EIHL Number Crunch: Twists, Turns And Titanic Tasks: 4 Weeks To Go

One thing this EIHL season has taught us…nothing is certain. After another week of twist and turns, the title picture and playoff races are both no clearer, with all manner of permutations still possible at both the top and bottom of the table. Before we take a look at the current state of play-a quick explanation of the abbreviations:

GP – Total games played

P – Current points total

GR – Games Remaining.

PtsB – Points Behind Leader

GTE – Games To Elimination – the number of games that a team can lose before it is mathematically unable to overtake either the leader (title race) or team in 8th (playoff race)

WTQ – Wins To Qualification – number of wins required to guarantee either a team cannot be overtaken, either at the top of the table (title race) or finish lower than 8th place (PO race). 

Done that? Good. Let’s look at the current state of play in the EIHL, shall we?

LEAGUE TABLE

1. BRAEHEAD. Games Played 44, Pts 63. Games Remaining 8. Max Pts Total, 79

2. SHEFFIELD: GP 43, Pts 60. GR 9, Max Pts 78

3. CARDIFF: GP 44 Pts 60, GR 8, Max Pts 76

4, NOTTINGHAM: GP 43, Pts 54, GR 9, Max Pts 72

5. BELFAST: GP 45, Pts 53, GR 7, Max Pts 67 

6. FIFE: GP 45, Pts 42, GR 7, Max Pts 56

7. COVENTRY GP 45, Pts 42, GR 7, Max Pts 56

8. HULL GP 40, Pts 39, GR 12, Max Pts 63

9. EDINBURGH: GP 43 Pts 39, GR 9, Max Pts 57

10. DUNDEE: GP 44, Pts 25, GR 8, Max Pts 41

Thanks to Coventry’s four point weekend against Sheffield and Nottingham and Cardiff’s continuing form to name but two, there’s been some big swings this week…

WINNERS

CARDIFF/BRAEHEAD: The weekend couldn’t have gone better for both these teams in the title race. With both grabbing a four-point weekend and all three other teams in the title race losing at least once, these two made the most gain…the Devils opening up a six-point gap in third and overhauling the gap on Sheffield above them, while Braehead maintain their three-point advantage at the top.

COVENTRY: Another four-point weekend, this time v Sheffield and Nottingham, has caused them to leapfrog up to seventh in the table and open up a three point gap on the chasing teams. With three games against Hull and one against Edinburgh still to come, the Midlanders can seal their playoff place before the final day with wins in three out of four of those games irrespective of their Erhardt results.

EDINBURGH: Those games in hand are looking more and more crucial, but VITAL wins in Belfast and against PO rivals Hull could be crucial come the end of the season.

LOSERS

BELFAST: This weekend saw the Giants lose their grip on the Monteith Bowl. While they can still mathematically win it, a gap of ten points means that they can effectively only lose one more game while the teams above them have to lose all theirs. Sorry, Giants. There’ll be a new champion this year.

NOTTINGHAM: A loss to Coventry now means they’re six points back from third place-it’s points they couldn’t afford to drop. Friday’s game against Braehead may be their last chance to remain in the title race-lose that and, like Belfast, the eight-point gap may be far too much to overcome.

HULL: Those games in hand are dropping all the time and other teams around them are winning. The Stingrays are still in with a decent chance of PO qualification, but those three games against Coventry could make or break their PO chances.

So-with all that assessed, how does it affect the races in the EIHL?

THE TITLE RACE

1. BRAEHEAD: Pts 63. Games Remaining 8, QUALIFIED FOR POs

2. SHEFFIELD: Pts 60, GR 9, Pts Behind 3, GTE 8, QUALIFIED FOR PO’s

3. CARDIFF: Pts 60, GR 8, PtsB 3, GTE 8, QUALIFIED FOR PO’s

4. NOTTINGHAM: Pts 54, GR 9, PtsB 9, GTE 4, WTQ 2

5. BELFAST: Pts 52, GR7, PtsB 11, GTE 2, WTQ 3

THE PO RACE

6. FIFE:  Pts 42, GR 7, WTQ 5

7. COVENTRY: Pts 42, GR 7, WTQ 5

8. HULL: Pts 39, GR 12, WTQ 11

9. EDINBURGH: Pts 39, GR 9. GTE 9

10. DUNDEE: Pts 25, GR 8, GTE 1

Compare this to last week and we can see that Fife and Coventry have both gained a little extra breathing space in terms of cames they can “afford” to lose, while Hull have lost their space by dropping a game. At the top, Cardiff have sealed their playoff spot this week and also improved their title chances slightly, while Nottingham and Belfast are all but out of the race except in a mathematical, theoretical sense. Meanwhile the axe is hanging over Dundee…drop just one more point this weekend and they officially become the first team this season eliminated from the playoff race.

Braehead v Nottingham this weekend could also go a big way to putting the Panthers title hopes to bed if the Clan win, while Sheffield continue to fight on despite missing all three of their regular goalies through injury at the moment-can they overcome the injury bug?

Edinburgh use one of their “games in hand” on Coventry this Saturday in Fife while Hull use two as they play three times this weekend to Blaze’s one (Coventry will no doubt be watching all these results very closely indeed)-in a weekend that could see potentially the most dramatic shift in the EIHL picture yet.

CHALLENGE CUP

Before that, though, there’s the little matter of the second Challenge Cup semi final to conclude. Last night saw one of the stories of the season as Sheffield overhauled a two-goal deficit from their first leg with Nottingham to knock the Cup holders out-and they did it all with Nottingham-born-and-bred youngster Sam Gospel in net as emergency cover for the three injured Steelers goalies.

