Do you dare to enter the Panthers Lair?

Words: Martin Geeson

Visuals: Dave Page (www.davepage-online.co.uk/)

Ice Hockey. Two beautiful words for those people who are looking to quench that Saturday evening action thirst in their life. Learning the rules of the game takes less than a period (20minutes), training your eye not to miss a second of action takes seasons... 

You see, if you are an ice hockey player you learn to love your team like you love your friends. If someone punches your mate you immediately step in to either break up the situation or break some bones in the situation. That simple rule can be applied with ice hockey, with exception to the negotiation rubbish. If some wannabe tough nut fancies his chances with your star man then it's almost cast in stone that, for the integrity of the team, he pays the price.

As I have already mentioned, to spectate you first have to train your eye, which is difficult, but believe me it's fun trying. Do you choose to watch the lightning fast sequence that could be the creation of a beautiful goal? Do you watch the opposition coach who is often a comedy mime artist on his own? Or do you watch two players collide and watch them fight for the honour of last man standing?
 

Still not satisfied? Still begging for more? People of Nottingham I present to you the hottest (and most under publicised) rivalry in UK sport: Nottingham Panthers versus Sheffield Steelers.

If you are looking for players who sweat blood and passion, breathe hatred for each other, and believe that victory in this match is more important than their right arm, then you are starting to understand a tiny portion of what this match means.

How beautiful it is that Panthers must play a two leg cup final next month with Sheffield...


Important things to know before going:

1) Keep your eye on the puck at all times. Pucks do fly over the plexiglass occasionally and unless you fancy a steel sandwich then watch out.

2) Mentioning anything positive about the Sheffield Steelers in the arena is about as wise as putting your right hand in a blender.

My friends are too scared or prefer to watch Stars in their eyes on Saturday night:

Ha losers. Do not worry. Take a friend, take your girlfriend, or go alone. Either of the three you'll have a really great time. Seriously though going alone is no major problem. The Panthers fans around you will be quick with witty comments about opposition players and the referee and you will soon find many friends around you. My first time there I only knew my sister but since then I know about three rows of Panthers fans and we have a great time.

Dressing for Saturday night at the Ice Stadium:

It can be cold sometimes, especially if you're 3-0 down, but remember you're not travelling to Siberia. Dress casual and comfortable and no Burberry baseball caps.

If you want to buy a replica shirt then they retail around £40 but are reduced to £20 at the end of the season. Any Ice hockey shirt will do as the ice hockey communities are united although wearing another British club will attract some pretty harsh remarks.

Where do I sit?

On a seat! Basically it depends on what view you want of the game. Block 3 is the away section so you can't sit there. Blocks 4, 6, 7, 13, 14, 16 and 17 offer great views. If you want to spend a little more and sit above then Sin Bin then sit in Block 5. If you want to sit above the players benches then try Block 15. Tickets cost £13 although if you're a student, child or concession then it's £10.

Essential Reading:

Saturday's Football Post provides a Panthers section which is honest and unmerciful. Midweek there is often snippets in the Evening Post. The Panthers now have an official yearbook, which gives a tidy breakdown of this season's squad. Your Knowledge doesn't need to be great, you'll soon learn why when some players come out onto the ice and when one certain referee is in town why the crowd gives them a poor reception.

People around you will voice their opinions quite loudly to the people sitting next to them whether they know them or not, often recalling tales of that player from past seasons.

And Finally:

Getting to your first game you should arrive early. That way you'll get to see the warm-up for both sides and get a good look at some of the names mentioned earlier.

Be aware of Ice hockey tradition. Before every game, in every country in the world, both sets of player stand on their blue line and the fans stand for the National anthem.

Music is a big part of Ice hockey. When the game stops, a short piece of music is played to fill the gap until the restart. Most teams also have their own goal celebration piece. If a British player scores for the Panthers then Rule Britannia plays (which really seems to annoy Sheffield) and if Johnny Craighead bangs one in then Born in the USA is played.

I won't spoil any more for you. The question is, Do you dare to enter the Panthers lair..?

So you want to show some inside knowledge on the Nottingham Panthers... Well our top players are John Craighead (top right), Mark Cadotte (middle right) and Lee Jinman (bottom right). You will get used to these names, as these three guys are frequently on the scoresheet, handy with their fists and fan favourites. In addition to this the announcer introduces the team at the start of every game. Also when a player scores his name and numbers are announced very loudly.

John Craighead is a right-sided player who formerly played in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Manitoba Moose. He is a clear hero to the fans and gets a great reception every time he comes onto the ice. He has an extremely recognisable Afro and many fans turn up in Afro wigs to show their support for him. He is quite tasty with his fists and never ever backs out of a fight. 

Lee Jinman was a big hero in Nottingham who at the end of last season left for the Swedish Elite league, An offer simply too big to ignore. After relative success in Sweden he had a bust up with his coach and just hours later Panthers announced a new signing would be unveiled at the next home game. When the announcer shouted out "and please give a warm welcome back to number seventy-two Lee Jinman" the crowd rose to their feet for possibly the longest standing ovation seen at the National Ice Arena.

Mark Cadotte is simply the fastest player you're likely to see in the Elite League. He is simply a joy to watch and has the skill and pace of a Brazilian footballer. He has a great record for the Panthers scoring 54 points from 55 starts. If that means nothing to you then to put it simply he scored 27 goals and got 26 assists.

The Nottingham Panthers are also famous for their belief in British players. This season is no exception. Panthers regularly play with Paul Moran, David Clarke, Geoff Woolhouse, Daniel Scott and Marc Levers. The five of them have a fantastic record for the Panthers and are a really good advertisement for British ice hockey as a whole.

This season, 20-year-old, Paul Moran has become a major player in the Panthers team. Paul is a product of the Panthers youth system and played 22 times for the Nottingham Lions in 2000-01 scoring eight times and collecting 19 assists.  Since then Paul has picked up a silver medal at the World under 20 championships with Great Britain and has secured a regular place.

Panther's coach Paul Adey is a Nottingham legend. He holds the points record for the club and scored a whopping 828 goals in his time in a Panthers shirt. For those statistically minded, Paul's record points total is a staggering 1609 points.

Other Panthers legends include Victor Chick Zamick, Les Strongman, Randall Weber, Jimmy Keyes and Greg Hadden.