I have been to watch the Invicta Mustangs, in Gillingham. Family ticket on Groupon normally available for £7.50, 2 adults and 2 children. Might be worth looking on there
Looking forward to seeing how the GB Ice Hockey team does in the top tier of the World Championship this season
Between 10th - 26th May we'll be up against Canada and United States amongst others, hopefully we dont get relegated straight back down a tier
I think its very likely! Standard is very high. Was in Denmark during the 2018 tournament - saw Canada play Russia - USA & Canada had NHL players from teams that didn't make the play-offs - they included Conor McDavid & Patrick Kane!
Tournament's in Slovakia this year - The European fans travel in numbers to this event - great atmosphere and huge beer drinking event.
I take the MK Lightning’s first team to their away games over the UK/Scotland they play in the EIHL. As a coach driver I get in for free. But ticket prices range from £15-£20 for an adult. I never liked ice hockey before but have got in to it after watching them play. Problem with MK Lightning’s compared to Cardiff Devils and Belfast Giants is budget. MK Lightning owners are let’s say likened to our very own Roland. Doesn’t want to invest. In ice hockey to compete you don’t need millions. Just a few thousand to be half decent.
I watch the Cardiff Devils regularly, they are in the Elite league, prices are £17 per match for adults. Cardiff sell out 3000 each week, last week away to Nottingham Panthers the crowd was 7,500.The standard has improved immensely over the past few years, but still behind the other European leagues. There is not enough strength in depth. Cardiff lost all their games in the European cup this year, but only by the odd goal. I followed them to Sweden and Switzerland along with about 300 others, great atmosphere . The title race between them and the Belfast Giants this year will be close.
It is interesting comparing Charlton's owner with the Devil's management, two of the Canadian owners regularly post on the forum and do take on board comments, whilst the general manager does a Q & A before each home game.
GB will have a tough time this year, but they are improving, expect a few hammerings, but they may nick a couple of positive results.
I watch the Cardiff Devils regularly, they are in the Elite league, prices are £17 per match for adults. Cardiff sell out 3000 each week, last week away to Nottingham Panthers the crowd was 7,500.The standard has improved immensely over the past few years, but still behind the other European leagues. There is not enough strength in depth. Cardiff lost all their games in the European cup this year, but only by the odd goal. I followed them to Sweden and Switzerland along with about 300 others, great atmosphere . The title race between them and the Belfast Giants this year will be close.
It is interesting comparing Charlton's owner with the Devil's management, two of the Canadian owners regularly post on the forum and do take on board comments, whilst the general manager does a Q & A before each home game.
GB will have a tough time this year, but they are improving, expect a few hammerings, but they may nick a couple of positive results.
I have also followed Cardiff oversea's too, do you live in south wales?
I was born and bred in Charlton, I moved here 8 years ago. I have only been to a few away games since I moved down as I work most Saturdays. How about you?
Give you an example of how poor the standard here is. A few years ago I went to watch Manchester v MK in Altrincham. Tony Hand was playing - he scored twice, had two assists and was the best player on the ice every shift he took. He was 46, taken last in the NHL draft sometime in the early eighties and never played a game in even the minors in the US
It might be 'getting better', but the comparable level in football is somewhere around top Sunday league standard
@TheDrunkenDuck my comparison was in regards to MK Lightning’s to Roland. The owners have other business interests etc rather then Ice Hockey. The stories I’ve heard from the players themselves are shocking one relation to them.
@James86, I agree, there are some dreadful owners, we are lucky in Cardiff. The budgets between the four arena teams and the rest apart from Guildford who have a rich owner, is vast. Milton Keynes are this year's whipping boys, like Edinburgh were last year.
@TheDrunkenDuck Cardiff had the right idea. Building a new arena not too big. But big enough they’ll sell it out most weeks. We are the whipping boys. The guys get downhearted. If rumour has it MK Lightning’s could be dropping out the Elite League. I feel for some of the players.
I think they might do, they are short benched each game. That is why I mentioned the lack of depth in the league, there are rumours of other teams moving up, but probably not for a couple of years. There is an enormous gap between the Elite league and the league below.
If you drive down to Cardiff in a couple of weeks you will find me in block 5.
The standard of hockey in the UK is absolutely pitiful. Charging anyone that price is unconscionable - you can get a ticket to an NHL game for that!
I wish. I'm in Toronto for a few days in a few weeks time and I looked into getting Leafs tkts. They are playing the Habs. Cheapest tkts on the secondary mkt are +CAD320 for restricted view.....
Give you an example of how poor the standard here is. A few years ago I went to watch Manchester v MK in Altrincham. Tony Hand was playing - he scored twice, had two assists and was the best player on the ice every shift he took. He was 46, taken last in the NHL draft sometime in the early eighties and never played a game in even the minors in the US
It might be 'getting better', but the comparable level in football is somewhere around top Sunday league standard
Christ on a bike ! Is he still playing ? I remember seeing him play for Murrayfield Racers with he's brother Paul back in the day , when watching Streatham Redskins , before they folded , back in the late 80's or early 90's.
Give you an example of how poor the standard here is. A few years ago I went to watch Manchester v MK in Altrincham. Tony Hand was playing - he scored twice, had two assists and was the best player on the ice every shift he took. He was 46, taken last in the NHL draft sometime in the early eighties and never played a game in even the minors in the US
It might be 'getting better', but the comparable level in football is somewhere around top Sunday league standard
Hockey in the UK is never going to compete with the big leagues. That said, Tony Hand's failure to progress was mainly due to homesickness. He did play a few games in the WHL for Victotria. The Oilers coach at the time said "At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky. He skated well: his intelligence on the ice stood out. He was a real prospect."
Liam Kirk (former Sheffield Steeler) was recently drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes and has been farmed out to Peterborough Petes in the OHL - one of the best junior leagues in the world. After a slow start he is now doing well.
Bit of a bump, but went to my first game of ice hockey yesterday, taking my daughter. Got to say I loved it! £20 for the two of us, and can take own drinks and food. Great atmosphere, and made to feel very welcome. Need to get there earlier next time, so had to stand in a stairwell, but daughter got to fist bump all the players as they came on an off the ice.
Ice hockey is a fantastic sport - the closest North Americans have got to forming a great sport. But I agree with the consensus here that the little British ice hockey I’ve seen is an embarrassing standard.
Comments
Between 10th - 26th May we'll be up against Canada and United States amongst others, hopefully we dont get relegated straight back down a tier
Tournament's in Slovakia this year - The European fans travel in numbers to this event - great atmosphere and huge beer drinking event.
It is interesting comparing Charlton's owner with the Devil's management, two of the Canadian owners regularly post on the forum and do take on board comments, whilst the general manager does a Q & A before each home game.
GB will have a tough time this year, but they are improving, expect a few hammerings, but they may nick a couple of positive results.
It might be 'getting better', but the comparable level in football is somewhere around top Sunday league standard
Cheapest ticket to see the Oilers is about $65 Canadian for one adult.
If you drive down to Cardiff in a couple of weeks you will find me in block 5.
When I went to watch the Bruins it was over 400 dollars for 4 adult Tickets
Liam Kirk (former Sheffield Steeler) was recently drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes and has been farmed out to Peterborough Petes in the OHL - one of the best junior leagues in the world. After a slow start he is now doing well.
Baby steps!