That will give heart to Coventry tonight, who travel to Cardiff having to win by at least  three goals in the BBT-a feat that only one team has managed all season, and that only once. To compound the size of the task facing them, the Blaze hav only won once by a multiple-goal margin at all, home or away since Chuck Weber took over-that was Braehead in the CC Quarter Final. Their away record v Erhardt teams this season, incidentally….3-13.

Meanwhile, the Devils are on a roll-and with Andrew Lord already saying “this is the biggest game he’s been involved in in Cardiff” there’s no question they’re up for the fight. The Blaze are travelling in hope, but this is a hell of a task for them that dwarfs even that comeback in the quarter-finals.

Game on.

Not For Everyone 2: Why the EIHL NEEDS to Wake Up To What It’s Doing

Last week, I wrote a post on inclusivity in the EIHL and how the atmosphere around the EIHL was deteriorating and ruining the experience for many. I particularly cited its stance on anti-LGBTQ and misogynistic behaviour, and how it was driving fans away. I also cited some tweets from hockey fans that showed the effect it was having. After I wrote that post, I got asked if I could post this. This is a guest post that every EIHL owner needs to read. It shows just what impression many fans get of the EIHL, and just how people are being effected by the way the EIHL is marketing itself and just how insiduous the “family friendly” lie really is. 

It is from Kerrie. She is my fiancée. Not that that should matter to anyone when you read the post, as the same thing is happening to fans all over the EIHL. Whether the “in-crowd” want to admit it or not-this is a blog that all of the EIHL needs to read.

My name is Kerrie, and several years ago I swore I’d never write a hockey blog again.

I wrote a post that garnered a very negative reaction. In hindsight, I now realise that the pos may not have been very well thought out, and have since apologised personally for it to whom it may concern. However, that did not excuse the reaction. For every person criticising the post purely in hockey terms, there were five insulting my appearance, my mental health and my ability to be left unsupervised. You think of the most base, horrible language used, it was used.

But that was years ago, right? Things will have changed for the better by now, right?

No.

The Elite League has a bullying problem and a discrimination problem. It always has, and it is not going anywhere. It’s only gotten worse lately – the blog I wrote was just before the boom in social media, and that boom has exacerbated the problem.

People have opinions about their teams. People have other, differing ones. A lot of the time these can be discussed civilly and that’s that, but in a social media age it’s different. You can be dragged through the mire easier than ever before, by people who you’ve never met but who REALLY need you to know you’re mentally ill and shouldn’t be allowed outside because of your opinions on hockey.

I don’t think it’s much of a coincidence that one of the most prominent mouthpieces in UK hockey uses bullying language himself. The one with the biggest reach and audience of all. He does it, so it must be fine. A man who has tweeted bigotry (“go back to Pakistan” is a racist comment, no matter how you want to dress it up), homophobia and requests for pictures of fit girls in skimpy clothes for an Ice Girls contest which may or may not have existed.

Now, you’re already aware of all this, and you’re probably thinking “who cares? Who really gets upset by that?” Well… the majority of hockey fans in the UK aren’t upset by it because they aren’t in any sort of minority. They’re perfectly happy to turn a blind eye to it, as long as nobody swears in front of a child because hockey is really big on its family sport gimmick but it’s perfectly alright to yell “FAGGOT” at an opposing player (and defend such comments on club forums, as happened on a now-deleted thread on a club forum only last week). That absolutely is not worse than swearing.

Consider, for a minute, if you’re female, queer, and indeed mentally ill (I suffer from clinical depression). I am all of these things. Queer is how I describe myself by the way, so please don’t try and tell me what I should describe myself as.

As a queer woman, I have had to listen to more players being called “gay” as an insult than I can count. I have winced until my face hurt as I listened to why a team couldn’t sign up to the You Can Play project because it “might alienate people”.

As a mentally ill woman, I have listened to a GM of the biggest team in the league make jokes on a TV broadcast about mental illness, I have heard the word “retard” thrown around like a volleyball, and I have heard “if you’re depressed, why don’t you jump off a bridge?” from a random person.

As a woman, I have been told that I can’t find a middle aged bloke asking for pictures of nubile young girls in the name of hockey cause for concern because I am too ugly to be an ice girl myself. I am told that the man behind one of the most beloved EIHL twitter accounts would rather sleep with a bag of used needles than sleep with me, even though I don’t recall sleeping with him ever being on the cards.

It goes on, and on. Using mental illness to bully. Using gay and all and sundry similies as a slur. Even down to using “woman” as an insult. Unfounded alcoholism jokes about a coach in the EIHL every week from the most popular EIHL fan humour accounts? We got those!

It doesn’t effect you, though. So why should you care? Because it might affect the person sat next to you. It might affect their kid. It might be keeping someone away who loves hockey but doesn’t feel welcome. Just because you don’t care, just because you think it’s a bit of a joke and people need to be less sensitive… doesn’t mean we all think that way.

People say “you can’t expect the real world to pander to you!” – I’m well aware of that, having lived in that real world for almost 33 years. That isn’t what I’m calling for. What I’m calling for is for people in the UK to feel safe at hockey games. The other one I hear a lot is “you can’t speak out and be noticeable if you don’t want comments!” How absurd is that – it’s on YOU, the one in the minority, to keep quiet so that people don’t abuse you, keeping the silence around it going so nothing changes, everyone continues to think they’re alone and nobody in charge has to lift a finger to help progress? No thanks. This responsibility is NOT on me.

