We have a number of decent heavyweights this season including 2 top guys who have had long stints in the AHL as enforcers in Sean McMorrow and Mike Hoffman. Then we have a guy who I personally rated as having the best fight card in the CHL last season and a true entertainer in Alex Penner, he could be one of the toughest next season in the EIHL for sure...
We also have 'My Way' Steve Makway who is a quality fighter when he drops the gloves. But how often will Makway fight next season ? and will the Dundee Stars be wanting one of their star players in the penalty box?. Especially when the Stars already have McMorrow and Matt Suderman as willing heavyweight fighters on their team..
Cardiff's enforcer Justin Sawyer was one of the leading fighters in the IHL last season and he's a massive guy at 6'6'' and 240lbs so he should be another guy who will make a name for himself among fight fans over here. Plus the Devils have veteran EIHL enforcer Brad Voth in their ranks who matches up to most in this years league, though I think like Steve Makway for the Stars the Devils will want Voth on the ice more than in the penalty box.
The Clan have Cedric Bernier who is a tough guy for sure and has promised the Clan fans 30 plus fights next season and I'm sure he will try hard to keep his word. Watch out next season for many tussles between Cedric Bernier and the Dundee Stars tough guys next season..
The Blaze have a few tough guys in their roster as well. With the main three being 6'6'' Jeff Smith who should do well against most of the other tough guys in the league, Brad Cruikshank who will probable struggle against the bigger guys but will do fine against similarly sized guys, and Sean Selmser who although small is a real tough player...
The Steelers have Neil Clark who will probable be the Steelers main go to guy next season, plus a very tough back up in Derek Campbell. The Newcastle Vipers so far have two tougher players in the roster in Blair Stayzer and Scott langdon. And the Panthers back up for Alex Penner, Guillaume Lepine looks like a real tough guy as well coming off a 20 fight season in the ECHL last year...
So who do you guys think will be the top 10 for next season
My pick looks like this...
1.Mike Hoffman 6'5'' 250lbs
Mike Hoffman has had a few dominate years in the AHL fighting top quality guys and he has beaten some top class fighters like Martin Grenier, Mitch Fritz, Sean McMorrow, Trevor Gillies, Steve MacIntyre, Kevin Westgarth, David Koci and the like.. He was ranked in 2008-09 as 6th best fighter in the AHL which is some achievement considering how tough the AHL league is and was that year... Hoffman is also a dangerous puncher and he has dropped a number of fighters in his career, including a massive KO of Nolan Yonkman. I think Mike Hoffman will dominate the league next season and his only real competition being from Sean McMorrow.
2.Sean McMorrow 6'4'' 225lbs
Sean is the most experienced fighter in the EIHL with over 350 career fights. He was the toughest guy in the EIHL last season and a real entertaining guy to watch on the ice. Sean has said he will defend his belt next season and it would not surprise me if he did. But the reason I rank Mike Hoffman higher is that the last few times these guys have fought Hoffman seemed to have the measure of Sean, including a clear win against him in 2008/09.. Sean's strength and ability to use both hands equally as well give many fighters problems and he has in the past beaten some top fighters like Derek Boogaard, Jeremy Yablonski, Jon Mirasty, Brandon Sugden, Mike Sgroi, Brett Clouthier and Mike Hoffman. Sean McMorrow has also been ranked in the AHL top 10 fighters three times, and as high as 8th in the past...
3. Alex Penner 6'4'' 230lbs
Coming off a great season in the CHL as an enforcer and one of the more entertaining guys in the EIHL next season, I think Penner will be a guy to watch out for in this league. Penner is a big strong fighter with a decent right hand that will have a few EIHL enforcers in trouble next season. He's one of the less experienced enforcers in the league at only 24 and with less than 60 fights in the minor leagues but I don't think this will matter much, as Penner seems to be getting better and better every time he fights. Penner was ranked 3rd in the CHL last season in a league much tougher than the EIHL, and personally I thought he was the number 1 fighter last year. So I'm expecting another good season by the guy they called ''Weapon X'' back in Colorado..
