Taking it Down a Notch or Two...

Remaining in the same geographical place, we're going from one end of the cultural spectrum to, maybe not the other but rather to another end, we find Kompisarnas Kapell. They have made a few brilliant songs, including this one. For today my friends!

Longing for Home

Hours before yet again facing the final few battles, I am trying to take a step away from the situation and detatch myself emotionally from this essentially inane thing that is labelled sport. I wonder why these emotional bonds you have for a team are seemingly as strong as or even stonger than bonds you have forged with friends or even family - especially as there is very little feedback/return from your object of affection.

This irrational feeling is a constant. It is transcending class and personal preferences/opinions and it bonds people together from all different walks of life. It seems as if it is as strong as the connection you have to the place you call home, the place where you feel you have your roots. Then it strikes me, it's not a deliberate choice you have made, this connection is there whether you like it or not. Some people just decide not to tap into this as much as others. So our opponents are in fact our brothers, we share more than we care to admit. This is why they deserve our respect and admiration. That we put ourselves in a position where the majority will be left unhappy is just the way we have chosen to live - I for one am used to the constant suffering, possibly even addicted to it by now.

In all this, I recall a poem by Dan Andersson, (aptly from my home town) sadly enough I can't seem to find a translation. That he was killed by those pesky people in Stockholm I hope is in no way  an omen of what is  about to begin... For those of you who prefer music than poetry; this is definitely a blues track that is shouting out for someone to sing it!

   
   Jag är trött, jag är led på fabriken,
   jag vill hem till jordhöljt bo,
   till min koja vid Blodstensmyren,
   i de gröna gömmenas ro.
   Jag vill leva på bröd och vatten,
   om jag endast strax får byta
   allt gasljus och larm mot natten
   där timmarna tysta flyta.

   Jag vill hem till dalen vid Pajso,
   till det gräsiga kärret vid So,
   där skogarna murgrönsmörka
   stå i ring kring mossig mo,
   där starrgräs i ånga växer
   vid källor som aldrig sina
   och där växter väva i jorden
   sina rötter silkesfina.

   Jag vill hem till dalen vid Kango
   där ljungen står brinnande röd
   som ett trots i flammande lågor
   framför höstens hotande död -
   där fjärilar, färggrant glada
   på mjöliga vingar sväva
   och tunga, sjungande humlor
   i den svällande myllan gräva.

   Jag vill hem till det fattiga folket
   som svettas i somrarnas glöd,
   som vakar i bittra nätter
   i envig mot köld och nöd. -
   Jag vill dit där molnen gå tunga
   under skyn där stjärnor skina,
   och där obygdsforsarna sjunga
   i takt med visorna mina.

                               Hemlängtan, Dan Andersson

First Round

Almtuna took out one of the pre season favourites as they knocked out Malmö in the decisive play off game yesterday. The home team took a comfortable victory leaving the Redhawks facing yet another season in Allsvenskan. The first round in Kvalserien therefore looks like this.

Almtuna IS -  Leksands IF

Leksand has had problems with Almtuna throughout the season and has only managed to score once in Gränbyhallen. The games has all been home wins with Almtuna's victories being 5-0 and 3-1. Leksand will have to be on their toes and look to cancel out the attacking threat posed by quick players like Robert Kimby and Jimmie Kraft as Almtuna are lethal on the break. AIS does not spend many minutes in the sin bin and will have to be ground down in 5-on-5 play. Letting the hosts take the lead is usually not recommended as they are incredibly good at keeping hold of the puck and frustrating their opponents. Leksand on the other hand are good at containing teams and will not be exposing themselves in the same way Malmö did. This might not suit AIS and they will be forced to play a different type of hockey than what they have done in the play offs, and as far as I know, Almtuna only knows how to play hockey one way. In this game the first goal will be incredibly important. AIS seem to be in form and should be held as favourites to win on home ice. Leksand with two weeks without competitive games will have to get up to speed quickly. However, Almtuna has played three games in the last week and might their stamina will be tested.

Tip: 3-4 after penalties

Great defending!

Rögle BK - Södertälje SK

The two teams from Elitserien battle it out immediately. Rögle is arguably the weaker side of the two and, according to the experts, the side that could possibly be replaced in the top flight by one of the former AS teams. The home advantage is important and Rögle is renowned for being difficult to beat in Ängelholm - however, the pressure will be on to make it count. Södertälje has welcomed back captain and top scorer Linus Klasen from injury and will be going into this game with nothing to lose. A point would be a bonus and the team can play without pressure.