What really gets me about inclusivity is that the EIHL has nothing whatsoever to lose by promoting it. They already promote a family friendly atmostphere, but in reality these days games are anything but. Just because you’re tough on swearing, it doesn’t mean hockey is any safer a space. If you’re going to crack down on swearing though, how difficult is it to try to stop the other kinds of abuse mentioned? You can police people swearing but you can’t police them saying “fag”? Dubious. Hard to believe.

I know what you’re thinking. All sports have problems like this! Yeah, they do – you’d have to be very naive indeed to not realise that football in particular has a massive racism problem. But I’m not writing about football, I’m writing about UK hockey. You would think a minority sport that relies so much on attendences staying decent would go out of its way to be more inclusive. You would think a minority sport wouldn’t be so dismissive of minorities.

And yet it is. And yet more and more people don’t feel welcome. And yet more potential new fans are put off. It starts to add up, and when you rely so much on gate receipts and sponsors to stay afloat, you really cannot afford to alienate people.

Oh, yes, that’s right – your sponsors are people too, EIHL. Your potential investors and overseas partners are people. People are diverse. People need to be respected. People, too, who regularly get insulted publicly by club officials with no comeback, as do fans and writers. You don’t have to like everyone. You don’t have to change you opinion, even. You just have to stop tolerating this sort of abuse in your rinks, by YOUR club representatives more than a few times.

If you can’t find it in your diaries or pockets to make sure your fans feel safe, then you’re gambling on the very thing that keeps your clubs afloat.

Not For Everyone: UK Hockey’s Hidden Prejudices, And Why They Should Be Challenged.

I wanted this week to write something positive about UK hockey and the EIHL-to focus on the good work being done to grow the game by passionate people in places like Cardiff and Braehead-the unity of the Cardiff Devils Red Army who invaded Coventry last night for the first leg of their Challenge Cup semi final and took the Skydome by storm with noise, colour and Welsh pride to show all that was best in hockey fandom. Or the efforts of fans to cover the sport with blogs and live-tweeting of games which has grown into a mini cottage-industry…the great work done by people like Laura Duff in Fife, the Frozen Steel MNL team in Sheffield, A View From The Bridge in Belfast or the Cats’ Whiskers team in Nottingham. Last week I wrote extensively about the support for Amy Usher across the EIHL.

All things that are showing UK hockey, and UK hockey fandom, at their best.

Then came Wednesday. A day that brought to the fore once again that despite all the good efforts being made to improve and spread the game, there is still a dark-side to UK hockey fandom-attitudes and prejudices that are seemingly still being allowed to go unchallenged and make a mockery of everything that UK hockey fandom claims about itself.

UK hockey likes to market itself as a family-friendly, inclusive sport. It likes to set itself up as “separate” to sports like football with their aggressive, tribal chanting, occasional violence in the stands and lack of inclusion for anyone who doesn’t happen to be one particular type of sports fan.

UK Hockey, we are told, is a sport where all fans are alike and tolerated equally well, and there are no prejudices. Where the fanbase is one big happy family that never leaves a member behind.

However, it appears that while the #hockeyfamilystickstogether, it doesn’t want to admit some of the members within it exist, or consider their feelings. Especially in the EIHL.

In the last year, we’ve had an EIHL team official in Sheffield claim that a former coach of their team was “mentally disturbed” live on radio, & an owner in Nottingham make fun of those with mental illness live on a TV broadcast by calling a rival “mentally ill” as an insult.

We’ve had tweets asking for “girls who look good in knee-high boots” to “send pictures” to a Sheffield team official in order to apply for a job as a matchnight volunteer which raised a storm from both sexes for being sexist, creepy and unprofessional-to the point where an official complaint was made about the person involved to the club due to the fact that it made fans uncomfortable. Nothing was ever done.

We’ve also had tweets where officials and players in the EIHL and EPL openly admit to casually being racist or making racist references, like these:

The one on the left is a pro player for Basingstoke Bison comparing being ginger to being black because apparently ginger is an anagram of a VERY offensive racial epithet, and the one on the right is Sheffield/EIHL representative Dave Simms (a man with a history of controversy, including all the Sheffield incidents mentioned above) admitting to telling a group of Asians to leave Britain to live in Pakistan.

Both tweets are by official representatives of UK hockey clubs, and despite complaints both went unpunished, and indeed were defended by many fans as “not really being offensive”.

Then, last night, casual homophobic jokes were added to the mix:

Yup. That’s an EIHL league official calling someone “a little gay” as a derogatory term.

Again, nothing has been done about this.

Here is my friend Amy’s reaction to the tweet from Simms last night. Amy is a long time hockey fan. She is also one who, in her own words, is queer. This is how tweets like the one above, and indeed the general atmosphere around UK hockey fandom with popular fan humour accounts regularly still using “gay” as an insult, make her feel about UK hockey:

UK hockey is a fucking awful mess and makes it abundantly clear people like me aren't welcome which is why it doesn't get my money

— linden bae (@teamhotdads) February 18, 2015

Why would I spend a frankly extortionate amount of money going to watch a league that doesn't think I deserve basic human rights

— linden bae (@teamhotdads) February 18, 2015

And she’s not alone. I’ve seen reactions from many of my hockey fan friends all across the gender and sexuality boundaries that say UK hockey’s attitude is actively driving away sections of hockey fandom who don’t feel welcome in the UK game due to either their sexuality, gender or race. A large reason for that is the fact that  prominent people in UK hockey can seemingly say all manner of offensive things on Twitter about race, gender and sexuality without fear of censure-things that would likely be cause for disciplinary action in some cases in any other profession.

Think about that. There are hockey fans out there who don’t feel safe or welcome at games in the UK because of their sexuality. Or gender. Or race. By not acting when offensive things are said, the league is effectively telling them “you don’t count as people. You are not like us”.

