Welcome to the 1-on-1 “Face-Off” segment here on Murph On Ice – where we bring you Murph’s conversations on a regular basis with some of the best hockey minds around!

Murph had the pleasure of chatting with a passionate hockey advocate in Ireland with over 20 years experience in the game, and an assistant coach of the Northern Ireland Tridents for the World Police and Fire Games. Enjoy his interview with Beni McAllister.

In August 2013, Belfast will become the first city in the UK or Ireland to host the much coveted World Police and Fire Games.

Murph On Ice – Great to talk to you Beni, it’s been too long, thanks for taking the time to join me here on the website!

Beni McAllister - My pleasure Murph, always good to chat with you, thanks for having me on!

MOI – When it was announced that the World Police and Fire Games would be held in Belfast in August 2013 – did you even think it possible that you’d be involved coaching Northern Ireland in hockey?! 

Beni McAllister works on positioning and systems with the NI Tridents.

BM – No! But I’m very proud to be involved with this team and it’s preparation for the World Police and Fire Games. The NI Tridents will represent the whole country in the event, so I suppose you could say it is as close to a ‘National’ squad as the joint services are ever going to field in this country. The mood in the ‘camp’ is electric, it’s not often you get an opportunity to prepare and play in such a prestigious event in a small country like Northern Ireland. So everyone from coaching staff to the players is looking forward to making history in local NI Hockey, and leaving behind a real legacy for the sport for years to come!

MOI – There’s no doubt there will be some tough opposition from the likes of Canada and the USA.  Tactically how are you and the other coaches approaching the tourney?

BM – At this stage we have been focused on basics and we’ve tried not to think much about the competition, remember 18 months ago this team didn’t exist and 80 percent of these guys had never skated before. We have had to focus a lot on basic skating and basic hockey skills. In saying that, if you had to go out and select a bunch of guys to start a hockey team with, you couldn’t have gathered a better, more enthusiastic bunch!

MOI – Mark Morrison is a local Belfast guy that had a good career in the Elite League with the Belfast Giants – how important is it to have a head coach with his pedigree to help the team get ready for 2013 in front of the home crowd?   

BM – Very important! Mark is a great ambassador for the sport of Ice Hockey in Northern Ireland and brings a lot of experience and passion to the rink during every training session.  As a former professional player, Mark is a well grounded guy who is very approachable, and that is good for the team. It allows them to have someone who knows the game at the highest level from which to draw experience for an international event such as this.

The NI Tridents have been training hard for the 2013 WPFG to be held in Belfast.

MOI – What do you see as areas of strength for the Tridents at the big event? And conversely areas that you’ll be looking to improve before the opening game?

BM – As I mentioned before most of these guys are new to the sport of Ice Hockey, so we are working a lot on position and making sure they know where they need to be during play, which seems to be working.  The difference in these guys in 18 months is like night and day, and as I said, they are a very enthusiastic bunch and are willing to push themselves to their limit every week. So I believe that same enthusiasm will be their main strength during the games.

MOI – From a coaching standpoint –what are your main responsibilities to get the team up to scratch Beni?

BM – I have been working on their fitness on the Ice!  Most of these guys are professional Public Services Officers who are fit off the ice, but as you know that doesn’t make them fit on ice! So, lets just say they have been having a few punishing skating drills, and they have been very glad to see that Zamboni coming on at the end of their skating session! There are very real challenges however that face the coaching staff in the preparations for the Games. For example, as you know Ice Hockey is now limited to only two rinks in the whole of Ireland with the closure of the Dundalk Ice Dome – where previously there was a few years’ of great Irish hockey. It’s not easy to get Ice Time in Northern Ireland as the Odyssey is not open for public skating, and that leaves only one rink to facilitate all the local teams. I have been involved with Ice Hockey and coaching now for nearly 20-years from way back when Coleraine Jet Centre had an Ice Rink, and we had the Coleraine Jets Ice Hockey team, and some Junior Development teams.  With it’s closure 10 years ago, it has meant a lot of travelling to play Hockey with Belfast being an hour and 15 minutes from home. Although, this is better than when we used the Dundalk Ice Dome, which was a 250 mile round trip, sometimes three times a week! But as you know Murph, Ice Hockey is an addiction and you will travel wherever it takes you!

