Jon Parkin Sports

Football Index collapse: a warning for bettors everywhere

A new way to bet

Back in the heady days of 2015, Betindex launched their all-new way to get fans into sports betting. ‘Football Index’ was a way to invest in players, in a stock-market style fashion, combined with fantasy football elements.

As the platform grew, more players were added, and adverts for Football Index sprouted up everywhere. The likes of Tifo Football (now part of the Athletic) and other YouTube based football content creators, took brand deals to advertise the new way to invest in football.

Football clubs like Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers, even had the app as their main shirt sponsor.

A tenner gone

Being curious about the platform, I put a whole £10 of my money into the app, with shares in Jack Grealish, Neal Maupay and a few other up and coming players. Little did anyone know that invested on the platform, they were unlikely to see that money again.

As I was sending emails to try and organise interviews, a new email popped up in my inbox from Football Index with the title ‘Notice of hearing’.

Administration for a platform that had branded itself as a more sensible and slow paced form of sports betting.

The extent of losses

It’s fair to say my loss is minute in comparison to the bigger picture, with big investors seeing thousands go down the drain. Figures from the Telegraph and the Football Index blogs suggest that there were between 30,000 and 40,000 active traders on the app, with over £90million circulating.

I certainly wasn’t an active trader, having really forgotten the app was even on my phone, probably not the most sensible tenner I have ever spent. It is thought that over half a million users signed up for the app.

What now?

Questions remain about what the gambling commission could have done to help protect user’s money. John Whittingdale, the Minister of State for Media and Data, has asked the commission for an explanation of what its action will be in regards to the collapsing platform.

There are suggestions that Gambling Commission simply didn’t act when they could have, to protect customers money. Collapses like this could lead to stricter checks coming into place for Gambling companies, as to whether they can afford to keep operating and paying out such large sums of money.

The commission itself is going through a period of transition. The head of the commission, Neil McArthur, who had come under fire due to the Football Index problems, resigned only days ago.

The final whistle

A quote from ‘Football Index Analyst’ stated that bets and investments on the site, were better than your average bet because “they won’t lose when the final whistle blows”. Unfortunately for customers, the final whistle has been blown on Football Index.

The small positives are that this could lead to an overhaul of the regulations around betting. With greater oversight from the Gambling Commission, people’s money should be at least a little safer.

Did you invest in Football Index? What new safeguarding measures should be put in place? Comment below with your thoughts.

‘That’s a funny name for a team,’ Cray Valley Paper Mills’ extraordinary run to the FA Cup first round proper

Cray Valley Paper Mills FC, based in southeast London, did what every Non-League club aspires to do. They went on a run that made club history, and showcased everything that is good about the FA Cup.

8^th of November 2020, a day filled with both disappointment and pride, for all those associated with Cray Valley Paper Mills Football Club. A one-nil defeat at the hands of National League South side Havant & Waterlooville, marked the end of a historic run.

Cray Valley PM’s players were devastated by their loss to Havant & Waterlooville, which meant the end of their FA Cup escapades. Credit: Dave Cumberbatch

For the first time in their history, Cray Valley PM had played an FA Cup first round proper match. Press Officer, Richard Green, spoke of the feeling around the players at the end of the run:

“I was speaking to one of our players last night, he’s one of our players that’s played over 150 games. And he said to me, ‘it’s a shame that the dream is over’.”

That dream really came out of nowhere. It all started just 40 days after the previous season’s FA Cup final.

‘You’re going to have a run this year’

The preliminary qualifying round is where the Millers started, with their first game of the season against rivals VCD Athletic. A six-nil thumping saw them off, and while speaking to the committee of the Non-League Paper, Richard heard the first suggestion of Cup success.

“I do the reports for the Non-League Paper. One of their committee said to me, ‘you’re going to have a run this year’.“

Cray Valley PM players celebrate one of their six goals, against VCD Athletic. Credit: Dave Cumberbatch

With a guarded sense of optimism, Richard saw the possibility. However, the club hadn’t even made it to the third qualifying round in their history, and the focus of this season was supposed to be on the League.

Staying on target

Promotion was in the hands of Cray Valley PM heading into the first couple of months of this year, but the stoppage of sport sabotaged any plans. The frustration caused by this meant that promotion and progress were of greater importance this season.

“We want to go through the leagues as quickly as we can. We only came out of step five, if you like, the year before last. Last season, we were in the running for promotion, when it all finished, had it been done on points per game, we would have gone up.“

The wins in the cup kept on coming for them though, and as the cup run stretched onward, the League slipped out of focus.

Thrown off course

“The downside of things, is that the game following the Cup exploits, we’ve always had a bit of a lull in our league form. We never actually won a game, following a cup game.“

With all the glory of cup success, there came a feeling that it was halting a successful league campaign. By the time Havant & Waterlooville had awoken the Millers from their dream, they had only won one league game out of five. Meanwhile, the team that had been easily dispatched weeks earlier, VCD Athletic, sat in a healthy 2^nd place.

The further stoppage of Non-League football throughout November has also stalled the season. However, the fact that only five of their league games have been played, means the Millers will have time to right the ship, and push on.

The ‘magic’ is still there

Often when the FA Cup is talked about, the word ‘magic’ is banded about. Many would argue that this magic has gone, with those teams in the later stages fielding weakened sides.

