Hockey 'a soft game'?

Kevlar68

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
I have said this before it will become a non contact sport within years, the only hard hits now are on the boards and they will look at collision impact of helmet against plexi.
 
Celticdruid

Celticdruid

Active Member
#9
#9
Damn those old school days were great. The rivalries between some teams like Cardiff vs Sheffield or Cardiff vs Panthers were felt in the days/weeks leading up to a particular match and the anticipation of the game brought a huge buzz to the rink. What a mix of players and colourful characters. The noise of the crowd when those HUGE (regular) hits went in, the volume of fights and the odd bench clearence here and there got the atmosphere to lift the roof of the building and made the foundations shake. Plus you still had speed and skill in the mix of the teams. What an era and time to be a hockey supporter. I often hope that we could get that experience back, even for the odd game here and there. Definitely put bums on seats but more often than not people weren't able to sit that long as they would be sent to their feet in the excitement of a hit, fight, goal etc. Good Good times and great banter amongst rival teams supporters.
 
M

moggy#9

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
Swarley said:
100% softer hockey now a days, it's what's driving me away from being interested in eihl hockey. Much prefer the gritty hard nosed hockey
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What has changed is the increasing awareness of how certain aspects of the game affect players long after their careers are finished. Not only is concussion better understood, but the cumulative effects and links to things like Alzheimer's in later life are starting to be researched. This is why players are now so much better protected both by equipment and protocols.

Whilst I love the physical aspect of the sport there has to be as balance struck. For instance, I wouldn't want to see fighting eliminated (in my opinion it does much to protect the most skilled players). There is however a duty of care to participants.

There's a lot to recommend the modern game in terms of skill level. While many would dislike a purely Scandinavian style of game, I see nothing wrong with what they have in the DEL.
 
Gavevs88

Gavevs88

Active Member
#11
#11
hip check said:
"Has British ice hockey gone too soft? | The Star" https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/has-british-ice-hockey-gone-too-soft-4139815

I know hockey fans in general have very different views on this subject, personally I agree with a lot of it and do miss those players that play on the edge, I still admire the skillful players though and it takes both types of players to get fans out of their seats.
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Could say the same about most contact sports, rugby is the perfect example.
 
D

Devil94

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
moggy#9 said:
There's a lot to recommend the modern game in terms of skill level. While many would dislike a purely Scandinavian style of game, I see nothing wrong with what they have in the DEL.
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The only reason the Elite League is considered 'tougher' than the rest of Europe is because of the number of so called fights there are compared to the mainland. I say so called because most fights are wrestles/dances. We had comfortably the most fights in the league last year and I'm struggling to remember any of them.

In terms of physical play, other European leagues beats the EIHL hands down. Annoys me when people call it 'Euro soft hockey' or whatever, just shows they have never watched it. Even in Scandinavia there's so much more hitting and agitating than we have, and that's to go with the speed and skill they have. Granted they don't have the huge bodies with massive open ice hits, but let's be fair neither do we.

I would say that Guildford were the most physical side in the league last year, from what I saw. And they had hardly any fights, no real tough guys. They had agitators, they had fast aggressive players finishing their hits, and were in your face at every opportunity. That's what I want to see every day of the week over fights, and I'd rather see that European style over what we have had over the last few years (league wide, not just devils) every time.
 
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kettdevil1

kettdevil1

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
Devil94 said:
The only reason the Elite League is considered 'tougher' than the rest of Europe is because of the number of so called fights there are compared to the mainland. I say so called because most fights are wrestles/dances. We had comfortably the most fights in the league last year and I'm struggling to remember any of them.

In terms of physical play, other European leagues beats the EIHL hands down. Annoys me when people call it 'Euro soft hockey' or whatever, just shows they have never watched it. Even in Scandinavia there's so much more hitting and agitating than we have, and that's to go with the speed and skill they have. Granted they don't have the huge bodies with massive open ice hits, but let's be fair neither do we.

I would say that Guildford were the most physical side in the league last year, from what I saw. And they had hardly any fights, no real tough guys. They had agitators, they had fast aggressive players finishing their hits, and were in your face at every opportunity. That's what I want to see every day of the week over fights, and I'd rather see that European style over what we have had over the last few years (league wide, not just devils) every time.
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Absolutely agree. The only fight that I remember was Gagnon v Lou at the NIC (although Lou ragdolling Critchlow from the bench up in Manchester was quite fun), the rest were immensely forgettable.

Hockey is changing and frankly it needs to given the number of good guys we have lost prematurely due to conditions that can be directly linked to their hockey careers. However, that doesn't mean it is going soft. Maybe it's an age thing but I much prefer seeing great bodychecks and players finishing their hits than the pseudo fights we see all too often. Before talking of soft Euro hockey (copyrighted by Don Cherry I believe....) maybe go and see the DEL, the Swiss league or Swedish league and I think the reality becomes clear
 
hip check

hip check

Well-Known Member
#15
Thread starter #15
Talking on a personal note I would've loved a Tommy Plommer type player in our team last season, not to cause fights but to agitate the opposition. We were too soft on the underbelly and got bullied and pushed around far too often for my liking, we were crying out for an on the edge player, late in the season we found one in Fourier but alas his stay was short lived. That type of player tends to keep the opposition honest and invariably becomes a bit of a fan favourite.
 
Wannabe2

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#16
#16
God I can’t imagine having a worse player on my team than that arsehole Plommer, one of the best hits was when M C wiped him out with a hit of pure beauty. Tommy the tit Plommer, no thank you.
 
hip check

hip check

Well-Known Member
#17
Thread starter #17
Ex
Wannabe2 said:
God I can’t imagine having a worse player on my team than that arsehole Plommer, one of the best hits was when M C wiped him out with a hit of pure beauty. Tommy the tit Plommer, no thank you.
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Exactly, you hated him because he was a pain in the arse to the opposition, we had no pain in the arse players last season, somebody of his ilk was needed to get some urgency going in our play, he was probably the first player the fans and opposition looked out for when he was on the ice.
We need a bit more bang for our buck this season, some passion, someone who puts his nose in where it hurts and won't back down.
It wouldn't bother me if we never had a single fight this season but I want to see some grit.
 
B

Belkster

Guest
#18
#18
hip check said:
"Has British ice hockey gone too soft? | The Star" https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/has-british-ice-hockey-gone-too-soft-4139815

I know hockey fans in general have very different views on this subject, personally I agree with a lot of it and do miss those players that play on the edge, I still admire the skillful players though and it takes both types of players to get fans out of their seats.
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I've noticed a trend of team games getting softer year after year. It's not just hockey. Hard games are gradually being transferred to TV screens. Eventually, they will only be seen in movies.
Hi all :)
 
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