One of the oldest, and most respected, teams in the league, Nottingham have always been at the forefront of British hockey. This year will be the first in a while they won't be in the B+H Final, despite being holders, having played in the last three, winning twice. They finished fourth in the league last year, and will won't to improve on that greatly. They currently lie third in the table, and realisticaly look to be more favourites for the Play-offs than the league. However, they are doing well in the new Express Cup, having beaten arch-rivals Sheffield 9-1 in the inaugral match.
The Panthers coach, Mike Blaisdell, is one of the most respected men in the game, and he was another candidate for Coach of the Year last season. He guided them to the Cup, finished fourth in the league, and secured a Championship Final against arch-rivals Sheffield, although they did eventually lose 3-1. They are another team that do not have a large budget but, thanks to the good foundations laid by Blaisdell, they have developed some great young British players, and they have some great imported talent, in particular Trevor Robins, possibly the best goalie in the league.
Nottingham play in the Ice Stadium, an old and small rink. Although it can generate one of the best atmospheres in the league, it is showing it’s age badly, and there is no room for expansion. In light of this, Nottingham have secured planning permission and Millennium Fund money to build a new arena on the site of the Ice Stadium. Although the Ice Stadium will be sorely missed, it is surely the only way for hockey to progress in the Lace City.
GP W L D O GF GA Pts
B+H Cup 2 0 2 0 0 3 7 0
League 4 2 1 1 0 13 15 5
Express Cup 2 2 0 0 0 11 3 4
Play-offs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Overall 8 4 3 1 0 27 25 9
The Nottingham Roster 97/98
No Pos Name D.O.B. Nat Height Weight
4 D Mike Bishop 15/06/66 Can 6' 4" 218lbs
5 D Garth Premak 15/03/68 Can 6' 2" 210lbs
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