In spite of this, Richard believes the magic still is there, but it is at the stages that are less talked about, without the eyes of the world watching.

“End of one of the games, a little boy wanted to give me a high five. You know, now you tell me the magic of the cup don’t exist. You know, the buzz around the place just… yep it is special. It is special. Yeah. Okay. As I said, you know the league is our priority, but there’s nothing like the FA Cup.“

Francis Babalola celebrates, as the whistle is blown on Cray Valley PM’s 2-3 win over Maidenhead. The striker scored the stoppage time winner, that sent the Millers into the first round proper. Credit: Dave Cumberbatch

In many ways, the ‘magic’ could be seen as having migrated. From the third round and on, to the earlier rounds, where teams like Cray Valley PM have these fairy tale runs, and get attention that they could never have dreamed of.

“Someone on eBay, has done badges commemorating the FA Cup. It had on it, ‘Havant and Waterlooville v Cray Valley PM,’ with the shirts on the badge as well. We’ve never had anything like that done for us before. You’re having a laugh.“

It’s small things like this that mean so much in the world of Non-League football. It also proves the pull and attraction of the FA cup is still there. A run like this brings in new fans, new opportunities, and a nice chunk of change.

Reputation over riches

Had Cray Valley PM gone on the same run last season, they would have got double the prize money. Richard points out that this isn’t money you budget for, a nice surprise. There’s something more important to many Non-League clubs than money, that brings in players and fans.

“It’s kudos, it’s getting our name out there it’s getting respect. People have now heard of Cray Valley Paper Mills. As I say two years ago, we were playing step five football. We won the league that year, we reached the FA Vase final, but even then, it was a case of ‘well that’s a funny name for team isn’t it’.“

Richard kept reiterating this. The money was simply a nice surprise, in a time where financial support for those in step three and below of Non-League, is few and far between.

“Yes, the money is all very nice. But instead of thinking ‘yeah, we won another eight grand or nine grand today’. It was a case of ‘hey we’re going to get on the front page of the Non-League Paper tomorrow. We’re getting our shirt out there. We’re getting some exposure.“

This kind of exposure is of huge importance to a team that is looking up like Cray Valley PM. A bright future up the leagues is what the sights are set on. The FA Cup may well have injected that extra oomph, to heighten the club’s trajectory.

What is your favourite ever FA Cup run? Or maybe you have a particular memory of the FA cup. Comment below with your stories.

How the Tampa Bay Lightning went from embarrassment to the top

The 29th September 2020, a day that will stand out for Tampa Bay Lightning fans. After five long months in the Hockey ‘bubble’, set up by the NHL, they were crowned Stanley Cup champions. An emphatic 4–2 series victory over the Dallas Stars, meant the Bolts had claimed Hockey’s ultimate prize.

‘Chokers’

This seemed a million miles away a year previous, after a dismal end to the 2019 play-offs. The Bolts had looked a sure-fire bet to make it at least to the conference final, after posting the joint highest number of wins ever in a regular season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, and particularly Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, had other ideas though. They swept Tampa 4–0 in a series in which the Lightning didn’t show anywhere near the talent they had. The Lightning became the first ever team to have the best record in the regular season, to be swept in the first round of the play-offs.

Even franchise player and Captain, Steven Stamkos, had no clue why everything went wrong and seemed despondent.

‘I don’t know what to say. If we had the answers, we would have found a way to win a game.’

Any team that fails to win after being the favourite gets bashed on social media, but the label of ‘chokers’ certainly weighed heavy on the Bolts. The social media team didn’t help with the embarrassment either.

The Apology

In the aftermath of the devastating loss at the hands of the Blue Jackets, the Tampa Bay Lightning social media team took to Twitter to apologise to fans:

‘We don’t have any words and we know you don’t want to hear them.

‘We understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness. Everything you’re feeling — we get it

‘This isn’t the ending we imagined, and certainly not the one we wanted. Thank you for being there the entire way.’

This was met with laughter and mocking from fans across the hockey world, adding to the embarrassment felt by fans and players alike.

The Drive to Improve

Andrei Vasilevskiy (centre), was not amused by jokes about the Lightning

Tampa set out on the new season, and despite their record not quite being as good as the previous year, there was a different feeling about the Lightning. During the NHL awards a lot of jokes were made at the expense of the lightning, and every player laughed along with them in the audience, bar one Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Presenter Kenan Thompson said:

‘That’s right, they (Tampa) tied the most wins in the regular season with 62. And then they followed it up by tying with the least wins in the playoffs with ZERO. But hey, hey. That’s what I like about them. Win or lose, they set records.’

This contributed to one of the reasons why the Lightning were in better shape for the 2020 play-offs, with others coming from smart moves from General Manager Julien BriseBois:

· The addition of Bottom six grit and scoring by trading for Barclay Goodrow from San Jose, and Blake Coleman from New Jersey

· Star Players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman wanting to prove themselves in the play-offs and shake off the ‘chokers’ tag

· Andrei Vasilevskiy was angry after the sweep and the jokes. He was going to do everything he could to prove that he was a goalie that could drag a team to the Stanley Cup

The Play Offs

Credit: NHL.com, Pictured: Blake Coleman

As if written in a script, the Bolts first opponent in the Covid-19 affected 2020 play-offs were the Columbus Blue Jackets yet again. A victory in the series would help in some way to get the monkey off the team’s back.

