Giants-History.com » Dave Phillips

Giants land Davy Phillips’ brother as replacement

Richard Blayney — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:49:37 +0000

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.

Phillips moves up the ladder

Richard Blayney — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:01:58 +0000

Well by goodness it’s been a while!

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.

But today there was some news to break. Young Davy Phillips who played an outstanding season for the Giants last year and who signed on again for the 09/10 season went a few weeks ago to a Chicago Blackhawks tryout camp. He impressed enough to earn a contract with their top AHL affiliate the Rockford IceHogs and accepted. Nobody could blame the young man as this is a huge step up in his career but in terms of playing level and finance. This puts Phillips without shouting distance of playing in the big time, in the NHL.

Whether he makes it that far remains to be seen but the Giants have not stepped in his way and he leaves with their blessing and their best wishes. The only problem for the Giants is filling the spot taken up by a British player and a dam good one at that. That will be Steven Thornton’s job in the coming weeks and I wouldn’t want to be doing it. Goodluck to Phillips though it’ll be fun to follow his progress and the next time the IceHogs are in Toronto playing the Marlies, I’ll have to go down check it out with a Giants jersey on.

Thornton continues putting together his British Core

Richard Blayney — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:34:42 +0000

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.

Phillips was a must to re-sign. 21-years of age and playing like a savvy veteran on the blue-line the kid is only going to get better on top of what was an excellent first season in Belfast.

It’s only natural that Thornton is taking care of the British signings first. Import players in certain cases haven’t even finished their seasons depending on were they play while others will be waiting until all teams throughout North American and Europe open up their free-agency signings to see what deal they can get before committing to the Giants. Only when an import has accessed the best offers on his table will he sign on.

The same goes for the Giants management. They will look for the best possible players on the market.

It’s going to be a busy summer but so far so good with the British players signing on.

Huppe is back

Back in the UK that is and back with the Hull Stingrays. The ex-Giants sniper had retired from the game last year but has been coaxed back to play it seems. Certainly a talented players and arguably the best pure goal scorer the Giants ever had. It’ll be good to see him play again.

Giants end of season awards dinner – Deniset cleans up

Richard Blayney — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:50:05 +0000

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.

MVP – Paul Deniset
Coach’s Player – Evan Cheverie
Players Player – Paul Deniset
Most Improved Player – Dave Philips
Best Forward – Paul Deniset
Best D – Mike Burgoyne
Goal of the Season – Andrew Martin (9 Oct ‘08 v Devils)
Fan Favorite – Mark Morrison

I wonder has anyone other than Paxton Schulte and Mark Morrison won the fans favorite award?

Belfast Giants 4 v 1 Newcastle Vipers – highlights!

Richard Blayney — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:22:15 +0000

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

Some of them goals were very tidy. The finishes by Burgoyne and Martin were especially good and I can see why Martin got man-of-the-match. It is good to have him back on the ice and hopefully for the rest of the season.

Fight Reviews:

1) Payette gets the early going but Rushton catches him with the left hook sending him to the ice. Rushton throws the arms up doing a lap of honor to get the fans off their seats. The atmosphere is rocking.

2) Payette seemed as anxious to stir something up as Rushton but it was Rushton who got it going. Not many punches thrown and Rushton falls to the ice. In the penalty box both guys exchanging strong words.

3) In the video you can only catch the tail end of a hit. Not sure who it was on but it was by Payette and Rushton didn’t like it. He throws a punch at Payette and a big scrum ensues.

4) The video shows nothing of the Phillips fight but by all accounts Phillips caught his man flush with a punch dropping him to the ice.

The four fights tonight tie a club record for number of fights in a game.