4. Justin Sawyer 6'6'' 240lbs
Justin Sawyer is one of the biggest guy's in the EIHL next season and should be among the toughest in the league as well. He had a decent year in the IHL last year and put up 28 fights in all, the 3rd highest in the league.. This was the third year in a row that Sawyer has posted over 20 fights in a season.. Sawyer is a tall rangy fighter and likes to use his reach to his advantage in fights, and he's already tested himself against quite a few of the tough guys signed up to the EIHL this season like Alex Penner, Cedric Bernier, Blair Stayzer, Steve Makway and Jeff Smith. I see Sawyer being Cardiff's main enforcer next season and he should post plenty of fights giving him the chance to make a name for himself in the EIHL..
5. Cedric Bernier 6'2'' 218lbs
Cedric Bernier last fight was a bad KO loss to a guy we watched play here for a couple of season's in Carlyle Lewis. This happened on the 9th of Jan 2009, so Bernier will have not fought in a game in nearly a year so it will be interesting to see how he comes back after that loss, as a KO can affect fighters in funny ways.. I'm hoping Cedric comes back strong and lives up to his word in that he will put up 30 fights next season. If Cedric fights the way he did in the 2008-2009 season then we as fight fans are in for a treat.. Bernier has fought a number of guys who have played in the EIHL in the past or that have signed up this season. They include Carlyle Lewis, Alex Penner x 2, Dennis Maxwell, Simon Rizk x 2, Justin Sawyer x 4 and Adam Stefishen.
6. Brad Voth 6'5'' 230lbs
Veteran fighter in the EIHL and one of the most talked about players in the league season after season. Brad Voth has been a top ten fighter all five season's he's been in the EIHL so far, while also being one of Cardiff's top players. Voth arguable had the best fight record in the 2007-2008 season, and last year Voth was the 2nd only to Sean McMorrow in terms of toughest guy in the league. Although I think Justin Sawyer will be the main enforcer in Cardiff this season I still see Voth having enough fights to get himself ranked among the toughest in the EIHL again this season. He's a big strong fighter who has fought all the top guys in the EIHL over the last 5 years including Brett Clouthier, Sean McMorrow, Chris McAllster, Graham Belak, Jeremy Cornish, Andre Payette, Freddy Oduya, Ruman Ndur and Ryan Shmyr.
7. Steve Makway 6'5'' 230lbs
If this top ten list was on fighting ability I would probable have Steve Makway as 4th on my list. But because I can't see him posting that many fights next season I think he will finish about 7th. Makway is a very good fighter when he drops the gloves and could be a very dangerous fighter at this level.. He has fought a lot of decent names in the minors and if he is able to get an opponent at arms length and let the right hand go he has the ability to beat anyone in the league. I also think Makway will be one of the stand out players for the Dundee Stars next season.
8. Jeff Smith 6'6'' 220lbs
Jeff Smith is the toughest player in the Blaze roster this season and will more than likely be the go to guy on the Blaze team. Most of Smith's career has been in the ECHL were he has played the tough guy role for a number of team. Smith also had a season In the AHL for the Phantoms and he was part of a real tough team that won the Calder cup. Guys Smith has fought in his career include Derek Boogaard, Jon Mirasty, David Koci, Cam Janssen, Mike Varhaug, Graham Belak, Shawn Thornton, Steve MacIntyre, Jonathan Tremblay, so as you can see he's mixed it with some real top fighters.
9. Matt Suderman 6'3'' 235lbs
Matt Suderman is one of three heavyweight in the Dundee Stars roster next season. Although he is less well known among fight fans compared to the Stars Sean McMorrow and Steve Makway, I think Suderman could make a name for himself in next season's league. He's a big tough guy who has fought names like Riley Cote, Derek Boogaard, Brad Wingfield, Derek Parker, Erick Lizon, and Mario Joly who he scored a TKO over in 08/09 while in the N.A leagues.
10. Guillaume Lepine 6'4'' 220lbs
Guillaume Lepine is a young guy at 23 and he's only had two season's in Pro hockey playing as a big tough D.man, but I'm sure Guillaume Lepine will relish the chance to play in the EIHL next year. While in the QMJHL Lepine fought Patrick Bordeleau, Tim Spencer, Brett Gallant and Kevin Cormier, who have all looked real tough guys since they turned pro. Lepine himself has also fought two twenty fight season's since turning Pro in the ECHL, again fighting some decent names. Lepine, along with team mate Alex Penner, will give the Nottingham Panthers two really tough heavyweights next season and both should do well in the league as fighters.