A 4–1 series win highlighted the difference between the team of a year before and the current team. The Bolts then steamrolled a lacklustre Boston Bruins 4–1, and then met the New York Islanders in the conference final.

The Islanders are a team that prides themselves on a solid defence, and the Bolts blew them away, winning the series 4–2. The first game of the series ended 8–2 to the Lightning, with Kucherov, Point and Hedman picking up 13 points between them.

This set up a meeting with an unlikely foe in the Stanley Cup final, the Dallas Stars, who had emerged from nowhere to earn an appearance in the final. The Stars played a gritty, attrition-based style, and those players that had been added to the Tampa Bottom Six would have their work cut out.

The Relief

Credit: NHL.com, Pictured: Nikita Kucherov

The whole Tampa line-up delivered in a final that looked as if it was going Tampa’s way the whole time. Big performances from the likes of Coleman and Point earned the Bolts victory’s in games two, three and four to give Tampa three shots at Stanley cup glory. At the second attempt, in game six, a stunning shut out by Andrei Vasilevskiy dragged the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup win since 2004.

This came as relief for all involved, they had moved on from the disaster of the previous season to win Hockey’s greatest prize. Defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk said after the win;

‘I think things have changed this year. The perception of our team will be changed after this playoffs is over.’

This highlights how the Lightning adapted after being humiliated. The world of hockey will no longer consider them ‘chokers’, and will give them the respect they deserve.

What do you think was the biggest change in the Tampa Bay Lightning over the past year? Comment down below with your views.

NHL 2020 Mock Draft, Picks 1-10

The date for NHL 2020 entry draft has been confirmed, so I thought I’d do a mock draft to try and predict who will be drafted where. I have started with the top 10, as the article would be even longer if I strayed into the 20s or to the end of the first round. With each pick I’ve included key information, along with a summary of my reasoning. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got multiple of the top 10 wrong however, as this years draft has so many high quality players.

1 (Rangers): Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski Oceanic.

TSN: 1 Elite Prospects: 1 THG: 1

Strengths: Puck Handling, Teamwork, Passing

GP 52 G 35 A 77

Everyone agrees that Alexis Lafreniere is the best player in this year’s draft, so I’m not going to go against that. Lafreniere is a physical and dynamic winger, who puts up bags of points, and would be a great addition to any NHL roster. The Rangers have struck gold in the draft lottery.

2 (Kings): Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury Wolves.

TSN: 3 Elite Prospects: 2 THG: 3

Strengths: Speed, Teamwork, Strength

GP 45 G 32 A 50

Though many of the rankings have 6foot4 centre Quinton Byfield at number 3, I believe that Los Angeles will find it hard to pass up a player in Byfield’s mould. Some say that he is overrated, and scouts argue that for his size, he doesn’t throw his weight around enough. That is an issue that can be coached, and a big point scoring centre is gold dust in the NHL.

3 (Senators): Tim Stutzle, LW, Adler Mannheim.

TSN: 2 Elite Prospects: 8 THG: 2

Strengths: Shooting Accuracy, Teamwork, Passing

GP 41 G 7 A 27

For some reason Elite Prospects have dropped Tim Stutzle in their rankings, but there aren’t many, if any, flaws in the German Left Winger’s game. A talented playmaker, who is already putting up points against men in the DEL, Stutzle should slot straight into the top six of most NHL rosters.

4 (Red Wings): Cole Perfetti, LW, Saginaw Spirit.

TSN: 5 Elite Prospects: 7 THG: 7

Strengths: Speed, Puck Handling, Agility

GP 61 G 37 A 74

After the top three, the order of picks could be anything, but I think Cole Perfetti is a great fit for Detroit. He offers a well-rounded forward who can play on the left wing or centre. He earned the CHL scholastic player of the year award, showing his ability, and how he has stood out across the three major junior leagues in Canada.

5 (Senators): Lucas Raymond, RW, Frolunda HC.

TSN: 6 Elite Prospects: 3 THG: 4

Strengths: Shooting Accuracy, Acceleration, Puck Handling

GP 33 G 4 A 6

Lucas Raymond has got more and more attention in recent weeks, so much so that Elite Prospects ranks him at number 3. Much like Stutzle, Raymond has experience playing against men, but this time in the SHL, a higher standard than the DEL. His shot and puck handling are his greatest assets, meaning he’ll provide the Sens with a flashy scoring forward, something that they need.

6 (Ducks): Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa 67’s.

TSN: 7 Elite Prospects: 4 THG: 6

Strengths: Shooting Accuracy, Puck Handling, Agility

GP 56 G 39 A 81

Austrian born Marco Rossi has a real shot at becoming the highest scoring Austrian to play in the NHL, as there haven’t been many. The small centre has been on fire alongside Jack Quinn for the Ottawa 67’s, collecting the scoring title for the CHL and the OHL’s best player award. There are questions about how high his ceiling is, but Rossi should be a star in the NHL.

7 (Devils): Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie Otters.

