Physical poll

[Ivydrive]

Said it for a few seasons now and its just getting worse. Used to look forward to games all week. These days i am often bored stiff at games and seriously questioning why i bother. I don't really buy the whole, Euro hockey argument as CHL games are some of the most entertaining of the season.

Hate to sound negative as i do appreciate & enjoy the higher skill level we have now but cant help missing the physicality (hitting more than fighting) and total lack of character on todays teams.

 

[Koop11]

The price of success does appear to have come at a cost with entertaining hockey a distant memory at this club. Whilst I accept there is a shift in world hockey in how the game is played more generally, Belfast show year on year that you can play a physical brand of hockey and be successful.



To be clear, the days of enforcers are gone (for now at least). Like many though, that is not what we are talking about here. I think a high tempo, fore checking game is what fans (well, the old schoolers at least) are desperately seeking. The club has played a very passive game during the last couple of seasons. There was only a handful of games I saw last year that had me on the edge of my seat. In domestic games so far this year, I have quite frankly been bored stiff.



I’ve been following ice hockey and the Devils for almost 30 years. I’ve made good friends and enjoy a break from the young family once a week. It’s the habit of going that brings me back to the rink week in week out. Unfortunately it’s not the excitement of the game anymore.

 

[Big Mac #24]

It's the European style of hockey.... no need for huge hits and fits in the CHL which is all about speed and skill.
Add to that the ever changing reffing standards and interpretations of play in this league and soon you get watered down aggression to reduce the number of likely visits to the bin. Think a couple of our players are already on reffs radar. Riley's shoulder injury and Louis's leg injury don't help things. Until they are fully recovered they are not going to risk themselves

All very good and well, but we don't play in the Euro leagues, we play in the EIHL which is traditionally a league more akin to N American hockey, physical hockey that got a large majority of the fans hooked. It's a great league, but still needs physical hockey to keep hold of the fans who are used to that style. (Disclaimer, we did amazingly well in the CHL, i'm not questioning that - i'm more than proud when we perform well to shut up the majority of the continent that thinks we don't belong in hockey)

I watch Euro hockey on a regular basis, both live and on TV, I also watch all of our home games and and there is more hitting on the continent, fact.

Riley's injury, to the agreement of most, came from a cheap hit, showing that such hockey still exists in the UK.

 

[The_Puck]

It’s all down to coaching. I’ve noticed these past few years that we are scared to be physical as it normally ends with us on the PK. Lord would rather us be non physical and stay 5 on 5 rather than be physical and be short handed. Keefe wants his team to be physical every game, but they get a lot of penalties and suspensions with that. Don’t get me wrong I love physical hockey and it is what got me hooked to this sport, but the referees are calling most hits nowadays and are trying to remove physicality from the sport all together. The way forward is speed and skill

 

[RTfarty]

Hasn't this discussion been done to death before? Of course everyone enjoys the physical aspect of the sport, but it is going away globally (and that includes North America) as the sport develops and teams place more of an emphasis on speed and skill to win trophies, because at the end of the day, that is what it's all about - Not whether or not somebody won't return next week because there wasn't a fight. Look at the Frolunda game; I don't recall them throwing one (what would be considered) big hit, yet they were easily the most exciting team I've ever seen us play against.

Physical play has and always will have it's place in the game at the right moments, but you aren't going to see it return to the way it used to be. It's never been as risky to try and make a hit, nor easier to get caught out of position, with the speed that the game is played at today, especially on an international sized ice pad.

 

[JT666]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I declined to renew my season ticket a few years ago as I found the sport becoming increasingly sterile and boring. The venue doesn't help either as it's like a surgical theatre with the bright white lights and walls.

I can't speak for the general public, but I'm sure a lot of them attend the odd game to see hits and fights, and won't return if all they see is Euro style hockey.

As others have pointed out, Lord's coaching style is at odds with his playing style which in some ways is a shame. Sure success is very welcome, but I'd be more inclined to return if a more entertaining package was on display.

That's my own opinion though, others are entitled to theirs if they prefer skill, but I'm not sure how sustainable it is crowd level wise in the long term in terms of the general public.

 

[bozman]

get out there and hit them, opponents know if they go in corners they are not going to get whacked by any of our D

 

[august04]

There's still a balance to be had in my opinion. We're not Frolunda and we're miles away from having players with skill levels like they had. So entertain in other ways (and I'm not talking about fighting) - we're never going to play with the skill and speed that they do (especially given the ages of players on our roster), so give the fans what the UK market likes to watch. As Koop mentioned, Belfast in recent years have played with an edge and are far more entertaining to watch than us, and they're league champions too, so it can be done. They may be struggling in the league so far this year but they were great to watch in the CHL and gave it a real go against Lulea and made sure they knew were in a game (instead of sitting back and admiring what they can do). Many posters on here thought that Lord was reigning in the likes of Bordeleau etc. I wasn't convinced by that then given the way Lord always played the game but I'm absolutely convinced it's happening now. We saw a fast, physical team in pre-season/early CHL (when we were causing real damage to supposedly better teams than us and winning!) but that's vanishing the longer these players are with the club. Marjamaki looks like a fish out of water not playing that kind of hard checking game but what's the point in our ownership promising us a younger, faster, more physical team if we're not playing to any of these strengths. Please don't tell me we're even playing a faster game, because we look more pedestrian now than I've seen us for ages!

