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monochameleon · 12-16-2015, 06:33 AM

PREMIER LEAGUE HOCKEY NEWS OF THE WEEK

Premier League Hockey Players Poll Results
The PLH Players Association published the results of their first ever "players poll" on New Years Eve to celebrate the end of the first calendar year of Premier League Hockey. The results:

Best Skater: Nicky Jephcott, New York Centrals
Hardest Shot: Michal Vavra, San Francisco Arrows
Smartest: Thorn Tramel, St. Paul Cardinals
Toughest: Brayden Fraser, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Fastest: Matthew Kavanagh, Los Angeles Sharks
Best Role Model: Matt Jobke, Seattle Nightmare
Cleanest: Alex Mullen, Los Angeles Sharks
Toughest goalie to beat: Matthew Kavanagh, Los Angeles Sharks
Coach You'd Most Like to Play For: Arni Por Alaykin, Chicago Cougars

The awards fly in the face of a few stats, with Harold Hawking (CHT), Colby Forehlich (VAN) and Tanner Simm (NYC) all having better save percentages than Kavanagh. And the selection of the practically brand-new coach of the Cougars as the Coach most players would like to play for has raised some eyebrows around the league's front offices.

Major transactions for the New Year
As the trade deadline closes in many clubs are beginning to try and organise what they believe will be playoff winning rosters. Firstly, the Los Angeles Sharks and Vancouver Giants completed a deal that will send Kevin Mackey (LW, 32), Ed Harrison (G, 24) and Mike MacTier (C, 19) to LA while Brian Morrow (C, 29) will have a new home in Vancouver. Though Morrow started for the Sharks this year he has spent the recent months with the Hollywood Pilots.
Vancouver also got into another major trade, this one with the Colorado Eagles. The Giants sent right-winger Jack Gurston (32) to Denver while acquiring Filip Olander (LW, 33), Ken O'Foley (RW, 30) and Jim Pennington (C, 30) in a deal likely to send the Saskatoon Blades to the playoffs in the American Minor Hockey League moreso than effect the play of the Giants.

PHL Player of the Month
Rewarded for an excellent December after slowing down a bit in November, Trevor Spivak of the Ottawa Nationals said he was honoured to be named the PLH Player of the Month. The NY Central's Burt Magee was named Goalie of the Month.

Changes at the SF Arrows Front Office
The still-for-the-moment San Francisco Arrows have parted ways with GM Paul Perkins, apparently on reasonably good terms. Perkins said: "I think the team is going one way and I'm going another. It's the way it goes sometimes and I hope I've been part of building a powerful franchise, wherever it ends up." Perkins has been replaced with Victor Aiken, formerly GM of the Arrows' minor league affiliate the Bayside Hawks.

Sunday December 29th 1985
Colorado Eagles 3 - 2 Vancouver Giants
Quebec Nordiques 1 - 2 Seattle Nightmare
Los Angeles Sharks 1 - 2 Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Chicago Cougars 2 - 3 Manitoba Vikings
Montreal Champions 6 - 4 San Francisco Arrows
Calgary Mustangs 5 - 5 Toronto Aces
Michigan Stags 1 - 3 New England Whalers

Monday December 30th 1985
San Francisco Arrows 2 - 5 Manitoba Vikings
Toronto Aces 3 - 2 New England Whalers
New York Centrals 1 - 2 Colorado Eagles
Chicago Cougars 2 - 3 Ottawa Nationals
Vancouver Giants 0 - 4 Charlottetown Islanders
St. Paul Cardinals 2 - 5 Montreal Champions

Tuesday December 31st 1985
Wednesday January 1st 1986
no games played

Thursday January 2nd 1986
Montreal Champions 4 - 4 Charlottetown Islanders

Friday January 3rd 1986
San Francisco Arrows 3 - 4 Colorado Eagles
Michigan Stags 1 - 4 Quebec Nordiques
New York Centrals 3 - 0 Toronto Aces
New England Whalers 5 - 1 Chicago Cougars
St. Paul Cardinals 4 - 2 Los Angeles Sharks
Vancouver Giants 1 - 0 Calgary Mustangs
Lehigh Valley Phantoms 0 - 5 Seattle Nightmare

Saturday January 4th 1986
Seattle Nightmare 1 - 1 Los Angeles Sharks
Charlottetown Islanders 0 - 3 Manitoba Vikings

Center Ice Game of the Week
Ottawa Nationals 0 - 4 Manitoba Vikings
Manitoba Technical House, Winnipeg

The Vikings, a little over halfway into the season, are 10 points clear at the top of the league. A record of 31-9-7 has them on 69 points being chased by the Eagles and possibly the Islanders. After that, just 13 points separate the fourth-placed Nightmare (50) from the last placed Giants (37). There are few leagues that are so competitive and tight in the history of major league sports, so how is it that the Vikings are so far out in front?