Coach McAllister hopes to have the NI Tridents ready to give the crowd lots to cheer for in Belfast.

MOI – The home crowd will obviously be supportive of the Tridents – do you look at this support as added pressure on the group, or just the advantage the team will need in close games? 

BM – I think it will be a massive boost for the guys to have this home crowd behind them for the first time taking part in the World Police and Fire Games. And they will use that home support to push that little bit extra during each game!

MOI – And finally Beni, what can UK hockey fans look forward to and expect from the Tridents when the puck drops on opening night of what will be a hugely important event for the entire area?

BM – I think the fans can look forward to a lot of good hockey games, with the standard being at the top level with some of the teams coming from Canada and America – those will be awesome! It’s going to be an amazing event for Northern Ireland, and local Ice Hockey fans will be blown away by this event!

MOI – Thanks again Beni, good luck the rest of the way with the training and preparation, and I’ll see you in Belfast soon.

BM – Anytime, my pleasure! Cheers Murph for this opportunity to promote the Tridents Team coming up to the Games.

“Face-Off” is a regular feature here on Murph On Ice. Keep an eye out for Murph’s next 1-on-1 as he continues to bring insight from the greatest hockey minds around.

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Fresh back in London after a week of covering the Maple Leafs in Toronto, Murph was thrilled to catch up with fellow Newfoundlander Ryane Clowe of the San Jose Sharks! Check out their chat about other Newfoundlanders in the NHL, and of course the stress of the NHL trade deadline:

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Well I’m off to Toronto for a week – or as some may call it – the Center of the Hockey Universe! I lived in this hockey mad city for 10 years, and saw first-hand how badly fans there want to win that elusive Stanley Cup.

Toronto beckons as Murph hits the road for a few Leaf games. Photo Courtesy - tvtropes.org

It’s been a long time for those fans, and the Leafs haven’t given the faithful much to cheer about for the past five years. I have luckily been in Europe throughout this current horrendous phase in Toronto hockey history. That being said I’m beyond interested to see what awaits me there now – with the Leafs looking like a team that could make the post-season.

This is a city that is blessed with many professional teams – the Blue Jays, Marlies, Raptors, the Rock and Toronto FC have their own rabid support – but make no mistake this is a Leaf town – bleeding blue 365 days a year. I was in the ‘Big Smoke’ for a Jays’ World Series triumph, and was at the first ever game in Raptor history. But I’ve also seen the frenzy that a Leafs’ win brings. A random win over Boston on a Tuesday in November can be huge news for fans and media alike! It can take over the very fabric of the populace.

This is a city that would have to be shut-down for days if the Leafs went deep in the playoffs. I was lucky enough to be at a game-seven decider many moons ago, when Wendel Clark led the ‘Blue and White’ past Curtis Joseph and the Blues – it was like a nuclear reaction that the home-team was advancing! This wasn’t the Cup, it was an opening round series, and the city was electric.

It's been a long time since Doug Gilmour led the Leafs to post-season success! Photo Courtesy - lfpress.com

The party and mood that night, after a 6-0 drubbing of St. Louis, was bigger than the Jays’ second World Series that I experienced in person. It was bigger than the Raptors during the Vince Carter years, and it was certainly bigger than any Rock Lacrosse title, or Toronto FC win. It was in a word – incredible! Mark my words – if the Leafs advance to a Stanley Cup, you will want to be there. It will be like nothing imaginable.

So there in lies the excitement about my latest travels. I will be taking in a few Leaf games next week for both business and pleasure. It will be nice to be back in my old haunts with the team actually on the cusp of a playoff berth. And maybe even more appealing to me, the mood of the city will be exciting with it’s beloved club being on that cusp.

Stay tuned – I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories from this trip – some I will repeat, and some that will be left on the road!

You can follow Murph’s Toronto Hockey Road-Trip on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Daniel Alfredsson was the star of the show in many ways at the NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa. Here he meets Murph and the media to discuss his Senator teammate Erik Karlsson, and his coaches in Canada’s capital!

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Welcome to the What to Watch segment! Your key NHL game to post on the radar for your weekend hockey viewing.

For this weekend’s pick I will have to go with the Montreal Canadiens at the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday. Two Original-Six clubs that are battling it out for bragging rights on a special Saturday – Hockey Day In Canada!

