Southeast Asian Games Ice Hockey Tournament

[cjeagle]

Thought you guys might be interested in this first ever ice hockey competition in a regional Olympic type event in a tropical setting. Interesting that they have their tournaments in Olympic size rinks that are located in a mall.

Philippines defeats Thailand to win first ever SEA Games ice hockey gold

The Philippines skates away with the first ever hockey gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games

The Philippines avoided a mid-game collapse to win the inaugural ice hockey gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games over Thailand, 5-4, on Thursday, August 24 at Empire City Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Playing without team captain John Steven Fuglister, who was suspended for this match due to rough play, the Philippine team took advantage of early power play opportunities, scoring a goal from Benjamin Imperial, followed by two more from Paul Gabriel Sanchez inside the first 14 minutes.

Another power play situation in the second period led to another goal, 4-0 in the 25th minute. And then the Thais came back. On the ensuing possession, Chanchieo Supadilokluk scored Thailand's first goal, followed by two more from Papan Thanakroekkiat before the period ended.

The Philippine team returned to its aggressive ways in the third period, dominating the puck again and scoring the 5-3 goal at the 51-minute mark by Jose Inigo Anton Cadiz, which provided enough of a margin to survive one more goal from Thailand, as they once again pulled to within striking distance in the 56th minute thanks to a Masato Kitayama goal.


Both Thailand and the Philippines entered the gold medal match unbeaten at 3-0, with their vastly superior squads leading to lopsided goal differences in the round robin tournament, which was joined by Malaysia, the bronze medalists, plus Indonesia and Singapore.

Ice hockey was one of 4 new sports added to the 2017 SEA Games, along with figure skating, speed skating and cricket.

https://www.rappler.com/sports/specials/sea-games/179936-philippines-thailand-ice-hockey-gold

Video of the title game included in the links. The Philippines have a handful of players who were trained abroad incl. a few Fil-Canadians like Paul Sanchez, who played minor hockey in Ottawa for the Ottawa Jr. Senators at the AAA level, and Fil Swiss Steven Füglister who played pro hockey in Switzerland, but the rest learned the sport at home in the local ice rinks.

The men's national team have a Czech coach, Daniel Brodan, and have a record of 9 wins and 1 loss in international competitions, their wins coming entirely against warm weather Asian countries like themselves and their lone loss was to a former Soviet Union central Asian state with a winter climate.

The next goal for the Philippines is to try to make the IIHF World Championship tournaments at the Division 3 level.

Many of the younger Philippine men's hockey team players were trained by one of the Fil Canadian players on the team, Carl Montano, who moved to the Philippines in 2011, to become a national youth hockey coach.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hockey-surrey-philippines-1.4016497

Hockey Night in Manila: how a Surrey rec-league player joined the Philippines' hockey elite
Carl Montano trying to teach defensive 'Canadian style' hockey to kids in his new home

Click to read more...

 

[tony d]

That's wonderful, I always enjoy reading about hockey being played in some of these different countries. Great for the game for sure.

 

[cjeagle]

That's wonderful, I always enjoy reading about hockey being played in some of these different countries. Great for the game for sure.

Ice hockey actually attracted quite a crowd(more than 4,000 for the games with the host team) in this event which surprised everyone. Standing room only crowd at the venue.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017...-games-gets-warm-welcome/#ZTgwtgGI5Jg4jY2k.97

I think the popularity of ice hockey will skyrocket in the region with the inclusion of the sport in the SEA games, which is huge in that region. The rivalries between the various nations will ensure that the development of the sport will be on a vertically upward curve from now on. They weren't sure initially how the fans would react to it since winter sports is kind of a novelty there, but the overwhelming response with thousands flocking to the mall to watch the games surpassed all expectations.

The game between the Philippines and Malaysia the previous day, was particularly exciting for the spectators as the game was tied 7-7 after regulation with no goals in OT, so a penalty shootout decided the game when one of the Filipino players scored the final goal 2-1. I think this was a first time many of the players as well as the fans witnessed this kind of ending in a medal deciding situation, so the response was overwhelmingly positive from the public despite the loss for the host team.

I like the comment at the end by one of the spectators:

“The violence, the action … It’s really interesting.”

 

[Urbanskog]

Ice hockey actually attracted quite a crowd(more than 4,000 for the games with the host team) in this event which surprised everyone. Standing room only crowd at the venue.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017...-games-gets-warm-welcome/#ZTgwtgGI5Jg4jY2k.97

I think the popularity of ice hockey will skyrocket in the region with the inclusion of the sport in the SEA games, which is huge in that region. The rivalries between the various nations will ensure that the development of the sport will be on a vertically upward curve from now on. They weren't sure initially how the fans would react to it since winter sports is kind of a novelty there, but the overwhelming response with thousands flocking to the mall to watch the games surpassed all expectations.