Tip: 2-3


Växjö Lakers - AIK

Växjö has beaten AIK three out of four times this season and being undefeated by AIK at home, they will be hoping the trend will continue. Key man in AIK will be Cristopher Heino-Lindberg - if he has a good day, he can stop any team on his own. AIK is notoriously difficult to figure out and they are renowned for blowing hot and cold, especially on their trips. However, if I were to be a betting man, I'd go for a home win as I think the consistency of Växjö will prevail. Also, it promises to be an interesting post-game match up between coaches Janne Karlsson (VL) and Roger Melin (AIK). Janne Karlsson is certain to be the winner in this one.

Tip: 4-2

Nordström Out. Malmö to Follow?

Leksand's Peter Nordström has been ruled out of participation in Kvalserien due to a ligament problem. The 35 year old was taken off the ice in the last game of the season and after tests the Swedish champion of yesteryear has been told he most likely won't be able to play for the rest of the campaign. 'I'm unable to skate in one direction, and when I fall over it feels as if my foot is breaking off. I have torn a ligament and I'm not entirely sure how long it takes to heal. There won't be any games in the near future, but I hope to be lucky enough to make it back in the later stages of the competition.' he tells Aftonbladet.

 Broken

In the play off for the last spot in KS, Almtuna has levelled the series to one game each. The Uppsala outfit lost a hard fought battle in Malmö with the odd goal after Malmö's Robin Weihager scored the decider in the last period while short handed. Ouch! Yesterday, on home ice, Almtuna won with a more comfortable margin of 4-1. All is however still to play for as the two teams battle it out in the decider tonight at 7PM CET in what promises to be an exciting game. If anyone want's to see it for free, contact me and I might be able to provide a link.

Kvalserien - Now at a Computer Near You

For once the Gods are smiling at me. Visasatondemand is running an offer on all packages (films, entertainment, documentaries and most importantly sports). The package concerns their web broadcasts and will include the live matches from Kvalserien. The official schedule is yet to be released so it is impossible to say what games will be included, but it will be at least two or possibly all games in every round available on their web service. For SEK99 you can now get this for a period of one month, and as KS only runs until April 10, all rounds are now covered.  Considering one game retails at SEK79, this is quite a bargain. You can cancel the service at any time during the first month and not be charged for a second month.

Of course, the service is geographically limited to Sweden due to broadcasting rights. If anyone abroad would be interested in this service I can give a few pointers in how to go about circumventing the geographical IP block. Note that I am in no way endorsing breaching the terms and conditions, merely presenting a technical weakness in their system. But why they are so protective about second tier Swedish ice hockey could be anyone's guess. We only export IKEA, Abba and Volvo - the interesting stuff we keep for ourselves! It sounds like a both likely and valid reason...

Morals? No Thank You, my name is Loob

Håkan Loob and Färjestad BK has once again shown their true face. And it's ugly! One year ago, their goalkeeper, Jonas 'the Monster' Gustavsson was being scouted by various NHL clubs during the play-offs in Elitserien. A furious Håkan Loob went to the media and complained about the distraction caused by the scouts. He called for tighter regulation in terms of North American teams scouting and approaching European players.

This is fair enough and I agree with him for once. There should be stricter regulations that state a club can only approach a player through his contracted club - not talk to him behind their back or  without their approval until the contract is up. This is in place in other sports such as football and even though it is not  in any way a guarantee it will not happen anyway, several big clubs have been convicted for illegal approaches and fined. substantial sums At least they have restrictions in place and they are being enforced.

It looks and behaves like a Penis... but it's got ears...???

Loob apparently forgot to call for similar regulations to be implemented within Sweden, for Swedish clubs approaching players. How odd! No, not really... You might understand better why if I tell you that they at the same time had come/were coming to a verbal agreement with Timrå IK center Johan Andersson although still under contract at Timrå.

Färjestad is the richest club in Sweden and they get whoever whenever they want. And rules are usually just in the way for rich spoilt brats. As they, together with the other Elitserien clubs, decide the rules through Hockeyligan who tells a very weak Swedish Hockey Association what to do, I doubt we'll see any rules like those mentioned implemented.

No too surprisingly, the two faced gutter-spunk from Värmland is now at it again. Leksand's goaltender Joacim Eriksson has been approached by FBK. That it might cause a distraction with the decisive part of the season coming up, is obviously not a problem. At least not for Färjestad. But surely Loob, just back from reporting on what is best for the future of Swedish ice hockey, now has the interest of Swedish hockey at heart and would call for stricter regulations. In fact, I bet you he's on the phone to all the major sports editors as I type this. I'll be waiting in anticipation for tomorrow's papers...

