Pre-season starts in Leksand

After what seems as a short summer break, the hockey season is once again upon us with pre-season games getting under way across Sweden. Leksand is taking on Lillehammer of Norway this evening and the game can  be seen on Conny's TV with a 6pm (CET) start. Norway? Bah! Well, in all fairness it would most likely beat the Sweden v Scotland football friendly hands down in terms of entertainment value. Pesonen v Zlatan... Kollar v Svensson... I don't really need to say more, now do I?

The elusive promotion

From one of my all time favourite shows, The Smoking Room. The similarities between Barry and Leksand are striking.

Step 1: Compete

I have made a plan of how to regain top league status - if it is followed we can't fail! And today there is cause for celebration as Step 1 in my plan has just been achieved; Leif Stromberg has been removed from the dressing room with all his belongings. Now we're talking! Great move by the board room. Now they just need to observe the rest of my action plan and we're sorted!

• Sack LS
• Hire good coach who promotes all out attacking hockey - I want my 10-2 results back!
• Get rid of some dead wood from the team - some are in dire need of a change of environment.
• Move up the best players from the juniors and give ice time to those behind
• Bring back players such as Ritola and Hedberg who might well want to put the jersey on again.
• Win games
• Have fun and eat your greens
• Qualify for KS
• Qualify for ES

Dead simple. I should be general manager, at least!

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.

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.

Charity Starts at Home

Leif Strömberg and Leksand really has taken the old proverbial 'Charity starts at home' to heart. On evidence of last night, Chairty now starts in Ejendals.

It must feel good to be so good.

What's in a Kiss?

What's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just a moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.
What's in a dream
Is it all the things you'd like to have been
All the places that you haven't yet seen
Tell me what's in a dream.
I know it's really rather stupid of me
But I honestly don't know
Every time I try to find a solution
I'm surprised at how quickly I become so slow.
What's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just one moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.

And any time you need a light refreshment
Baby you can count on me
I am your very own delicatessen
Well equipped to supply you with your every need.
Well what's in a kiss
Have you ever wondered just what it is
More perhaps than just one moment of bliss
Tell me what's in a kiss.

Gilbert O'Sullivan

Correct answer: 10 minutes in the cooling box

Lovebirds

Note: After Pelle Prestberg scored, he threw a kiss towards his old coach, Roger Melin, now in AIK. The referee(s) assumed it was aimed at the AIK bench and the forward was sent to rest for 10 minutes. Melin acknowledged after the game that there was part of ongoing banter between the two of them and that there was no malicious intent.

Cursing the... game...

Leksand beat AIK in a very tight game 6-5 in a highly anticipated battle between the two top teams of the second tier in Swedish ice hockey. None of the teams on display would, by the evidence of tonight's game, deserve a place in the top league (OK, the bottom is fairly crap in the Swedish Elite League, Elitserien, but would still be having a good time against these two sides).

Ok, your teams are worse than my outfit. So, shut up.

[The section below has been rewritten the morning after the game. Must learn not to drink and blog]

There has been talk of the Curse of AIK with Leksand only beating their counterparts twice over the last couple of seasons. Despite the win, it would be stretching it to say the ghost was completely exorcised - but at least for the time being the bragging rights are held at the southern shores of lake Siljan.

Notable is that seven of the eleven goals came in powerplay (5 for LIF, 2 for AIK). A lethal powerplay is today very important to win games, but equally important is to have a solid boxplay - take note Melin! On the other hand, there is now just over a month for LIF coach Strömberg to get the 5-on-5 play working, starting with play in defensive zone and how to pass a puck. Both outfits will indeed have their next few practice sessions planned out.

There were however some very good individual displays yesterday. On his evidence of his performance, Christian Sandberg, should be able to walk into any team - at least you're welcome back to Dalarna on a more permanent basis. Tony Virta/Jussi Pesonen has started showing why they were brought in and should prove valuable for the team in the coming two months..