The game between the Philippines and Malaysia the previous day, was particularly exciting for the spectators as the game was tied 7-7 after regulation with no goals in OT, so a penalty shootout decided the game when one of the Filipino players scored the final goal 2-1. I think this was a first time many of the players as well as the fans witnessed this kind of ending in a medal deciding situation, so the response was overwhelmingly positive from the public despite the loss for the host team.

I like the comment at the end by one of the spectators:

“The violence, the action … It’s really interesting.”

4000 sounds like a lot, I don't think that you could fit any more spectators than that there so it's certainly a success.

However, the problem with SEA Games is that, to my understanding, the host can largely decide on which sports are included in their edition of the games so hockey doesn't necessarily have a permanent place in the event. The next edition will be hosted by the gold medal winning Philippines two years from now so I fully expect hockey to be featured then. After that things get complicated – Vietnam will host the event in 2021 and Cambodia in 2023 and neither of them competed in hockey this year, in fact neither of them even has any organized hockey activity so catering to hockey isn't necessarily among their interests.

 

[cjeagle]

4000 sounds like a lot, I don't think that you could fit any more spectators than that there so it's certainly a success.

However, the problem with SEA Games is that, to my understanding, the host can largely decide on which sports are included in their edition of the games so hockey doesn't necessarily have a permanent place in the event. The next edition will be hosted by the gold medal winning Philippines two years from now so I fully expect hockey to be featured then. After that things get complicated – Vietnam will host the event in 2021 and Cambodia in 2023 and neither of them competed in hockey this year, in fact neither of them even has any organized hockey activity so catering to hockey isn't necessarily among their interests.

Some of the other teams like Vietnam are planning to organize their own teams soon, but yes it is the host that decides which sports gets included in each edition. Only Olympic sports like athletics and aquatics are mandatory. Still with the growing interest in the sport and the annual Challenge Cup of Asia event, providing a venue for the teams to compete, along with the SEA games, ice hockey is here to stay. Some countries might not have venues for the optional sports, so it is possible ice hockey and the other winter events might not be included, but for sure they will have one in Manila in 2 years time.

The IIHF just announced today the 2018 calendar with the Philippines hosting the Challenge Cup of Asia(top division), the first time that they are going to be hosting an IIHF organized event:

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/...=11982&cHash=5992347de1e7be6d3be4e0c994f0b24f

The new Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium that opened recently in the Empire City mall just outside Kuala Lumpur will host four tournaments in three events while newcomer Philippines will host its first IIHF event.

The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia with the men’s national teams of Mongolia, Thailand, Singapore, Kuwait and the Philippines will be hosted by the Philippines in the capital of Manila with 3-8 April as proposed tournament dates.

The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia Division I from 24-30 March will take in Kuala Lumpur with host Malaysia, India, Oman, Macau, Qatar and Indonesia.

Earlier in March they will host the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia, which is projected to be split into a top division and a Division I tournament. The participants will be confirmed later. The proposed dates for the two tournaments are 6-11 March.

As a trial event a 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 Challenge Cup of Asia will be organized in Kuala Lumpur as well 12-17 December 2017 with the United Arab Emirates, host Malaysia, India, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines as participants.

 

[cjeagle]

Philippines win SEA Games gold
Host Malaysia gets bronze in historic event

The first ice hockey tournament of the Southeast Asian Games ended with a surprise winner. The Philippines, who joined the IIHF just one year ago and had their international debut in February at the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Japan, beat Thailand 5-4 in the deciding game and dethroned the Thai as number-one ice hockey national team in the region. Host Malaysia won bronze.

The Philippines already had a convincing start half a year earlier in Sapporo where they lost the first game to Kyrgyzstan but then beat Qatar, Kuwait and Macau to finish the Division II tournament in third place.
...

www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/ne...=11981&cHash=5992347de1e7be6d3be4e0c994f0b24f

 

[S E P H]

Wow, that's awesome news and it's in a region where the sport scene hasn't really evolved. Football is still big and perhaps baseball, but neither sport has taken any of those nations by storm.

 

[Slimmy]

Thanks a lot for sharing this. My GF is from the Philippines and we were watching parts of the game last night. Gonna watch the whole thing this evening.
A while ago I read that the Philippines had joined the IIHF, correct?

 

[Slimmy]

Wow, that's awesome news and it's in a region where the sport scene hasn't really evolved. Football is still big and perhaps baseball, but neither sport has taken any of those nations by storm.

Basketball seemed to be popular in the Philippines. Since I don't have any knowledge of the sport its a bit hard for me to judge. But i think you are right. No sport really had a strong hold from what I could tell.

