With the usual ‘financial problems’ talks doing the rounds at this time of year the Giants have got conspiracy theorists everywhere jumping at obvious conclusions by signing Davy Phillips’ brother Kevin as his replacement after he left the team to play in the AHL. There is talk that somewhere in some conspiracy safe house somewhere in the outskirts of Belfast people are pointing fingers at Steve Thornton saying he signed Kevin Phillips simply to save the Giants from having to buy a new jersey and crests it with someone else’s name. Kevin Phillips can just wear the one bought for his brother.
Other fans are raising concerns about the Giants’ defensive depth this coming season but I have neither the time nor the energy to get into such a speculative debate just yet. We’re still in mid-July have still a month and a half before the team take to the ice in anger.
I haven’t gone away you know, as Sinn Fein would put it, but just been busy in the off-season enjoying off-season sports. Why beat a dead dog as they say, and I wasn’t going to write each day about something just for the sake of it while the Giants were making their one-per-fortnight signings. With the British hockey season ending so early in the year (early April), the British off-season seems to last a life-time and with rosters being so small as it is, the signings come few and far between. The Giants naturally try to spread out the signings in order to keep in the media throughout the summer, it wouldn’t be a good advertising move to announce the entire line-up a week after the old season ended and then hear nothing until the end of the year.
With a new Brit signed up last week it was time to continue putting together the British core of the team and Thronton did that by bringing back his best two British players from last years team; Colin Shields and Dave Phillips. Signing on Shields was a formality given that last year he inked a two year deal, though with Lyle leaving his two year contract to sign in Cardiff this past weekend, nothing in British hockey is literally a formality.
It is no great surprise really that Paul Deniset walked away with the major trophies at this year’s end of season awards dinner. He picked up MVP, Players Player and the best forward awards. Evan Cheverie was voted in a coaches player while Davy Phillips getting the most improved player. Hard to argue with any of them. For all the nights winners click for more. Read More»
All the goals, fights and big moments from the big game last night in the Odyssey. The stand out thing for me aside from some very nice goals was the size of the crowd and the noise it was making — it was a throwback to the days of yore. Some have called the Odyssey a graveyard for atmosphere lately, but this certainly changed that. Enjoy and pay up for tonight’s re-match at giantslive.tv
I don’t think I ever gave this much mention even though the news has been out there for quite a few weeks. If you are reading this then you probably already know all about the Elite League all-star game but just in case you didn’t know who had been selected the following is the line-ups for both teams.
That’s the numbers for you. The Giants kept their fine new year form going with yet another victory in a game that looked to be super tight for the first half and then exploded with goals in the final thirty minutes. The Giants had taken the lead through Deniset but quickly fell behind only to tie the game at two in the final minute of the second period again through Deniset. It set up a final period in which the Giants exploded with seven goals, including a hat trick by Deniset and four points by Phillips to seal the two points and in the end destroy the Phoenix.
Stevie Thornton has wasted no time in building his team for next season, which seems like a million miles away. This week he signed on twenty year old British defenseman Dave Phillips to a years contract. Phillips who has played for the last five years in Hull will step up to the Giants blue-line and add some size. Stevie Thornton has praised the kids play having played against him all season while in Basingstoke and he must like the kid if he’s made him his first signing. Read More»
