Hocktoberfest returns

Hocktoberfest, the Elite Ice Hockey League's answer to 20/20 cricket, will return for a second year with a new format after a successful launch last year and the Hull Stingrays will once again participate in the one-day tournament at Sheffield Arena.

Last season the Rays were comprehensively beaten 5-1 at the quarter final stage of the inaugural tournament by eventual champions the Sheffield Steelers in a straight knockout competition which saw all eight EIHL sides compete. 

However, this year just six sides will ice in the tournament on the Monday of the August Bank holiday with Dundee, Braehead, Edinburgh and Newcastle all opting to assemble their squad at a date after the competition.

Therefore, the Stingrays will competing with the leagues five title contenders, Belfast, Cardiff, Coventry, Nottingham and Sheffield, for the crown which the Steelers won with a 3-2 victory over Coventry last October.

This year, the six sides will be split into two groups with each side facing the other two in the opening round before the top two sides meet for the grand final. The usual rules allowing just four players and a netminder on the ice for two 20 minute periods with a running clock will return.

While the timing of the announcement of the tournament could have been made a lot earlier, there is no doubt that the idea of this competition as a pre-season warm up is an excellent one, particularly as the four players on the ice rule will allow the players to blow away the summer cobwebs given the extra space on the ice.

The Stingrays and coach Sylvain Cloutier will enter the single day competition 24 hours after opening their pre-season with a tournament of their own.

The P&O Cup, which has yet to be officially announced but is likely to fall between the Friday and Sunday of August Bank Holiday, is rumoured to see Rays, who were last years winners, face-off once again against the Nottingham Panthers and Dutch side the Tilburg Trappers.

Stingrays lose in quarters to eventual Hocktoberfest champions

The Sheffield Steelers easily beat the Excel Hull Stingrays in the first Quarter Final of the inaugural 20/20 Hocktoberfest before going on to beat the Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze, to take home the first trophy of the season in front of their own fans at the Sheffield Arena.

The Steelers easily knocked out the helpless Stingrays in a 5-1 trouncing in the tournament's first quarter final, in a poor showing from Sylvain Cloutier's men.

In fact, they would have been incredibly fortuitous to come out of just the first period down by those four goals, let alone the single goal that they actually trailed by, as the Steelers well and truely grabbed the early initiative of the new rules, and refused to let go.

Stephen Burns leveled for the Rays, much to the delight of a healthy following from East Yorkshire on 12 minutes, after Brad Cruikshank, who was impressive right throughout the tournament, had given the Steelers a third minute lead.

Dave Matsos' men pushed home their advantage on the ice at end of the first and beginning of the second with four goals breaching Tommy Sandahl, who didn't have the best of games in the Rays net, before the Stingrays finally started to find some semblance of form in the shorter format, albeit with the game already, well and truly, gone.

However, despite late pressure on the Sheffield net, mostly thanks to the Steelers taking their foot off the gas, the Stingrays couldn't beat backup Dan Green, and Sheffield progressed with a convincing 5-1 win.

The Steelers carried on their good form into the semi final by shutting out the Devils three-zip in the semi final. That victory sent them into the grand final against a Coventry side that had convincingly defeated a much fancied Nottingham Panthers, six-nil, in the quarters, before edging the Newcastle Vipers via a shootout in the semi.

The Blaze and Steelers served up one of the more entertaining ties of the day as the Blaze twice took the lead through Dan Carlson and Adam Calder, only to be pegged back on both occasions, thanks to goals from Kevin Bolibruck and Jeff Legue.

The Steelers finally gained some momentum, in an, at times, physical, seventh game of the day at the Sheffield Arena, before Jason Hewitt scored the tournament-winning goal with less than seven minutes left on the clock to take a close 3-2 win and hand the Steelers the first silverware of the season.

Hocktoberfest Preview

Sunday 4th October: Hocktoberfest @ Sheffield Arena, 11am-8pm

Schedule
11am: Sheffield Steelers v Excel Hull Stingrays
12pm: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils
1pm: Edinburgh Capitals v Newcastle Vipers
2pm: Coventry Blaze v Nottingham Panthers
4pm: Semi-Final 1
5pm: Semi Final 2
7pm: Final

Players to Watch
Belfast: Pierre-Luc Faubert (8GP 5+0) Faubert, thought to be a candidate for league MVP during pre-season, has netted an impressive five goals so far this season but, despite his dynamic play, has yet to grab the headlines as expected. As one of the faster players in the league, Hocktoberfest is a chance for the French-Canadian to grab those very headlines.

