Opinion – Backdated from 2nd April 2023

Discussion: What Next for The Cardiff Devils by Stephen Pye

The Season Review

The 22/23 season for the Cardiff Devils has been a rollercoaster of emotions, often at times for the more uneasy of feelings. Expectations were high. Following what felt like a comeback at the same stage last season, resulting in a Playoff win. 

The summer followed up with a bumper announcement on a returning core group and exciting additions. Also, ‘Brodie Dupont’s Barmy Army’ got their wish, a new potential new Lordo. The feeling was good. 

The season started off with the usual ‘finding form and chemistry’ issues, that quickly descended into a crisis of confidence in goal tending.

The challenge cup became a written off, side show, the focus now on the Conti Cup. A home event of a treble win to qualify for a finals weekend in Angers, France, a destination that galvanised every soul connected to the team with hope and again, expectation. 

League performances were building up, a wagon had formed. In France however, the team inevitably demonstrated its ceiling of championship potential.

Despite the ‘Magic of European Hockey’, the comedown after it was the same realisation, we are right back to where we started from.

The bridesmaids of competition, the nearly-boys, the so close, yet no cigars. 

Cost saving signings, even the likes of Fournier, were inevitably a bust, a plaster to cover a wound that nearly got sepsis.

The return of Coughler and Jardine was triumphant but short lived. Jardine had clearly been rocked from his injury, where Coughler once again had begun building chemistry in a system that doesn’t know yet where players fit in. 

The Storm game midweek on Retro Night, owners in town and Waller benched during a game that needed pace and creativity. Concern started to peak, rapidly. It happened again a few games later. 

Understandably, questions were raised on quality and process. The title hopes, fading quickly with a double header in a town that is buoyant and frothing to see this team and fanbase capitulate in front of them. 

Beyond that weekend, just 2 pts gathered and 4^th place secured, 1 more game left, a precarious playoff quarter final coming up, for once, the march to another playoff championship seems far too much for this team. 

So, where to go from here? Let’s look at the key factors heading into the off-season and what needs to be done going forward.

Positives 

The positives are a good core group of players, both imports and Brits to build with. A fresh season with a new coach, his first season proper as head coach, finishing top 4 and pushing all the way to the end for a league title, getting to playoffs and a European title final, that’s a good effort by anyone’s standards. 

The potential issues are a team that has some good points scoring, especially the top line, but lack of an individual to turn the game on its head and get the bench riled up and push for the win, is a focus for the summer. 

Pressure

Another issue is the toll this has had on the coach himself. You witness his emotional rollercoaster first hand in those post-game interviews, he isn’t afraid to show he is deflated, considerably when his carefully mapped out systems and plans come up short. 

The unexpected nature of British hockey, where most games are played with a playoff like edge. Physicality over finesse, with a dash of individual error. The pressure has been telling. 

Production

The positives from his coaching and set ups are great shot attempt production, with one of the league’s best GAA. If your team loses by a goal, after scoring 3 to 4, with over 50+ attempts all night, you turn to your players. Your role is done. It’s on them for that sheet of ice over 60 minutes to produce what has been put into practice. 

Again, it comes back to the original sticking point. The clutch player who can turn the tilt of the game on its head and galvanise his team to get that W.

Power-Kill…?

One area that needs adjustment, is to guide the powerplay. Yes, you need a quarterback. Register last season failed miserably, as he impressively skated slower than Marv, shot production this year has been better. It is finishing. Where we don’t have many games where they score for fun, they also struggle on the powerplay. 

A faltering powerplay, prior to the OT loss at home vs Blaze (11.03.23), they were 0 in 22. In that game, it went to 1 in 24 attempts. Just 27 PPG in 151 powerplays, that’s a 5.6% success rate per powerplay.  

During that time, there were few periods of the season that had 4 to 5 game stretches of zip on this special team area. It got worse with a spate of SH goals being conceded too. This is a triad-based issue. 

