Rats angered by chicken

The weathered AIK supporters like giving it large, but apparently can not stand it when they get some back. Örebro's new signing, former Djurgården player Markus Kristoffersson proves hockey players do have a sense of humour as he is led to the dressing room. The reaction of the travelling supporters might not be unexpected, but still completely uncalled for. Personally, I think it's a great wind-up. More of this please!

Check the run-up to the incident (immediately) and the incident itself (aprox. 1.25 into the clip).

Yetman leaves Västerås

It would seem that Patrick Yetman has made his last appearance in VIK's black and yellow jersey. When he signed, he only signed until the christmas break with the option of continuing if both parties so wanted. Västerås has apparently signed Carl Corazzini on a try-out contract, and with teams being limited to two non-european players on the bench, it seems likely either Christian Larrivee or Patrick Yetman is heading away. Larrivee is still under contract - so guess who's it might be.

Even more interestingly, where is he headed?

Eddie Meduza - a prophet?

Rodents close to extinction?

The latest news in the AIK saga is that the sign up for share options is going slower than expected. In a statement to Aftonbladet, chairman Peter Mellqvist said the club needs to bring in SEK 20 million. At the moment, the club has sold shares for less than half of this sum (9.3 million). The signing up period seems to have been extended by one more week to 31/12, but if the club has not received the sum required by then, the likelyhood of the club surviving is slim.

Players are warned they might not get paid for December. 'I hope we can, but there are no guarantees. We struggle to make our payments every month' says Mellqvist. Apparently, goalie Christopher Heino-Lindberg, have not been receiving payments  into his pensions account, as promised by the club, for the last few months.

The climate for rats are apparently better in Alberta

This of course means things are desperate indeed. It would be a sad day for Swedish ice hockey when [most likely]or if [miracles might happen!] the club hits the wall. Regardless of the short-term outcome, both supporters and the members of the board room will have to accept shared responsibility for the situation the club finds itself in. The marketing/sponsorship chasing part of the club has been non-existent over the last few years. And looking at the economical results they have made over the last few seasons, no measures has been taken to adjust the size of the outgoings. The supposedly 'numerous' supporters have stayed away game after game, even though the club has taken major steps forwards over the past couple of seasons. This combination is of course a perfect recipe for economical disaster. I'm no economist, but I know when my arse is above my head!

It seems supporters are more interested in watching football or floorball rather than ice hockey. Philistines!

I truly hope the club will make it, but the future does look dark for the infamous rats of Solna.

Round Up: Mora on fire!

Mora IK took thir ninth (!) consecutive win when they ripped apart Malmö on away ice. The final result was 4-1 to the guests. Mora is now in the final automatic qualification spot for Kvalserien. Harald Lückner has done a brilliant job with this young team and has surprised most experts with their performance of late. Malmö on the other hand has shown very patchy form lately and needs to improve if they are to avoid having to go through the play offs for a place in Kvalserien. It might help that they are finally getting rid of goal tender Jani Hurme who has not only been one of the most expensive players in the league, but also a complete liability once he has been on the ice. A reported salary of around SEK 310.000/month is now taken away from the expenses account at Redhawks. I'd happily open a door for a few days per month for 3x20 minutes for less than that. Percy, call me!

Good bye and thank you for the fish!

In the mid-season final, injury hit Leksand beat Växjö comprehensively with 8-3. This will give LIF a little bit of breathing space at the summit. Off the ice rumours are rife the club is about to sign a forward (center?) of some some statue. As always with Leksand in the rumour mill, more or less realistic names are branded around. Suffice to say, one the day arrives, we shall all find out.

In the fight for the play off spots, Bofors secured in important result by grabbing the extra point following a penalty shoot out at Borås. Borås  now has six points up to play off place and Bofors are now pleased not to have to feel them breathing down their neck.

At the other end of the table, Sunsvall lost important points after ending up on the wrong side of a 6-3 score at Björklöven and Oskarshamn looks on the money for relegation after losing at home against demotion rivals Troja/Ljungby 3-0.

