Hockey is back in Ireland! Are we not we jealous?

This post is a long time coming, as many of my readers know Kissane and I have many personal ties to Ireland and we spent 10 too short days there last June. While we were there a friend, Craig Shilliday gave us the cooks tour of the site where Team Ireland and the Dundalk Bulls train and play in Dundalk Ireland. The best news is that the Dundalk Bulls are working toward joining the British Elites and becoming the second professional hockey team on the island. Presently the Bulls are at "club" level of play and the Dundalk facility (which boasts year round ice) is a alternate location for games when for various reasons the Belfast Giants usual venue of the Odyssey Arena is unavailable. It was used heavily last season during the playoffs when Momma Mia was booked into the Odyssey for the entire Giants playoff run. The venue is much smaller, but in many ways seemed to satisfy most of the Giants faithful who could get tickets.

I seem to feel may of you lot are shaking your heads over the idea that there is HOCKEY in Ireland. Yes Virgina, there is and a legion of well informed passionate fans that follow their teams all over England, Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales. The teams are composed of "English" players, defined as where they train not necessarily just where they were born. Having a Irish or British passport is NOT enough to get you on the team (Ireland or otherwise, sorry all you Notre Dame and BC club players. You have to go to Ireland, live there and earn it!) a percentage of North American and European players. If signing patterns are an indication to this observer they are playing roughly at the AA or ECHL level.


However the fans seem to be world class. My introduction to Giant's fans started about 3 years ago on a net search. I discovered that two of my passions in life, Irish traditional music and hockey intersected in one place, Belfast. After a couple of weeks reading their unofficial boards I registered and joined the fray, got my nose bloodied a couple of times in a rule discussion and when we were "separated by a common language". In general the regulars were welcoming as long as I realized they knew their stuff and I was a guest. I was shocked to find out how many of the posters owned their own rule books, something that is rare among North American posters. It was early in the game that one poster defended my right to decent and we started to correspond via PM, this became our friend Craig. Three years later we were in Dundalk and he was proudly showing us the facility where the Olympic and Elite league blood sweat and tears will come to fruition. Tomorrow Craig and family will be at the Odyssey with their winter "hockey family" cheering on the Giants. There will be singing in the stands, chants and cups of tea, Gordy their mascot will kiss the ice, all Belfast hockey traditions, hopefully a win tonight on the road against the Cardiff Devils. How we wish we were there!



Powderhornhockey

Personal favorite Images from 07-08' season.

Don't you just hate those self serving blog entries where photographers post unconnected images of their favorites? Too bad, this is another one of those. No telling what makes an image a favorite, the lighting,subject or a face in the crowd, but here are a few standouts form the past season...










Powderhornhockey

Another Valentine, Jason Krog

This is more than a bit of a fond fair well. After winning the AHL's MVP honours Jason Krog is taking his silver and packing off to Manitoba. Fair play and good luck to him. He will be missed by this photographer. Jason Kriog as I have remarked t many people is one of the most photogenic people I have ever had the fortune to capture for the last two years. He is much like many of the musicians I used to photograph. Off the ice he basically looks like a clean cut computer geek, you wouldn't give him a second look on the street or office. However, get him in equipment, sweat him up a bit and he becomes Jim Morrison on ice and can't take a bad photo. Krogger, rock and roll on ice and scoring machine, you will be missed.




Powderhornhockey

Steve Martins, A Wolf Apart!

Some players are obvious stars, at the end of a championship series they are awarded trophies for scoring records. Often they are named MVP midst the flash and splendor of the light bulbs and falling confetti. But this year there was another Wolf that always seemed to be there, on the play,sticking up for the team a consistent and good example for the "kids". This player is Steve Martins, Powederhornhockey's Wolves MVP of 08'.

My favorite Steve Martins moment happened late in a Icehog's playoff game this spring after a questionable hit on a Wolves player. Moments later a scrum behind the Wolves's net ensued. Martins simply skated over the the player involved in the previous hit restrained him at the boards and spoke to him. The Icehog just stood there motionless, for the rest of the game he gave Martins a wide birth. Steve Martins is not a physical giant, but clearly he casts a big shadow and demands respect and space on the ice. This is the off season and contracts are up for renewal, one can only hope Wolves see the value of experience and tenacity and offer Martins whatever he needs to stay playing in the Chicago/Atlanta system. Talent,experience and leadership will be needed in this rebuilding year ahead of the Chicago Wolves and Martins is too big a fish to let get away.





Powderhornhockey

It's time to share....Some Artsy Fartsy Hockey

When making a routine trip to Target this morning I had NPR on the car radio. The local arts program was playing and a great interview with Paul Cline was being aired, right smack in the middle of it Cline said something that just blew my mind. He said he had recently returned to being a working artist himself and found the experience intimidating to say the least. At one point his 14 year old son looked at one of his watercolors and said to him "Dad you always say , if an artist is any good you can see their soul in their work, there isn't any soul in that work." Wow, now that's one tough critic. The concept of putting it all on the line by exposing very personal work is a daunting concept. Now, I must confess I have been holding back, this entry is from a file I have been keeping for the last year on my computer marked "style" these images are very personal, for it is truly how I see the game as I'm capturing it. Often just one clear player or point among a blur of movement, a Monet and Sports Illustrated at the same time, pure Jane Rickard, Powderhornhockey.




Powderhornhockey

Andre Deveaux, Signs with Toronto

The news came over the wire yesterday that Wolves enforcer Andre Deveaux has signed a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I wish him the best of luck in his new home and with his new team. It has been a pleasure to watch Andre play his role with dignity and discipline, often under difficult circumstances when being baited by opposing teams. It is high time I posted my favorite photos of this fine player, so without straining my bunny feet by asking them to type any more, here are some of my favorite images of Andre Deveaux.




Powderhornhockey

Scotty Bowman to Join Chicago Blackhawks

As soon as I can stop hyperventilating I'll come up with a witty comment. For now I'm speechless, will we again hear "Here come the Hawks, the mighty Hawks." This is proving to be a most exciting off season!

Article courtesy of TSN, I'm having trouble typing breathing into a brown bag....


"The Chicago Blackhawks are naming legendary coach Scotty Bowman as a Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations on Thursday.

Ranking first among all NHL coaches in games coached (2,141), wins (1,244) and Stanley Cups (nine), Bowman is revered as an all-time great behind the bench.

Bowman, 75, was a head coach for thirty NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings and has served as a consultant with the Red Wings since he retired after winning the 2002 Stanley Cup.

He'll join a talented young Blackhawks franchise that is led on the ice by reigning NHL Rookie of the Year Patrick Kane, as well as first-line centre Jonathan Toews, providing support to the front office team headed by President John McDonough and General Manager Dale Tallon.

Bowman's son Stan is an Assistant GM, Hockey Operations with the Blackhawks."