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End of the Calder era!

End of the Calder era! by Christopher Beal

I wasn’t there in 2003 when Adam Calder iced for the first time for Coventry Blaze, at that time I had no clue who the Coventry Blaze were, and whether ice hockey in this country existed outside of the Bracknell Bees, who I never went to see play.

I only began supporting Coventry Blaze at the end of fresher’s week last year, my first game being Coventry Blaze v Nottingham Panthers. If I'd known that night I was witnessing the start of the end of an era I would’ve regarded AC with a little more revere at times. Instead of moaning that at times he looked uninterested and useless and that if he was let go I wouldn’t miss him. 

A year later, and well I can say after that last week against Edinburgh, and those two title winning hat tricks I will say, I'm going to miss Adam Calder. He may have his critics, but the guy has one thing he can hold to his name, others who’ve donned the Blaze jersey can say, I captained a team to an Elite title. He joins that exclusive list alongside Sylvain Cloutier and Ashley Tait.

Adam was rewarded for everything he has done last night, the banner commemorating our victory was raised last night, instead of at the beginning of next year. No doubt due to the impending departure and retirement of certain squad members. Knowing I only really have 1 more season full time watching the Blaze, it is nice to know I saw them lift one trophy, and if I ever come back(which I plan to) and bring kids, friends family etc I can say I was there when we won the league that year.

So the party is over the title is in the cabinet, we had our party last week and so on to the play offs. And this year, instead of watching Sky sports, and radio for coverage I will actually be going, mainly because I’ll be in Coventry filming for scorched ice, the ENL Blazes high light show. But upon arrival at the sky dome you could detect the party atmosphere the play offs bring.

Our visitors at the sky dome are Hull this week, now I've seen Hull a few times this year, and despite the fact the team is bottom of the league, and ultimately miles off the pace, I love the effort they put in.  I also love their fans, they are just out for a party and it shows, this week turning up in sumo suits, and even making our compare crack up while announcing the teams. That said as much as I love them, especially the way they just don’t want to stop singing even when the games over for their team.

Match Report

Blaze went in to this game 2-1 up on aggregate and knew the rays would be looking to make a game of it. The first goal would prove all important to the score, luckily it was the Blaze getting it. Derek Campbell upon leaving the penalty box picks up a pass from Luke Fulghum, is one on one with Raitums and slots the back hand in the back of the net at 7:06. It didn’t take long for Blaze to extend this as Greg Owen slotted a sweet wrist shot over Raitums at 11 minutes right in to the top right. Blaze then went for the jugular of the game as they played the puck around the net, Brian Lee passed to Campbell who got it over to Luke Fulghum who simply had to slot the puck home for 3-0.

At this point Sylvain Cloutier called a timeout, now I don’t know what was said during that time out, but something changed. The Stingrays began to stop playing hockey and began trying to physically impose themselves upon the Blaze, minus Robinson it would seem a good idea as Blaze had nothing to counter with. However this soon became dangerous. Now in hockey there are hits and there are, attempts to injure. The latter describes the knee on knee hit by Pavel Gomenyuk on Greg Owen.

 All hell broke loose in the dome at this point, Campbell instantly wanted a fight with anyone who’d go, and if it were not for the over zealous line officials he probably would have gotten it. And then the game could have continued and not deteriated in to a circus act. However that’s exactly what happened. Tom Darnell does nothing, despite Paul Thompson becoming enraged, a player on the ice obviously feeling the effect of something worse than a check, Campbell trying to hit anything that moves. Pavel Gomenyuk skates away, having ended Owens night, possibly his season possibly his career. But nothing is done. A minute later having seen what can be gotten away with Hulls heavy hitters began pasting the Blaze. The fans in the dome began to feel increasingly more and more frustrated with the officials lack of ability to control the game at this point, which was seen clearly by the fact that one minute later Gomenyuk does the same thing to Campbell in to the boards.

Now I could begin a rant about officials here, but I won’t as it would be unprintable. Back to the game. The second period followed the first with Stingrays throwing their weight around, but their inability to score was adding now to the growing fire and frustration. Peter Hirsch was simply unbeatable, nothing the rays could throw at him could get by. And every glove save was greeted by the chants of Hirschy Hirschy Hirschy. The game was, as I have pointed to marred by the refs inability to maintain order and control and the linesman’s overzealous protection of players who were causing trouble. 7 minutes in to the second and all hell breaks loose away from the play between Luke Fulghum, Russ Cowley as they have words and eventually a scuffle with Adam Knight and Lee Mitchell.