I’ve already written about UK hockey’s need to partner with projects such as the You Can Play project in North America, and how homophobia in UK hockey was still a problem last October, after talk of homophobic abuse being shouted from the crowd at a game. I’ve also told how at least one other EIHL team has turned down a proposal to open up a project with YCP-with an official of that club publicly saying that the players at the club voted against doing so because they weren’t happy with it.

However, last night we got more news still-it turns out that YCP have said they’d like the EIHL to work with them. This is one of the biggest independent sports orgs on the planet. Partnership with them would give the EIHL exposure in a positive fashion across hockey and show it as a progressive, caring, inclusive league.

Trouble is, as YCP founder and one of the most powerful people in hockey Patrick Burke explains-the EIHL haven’t bothered:

@bettieriot @sarah_connors @YouCanPlayTeam We've offered. Up to them. You'd think if it's good enough for the NHL… @officialEIHL

— Patrick Burke (@BurkieYCP) February 18, 2015

Let’s get this straight, then. It appears that one of the biggest campaigning organisations for inclusivity in sport in North America has offered the EIHL the chance to form links with it and promote something that will make life better for fans and players across the UK at all levels…and they’ve not responded. What does that tell you?

Yes, this week we’ve seen the good side of UK hockey fandom in the support for Amy Usher in her fight against cancer. But we’ve also seen that when it comes to the EIHL “family”, apparently some people still face a struggle to be part of it and right now, the Elite League doesn’t send the message that it’s doing anything to make hockey the truly inclusive sport it claims it is.

Recently much has been made of British football fans proudly showing racist behaviour in Paris, and once again there’s been round condemnation and much pride from hockey fans over how UK hockey would never allow such attitudes any space in their sport.

Well, sorry, EIHL, but it’s time to get yourselves off that pedestal. While it can’t be denied the vast majority of UK hockey fans would be horrified to be associated with any sport that allowed homophobia, sexism and racism to be a part of its experience or brand image (and indeed the majority of UK hockey fans have condemned the tweets used as examples of such in this piece and are pushing for change), perhaps the fact that a hockey team and sport in the UK still allows a person who’ll publicly and repeatedly make comments encompassing all that on a regular basis to be a prominent face of their sport in the UK without any seeming attempt to prevent them/take retribution doesn’t reflect well on their commitment to inclusivity and tolerance.

It’s time to make sure EVERYONE feels welcome in the UK hockey family. Because right now, like it or not, there are many that still don’t. LGBTQ people. Those with mental illness. Many women. All these groups are seemingly allowed to be mocked without penalty even though they love the sport just as much as anyone.

And that’s tragic. It doesn’t reflect well on the sport, and can only harm it going forward.

It’s time for the EIHL and UK hockey to act. This is not a situation that can continue.

EIHL Number Crunch: Devils’ Dance Floor (5 Weeks To Go)

“swing a little more, on the Devil’s dance floor”

Flogging Molly: “Devil’s Dance Floor”

We’re back again, a week nearer the end of the EIHL regular season and thus a week nearer the end of the EIHL title race. For the introduction and an explanation of how these weekly Number Crunch posts work, have a read of the first one from last week.

Done that? Good. Let’s look at the current state of play in the EIHL, shall we?

1. BRAEHEAD. Games Played 42, Pts 59. Games Remaining 10. Max Pts Total, 79

2. SHEFFIELD: GP 41, Pts 58. GR 11, Max Pts 80

3. CARDIFF: GP 42 Pts 56, GR 10, Max Pts 76

4, NOTTINGHAM: GP 41, Pts 54, GR 11, Max Pts 76

5. BELFAST: GP 43, Pts 52, GR 9, Max Pts 70

6. FIFE: GP 43, Pts 40, GR 9, Max Pts 58

7. HULL GP 38, Pts 38, GR 14, Max Pts 66

8. COVENTRY GP 43, Pts 38, GR 9, Max Pts 56

9. EDINBURGH: GP 41, Pts 35, GR 11, Max Pts 57

10. DUNDEE: GP 42, Pts 25, GR 10, Max Pts 45

As you can see, there’s been some changes in the points this time out…let’s first of all look at the big winners/losers from the last week.

WINNERS

CARDIFF: 5 from 6 points in Scotland, including a 3-0 win in Braehead on Saturday, means that they’re suddenly back in the title race with a vengeance.

COVENTRY: A four-point weekend against Belfast at the Skydome has helped them gain some serious ground on the rest of the teams in the race-their destiny is still very much in their own hands and it’s a great start to a run of fixtures against Erhardt opposition that could make or break their chances.

EDINBURGH: 3 points back from Coventry but still with two games in hand, they’ve only lost a point in the race thanks to a vital shootout win against Cardiff on Friday night.

LOSERS

BELFAST: A pointless weekend in Coventry means the Giants, barring some sort of collapse from those above them, had better pack up the Monteith Bowl and prepare it for its new home-their title challenge is all but done.

NOTTINGHAM: A loss to Sheffield not only costs them the chance to gain vital ground on Braehead thanks to the Clan’s loss to Cardiff that same night, but also lets the Steelers and Cardiff jump above them in the table.

So-with all that assessed, how does it affect the races in the EIHL?

