Newsletter, January 2019

The Christmas break is upon us and we hope you, the players, sponsors and your loved ones have been enjoying the festive season. The SCIHL is now in the midst of its holiday break, where there have been no games since December 9th. Everyone is looking forward to the return of the league on the 13th of January, but until then we have a little mid-season summary to tide you over.

It’s a tight race at the top of the table where Lucky Dawgs (10 points), Hong Win (9 points) and surprise package Bravo (8 points), are separated by 2 points at the top. Lucky Dawgs have been good with their all-round depth, but Gabe Fairbrother and Justin Kuok have been their standout performers so far. Last year’s finalists Hong Win are led by the usual suspects in Lightbound, Klotz, Jackie Chan and Jim Wong, who have picked up right where they left off last season. The unfortunate news for Hong Win is that they will have to do without star goaltender Grant Phillips for the near future, as he broke his collarbone making a dramatic save in a game against Sapporo. Bravo are sitting pretty in third spot but will have to overcome the loss of league assist leader Tony Champion, who could miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Francis Lam will carry the burden of the scoring from now on, and has shown thus far to be more than capable with a league leading 13 goals in 7 games.

Fighting it out for the final playoff spot are Pacific Media Group (6 points), Sapporo (6 points) and Sam Wai (4 points). All three teams have been inconsistent thus far, but the big surprise is early favourites Sam Wai really struggling for form despite league points leader Mike Yoshino racking up the numbers (20 points in 5 games). PMG have struggled on the scoresheet with a league low 18 goals, but with regular scorers Gene Cheh and Don Ho on the team, they will look to turn things around in the new year. Defending champions Sapporo have also been hit or miss so far, with some really good results to go with some really bad ones. They have relied heavily on goaltender Kevin Rushton to keep them in games, and will hope the star netminder will have less shots to deal with in the new year. The league wide injury bug has also hit Sapporo grinder Wilson Wong, who will also miss the rest of the season with a serious back injury.

It looks to be an exciting new year for the SCIHL, with everyone still in the playoff race and some underachieving teams that will look to bounce back in the second half of the season. Hopefully, there is no more bad news on the injury front, and we wish all the teams and players good luck for the remainder of the season. For full standings and statistics, please visit www.SCIHL.com or download the SCIHL app.

We’re halfway through the 2018-2019 CIHL season and there has been no shortage of interesting headlines in what has been the best display of skill in the league’s history. The Manulife Macau Aces flew out of the gate, combining for 16 goals and claiming maximum points in their first two games. Their juggernaut offense is led by China Hockey Group Intern Steven Johnston, who currently leads the league in goals with 17, including a 5 goal game in early December against the HKBN Hong Kong Tycoons. After a brief skid, the Aces have returned to their winning ways and sit second in the standings with 9 points.

The Tycoons have been the most consistent team in the CIHL, with 5 wins and 3 losses through 8 games. Their record is enough to give them top spot in the standings heading into the New Year. Workhorse and persistent aggravator, Jonathan Szychta, has been an immense presence for Hong Kong, getting under the skin of key players on other teams.

After a slow start, the Scotiabank South China Sharks have looked to be the most dangerous team in recent weeks. The trio of Captain Jordan So, Swede Marcus von Sydow, and Dalhousie graduate Ben MacAskill has been dynamite for the Sharks combining for 63 points between the three of them.

Finally, the AsiaXPAT Kowloon Warriors bring up the rear with 5 points. Their play has been woeful at times, including an 11-4 battering at the hands of the Aces. On the plus side, CHG Intern David Belluche has been a strong defensive addition to the side and the team has been the most disciplined in the league registering only 42 PIMs through 8 games.

For further details on the CIHL and all the stats and standings, please visit www.CIHL.com

The Junior Tigers entered the annual hockey tournament in Thailand for the first time in their young existence. The China Hockey Group’s youth hockey program fielded U6, U8, and U10 teams. The U6s had an incredibly successful tournament, reaching the finals and narrowly missing out on the championship with a 6-5 loss. The U8s played in the consolation final while the U10s put up competitive results but failed to make it out of the round robin. Most importantly, the players had an unforgettable hockey experience in Pattaya and the Junior Tigers hope to send even more teams next year.

For more information about the Junior Tigers, please visit them at www.HKTigers.com