I dont have exact figures to hand, but in short, its quite variable.
Some teams barely scrape 1000, some teams get 3/4/5 K fans, the biggest games will be above that.
There is some general rule, which I'm not sure where its come from, but an EIHL team can sustain itself on at least 1.5K attendance per game. For the arena teams its quite a bit more.
The EIHL was 8th/9th best attended (average) pro league in Europe, so thats something I guess.
A video that was posted on THF from 1988 with a young tony hand in action, my god the goalies were awful
I have no idea how that standard of hockey in this country got live tv games, highlight shows and sell outs across the board.
It was simply awful, sure some very talented player e.g. Hand but most of those guys wouldnt cut it on an EPL side these days.
If only a Superleague or an EIHL league was around then, then perhaps the sport could have built and built, but I guess people were happy enough watching beer quality hockey. Sigh.
Theres such a big market for hockey in the country to be big, but I get the feeling it will never happen.
I have no idea how that standard of hockey in this country got live tv games, highlight shows and sell outs across the board.
It was simply awful, sure some very talented player e.g. Hand but most of those guys wouldnt cut it on an EPL side these days.
If only a Superleague or an EIHL league was around then, then perhaps the sport could have built and built, but I guess people were happy enough watching beer quality hockey. Sigh.
Theres such a big market for hockey in the country to be big, but I get the feeling it will never happen.
I think it's unfair to compare 1988 hockey to now with the hypothetical situation they "wouldn't cut it on an EPL side these days" The style of play was just a lot different back then, if you watched an NHL game from the same year it wouldn't be much different, just faster. In the 88/89 NHL season Patrick Roy was the only goalie with a Save% better than .900 and only himself and Mike Vernon had a GAA below 3.00. Defensive systems and "trapping" didn't exist then, so naturally scoring was higher and the fact goalies had smaller equipment didn't help either.
Don't forget with modern equipment, players are now much faster skaters and have better shots. The same argument can be made for the goalies but I do agree they were awful back then in comparison to the players, and NHL goalies did great things with the little equipment they had. Modern goalie equipment and advanced technique makes up for a lack of athleticism so it is to be expected that lower level goalies now are better than they were in the 80's. If we are going to use hypothetical situations, a current EPL goalie travelling back in time with his modern equipment and technique would have made the NHL in 1988.
Edit: The answer for why people were happy watching it was because in most places hockey was a new thing over here at that time, if you look at the construction dates of most of the existing rinks they were built in the 80's: Swindon, Slough, Basingstoke, Bracknell and Peterborough off the top of my head, I'm not sure about the old Cardiff Arena but I know the team was founded in the 80's. Then you had the traditional teams like Edinburgh and Fife.
Last edited by Imaginary Threats: 04-07-2012 at 03:17 PM.
due to work i won't be attending the playoffs, but since I work in the city center it should be cool to see how many different jerseys are around the city today.
Seen 2 caps jerseys already and that's a fair way outside the city center.
2 goals in the last 5 minutes gave the Giants hope.......
But Cardiff go to the Championship game winning in a S/O
Belfast seem snake bitten by the playoffs.
Reports are saying that the NIC is sounding very flat, quite a few empty seats and nothing to do in between periods.
Time for a EPL + Elite finals weekend next season me thinks.
Can only do that if the EPL finishes it's regular season earlier or GB magically gains promotion to the Elite pool. The Division 1A WC's start next week and would either clash or give the GB team less time together.
Didn't get a chance to get in this thread in a while but does anyone (99 problems) know why Scott Conway didn't play for the GB U18 team despite being named to the roster? I know why Liam Stewart didn't but no clue why Conway didn't go.
Didn't get a chance to get in this thread in a while but does anyone (99 problems) know why Scott Conway didn't play for the GB U18 team despite being named to the roster? I know why Liam Stewart didn't but no clue why Conway didn't go.
Probably the same reason Stewart didn't go, not sure whether the league Conway plays in has playoffs or not but that's just an assumption. The question was asked by someone on THF but it didn't get an answer.
Edit: Brendan Perlini picked 16th overall in the OHL priority selection, he played junior hockey in Guildford from age 5-12. http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=186992 EP says he's committed to Michigan State though, where his brother currently plays
I hope Perlini goes to the OHL. I remember there being some hype around his brother (from GB hockey fans) and the University route didn't really help his development as much as everyone had hoped.
Can only do that if the EPL finishes it's regular season earlier or GB magically gains promotion to the Elite pool. The Division 1A WC's start next week and would either clash or give the GB team less time together.
I hope Perlini goes to the OHL. I remember there being some hype around his brother (from GB hockey fans) and the University route didn't really help his development as much as everyone had hoped.