Cardiff: Jay Latulippe (8GP 2+5) The nippy setup man has had a decent start to the season with a free-scoring Devils side. After bagging 26 goals last year, he will be expected to produce more in a much improved side in the Welsh capital this season. Spearheaded by the Saratoga, New York native, the Devils have a real chance of winning this trophy and getting their season off to a trophy winning start.

Coventry: Adam Calder (7GP 2+7) As one of the league's highest all-time scorers, Calder has got off to a slow start this season, scoring just two goals. Their under reliance on the Canadian is both good and bad. Good in that they have a side deep in scoring talent, that has managed to get it done, bad in the fact they will need him to score, and score plenty, if they are to match Nottingham for the title. In this offence friendly format, Calder will be called upon to make an impact.

Edinburgh: Simon Lambert (3GP 3+4) Thought to be one of the fastest players in the CHL last season, this tournament should suit Lambert down to the ground. Speed aside, he has scored an almighty seven points in the Caps opening three games, two of which have been losses, and his partnership with Owen Fussey will be key if the Caps are to progress in this tournament.

Stingrays: Konstantin Kalmikov (8GP 7+0) One of the purest, most skilled forwards in the league, Kalmikov should shine in this form of the game. In a, so far, poor Stingrays side, the Ukrainian has notched a joint league-leading seven goals in eight games so far this season. With the extra space, and with the Rays back to full strength against a Sheffield side in a certain state of disrepair, he should thrive during Hocktoberfest.

Newcastle: Jason Tejchma (7GP 3+4) Not much has been said of the American away from Tyneside, after the Vipers impressive start to the season. In a real team effort, he and his teammates have spread the point scoring in getting Newcastle into second place in league play, meaning none of them have particularly stood out, instead the team has shone. Following the guide of speed plus skill equals Hocktoberfest success, Tejchma and the disciplined Vipers should excel on Sunday.

Nottingham: Marty Gascon (8GP 0+9) Another speedy player from the CHL, Gascon seems to have more than adequately replaced Dan Tessier at the NIC. Linking up with pure finishers Cameron Mann and Sean McAslan, Gascon has recorded nine assists but has yet to bag his first goal. Don't bet on him going scoreless through Sunday though, this format is ideal for the quick centre.

Sheffield: Jeff Legue (7GP 6+5) Legue is now a known quantity in the Elite League after being part of the Steelers championship winning sides of the past two seasons. This season, however, he has been leading Sheffield almost entirely on his own. In poor form but at home, with the pace and finishing quality of Legue, the Steelers could, for once, be dark horses as opposed to favourites, something which will suit them down to the ground.

Predicted Champions
Nottingham Panthers

Rays drawn against Steelers in Hocktoberfest Quarter Final

The Excel Hull Stingrays have been draw against local rivals the Sheffield Steelers in the first Quarter final of the new Hocktoberfest tournament to be held at Sheffield Arena on Saturday October 4 at 11am.

The draw for the tournament, which will feature all eight Elite League teams in a seven game knockout competition during one day, was featured live tonight on Steelers Hockey, with Sheffield head coach Dave Matsos and Newcastle head coach Rob Wilson picking the teams from a hat.

That draw saw the Rays drawn against their Yorkshire counterparts, and last seasons league and playoff champions, the Sheffield Steelers.

Elsewhere in the draw, the Belfast and Cardiff will fight it out for the right to play the winner of the Stingrays tie, whilst Newcastle and Edinburgh, and Coventry and Nottingham were paired together.

The tournament is a new Elite League initiative, in a similar vein to the 20/20 cricket, which has revitalised the sport with an entertaining take on the traditional game.

In hockey's form, each game will consist of two, forty minute periods, with a running clock, whilst each side will have just four out skaters and a netminder and will also have warm up time restricted to three minutes with just three pucks.

EIHL Hocktoberfest (Saturday 4 October, F/O 11am)
All times estimates

11am: Sheffield Steelers v Excel Hull Stingrays (Game 1)
12pm: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils (Game 2)
1pm: Edinburgh Capitals v Newcastle Vipers (Game 3)
2pm: Coventry Blaze v Nottingham Panthers (Game 4)
3pm: Winner of Game 1 v Winner of Game 2 (Game 5- Semi)
4pm: Winner of Game 3 v Winner of Game 4 (Game 6- Semi)
5pm: Winner of Game 5 v Winner of Game 6 (Game 7- Final)

Hocktoberfest details unveiled

Earlier this week the Elite League announced further, but not all, details of the Hocktoberfest tournament, which will take place on Sunday October 4 at Sheffield Arena.

