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Post by tootootrain on Jun 12, 2014 10:26:16 GMT
I wonder if Neil Black will be involved with new ownership group in some manner?
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 12, 2014 8:38:14 GMT
(Not playing in this order obviously but..)
Graham - Benedict - Higgins = "The GBH Line". Dishing out the damage...
(If you're reading Gary, you can have that one).
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 11, 2014 10:49:15 GMT
.....You don't get many enforcers who can be your number 1 D..... To be honest I've never been a fan of D-man enforcers. Given enforcers are likely to spend time sat in the box its far better to have enforcers who are forwards, as its easier to 'soak up' their loss. This is why, generally, enforcers are wingers.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 10, 2014 18:36:36 GMT
...It's obviously not ideal for Ragan to have to paying for this guy's MBA as well as the replacement import goalie.... I always thought universities provided courses for free as part of their sponsorship deals? That just great. Get injured doing your job and your employer pulls up the ladder and lets you sink. Perhaps the question should be asked why Ragan didn't take out player insurance?
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 10, 2014 17:55:03 GMT
If GB fans want a full-time coach then he is going to need to be paid properly for his services. That is where issues may arise....
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 9, 2014 23:55:08 GMT
Those Nhl,Ahl and Del stats above perfectly illustrate the point I was making. Not really, because they completely lack depth. Some of players among those figures have hundreds of NHL, AHL and/or DEL games behind them and some were down in the single figures. What is the required level of "NHL, AHL, DHL experience" required? Are we talking a few games or hundreds per player? For example Jeremy Van Hoof, drafted ("oooo, drafted") twice to NHL teams and yet played nine AHL games before coming to Nottingham. Would you say many in the fanbase would fall over themselves to get that "AHL erxperience" back? What about Dominic D'Amour? Another player drafted to the NHL but he had 112 AHL games under his belt before he rolled into town, camped out on the opposition blue line and forgot where the defensive zone was. Would an "AHL experienced" frustrated forward like him be a good fit for this "we must have four NHL, AHL, DEL experienced imports" thing? No team will ever win the league if they are simply built off the back of appearance stats to please the fans either. You'd think being a Panthers fan you'd have realised a collection of really experienced individuals does not a winning team make. But perhaps the team that won the league....played...as....a.....team? That collection of individuals vs team thing again. And my point is that you can have all the quality this little backwater is likely to see all on one team but unless they can play effectively together its moot.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 9, 2014 17:50:14 GMT
Seems pretty damming.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 9, 2014 17:18:31 GMT
I know......lets look at which teams have won EIHL trophies in the last 7or 8 years. Ok, lets do. To make it fair though (as this discussion is about a Brit d-man and his apparently "unimpressive" import d-man colleague) lets concentrate on d-men and league title winning teams (the latter purely to simplify things). Season/Team/D-man Experience 2013-2014 Belfast, One with AHL experience, One with DEL experience, One with both AHL and DEL. 2012-2013 Nottingham, Four with AHL experience, One with both AHL and DEL. 2011-2012 Belfast, Four with AHL experience. 2010-2011 Sheffield, Two with AHL experience, One with both AHL and DEL. 2009-2010 Coventry, One with AHL experience, One with AHL and NHL. 2008-2009 Sheffield, Two with AHL experience. 2007-2008 Coventry, Three with AHL experience, One with AHL and DEL, One with AHL and NHL. 2006-2007 Coventry, Two with AHL experience, One with AHL and DEL, One with AHL and NHL. I'd suggest it was the teams who played as teams! Taking the Nottingham Panthers of an example of "NHL, AHL, DEL players doesn't = leaguge win", in the seven of those years when Panthers didn't win the league the breakdown of their defence by experience/players is; Season/D-man Experience 2013-2014, Three AHL experience, One AHL and DEL, One AHL and NHL. (Finished 4th) 2012-2013, N/A 2011-2012, Three with AHL experience. (Finished 3rd) 2010-2011, Five with AHL experience, One with DEL. (Finished 4th) 2009-2010, Two with AHL experience, One with AHL and NHL. (Finished 3rd) 2008-2009, Two with AHL experience, One with AHL and NHL. (Finished 3rd) 2007-2008, Three with AHL experience, One with DEL. (Finished 3rd) 2006-2007, One with AHL experience. (Finished 5th) So comparing Panthers teams with those that won the league, in the seven years