There is still much to go of the season, but the table seems to divide up in clear sections. However, any team getting on a streak like Mora is currently would quickly move up the table. One thing is for sure, the league is tighter than it has ever been and teams keep dropping and taking points from each other like never before. Is this a sign of the strength of the league, or is it because the top teams are weaker than in recent years? I guess we will find out in Kvalserien.

Lihagen's life saved by referee

In the derby between Bofors and Örebro yesterday, Niklas Lihagen fell to the ice after what seemed an innocuous incident. The referee noticed the Örebro forward remaining on the ice after play continued elsewhere and stopped the game immediately. Lihagen was unconcious and had no pulse and would possibly not still be alive, had it not been for referee Wolmer Edqvist, a day time ambulance driver, who started resuscitation immidiately. Ambulance arrived on the ice after a few minutes and Lihagen is now in intensive care, but said to feel fine.

But in all this, Bofors supporters were chanting 'Let him die' and 'Get the corpse off the ice'. This is by no means surprising as their vocal supporters are generally kids who are just finding their first pubic hairs. They had a bad reputation before, but this is taking them to a new low. Sadly enough, inbreeding just got a bad name.

Also, while hockey is the love of my life (along with Mrs LondonMas of course), this really puts things in perspective. I've been known to shout abuse at referees and players alike, but here we have a man who steps up to the plate when needed. All respect to Wolmer Edqvist.

 

This doesn't mean I won't shout abuse at him next time he referees a game I'm watching.

AIK Ltd while waiting for the rubels

The saga of AIK goes on. The team yesterday lost at home against promotion hopefuls Malmö at home. Not too surprising, but AIK fans are really letting the team down. Just over 2.500 spectators came to this important game between two of the top teams in the division. AIK has budgeted for 4.000 attending per game, and at the moment the average is a paltry 2.077. For a team with economical problems this is obviously disastrous. Some could even say it's slightly ironic for a team who claims to be the most supported team in Sweden under the slogan 'We're Everywhere'. Everywhere apart from in Johanneshov that is. The club lost SEK 8.000.000 last season and had hoped to break even this season - with falling attendances and a tough sponsoring market, this has now been adjusted to a prediction of of about SEK -8.000.000 again.

The Weekly Echo

Before the game, an announcement was made regarding the future of the club: The hockey section is going public in order to get the funds to meet the rules of not being in debt for two years running. The club is aiming to raise SEK 9.350.000 through issuing and selling shares. The offer is for SEK 12.50 per share for a minimum of 200 shares. This is a  cost of SEK 2.500 per post. Even though this is a substantial sum for most people, it should usually be manageable if you are a big fan. However, people only have 10 days to sign up, and adding to that, the deadline is just before Christmas. If money ever is tight, it is during the jolly season. Or are they hoping for this to be a stocking filler??? The timing could obviously have been better, and the notice period could also have been made a little bit longer. It seems as if they are trying to make things difficult for themselves...

'Are you selling those pesky shares?'

The club, in its statement, reiterates its ambition to join the KHL and somewhat strangely adds that the efforts to join the Swedish top league is not conflicting with their ambition to join the KHL. Ehhh...??? At the same time, Viacheslav Fetisov has been is Stockholm on a crash visit to check out the credentials of AIK. He says KHL would be proud to be welcoming AIK with its long tradition and many (sic!) fans. He also indicates KHL would help AIK sort out its economic issues if needed. That'd be a nice russian bear-hug if anything.

Its obvious AIK is stuck in between the proverbial rock and hard place. There really seem to be only three options for the club:

• Advance to the Swedish top league at the end of this season. Not looking likely the way things are looking on the ice, but not impossible. The extra SEK 28.000.000 in TV money would certainly not hurt.
• Join the KHL. I don't think that is the future, but it certainly beats folding. It is a lifeline, and KHL seem just as desperate as AIK to make this work. I do however think this is likely to be stopped by the Swedish Hockey Association.
  
• Fold and start again from the bottom under a new name. Not an ideal situation, but the club can not keep going as is at the moment.
  

