The New Zealand Ice Hockey League is officially under way.
It kicked off last weekend, but today will see the Botany Swarm start off their season with the first game of a double header against the Dunedin Thunder.
Captain of the side Michael Attwell joined D’Arcy to preview the season.
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Episode Transcript
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Inseed Ice Hockey League, well underway, Well, if you count
one round as well underway, it's well underway. It started
last weekend. The local Botany Swarmer team is a few
Auckland teams involved in this league. One's a bit of
a development team, but the Swarm and the Admiral's definitely
been there, done that. They're going to be playing their
(00:32):
first official games. The Botany Swarm It's first official games
of the season this weekend. It's a doubleheader at home
against the Dunedan Thunder. Michael Atwell's the captain of the Sciety,
joins us now to discuss this. Good morning, Michael, how
are you. I'm very well. Nice to hear your voice again.
I thought Kyle last time around he did a great, great,
(00:54):
great job in your absence, of course, looking at hockey
in the round gets underway properly for you this weekend.
But the other clubs in the National Ice Hockey League
they started last weekend, so you've got a couple of
games in hand, yes.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, yeah, we started our season with a bye weekend,
so yeah, I mean extra week of prep, but the
others have had a game weekend, so they've they've shaken
the rust off a bit. So we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
As far as the build up and the lead up
to any areas that you've concerned on from last season
that you guys need.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
To work through, no, I think I think generally like
we've been doing pretty well. I think the more experience
we get in like the semi final games and the
final games, that becomes pretty valuable. I think our normal
seasons performance is pretty good. We just need to close
it in the important ones.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I think it's a home game on home ice, two
games this weekend. The visitors from Dunedin are on the
way up. What do they bring to the ice.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
They're a pretty strong team, They've they've got a good
group of import players from overseas, some good local players
as well, so they've been improving the last few years.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
What do you look at when it comes to imports.
What are the restrictions around who you can bring in,
how much ice time they can have.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
There's no there's no restrictions. We can have two imports
from overseas per team dressed, so I mean we could
bring as many as we like, but only it can
have two dressed in a game. The only restriction is
the import goalie. If we get one, actually counts as
(02:47):
two players.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well are they that important those guys?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, they deem it that. It's I guess a bit
more advantage to have a better goalie.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
And that's kind of being a bit cruel, isn't it
to local players now that much better in goal? How
does that show itself, the fact they're that much better
in goal? Besides how many parks they let through?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I mean we've had a few. I don't I mean,
I don't think it's I don't think it's a championship
guaranteed having an import goalie. I mean we can still
score on them. They might save a few more, but
I would much rather have two players as opposed to
one import goalie.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
How bossy do they get or More's the point, not
the goalies, but the imports. How much do you lean
on these guys with their experience? Do they take a
lead for the fact they're an import? Do they carry that?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I guess it depends on their personality. We've had a
really good run of imports. They don't really come in
and try to be bossy. They're obviously hugely skilled being
professional athletes overseas, so I think they know that they're
here to I guess, not teach as such, but just
(04:03):
share their wisdom and stuff. So they don't come in
and try boss people around, but more I guess just
lead by example, and we encourage them to give us
much feedback and whatever they can to help improve our
league and New Zealand hockey as well.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Their imports, do you cross their palms with gold? Michael, Nah, nah,
I wish well. So they're just purely amateurs. They're just
coming for the good time.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, So we're not allowed to pay them because the
league's an amateur league. I think. I think the league
sorts their flights out and they come here and they
work and they've like our import this year has just
bought his own car for the year. He's got a job,
so it's it's pretty much purely amateur. They just use
(04:54):
it for I guess off season for them, but to travel,
keep hockey going while they're not playing overseas.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And experience the beauty all right, exactly what's their feedback Michael?
Around the facilities that are here for the game.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
It's pretty good. I guess each rink is different, someone
newer than the others. But I think generally they have
good things to say. Well, I hope they have good
things to say. I haven't heard anything negative straight from
them yet.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So you're getting underway this afternoon. You've got another game
coming up on the Sunday. What four forty five this afternoon,
and you're looking at what the same time on Sunday?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Yeah, yeah, at Botany.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I think it might be four thirty Sunday, but around
about then.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah. No, I'm just throwing numbers at you because I
remember from last time. If I've got it wrong, it's
because the website's not up to date. But that's okay.
I'm not blaming my eras on somebody else. Michael Outwill
is the skipper of the storm, thinking very much for
your time, as always, get in the air cause of
ruckus and let's make sure your buyer is a distant
memory and you can walk away with a handful of
(06:01):
points easy.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Thank you for more from the All Sport Break First
with Darcy Watergrave. Listen live to News Talk set B
on Saturday mornings, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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