Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2022/23

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
I think some fans UK over estimate the EIHL position in World hockey, it’s a debate that is infinite to be honest, having said that tracing which way talent is generally flowing and considering the physical number of profesional players against the availability of team spots, then generally most if not all experts rank the EIHL within the World as low. The CHL ranked us around 8th if l remember, having said that if you compare our performance in that competition, remember that just winning a game is a success for Cardiff fans, majority admit just not loosing badly is a plus, then sorry but in my opinion your narrative is biased towards the club and the country and not reality.
Bit of topic creep there. The EIHL place in European hockey hierarchy is irrelevant. The point was around if leaving the coast for the EIHL was a backward career move. I think the EIHL has shown enough to be considered on standard to be around parity with the coast and with the opportunity to show case yourself in a league that does have European credibility then not sure how you draw the conclusion it’s a backward career step.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Bit of topic creep there. The EIHL place in European hockey hierarchy is irrelevant. The point was around if leaving the coast for the EIHL was a backward career move. I think the EIHL has shown enough to be considered on standard to be around parity with the coast and with the opportunity to show case yourself in a league that does have European credibility then not sure how you draw the conclusion it’s a backward career step.
How can the EIHL place in European Hockey hierarchy be irrelevant, it’s the benchmark point of grading the quality and standard of the game. You can’t go to a worse league in order to prove your skill leve & increase your career advancement upwards, so it’s backwards step. If as you state the coast has the same standard, why move, if Europe is your ambition plenty of scouts are there from European mainland organisations, you’ve infact got more chance there than here, as most scouting and agency’s have European & Stateside bases, connections etc etc. Again this is opinion, I’ll judge him on his game here, I’m sure he’ll fit in fine and all this off topic chest puffing is irrelevant.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
Hockey wise Cardiff/Belfast/Sheffield would be the highest level of ECHL, possibly in good years like Belfast last year a bottom AHL team. So in this example of Thompson, not a backwards step. In fact, I think Thompson is the worst example you could have chosen to make this argument as I think this will be a step up for him.

But outside of the hockey there's plenty of reasons to come over here. It might be hard for us to believe but living in the UK is an attractive prospect for many North Americans. Just like living there would be attractive to some of us.
English speaking country. If its their first experience living away from their home country, living in an English speaking country can make the transition a lot easier. Their partners/wives can work. Their kids can go to school. The coach and teammates speak English.
There's many imports so they're likely to know another player and easier to settle in.
There's a hell of a lot of less travel than they would have in in coast, where they basically live on a bus for half a year.
Chance of getting an MBA done, which can cost up to $100k in NA.
It's a stepping stone to other leagues in Europe. Sam Jardine played in Slovakia and Finland after getting his first European job playing here. JJ Pichinich of Belfast another.
You don't get traded. If all goes well you will stay in the same city and house with the same teammates as when you started. In the NA system you don't know where you're going to be from one week to the next.

