The Black and Gold Wire

  Import limits and British player development are what seem like a never ending debate throughout the British ice hockey world. It's a topic that I've been keen to delve into for a while, and now seems like a good time, following league chairman Tony Smith's revelation on the roster size for the 2021/22 season.  To summarise, match night rosters can have up to 19 players. A maximum of 14 can be imports (non British trained players). This means, should coaches use all 14 import slots, that only 5 Brits can be on a team's roster.  This has been met with widespread criticism across all fanbases for being a big step back for developing homegrown talent in a league where chances for Brits are becoming harder to come by. Coaches will almost always use the import limit to the maximum, and why shouldn't they? They are hired to win after all.  With hockey being a minority sport in the UK, I do believe the league has a responsibility to grow the sport for aspiring homegrown ...

The Panthers defensive recruitment was capped off on Saturday, with the addition of recent ECHL all star Brady Norrish to complete an intriguing core at the blueline to say the least.  Starting with Norrish himself, and it looks like we could have landed ourselves a gem. Many EIHL team's import additions come from the East Coast, but not many can boast being an all star, suggesting we have landed one of the league's top d-men.  That being said, he didn't play a single game in 2020/21, which is a little concerning, but there many examples of that not being a barrier for high level performances. Jackson Whistle and Ollie Betteridge were outstanding in the Elite Series after not taking to the ice for 14 months. In contrast though, they were playing at lower levels to what they were used to, and therefore there is added risk with signing Norrish. If it pays off though, we could be looking at one of the league's top defenceman.  Staying on the subject of top defenceman, Mark...

Prior to the 2011 playoff semi final, the Panthers had never beaten arch rivals Sheffield at a finals weekend. This was despite having numerous opportunities to do so through the years.  After coming from 2-0 down, a thriller at the NIC was headed to overtime. Youngster Robert Lachowicz, who had experienced a 32 point breakout season, was given the most important shift of his career yet, and would not disappoint.  After a great turn and go to escape the helpless Rod Sarich, he would find Matthew Myers whose backhand on net was fumbled by Ervins Mustukovs. It would be Lachowicz who pounced the loose puck to bury it and send the Panthers faithful into pandemonium. The lad from Beeston had written his place in the history books.  The victory over Cardiff in the final the following day would secure the first multi trophy season in club history and kickstart the clubs golden era. Lachowicz played a massive part in this era, arguably a much bigger one than people give...

The world is slowly returning to normal, as is the EIHL, with signing news rolling in across the country.  Panthers are up there with the most active in the player market as it stands, at least in terms of signings made public. They have the second most confirmed players for next season after Cardiff, with 13, so there's a lot to assess.  I always try to be mostly optimistic when it comes to watching the roster come together, because Elite Prospects only tells part of the story. On the flip side though, I can not help but feel a little concerned when comparing the roster to our rivals.  Take Sheffield for instance. They have retained their 4 top scoring players from 2019/20. Cardiff are continuing to add a range of experience from some of the world's top leagues. As for Belfast, bringing back Beskowarany, Murphy and Raine is outstanding business.  Of course though, Panthers fans know better than anyone that a players CV can be very misleading. Arguably our best playe...

The Panthers quickly kickstarted their plans for next season within a week of winning the Elite Series. Head coach Tim Wallace and director of hockey Guillaume Doucet will continue in their roles, whilst the Brit quota has began to take shape with Ollie Betteridge and Josh Tetlow being confirmed returnees. More surprisingly, experienced defenceman Steve Lee will return to the club after two years away.  It has been an enjoyable week and a bit to be a Panthers fan, with the Elite Series playoff victory and the sudden influx of signing announcements. Despite some debate over just how meaningful a four team tournament is, the 'Covid Cup' could certainly have an influence on how the Panthers roster comes together for 2021/22.  One example of how so, is the case that Jackson Whistle potentially makes to be the starting goaltender. Draft day drama meant that Ben Bowns was the blockbuster addition who surely could not be overtaken. Of course, a tournament centred around Great Britain...

Character and resilience is so important when you are on a bad run of form. The Panthers showed just that in last night's win against the Manchester Storm.  When we were 3-2 down in the third period, the article I had in mind was very different. Panthers had been chasing the game and were heading to the halfway point of the Elite Series at the bottom of the standings with just one win to their name.  Lewis Hook's equaliser felt significant though. For the third time in the game, Panthers had come back to tie it up. Despite being on the backfoot, there was a sense of determination in the side that had grown stronger as the game went on.  Our other two goals had come on the powerplay, which prior to this game was statistically the worst in the tournament. Panthers were moving the puck with purpose and confidence this time around though. A big reason for that was the phenomenal hockey IQ of Mark Matheson, who assisted both powerplay goals.  That's not to say I want to c...

The long awaited return of Panthers hockey is just days away. Despite it being in the form of a four team tournament behind closed doors, getting to watch the team I support after so long is certainly exciting.  The British player draft followed by the signing news overload that followed has certainly created a buzz. Like any EIHL season, it has summoned talking points and the odd PR disaster. Normal service has somewhat resumed, all things considered.  Do I think we have the strongest roster? No. I think Sheffield take that claim. They had the strongest protected Brits list, and their import signings look excellent, even if their Brit draft was not as strong as others.  Does that mean I am pessimistic about the Panthers? Also no. Regardless of results (to a reasonable degree), the aim of this tournament from the clubs perspective should be to have players we can add to next season's core. Winning a four team tournament is not exactly anything to shout about, but it is an...