TSN: 4 Elite Prospects: 5 THG: 5

Strengths: Teamwork, Speed, Puck Handling

GP 49 G 9 A 38

Most scouts agree that Jamie Drysdale is the best defenseman in the draft. There have been comparisons to Chicago Blackhawks mainstay Duncan Keith, which emphasise how highly thought of the right-handed defenseman is. Though it may take Drysdale a year or so back in juniors to get ready for the NHL, it is agreed that he most likely will be an elite defenseman when the time comes.

8 (Sabres): Jake Sanderson, D, US National Team Development Programme.

TSN: 8 Elite Prospects: 9 THG: 8

Strengths: Teamwork, Puck Handling, Strength

GP 47 G 7 A 22

Jake Sanderson has had a meteoric rise up the draft rankings over the past year, from a late to mid first rounder, to a projected top 10 pick. It is thought that Sanderson is more defensively sound than Drysdale, and should at least be a solid stay-at-home defenseman at the NHL level. Some scouts do believe however, that Sanderson has become a little overrated, and question whether he will be able to put up points when he gest to the big time.

9 (Wild): Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa 67’s.

TSN: 10 Elite Prospects: 16 THG: 10

Strengths: Teamwork, Puck Handling, Agility

GP 62 G 52 A 37

Though most draft lists have Jack Quinn at number 10 or lower, I think he may sneak ahead of Alexander Holtz and into the number 9 spot. Minnesota could do with a real goal scorer, and Quinn is exactly that. Much like Sanderson, Quinn’s stock has risen sharply over the past season, but it is hard to find any downsides to drafting the right winger.

10 (Jets): Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgardens IF.

TSN: 9 Elite Prospects: 6 THG: 9

Strengths: Shooting Accuracy, Puck Handling, Speed

GP 35 G 9 A 7

Alexander Holtz possesses probably the best shot in the draft, but has work to do on other areas on his game. Though the Jets need help on the blue line, if Holtz was available at 10 then they would surely take him, as he would easily be the best player available. This could be a steal later down the line, as Holtz could turn into a natural scorer at the NHL level.

How can the Penguins improve their defence in the off-season?

Beaten in four games in the ‘play-in’ round of the Stanley Cup play-offs, an embarrassing reality for Pittsburgh Penguins fans, who would have been expecting a deep play-off run. The fact that this defeat was at the hands of the worst team to qualify for the play-in, the Montreal Canadiens, added extra salt to the wound.

The autopsy on what went wrong seemed to drag up a few issues, a lack of fight back from the team when they went behind, and sloppy defensive play from the likes of Justin Schultz, Jack Johnson and Marcus Petterson. It is this defensive frailty that will have to be solved by General Manager Jim Rutherford in the off-season, and with a need to make the team younger and spend less money, this is anything but a simple task.

There are a number of routes the Pens could go in order to improve things. In order to improve the long-term success of the defence, the Penguins could use their 15^th overall pick to draft one of a number of promising defensive prospects in this year’s draft. Though it is unlikely that the most exciting defensemen in the draft (such as Jamie Drysdale and Jake Sanderson) will slip to 15^th overall, the likes of Braden Schneider or Kaiden Guhle could be available. Having someone like Guhle in the system would provide the Pens with a player who wouldn’t come in right away, but would at least provide a solid top six defenseman in years to come. In his third year at the Prince Albert Raiders, Guhle has shown he not only has solid defensive skills, but he can add points at the other end of the ice, with 11 goals and 29 assists in 64 WHL games.

If the Penguins secure some of the future with a good defensive prospect, they can help themselves in the present by securing one or two free agents. The Penguins will have some cap room to work with, around $7 million if reports are to be believed that Rutherford wants to spend in the mid seventy-million-dollar range next season. This is unless the Pens trade those with high cap hits like Jack Johnson, who’s contract has been a burden from almost the second after he signed it. Though the big boys of the UFA market like Alex Pietrangelo may be out of the Pens reach, there are still plenty of solid options that could bolster the blue line.

Erik Gustafson could provide a good option, providing he doesn’t resign in Calgary, and at 28 he still has plenty of years at his prime. The Swede also wouldn’t command a ridiculous amount of money for his services, when you consider his offensive output and defensive capability. He has played solidly over the play off games for Calgary so far and put up 26 points in 59 games for a poor Chicago Blackhawks before being traded this year. Gustafson would provide the pens with someone who can play with Kris Letang and is on the same level as him in terms of passing and puck handling ability.

The second option could be a cheaper one in the form of someone like Dylan Demelo. This is yet again provided he doesn’t stick around in Winnipeg, but Demelo would provide some much-needed depth defence for the Pens. Demelo’s points totals in the past haven’t set the world alight, but have nonetheless been solid, with a couple of 20-point seasons to his name. On top of this, he managed to have a plus minus rating of +3 before being traded, this was on a dreadful Ottawa Senators team. At 27 he has plenty of years left in the tank, and he wouldn’t have too high of a cap hit.

The third way that the Penguins can improve the defence is via trades. The prospects in the system such as Pierre-Olivier Joseph don’t look ready to make the step up to the NHL, so trades will most likely provide a lot of the reinforcements on the back end. It is hard to predict who will come in via trades, so I won’t, however it’s easier to see who could leave Pittsburgh. Jack Johnson could have been traded several times last season, but no one wants to eat up his $3million cap hit, without sending a bad contract back. Minnesota nearly took Johnson in the Phil Kessel trade, but would have sent the $4million hit of Victor Rask back. It has been made clear by ownership that buying out the Johnson contract is not an option, as they are reluctant to use buy-outs to free up cap space. The question is still who would want Jack Johnson? Pittsburgh may have to give up something, like a draft pick or prospect, to get Johnson off the books.

