My point of view on it is simple - it's a part of the game, and part of the game which is unique. Take it away, and you're just making it more like other sports.
I agree with other people - when I first started watching it was the fights which were one of the real intrigues for me, because they were what made it so different to football - they still are to a certain extent, but as you watch for longer and longer, the fights become less and less important.
They effectively tried to ban fighting in this country in the first year of the Elite League (2+2+10 I think it was for dropping your gloves) and that was without doubt the dullest season I've watched in my time, and attendances dropped significantly.
The vast majority of people love it, and without it I think the sport would die in this country, because there simply wouldn't be enough "casual" fans at the games.
And remember, one of the reasons they're "allowed" to fight is because they're on ice. If Shmyr and Clouthier fought in the street or on a football pitch they'd do each other some SERIOUS damage. Clouthier's been quoted this season as saying he fights as much for entertainment as anything else - I'm sure he wouldn't fight these chaps on the street for "entertainment"!
Couldn't agree more about how the rest of the team seem to have no faith in Lindsay. They worked so hard to get back into the game on Saturday, and yet again next attack for Coventry and Lindsay has a 'mare.
It must be so demoralising for them when they work so hard time after time, only for Lindsay to let them down. I think this is what's killing our team at the moment - nothing more.
I've started watching how many times Lindsay gets "hung out to dry" as people were defending him based on this - and it's hardly ever, if at all. I think this bad defence that people talk about is not actually too bad at all - nothing that a solid netminder who they had faith in wouldn't change.
A few weeks ago I was thinking we needed to change almost everyone, but I actually now don't think there's much a new keeper, and possibly a new centre, wouldn't solve.
I'm as certain as I can be that the EIHL has a fight strap rule. I remember last season when Darling fought Oduya and Oduya's shirt came off - Panthers made a big fuss about the fact that all Elite League clubs had been ordered to have fight straps, but Edinburgh had been given special dispensation not to have them for a short time, which Panthers argued gave Oduya an unfair advantage in the fight and could have led to serious injury to Darling. I remember somebody else - I think Moran - getting an illegal equipment call for not having fight straps.
Know what you mean about the lack of understanding of the rules though - I would NEVER claim to understand them all, but Neilson's interference penalty last night for instance - a lot of Panthers fans were up in arms about it, but if you look at the ECHL Zero tolerance guideline video, he did exactly what they show to be illegal under the new rules.
I think the match summary from the Panthers website says a lot about the mentality at our club - far too quick to blame bad luck, rather than looking at actual cause.
The first Blaze goal is described as "a wicked deflection" - it certainly was a wicked deflection, if you're using "wicked" to describe something good! It was a brilliant tip in, completely deliberate, from somebody STANDING IN FRONT of the net - something which we STILL don't seem able to do.
Anybody else notice how many goals Finland scored in the Olympics from tip ins?
Clarke, Kraijcek, Meyers, McAslan and Rees can stay because they're the only ones who seem bothered - and possibly Shmyr because he seems to play his role well and for an enforcer can keep his cool, and he also puts his body on the line for the team which at least shows he cares.
The rest can go. And that includes Simoes on his performances in the last month or two. He started off the season as a hero, but last couple of months he just doesn't seem interested - he's not even checking.
That was the dullest game I've ever seen, and this is without doubt the worst Panthers team I've seen...actually, probably one of the worst teams full stop.
Hull didn't even try and attack, but they didn't need to - they knew that with one or two decent shots on goal they'd score past Lindsay, and we don't have the quality to score past them.
And to think people slagged Blaisdell off last year! I'd argue that last season the quality of the league was higher overall (Belfast with Fleury etc) and we still managed to push close to second, and not that far off first - and that was with a freakish injury list all season and Tessier leaving us in the lurch. We'll be lucky to finish top 6 this year.
People moaned last season about us not having a plan B - well this year we don't even have a plan A!!
Sorry, don't like saying this, but Ellis has to go.