Panthers didn't win the league they had more "NHL, AHL, DEL players" than the eventual winners on four occasions. Or in the logic of "NHL, AHL, DEL experience = better", Panthers had a 'better' team than the winners of the league 4 out of 7 seasons. Now admittedly this is a very rough and ready comparison, with no account made for quantity of games played by said players in the NHL, AHL and DEL for either Panthers or opposition teams, but feel free to explore it further if you wish. I don't think it is a conclusive answer to what quality of players the last four imports need to be, after all Panthers had a total of 6 NHL, AHL, DEL experienced players back in 2010-2011 (twice as many as league winner Sheffield) and came 4th behind two other teams with a lesser number of such players. What does this all mean? Well in my ever-so-humble opinion it shows that 'teams' win the league, not individual stats.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 9, 2014 15:44:54 GMT
.....But there is a finite number of places in the NHL..... Indeed, and to expand on this, there are a finite number of places in the wider NA leagues. Lets, for a second, consider what was happening in NA hockey during Mosey's senior year at college. NHL lock-out ring any bells to 'Pidge' et al? (You might remember a guy called Stewart playing over here.) Well lots of NHL (especially under 25s and recently drafted) players ended up playing in the minors all over the world, more so in NA though. Low end AHL and high to mid end ECHL/CHL spots that would usually be full of non-drafted NCAA leavers were suddenly full of genuine NHL potential players. The effects of this though were never going to last just a season (as previous lock-outs have proved). Those ex-NCAA players who paid their dues slumming it in minor European/SPHL etc took that year's experience as a pro and jumped in line for NA slots the following season. So when Mosey left what isn't too bad a hockey school before the 2013-2014 season what was he to do as an undrafted player? Quit hockey, get in line behind similar ex-NCAA players who have professional experience or seek out gainful employment where he too can gain experience? Before folks start quoting stats and experience perhaps they should read a bit deeper into the 'market conditions' that may have affected stats/history. Of course it may be that he would never have secured a NA roster spot direct from college, but as the Tim Thomas example demonstrates, there is more than one route into the NHL. Hell, it may even be that Mosey wanted to see Europe before settling diwn back in NA, he wouldn't be the first to.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 9, 2014 10:12:25 GMT
Yes stats ain t everything BUT theres a reason Mosey played in the dutch league .... Do tell oh wise one. Teach us, teach us.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 8, 2014 15:31:13 GMT
You obviously ain't taking into account suspensions and injuries.... How many suspensions and injuries should Neilson account for then? 2012-2013 season levels or 2013-2014 levels? You know Mosey is an import right and that the drum you've been beating is "four import d"? Mosey + three imports = four import d! Would it? Myers isn't even signed yet and what if Panthers have a run of suspensions and injuries to their forwards? Your comments are all based upon assumptions, but you've only 'assumed' in a manner that suits your rather narrow agenda. If ifs and buts were candies and nuts we'd all have a wonderful Christmas.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 7, 2014 13:37:52 GMT
Mosey replaces weaver as dual nat. We need 4 more solid imports. Semantics aside, Mosey is an import. Opinion, not fact. Quite a bit. Compare Brits/Dual Nats signed so far for starters. Panthers - Lee (D) - Oakford (D) - Mosey (D) (Dual Nat) - Norton (D) (2-way) - Boxill - Betteridge - Clarke - Farmer - Lachowicz Steelers - Thomas (D) - Sarich (D) (Dual Nat) - Dowd - Hewitt - Hill - Phillips Just comparing dual nats, Mosey is 25 years old and has come in off a season where he has been scoring for fun from d (including PO games, 1.26 PPG) whereas Sarich is 33 years old, has a chequered history of injuries and has just finished a season with 0 PPG, because he was dumped by the previous Steelers coach/retired and didn't play all season. I doubt Tony Smith will be happy to spend Super League-like sums of money on imports who can carry their currently smaller Brit pack, and looking about the UK there aren't exactly many Brits kicking about that either haven't been snapped up by Belfast/Panthers/Telford/Someone Else or are of the quality to log genuine minutes in the EIHL.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 7, 2014 9:03:44 GMT
Aah - 'independent and transparent' - just like the Panthers then? You know 'The Nottingham Panthers' is ultimately a privately run business right, not a supporters trust, a'la the Telford Tigers before Red Box whatever took over?