There have also been rumours of trades for Kris Letang, and though his cap hit is high, I can’t see one happening. Letang is 33, but his play hasn’t deteriorated, and the issue has been not having a defenseman good enough to play with him when Brian Dumoulin is out. Furthermore, it would take a lot for the Pens to trade a player who has been a franchise cornerstone over the last decade. The returns wouldn’t be enough for a trade to be justified in my opinion.

If the pens can make one or two tweaks in defence, and draft a solid defensive prospect, they should stand in pretty good stead for the close and more distant future.

The Effects of Coronavirus on Sport: Squash Wales

Sport across the UK has been ravaged by Covid-19, with fixtures and events cancelled, often for the foreseeable future. One organisation that has felt the effects of the pandemic is Squash Wales.

Philip Brailey, Chair of Squash Wales, released a statement in March which announced that all fixtures would be postponed until at least the end of April. In the statement he said: “We appreciate the impact this has on our players and others in the sport.”

Physiologist Researcher Jack Bickley, who was set to work with Squash Wales at the upcoming Academy squad matches in Bangor, has felt the full impact of the postponements.

Mr Bickley said that the pandemic “has resulted in delays to my programme, which was designed to run in parallel to the season.”

He went on to discuss the options after the pandemic including “a shorter pre-season programme and risk potential injuries and reduced data collection, or complete the full programme and risk burning the players out.”

This risk is troubling for physiologists such as Mr Bickley, whose largest concern is the fitness of the players that they are testing. He also conveyed a fear that “the athletes when not under strict supervision will not maintain their condition.” This raises fitness concerns as athletes aren’t able to compete and have no events to stay in peak condition for.

This spills over into issues regarding the competitors falling behind, “any slip up in development could cause an athlete to be overtaken by another.” This is particularly bad for the young academy players who would have been competing at the matches in Bangor.

Mr Bickley asserted that “just gaining competitive match experience would have been crucial for development,” meaning a lack of game time may cause stunted development.

The full statement from Philip Brailey can be found at http://www.squash.wales/covid-19-update-13-03-2020

Communism and the Dangerous Road to the NHL

Today’s NHL has a multitude of talented players from all over Europe and North America. Players from former Eastern Bloc countries make up a huge portion of the stars of the League.

However, this wasn’t always the case, as the USSR heavily guarded their hockey programmes. They certainly didn’t allow players to choose where they wanted to play, and because of this, some players took matters into their own hands.

Hockey Divided

Due to the divide caused by the Cold War, very few Russians and members of the Eastern Bloc ever made it across to the NHL. To the majority of players, this was the highest standard of Hockey. Those that did make it across were part of token gestures by the USSR, and were often forgettable and failed to have any kind of impact.

Super Stan

The trailblazer for Hockey players from the Eastern Bloc playing in the NHL, Stan Mikita, moved to the United States as a young boy. After Czechoslovakia became Communist, Mikita’s parents didn’t want their son growing up under the regime. A dynamic and tough forward, Mikita went on to be the record points scorer for the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the words of Peter Stastny ‘he put the NHL up to the highest echelon in Slovak thinking’. This led others to think about what they could achieve if they played in North America.

Not for the Faint Hearted

Though Mikita was a hero across the USSR and particularly Czechoslovakia, to follow in his footsteps wasn’t as simple as moving to the US in order to play in the NHL. Few players were able to make the move as they feared for the safety of their families.

‘Defecting’ from the USSR would mean they could never return, and would have nothing to fall back on if they were unsuccessful in North American Hockey. This prevented many of the great talents of the Soviet Hockey programme, and the hockey programmes around the Eastern Bloc, from ever playing on the biggest stage.

A Noble Cause

Peter Stastny and his two brothers, Anton and Marian, can be seen as the largest early case of a defection to play in the NHL. In an interview with TSN, Peter stated that he was motivated by the thought of his children growing up under a Communist led regime. ‘I didn’t want my children to grow up with a split personality — values taught at home and different values taught by the regime’.

The Importance of Planning

The Czech national team had not played well at the 1980 European Championships in Vienna, and so Peter contacted the Quebec Nordiques. He informed them that he and his brother wanted to leave for Canada.

Marcel Aubut, CEO of the Nordiques, and personnel director Gilles Leger immediately flew to Innsbruck, instead of Vienna, in an attempt to avoid being followed by Czech or Russian security services. According to an article soon after the events by Hal Quinn ‘Leger had been working on the defection since November 1976,’ thus proving the difficulty and complexity of the task Leger and Aubut had to complete.

The plan was to get the two brothers and Peter’s heavily pregnant wife (Darina) on a flight to Amsterdam and then to Canada. They decided the best first step was to get them to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna, and while there, they could apply for political asylum.

Difficulty came with the presence of the Czech secret service providing security for the team. Aubut recounted one previous attempt to bring the brothers to North America around the Winter Olympics; ‘the police around the Russian and Czechoslovakians were so thick we couldn’t get within 100 feet of them.’