1. Coaching
2. Players
3. Recruitment Quality 

Preparation

I stated before on coaching via Twitter that ‘accountability must go to the coaching, there can’t be any excuses.’ An assistant coach brought in to help, a skills coach on hand in Hendrickx, Neil Francis as a mentor, with personnel such as Joey Martin, Ben Bowns, Mark Richardson and Brodie Reid. 

Not to mention, the coach was a forward, who had extensive AHL, ECHL experience, even a stint at Danish Giants Herning Blue Fox. 

Beyond this, you need to look at recruitment. Are there any real specialists in this line up? 27 from 151 would say no (as stated above). Since the Belfast DH, there have been 4 PPG.

Prospecting

Have the mid-season recruitments been up to scratch? Also no. Not even Fournier. 3 points on the PP in 10 games isn’t to be sniffed at, yet there was no actual spark or magic on the ice during games.

That total was 50% of his production. Maybe with more time, his story could have been lined up differently. 

Much has been said for costs regarding some recruitments, comparing to other teams who seem to pick up fantastic players that improve overall performances. Maybe this season, the mark had been missed. 

The future, however, does seem bright. Reece Kelly had a handful of appearances to help shore up the blue line. His promise and attention to details is a comforting sign for an ageing Brit core.

Duggan and Waller would complement the likes of Kelly, not to mention Ed Bradley, who is an ‘A’ at the Pitbulls, with a healthy points production for a D-man, though his career path is up in the air off the ice, so Kelly could be the focus. 

Bayley Harewood has had a stellar season, a standout performer in the GBU20 and is projected 50+ points this season in the NIHL.

We know of last season’s editions, players that should be returning for another spell, Coughler and Brandt. This time, it is the legendary performance on Legends Night by Chad Pietroniro that got the fans, the bench and the players bouncing. A notable look of ‘this is one to look at going forward’ by an owner told the story, Statement received. 

Pietroniro does seem to be a silver lining, with a mould of Brandt intensity off the puck, Reddick-like focus and ability (2-way player) and a great communicator on the ice. Fans are already clamouring for a deal to be made for the next season, he fits in.

A silver lining on an area that will ultimately be looked at with more precision after post-season. 

Post-Season

So how will post-season look from a Devils perspective? Frustration on the ice had been expressed in many forms, from Sanford snapping his stick and clearly in distress to the deflated post game salutes by the team and Dupont’s lost in the wilderness dejections.

Interventional gestures by ownership to gauge feedback from and to reassure fans. Thoughts turn, as they do, to who stays and who goes, including the coaching set up. 

From a stability standpoint, securing a 15-year lease for the arena is a progressive step. The main issue operationally now would be the 2^nd ice pad. A long topic of conversation from fans and users. The quality of the main pad is being affected, noticeably so. 

Hopefully this can be concluded in favour of the lease holders and operations for the club, as yet, they have a climbing frame to perhaps mimic in a sports specific exercise what it is like to climb to the top?

Investment into recruiting would noticeably be something to think about, but more so strategy. With no CHL, no Conti Cup, potentially no playoff championship, a rumoured increase in import size – what would this mean for the quality of signings?

Of course, this plays into who stays, which determines line, role and suitability to this team. 

 The myriad of factors, which would include housing, flights and suitable wages that pay the at home bills and the status of player; are they travelling alone or have a growing family to accommodate? 

All go into signings and fits, for a club that has a spectacular reputation. One that has built on the seasonal success of the operations –  not so much the ownership injecting sums of cash. Perhaps, a different route this post-season?

Lessons seem to have been learned from around the league, both on and off the ice. Can the current group learn and adapt to them?

Would there be similar issues with the same group regarding coaching relationship?  Is the current leadership group the right crop of the bunch?

Would new additions, movements or decisions change this? Could we expect retirements?

There are currently far more questions than answers right now, which seems to be the feeling hanging over the IAW. 

What will be next for the Cardiff Devils? As the owners have stated during the season, ‘at this club, they expect trophies’ – 1 game to go, then a team that knows this group better than the current bench staff (minus Franny). Can it be done?