THE TITLE RACE

1. BRAEHEAD: Pts 59. Games Remaining 10, QUALIFIED FOR POs

2. SHEFFIELD: Pts 58, GR 10, Pts Behind 1, GTE 9 (games to elimination), QUALIFIED FOR PO’s

3. CARDIFF: Pts 56, GR 10, PtsB 3, GTE 8, GTQ 1

4. NOTTINGHAM: Pts 54, GR10, PtsB 5, GTE 7, GTQ 2

5. BELFAST: Pts 52, GR9, PtsB 7, GTE 5, GTQ 2

(games until elimination or GTE for the title race teams means the number of games remaining until the team can no longer catch the one at the top of the table, assuming the results between that team and the one at the top of the table are the same. GTQ (games until Qualification) will track when they can no longer finish lower than 8th and are thus PO bound)

THE PO RACE

6. FIFE:  Pts 40, GR 9 WTQ 8

7 HULL: Pts 38, GR 14, WTQ 8

8. COVENTRY: Pts 38, GR 9, WTQ 9

9. EDINBURGH: Pts 35, GR 11. GTE 9

10. DUNDEE: GP 42, Pts 25, GR 10, GTE 3

You’ll notice at this end of the table, while all have Wins TQ numbers, only the bottom two teams have “games until elimination”. That’s because we’re measuring the amount of games remaining until they can no longer catch the team currently in 8th place, the lowest PO spot, assuming results for them and the team currently sitting in 8th place are identical for the rest of the season. The GTQ is number of games remaining until they can no longer finish above ninth.

So-in summary, this week has meant that Sheffield have now locked up a PO spot, and Dundee and Belfast are already teetering on the brink of elimination from their respective races. Apart from that, though? it’s anyone’s guess, just the same as it was last week.

The focus moves to Challenge Cup for the semi finals tonight and tomorrow, but league action resumes on Friday. How will it affect the races?

Find out, same time next week.

#ForAmy: Hockey in the UK (And Beyond) Unites Behind One Of Its Own

It may be cold outside, but here’s something that’ll warm the most frozen hockey fan’s heart.

On Friday we told you how one young girl with an incurable cancer had brought out the good side of hockey fandom, as hockey fans across the UK had used social media to send support and good wishes to Sheffield fan Amy Usher in her battle with throat cancer.

However, even her most fervent supports probably couldn’t have imagined just how quickly not just a hockey nation, but the hockey world would take up the fight.

There was a plan for Sheffield fans to chant Amy’s name in the 21st minute of their Saturday night match-a big local derby away in Nottingham (think British hockey’s version of Detroit-Colorado during the heyday of Draper v Lemieux and you’ll have an idea of the passions aroused.) It quickly spread to involve the Nottingham fans too, and…well.

That’s 7,000 people in the biggest arena in Britain chanting Amy’s name. In a frenetic derby between two teams chasing for the league title (the league is considered the premier competition in the UK) Sheffield won by a late goal which took them above their rivals, and the fans left no doubt about who this particular win was dedicated to:

However, it wasn’t just in Sheffield where Amy was given tangible evidence of the support from UK hockey. Down in Coventry, where the Blaze were playing Belfast, both sets of fans showed their support for a fellow hockey fan most of them only knew by name with a minute’s applause:

And in Glasgow, where Braehead were playing Cardiff in another table-topping clash, too, Amy was there in spirit, too:

View this post on Instagram

@braeheadclan #hockeyfamily #hockeyfamilystickstogether #sheffieldsteelers #purplearmy

A post shared by ⓁⓎⓃⒹⓈⒺⓎ (@lyndseycampbell) on Feb 14, 2015 at 12:15pm PST

In short, the UK hockey family was backing one of its own.

Since then, though, the support has spread worldwide. Former NY Islander and Sheffield Steeler Pascal Morency(probably best known to NHL fans for this preseason fight with Dion Phaneuf), decided that the support needed to go worldwide. So he created a video for Amy featuring hockey fans and teams all over North America and the world, from Zagreb in Croatia to Vancouver and Algeria to Angers. It’s one hell of a piece of work:

 

The Fun Fund set up by another EIHL player and former Steeler, Chris Blight, has now passed £3000 (around $4000) in just four days and is still climbing, too.

All continuing proof that, while the hockey community is often a fractious and argumentative place and (in the online community in particular) there are still all manner of issues to sort out-when it comes together, it can be a real force for good and achieve far more than many in it expect.

Keep fighting, Amy. It would seem that not just the UK, but the whole hockey world, is now with you.

United We Stand: UK Hockey Comes Together For One Girl’s Battle In Sheffield

Amy (r) and Beth Usher…two girls who have united UK hockey in a way never thought possible

These two ladies are called Amy and Beth Usher. I’ve never met either of them, but there’s a good chance I’ve passed both in the crowd at a Sheffield Steelers game-I’ve been to enough of them over the years following Coventry and other teams around the country. Amy and Beth are just two of thousands of hockey fans who go to hockey games every weekend in the UK to roar their teams on, talk about hockey on the Internet, and generally enjoy the sport in typical hockey fan fashion.

However, in one respect Amy is very different to most hockey fans. And that respect is that she’s a young lady who life has thrown the nastiest of bodychecks at. An illness that strikes fear into people just by mention of its name.

Amy, you see, has liposarcoma. A rare, incurable type of throat cancer that she contracted in 2012, aged 18.

Since then, she and her elder sister, Beth, have become well-known both in Sheffield and the wider UK hockey community as tireless fundraisers and advocates for cancer care, specifically Weston Park cancer care facility in Sheffield.

During her fight, Amy has been “adopted” by the Sheffield Steelers as an unofficial mascot since first going to watch them in 2012. She’s known and loved by the team and fans, and money-raising efforts for the hospital where she’s being treated, Weston Park have been supported strongly by fans across the UK, especially those of her sister.