A Plan Comes Together

After the brother’s final game, Aubut and Leger rushed them and Darina into a car and took them straight to the embassy. The Czech security services reportedly had guns drawn on the defectors as they made their hasty exit. The embassy then protected them as they gained political asylum and were taken to the airport. Aubut stated that the success of the defection ‘was like a victory by capitalism over communism’.

A Roaring Success

The oldest Brother, Marian, felt he couldn’t leave Czechoslovakia due to the fact he would have to leave his wife and three children behind. However, Peter, his wife and Anton fled for North America. The two picked up $1 million 5-year contracts in Quebec, and made the Nordiques a force in the NHL. Peter scored 109 points in 77 games in his rookie season, and Anton 85 points in 80 games.

Meanwhile, as was reported in the New York Times in 1981, Marian was suspended from the Czechoslovakian national team, and was out of Hockey all together. In an interview at the time, Peter alluded to the shady nature of this by saying that the official reason for the punishment was ‘he had difficulties getting along with the coach. But I think they are reprimanding him for our departure.’

Marian would join up with the Nordiques not long after, and the fairy tale story of the defected brothers playing for the same team, on the same line, was complete. Though they would never have the ultimate ending of winning a Stanley cup, they set an example for European players coming to the NHL.

A Legacy of Greatness

Peter’s legacy has carried on today, with a great number of lasting impressions left by the Czech:

He was the highest scoring player not named Wayne Gretzky across the 1980s, scoring 1059 points across the decade
His son Paul, plays as first line centre for the Vegas Golden Knights
the Stastny brothers built upon the legacy of one of the greats of Hockey, Stan Mikita, providing inspiration for so many young Europeans looking to find their way in Hockey
Peter was honoured with a place in the Hockey hall of fame, after an NHL career of 977 regular season games in which he scored 1239 points.
He was awarded a spot in the NHL’s top 100 greatest players of all timein 2017, to commemorate 100 years of the NHL

Are there any other ways in which the Stastny’s impacted the world of hockey? Comment below with your ideas.

Is Signing Danny Drinkwater a Good Move for Villa?

With reports circulating that Danny Drinkwater has been seen at Bodymoor Heath, and that the 29-year-old is set to complete a loan move to Villa park, it’s time to look at how he would fit into the Villa team. Is this a good move for the Villans? Or will this be a failure like Drinkwater’s move to Burnley?

On a very basic level, Villa need central midfield depth, and Drinkwater would provide exactly that. However, what has been lacking is a combative and energetic presence, particularly with the loss of John McGinn to injury. If you look at Drinkwater’s stats from his career since the 2013/14 season, he is certainly a gritty midfielder. He has averaged 2.4 tackles per game across 158 appearances. As a comparison, in his 18 Premier League appearances this season, John McGinn has averaged 2.5 tackles per game. This means that Drinkwater isn’t far behind the Scotsman in terms of his tackling.

Drinkwater is unfortunately lacking a little in the passing and creativity department. In the 60 minutes he has played this season, he had a pass completion of under 60%, and throughout his career he’s averaged under one key pass per game. This could however be due to the system Burnley play, as they play a large number of long balls that are often unsuccessful. His creativity shouldn’t be a big issue either, as the Villa have players like Jack Grealish and Douglas Luiz that have greater passing ranges and creative abilities.

On a purely stats-based front, Danny Drinkwater could in theory be a good fit for the boys in claret and blue. Despite this, there are still a number of issues to contend with regarding the former England international. His attitude has been questioned on a number of occasions. Alan Shearer stated in 2017 that Drinkwater ‘lacks the right attitude to play for England,’ and there have been many articles across the media suggesting that he doesn’t have the desire to play. His problems with alcohol have also been noted, which can’t have a great impact on the way he plays or trains. Last year the midfielder was involved in both a brawl outside a nightclub, and was charged with drink driving. Though there could be other factors at play regarding his alcohol problems, it does create questions over whether bringing him into the dressing room at Villa Park would have positive implications.

He has shown some real skill and tenacity in the past though. You only have to look back to Leicester’s title winning season, and there was a player that dominated the middle of the park alongside N’golo Kante. Granted, it was with one of the best midfielders of the last decade, but you don’t win the Premier League title without showing desire and application. Perhaps Dean Smith believes he can get that out of him. He played well enough to get himself a move to Chelsea, which is no mean feet either, and across his time at Leicester he was one of the leaders in the dressing room. If Smith could get that leadership ability out of Drinkwater again, then that would make him a huge asset in staying up, as there seems to be no leader in the midfield without super John McGinn.

It has to be said that Drinkwater hasn’t been given much of a chance to show his ability in recent years, and perhaps his issues have come to light because of that. Sean Dyche comes across as a very no-nonsense type manager, and maybe that isn’t what he needs. As we hear more and more in the world of football, tough management is gradually dying out and is being replaced with giving players an arm round the shoulder and a chat. Dean Smith’s calmer and more collected manner could bring out the best in him.

It’s easy to look at either his loan move to Burnley for the first half of this season or the Premier League winning season with Leicester, and come to a conclusion on Danny Drinkwater. In reality, desperate times call for desperate measures, and Drinkwater is a midfielder with Premier League experience that is available on a short-term basis. A loan move for a more experienced player makes sense, and if it doesn’t pan out and he doesn’t play a single game, he’s only on loan. Villa won’t be stuck with another ageing player on big money if he can’t cut it. What it does mean however, is that any hope of signing either Michy Batshuayi or Olivier Giroud on loan are gone, as restrictions only allow one loan from a single Premier League club. On the striker front, the recruitment team will have to look abroad.

