Plenty of Nothing

Rhinoceros

Source.

Aalborg Pirates

Skipper Clement. Source.

It's the 2022-23 Champions Hockey League group stage. Sparta Prague find themselves in Group A along with Aalborg Pirates, Luleå HF and Mikkelin Jukurit. In the draw Luleå came out of Pot 1, Jukurit Pot 2, Sparta Pot 3 and Aalborg Pot 4. Two gamedays have already transpired, and presently Luleå are in first place, Jukurit second, Aalborg third and Sparta fourth.

Today Sparta visit Aalborg Pirates, the 2021-22 Danish champions.

Aaborg Pirates go back to 1967 and have been champions of Denmark three times. They play at the 5,000 seat Sparekassen Danmark Isarena. They wear red.

In addition to winning the Danish league's 2021-22 regular season and playoffs, the Pirates finished third in the 2021-22 Continental Cup.

Last season Aalborg have a guy named Pierre-Olivier Morin from Trois-Rivières who has also played for Lewiston and Shawinigan of the QMJHL, UQTR in the OUA, and Cool FM 103.5 de St-Georges of the LNAH. He has returned to the LNAH and has signed with Sorel-Tracy.

Aalborg is an industrial town in the north of Jutland. Its most famous son is Skipper Clement, a 16th-century privateer and the leader of a peasant revolt, whose statue stands in the town now.

Sparta versus Aalborg:

2022/9/2        Sparta Prague 2 - 3 Aalborg

2022/9/9        Aalborg [2 - 6] Sparta Prague

Argillite Sea Captain

Argillite figure of a sea captain, c. 1830-1850. Source.

Leaning on a Lamp Post

Statue of George Formby in Douglas, Isle of Man. Source.

Darius the Great as Pharoah

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Gauss

Carl Friedrich Gauss was added to the gallery of eminent Germans at Walhalla in Donaustauf in 2014. Source.

Philibert and Margaret

Boxwood carvings of Philibert of Savoy and Margaret of Austria, c. 1515. Source.

Höchstadt Alligators versus Riessersee

Höchstadt is the birthplace of naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) who led an expedition into Brazil in 1817. There are no alligators in Brazil or Bavaria, apart from the hockey kind. Source.

SC Riessersee visit Höchstadt Alligators at Eisstadion Höchstadt. Riessersee are eighth, Höchstadt seventh. If this game comes off it'll be the only one of six today to avoid a Covid postponement.

The Alligators wear green, black and white, and their emblem is an alligator's eye, looking very Jurassic Park. The club was founded in 1993, the year the film came out.

Have Höchstadt Alligators ever played Crocodiles Hamburg?

Höchstadt an der Aisch is a town of about 13,000 people in the Middle Franconian region of Bavaria. The Swedes burnt it to the ground in 1633. Understandably, there are no Swedish players on the Höchstadter squad.

Riessersee and Höchstadt have met twice already this season:

2021/12/3      Riessersee 4 - 7 Höchstadt

2021/12/1      Höchstadt 1 -2 Riessersee

And they collided in the playoffs at the end of last season, Höchstadt winning three games to none.

[Today: Alligators 4 - 1 Riessersee]

Seasons of Höchstadt Alligators:

2020-21    36    19    3    0    14    138    133      +5    63     4th, Oberlida Süd

2019-20    32      3    1    1    27      67    163     -96    12   12th, Oberliga Süd

2018-19    32      9    3    4    16      93    129     -36    37     9th, Oberliga Süd

2017-18    26    21    1    0      4    152      66    +86    65     1st, Bayernliga

2016-17    32    11    2    2    17      86    121     -35    39     9th, Oberliga Süd

2015-16    26    13    2    0    11    108    101      +7    43     7th, Bayernliga

2014-15    24    16    3    1      4      91      63    +28    55    2nd, Bayernliga

2013-14    30    14    4    2    10    130      93    +37    52     7th, Bayernliga

2012-13    26    11    2    1    12      99    114     -15    38      9th, Bayernliga

2011-12    26    22    1            3    238      87  +151    45     2nd, Landesliga N-O

2010-11    30    11    3    0    16    151    138    +13    39     11th, Bayernliga

2009-10    30    15    0    1    14    135    158    -23    46     10th, Bayernliga

2008-09    30    18    0    2    10    145    107   +38    56       3rd, Bayernliga

2007-08    30    11    6          13    115    122      -7    28      11th, Bayernliga

2006-07    30    14    3          13    118    120      -2    31        8th, Bayernliga

2005-06    30    22    2            6    145      79   +66    46        1st, Bayernliga

2004-05    36      8    1    2    25      97    172    -75    28        9th, Oberliga N-O

2003-04    36      2    0    3    31      79    228  -149      9      10th, Oberliga N-O

2002-03    36      3    4    1    28    105    192    -87    18      10th, Oberliga S-O

2001-02    44    19    0    2    23    173    227    -54    59        8th, Reginalliga Süd

2000-01    14    12    1            1    134      38   +96    25        1st, Bayernliga Ost

                 14    10    2            2    100      50   +50    22        1st, Bayernliga final

1999-00    26    22    0            4    198      69  +129   44        3rd, Bayernliga

1998-99

1997-98

1996-97

1995-96

1994-95

1993-94    Bezerksliga Bayern Nord

(Sources: German Wikipedia Oberliga articles; hockeyarchives.info)

Reformation Wall Reformed

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Herring Girl, Stornoway

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