Let's not forget, these are professional players, WHO WE PAY FOR using our hard earned cash, some of us probably working jobs we hate, dreaming of having the massive good fortune, talent and opportunity it takes to become a professional sportsman. If I didn't try in my job, they'd get rid of me - absolutely no question.
I've got no problem with people not being good enough - they can't help that - but what I do object to is paying hard earned money to watch people skate about half heartedly in front of 4,000 people and then only try when their jobs are on the line...and even then only in the final 2 periods of a 6 period weekend!
These arguments about giving support to the players come what may and not getting on their backs would only apply if these were kids playing for their school team. These are professionals who have made the choice to do this, and get paid for doing so.
And the fact is, if we weren't supporters of the club, we wouldn't care would either way would we? It's only because we're passionate about it that we feel like this. So I think in essence GirlieScott was right - her and Newham are after the same thing, they're just going about it in very different ways!
I agree that Gary Moran isn't the problem. He seems to get blamed purely because he's kept his job! He's there to do the PR and make sure the operation runs smoothly and makes a profit - so from that point of view, he's the best GM in the league.
He's also there to look after the players. People often say the players are too well kept after, and that's why we never win anything - I hardly think you can blame GM for looking after the players TOO well!
I think it'd be just as easy, and probably more justified, to blame some of the other constants over the years, such as Physio-Direct for our annual injury crisis, Calle Carlsson for being a senior player and now Assistant Coach over the last few years of underachievement (you can pretty much bet he has far more influence on playing matters than Gary Moran does).
The fact is, we've no divine right to win anything, and every year is a new season, with new players and starting from scratch - but at the same time, a run of results like we're in at the moment shouldn't be tolerated, either by the club or the fans. Quite simply, Ellis picked his players and systems, so he has to be blamed for the way it's going this season - likewise Blaisdell does for last season.
Off the top of my head - Belfast have Ruff and Minard, Coventry have Cloutier and Ndur, Manchester have Hecl. Last season there was also Jason Bowen and Ed Courtenay at Belfast (not to mention Fleury), Patterson at Cardiff.
Can't think of anymore off the top of my head, but you get the idea!
I think it's a bit of a generalisation to call it a beer LEAGUE, because I only think certain teams have a beer league mentality...hence our lack of trophies over the years.
I don't agree with the booing, but I also don't agree with giving a standing round of applause to the team after a performance like that.
These are players on the whole brought through the North American game - we're incredibly soft compared to fans over there!!
And Tambo, in answer to your question - I think so yes. Or if not Ellis, just the squad as a whole. Let's face it, we're not going to win the league, so why would you put your body on the line every night for the difference between finishing 7th or 8th?
It says it all that even Simoes has stopped checking - it's as if he's given up on this team as a bad job - and I don't blame him.
48 shots to 18. If Ellis defends Lindsay YET AGAIN then he's not going to make it as a coach. Netminders are not just there to stop the basics (which Lindsay seems to struggle with as well), they're there to win you games (as Aubrey did tonight).
We've just not got enough quality. If we sign Forsberg, Sakic and...dunno, Drouin as a first line then we might finish mid-table, otherwise our last 10 games are pretty much the level this team is at. I've said it before, and it still stands - too many CHLers, not enough ex-NHLers.
All this stuff about Ferone being this big tough guy are just based on legend - he's become like Keyse Sozer or something! The longer he doesn't fight, the tougher people seem to think he is!
I've only seen him fight live a couple of times, and he certainly wasn't a heavyweight beater - and definitely not in the Shmyr/Clouthier/Gomez/Cornish etc league of fighter.
Let's be honest though - none of these players are SCARED of each other. If Payette was quiet last weekend, it will only be because he wasn't up for the game, or wasn't feeling too well. If Shmyr turned Ferone down, or vice versa - because I've read both being reported - it will be because they didn't think it was worth it, as against them being scared or not wanting to.
Their mentality is that they're NEVER scared of anybody. They may respect other players, but that wouldn't keep them quiet or keep them "well away".
Anyway, onto the actual GAME (i.e. the score!) I think it will be close - depends how much difference Weaver makes - I think one goal either way though.
