Niagara IceDogs @ Hamilton Bull Dogs - Saturday, 2017.09.23 - 7pm

[Blacksox]

Burke a winner in OHL coaching debut
By Bernie Puchalski

http://bpsportsniagara.ca/burke-winn...oaching-debut/

A lot of what Burke believed about his team in the summer was on full display Saturday, namely the excellent goaltending of Dhillon and the wealth of team speed possessed by Niagara. “Hamilton had no real answer for our forwards’ speed and Stephen Dhillon was an absolute rock,” he said.

“We have a high-character team,” Burke said. “Guys go in and they know they are going to get smoked to get the puck out. Guys are blocking shots and getting pucks deep in the third period when we switched over into the mode where we wanted to limit our turnovers. “For guys who want to score goals and thinking about the scouts, they bought in.”

Niagara escaped Saturday’s game without any injuries except for the usual assortment of bumps and bruises that come with blocking shots and playing physical. “There were a lot of ice packs on the bus,” he said.

[Biased Observer]

Originally Posted by Red

Speed without finesse?

It is not that bad, he's got good hands and skill, just need to calm down a bit in the final moments before trying to score. That speed will create chances for others as well.

[Blacksox]

Originally Posted by Biased Observer

It is not that bad, he's got good hands and skill, just need to calm down a bit in the final moments before trying to score. That speed will create chances for others as well.

We saw his good hands and skill on display at camp and during the pre-season (4GP 3G 2A) , so you’re probably right he just needs to "calm down a bit in the final moments" – and we’ll see a significant spike in his goal totals this year.

[pup96]

Originally Posted by Biased Observer

It is not that bad, he's got good hands and skill, just need to calm down a bit in the final moments before trying to score. That speed will create chances for others as well.

Not really, unlike Ho Sang who would go for a skate and allow his buddies to catch up, Machala goes directly to the net and fires a shot dead on that is easily stopped while everyone else is still at the blueline. I love his speed but he either needs to be more creative or dish the puck.

[5 for fighting]

Originally Posted by retired/sectionJ

I agree with you NiceDawg about the place looking empty with just over 4600 fans in the barn. Even the sound system is not great with the much open space.

We were speaking to some very nice Hamilton fans and they told us and (this is just hear-say) that the owners are looking at building a new rink in Ancaster or Burlington.
They were saying that the City would not spent dollars for upkeep of the venue such as repairing escalators that do not work most of the time and fixing up the washrooms that are in a sad state and so on and so on.

Once again, this was just a conversation with a really nice couple and some of their friends that we were talking to while we were there.

I always enjoy watching games at the Hamilton rink. The seats are comfortable and there is lots of room. The concourse is huge as well. It makes me feel like I am watching an NHL game. As well, with the upper level curtained off, it seats slightly less than London's rink. I think if they got London sized crowds, the place would be rocking.

[Dogs Enthusiast 104]

Originally Posted by 5 for fighting

I always enjoy watching games at the Hamilton rink. The seats are comfortable and there is lots of room. The concourse is huge as well. It makes me feel like I am watching an NHL game. As well, with the upper level curtained off, it seats slightly less than London's rink. I think if they got London sized crowds, the place would be rocking.

It really would be rocking. 9000 people can make a lot of noise. I hope it happens.

I don't get why these bigger cities (Miss, Ott and the Hammer) can't do better in attendance. Hamilton has a lot of civic pride too. Yet there have been how many hockey teams come and go in the last 50 years? It is very puzzling.

[retired/sectionJ]

Originally Posted by Dogs Enthusiast 104

It really would be rocking. 9000 people can make a lot of noise. I hope it happens.

I don't get why these bigger cities (Miss, Ott and the Hammer) can't do better in attendance. Hamilton has a lot of civic pride too. Yet there have been how many hockey teams come and go in the last 50 years? It is very puzzling.

I will be short as I do not want to hijack this thread on the three teams mentioned above:

Mississauga does not have any tv as of late. Not sure if they have radio for their games. They do not have a newspaper in Missy to cover them either. They are part of the GTA territory... which means that everything import breaths the Leafs and Raptors. Sportsnet has recently started promoting Missy on their TV and radio stations. By the way, their arena lease is up after this season, I believe.

Ottawa fans, I believe are not happy with the venue and if you have not been there, you should make the trip someday, We have done 2 games at the TD Centre and in my opinion, it is like a dungeon, kind of on the gloomy side and It will take a lot to get us to go back there, other than a playoff game. The fans apparently also have a dislike for the parking and the owner as well. We have a member that is a former 67's fan and he could help us more.
We enjoyed the games at the Canadian Tire Centre while the TD was being renovated.

As for Hamilton, for some reason, the fans support it for awhile and then seem to abandon them.
They have a long history of Jr history with the Redwings, the Fincups and so on.
I hope that they can make a go of it this time around as we like the rivalry that could develop and the closeness to us too.

[three dog night]

I hope it works out in Hamiton do not care about Missy I see them moving

[strohs]

Originally Posted by three dog night

I hope it works out in Hamiton do not care about Missy I see them moving

This is their year.

Next year they are likely beginning a rebuild. Will be interesting to see how much the crowds drop off.

I love the Copps Coliseum (for those of us who remember when it was named that way back in the day), however, it is just too cavernous, even with the top section covered up. The arena's just too damn big for the OHL, even with 9,000 people in it, it won't sound all that great.

I was there in the AHL finals way back in the day, and it was rocking, 17,000 or so in the barn then.

I would hate to regularly go to games in that atmosphere....

[5 for fighting]

Originally Posted by retired/sectionJ

I will be short as I do not want to hijack this thread on the three teams mentioned above:

Mississauga does not have any tv as of late. Not sure if they have radio for their games. They do not have a newspaper in Missy to cover them either. They are part of the GTA territory... which means that everything import breaths the Leafs and Raptors. Sportsnet has recently started promoting Missy on their TV and radio stations. By the way, their arena lease is up after this season, I believe.

You are right, the Steelheads don't have radio coverage of their games. Barrie also does not have radio coverage and Oshawa only has an internet audio stream for their games. The Steelheads do have the Mississauga News newspaper that covers them but that is only a bi-weekly newspaper similar to our Niagara this week paper. I think you are right in that Mississauga is dominated by Toronto news on the Leafs and raptors and the Steelheads have little local media coverage.