Anger signs for Leksand?

According to people in the know, Leksand will announce the signing of Niklas Anger from Timrå. The forward has been released after a torrid season, scoring only five points from 25 games. Previous season  he managed a very respectful 42 points from 51 games in a struggling Djurgården side.

I find this somewhat strange as the team has more forwards than enough, and what is really need is an outright center. He's not a bad player by any means, but the money could be spent much better. Anger is also rumoured to go to Switzerland.

Update: False Alarm! Timrå confirms Anger is leaving the club. In a statement issued they say he is leaving for a Swiss club.

Source: http://www.hockeykanalen.se/1.1392214/2009/12/13/timra_bekraftar_anger_lamnar_klubben

Update 2: He has now officially been named in the Basle squad

Elitserien to get NHL sized rinks?

The Swedish Hockey League and the directors of the top clubs in Sweden yesterday discussed the possibility of changing the rink size from the current Olympic size (30m x 60m) to NHL sized rinks (26m x 61m). There has been sporadic calls for this for a long time, and they are now taking it up for debate and looking at the costs involved in changing the rinks. They are also keeping the option open of having an in-between sized rink of 28m x 60m that (as far as I'm aware) is used by some teams in Finland.

This is a reaction of the dropping popularity of Elitserien, the top Swedish league (also known as SEL). I assume the hockey league are desperate to get people back into the arenas and have now listened to the people who advocate the NHL sized rink as the solution to all the ills and problems of man-kind. From personal experience I think it is generally the sports fans who prefer to watch hockey from the comfort of their armchair who are the most vocal supporters of this. The have watched a few NHL games and are astonished with the speed in which the games are played. Of course, as armchair supporters that tend to watch the Stanley Cup semis or the final games when teams are giving it their all. Personally I am not a great fan of NHL - mainly due to the style of play which is forced due to the smaller rink. Dump'n'Chase is not my idea of entertainment. Nor is eating popcorn while watching a game.

Another important aspect they forget when considering this is the quality of the players. SEL is in all respects, a reasonable league, but in comparison to any NHL team, they are mediocre at best. Watching mediocre ice hockey on a small rink leaves you with Dump'n'Chase without the Chase. What's the point? Especially as in the Swedish hockey of today, you're hardly allowed to tackle anyone.

For me, it would diminish the important tactical aspects of the game. With the bigger rink size you have an awful lot more space to direct the play, smaller sized rinks mean there will be very few players who can/will be allowed to hold the puck for long enough to create play. NHL today seems to me to be one or possibly two passes before shooting the puck. The initial shot rarely goes in, but if the gods are smiling at you, the 'keeper will leave a rebound which might be converted. Correct me if I'm wrong

Can't do it, Guv. My Zamboni is way too big!

Even more importantly, would the SEL go through with this, it would most certainly put up another obstacle for and team to get promoted from Hockeyallsvenskan (HA). The cost of converting your rink size would not be a small one. Today you have Leksand and possibly Malmö (with the help of Percy Nilsson) who could afford this.

In fact, I believe they are looking in the wrong direction if they want to create more interest in SEL. Extend the league to 14 teams who play eachother four times in a season. One automatic relegation place, SEL 8-13 play with HA 2-5 in Kvalserien. Make every game count and you'll get people back in the seats. Simple!

Crybaby wants new playmates

Malmö Redhawks has somewhat controversially decided to take disciplinary action against their talisman, Carl Söderberg and suspend him for one game. Last year Malmö had severe financial difficulties and had release all players during the season and fill the vacant spots with youth players. Redhawks hence became known as Babyhawks. One of their [supposedly] better players, Carl Söderberg, took the noble decision not to abandon ship (it is however well known the man behind Malmö, the property developer Percy Nilsson, personally guaranteed his wages and gave him a nice little bonus for staying with the team). Söderberg, who has had an open invitation to come over for a try-out at Boston Bruins but has so far preferred to stay at Redhawks, complained about his line-mates on live TV after the loss against Mora. 'I'd happily have new playmates before the end of January'. Surprise surprise, Mr Crybaby got his wish immediately; Wile Redhawks take on AIK, crybaby gets to play all alone in his sandbox. Who, knows, maybe Imaginary-Morgan and Fantasy-Fred can join him.