 

[ASHIPP]

It's a tough decision for the Club isn't it?The team need to win games to win the league to qualify for CHL. This may mean a compromise in games on the style and content that many fans long for. What do they do?

 

[august04]

It's a tough decision for the Club isn't it?The team need to win games to win the league to qualify for CHL. This may mean a compromise in games on the style and content that many fans long for. What do they do?

Belfast are league champions and qualified for the CHL.....so it can be done!

 

[Earnie]

It is not going to change. We have what we have. Put it on your ( you being no-one in particular) wish list ,not your Christmas list.

 

[rocketbob]

I agree with what has been said. I have watched devils for 17 years roughly and have had the privilege to see some nasty buggers in our team. I loved them days and even when we lost I felt I had value for money, you could guarantee someone would step up for us when we was losing or when a player gets hit late,

These days they don’t and it’s annoying to see,

Yes we win majority of our games but sometimes I’m falling asleep in my seat.
Boring as hell

I would never call a game involving Gleason Fournier scything through opposition defenses boring but each to their own. I do like a good hit but there is a lot to be said for the skill side as well.

 

[RTfarty]

Belfast are league champions and qualified for the CHL.....so it can be done!

Whereas we've qualified for the CHL three years in a row and won more trophies than any other club in that time. Would you sacrifice a style of play that has resulted in one of the most successful eras in the history of the club, for one that might not win us anything? Is fan entertainment more important than the team winning trophies? I don't imagine players or coaches think so.

 

[Wannabe2]

What would you be sacrificing if you kept the same team that hit.

 

[Devilsatw]

I think all the fans are saying is grow a set a balls and stand up for your TEAM.
If we are losing change the game somehow have a fight get everyone going, lay a big hit so they know it’s not going to be easy!

The few things we ask for are not miracles they are simple and possibly effective.

 

[moggy#9]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I find myself enjoying watching the SHL more than a lot of NHL games these days. I enjoy the skating and passing far more than continual hits and broken plays. Unless there's a su

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I declined to renew my season ticket a few years ago as I found the sport becoming increasingly sterile and boring. The venue doesn't help either as it's like a surgical theatre with the bright white lights and walls.

I can't speak for the general public, but I'm sure a lot of them attend the odd game to see hits and fights, and won't return if all they see is Euro style hockey.

As others have pointed out, Lord's coaching style is at odds with his playing style which in some ways is a shame. Sure success is very welcome, but I'd be more inclined to return if a more entertaining package was on display.

That's my own opinion though, others are entitled to theirs if they prefer skill, but I'm not sure how sustainable it is crowd level wise in the long term in terms of the general public.

Interesting comment about the viola. When I first considered coming back to hockey after the boycott one of the things that kept away was the BBT. The sightlines were worse than Basingstoke. I consider the viola better in every imaginable eat from a spectating stand point than either the BBT or the WNIR, though I still miss the latter.

 

[Wannabe2]

I love our new home, it’s by far the best home we have ever had, I wouldn’t swop it for anywhere else except maybe Glasgow . It’s clean, tidy, bright, has great Sightlines, a fairly good bar, that could quite easily be better. It has a twin pad for skating etc. The biggest hangover we have is parking, and very cheap quality seats.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I have been watching some old videos back in 2000 and even back to 1990 and its not the check fest that everyones describing. Nostalgia has the habit of filtering out the bad and amplifying the good. On most Devils teams there were guys who threw checks like Birbraer and Cooper and guys who didn't, like Moria and Doucet. Its the same now. Dixon and Marjamaki throw some lovely hits.
There certainly are less fights and the game has definitely become a lot more skilled. Stupid hits like the cross check that put Moria in a neck brace in 1990 have thankfully be cracked down on.
Personally I like the fast flowing side of hockey with some physicality. I have been more frustrated by the lack of flow than the lack of physicality lately.
When the Devils have their flow like they did 2 months back its sublime to watch. If they can get that again mixed with some Dicko hits then thats enough for me.
Attendances seem to be holding up at the moment so it can't be that bad.

 

[hip check]

Whereas we've qualified for the CHL three years in a row and won more trophies than any other club in that time. Would you sacrifice a style of play that has resulted in one of the most successful eras in the history of the club, for one that might not win us anything? Is fan entertainment more important than the team winning trophies? I don't imagine players or coaches think so.

To management obviously results are the primary concern but I'm sure fans/people go to the Devil's to be entertained, who really wants to see a team continually winning if the product on offer is described by fans as boring?
I would honestly happily pay to watch the Devil's lose a few games as long as I see some passion and effort and of course some skill on offer, give me a team of Faryna's any day of the week, he was a fan favourite and quite rightly and understandably so..passion and commitment by the bucketful.

 

[bb1]

In my view it's not fights people want it's passion and grit when we go behind on the scoreboard.

A good hit will get a crowd going just as much as a good fight. Plus every player is capable of throwing hits and forechecking hard but they can't all fight. All we want to see is more physicality when it's needed the most. Lord made himself a career out of it and I can't understand why that doesn't carry over to every Devils team he coaches. Our owners love it just as much as us fans.