Others that could do well next year include
Neil Clark 6'2'' 210lbs - Toughest guy on the Steelers team but he's never be the main go to guy for teams in the past, so it will be interesting to see how he does in this role next season. Clark has fought some real tough guys in the past like Jon "Nasty" Mirasty, Joel Rechlicz, Dave Simoes, Mario Joly, Brett Clouthier, and apart from the top heavyweights in the EIHL this season, I think Clark will do just fine as a fighter in this league.
Blair Stayzer 6'3'' 215lbs - Very experienced tough guy who has fought in a number of leagues including the OHL as a junior, the IHL, CHL, ECHL and a few AHL games as well. In that time he fought names like Brett Angel, Graham Belak, Kevin Cormier, John Erskine, Trevor Ettinger, Ryan Flinn, Trevor Gillies, Jason Goulet, Brian McGrattan and Sean McMorrow. He may not be the most skilled fighter in the league and I can't see Stayzer beating any of the top heavyweight's next season but he will always stick up for his team mates.
Scott Langdon 6'3'' 210lbs - Young kid who was a regular fighter in the ECHL the last two season's. I can't see Langdon beating any of the top guys in the league next year but he should do OK against guys his own size. He's fought Kevin Cormier and Steve Makway in the past so this shows Langdon will fight anyone for his team.
Brad Cruikshank 5'11'' 210lbs - Veteran EIHL tough guy who's going into his 7th season in the EIHL. Shanker will be part of a tough Coventry Blaze team next year and will probable be their number two tough guy after Jeff Smith. Shanker has proved in the past that he will fight anyone for the team and at the tail end of last season we started to see glimpse of the Shanker that first broke into the EIHL. He played with that mean streak we as fight fans loved to see and was part of that Blaze line that went after the Cardiff Devils players in a line brawl last season. Shanker has fought Brett Clouthier, Sean McMorrow, Jeremy Cornish, Kevin Holliday, Brandon Christian, Trevor Gillies, Dion Darling and Rumun Ndur in the past.
Derek Campbell 6'2'' 210lbs - Derek Campbell is a very good player and has showed he will step up and fight the big guys on other teams if necessary. He's also a very fiery guy and been involved in a few talking points in the EIHL including line brawls against Belfast, the Brad Voth incidents last year, fighting opponents while still on the bench, fighting in the hand shakes, and generally annoying a lot of opponents fans by the way he plays. Campbell has fought in the past names such as Ryan Shymr, Brad Voth, Jason Rushton, T.J. Reynolds, Jon "Nasty" Mirasty. I think with Campbell being one of the Steelers go too guys next year will find it tough enough he he has to fight some of the big names, but against guys his own size he should do just fine.
Evan Schafer 6'3'' 230lbs - Big d.man who I've very little info on apart from what he done in the WHL. While in juniors Schafer was a tough D.man who fought a number of decent name guys. So maybe he could surprise a few people next year in the league.
Mark Nebus 6'0'' 205lbs - Nebus had 13 fights last season in the ECHL fighting names such as T.J. Reynolds and Olivier Legault who are both big name heavyweights in that league. Nebus looks to be a very useful light-heavyweight fighters and could surprise a few of the heavyweights in the EIHL next season.
Kyle Bruce - 6'0'' 200lbs - Bruce will be the number 2 tough guy on the Braehead Clan's roster next season, and if Bruce sticks to fighting guys around his own size then he will do just fine in that role. But knowing Bruce he will want to fight anyone for the team and will result in him tacking a few big loses if he tangles with the likes of Hoffman or McMorrow. Kyle has played in the WHL, ECHL, CHL and had a stint in the EIHL in the past so fight fans here know what to expect from him. He has fought names like Jason Goulet, Robin Big Snake, Colt King, Dave Simoes, Chris McAllister and Brad Voth in the past.. Kyle is also a decent player at this level.