The tournament, which is seen as hockey's version of cricket's Twenty20 Cup, in as much as it is a shortened, more entertaining form of the game, will feature all eight EIHL sides as they go head to head in a single day, knockout cup competition.

Whilst further details of the day are being held back, it is known that each game will feature two, twenty minute periods with a running clock and that all eight EIHL sides will be drawn into quarter final matchups with the winner going on to the semis and then final.

The event has been received in a largely positive manner by fans, mainly due to the £25 ticket prices, which will allow fans to see seven games in what, league chairman, Eamon Convery calls "a brand new idea for the ice hockey world".

Kicking off at 11am, with doors opening at 10am, the event will incorporate autograph sessions and a whole host of events which will see a festival of hockey hopefully pack the 8,000 capacity Sheffield Arena, with one side being crowned the inaugural EIHL Hocktoberfest champions.

"Hocktoberfest is about bringing all 8 teams to one building for a great fun day, but also to win a trophy and send one set of fans home extra happy," said Convery.

The draw for the quarter finals is set to take place on Friday September 4, live on Steelers Hockey on BBC Radio Sheffield between 7pm and 8pm, whilst it may also be streamed live on the internet.

Tickets went on sale today from Sheffield Arena box office at 9am and are priced at £25 for adults and £20 for concessions.

Further information on the tournament is expected in the next few weeks but early speculation suggests that this will be a big opportunity for the league's smaller teams, such as the Stingrays, to claim their first competitive Elite League silverware.

Stingrays 09/10 fixture list revealed

The Excel Hull Stingrays full 09/10 fixture list has been revealed and the season will see a new look, new attitude Rays play each of their eight Elite Leauge rivals, twice home and twice away, in a 56 game schedule.

The Rays begin their campaign on Sunday September 6 with a home fixture against Belfast before another home fixture six days later against a revamped Newcastle Vipers side.

They will begin their fight for the Challenge Cup with an away fixture in Cardiff the following day and will go on to face Cardiff at home as well as Nottingham and Coventry, home and away.

However a special Elite League rule, announced last week, which allows teams to double up Elite League fixtures and Challenge Cup games to prevent fixture congestion, will see one of the Rays Elite League games in Nottingham doubled up as a cup game.

A favourable run in sees the Rays ice four times on home ice in the final five fixtures of the season, whilst they end the 09/10 Elite League season, their fourth in the top flight, with a replica of last seasons final weekend with games against Cardiff and Edinburgh, home and away respectively.

The Elite League also announced that the long awaited Oktoberfest will take place on Saturday October 4 with a full set of fixtures at Sheffield Arena, much like rugby league's Millennium Magic Weekend.

Check www.hullstingrays.co.uk for official confirmation

SEPTEMBER

06th v Belfast
12th v Newcastle
13th @ Cardiff (Challenge Cup)
19th v Edinburgh
20th @ Coventry (Challenge Cup)
26th @ Cardiff
27th v Nottingham (Challenge Cup)

OCTOBER

3rd v Edinburgh
4th OKTOBERFEST
10th @ Nottingham
11th v Sheffield
17th @ Coventry
18th v Belfast
24th v Coventry (Challenge Cup)
25th @ Edinburgh
31st v Cardiff (Challenge Cup)

NOVEMBER

01st @ Newcastle
07th v Edinburgh
08th @ Coventry
14th v Nottingham
15th v Coventry
21st @ Sheffield
22nd @ Cardiff
29th v Belfast

DECEMBER

03rd @ Belfast
05th v Sheffield
06th @ Edinburgh
13th @ Nottingham
16th v Coventry
19th @ Cardiff
20th v Nottingham
26th @ Edinburgh
27th v Edinburgh

JANUARY 2010

02nd @ Nottingham
03rd v Newcastle
09th @ Newcastle
10th v Nottingham
16th v Coventry
17th @ Coventry
23rd v Belfast
24th @ Sheffield
30th v Cardiff
31st @ Coventry

FEBRUARY

04th @ Belfast
06th v Nottingham
07th v Newcastle
13th v Cardiff
14th @ Cardiff
20th @ Newcastle
21st v Nottingham
27th v Coventry
28th @ Sheffield

MARCH

04th @ Belfast
06th @ Newcastle
07th v Sheffield
13th v Cardiff
14th v Sheffield
20th v Cardiff
21st @ Edinburgh

GAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED

@ Belfast
@ Sheffield
v Newcastle