On the Solna Sunset

The demise of AIK is continuing, now more apparent on the rink as well as through the news coming from the boardroom. Leksand is hosting the club tonight and it is not unlikely we will see them cash in their third consecutive loss. The recent results mean they find themselves dragged into the battle to avoid the play off games to qualify for Kvalserien. With Malmö showing superb form - 8 straight wins recorded - and both Växjö Lakers and Almtuna breathing down their necks, AIK will have to regain their composure to ensure an automatic qualification spot.

False advertising - it's always cloudy in Solna

Personally I think they will struggle. It must be hard to play in the environment created by the off-ice issues at the club. When the board states the club is unlikely to survive unless they are allowed to play in KHL next season, there are more then a few implications for the players. If you're not even good enough to play in the Swedish top league, how could you cut it in KHL? If the club is denied the move, you're most likely either having you pay cut and/or having to find yourself a new club. Talk about job-satisfaction being on an all-time high!

On top of this, you have the continuing problem of empty seats at their home games. Over the last few games, the average attendance has dropped to under 2000. This is of course not only adding to the already severe economical problems, but obviously unhelpful for the players. Are the fans already looking east, or have they just given up? This is a major problem for the club, and has been for some years. With people going to the games, sponsors would be happy to splash the money and AIK would arguably not be in the position they find themselves today. 

It is truly a sad statement made by the fans [sic.] as you see their football team playing a pre-pre season friendly in front of almost 4000. Outside. In early February. Winter. This, while the hockey section is struggling for survival.

Fuck me!

Västerås cutting costs

Västerås IK has seemingly started cutting costs as the team looks unlikely to qualify for the play-offs. VIK is currently 17 points off the all important 7th position, and with only 14 games left of the league, a miracle would be needed to grab a play-off spot. This has become a season to quickly forget as the team was aiming for a top three position. They have now released Carl Corazzini who only got eight games in the black and yellow jersey and somewhat disappointingly only scored one goal. Their other North American player, Christian Larivee remains with the team, at least for the time being.

...and don't come back!

Timo Leionen, who was expected to be the first choice goalkeeper in Leksand also seem destined to be shown the door. Canadian netminder Tom Lawson has been signed from KHL outfit Sibir Novisibirsk as a backup for Joacim Eriksson. This means the team has now filled the quota of two non-EU players.

Has Mora got the nerve?

It is one again time for the battle of Siljan. Mora is visiting Leksand, not only casing a automatic qualification spot  for Kvalserien, but also to win this prestigious derby. After being the in-form team, with only two losses in 15 games, Harald Lückner's men have recently started stuttering. Two defeats on the trot has put them three points behind the all important third place.

A win at Ejendals Arena would certainly get them back on track again.

The stats are however against the guests; in the last ten visits, there has only been three wins recorded. Although the last outing in Leksand, earlier this season, ended in a resounding 6-2 win for the team from the northern shores. And when it comes to these derbies, you might as well just chuck your stat books out the window and enjoy the game. A fierce competition is not only expected, but a given when these two teams meet.

 'Pardon me Sir. I am terribly sorry for bumping in to you like that.'

The first game Leksand ever played as a club was actually against Mora. MIK had a successful team and agreed to play against this newly formed Leksand outfit. After three periods, the result was 8-0 to LIF and the Mora players, not wanting to be embarrassed by these newcomers, asked if they could play a fourth period so they could reduce the defeat. This was agreed to and the game continued. At 11-0, the game was finally abandoned.

The rivalry has continued during they years and a sell out crowd is expected in Leksand for tomorrow's game.

Big night in Stockholm

Tonight is a big night in the Swedish capital. I know the national opera is putting on The Barber of Seville, but it's not the reason for the importance of this evening. Nor is it the much awaited appearance of Brit post-punk band The XX. It's not even the much acclaimed exhibition of Pre Revolutionary Film Poster Art in Iran that is setting the capital alight. Strangely enough it is the visit of a mediocre hockey team from the deep forests of Dalarna that is making people leave the comfort of their sofas in Stockholm, this city of cities - centre of the known Universe and epicentre of Culture and Refinement etc etc.

