HE may be one of the Elite Ice Hockey League's big hitters, and he's certainly the player the Manchester fans love to hate, but has history misjudged Belfast hard man Paxton Schulte? Nigel McFarlane reports . .

IN the spring of 1999, things looked rosy for the fans of Manchester Storm. They had just taken the league title, crowds were still averaging 14,000, and the end-of-season playoffs were an excuse for an extended party. Then things changed . . .

Storm were away to Bracknell Bees. A breakout from defence put Storm on the attack, with their talismanic striker Brad Rubachuk hurtling forwards. At the same time, Bees' enforcer Paxton Schulte stepped out of the penalty box. There was a sickening collision and both players went down, and stayed down. Eventually, Schulte rose, but Rubachuk was stretchered off, with an injury that was later revealed to be a broken neck. His playing career was over.

At the time, everyone involved, and those who saw it, accepted it was accidental. There was no protest from any player on the ice. Storm coach Kurt Kleinendorst didn't ask for a video (and he was never slow at doing that). Rubachuk was skating forwards, fast, with his head down, which you should never do. Always, always keep your head up.

But Rubachuk's fiery spirit had entranced the Manchester fans. In many ways, and for many fans, he WAS the club. His jersey was retired at the start of the following season, and Rubachuck returned to Canada, where he now runs his own business.

Paxton Schulte stayed, and while his no-nonsense, big-hitting style ruffled feathers on a game-by-game basis, suddenly things changed when he came to Manchester. Quietly, at first, then ever more loudly, he was roundly booed whenever he was on the puck. The boos would reach a crescendo as he played his hard game. And they continue to this day, and they'll be heard again on Sunday, as Manchester Phoenix take on the Belfast Giants. But why, particularly? If it was an accident, then no-one's to blame, surely? There are certainly a small number of Manchester fans who think differently, but it can't be a serious suggestion, can it?

As a native of Edmonton, Canada, 31 year-old Schulte knows about playing a hard hockey game. As one of the league's most effective enforcers (he tops this season's penalty minutes table with a whopping 239 and counting), he is now one of the 'old guard', the Canadians who came during the great days of the ISL, and stayed to play as leagues and clubs crashed around them. He says that playing at Belfast is the highlight of his career so far.

"It's been a good league to play in. There have been a lot of changes, and this year, with the formation of the Elite League, there have been a lot of younger guys playing, so it's been nice to take on more of a leadership role on the ice. I get to do some teaching as well. And it's about loyalty, too - not just to the fans, but I've been with some the guys for a few years now, and it's like a real tight family."

About those penalty minutes...

"Yeah, I think there was a bit of confusion at the start of the season as to what some of the rules stated and the penalties involved, it was a communication thing. I don't actually enjoy fighting that much. One of the reasons I came over here in the first place was that you got the chance to play. Back in North America, it was getting to the stage where I was just being used for my fists every game and it gets you down as a player. I've got skills going forward, and it's nice to get the chance to use them in this league."

And Schulte's stats bear this out, with 18 goals and 18 assists in 39 games so far this season. That's not the record of a goon. But when he's asked to step up, he will.

"Sure, I get into fights here and I like to hit big, but like I said earlier, it's like a tight family, and if you're going to drop the gloves, you want to do it for guys that you like and want to play for."

It riles the fans, though. Apart from the Belfast fans, who love him. "As a player, you want to get respect on the ice, and if that means playing the way I do, then that's how I'll do it. It doesn't make you popular everywhere, but no-one is."

Certainly he's not popular in Manchester. How does he view the booing?

"I can't blame 'em. I know that if my career was ended by another player, even by accident, the Giants' fans would boo him all the time, too. They're showing loyalty to their guy, and you have to respect that. They're showing that they still care about someone who was a part of their team, of their family, for a long time. I get under everybody's skin, so at least I'm being noticed so I must be doing my job.

"What does bother me, though, is the idea, even now, that I would ever try and deliberately injure another player. I mean, you just don't do it. Sure, we're playing a hard game, and you take what the crowd throw at you - after all, they've paid their money, they can say what they like. But I think it's sometimes forgotten that we're actually people too, and accusations like that can hurt you as a person, not just as a player. It's saying something about the sort of person you are, and I'm just not like that."

Schulte is hoping for another season with Belfast after this, at which point he may think about retiring. "I've had a good career here, it's been a lot of fun. Hopefully we can end it on a high with some sort of championship or something. We'll have to see."

Manchester Phoenix are at home to Belfast Giants on Sunday, face-off 5pm.