 

[cjeagle]

Thanks a lot for sharing this. My GF is from the Philippines and we were watching parts of the game last night. Gonna watch the whole thing this evening.
A while ago I read that the Philippines had joined the IIHF, correct?

Yes, they joined the IIHF only last year(because the various local hockey groups couldn't agree and unify until recently), so they surprised everyone in SEA when they won the gold medal, even defeating Thailand which has been undefeated in the region and has had a long time(relatively) hockey program.

But the fact is that ice hockey has been existence in the Philippines since the 1990's since the ice rinks opened up and an organized ice hockey league was formed in 2008 where the current players honed their game. They even hired a Fil Canadian, Carl Montano(who is also a member of the current national team) to teach the kids how to play the game back in 2011 and many of his students are now members of the men's national team.

 

[cjeagle]

Basketball seemed to be popular in the Philippines. Since I don't have any knowledge of the sport its a bit hard for me to judge. But i think you are right. No sport really had a strong hold from what I could tell.

Actually basketball does have a stranglehold in the Philippines to the detriment of other team sports. It is only recently that other team sports(football, volleyball, and now hopefully ice hockey) have been making inroads slowly growing fanbases and participants but still way behind basketball. Of course individual sports like boxing and other fighting sports like MMA, muay thai, taekwando, etc. and billiards have also been popular.

They have had so much success internationally in basketball(being the only team outside of Americas and Europe to make it to the podium(bronze) in a basketball World championship or World Cup that interest in other team sports faded.

 

[cjeagle]

The US media has taken notice. Here is an article from Greg Wyshynski
(aka Puck Daddy) from yahoo sports, who most hockey fans should be familiar with, since he covers the NHL for yahoo.

Miracle on Southeast Asian ice for Philippines hockey

https://sports.yahoo.com/miracle-southeast-asian-ice-philippines-hockey-141449058.html

The fog, at times, spans the length of the rink, making it difficult to see one’s teammates, let alone the puck.

While it hasn’t exactly helped the Trip Advisor reviews for the SM Skating Rink inside Mandaluyong’s SM Megamall, the blanket of mist is the expected byproduct when ice hockey is introduced into tropical environs like the Philippines.

It’s here where a championship journey started, fog and all: In the shopping malls, the only places in the country with ice sheets. It was around 1991 when the first two opened, when Filipino hockey players could strap on skates and play hockey on their own home ice a few steps away from the food court.

It took another 24 years before a national ice hockey federation was created.
...

 

[cjeagle]

Wow, that's awesome news and it's in a region where the sport scene hasn't really evolved. Football is still big and perhaps baseball, but neither sport has taken any of those nations by storm.

Football(soccer is big in SEA), but in the Philippines it is basketball that is king.

 

[cjeagle]

The players consisted of students and professionals who spent mostly their own money to feed their ice hockey hobby. For this event and the Winter Asian games in Japan(where they won a bronze medal in Division II) I read that these amateur hockey players, trained from 9PM to nearly midnight several times a week for nearly a year to get ready for this international events. The MVP of the Philippine team, goaltender Iseppi, for the Thailand match is also a corporate executive, who is vice president of hotel operations at Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila.

 

[cjeagle]

Thanks a lot for sharing this. My GF is from the Philippines and we were watching parts of the game last night. Gonna watch the whole thing this evening.
A while ago I read that the Philippines had joined the IIHF, correct?

You should also try to watch the penultimate game when they played host Malaysia, which they won 8-7. The game was tied 7-7 after regulation and had a scoreless overtime, so they decided to hold a penalty shootout which the Philippines won 2-1. It was an exciting game which thrilled the 4000 fans who came to watch the game, but it was marred by some biased officiating on the part of the hosts who only received 4 penalty minutes compared to the 39 PMs that was handed to the Philippines. Fortunately the Philippines still won.

 

[Slimmy]

You should also try to watch the penultimate game when they played host Malaysia, which they won 8-7. The game was tied 7-7 after regulation and had a scoreless overtime, so they decided to hold a penalty shootout which the Philippines won 2-1. It was an exciting game which thrilled the 4000 fans who came to watch the game, but it was marred by some biased officiating on the part of the hosts who only received 4 penalty minutes compared to the 39 PMs that was handed to the Philippines. Fortunately the Philippines still won.

That's crazy Thanks again for this thread. Me and my GF really enjoyed watching the game together.

 

[cjeagle]

The IIHF released a video for the event:

Eyes on 2017 Southeast Asian Games

International Ice Hockey Federation
Published on Aug 31, 2017
The recent Southeast Asian Games included for the first time an ice hockey tournament with the Philippines as winner. We'll take you to a tour in Kuala Lumpur. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=-bc98nk6b2A