Season Preview: Hull Stingrays
September 5th, 2007This summer may already feel like winter but it’s not quite hockey time yet. However, with the season only a few weeks four days away and without knowing how much blogging time I will have I guess it’s about time to look into the season and preview each of the teams with as much knowledge as I actually have of them anyway! Next up it’s the Stingrays:
THE VIEW
What to expect:
Hull made a fantastic start to last season surprising may who believed they were for struggling from the off. As the season wore on it took it out of the Stingrays as they started to slide back down the league eventually settling for 9th place. Over the summer they have changed players like every team and they make for a hard team to read into how they might do. They are a young team, that much we know with only two players born before 1980 and although the lack of experience will hurt they will have the legs to carry them through a season. They just about avoided the wooden spoon last year, unfortunately if I have to put my neck on the line, I don’t see them avoiding it this year but I’d love to be proven wrong.
Key Player:
Jake Riddle: New to the EIHL from the American minor leagues Riddle is a big boy who can handle himself. On a young and generally less physical Stingrays team he will have his work cut out to look after his team mates. Should he prove good in that role as well as chipping in on scoring then the Stingrays could well upset my prediction of a last place finish.
Odds for the Gambler:
15 to 1: To make the playoffs
10,000 to 1: To lead the league in Penalty Minutes.
50,000 to 1: To lead the league in fighting majors.
If they were an NHL team they would be the:
Los Angeles Kings - A promising start to their season but slid away eventually to finish near the bottom of the pile.
A Prediction that means nothing: 10th
STATS AND FACTS
Previous 3 seasons:
04-05: n/a
05-06: n/a
06-07: 9th in Elite League with 18 wins and 33 defeats.
06-07 vs Giants (W-L-T): 1-5-0
In 8 games against the Stingrays in their history the Giants have won 7 and lost just 1. They have scored 32 goals and let in 16.
ON THE WEB
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