A moose bit my sister once. :)
Bullwinkle: Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat!Rocky: Again? That trick NEVER works!
Posted on 04/16/2005 4:05:48 PM PDT by sully777
The players on the Israeli men's hockey team will get championship rings if a Montreal trucking executive has his way. They deserve something for what they've accomplished, says Alan Maislin, who is chairman of the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation.
"Our guys have heart," he says.
They proved as much by defeating Iceland 4-2 to win the world title at the third-tier level last Sunday in Belgrade. How this is possible for a country with only one artificial ice rink -- Canada Centre at Metulla -- boggles the mind.
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
"Our guys have heart," repeats Maislin, 59. "My big challenge now is to find a way to get these guys rings."
Israel will move up a division next year and be only one rung below Canada and the rest of the 16-country elite group on the International Ice Hockey Federation ladder.
"We're about five years ahead of where we thought we'd be," says Maislin.
Most of the players are immigrants from Russia or North America. Oren Eizenman, 20, of Toronto, who played college hockey in the United States this season, scored 10 goals in five games and was tournament MVP. Evgeny Gussin, 36, who once tutored under Vladislav Tretiak, was outstanding in the nets.
Jean Perron, who coached the Montreal Canadiens to a Stanley Cup in 1986 and also guided the Manitoba Moose, was behind the bench.
"Jean's suit is still wet from the beer or champagne they poured all over him," says Maislin. "Some of the guys were crying.
"Jean said, 'It's not the Stanley Cup, but it's very close."'
Now, with Perron having committed to continue coaching both the senior and junior national teams, the future looks bright. The big tournament win certainly has brought the program a lot of unexpected attention.
NEED ANOTHER RINK
"We're taking it more seriously now," says Maislin. "We need to build another rink."
Maislin says he hopes a rink can be built in Tel Aviv.
As for planning for next season, a tryout camp will be held for North American Israelis in June in Toronto.
Maislin credits Perron, who is involved strictly as a volunteer, with making this year's efforts successful.
"What has made a difference is bringing in Jean Perron. He's given everybody direction and the guys have responded.
"We've got Russian immigrants in Israel who don't speak English and Jean doesn't speak Russian or Hebrew, but he gets his points across. He knows how to bring people together and get the best out of them."
There is a six-team league in Israel, and 90% of the players on the national teams are participants. They hold down full-time jobs outside hockey.
"Our goal is to develop players in Israel," says Maislin. "We want to win and we want to win with guys who are living and playing in Israel."
Thought you might be interested ping
I've never cared a puck about hockey, but I would cheer for an Israeli hockey team.
One of the strangest conglomeration of words ever to befall one headline.
A moose bit my sister once. :)
Bullwinkle: Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat!Rocky: Again? That trick NEVER works!
I hear Bullwinkle played goalie for Whatsamata U.
Why did the term "Cool Runnings" flash into my head as I read this?
ya can't make this stuff up , heh?? Lots of funny and odd ,imagined snapshots[and slapshots] come to mind;.,.,.,.,"between the pipes[goalie] tonight, Rabbi..."
hahaha! :)
Da puck stuned my beeber, but Coach Moose cheesed me with da puck told me to never ever let dat happen again, on account that he'd high schtick me. So I gets back in da rink.
"Starting goalie for Tel Aviv......Jacques Shapiro".
It will be one sport in which they won't see any Arab teams. Just imagine Saudis putting the effort into that, for instance.
yeah,...and , a team name? I'm sure you could get on this , somethin' like Bruisers In Black , "God Saves , but Yehuda scores on the rebound , 4 to 2 , they get the insurance goal!!" [cheers and whooops]
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
You're not the only one. Can't imagine a lot of frozen lakes in Israel.
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