Every player will have their own reasons but that's a few answers to "why move"
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
He‘s a 30 yr old with one full season in the ECHL, apart from one other season he barely played half the regular season. His AHL experience was 1 game. You are spot on about living in Europe, going straight from a good resume at the mid leagues into Europe is a major draw, as seen by the number of players from the Americas across the European teams. Cardiff supporting an MBA is usually the choice for players looking to Cardiff from the States, why because their looking at the next 2-3 yrs will be their last in hockey. So whilst l agree with your assessment of living in Cardiff & Europe, your comments regarding the three teams you mention as being comparable to top ECHL teams is ridiculous & l can only assume that’s based on nothing more than your opinion, frankly is pretty close to the infamous comment on Twitter regarding us competing with an NHL team. I’m sorry but nothing you’ve written suggests Thompson is looking to advance his career further upwards, in fact his record and your assessment actually backs up my comment. Now is a 30 yr old average player struggling to get a decent place in the ECHL, probably been offered a drop, looking realistically to continue playing & bad signing, no, absolutely not, again the EIHL is a lower standard, smaller size league, in U.K., decent offer with benefits and nothing much else on the table, we potentially may get a cracking guy for a few yrs, we will see when he’s iced got a month or two in and assess him then.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
He‘s a 30 yr old with one full season in the ECHL, apart from one other season he barely played half the regular season. His AHL experience was 1 game. You are spot on about living in Europe, going straight from a good resume at the mid leagues into Europe is a major draw, as seen by the number of players from the Americas across the European teams. Cardiff supporting an MBA is usually the choice for players looking to Cardiff from the States, why because their looking at the next 2-3 yrs will be their last in hockey. So whilst l agree with your assessment of living in Cardiff & Europe, your comments regarding the three teams you mention as being comparable to top ECHL teams is ridiculous & l can only assume that’s based on nothing more than your opinion, frankly is pretty close to the infamous comment on Twitter regarding us competing with an NHL team. I’m sorry but nothing you’ve written suggests Thompson is looking to advance his career further upwards, in fact his record and your assessment actually backs up my comment. Now is a 30 yr old average player struggling to get a decent place in the ECHL, probably been offered a drop, looking realistically to continue playing & bad signing, no, absolutely not, again the EIHL is a lower standard, smaller size league, in U.K., decent offer with benefits and nothing much else on the table, we potentially may get a cracking guy for a few yrs, we will see when he’s iced got a month or two in and assess him then.
You must be looking at the wrong guy then because Blake Thompson, you know the guy that we signed, has played 240 games in the ECHL. He played 65 games in 17/18, 76 in 18/19, 42 in 19/20, and 70 last year. He's played more pro games than Sanford, Cox, Lammon, Coughler, Penny, more than Joey Martin when we first signed him, more than Chris Culligan.... should I go on? You're surely not only counting playing every single game in a season as a full season? Hardly anybody does that in the Coast. To play 70 games in a season twice in the ECHL is a grind and a hell of an effort.
My assessment of Cardiff/Belfast/Sheffield being a top ECHL team is not a controversial take, it's a well known comparison made many times by players and coaches who have experience in both. In fact, I was listening to a podcast with Josh Lammon only yesterday and he said the standard was comparable to the ECHL. And I think I trust that assessment over yours. I'd love to know what you think is ridiculous about it though. Did an ECHL team play your team the Daemyung Killer Whales in pre season once or something?
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
You must be looking at the wrong guy then because Blake Thompson, you know the guy that we signed, has played 240 games in the ECHL. He played 65 games in 17/18, 76 in 18/19, 42 in 19/20, and 70 last year. He's played more pro games than Sanford, Cox, Lammon, Coughler, Penny, more than Joey Martin when we first signed him, more than Chris Culligan.... should I go on? You're surely not only counting playing every single game in a season as a full season? Hardly anybody does that in the Coast. To play 70 games in a season twice in the ECHL is a grind and a hell of an effort.
My assessment of Cardiff/Belfast/Sheffield being a top ECHL team is not a controversial take, it's a well known comparison made many times by players and coaches who have experience in both. In fact, I was listening to a podcast with Josh Lammon only yesterday and he said the standard was comparable to the ECHL. And I think I trust that assessment over yours. I'd love to know what you think is ridiculous about it though. Did an ECHL team play your team the Daemyung Killer Whales in pre season once or something?
Devils 94 everything you say is spot on, your just making too much sense for Mazzoak to take it all in. There’s tons of reasons for good Nth American players to come over here, that’s why they do, you know it,I know it,and many others know it, those who don’t well who gives a toss.Happy Hockey Days.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
I’m seeing his ECHL games as
one complete season 18-19 72 games.
One almost complete 21-22 69 games.
Then 2016-17 2 games
Then 17-18 55 games
21-22 1 AHL game.

That’s what l said, only one complete season.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Devils 94 everything you say is spot on, your just making too much sense for Mazzoak to take it all in. There’s tons of reasons for good Nth American players to come over here, that’s why they do, you know it,I know it,and many others know it, those who don’t well who gives a toss.Happy Hockey Days.
Ironic how you mention making too much sense when you’ve completely misunderstood the point I’m making. I suggest you read the point I made on Thompson coming here is going backwards in his career, that’s it. Now if an AHL or KHL or any top 10 league in the world scouts him after his time here, then I’ll eat my words.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
No problem. I pointed out he’s played one full season in the ECHL, one poster is pointing out that is normal and hinting he’s at a standard of other good players coming to the EIHL. In some regard their right, yet miss the point that if those players had potential for further success in the ECHL up into the AHL or any other top European league, why they didn’t. The elephant in the room is coming to the EIHL. Like l said that’s no bad thing, we gain an experienced guy that has talent, that doesn’t take away my point that coming here in their 30’s is a career going backwards, again that’s not a bad thing.
 
