The Black and Gold Wire

Yikes. Having only seen a handful of Panthers games this season, all of which were victories (I was a lucky charm pre-Christmas I guess), I hadn't got a first hand look at how disjointed the team really is at the moment. Our Christmas series with the Sheffield Steelers, along with declining results, shows just how far off we are from being a title challenger.  The Yorkshire side have become the benchmark for success, as they sit rather comfortably at the top of the standings, and will do going into the new year. If that's the standard we have to reach, then we are lightyears away right now.  Although possession seemed pretty even, and Aaron Fox's side were heavily outshot in the home game, the efficiency levels were polar opposites. Players such as Marc-Oliver Vallerand, Martin Latal and (ugh) Evan Mosey, were cruising through the Panthers defence like a hot knife through butter, even when killing penalties.  As for our offence, again, mainly in the home game, were we still

As a Panthers fan, some of my fondest memories have come from the Challenge Cup, in which the club have historically thrived in.  I started supporting the club in the 2010/11 season, when the Panthers were in the thick of an all out domination of the competition. Between 2010 and 2016, Corey Neilson would guide the club to winning it 6 times in 7 attempts, a remarkable feat however you look at it.  That's what makes the current state of the competition even more frustrating.  Whilst there has been backlash for the joke of a format the league have opted for this season, I don't think it's to the extent it should be. Those who gave a group stage where 8 out of 9 teams qualify the green light, where the majority of the games meant nothing, have made a mockery of the fans.  Of course, Glasgow Clan abruptly pulling out (a completely understandable decision given their circumstances) wasn't ideal, but neither is playing 3+ dead rubber games.  It's really hindered my enthu

As important as ability is, good leadership is also essential for success. Having endured seven successive failed title challenges as a Panthers fan, it has often been the case where mentality has lacked rather than ability. That's why it's reassuring that the club have taken their time when selecting a captain and an unusually high 4 alternates.  The most important piece of this mini puzzle is quite obviously the captain, who has been confirmed as defenceman Steve Lee. This will be his second time captaining the club after he did so in 2017/18. Although it was an underwhelming domestic season, Panthers European campaign was sensational as they became the first British team to qualify for the CHL knockouts.  Lee as a player is a bit of a marmite figure amongst Panthers fans, but it is quite telling that he will have captained the club under two different head coaches.  At the end of the day though, it's hard to give an accurate verdict because captaincy comes down to charac

As someone who can be somewhat indecisive, forming a prediction for the EIHL table was, lets say, a process.  Time after time I changed my mind on certain picks, and some will come across as more controversial than a certain club statement on Kieran Brown.  That’s what makes it exciting though, and doing my research has raised my optimism for another closely contested season. Every team has quality in some form, although I’ve tried to consider more than just some Elite Prospects profiles, because hockey is played on ice, not the internet.      10th - Fife Flyers I'm going with what many will deem an obvious choice for my last place pick. Fife Flyers overall are looking very 'meh'. There is no real depth and a lack of well established top level quality.  Greg Chase could prove to be an outstanding addition, and Shane Owen is a well established EIHL netminder, but it's tough to see where else the quality will come from. Isak Stenlund Adelgran has great stats in the Swedis

  With all 10 rosters almost complete, the buzz of a long awaited return to a full EIHL campaign is in full swing. I've been very pleasantly surprised at the quality, at least on paper, that teams have been able to sign in a post pandemic market.   I've picked out one new signing from each roster who I think will be a standout this season, with a few honourable mentions too. To clarify, these are players who didn't play for their clubs in 2019/20 or the Elite Series, hence why some of the honourable mentions have previously worn their clubs colours but have gone elsewhere since. Belfast Giants - Griffin Reinhart Belfast have made some seriously impressive additions this offseason and there's about 4-5 players I could have chosen. Getting a player who's last 3 seasons consist of KHL, DEL and AHL experience is impossible to ignore though.  Defenceman Griffin Reinhart has only played in top league's throughout his career, not least in the NHL where he has 37 games

In a time when the Elite League's approach to junior development is under immense scrutiny , Panthers appear to be building a strong homegrown contingent for the long term. It's a core that's seen quite a decline over the past 5 seasons. Club legend Matt Myers and defenceman Paul Swindlehurst moved on at the end of the 2015/16 season. Two years later, goal machine David Clarke would hang up the skates, before stalwart Robert Farmer got his chance to follow Corey Neilson to Germany.  This summer it's taken an even bigger hit, with established Brits Robert Lachowicz, and likely Brett Perlini on their way out. Goaltenders Jackson Whistle (Belfast), who many had tipped for a starting role, and more expectedly, Sam Gospel (Leeds), have both departed. Prospect Joseph Hazeldine made a somewhat surprise move to Manchester, which, in summary, made the Panthers depth look quite thin compared to some of their competitors.  Replacing these players is no easy task, with a shortage o