Keys to victory for the Canadiens:

-Four on the Floor: The Habs are on a nice little roll coming into this one. They’ve won three straight, and need to forget all the hype of playing on Hockey Day in Canada against their oldest rivals. They need that fourth win in a row, as they sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, nine points out of the final playoff spot.

Scott Gomez has had an awful season for the Canadiens. Photo Courtesy - zimbio.com

-Monkey Off the Back: Scott Gomez is the Canadiens highest paid player at $7.5 million annually. He had not scored in a year, and finally got the monkey off his back Thursday with his first tally in 369 days! This was hanging over both the player and the team, with media and fans dredging it up game after game. With Gomez finally breaking the ‘goose-egg’, maybe he can get back to helping the team win some games down the stretch. A few points in Toronto Saturday would be a good start.

-Pac-Man: Max Pacioretty is having a career season despite Montreal’s woes.He had his first career hat-trick Thursday against the Islanders, and has reached the 20 goal plateau for the first time. He has come a long way since he suffered a broken neck last season, after a Zdeno Chara hit. If he’s on his game Saturday, the Habs could rain on the Leafs parade in Toronto.

Keys to victory for the Maple Leafs:

-Two and Out: The Buds have lost two straight coming into Hockey Day in Canada. Despite the mini-slump, the team is 6-3-1 in their past ten games. They have climbed back into the playoff hunt, and sit in eighth place in the East. They will need to tighten up in their own end to win under the pressure Saturday, and stay ahead of Washington for the last post-season spot.

The Air Canada Centre has been a tough place for the visiting team this season. Photo Courtesy - Canada.com

-Air Canada Seat Sale: The Leafs have been loving life on home ice. The Air Canada Centre has been a tough place for visitors to play this season, and Toronto is 16-8-4 there thus far. The ACC will be buzzing Saturday night, especially if the Leafs can score first and get the crowd behind them. A good start against the Habs could be the main ingredient for victory.

-Happy 30th: Phil Kessel is having a great season in blue and white. He has reached the 30-goal plateau for the fourth straight year, and is leading the Leafs with 60 points in 55 games. He’s found incredible chemistry with Joffrey Lupul (58 points), and if these two continue their strong play at home, then the Leafs should beat the Canadiens Saturday.

Enjoy Hockey Day in Canada and this match-up! It should be an intense game, and it’s always entertaining when Original-Six teams collide on a Saturday night. Post any comments or observations you have about the ‘What to Watch‘ game in the ‘Mailbag‘ section, and I will gladly respond! Have a great NHL weekend.

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Back in London after his NHL All-Star Experience in Ottawa, Murph looks at some post-game player reaction. Boston sophomore Tyler Seguin was available to the media following the 59th All-Star Game – here he reflects on playing on a line with Phil Kessel, how good Tim Thomas has been in the last 4 All-Star Games, and of course his personal memories from the Ottawa events!

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Well after the Sunday of all Sundays – Super Bowl Sunday – here’s some NHL Monday Musings!

I’m still reeling a bit after the Patriots 21-17 loss to the Giants. I had predicted a New England triumph over the G-Men 27-17, so I’m a little touchy this morning (not too mention the lateness of the UK time-zone)!

But despite the loss and the lack of sleep, here’s a few NHL snippets that have caught my attention this morning.

Evgeni Malkin is having a great season leading the NHL in scoring. Photo Courtesy - zimbio.com

60 Plus! – Evgeni Malkin is the first player to break the 60 point barrier this season. He’s been on fire as of late, and has put the Penguins on his back in the absence of Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal. ‘Geno’ has 15 points in his last ten games, including two game-winning-goals. Pittsburgh is 8-2 in those ten games – and Malkin has really shown his skill and leadership for a team under injury siege.

The King of NY – Henrik Lundqvist is having a season for the ages between the Ranger pipes. ‘King Henrik’ is enjoying his best NHL season, and leads the NHL with a .939 save percentage, and is second in GAA with a 1.82. His six shutouts lead all goalies, and his confidence seems to be rubbing off on his Broadway teammates. In  his past five games he’s 4-1, with two shutouts, and he’s helped New York to the top of the Eastern Conference with 71 points. If the NHL season ended today, he would win the Vezina trophy without question, and may even garner MVP attention.