Muuuaaahhhhwwwww

He's been known to behave like a  spoilt brat before, but he has set himself new standards with this one. If you'd bother passing any of your team mates every once in a while, you might actually get something done on the ice. Doesn't sound likely tho - does it.

For any Bruins fans out there, don't touch this toss-pot with a barge-pole. He might have a little bit of talent, however, his attitude stinks and he's actually not as good as people make him out to be. He tends to want to overdo things in order make himself look all fancy. This is actually so transparent that every defender in the league know what is going to happen once he gets the puck; He'll take it all the way from defensive zone through to goal himself. Nowadays he rarely gets across the red line. When things don't work, he's moaning and winging like there's no tomorrow. If the team wins, you'll know who's the one to stand in front of the cameras polishing his ego. The future of Swedish ice hockey? Another could-have-been more likely.

First of the '82s returning

Leskands IF has just signed one of their lost boys of the 1982 class. Daniel Hermansson returns after being released by Brynas. The signing itself may not be a remarkable one, but it is a reminder of what the total imbecile of a Sporting Director, the former Leksand and Sweden star Anders 'Masken' Carlsson, did to the club during his reign. This is of course not mentioning what he did outside (and possibly inside) the board room...

Sign that Russian whatewverhisnameis - his wife is well fit!

It was really simple, the man spent millions on buying foreign players he'd never seem - who apparently came well recommended by their agents. He spent so much money savings had to be made elsewhere, and in his wisdom the first thing to go was the academy. At the time of his appointment, Leksand had one of the best academies in the country. Not only did he close this, he released the promising home grown players we had at the time (all born in '82) saying they were not good enough although they had taken Leksand U20 to the Swedish Final a couple of years earlier - this while signing players that no one had ever heard of before or since. Fans now hope Daniel Hermansson is the first of many from this cull to come back. Realistically not many will (why return to a club that never believed in them?), at least not when the club is finding themselves in the second tier of Swedish ice hockey.

Players from this year includes Lars Jonsson, Daniel Widing, Pontus Petterström and Jonas Nordquist among others.

It's hockey, not cycling!

Anyone following Hockeallsvenskan might be excused for getting confused as to what is actually going on. Since the opening day of the season, no team has really stood out or pulled away from the pack. Instead, teams seem to behave like Tour de France cyclists; 'I don't want to lead the pack - someone else take over'. Yesterday was another of many minor or major upsets during the season; Växjö Lakers lost away to Almtuna. Maybe the result itself is not a major upset looking at it from the outside, but seeing that Växjö is the in-form team, and Almtuna has not done many things right lately you would at least have expected a tight game. The Lakers didn't even score. 4-0.

That's the story of the season so far. Last week  Malmö Redhawks lost against relegation candidates Troja/Ljungby - at home and Sundsvall beat AIK. Leksand are scraping by by winning games with the odd goal or at least taking it to extra time. That seems to be enough at the moment. But a reality check for all teams involved; Playing like this you'd all be fucked when Kvalserien starts. Any team from Hockeyallsvenskan would be undeserving of even getting a point in the qualification league the way things look now.

Salo dropped it!

The next coach has fallen victim of the cut-throat life in Hoackeyallsvenskan. This time around it is Tommy Salo, yes - the goalkeeper from the Sweden v Belarus game. For those of you who has forgotten, he was actually a fantastic keeper apart from that  infamous non-save.

'We can still turn it around. Just flip it in from the half-way line.'

He leaves the hot seat at Oskarshamn, who - not surprisingly - finds themselves at the bottom of the pile. The Director of Sport, Dag Larsson, also leaves his position. I hope Salo continues as I have a sneaky feeling he might just become a very good coach. Or then again, he might not. Note how I covered both posts in one go - just a Salo himself used to do in the day...