For one, good teamwork. Justin Homer, Jonathan Gagnon and Marcus Loow are all in the midst of career years, giving the Vikings three players in the top 10 for assists and two in the top ten for points. When the dominant Gagnon and Loow came down injured, Homer stepped up and now leads the league in points by 6 over Billy Hodges. The team leads the league in goals, goals per game, goals against, goals against per game, shots per game and shots against per game. They are an all round hockey club and they are, as a result, miles ahead.

And on Friday night, they showed exactly the talents that have got them to this position in a 4-0 blanking of the Ottawa Nationals. As if on cue, all the team's stars - not just Homer and Gagnon but Woombil, Gray and goaltender Manny Lopera as well - fired up for the home crowd.

Lopera's shutout was remarkable but moreso is the fact that he is merely part of a goaltending tandem - one of that most difficult of balancing acts for a coach - with Ryan McIsaac. Lopera's record of 15-5 is excellent but the young McIsaac's 14-4 means that no matter who the Vikings have in goal, it won't be an easy time for the opposition.

The Vikings four unanswered goals came from Charles Martel, Justin Homer, Jonathan Gagnon and Ryan Huddy, and they all came from well-set plays orchestrated by Chris Miller, the team's second year coach. This team is a well-oiled machine and provided a stark contrast to the Nationals who looked practically lost out on the ice.

The Vikings have firmed into unbackable favourites to win the Premier's Trophy and have the depth and experience to back it up to win at least the St. Lawrence Trophy, if not going on to the Phillips as well.

Next week we're on Friday again to see the Toronto Aces take on the Montreal Champions in another all-Canada showdown.