But we're not going to win the Challenge Cup are we? Or the league, because Belfast are running away with it. Unless they get a load of injuries and all the other teams slip up massively - which they can't ALL do, because they have to play each other, and somebody has to get the points!
Well it doesn't matter now does it? We're out of the cup, not going to win the league, and at this rate may only scrape the play offs.
Let's all be good little Panthers fans and pay our money for the rest of the season though, and give them all a big winners cheer on the 60th anniversary.
The good streak at the beginning of the season was purely down to us having been on a training camp and the other teams not being as prepared as us. Now they are, we're being shown for what we are. How many times at the start of the season did we go behind only to come back and win? It seems the comebacks were purely down to fitness, and the reality of it was us going behind.
And I really think the people who give standing ovations to the players when they've just played absolutely tripe are what causes the general apathy and mediocre mentality at this club. I'm not saying they should be booed, but a clap and cheer should be earned.
Well that's it for another season - roll on 2007/2008. Great.
I don't agree that we need more people who give 100% every time they're on the ice - we've got more than our fair share of them.
What we're missing is the enigmatic, arrogant, lazy genius who can score from nothing and put away 90% of 1 on 1s. Plenty of players are giving their all, but they just don't have the quality.
It was my main concern at the beginning of the season - too many CHLers and not enough ex-NHLers. It's all about balance.
Another way to look at it is that whilst de-registered, as far as I know McAslan's wages won't be counting towards the wage cap.
I'm assuming he's one of the top earners, and that we always spend dead on the wage cap.
Therefore, if Ellis covers this time, then it leaves us more in the pot to sign cover later in the season when the inevitable injuries happen then - and they may be longer term ones.
Mod Edit. You can critisise all you like but you can't make claims like that without any proof!! Still no excuse for letting a 4-1 lead go against a VERY poor Steelers team. I've never seen a team struggle to clear the puck out the zone as many times as they did tonight. They looked clueless in every area. One of the worst defences I've seen and very little going forward.
I hate to say this because I think he's played well recently, but, if Cruicker was watching tonight and would come back to us 100% motivated then I think it's time to make a change...
I've also heard that he was voted fighter of the year in the CHL, which is the league Cornish, Payette, Voth etc came from - so he should be enough for our league certainly.
I've always been of the opinion though that it doesn't really matter how tough you are - how brave you are is far more important. Let's face it, he's massive, and if he catches you it's gonna hurt, regardless of how good a fighter he is. If he's brave and always willing to go, that should be enough of a deterrent.
Brilliant news on the sponsorship deal - and also means I can stop badgering our sponsorship team at work to put themselves forward!
I don't profess to have any inside knowledge or anything, but I imagine the delay in the fixtures being announced was solely due to the problems in Cardiff. I think the sponsorship thing has just been used as a convenient excuse - could be wrong though.
Well if nothing else, them signing him should get the Nottingham-Sheffield rivalry going again a bit. Whatever Moran and Simms build the rivalry up to be, the last 3 or 4 seasons it's been practically non-contact between us two, and, like it or not, that's never going to get the occasional fans coming back or get the atmosphere going like it used to be.
Just been checking on Drop Your Gloves and it's interesting that in 2004-2005 he played 11 games in the ECHL, and had no fights and only 14 PIMs - so presumably wasn't playing the enforcing role. In these 11 games he managed the massive total of 1+1 for 2 points and a -8 rating.
Given that the ECHL is generally considered a similar standard to the EIHL, even if Steelers are asking him to play less of an out and out enforcer role, this doesn't indicate he'll be getting many points - certainly not on 50 points and in the top 10 points scorers in the league!
I also thought it was quite interesting that he hasn't even dressed for a single play off game since Junior hockey! Wonder why this could be? Surely if he can play as well as fight, then his coaches would have played him and just told him to "keep a lid on it". Doesn't add up to me.
To be fair to Sheffield though - they've every right to hype him up because they need to sell tickets. He might end up to be a turkey, but I can absolutely guarantee that one of the players we Panthers fans are getting excited about will do as well!