My Picks for the 2020 Stanley Cup Final

Even though the NHL playoffs are quite a distance off, and the regular season isn’t even halfway through, I thought I’d try and make my picks for the Stanley Cup Final. It’s around this time of year that the future winners of the cup or the surprise packages start to emerge, and the hottest teams around late December and January tend to do well when it comes to play off time.

I’ve picked one Western conference team and one Eastern conference team of course, picking the West was much easier than the East. The factors I looked at when deciding were their full record and recent form, but most importantly I looked at which teams have past play off performers, and Goaltenders that could take a team far in the post season.

This factor of Goaltending is huge as any Hockey fan knows, and having the ‘hot hand’ and riding it can be the difference between being swept in the first round and having a deep play-off run. Look at the last few winners of the cup: two Goaltenders stick out as the inform Goalie that made the difference. In Pittsburgh, Matt Murray came from out of Marc-Andre Fleury’s shadow to power the Pens to back to back Stanley cups. Even last year, Jordan Binnington emerged from nowhere to solve St. Louis’ woes in between the pipes and provide them with a calm presence that made the difference on a great number of occasions.

This analysis of the Goaltenders has ruled out certain teams for me, as I believe that they don’t have the sturdy Goalie required. Though Sergei Bobrovsky is the ‘$10million man’, and has shown he can be a wall in the net he’s yet to show anything this season to get me excited about the Panthers’ chances, especially with a fairly inconsistent team in front of him. The same can be said of Edmonton, despite having arguably the best two players in the league, I’m not sure that Koskinen and Smith are quite good enough to carry them to the Stanley cup final if the going got tough.

Eastern Conference- Tampa Bay Lightning

After their pathetic choke in the 2019 play-offs and poor start to this season, I think the pressure has been lifted a little off Tampa Bay. Their recent form has drastically picked up, and the Lightning are beginning to look like the team they should be. In the goaltending department they are very solid. Curtis Mcilheney is a very able back up to one of the best Goalies in the league, Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy has 19 wins this season, with a .911 save percentage. This isn’t extraordinary, but the 6-foot 3-inch Russian has shown in the past that he can turn it on in the post season, even if the 2019 play-offs were very disappointing.

Defensively they have probably the best defenceman in the NHL in the form of Victor Hedman. 39 points in 39 games so far, this regular season is nothing to be sniffed at, particularly from a defenceman. He also has plenty of decent defencemen with him, most notably Kevin Shattenkirk and Mikhail Sergachev. Defensively Tampa have plenty of depth and talent.

They have great depth in forward areas too. Nikita Kucherov is a great performer in both the regular season and play offs, contrary to what some people would make you believe after the Lightning were swept by Columbus. Kucherov averages around a point per game in the playoffs in his career overall. Their powerplay is also terrific, in fact it’s currently second best in the NHL with a 28.8% success rate. As long as the Lightning have Kucherov, Hedman, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point on the power play, the Lightning can blow out any team if given the opportunity. Though penalty time is reduced when it comes to play-off time, the Tampa powerplay can only assist them in going far. The lightning definitely won’t want a repeat of the sweep by Columbus, and this will give them an edge to reach the Stanley Cup final.

Western Conference- Dallas Stars

Dallas had a horrific start to the season, and looked down and out early on, with star performers not playing anywhere close to the level they should be. Gradually however, the Stars have risen through the standings, and now sit 3^rd in the Central division.

In terms of Goaltending, Dallas are blessed with a brilliant tandem of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin. Both goalies have been sensational this regular season, and the stars certainly wouldn’t have won as many games as they have if Bishop and Khudobin weren’t as hot as they are. Khudobin has a save percentage of .931 and Bishop .926, that’s ridiculous. This shows that even if one of the Dallas goalies has a cold streak or gets injured, there’ll be at least one top class goalie to take the Stars on a deep play-off run.

Despite a ropey start from the Stars best players, most notably Jamie Benn, scoring has picked up somewhat. Benn is now on 20 points in 42 games, not great but better than early in the season. Scoring overall for Dallas hasn’t been high, but they’ve still managed to win plenty of games due to their stout defence and goaltending. The emergence of Roope Hintz is certainly a welcome one for fans of the Stars, and the young Fin dragged his team through a number of games at the start of the season before others started to pick up the slack. What this does show is that if the big-name players don’t turn up, others can help out. In the off-season the Stars added some veterans in Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry, despite the fact that both aren’t quite at their peak, their experience of Stanley Cup finals and play-off runs will be invaluable.

In terms of special teams, the stars powerplay is pretty poor at 18%, but it’s their penalty killing that is really impressive, in fact it’s 6^th best in the NHL. On top of this they’ve scored a handy four short handed goals. Having a good PK unit is very important when it comes to play-off runs. Just look at the Vegas Golden Knights, you can’t let in four goals in a five-minute powerplay.