Missed the Film? Don't worry - the poster is better.

Johanneshov is once again going to have a bumper crowd. when Leksand comes to visit. This will bring much needed money into the coffers of AIK - and if the tradition from the last couple of years is to be upheld, three points to the team. One can only wonder why AIK only manages to be 8th(!) in the attendance table when the team is challenging for a place in the top league. It is rather shameful when you see Bofors drawing bigger crowds than AIK.

The Solna outfit has this year a disappointing attendance average of 2.343. The biggest game of the year so far has been the earlier game versus Leksand where 6.028 came to watch. Compare this to 1.036 (Oskarshamn) and 1.054 (Almtuna) which are their lowest figures, you see this is in fact an important night in Stockholm.

Reasons listed for not going to watch the games has been as many as the empty seats in section A3. The most prevalent being '...but there is sooo much to do in Stockholm.' Yes, of course, you can't miss the exhilarating 'Tvättstugan' exhibition or go to see 'Kimono Fusion' to learn about the changing role of this important traditional Japanese costume. With this as competition and with a catchment area covering only an aproximate amount of 1.5 million people, you can see the struggle faced by 'We are everywhere'-AIK.

Seconds after this shot, the crowd went completely mental as AIK scored.

I sadly can't join them, but will once again be seated in front of the computer, spending money on a shit broadcast, listening to some overrated once-managed-to-hit-a-puck expert while watching two - at the best - mediocre teams. But then again, there isn't too much else to do in London tonight.

Tony Virta - the missing playmaker?

So Leksand has signed veteran forward Tony Virta from HPK. As this blog has been hoping, a center has finally been acquired. However, is Tony Virta, a 37 year old Finn, with a chequered history the right solution? And if I understand it correctly, he prefers to play on the wings even though he is capable of playing in the middle. As always, we'll have to wait and see. Of course it is not a long term solution, and when looking at his stats, you can at least see he's had a good season in SM liiga with 18 points from 34 games (14 assists) - not sensational but still not bad, not at least considering HPK is 10th. He's second in the internal +/- table with a respectable +8 and is also second in the team in regards to ice time per game, which is an average of 17:30. Not too bad for a vintage player.

I hope he has a sensitive wrist and can at least cover a small part of the massive gap left by the departure of Challe Karlberg and Kevin Doell.

The 'new' #15.

What is good is that LIF has actually had scouts watching this player (we have signed players purely on 'recommendations' before). Hopefully this means he won't be another Grosek or Golubovsky...

To shoot or not to shoot - that is the question

I'm back after a well needed break. Not that anyone actually missed me or anything.

I've been taking a look at the stats of the league leaders, Leksands IF. When studying them closer, one or two things stand out - such as their league position.

My biggest gripe with how the team is playing is quickly revealed in the stats; Leksand used to be an attacking team - not any more. From the 33 games played so far this season, LIF has only shot more than their opponents have in 8(!) games. Considering the team has won 23 of these games, I guess there are no grounds for complaints. Feck off - I'm about to get started! I think you can safely say that there can't be many teams that has shot less and won more. Jocke Eriksson has been the difference in most of these games. Now his stats are impressive.

Bloody show-off!

So what's the problem? Well, for starters, Leksand has got a wage bill most likely 50% higher than any of the opponents in Allsvenskan. Some players might not be worth all that money, but there is still enough quality in the team to dominate most of the opponents. It's not like Leksand supporters are alone in thinking they'd rather pay to watch a good game of hockey with some attacking flair rather than seeing good players being restricted to the degree where they are being glued to their own blue line by the coach. Ok, our players are not the best in the world, but I have a sneaky feeling Strömberg would give the same orders to Ovechkin. That man hates hockey and I'd like to see him given a life ban from Ejendals Arena.

