LONDON, UK – Team GB avoided unwelcome Eurovision song contest comparisons as they posted their first point in the World Championships with a 3-2 overtime loss to Denmark.
I’ll just keep dancing on my own. Image:IIHF
Just three seconds out from the So Solid Crew 21 second threshold, GB succumbed to a late overtime winner from Markus Lauridsen of the Malmo Redhawks, denying any chance of shootout glory and maximum points.
In the official post-game interviews, marking his 100th GB appearance, Captain Jonathan Phillips was pragmatic with his assessment.
“We’re really happy that we’ve grown throughout this tournament. We said from day one at camp that we want a building process, get better every single day and keep building on those performances. So far, we’ve done that.
“After last year and losing 9-0 to Denmark, this year we’re disappointed to lose out in OT. We’re pleased to some degree but it’s going to sting.”
If GB are growing into the tournament, can the same be said about the tournament mascot Spiky the Hedgehog?
Phillips interviewed post game. Image: Freesports/IIHF
After an intense dancing display amongst the empty red seats of the Olympic Sports Centre in Riga in the first two days, dare it be said that Spiky has lost a bit of edge in recent games. This should come as no surprise given that it only has a sparkling red Skoda car for company each game.
Add in the fact that the tournament organisers had it skating down the local bobsleigh track against six-time skeleton world champion Martins Dukurs not so long ago, Spiky can perhaps be forgiven for running out of steam.
No high fives with grateful children, no t-shirt cannon to blast nipple rubbing Fruit of the Loom garments at waving arms, and no dancing with inebriated hockey fans. Spiky needs some love and fast.
Lord Stanley continues to deliver
Thousands of miles across the Baltic sea and Atlantic Ocean, the Stanley Cup Play-Offs highlighted the stark difference in restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic across the globe, as raucous crowds in Nashville, New York and Las Vegas exuded an energy that Spiky would kill for.
Land of the free – USA. NBC highlight reel.
Arenas packed with loud hockey fans celebrating hard and jumbotron scenes of booze guzzling, can crushing debauchery and snogging reminded everyone of what life was like before lockdowns and misery took over in early 2020.
It’s something that can’t be said of all sporting occasions, but the Stanley Cup games really do have as much passion on the ice as in the stands and that’s what makes it truly one of the world’s greatest events each year.
For example, Nashville Predators’ netminder Juuse Saros’s superb 58 save performance in his team’s double overtime victory over Carolina Hurricanes earlier this week, was matched equally by an outstanding atmosphere created by the home fans. Just an all round great spectacle of our much loved sport.
If only the players at the world championships could have the same experience and atmosphere. A sobering contrast noticeable to anyone watching the streams of both competitions.
The empty Palace
On the very same weekend that US hockey fans piled into cavernous arenas, UK lower tier hockey limped on towards the summer with another behind closed doors game, this time in North London.
Alexandra Palace hosted a match up between Haringey Huskies and MK Thunder, that not only had no fans just like Riga, but also no mascot and no Skoda parked behind the boards. Ironically, with the recent introduction of parking charges outside the Palace, any Skoda would have been better off inside.
The resident Huskies lost 5-1 so perhaps the lack of spectators could also be marked as a positive on this occasion.
The final countdown
Not many hockey players currently playing in the UK can point to a 29 year professional career, however Swindon Wildcats blueliner Neil Liddiard will achieve that in the 2021/22 campaign. It will also be tinged with sadness after it was announced this week that it would be his final swansong before retirement.
Liddiard made his debut at a time when Culture Beats “Mr Vain” was number 1 in the UK charts, Micron Mega skates with blue tuuks were highly fashionable and Oldham Athletic were in the Premier League. Yep.. quite a while back.
Swindon fans will be hoping the highly fancied Cats pick up some silverware to let the veteran hang up his skates in style.
There’s good news and bad news
Relatively good news emerged from Hull as it was revealed that the city’s rink will re-open in the autumn after a £1.2 million refurbishment. The delay will of course impact the hockey teams there while they wait for the coming months to pass, however given the state of the economy and uncertainty around many leisure venues in the UK, on balance the news is positive.
Historic rink under threat in Edinburgh.
Not so in Edinburgh, where the historic Murrayfield rink is under increasing risk of closure. The facility and the teams that operate out of it have been a long standing part of UK hockey history but the owners say much needed investment is required to allow the business to reopen post pandemic.
The Edinburgh Evening News reported this week that talks are ongoing between SportScotland and the Murrayfield Ice Arena to avoid any closure.
Given that Edinburgh Zoo announced this week that it would no longer be following through on its financial related decision to send its resident pandas back to China, but would instead extend the lease for them to stay, lets hope the city’s ice rink gets also gets a reprieve – hopefully for longer than one year.
Contact the author: davidcarr_2@hotmail.com
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