Return to the Fridge

AND SO WE BEGIN AGAIN

As I begin writing this I'm conscious that his time tomorrow I'll be sat, with a high sense of anticipation, awaiting the arrival on ice of the Edinburgh Capitals EIHL ice hockey team and the start of their 2016-17 season.  It's that time of year when everything is possible, from the glory of optimism to the ignominy of reality.  A blank canvas on which the outlines will only gradually take shape, the hints of shape and colour only emerging as the weeks pass.  With only one certainty - they have, surely, to achieve a better record than last year's squad managed.

There was a time when they too were winners.  After a slow start results wise the Caps emerged as a difficult proposition for any team to tackle at Murrayfield, and capable of spring surprises away from home.  They rose to the giddy heights of fourth in the league, albeit briefly, but looked certain to achieve a solid mid table position come March.  Or so we thought by the end of November.  And then things happened.

Players left, for a variety of reasons, some of them unavoidable.  Players picked up injuries that weren't just going to keep them off ice for a few games, but for the entire season.  And the fear of coming to Edinburgh steadily evaporated as the heat got more intense.  One win at the beginning of December, another in the first fixture of the new year.  And that was it.  More players departed, more picked up injuries.  Replacements were brought in, they picked up injuries.  In a league where imported players dominate, out of our original line up of thirteen only three of them would still be out there in Caps jersey in the closing weeks of the season.  Most tried hard, much to the appreciation of the fans, as Caps plummeted to a distant tenth.  Out of ten.

We're used to losing.  It comes with being a Caps fan.  We enjoy our underdog status, lap up the chance to be gallant losers.  But watching those guys, so few in number against each opposing team, you couldn't help feel sorry for them.  And proud too, for they never gave up.  Trevor Gerling was both a star and a hero for never giving up whatever the odds, and providing flashes of inspiration that had us off our seats.

But that was last year.

Now there's a new coach, a (mostly) new group of imports, and hope in the chilled air of the Fridge of Dreams.  We've seen them play two warm up games.  And lose.  But that was no surprise.  Some of the guys had only flown into Scotland the day before the first of those matches last weekend.  It's hard to play as a team when you've barely learned each others names yet.  When you're still trying to understand the local accent, and that of your Czech coach.

And yet there were so many hopeful signs in those disorganised first showings.  Flashes of talent and skill that, once harnessed, will be a threat to opponents.  A sense of working together, even if not yet to a pattern.  And an intelligent approach from the coach, making sure he got the chance to learn about all the players at his disposal and build the mental picture of strengths and weaknesses heading into his first full week with the squad.  Signs of players wanting to take on responsibility, provide leadership.  And signs that if anyone messes with us we'll fight back.  Signs we want to see.

One week on and the squad has an important addition, and an important omission.  One of last year's star forwards has arrived, in plenty time to take part in the training sessions.  But we are still missing our starting netminder (goalie to non hockey fans) who's still stuck in Canada with visa problems.  So we know there's more to come yet.

Caps fans aren't a demanding lot.  We know we're competing with many teams who have several times our budget.  We know stoicism.  If we could qualify for the knockout stages of the cup; if we could finish in the top eight of the league and have a chance to make it to the Playoffs; and, most importantly, if we can beat old rival Fife Ayers (their misprint, not mine) then we'll consider that a successful season.  And once you're into the knockout stages of any competition there's always the chance of upsets....

But more than anything we want a bunch of players who'll try, week after week, who'll become a squad we can cheer on because we know that they'll give everything they have.

Winning would be nice though....