3 minutes later however Hull got their goal, Sylvain Cloutier slotting home a shot after the pass by Pavel Gomenyuk at 30:52. However despite this and continued pressure Peter Hirsch refused to let anymore by. Up the other end of the ice Raitums had possible his best period of the night, stopping anything and everything the Blaze sent his way.

Blaze headed in to the third 5-2 up on the night, very much in control of the overall play off situation. Hull however came out the blocks first, challenging Hirsch early on, but the glove save by Hirsch seemed to sum up the whole day for Hull. And 2 minutes later Luke Fulghum put the seal on things slotting the puck home through Raitums five hole after an end to end break away run following a lay off from Hirsch to Soderstrom. With the playoff spot it would seem in the bag Blaze didn’t let up, and neither did Hull as both goalies were peppered in the final 18 minutes as both sides tried to gain the upper hand.

Ultimately though Hirsch would not let anything by him. This began to tell in the frustrated actions of everyone on the hull bench. As the game became marred by what many saw as dirty, or unnecessary actions. Including Sylvain Cloutier a former Blaze hero taking Brad Cruikshank head first in to the boards, Matty Soderstrom antagonising Knight by tripping him over the net. However by this time the result was set. But some on the Stingrays bench seemed to forget this as at the final Buzzer Adam Knight seemed happy to land a few on Danny Stewart at the handshakes.

Personal reflection

Well, once again were off to the playoff semi finals. And after last year’s scrape through result against Newcastle I feel slightly more confident in the team’s ability to make the final. Now Cardiff has been one of our bogey teams this year, they have had our number, and know how to rile us up. However it’s been well documented that Cardiff struggle on large rinks like Nottingham.

Saying the last goodbyes to Adam, to think I'll never hear the Calder song in the dome, is quite a sad thought. I've always seen him as captain clutch, the guy who got the goals when we needed them at times. Sometimes he didn’t, but he's only human. Even Sydney Crosby doesn’t score a hat trick every night. But to see him make that final walk out the tunnel, I realised I’m witnessing the end of an era at the sky dome. However at the same time I am witnessing the birth of a new one. Because now there is the excitement of new players and a new captain. Or if the rumours are to be believed, the return of an old captain (Neal Martin)

I may spend the rest of my life watching the Blaze, and I may never see a finer team play at the dome, this team may not have been full of ex NHL and AHL players, but what it had in buckets was grit and determination, and that was what won us this league.

On a darker note, officiating, it needs to improve. I know an officials job is to control a game, and I know refs have a different view on the ice, having played I’ve seen how the view can be different. But when there’s a player down, and 2000 people are screaming at you, plus an entire bench and the coach, maybe you should get of your power trip and think for 5 seconds, there may be something in this if he is injured. And tell your linesmen, if Campbell and Knight want to play, let them. Once it was done it would’ve been out of everyone’s system, but no, it was allowed to escalate to the point where people are trying to take an eye for an eye. It got out of hand on both sides.

So now I look forward to the playoff semi, though I won’t be there, I’m hoping the Blaze defeat Cardiff (Obviously) and make the final, which I can make. Hopefully along with my first championship I'll be able to bring you my memories of my first playoff final win.

Comments

2 comments for End of the Calder era!.
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1. pucker up (at 00:36:26 on 30 Mar 2010) wrote:
Talk about biased ! It was a clash not malicious like you make out that injured Owen. Gomenyuk normally never makes big hits and ont say Boo to a goose Guess you coukld not see Cruckshank hitting Cloutier from behind like a coward ? Not much hope of getting any where with my comwents
2. Christopher Beal (at 13:12:33 on 06 Apr 2010) wrote:
In response Pucker up Yeah its biased, I am Blaze fan after all. Second yeah I saw Cruikshank take Cloutiers head in, that was in retaliation for Cloutier trying to take one of our players heads off minutes before. As for the Gomenyuk hit, look at video, he leads with his knee in to the hit. I dont care what school of hockey your playing, thats dirty, that kind of checking is the kind they try to get rid of in the NHL, its dangerous and possibly career ending.
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