Blog Posts

Fife Flyers and Kirkcaldy Ice Rink: Scotland’s Home of Ice Hockey In the heart of Kirkcaldy stands one of Scotland’s most iconic sporting venues — the historic Fife Flyers home rink, Fife Ice Arena. and designed by architects Williamson & Hubbard, …

John Kidd: Tough as Nails in the Glory Days of Scottish Hockey There are some players from the old British hockey days whose stats alone can never truly define. John Kidd was one of them. Hard-nosed, fiercely loyal, and impossible to move from in …

Blackpool Ice Drome — The Famous D-Shaped Rink British ice hockey has had some legendary arenas over the years… but few were quite as unforgettable as the Blackpool Ice Drome. To hockey fans of a certain generation, the words “D-shaped rink” insta…

Nottingham Panthers Win the 1986 Norwich Union Autumn Cup The 1986 Norwich Union Autumn Cup Final will forever be remembered as one of the defining moments in the modern history of the Nottingham Panthers. It was an event of firsts, a showcase for …

The remarkable path of a player who left a lasting mark on British hockey In this episode, I spoke with UK hockey legend Hilton Ruggles, the high-scoring forward who had suited up for the Whitley Warriors, Murrayfield Racers, Cardiff Devils, Manche…

Facing a Legend: The Story of Selmar Odelein Today, we look back at the career of a true character and competitor in world hockey — former Edmonton Oiler, Nottingham Panther, and Sheffield Steeler, Selmar Odelein. His journey spans continents, leag…

Hillheads Ice Rink: Where It All Began Hillheads Ice Rink in Whitley Bay stands as one of the most iconic sporting venues in the North-East, but its origins are every bit as fascinating as the games it went on to host. The story begins in the earl…

The Dundee Rockets:A Dynasty That Burned Brightest in the Early ’80’s The legendary Dundee Rockets of the early 1980s In the rich tapestry of British ice hockey history, few teams shine as vividly — or as intensely — as the Dundee Rockets of the…

🐑 The Sheep on the Bus: The Durham Wasps’ Funniest Road Trip Ever By: Frankie Killen & Ken Abbott Every hockey team has a story that becomes folklore — one that gets told in bars, locker rooms, and reunion dinners for decades. For the Durham…

The Wild Genius of Brent Sapergia: British Hockey’s Most Explosive Import By Ken Abbott Before the days of online scouting and highlight reels, hockey imports were found through word of mouth and thick record books. One of those names — tucked awa…

Gary Newbon, former Solihull Barons Team owner, Central TV and Sky Sports broadcaster is today’s interview guest. Starting at Westward TV, journalist Gary moved to ATV in the early 1970’s, later rebranded as Central TV. Based in Solihull, West Midl…

Tim Cranston Interview  – The Early Years. Tim Cranston, former Fife Flyers, Cleveland Bombers, Durham Wasps, Sheffield Steelers, Edinburgh Capitals forward is my guest for today’s interview.Duel national Tim also played 39 times for the Grea…

As a Nottingham Panthers supporter since the early 1980s, it was impossible not to be drawn into this excellent piece written by fellow long-time fan Ian Braisby. His reflections brought back a flood of memories and more than a few moments of agree…

Durham Wasps: the rise and fall of the north-east’s finest team By Isaac Abraham Durham Ice Rink Demolished in March 2013, the Durham Riverside ice rink had been the home to the mighty Wasps. Many would argue that the team was the greatest sports…

In Podcast Episode 025 Kenny McKie talked about the old Crossmyloof Ice Rink in Glasgow, he explains;    it was a dump, but it was our dump You’ll also find references to it in other various Podcast Episodes, for example, one of  Todd Bidner’s…

Daryl “Lipper” Lipsey Daryl Lipsey Blog Post Interview You could say that Daryl Lipsey came to the UK by accident!Originally from North Battleford, a small town in Saskatchewan Canada. Daryl had agreed to fly to Europe to sign for EV Stuttgart…

Mr Sheffield Steelers I first met Ron Shudra way back in 1993.I’d just opened up my first Hockey Shop and had negotiated a deal that enabled me to stock merchandise from the Sheffield Steelers. I received their stock on a ‘sale or return’ basis and…