The Anguish of Living Abroad

Every year at the start of the hockey season, I find it difficult to come to terms with living abroad. As the season gets under way this only tends to get worse, and by the time of Kvalserien it has become outright painful. This season has been the worst of them all so far. The main reason I believe is that the TV rights have passed over to Viasat - none of the London pubs have access to Swedish viasat, so I have been forced to watch games on the internet. se24 is working for us foreigners, but viasatondemand is not, due to broadcasting rights. I have however found a way around this after spending hours searching for any way to get around the checks done - if you'd need to know how, please contact me.

Another reason for my anguish is that Leksand has been playing such bad ice hockey it has been painful to watch.

Obviously I head back to my old hunting grounds every once in a while, and when doing so I specifically pick dates in order to fit in as many hockey games as possible. This year I managed to get my dose away at Bofors and at home against Borås. Woooo-fucking-hooo! Honestly, we must get back up to Elitserien. I imagine the agony I feel by living here is matched by the agony people feel living at home and having to face these games every week. No disrespect meant for our opponents, but I don't feel we belong here.

Now, with Kvalserien just about coming up, I've had to dip into the funds and make an investment in order to dampen this agony a little bit. I have bought a device that will enable me to watch the games on a TV whereas it's actually on the computer. I know this is nothing new, but as my laptop is not having a s-video/video out and I only possess an old 'normal CRT TV, I've had to find this thingeemajhiggi. I bet it's rubbish, but at least I can feel a little bit more normal screaming at the TV rather than at a small laptop in the corner.

Save me!

Other than that, my jersey is washed, the beer is on the cooling and I have the dosh to splash out on a couple of bottles of bubbly should that be needed. What else have I forgotten?

The Beauty of the Internet

Pimp it up for Kvalserien by getting your persona for Firefox here.

Agony Time!

Now the final puck has been put in the back of the net in HockeyAllsvenskan for this season. Leksand finishes top for the third time running, AIK is second for the second consecutive season and Växjö pipped Almtuna to the all important third spot. Almtuna, to the surprise of some people, chose Mora as their opponents in the first round of the play-off. I think it is, without a doubt, the right choice to make. Mora is in their worst form of the season, having only won 6 games of their last 19. In the meetings between the two opponents, scores are even with each team having won twice. Notable is that all wins have been on home ice.

That means Malmö is left to take on Bofors, where maybe a bit surprisingly Bofors has the upper hand in the meetings between the two. The Bobcats won the last encounter as recently as on  February 17 at Malmö Arena to take the aggregate score to three wins for Bofors whereas Malmö has only managed one win against their play off opponents this season. This makes it a very possible scenario to have a Almtuna v Bofors play off final.

At the other end of the table we see that Björklöven managed to avoid an embarrassing qualification to retain their status as a team in Allsvenskan as they destroyed Mora 5-1 on home ice. Sundsvall and Oskarshamn will fight against the drop to division 1.

Kvalserien to Elitserien does look like many predicted, with Rögle and Södertälje again joining from above and Leksand, AIK and Växjö + one of the play off teams fighting it out for the two promotion spots. The only difference from last year is that Västerås will be replaced - apart from that KS will look the same.

The talismanic Södertälje captain Linus Klasen is however racing to get back from injury sustained in the game against Skellefteå, A SSK without him is a much less daunting prospect for their opponents than one with him. The estimated healing time for his hand injury is 2-8 weeks. In the worst case scenario he might miss the whole of KS. It would really be a shame if a man with his talents will be out of action, but opposing goalkeepers and defenders will undoubtedly let out a sigh of relief. Watch the clip below if you do not know about his qualities.

But for fans of the already qualified clubs, two weeks of pure agony is now awaiting. Men and women around the country will only exist in this parallel reality with nothing but stats, tactic and possible line changes. I will know all opponents and their tactics - I will be able to repeat the names of the pets of the players playing in Rögle's 4-on-3 third line, and I will know what Roger Melin ate for breakfast. Youtube will stuggle to cope with the workload from KS team clips that will be loaded, reloaded and played at all hours of the day. Families will be deprived of any sensible discussion that does not regard hockey and there will be many sleepless nights and uneaten plates of food. Every player, members of staff and journey-plans by your team will be scrutinised. The logic usually applied to your thinking till become scewed and ridiculously complex. Some people will most likely come to the conclusion that the third goalkeeper is the natural player to be on the left in the checking line - and this has been reasoned with the apparent logic of a mad man. And I will not deny that it is true; I and many with me will become mad men/women for these two weeks. And that's for these two weeks running up to Kvalserien. Then it gets worse.