She’s become as much a part of the team as any other…her name is now painted into the ice in front of the Sheffield entrance door at their home arena so the team are reminded of her as they hit the ice, she has become friends with the players, coaches and their other halves, and is constantly being mentioned on UK hockey Twitter.

She’s become more than just a hockey fan-she’s a member of the extended family of hockey fandom to thousands across the UK who’ve never met her in person.

On Thursday night, talk began circulating on UK hockey Twitter among Sheffield fans that Amy’s illness had taken a turn for the worse. Starting slowly but increasing at a rising rate, messages of support began to come in from all over UK hockey. fandom, under the hashtag #HockeyFamilySticksTogether.

They came from all over the UK, from Basingstoke to Dundee and Belfast to Peterborough…messages of support for a young girl most of them had never met facing the fight of her live, encouraging her to keep fighting, sending support and compliments.

The number of messages grew at an increasing rate, from players, referees, club officials and fans. Then came the idea to show more tangible support than just a hashtag. A plan for every Elite League crowd this Saturday, wherever they were watching and whichever teams were playing, to chant Amy’s name and applaud during the 21st minute of play (21 because it’s Amy’s age).

But there was still more. Dundee Stars and former Sheffield Steeler player Chris Blight had the idea of setting up a “Fun Fund” to allow Amy and her family to treat themselves in any way they wanted:

Even if you cant donate please RT this link for @amylouiseusher! http://t.co/LdUtTb7Tgn Let's show her how much the hockey world loves her!

— Chris Blight (@Blightzkrieg) February 12, 2015

That fund was set up at around 8pm. By midnight the total had already passed £1000 in donations, and as of now is still climbing.

Then, #hockeyfamilystickstogether – originally meant as a small show of support – spread so far across the UK hockey community that it became a trend on Twitter…something that NEVER happens. In the process, it spread the news of Amy’s fight further.

Something special was, and is happening here. UK hockey fandom has never been stingy in its generosity (witness such efforts as Belfast’s #bleedtealfortom campaign, which is also currently enjoying great support). But it’s very rare that a community that spends most of its time arguing over calls, goals and engaged in inter-club and inter-league rivalries finds itself so united.

Amy Usher, with her cheerful and optimistic outlook and clear love of all things Sheffield Steelers & UK hockey, has managed to do what few others have EVER done. Her battle has seemingly inspired something that all manner of other efforts have failed to do.

It’s united UK hockey behind a common cause. More to the point, it’s united UK hockey as a whole in a concerted effort to make a change for the better.

And that’s what makes her and her fight so extraordinary. For once everyone in UK hockey has put aside ego, PR concerns, considerations of team loyalty and petty politics and simply done something truly positive, as a whole. It’s done something all manner of negotiations, discussions and efforts over many many years could never manage.

Hopefully it’s just the start. As UK hockey realises just what it can do when it works together for a common cause, maybe others can be helped and the sport can begin to get noticed for positive, philanthropic reasons. There are many people out there in UK hockey fandom fighting their own, private battles, and they all need help.

It’s already been said countless times that Amy’s an inspiration to all who meet her. But tonight she’s inspired something even more-the joining-together of hockey fans from every part of Britain (and, slowly, beyond) in a common cause to help one of their own. She’s shown what UK hockey can do when it works together instead of against each other, and the effect it can have.

In short, through her refusal to be beaten by an opponent that would make most people tremble, and her ability to keep smiling through the kind of trials that would make many weep, she’s inspired magic. Magic that, if used right, will help many more than just her in the UK hockey community.

And for that, Amy, we thank you. Hockey fandom is all behind you, ma’am. Keep fighting.

The whole of UK hockey will be right there dropping the gloves with you.

To donate to Amy’s Fun Fund, set up by Dundee Stars player, former Sheffield Steeler and friend of Amy Chris Blight, you can use the following link: http://www.gofundme.com/mb6s6o

EIHL Number Crunch: 6 Weeks To Go

Now we’re getting into the business end of the EIHL season, fans’ eyes start turning to both the league and playoff races, calculations begin, and people start falling back on all that maths they’ve done at school, working out outcomes, questions and decisions as they try and work out permutations of how the EIHL will finish. Sometimes these get quite complicated…remember the EIHL playoff race last season going down to the final day?

So, Chasing Dragons thought they’d make life a little easier. Each week from now until the end of the season, we’ll be crunching the numbers and taking a look at the “magic numbers” teams need to reach, both to assure themselves of a playoff spot and a title race. We’ll also keep track of the EIHL table for you, just so you don’t have to, because we’re nice like that.

The way we calculate these marks, first of all, are simple. Each week we’ll assume every team wins in regulation in every game remaining, and thus gets the maximum number of points available to them. (Yes, we know that’s plainly impossible, but like the EIHL we’re working on a rough-and-ready statute here and making it up as we go along). This will give us the maximum number of points remaining available to each team. The highest number is the “magic number” that’ll guarantee you the championship, and the 8th highest number is the number of points that will guarantee a team a PO spot without the need of tiebreakers. It’s a very rough and ready “finish line” marker, essentially.

What’s the point of doing this? Well, apart from anything else, it gives us a rough idea at the beginning of each week of how close (or far away) each team is from guaranteeing either the title and/or a playoff spot, which is the kind of thing that’s useful to track. It’ll also allow EIHL fans (hopefully) to begin to track milestones for themselves and take some of the work out of doing the maths. So…let’s crack on with the first week, shall we?