People often forget about Perlini as being a British drafted player, EP says he's Canadian born but I'm pretty sure he was born while his father was playing here unless they went home during the off season. I know a lot of guys who played juniors with/against him. It shows that British kids could make it if they left at around the age of 12 like the Perlini brothers did, but it might be possible they inherited their talents from their father. It looks like Brendan is going to be the better of the two, and it will be interesting to see where Brett plays next season.
I agree, it would just mean no or less challenge games before the season starts. I like those as a linesman because I get more money for them but they are pretty pointless.
People often forget about Perlini as being a British drafted player, EP says he's Canadian born but I'm pretty sure he was born while his father was playing here unless they went home during the off season. I know a lot of guys who played juniors with/against him. It shows that British kids could make it if they left at around the age of 12 like the Perlini brothers did, but it might be possible they inherited their talents from their father. It looks like Brendan is going to be the better of the two, and it will be interesting to see where Brett plays next season.
Tough to tell. Brett was born in 1990 which would've been Fred's 5th season playing pro over there. With that said, he was born in June so the season would've been over and it's very possible they went back to Canada. I wish Scott Conway represented Great Britain so he could talk his cousin, Brendan Perlini to come play with him for Great Britain lol
People often forget about Perlini as being a British drafted player, EP says he's Canadian born but I'm pretty sure he was born while his father was playing here unless they went home during the off season. I know a lot of guys who played juniors with/against him. It shows that British kids could make it if they left at around the age of 12 like the Perlini brothers did, but it might be possible they inherited their talents from their father. It looks like Brendan is going to be the better of the two, and it will be interesting to see where Brett plays next season.
Do the Perlini brothers really count as British trained? A few seasons here and there in Britain at a relatively young age, but the vast majority of the important years are spent abroad, so they aren't really a British product per say.
All this really implies is that being "British" doesn't mean you are inherently poor at ice hockey, which is pretty obvious and most people outside of a small minority of inane and stupid Canadian fanatics i see on this board, will realize it's not your nationality or birth country that makes you good at something.
With the British national team becoming less and less based upon outside nationals (Plastic Brits, oh how joyeous the Olympics shall be), i guess if these players kids get involved in hockey, you won't have the competition of heritage that we see now.
If we are going by the EIHA definition, if they spent two seasons playing over here before their 18th birthday then yes, they count as British trained.
Tbh if they want to be on top teams then playing in world champs for GB might be tricky as most top leagues, especially NA, have their playoffs at the same time. Olympic qualification wont happen for some time unless we improve dramaticaly/other teams around us crap up/our country somehow invests millions in winter sports and gets the go ahead to host an olympics.
Whilst I agree with you that if they make it that the whole British tag will do good things for GB/UK hockey, and Ive no doubt they learnt alot whist in the UK. Most of their development would have come from living in NA, had they stayed for all their careers, the best they could have hoped for is a 1st/2nd line slot on an Elite team.
Do the Perlini brothers really count as British trained? A few seasons here and there in Britain at a relatively young age, but the vast majority of the important years are spent abroad, so they aren't really a British product per say.
All this really implies is that being "British" doesn't mean you are inherently poor at ice hockey, which is pretty obvious and most people outside of a small minority of inane and stupid Canadian fanatics i see on this board, will realize it's not your nationality or birth country that makes you good at something.
With the British national team becoming less and less based upon outside nationals (Plastic Brits, oh how joyeous the Olympics shall be), i guess if these players kids get involved in hockey, you won't have the competition of heritage that we see now.
Yes they do count as British trained.
I disagree that the most important years were spent abroad, I believe the younger years are more important. Lots of guys on HF in The Rink section who have played from a young age said in NA you had no chance of making it if your parents couldn't afford to send you to loads of hockey camps at a very young age, there are a few exceptions such as guys who didn't start playing until they were older. The younger years are more important because at that age you need to teach them how to actually play the game, at U12 level if you can skate well and stickhandle you will dominate, but when you get older that doesn't work anymore and you have to learn to play smart hockey. If you can drum that into kids at a young age it is more effective than when they are older because it has been proven you learn stuff better at a young age (the reason schools want to start teaching languages earlier). All the best players I know have been playing hockey since U10's, I didn't start playing until I was 14, and I've done well to end up playing a higher level than rec. I really do wish I had been able to start earlier though.
For the dual nationals thing, with Tony Hand now coach of the GB team they will be completely gone from the team within the next 2-3 years, Tony Hand hates non-British trained dual nationals in the team, he said so in his book. The only ones left this year are Neilson (35) Hutchins (33) and Fussey (29) Cowley is Canadian born but I believe he has played all of his hockey here, possibly might of played a few in Canada when he was very young.
Last edited by Imaginary Threats: 04-08-2012 at 04:29 PM.
Buffalo are out of the playoffs too, which could see Vanek join the team
but they are pretty pointless.