When Sports Take the Back Seat

It is now getting rather tiresome this talk of internationalisation of the Swedish ice hockey. The human incarnation of the Devil, Håkan Loob, has now come out to say he will step down from the Medvedev/Gazprom/KHL sponsored committee that is looking into the different options for 'The Future of Swedish Ice Hockey'.

Nice looking chap that Loob

Apparently, they are no longer looking into expatriating the 'top' (read 'economically most successful' or 'potentially economically most successful') Swedish teams into KHL. There has been a change of heart. Why one could ask, but the answer is so blatantly clear it would be a waste of energy to do so; People would not be interested to watch this. In itself, that would not be a problem for Loob and his cronies, but apparently the sponsors and the TV channels would not be as interested to splash the cash if that would be the case.

The latest configuration being looked at is branded EHL. Now, according to Loob, it would be based in Sweden. This would of course make Swedish fans happy; We want international hockey, but fuck having to travel to watch the games. The league would like the NHL be a closed one - entry through application only! Now this is more like it. Loob has always been an advocate for a closed system. Apparently it is too big a risk for a club (or 'profit making limited company' as he most likely would call it) to be relegated. This is of course true (I know, I'm a Leksand fan) - but much more so since he and his cohorts have made the distribution of money in the existing Swedish league so massively scewed that it is near enough impossible for the to HockayAllsvenska teams to compete even with the bottom ones in Elitserien. And this economic apartheid is allowed to grow even more year on year. The difference in TV money alone is next year going to be in the region of SEK 28-29 million - approximately the cost of two average HA squads. On top of that you can add the difference in sponsorship, gate income etc etc. Having said this, promotion and relegation is a cornerstone of any European sport. They did close the Finnish league a few years back, this was quickly revoked as it proved unpopular with the crowds. But the effect of the closed system was interesting, some teams actually took 'sabbaticals' with playing the youth team one season in order to amass enough money to buy all the best players and win the league following. Well, why not? Surely better than mid-table mediocrity year after year

Back to the EHL... Any applicants approved to join have to show a sound organisation and economical environment Again, the sporting aspect is of no or very little relevance. Its is all about the money, and they don't even try to pretend otherwise anymore. Those who are under the impression it's not really have to go and check that their cognitive functions are still intact.

 The Future of Hockey - I'll give you £50 if you can spot the puck.

Teams are then supposed to play 60% of the games against domestic opposition, 20% against Nordic opposition and 20% against European opposition. I don't think it's too jumping to conclusions too much if I assume it will, like the NHL, be different conferences with KHL being one of those. Let's assume KHL, (mainly consisting of teams from the old Soviet states, just as now), a Nordic one (Sweden and Finland + potential teams from Norway and Denmark - not that they'd be good enough, but did I by chance mention it is not from the sporting aspect these teams are chosen? Copenhagen and Oslo are however good potential 'markets') and finally one Central European (Czech, Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland). This, I guess, makes sense. But to get a 60-20-20 configuration in this system, the conferences will have to have smaller conferences within them and the system will at the best become near enough impossible to grasp. But then again - it is about the dosh, not the sport!

What saddens me is that there seem to be very little critique of this in Swedish media and the arm-chair fans seem exited about the developments. The proper hockey fans (I mean the ones who actually care and pay the money to watch the games), seem to be more split with some, like me, being very sceptical about what is going on. I don't make any secrets about my feelings regarding Loob and his plans, but I can understand the frustration of the current system. Sadly they forget that him and his mates in Frölunda and Linköping to a great extent were the architects for the developments in this area over the last ten years. Not only did they fuck up the Swedish league, but now they've got the stomach to complain about it and create another league. Am I exited about this prospect? Sure, in the same way as I am exited to find how it feel to masturbate with a cheese grater!

Hmmm...

I am not saying it is wrong to look at a system like this, but unless there are some major adjustments I will not see the latest suggestion as a viable option. First of all, it must be an open league with relegation/promotion from the domestic ones. This is essential and I will not approve of any other system in sport. Secondly, money comes into the sport when you have a well functioning product - you can't create traditions, rivalries and culture. The step looking at being taken opens the path for Franchises and a level of commercialism not seen in European hockey before.  Call me an old stooge or a fuddy-duddy if you wish - I'd be proud to be one!

