrays
Manchester Phoenix
Newcastle Vipers
Nottingham Panthers
Sheffield Steelers

Bracknell Bees
Chelmsford Chieftains
Guildford Flames
Milton Keynes Lightning
Peterborough Phantoms
Romford Raiders
Sheffield Scimitars
Slough Jets
Swindon Wildcats
Telford Tigers
Wightlink Raiders

Dundee Stars
Fife Flyers
Paisley Pirates
Solway Sharks

Cambridge University
Oxford university

Basingstoke Buffalo
Billingham Bombers
Blackburn Hawks
Bracknell Hornets
Bradford Bulldogs
Flintshire Freeze
Grimsby Red Wings
Haringey Greyhounds
Invicta Dynamos
Kingston Jets
Lee Valley Lions
Milton Keynes Thunder
Nottingham Lions
Oxford City Stars
Peterborough Islanders
Romford Spitfires
Solent & Gosport Sharks
Solihull Barons
Streatham Redskins
Whitley Warriors
Vectis Tigers

For a start half of those have got to be appalingly bad. Secondly although I don'trecognise a few place names I'm pretty sure I'd still be looking at a trip to Cardiff, Basingstoke or Gosport, all about 2 and a half or so hours away. Sorry but I'd much rather go and watch Exeter City on a weekly basis. I like hockey but my heart will stay with the Grecians and football.

[Drew]

I didn't even realise there was a league in the UK!

I guess probably because there are no teams down here :p :

[woody2goody]

I love ice hockey, and I went to a few Sheffield Steelers games a couple of seasons ago and it's great fun. You can still get pie and chips in the arena too :)

I'm in a slightly sulky mood because I'm listening to my NHL team the Colorado Avalanche on the radio and they're losing 4-0!

British Ice Hockey isn't terrible and they've even had a few good players from North America playing in the league recently.

[tin-top fan]

For a start half of those have got to be appalingly bad. Secondly although I don'trecognise a few place names I'm pretty sure I'd still be looking at a trip to Cardiff, Basingstoke or Gosport, all about 2 and a half or so hours away. Sorry but I'd much rather go and watch Exeter City on a weekly basis. I like hockey but my heart will stay with the Grecians and football.

I'm going to my first ice hockey games this weekend (guildford flames vs. chelmsford chieftans). From what i've read/heard the top group of clubs- in that list above- play in the elite league, which contains loads of foreign players, which is a fair standard. The premierleague- where guildford are- is also not bad, but more of the players are english.
I would guess all the teams below this to be of a pretty poor standard.....

[BTCC2]

In terms of standard it goes:

UK Elite League
Scottish Premier League
English Premier League
English National League

[BTCC2]

I really hope many of you get into ice hockey, the main problem in Britain is that many people are not even aware of the fact that there is an Ice Hockey league.

By the way we could really do with bigger crowds for the International games aswell, as Great Britain is unfortunately one of the worst supported teams. Unfortunately we very rarely play at home. Our next match is on the 5th Feb against Lithuania.

However I am pleased to say that the Great Britain team did do fairly well at the World cup, we beat Japan 3-2, lost 3-2 to Lithuania, lost 4-0 to Slovenia, lost 4-2 to Hungary and beat Romania 6-1. This may seem quite bad to some of you but let me tell you, we have done a lot worse!!

[A.F.F.]

However I am pleased to say that the Great Britain team did do fairly well at the World cup, we beat Japan 3-2, lost 3-2 to Lithuania, lost 4-0 to Slovenia, lost 4-2 to Hungary and beat Romania 6-1. This may seem quite bad to some of you but let me tell you, we have done a lot worse!!


No, that is quite good. For instance the way Lithuania plays hockey, it can be a bitch opponent to any team. They basicly have six goalies on ice. Also, Japan has been an A-listed team so that shuold kept in mind. :up:

I wish you luck for the next game. :up:

[BTCC2]

Against Lithuania, we would have been beaten if Zubrus had been playing but he wasn't and so they had very little going forward.

[raikk]

I love ice hockey, and I went to a few Sheffield Steelers games a couple of seasons ago and it's great fun. You can still get pie and chips in the arena too :)

I'm in a slightly sulky mood because I'm listening to my NHL team the Colorado Avalanche on the radio and they're losing 4-0!

British Ice Hockey isn't terrible and they've even had a few good players from North America playing in the league recently.

like the ''great'' Wade Belak during the NHL lockout :laugh:

[veeten]

looks like the '08-'09 season will start off with a couple of games in europe.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=351323&page=NewsPage&service=page :)

[J4MIE]

Fife Flyers :up:

Yeah, that's all I know about ice hockey :dozey:

[Nick Brad]

GO THE PHANTOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I don't understand with Ice hockey is why teams don't go up and down the leagues. If they introduced that and made it more similar to fusball, then the average UK male would be able to associate with it a bit more and possibly it would have a bigger following over here.

[BTCC2]

They don't go up or down because the Elite league teams are lightyears ahead of the others, it would be pointless as the team that went down would come straight back up and the team that came up would go straight back down.