Motor City Maniacs- At the start of the NHL season many experts said that the Red Wings were ‘too old’ to go deep this season! Well the team from Detroit hasn’t listened to any talk of age or decline in skill or organizational expectation! As I write this, the Red Wings sit in first overall in the West, and in the entire league with 72 points. They own the NHL’s best home record (20-2-1) which includes a 17-game win streak at Joe Louis Arena. Rumours abound that this is Nicklas Lidstrom’s last season, and you have to believe that the much beloved captain would love to go out with another Stanley Cup ring – scary for the rest of the NHL.

Sam Gagner has had a record breaking week for the Oilers. Photo Courtesy - thestar.com

Sam the Man – This time last week the Oilers’ Sam Gagner was being offered as trade bait! Well if he is indeed on ‘the block’ then the asking price has gone way up! Gagner had an eight point game (4 goals, 4 assists) Thursday against Chicago, and followed that up with a three point (2 goals, assist) effort Saturday against the Wings. He was in on 11-straight Oiler tallies – which is a team mark! He passes Wayne Gretzky’s old record of being in on ten straight team goals. Not a bad week for a guy that was seemingly on the way out!

Well that’s just a few of the top story-lines to keep you smiling on a dreary February Monday! Honourable mention goes to Tim Thomas and his 35-save victory in Washington Sunday. He turned in a solid effort in the midst of plenty of booing from the Capitals’ faithful in reaction to skipping out on the White House visit. He tuned it all out and the B’s got a much needed road win.

Enjoy the games this week wherever you are!

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce

Well I’m back from Ottawa, and the NHL All-Star game and festivities.

There’s a few things to follow up after what was a great celebration of the NHL, it’s fans and of course the city of Ottawa!

I was fortunate enough to be in Raleigh for last years’ event, and it’s interesting to see the difference between a Canadian and a U.S. city hosting this weekend party. In Raleigh I was thoroughly impressed with just about everything the city and Hurricanes had arranged. In Ottawa, I will say that I was beyond impressed with the entire weekend.

Canada's capital city did themselves proud hosting the NHL All-Star weekend.

Two great cities – two great events with local flavour and fans that are beyond committed – so full props to Ottawa and the Senators organization for keeping up with Raleigh.

The players and their families were excited to be in Canada’s capital city and it showed throughout my time there.

“This has been incredible here this weekend,” Zdeno Chara said, “the way we’ve been treated, and the reception from the fans has really made it special.”

With his 108.8mph clocking in the Hardest Shot contest, big ‘Z’ brought a lot of excitement to everyone on Saturday night. I’m just glad that I never have to stand in front of that shot ever! Others shared that sentiment…

“Pretty scary that he can shoot the puck like that,” Daniel Alfredsson said Saturday, “he keeps beating his own record every year, and it’s scary to think that we have to try and block that shot out there!”

Indeed, you wouldn’t want to be a goalie when he’s loading up. Despite Chara’s record breaking shot, ‘Alfie’ was the most popular player in Ottawa. He received an ovation Sunday for the 59th All-Star Game that you would expect for rock stars and movie legends. It was deafening when he was introduced beforehand, and his name was chanted throughout.

Murph catches up with radio colleagues on the NHL Breakaway show in Ottawa.

When he scored two goals in the second period the roof nearly came off Scotiabank Place!

“It was incredible to see how much he’s respected here,” Henrik Lundqvist told me Sunday, “he’s a class act, a great player and obviously the fans love him here. Would have been nice if he got the hat-trick tonight.”

Alfredsson had a few chances to get the hattie, and hit the post late in the third period. If he had buried that one, it would have sent the fans into an uncontrollable frenzy!

When the dust settled, ‘Alfie’ came up just short on victory as captain, and the MVP honours personally. Team Chara would go on to beat Team Alfredsson 12-9, with the Rangers’ Marian Gaborik (3 goals, assist) collecting a new car for his effort.

Despite the outcome, the fans and city were world class here. It was great to catch up with old colleagues and be around hockey people and fans. Ottawa is a beautiful city with great NHL supporters, and their pride in the Senators and the league is overwhelming.

Thanks to all who made my assignment there a fantastic NHL experience! Now it’s on to the NHL’s second half, and the chase for the Stanley Cup. Keep it tuned here as I post many more stories down the stretch and into the post-season, as we seperate the pretenders and contenders!

You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce