Sky Sports pundit Dave Simms runs the rule over the recently unveiled IHJUK team of the year.
Sky Sports pundit runs the rule over the IHJUK team of the year
Very Good Journalists - But Your Wrong Again.
The Ice Hockey Writers have named their all star team and various other awards, I like the people who run that organisation people like Mike Appleton and Stuart Walker, they put good effort in time in trying to ensure that our sport gets maximum publicity under difficult circumstances. The good news for them this year is that they actually got a couple of awards right as well, so things are going in the right direction.
Best Young player had to be Craig Peacock so well done Writers, also the best British goalie, forward and Defenseman had to go to Murphy, Weaver and Colin Shields. There actually isn't a second option this year in any of those categories, so well done Writers. It's after that they get it wrong, let me explain...
All Star Team and why... Stephen Murphy is a very good goalie. Stephen has had an incredible year, a career best I agree. But folks Stephen Murphy isn't an All Star goalie, he isn't the best goalie in the league and that is what an All Star is. One of the reasons that Coventry beat Belfast to the title is that Coventry beat the Giants in the series, in that series Hirsch out played Murphy. Peter Hirsch was this years most consistent goalie, by the way he isn't my All Star goalie either.
Luxury
For your All Star do you want consistent, reliable, ever dependable or do you want stud, game breaker? You see an All Star Game is a one off game, it's not played over 54 games, if it was Hirsch would be your man. No Cody Rudkowsky is the All Star Goalie, one game for your life, for your wife and kids - you would want him in goal for you.
On the blue line, tough one here. You have to go with Jonathan Weaver so well done writers (mind you hardly a tough call is it), I like Wes Jarvis too, a career year in Cardiff scoring a lot of goals, however there isn't one of us who wouldn't sign Michael Jacobsen of Belfast. Smooth, skilled, smart, no he is the best of the rest this season.
The Writers go with Shields, Galbraith and Fulghum up front and that is a good line, but the Writers have been idol. They have looked at the stat books and not at the game. There isn't a person who loves Jade Galbraith more than me - I would have his kids - however he doesn't make my All Star Line and it pains me to say that. Shields has had a brilliant year and I love it that a Brit has won the scoring, fantastic, but All Star? Fulghum's goals helped the Blaze win a title and he has been the signing of the year, but again not my All Star.
Jeff Szwez turned the Belfast Giants season around, he is outstanding and at a level above the vast majority who play in this league. Szwez has to be in your All Star Line Up. So does Cameron Mann, who after a slow start found his feet in the British game and became as good a player as we have seen here for a long time. Pound-for-pound Owen Fussey is as good as they come and he makes up my All Star line up.
Goal:
Cody Rudkowsky
Defensemen:
Jonathan Weaver and Michael Jacobsen
Forwards:
Owen Fussey, Cameron Mann and Jeff Swez
Then who coaches that team? There isn't a person who has written more kind words about Doug Christiansen than me this year, I have blown more smoke up his backside than you can imagine. I like him as a coach and as a person, I like the job he has done in Edinburgh, but coach of the year? get out of here, there is only one coach of the year and you know it.
The Capitals finished sixth. That's where they should finish. Christiansen has done the job he should have done, come in fourth or fifth and the argument is there but sixth is sixth and is where we all had the Caps at the start of the year. Doug hasn't under achieved but he hasn't over achieved either, there is only one coach this year that has over achieved.
Paul Thompson has the third or fourth best team in the league. In my mind there isn't an argument that Nottingham and Belfast have better squads, better teams. So at the very worst Thompson has over achieved two places. He lost key players to long term injuries (Owen, Robinson, Calder, Weaver and Chambers) and didn't have the luxury of a spare import until the end of the year, something the Panthers and Giants did have from the start. The Blaze won at full strength and short handed. They won with a 5'6 skinny British winger who none of us had heard of as their ninth forward, they won with a Swedish painter and decorator as their fourth defencemen
Steve Thornton can be considered for the position, good team, good year but won nothing, finished second with a team that should have beaten the Blaze, so you have to cross him off. Corey Neilson, won the Challenge Cup so has to be considered, but his team is the most gifted and talented that we have seen in our league for years and they came third, they lost four times to Newcastle, so you cross him off. The rest, Gerad Adams did OK, Rod Wilson did OK, Sylvain Cloutier and Dave Matsos under achieved.
So I know what you're all saying "Yes well he is your best mate and you would say that." Well being my best mate doesn't exclude you from awards when they are due. Folks Paul Thompson isn't the best coach in this league, he is
head and shoulders the best coach in this league and he keeps winning, he keeps winning with teams that aren't always the best teams. Paul Thompson as coach of the year is your easiest selection of them all.
Hope that puts everybody right.