1. BRAEHEAD. Games Played 40, Pts 57. Games Remaining 12. Max Pts Total, 81

2. SHEFFIELD: GP 39, Pts 54. GR 13, Max Pts 80

3, NOTTINGHAM: GP 40, Pts 54, GR 12, Max Pts 78

4. BELFAST: GP 41, Pts 52, GR 11, Max Pts 74

5. CARDIFF: GP 39 Pts 51, GR 13, Max Pts 77

6. FIFE: GP 41, Pts 38, GR 11, Max Pts 60

7. HULL GP 36, Pts 35, GR 16, Max Pts 67

8. COVENTRY GP 41, Pts 34, GR 11, Max Pts 56

9. EDINBURGH: GP 39, Pts 33, GR 13, Max Pts 59

10. DUNDEE: GP 40, Pts 25, GR 12, Max Pts 49

Looking at this, then, we can see that right now the mark you need to be assured of a PO place is 49 points (but given that that would require Fife, Hull, Coventry and Edinburgh to lose ALL their games for the remainder of the season, a physical impossibility given that three of them are in the same conference and still face each other, we discount the lowest number and take the next one up as the “playoff place” mark. That’s Coventry on 56 points.

As for the title race-at the moment the “clinch mark” is 81 points, but again, that’s assuming that every team in the top five wins every game remaining-again, a practical impossibility. So, we don’t take the top mark-we take the lowest among teams that can still actually catch Braehead.

So-where are we when it comes to maths, playoff races and the like? Where are we right now?

AT THE TOP

As far as the title race goes, only the top five are still in any sort of contention (Hull can still mathematically win the title, but they’ll drop out of contention very shortly indeed). Cardiff have the toughest task-they need every team above them to lose at LEAST 3 games in their run in while winning all of their own  However, right now the situation at the top is still so fluid, it’s probably not worth us looking closely for a little while.

THE PLAYOFF RACE

The playoff race, though is a different matter. Over the next few weeks we should start to see teams come closer and closer to clinching a playoff spot. Right now, mathematically, nine teams could still miss out on the postseason, and while that’ll change pretty dramatically pretty quickly, it’s still allowing us to focus on something other than the title race for the next week or two as the dogfight heats up. So-let’s take our first look at how the EIHL post-season is shaping up…who’s in already, and who can make sure they’re in in the very near future?

The next lowest number of points an EIHL team can possibly get this season after Dundee is Coventry on 56. Braehead already have more than this which means…good news, Clan fans…your team has already locked up a playoff spot.

Meanwhile. A four-point weekend for Belfast this weekend in Coventry could conceivably see every team down to fifth place clinch a playoff spot this weekend. How?

As of now Sheffield, and Nottingham need one more win. Any win of theirs, or indeed a regulation loss for Coventry his weekend on either day, means they’re in the postseason.

Belfast can guarantee their spot with a four point weekend in Coventry (while at the same time doing a MASSIVE favour to the other teams in the PO race by lowering the “PO clinch total” by 4 points). A 4 point weekend for Belfast and two wins (one in OT) will also clinch PO places for Nottingham and Sheffield as mentioned, while at the same time allowing Cardiff to do so with one more win.

It should be stated that these numbers are VERY rough and ready, and will change dramatically each week, with teams dropping in and out of the PO and title race on a weekly basis. But what they WILL allow us to track is which teams have already locked up a PO spot, and, as we get nearer the end of the season, what teams need to do to clinch the title. However, it’s not worth looking at the Title Race Elimination section just yet-let’s stick to just the PO race..

So…here, as of now, is your Playoff Elimination Tracker for the week ending Feb 8th-or, to put it another way-how many wins out of your remaining games will guarantee your team a PO spot irrespective of results elsewhere-and let’s also see who is close to being in already.

BRAEHEAD: QUALIFIED

NOTTINGHAM: 2 (will qualify outright if Belfast win twice in Coventry this weekend irrespective of own results) 

SHEFFIELD: 2 of 11, losses available, 9) will qualify outright if Belfast win twice in Coventry this weekend irrespective of own results) 

BELFAST 2 of 11 (losses available, 9, will qualify with a 4pt weekend in Coventry this weekend)

CARDIFF 3 of 13 (losses available, 10) A Cardiff win coupled with two Coventry losses, however, will see them into the POs)

FIFE 9 of 11, losses available, 2)

HULL 10 of 15-losses available, 5

COVENTRY 11 of 11, losses available, 0

EDINBURGH 11 of 13, losses available, 2

DUNDEE: 12 of 12 (and also need to hope two teams of Fife, Hull, Coventry, and Edinburgh fail to reach their win targets).

Now-don’t fret, Dundee fans-while as of now, using the criteria set, your position looks grim, that’s only “theoretically” so, and only because as of now the “magic number” is set over your possible maximum total. That will change very quickly as the teams above the Stars lose games and the Stars face their conference opponents-each win against them for the Stars will cause a four-point swing in the “magic number”
Also-as of now, the “losses available” (games a team can lose of their remainder & still qualify for POs) is a stat you shouldn’t pay too much attention to right now, as it will almost certainly rise for all teams over the next few weeks before beginning to drop again as we get near the end of the season. It’s included this week purely to familiarise you with the stat.

If the number is staying the same or rising week on week, so is your team’s chance of qualification. When it starts to drop-and for some teams it will, sharply, as we near season’s end…start to worry.

As you can see, the playoff picture in the EIHL should begin to become a lot clearer after this week, with potentially over half the spots taken up.

Then, it gets really interesting-and every week, Chasing Dragons will keep you up to day on how close (or far away) your team are to either the title, the postseason, or both.

Time to kick those races into high gear, lads and lasses.

