The puck drops this weekend

How’s the Garden looking? Good I hope because there will be no more time for mowing lawns as the puck drops this week and it couldn't come soon enough for me.

I've had a horrible summer with everything that has gone on at the Steelers and I can't believe that for the first time in 20 years I won't be at their home opener on Saturday when they play Cardiff.

The reason is of course that I will be at Nottingham for the Live SKY game against Belfast (SKY Sports 4 at 7pm). I will have to wait until next Saturday for my first Steelers fix against the Sheriff and Dundee.

I had a long chat with Corey Neilson yesterday ahead of the SKY game. Corey has huge confidence in himself and the way he sets out his team. I guess as a coach you have to otherwise if you don't believe in what your doing how can you expect your players to.

One thing that has interested me was Corey's decision to go with just 3 import D men, where must clubs go with 4, and of course Belfast go with 5 (though that is down to them having a British goalie).

Corey was dead adamant in his answers to me that he is confident in his decision, that he believes that having quality on the ice at all times is important and with both Jonathan Zion and himself on the team the Panthers will have at least one of them on the ice at all times.

Neilson is also a big fan of Danny Meyers and says that he is so underestimated, also that Stevie Lee is a huge talent and deserves the ice time.

I will be honest, I wouldn't go with 3, I would go with 4 especially with the firepower that a Neilson team always has, plus the return of the Matty Mehyers but the thing that impressed me was that Corey was so confident that he had it right.

Some call it arrogance, some ultra confidence. I don't mind a bit of arrogance, I think that’s good, especially in a coach. Who will be right? Well only time will tell.

In Zion the Panthers have a star, a man who if he plays to his potential will be a league all star. However is Zion looses interest then he becomes just another Elite League defensemen and a luxury you can't afford with just 3 import D men.

Neilson explained his squad to me, I asked if he thought he had lost top end quality with MacAsland land and Mann leaving but he explained diligently that he had brought some more youth into the team that would add in different area's

He felt he needed a spark and he thinks he has some in his new line up.

The league need the Panthers to be at the top gunning for a Championship, wherever Nottingham goes there is a buzz, they are the biggest club in the league. It's true everyone wants to beat them, stop them from winning league titles.

Its not just a Sheffield thing. My old mate Rob Wilson used to love beating Nottingham when he was at Newcastle more than any other team. In fact the defeats the Vipers put over the Panthers probably cost Nottingham a couple of Championships.

I like a man with a plan, even if I don't agree with the plan. I don't think Nottingham will win it with the line up they have, however Neilson does, and it's his team. Like the other 9 coaches he thinks he has the right men.

Later on Saturday we will see for the first time if he or the Giants look worthy of early season favourites.

Whilst Sheffield is still my home team and rink, if there was one venue I would love to be at this weekend it would be Dundee. Great job the Ward's have done in bringing back top level hockey to their City

Also Dan Ceman has had a really difficult job getting a strong team together. However the big signing was that of the Sheriff, Sean McMorrow

Already, before a puck has been dropped there are people in Dundee who know they have a hockey team. That team has been there for years but it is only now they know about it

Life, not just hockey is about knowing your role and Sean knows his role both on and off the ice. Sean knows what will keep him in a job, he doesnt want to do real work like you and I. Sean wants to play hockey and to do that he has to beat people up and market his team

Good luck to the Wards, to Dan Ceman and of course to the Shefiff

Enjoy your first weekend of hockey folks, I will.

David

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