At least Almtuna has figured out how to deal with his negative tactics. Good on them (record so far: GP: 3, W: 2, L: 1, GD: 8-3, SoG: 111-54). The problem is I think we'll be just as exposed in Kvalserien as well. In that competition it is not advisable to let the opponents have 40 odd shots on target. Not that I think we'll be able to change that aspect of our game with that man still in charge.

Needless to say, I'll happily be proven wrong on any of the points made above.

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.

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

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.

What the fuck is going on???

So the latest news regarding the Russian take-over of Swedish/European ice hockey has now broken: Malmö and Leksand has been approached by KHL as well - not a concrete offer to join as such, but looking into fan-base, arenas and other infrastructure. Bertil Daniels, chairman of Leksand, is leaving his options open. 'We'll follow what happens and take it from there'.

Don't let them cross the Dnepr!

This stinks of KHL's desperation to broaden it's catchment area. And it also shows that the Swedish hockey association has failed completely over the last few years. They have let themselves been controlled by the 'big' teams, led by Färjestad and Hakan Loob who has had no other interests at heart but their own. In essence the top league has all but been closed for promotion/relegation, money is not filtered down through the system and top clubs can freely 'steal' any promising youngsters from teams below without having to pay any/much compensation.

Had the system been working in Sweden, the KHL would not be an option (and should really still not be), but it seems frustration with the current set up is luring clubs to look elsewhere. Hopefully this can act as a wake-up call for the association to get their thumb out of their arse and do something about the situation.

Legend retires

As many people had feared, veteran defender Janne Huokko, 35, has been forced to retire due to ongoing knee problems. As a modern legend in Leksand, having played no less than 522 games in Elitserien, 151 in Allsvenskan as well as international games, he will be thoroughly missed by hockey-lovers. With a solid CV (including a WC bronze in 1999), he still holds the all time Elitserien records of goals in a season for a defender (21) as well as most goals scored in a game by a defender (4) .

Thanks for everything and hope to see you around in Ejendals Arena.

Not convinced by Strömberg

Leksand are continuing to struggle well. Another loss following a full time draw, this time against lowly Troja Ljungby, sees them drop to fourth in the table.

New coach Leif Strömberg was supposedly the 'signing of the season' for Leksand as far as some journalists were concerned. I was unsure, and I still am. Strömberg has a proven track record with guiding Södertälje through the qualification league to the top division, Kvalserien, something that Leksand, despite total domination, has failed to do the last few seasons. Strömberg was brought in to ensure Leksand can do it when it counts. They should have the players capable of taking the team up and now with a coach knowing what is demanded for the last step, surely this should be a walk in the park? No, not really - it is ice-hockey after all. In fact, even though the team finds themselves in the fourth position they have only really played to their potential twice this season, at home against Växjö Lakers and against Malmö Redhawks (both are now above them in the table). The rest of the games played have always left something to wish for. For a team with promotion ambitions, the away form is less than impressive (only two wins of seven possible). Following the loss against Toja, Strömberg was quoted saying 'Our problem is not scoring, it would be different if we didn't play well.'. The man needs to have his eyes checked! Troja recorded 41 shots on goal, Leksand 27. There are similar figures in most games. Goaltender Joacim Eriksson is usually the reason Leksand avoids losing in full time.

Is that where the door is?

If Strömberg is so deluded he cannot see the problems in Leksand is not the inability to score, but the inability to defend and build play he is certainly not the man for the job. I am not completely discarding him, but I believe the style of hockey he represents are the opposite to what Leksand as a club has been representing and what the fans come to watch. Maybe it's a sign of the supposed loser mentality that has come to set in the brickwork at Ejendals Arena, but I'd rather watch them lose a game and see the team play flowing, attacking hockey than to win by trying bore the opposition to death. Strömberg represents the latter of the two, whereas LIF has always been advocating the former. If we are now combining the worst of the two worlds I think the weathered crowd will consider staying in rather than pay to watch a negative team lose. This would be a massive blow for the club that might have disastrous implications.