ice hockey
seven foot tall with bulk to match, season, which coincided with the devils “matt burge, our new owner has really turned
racing towards you on ice with a struggling on the ice, the fans ran a campaign it around this year and now we are on our way
big stick - is Brad Voth the scariest go goth for Voth. back up. hopefully we will get our new rink
sight in Welsh sport? soon, but this rink is good once you get inside,”
however it is more the historical marauder said Voth.
the captain of the cardiff devils is a mr nice that the goth should refer to where Voth
guy off the ice, but the enforcer on it in a is concerned, rather than a heavily made up “the devils had a big turnover last year, so we
sport where fights are an integral part of the modern fashion. had to sign pretty much a whole new team. it
entertainment, some cosmetic handbags-at- probably did not gel rightaway, but it will come.
dawn stuff, some deadly serious. “i guess you could classify me as a power
forward. i am the biggest guy in the team and “since i have been here we have won the
in fact, given that there is no ice hockey there are not many around the league as big as challenge cup and the knock-out cup, so it
tradition in this country, would it have caught me,” he explained. would be nice to get more than that.
on without that element?
“i play forward, right wing. i’ve been here “the guys have talked about the bigger arena
of course there are no brakes and by for four years, really enjoy it and really and they do get excited, the younger guys
definition it is played on the slipperiest surface enjoy cardiff. i signed up and now you guys more than the older guys. it is nice to think we
around, a hard one at that with walls all cannot get rid of me. will have something like some of the arenas we
around, so players are crashing into each other play in on the road, they are fun to play in.
all the time whether by accident or design. it is “cardiff devil fans are some of the best
inevitable tempers get frayed. in the league and a lot of them have been “the welsh people support us very well.
coming for 20 years now. ice hockey Other fans are more fickle but the Cardiff
the passionate, packed house at the new is a lot different to rugby and football, devil fans are always behind us.”
ice arena in cardiff bay, the thousands who pretty fast sport and once you
watched over the years at the city centre ice know a few rules it is and Voth is a good person to be behind
rink, all enjoy the sport, the spectacle and the pretty exciting. – because being in front of him is not a
spats. comfortable place to be.
even though there is a lot more to Voth as an “hockey in
ice hockey player, this is all part of his stock in canada is the
trade. number one sport, so it is
a little more laid back here but i
6’5” in his bare feet, put the skates and helmet get recognised in the street every once in
on and he is about seven foot tall, the padding a while so you know it has a following here.”
makes him as wide as the proverbial outhouse,
the stick and the speed of the sport all adds up So why is fighting such a key part of the sport,
to quite a package. or so it seems?
“i go out there and make some hits. there are “When this league started
some guys in the league who just hit and fight
but i like to play as well, chipping in and scoring (fighting) was the influence”
some goals,” explained Voth.
“I think the fighting is more North American,”
“it does help in that role that i am 6’5”, when explained Voth. “when this league started
you get in a fight every once in a while it is an that was the influence, the imports are mostly
advantage. i am glad i grew that much. from canada or america and that is why it
started over here.
“There isn’t a fight in every game, but it is
part of the game, part of my job and the job of “it does sell more tickets. people ask me all
couple of other guys round the league. the time ‘are you going to fight tonight’ so it
is part of the game – sometimes it’s enjoyable
“I have had a couple of fights with friends and sometimes it isn’t, it depends which end
of mine and we do have a beer together you come out on.”
afterwards, so it is not as bad as it looks
sometimes, but it is a real fight that is for of course there is a fast, skilful and at times
sure.” dazzling sport to be played as well, with the
devils having gone through uncertain times
Understandably it makes Voth a firm fans’ with their city centre ice rink closing before
favourite. while serving a ban earlier in the getting their new home in cardiff bay
sportingwales
issue5twothousand&nine
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