Blank Space: How The EIHL Title Race Has Been Reset (Again)

As recently as two weeks ago, there was talk that the EIHL title, while exciting, was Braehead’s to lose. They were a significant number of points ahead, had the supposedly “easier” schedule of the Gardiner Conference, and were looking fairly sure bets to retain the title. In fact, Jon Fearnley over at Frozen Steel Blog did some excellent number-crunching and concluded that there was a 70% chance Braehead were now champions-in-waiting. Thems some serious odds.

Now, Braehead are only one point clear of Nottingham, and the Panthers sit with a game in hand. Sheffield lurk a further two points behind with two games extra to play, and Cardiff and Belfast, too, are not out of the race yet by any stretch.

This weekend saw further unpredictable wrinkles thrown into the pot as Cardiff lost twice, Nottingham hauled themselves bodily back into the race with two dramatic victories over Belfast, and Sheffield just about kept ticking along. Oh yes-and Braehead lost to Hull.

In short…the results last weekend suddenly mean we have a whole new title race.

This needs appropriate investigation. But of course, such investigation needs to be treated with appropriate gravity…so we’ll take inspiration by using the work of one of the greatest wordsmiths of our generation, Ms Taylor Swift, and her masterwork “Blank Space” to make appropriate sense for each team. Here is the work in question, ably turned into a proper rock song by I Prevail (since I know a lot of you readers are rockers):

BRAEHEAD: “It’ll leave you breathless

Or with a nasty scar…“

The Clan are the team in the driving seat here. They’re the team that statistically have the best chance of winning the title, have a driving, passionate fanbase behind them, everything in place off the ice, good coaching…but now the pressure is going up notch upon notch, and it’s just starting to show a little. The Challenge Cup QF loss to Coventry, losses to Nottingham last week, Dundee at home this week…these are the little judders in a so-far silent running title challenge that could, if they’re not addressed, be the death of the Clan’s title hopes even allowing for the supposed “easier” Gardiner Conference (which isn’t “easier” at all, in fact).

The Clan have been sitting at the top of the standings for most of the year-they have an excellent chance to take the first title for a Scottish team in the EIHL era. But they haven’t won it yet-and after dominating the standings for most of he season, losing out on the title because of a form wobble in the final month or two will be a massive blow indeed. It’ll hurt them.

NOTTINGHAM: “Nice to meet you, where you been, I can show you incredible things…”

The Panthers have somewhat stealthily hauled themselves into serious title contention the past few weeks after a season which has seen fans in the East Midlands alternately love and bemoan their team. The arrival of Colby Cohen has certainly solidified things at the back, while two huge victories over fellow title challengers Belfast Giants and a win over Braehead have sucked up the lead the Clan had. A four-game win streak and winning 7 of their last ten also helps massively.

When the Panthers are on it, they’re one hell of a team. They appear to have new belief in them recently and Corey Neilson has got them looking ominously good coming into the stretch run. However, they can’t afford to slip up for a second, because there are three dangerous teams behind them, including:

SHEFFIELD: “Screaming, crying, perfect storms, I can make all the tables turn
Rose garden filled with thorns…”

The Steelers are a hard team to figure out. They are undoubtedly, like rivals Nottingham, a very, very good hockey team indeed. Currently on a six-game win-streak, they’re nipping at the Clan’s heels and just quietly picking points up seemingly un-noticed compared to all the sound and fury elsewhere. However-the main question with the Steelers is, like Braehead, what happens when things don’t go so well. They’ve gone through ups and downs this season and like any team the fanbase haven’t reacted particularly well to it-as the pressure ratchets up, will every little mistake be pounced on and over-analysed or will they continue their slow climb? With matches still to come against all their main title rivals and going from a win in the last few seconds v Coventry to a 6-0 win in Cardiff, the Steelers are a team of two identities. Which one they’ll settle on could be key for their title hopes the rest of the season.

BELFAST: “Boys only want love if it’s torture
Don’t say I didn’t say, I didn’t warn ya”

The season in Belfast has been nowhere near the calm, settled, confident race to the title of last time out. With players like Kevin Westgarth constantly coming in for fan criticism (Mark McCutcheon being the main target of fans’ ire) and even questions being raised over Steve Thornton’s tenure, a pair of heartbreaking losses in Nottingham won’t have helped the mood in the camp any. Despite the problems, though, the Giants are still there or thereabouts-but they’ll need to find the all-conquering spirit of last season to have any hope of retaining the Monteith Bowl this season.

CARDIFF: “So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames…”

The Devils have already achieved much this year, rocketing crowds back up at the Big Blue Tent and causing a jaded Cardiff fanbase to fall in love with their team again.

Recently, though, the Devils, like Braehead, have stuttered-losing heavily to Sheffield at home, going 4-1 down against Coventry before eventually losing in OT, losing away in Fife…like the Clan, they appear to be having their season blip at the worst possible time. They’re six points off the top with two games in hand, which means they’re still in with a chance but also that they have to go on a heck of a run against their fellow title hopefuls and not lose any other games (Jon Fearnley’s model had their chances at 9%, and you have to assume that’s dropped even further now). It can be done still, but maybe the Devils have more hope of silverware in the Challenge Cup or playoffs now, this season at least

Throwing another wrinkle into the mix, though, is this incident from Nottingham v Belfast last weekend:

That’s Nottingham’s Colby Cohen (black #55, on the ground) kicking out at Belfast’s Cody Brookwell, who then spears him. Both offences are currently awaiting a decision from the EIHL authorities which will likely see both men suspended, thus depriving both teams of a key defenceman just when they’re needed most.

The EIHL trophy is far from decided right now…but it’s still got a blank space, baby, and and five teams still vying to be the one who get to hear the words “I’ll write your name”.

This title race has once again twisted. How many more twists and turns will we see before season’s end?