It’s been a seven year wait for the hundreds of Giants fans that take themselves to Nottingham year-in-year-out looking for their team to deliver the goods, but at long last and for the first time since 2003 the Belfast Giants can call themselves Elite League Playoff Champions again. I wasn’t there this year, but if 2003 taught me anything it is that when the Giants win this trophy the weekend becomes one of the biggest and best parties of the year and no doubt it was great times in Nottingham again last night and this morning plenty of sore heads. The Giants turned around a poor first two periods of play while throwing away a two goal lead to put in a fine effort in the third, a strong overtime and then a tight and tense shootout to win it. A playoff final should never ever be decided by the way of a shootout, but that’s how it is in Britain, and while I don’t agree with it, in this case, I’ll gladly deal with it and revel in the moment that my team are the Champions again, even though I never got to see them in person this year.

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Late last night I was very tempted to get onto the Internet and book a flight, any flight, to England and somehow make my way to Nottingham for 4 p.m. to watch the playoff final now that the Giants are actually playing in it. I’ve waited 6 years for the Giants to get into the playoff final again and now that they finally have, I’m not able to be there to enjoy it. I can only imagine the craic in the bars around Nottingham last night and the celebrations of the Giants fans as their team eliminated the big rich Nottingham Panthers in a shootout. WInning a playoff game in a shootout sounds disgraceful, but it’s the only way in a tournament were the semi’s are on the Saturday and the final on the Sunday but if the game is going to go the shootout, you may as well win it.

I’ve been to 7 playoff weekends and only once has the Giants actually got to the final (going on to win it in 2003). So now they’re back there, I’m going to have to make-do with the TV coverage. Saying that, I shouldn’t be so dismissive of the ‘TV coverage,’ for this is the first time ever the playoff final has been broadcast live on TV and the timing couldn’t have been better; I’m not there, I’m back in the UK for the first time in 15-months, and I’ve a Sunday afternoon to waste.

Nottingham are the team in the EIHL that everyone loves to hate, at least everyone who supports the Steelers and the Giants and when the Giants put them out last night they left the Panthers without a league or playoff trophy yet again and the fans lapped it up. The Giants took an early lead before blowing a late goal which sent the game into overtime. Just like in 2003 when the Giants last won the playoff championship, their semi-final ended in a tight scoreline (0-0 against Sheffield that year) to go into overtime and a shootout. The Giants never do things the easy way so the shootout was inevitable and it was Jeff Szwez one of the Giants most clutch players this season and perhaps of all-time who delivered the goods with two goals in the shootout to book the Giants place in the final. In 2003 it was Kevin Riehl’s shootout heroics that put the Giants into the final and back then when they reached the final it was two goals by Shane Johnson who helped the Giants win the thing over London Knights. This year the game will be the last professional Hockey game by Shane Johnson and wouldn’t it be nice to see him go out with another big performance and victory.

There was no choking at the first hurdle for the Giants this year as they brushed aside the Newcastle Vipers in two games to move to the final four tournament, next weekend in Nottingham. The Giants won their home leg on Saturday night 4-1 before thumping the Vipers in their own barn 6-2 tonight. Everyone came good for the Giants in both games with the home game being especially poignant as it was the last at the Odyssey for Shane Johnson who retires at the end of the season. Johnson, the Giants first ever MVP back in their first ever season in 2000/01 and who scored two goals in the playoff final in 2003, picked up the man-of-the-match on the night.

Evan Cheverie was the Giants top man on the score sheet bagging two goals in each game while Jeff Szwez continued his clutch play with three goals over the two legs to help the Giants through.

A 10-3 aggregate victory is always pretty comprehensive and hopefully the team can build on this scoring form next weekend and win their second ever playoff crown. I’ll be back in the UK during the final four weekend but, for the second year running and third year since 2000, won’t be able to attend though temptation will be very high to book a last second flight should they actually make the final on the Sunday.

I thought it worth pointing out that the two minute minor for holding at 16:56 by Evan Cheverie in Sunday’s game against Coventry tied the all-time most penalty minutes in a season in team history and 31:03 Pat Bateman’s two for hooking broke it. The Giants now have 1418 penalty minutes on the season with the old record having been set way back in 2003/04 at 1418. Below is a look at the penalty minutes racked up through each season so far with no doubt more to come this season.

2000/01: 1155
2001/02: 978
2002/03: 1246
2003/04: 1414
2004/05: 1079
2005/06: 1369
2006/07: 1385
2007/08: 1045
2008/09: 1170
2009/10: 1418

That wasn’t the only record broken this season, so far. Colin Shields 101 points on the season broke the all-time marker previously set by Jason Ruff and Theo Fleury at 94. Then there is Jeff Szwez whose incredible 17 powerplay goals and 8 short handed goals are new team records and he has also broken Curtis Huppe’s record of goals per game ratio by scoring in unbelievable 0.85 goals per game. On top of all that there are his 39 goals, which have edged ahead of the previously all-time high of 38 in a single season by Jason Ruff (03/04) and Paul Deniset (08/09). Not half bad for a guy who joined the team quite a way into the season. Colin Shields is on 38 goals also and with games to come they could be fighting it out for that record.

And finally you have Stephen Murphy who smashed the single season record for shutouts. He is currently on 8.

With anywhere from 2 to 4 games still to come for Shields, Szwez and Murphy there is opportunity to build on these records and so I’ll wait until after the season to write something in depth on each guy and their record breaking seasons. If 09/10 is to be remembered for anything, it’ll be for players setting new individual high’s in club history.

While the fans of the EIHL are getting loaded up on booze in various watering holes across Nottingham city centre on the Friday night of the playoff weekend, the great and the good of the EIHL and those who were willing to shell out on a ticket, will be at a venue in the city to see who gets awarded what for their play this season at the EIHL awards dinner.

There are eight awards up for grabs and four Giants players have been nominated. Colin Shields is in for three awards with Colin Murphy up for two. Jeff Szwez and Tim Cook are in for one award each, so the Giants are well represented. Actually, there should be five Giants players in for awards but more on that at the bottom of this blog.

Here are the shortlists for each award:

Goalie of the Year
Peter Hirsch (Coventry), Stephen Murphy (Belfast), Cody Rudkowsky (Edinburgh).

Defenseman of the Year
Tim Cook (Belfast), Wes Jarvis (Cardiff), Jonathan Weaver (Coventry).

Forward of the Year
Greg Chambers (Coventry), Luke Fulghum (Coventry), Colin Shields (Belfast).

British Player of the Year
Stephen Murphy (Belfast), Colin Shields (Belfast), Jonathan Weaver (Coventry).

Newcomer of the Year
Owen Fussey (Edinburgh), Cameron Mann (Nottingham), Jeff Szwez (Belfast).

Elite League MVP
Greg Chambers (Coventry), Luke Fulghum (Coventry), Colin Shields (Belfast).

Coach of the Year
Doug Christiansen (Edinburgh), Corey Neilson (Nottingham), Paul Thompson (Coventry).

‘The Sean McMorrow’ fans Favorite*
Jade Galbraith (Nottingham), Luke Fulghum (Coventry), Colin Shields (Belfast).

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