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Devil94

Well-Known Member
I’m seeing his ECHL games as
one complete season 18-19 72 games.
One almost complete 21-22 69 games.
Then 2016-17 2 games
Then 17-18 55 games
21-22 1 AHL game.

That’s what l said, only one complete season.
What a completely irrelevant stat to use against him. So missing 1 game for you doesn't count as a full season. He played 70 games last year, but he missed out on 1 game (probably when he was called up to the AHL) so damn it he's not as experienced as he could be.

I'm still waiting to hear why you thought my EIHL / ECHL comparison was 'ridiculous' too. Would love to hear it.
 

Rempel16

Well-Known Member
No problem. I pointed out he’s played one full season in the ECHL, one poster is pointing out that is normal and hinting he’s at a standard of other good players coming to the EIHL. In some regard their right, yet miss the point that if those players had potential for further success in the ECHL up into the AHL or any other top European league, why they didn’t. The elephant in the room is coming to the EIHL. Like l said that’s no bad thing, we gain an experienced guy that has talent, that doesn’t take away my point that coming here in their 30’s is a career going backwards, again that’s not a bad thing.
Evan Mosey (Panthers direct to Ahl) and David Phillips (Hull? Direct to Ahl) would disagree with the notion that the EIHL was a backwards step.

As would Sam Herr, Gleason Fournier, Mark Smith, JJ Piccinich…. The list goes on. Believe it or not European teams do see what’s coming from these shores.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
I’ve said everything l need to, I see no point repeating.
Answering a question you haven't answered yet would not be repeating ;), but I suspect you have no answer.
But yes let's leave it there. If you ever come up with any sort of reasoning for your opinion you could let us know.
 
Some hero has made a video of Ryan Penny's goals from last year.


You can tell from his shooting he has previously played as a top 6. He's completely different offensively to Dixon, Lammon or someone like Myers, who tend to score their goals poking in the rebounds. This guy can shoot.
If he does end up being on 3rd line center, as looks likely, then there will be serious depth in scoring. Also good to know if Joey or Coughler goes down he should be good to step in.
Out of interest who puts these YouTube videos together of new players and their positioning, history and stats etc? Always do a good job and nice to hear and see the likely expectations of new signings. Whoever it is I for one appreciate your efforts.
 
There was a lot of interest in Jake from throughout Europe so this is a real accomplishment and a credit to the staff to keep him in Cardiff. I just love the way this kid plays the game.
Fantastic signing and great addition to any team to be honest. His work ethic is outstanding and to come into the team when he did and have the impact that he did says a lot about the man in general. What is also really encouraging and nice to see is the manner in which he has shown resilience and determination in his recovery from a Mental Health perspective and seems not only to continue to improve his play but he genuinely seems settled and happy which is also testament to the way our club support players. I think Coughler is a good role model and gives hope to others that maybe finding things overwhelming at times.

This team (to me) seems to feel slightly different going into this season. It is hard to describe but I feel it is a little like the 'Good Old Days' where I think we will have a team that genuinely get on with each other on and off the ice and will really Gel and support one another and that will show in their hockey. Looking around the league it seems that pretty much every team has signed some real skillful and also gritty players. It is going to be one hell of a season I think and I am really excited for that first drop of the puck.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
Out of interest who puts these YouTube videos together of new players and their positioning, history and stats etc? Always do a good job and nice to hear and see the likely expectations of new signings. Whoever it is I for one appreciate your efforts.
It's a Storm fan I believe. He does them for pretty much every signing in the league, must take a huge amount of time and effort to go trawling through old footage.
 

Rempel16

Well-Known Member
It's a Storm fan I believe. He does them for pretty much every signing in the league, must take a huge amount of time and effort to go trawling through old footage.
They're really good. They give an insight to each of the players coming to the league. It would be nice if the EIHL could give them a little token gesture as a thank you.
 
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