Well, I'll try and contain myself until the 2012/13 season, when it is supposed to get off the ground, but until the I've got important things such as HockeyAllsvenskan and Kavalserien to keep me on my toes. God forbid that something interesting actually happens on the ice.

Let the Battle Commence

Several big games are coming up before the end of the normal season this coming Sunday, and it all kicks off tonight with a couple of interesting matches. At the top end of the table we see Almtuna hosting Växjö - a game that will most likely play a major factor in the outcome for which team will have to go through play offs to Kvalserien. Växjö supportrs have in fact arranged buses for the game. That they could only fill up a couple of mini-buses is pathetic, not surprising seeing that they are said to be more tight-arsed than the Scots, but at least it is a start.

 

Once again, there will be more players than fans representing the Lakers

AIK take on Mora in the other game concerning the three fighting for two automatic qualification spots. AIK has a good record against Mora at home over the last couple of seasons and will be hoping to take all three points. With Mora severely out of form at the moment, this looks likely, but the players will have to be more focused than they were in the loss against lowly Sundsvall last game. Even more interestingly we have an internal AIK battle to look out for as well. The AIK football team is playing a pre season friendly against Syrianska FC at the same time as the ice hockey is happening. Which team will draw in more people? Sadly enough, I suspect a non-competitive game of football is higher rated than an important hockey game in the Swedish capital. Philestines!

HockeyAllsvenskan - The Good and The Bad

We are reaching the end of the normal season and Hockeyallsvenskan will be divided in qualification leagues at either end of the table. Even though there are still a few games to go with some very important matches to be played, I'll take a look at the surprises and disappointments of the league.

The Biggest Surprises

1. Bofors IK
   The team has really improved over the last few seasons. For first making themselves known as the most boring/negative team in the country who were  only surviving because of the loan players from Färjestad, Bofors has become an attractive team to watch and still being very hard to break down. A fantastic start of the season has bee cancelled out by the inevitable 'blip'. A small squad that is very sensitive to injuries has been their undoing. If they can keep the prominent players in the team for next season and add some width, they will be very strong indeed.
2. Almtuna IS
   Another team that has been working hard, just away from the spotlight of the bigger teams. Jonas Rönnqvist and Bert Robertsson has worked purposefully with the team and have every player and every unit working for each other. And it's working well. Automatic qualification to Kvalserien is a real prossibility.
3. AIK
   Some might be surprised I am putting AIK, who had a fantastic season last year on my surprises list. Well, I disagree - and this page is my universe, so I can do what I want. AIK did have a fantastic season last year, but I suspected they would be exposed  after the great season they had last year. Their success was built on a solid defence but with Dick Tärnström getting one year older (read 'one year slower'),  and their new signings looking distinctly average, I thought their time would be up. I was right. 'Dicken' is one year slower, and the signings have not been as successful as some would have thought. What has happened is that the other team members have stepped up. A lot. Players like Bång, Sandberg and Gynge are now undoubtedly among the best in the division and would arguably be an asset to any team in elitserien. However, I don't think it will be enough to get promoted, especially since the team still mixes great performances with outright embarrassing ones, but in Kvalserien anything can happen.
   
   
   

This is the way to do it Rönnqvist style. Amazingly it seems to work...

...and the disappointments

1. Björklöven
   The club is once again dragged into the relegation battle. The name, the history and the budget is for a team fighting at the other end of the table, but something has gone seriously wrong in Umeå. Should the club manage to stay in Allsvenskan at the end of the season, I expect to see some major changes with more than a few heads rolling. But at the moment that is a big 'should' that needs to be resolved before thinking about anything else.
2. Västerås IK
   Again a club that were not only looking to challenge for Kvalserien, but to get there as a top 3 team. Nothing has been wrong with the budget or the resources - there can really be no excuses for the failure. As the results have improved over the last few weeks, will it be enough to secure coaches Claes Lindbom's and Fredik Nilsson's contract for next year. I seriously doubt it.
3. Leksands IF
   It's hard to argue this case with the club looking at its third consecutive top spot finish in AS, but I think there are some major issues in the club this season compared to before. The team largely consists of a top division squad, but the public has been treated to division 3 hockey. The lack of ability to kill off a game and to dominate teams seem odd considering the large budget. Will it be enough to go to Elitserien? Not until they learn to beat teams like Borås anyway.