12-16-2015, 06:33 AM	#55
monochameleon Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 114	Sunday December 29th 1985 - Saturday January 4th 1986 PREMIER LEAGUE HOCKEY NEWS OF THE WEEK Premier League Hockey Players Poll Results The PLH Players Association published the results of their first ever "players poll" on New Years Eve to celebrate the end of the first calendar year of Premier League Hockey. The results: Best Skater: Nicky Jephcott, New York Centrals Hardest Shot: Michal Vavra, San Francisco Arrows Smartest: Thorn Tramel, St. Paul Cardinals Toughest: Brayden Fraser, Lehigh Valley Phantoms Fastest: Matthew Kavanagh, Los Angeles Sharks Best Role Model: Matt Jobke, Seattle Nightmare Cleanest: Alex Mullen, Los Angeles Sharks Toughest goalie to beat: Matthew Kavanagh, Los Angeles Sharks Coach You'd Most Like to Play For: Arni Por Alaykin, Chicago Cougars The awards fly in the face of a few stats, with Harold Hawking (CHT), Colby Forehlich (VAN) and Tanner Simm (NYC) all having better save percentages than Kavanagh. And the selection of the practically brand-new coach of the Cougars as the Coach most players would like to play for has raised some eyebrows around the league's front offices. Major transactions for the New Year As the trade deadline closes in many clubs are beginning to try and organise what they believe will be playoff winning rosters. Firstly, the Los Angeles Sharks and Vancouver Giants completed a deal that will send Kevin Mackey (LW, 32), Ed Harrison (G, 24) and Mike MacTier (C, 19) to LA while Brian Morrow (C, 29) will have a new home in Vancouver. Though Morrow started for the Sharks this year he has spent the recent months with the Hollywood Pilots. Vancouver also got into another major trade, this one with the Colorado Eagles. The Giants sent right-winger Jack Gurston (32) to Denver while acquiring Filip Olander (LW, 33), Ken O'Foley (RW, 30) and Jim Pennington (C, 30) in a deal likely to send the Saskatoon Blades to the playoffs in the American Minor Hockey League moreso than effect the play of the Giants. PHL Player of the Month Rewarded for an excellent December after slowing down a bit in November, Trevor Spivak of the Ottawa Nationals said he was honoured to be named the PLH Player of the Month. The NY Central's Burt Magee was named Goalie of the Month. Changes at the SF Arrows Front Office The still-for-the-moment San Francisco Arrows have parted ways with GM Paul Perkins, apparently on reasonably good terms. Perkins said: "I think the team is going one way and I'm going another. It's the way it goes sometimes and I hope I've been part of building a powerful franchise, wherever it ends up." Perkins has been replaced with Victor Aiken, formerly GM of the Arrows' minor league affiliate the Bayside Hawks. Sunday December 29th 1985 Colorado Eagles 3 - 2 Vancouver Giants Quebec Nordiques 1 - 2 Seattle Nightmare Los Angeles Sharks 1 - 2 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Chicago Cougars 2 - 3 Manitoba Vikings Montreal Champions 6 - 4 San Francisco Arrows Calgary Mustangs 5 - 5 Toronto Aces Michigan Stags 1 - 3 New England Whalers Monday December 30th 1985 San Francisco Arrows 2 - 5 Manitoba Vikings Toronto Aces 3 - 2 New England Whalers New York Centrals 1 - 2 Colorado Eagles Chicago Cougars 2 - 3 Ottawa Nationals Vancouver Giants 0 - 4 Charlottetown Islanders St. Paul Cardinals 2 - 5 Montreal Champions Tuesday December 31st 1985 Wednesday January 1st 1986 no games played Thursday January 2nd 1986 Montreal Champions 4 - 4 Charlottetown Islanders Friday January 3rd 1986 San Francisco Arrows 3 - 4 Colorado Eagles Michigan Stags 1 - 4 Quebec Nordiques New York Centrals 3 - 0 Toronto Aces New England Whalers 5 - 1 Chicago Cougars St. Paul Cardinals 4 - 2 Los Angeles Sharks Vancouver Giants 1 - 0 Calgary Mustangs Lehigh Valley Phantoms 0 - 5 Seattle Nightmare Saturday January 4th 1986 Seattle Nightmare 1 - 1 Los Angeles Sharks Charlottetown Islanders 0 - 3 Manitoba Vikings Center Ice Game of the Week Ottawa Nationals 0 - 4 Manitoba Vikings Manitoba Technical House, Winnipeg The Vikings, a little over halfway into the season, are 10 points clear at the top of the league. A record of 31-9-7 has them on 69 points being chased by the Eagles and possibly the Islanders. After that, just 13 points separate the fourth-placed Nightmare (50) from the last placed Giants (37). There are few leagues that are so competitive and tight in the history of major league sports, so how is it that the Vikings are so far out in front? For one, good teamwork. Justin Homer, Jonathan Gagnon and Marcus Loow are all in the midst of career years, giving the Vikings three players in the top 10 for assists and two in the top ten for points. When the dominant Gagnon and Loow came down injured, Homer stepped up and now leads the league in points by 6 over Billy Hodges. The team leads the league in goals, goals per game, goals against, goals against per game, shots per game and shots against per game. They are an all round hockey club and they are, as a result, miles ahead. And on Friday night, they showed exactly the talents that have got them to this position in a 4-0 blanking of the Ottawa Nationals. As if on cue, all the team's stars - not just Homer and Gagnon but Woombil, Gray and goaltender Manny Lopera as well - fired up for the home crowd. Lopera's shutout was remarkable but moreso is the fact that he is merely part of a goaltending tandem - one of that most difficult of balancing acts for a coach - with Ryan McIsaac. Lopera's record of 15-5 is excellent but the young McIsaac's 14-4 means that no matter who the Vikings have in goal, it won't be an easy time for the opposition. The Vikings four unanswered goals came from Charles Martel, Justin Homer, Jonathan Gagnon and Ryan Huddy, and they all came from well-set plays orchestrated by Chris Miller, the team's second year coach. This team is a well-oiled machine and provided a stark contrast to the Nationals who looked practically lost out on the ice. The Vikings have firmed into unbackable favourites to win the Premier's Trophy and have the depth and experience to back it up to win at least the St. Lawrence Trophy, if not going on to the Phillips as well. Next week we're on Friday again to see the Toronto Aces take on the Montreal Champions in another all-Canada showdown.