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 5, 2014 14:15:26 GMT
Yes but the reason Norton left was he was told he was gonna get limited ice time Is honesty a bad thing then?
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 4, 2014 9:27:34 GMT
Whilst the NPSC has many faults, many of which have already been highlighted on this thread, the Panthers organization is little more than a dictatorship and we all know who's running the show. It may be a 'dictatorship' (emotive language, perhaps "micro managed" would be better) but, aside from a few whinges about match night music and other niff naff and trivia, its largely a 'dictatorship' that works. Whilst other teams have folded, Phoenixed and run for the lower leagues about us the Panthers have stayed financially steady and become increasingly successful on the ice. Don't know about you but, as a fan, I rather like spending the off-season contemplating the next season rather than wondering if the team will even make it there. She may well have, but to what end? Should the team start pandering to those who are very much in the minority who moan the most?
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 3, 2014 7:49:52 GMT
...Are the best fans now getting a kick in the teeth !!! No. You don't need to be a badge bedecked NPSC member to be a fan and I'd suggest far more of us aren't members than are.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 2, 2014 19:39:58 GMT
Slough have already dropped out. EPL will be 9 teams next season. I wasn't aware it had been officially announced but if it is, case proven.
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 2, 2014 17:26:09 GMT
....I don't feel our league is that stable. The EPL has more stability. Every year clubs are threatening to leave or near collapsing...... You are joking right? EPL more stable? There are still questions as to whether Slough Jets are going to play in the EPL next season, Bracknell Bees have struggled to see seasons out, Wrightlink Raiders had to drop out of the EPL a few seasons back and Telford Tigers ceased playing for a season. Quite frankly, regardless of what the collective wisdom of THF may state, the EPL is arguably in a worse state than the EIHL.
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Post by tootootrain on May 27, 2014 7:21:04 GMT
Really? I wouldn't have thought there's much to choose between the two, although Sheffield is based in the city centre. Regards Doom If league tables are your thing (they aren't for me but I know you love your stats) then the three main university guides all rank Loughborough higher than the University of Sheffield for Business and Management (the usual course imports take). Loughborough 8th, Sheffield 30thLoughborough 7th, Sheffield 48thLoughborough 9th, Sheffield 33rdWhilst these tables may be slightly flawed due to incorporating mainly/solely undergraduate information they still reflect upon the overall quality of said universities' Business and Management schools. Of course you're right, some imports may prefer going to a more city centre based uni in the arm pit of England rather than a specialist sports university where they'll have some of the best sports specialist lectures, trainers etc on hand, there is after all nowt as queer as folk.
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Post by tootootrain on May 26, 2014 18:02:51 GMT
Telford are being lined up... Playing out of where?
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Post by tootootrain on May 26, 2014 18:01:14 GMT
Loughborough's ok but a pain to travel to. No more or less of a pain to travel to than the Uni of Derby. Surely though the travel implications should be very secondary to the quality of the course/appeal to potential signings? Which is the bigger draw? An MBA from a world renown specialist sports uni or an MBA from the lowest ranked uni for business in the East Midlands? An MBA from a business school ranked 8th out of 116 or 96th out of 116? ( Source)
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Post by tootootrain on May 23, 2014 8:31:23 GMT
Here is Jordan Fox reply to Simms on Twitter "@simmsey I wouldn't be so sure. People don't realize what a veteran player like weaves brings to a locker room, sometimes that means more" Of course Simms wouldn't know this, having never skated a shift in his life.
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Post by tootootrain on May 21, 2014 18:06:55 GMT
....The germans won't know what's hit them when Cotton Eye Joe booms out... They'll be running to the European Court for Crimes Against Sport if the "whoo" song gets an outing.
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Post by tootootrain on May 20, 2014 5:40:54 GMT
he played for them last season so its a resigning really Wouldn't he be lookng for another team then?
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Post by tootootrain on May 18, 2014 12:12:55 GMT
Ahh, I remember when they proposed a boondoggle like this in Croydon. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruskin_SquareI'm sure some buildings will be thrown up on the site but I won't hold my breath on the rink making the final cut.
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