The Stars great defence can only help to go deep in the play-offs, when games become tighter and scores are lower. Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg is a great defensive core, and the Stars mean defensive stats over the past few seasons show that. If the forwards can get a few more points on the board I think a good play-off run is guaranteed. The NHL has shown in recent years that being the best team in the regular season doesn’t guarantee play-off success, I think the Dallas stars are hitting their stride at the right time, and have the right trajectory for a team that’s on their way to the Stanley cup final.

Aston Villa Player Ratings, Newcastle at Home

Probably the biggest game of the season so far for Villa, with a hard run of games upcoming, good performances were needed all round. The boys in Claret and Blue did not disappoint and could’ve won by more than just the two goals they had to settle for at full time. The performance was greatly helped by the returns of Grealish and Heaton from injury and Hourihane to the starting XI. The spark seemed to return to the attack, and the defence had greater confidence with Heaton behind them. These three points count for more than just moving Villa away from the relegation zone, they also give the players confidence to feel they can take something from Man United on Sunday. The three-game funk has ended, and it feels like a weight has been lifted.

Tom Heaton- 9

Heaton put in a pretty much flawless goalkeeping performance. He made several big saves when needed, most notably off Fernandez in the first half and then Saint-Maximin in the second. His playing out from the back was also more consistent than it has been previously, most likely because of the lack of press from Newcastle. He performs his job with no fuss and is one of the best shot stoppers in the Premier League.

Fred Guilbert- 7

A much better performance from Guilbert was highlighted by his ability to keep the dangerous looking Allan Saint-Maximin quiet for the majority of the game. His tackling was hard and fair, and his runs forward were as frequent and energetic as ever. At this point of the season, Guilbert looks like a bargain at £4.5million as he is generally solid at the back and adds an extra element down the right on the attack.

Ezri Konsa- 8

Many Villa fans were worried when the teams were announced and Bjorn Engels wasn’t in the squad. Konsa soon put those worries to bed as he was sturdy and composed alongside Tyrone Mings. He cut out several Newcastle attacks and marshalled both Joelinton and Andy Carroll with relative ease. On top of that, he also looked a threat from set pieces, managing to find himself free in the box from a corner, where he really should’ve scored. If he performs well against Man United on Sunday, Engels could find it very difficult to get back into the starting XI.

Tyrone Mings- 7

Despite some loose passes early on, Mings soon found his feet. The England international made the £40million Joelinton and £20million Almiron look like championship players, though they didn’t need much help. His passing ability and ease on the ball is key to everything that the Villans do, and most moves start with Mings playing the ball into the midfield or out to the full backs.

Matt Targett- 8

Targett is very useful going forward. He showed this on a number of occasions during this match. A ball fizzed across the face of goal early on set the scene for a good display from the young full back. Even though he clearly wasn’t 100%, with him lying on the floor throwing up after a throw in in the first half, Targett played like he was. Defensively he was consistent too, getting back to stop the Newcastle break a couple of times in the first half. Probably Targett’s best all-round performance of the season so far.

Douglas Luis- 6

Douglas had a reasonable game at the base of the midfield. He shows good technical attributes with his ability to spread the play after receiving the ball from the centre backs. He also always looks a threat from the edge of the box. However, he seems to still be adjusting to the pace of the English game, as several times he was caught on the ball, putting the defence under pressure. Once he is able to release the ball quicker, he’ll be a quality player, as he allows the likes of McGinn and Hourihane to venture further forward.

Conor Hourihane- 9

The Irishman showed his deadly touch from set pieces once again with a goal and an assist. This capped a performance in which he provided great creativity when floating out to the left to support Targett, when Grealish cut inside. He also performed his defensive duties admirably and 98% pass completion shows that he played very few loose passes. This was important as Newcastle looked to seize upon mistakes in the Villa midfield, and hit on the counter attack. Hourihane can perform at any level, it’s rare that a player can work their way from League 2 to the Premier League.

John McGinn- 8

Another busy performance from McGinn showed all of his qualities. His pace to get to the ball and ability to get the team moving forward helped greatly in the second half once Newcastle started to slightly up the ante. He was unlucky not to grab himself a goal late on with a couple of chances lacking a good finish, when Newcastle looked tired. Showings like this from McGinn have become standard, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Jack Grealish- 9

The only way Grealish could’ve done any better is by scoring a goal. He was first in most of the statistics throughout the game, most notably in chances created, and there’s a feeling of excitement whenever he picks up the ball. Villa look a much more confident team when Grealish is on the pitch, as they know that he can conjure something out of nothing. His work rate and defensive play has also improved no end over the last year, he is essentially the complete package.

Anwar El Ghazi- 7

El Ghazi scored in what was a pretty decent outing for the 24-year-old. He clearly has bags and bags of ability. In the last couple of home games, he’s picked out players on the opposite wing exquisitely, and his finishing ability with the ball at his feet is very good. His downfall in this match was not getting his head up when dribbling and offloading the ball, which lead to a loss of possession on a few occasions. Otherwise this was a good showing from El Ghazi, and he looked dangerous and tracked back relatively well.

Wesley- 6

A better performance from Wesley saw the Brazilian throw his weight around with a little more purpose in the second half. The ball doesn’t seem to stick to him very easily meaning his hold up play is inconsistent, and he really should’ve scored to make it 3-0 with what was an easy chance. If Wesley performs more like this as a baseline, then he still adds something to the Villa attack, and he’ll pick up one or two goals.