Slava returns to fly the Jet

As taken by the official press release HERE!!!

The Slough Jets are pleased to announce the return of Slava Koulikov who will once again lead the team for the 2013/14 season. The dangerous Russian born forward has made the UK his home and being EIHA trained qualified is without doubt one of the best British forwards in the league.

Slava was appointed as Head Coach last summer following the departure of Doug Sheppard but the timing of his appointment meant he was already behind other team’s Coach’s in his recruitment process. This year, as a returning Head Coach Slava has already spoken to the core members of his squad from last season as well as speaking to players that he would like to join his team for the new campaign.

The 34 year old first came to the UK in 1996 and has played for various Hull sides before joining the Slough Jets, first as a player under coach Pete Russell and then returning as Player/Coach after a season with Manchester Phoenix. In his 17 year British career he has forged a reputation as one of the premier British trained talents in the country.

The Ekaterinberg born player was the Jets third top point scorer last season, scoring at over a point a game despite missing parts of the season through injury but is looking forward to the challenges of a second season as Player/Coach. Koulikov said; “I’m happy to be back for second season and I’d like to thank Zoran and Ghislaine for giving me this opportunity as to me it felt like we had some unfinished business last year. We had a very different team last season with so many changes but we got a cup final appearance and went out cruelly in OT in play-offs.”

He continued; “We’re trying to build on the team from last year, we were strong towards the end of the year. The boys played well and I’m pleased with the condition of the team when we finished. We finished a long way ahead of 6th place and only a few points away from 4th or 3rd. I’m sure we can build on last season, learning for what went wrong and improving on our weaker areas so we can be even more competitive this season.”

Team owner Ghislaine Nassif said; “I’m pleased Slava has decided to return and very much looking forward to the new season. He has some exciting plans to strengthen the team and I’m sure it will provide our supporters with an exciting season.”

Director of Operations Steve English said of Slava’s return; “We’re delighted that we have been able to retain Slava’s services for the new season. The team and fans were both disappointed to not win a trophy last season but the hard work done by Slava cannot be underestimated. He was appointed late last summer but took the job on and built a competitive team from what was available at the time. As the season progressed he made moves to strengthen the team but injuries then robbed the Jets of the top 4 position they deserved. Slava has explained his plans for the season ahead and it promises to be an exciting season.”

English continued; “We will hopefully be in a position to announce some of our 13/14 players shortly along with the new season frequent flyer packages and personal sponsorship details.”

Cats take a Towe!

As taken from the official press release HERE!!

Swindon Wildcats head coach Ryan Aldridge has confirmed that Belfast Giants forward Matt Towe has joined the club from the Elite League side.

Speaking after making the announcement, Aldridge said: “Towy is a huge signing for Swindon and will add offence and leadership to our team.

“He is a great team guy who will be a big part of our locker room.

“He plays with a lot of energy and can always come up with a big goal and is a player I am excited to be able to work with as well as be able to watch in a wildcats uniform.”

The 25-year old has a wealth of Premier and Elite League experience having played at Telford, Peterborough, Sheffield, Cardiff and Guildford, before moving to Belfast last season.

“I was enjoying my time with Belfast, but through keeping in touch with Stevie [Lyle], he mentioned that he was signing for Swindon and that Ryan [Aldridge] had big plans to move the club forwards,” he said after joining the club.

“Stevie mentioned that the club had been looking for another experienced Brit who could put up numbers since the middle of last season but hadn’t been able to find anyone suitable so had brought in another import.

“I liked what I heard so mentioned I would be interested and it took off from there.

“Ryan got in contact and told me about his plans and the players he was looking at bringing in. I knew that Swindon would be challenging for silverware after what I was told and it made the decision a very easy one when Ryan eventually offered me a contract.”

Next season will be the first time Towe has worn a Wildcats jersey but he has played at the Link Centre previously and concluded by saying: “As an opposition player, it was never easy playing at the Link Centre.

“The Wildcats were always a team that played with high energy and an aggression so I’ll be looking to build on that next season.”

Season Ticket offer lauched by Telford Tigers

As taken from the official press release!!

Telford Tigers are pleased to announce that for the 2013-14 season the club are offering free season tickets to Under 10’s.

Anyone under 10 years old on 1st Sept 2013 will be eligible for a free season ticket, which they will be able to use when accompanied to games by a paying adult. The club have taken this decision to encourage a new generation of Tigers fans and families to come along and support the club.

As a club the Tigers have a loyal and passionate fan base second to none and want to reward existing fans and encourage new support from within the local community.

Tigers player coach, and head coach of the juniors Tom Watkins said “I think it’s a great scheme and as a club, junior hockey development is key for us and I believe this offer along with our schools programme will help attract the next generation of junior hockey players and Tigers players of the future, as well as new Tigers fans.”

Anyone interested in applying for a free season ticket for an under 10 can contact the club by emailing lisa.howells@telfordtigers.co.uk

Bison sign Rand for second year

The Basingstoke Bison have confirmed the re-signing of 26 year old Canadian forward Joe Rand for a second year in the English Premier League (EPL). He joins Player/Coach Doug Sheppard as the only other confirmed signing for the 2013-14 season.

Rand was somewhat of a revelation this past season, having made the jump to the EPL from the Wightlink Raiders of the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) South 1 division. The gritty forward scored 20 goals on his way to a 50 point haul for the season.

Joining the Herd from the Raiders Rand had “something to prove” with many a fan (both Bison and other) questioning his ability at a higher level than the NIHL. However he went on to prove his ability in abundance and claimed the Player’s Player and Supporters Player awards at the end of season party.

Rand began his junior hockey career playing in his home province of Ontario with the Hamilton Red Wings in 2002-03 and Vaughan Vipers in the Ontario Provisional Junior A League in 2003-04, as well as being called up to the OHL’s Toronto St. Michael’s Majors for two games. Rand played a season and a half in the OHL with Toronto before leaving to head back to University.

For the next 5 seasons Rand iced for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and was a consistent and well developed player; being named the team’s most improved player for the 06-07 season. In 2010-11 Rand made his first trip across the Atlantic and joined the Deggendorf Fire in the Oberliga Süd (south), the German 3^rd tier.

After his season in Germany, Rand was seletced by ex-Bison and Wightlink Player/Coach Jermey Cornish for the 2011-12 season; as the final import on their roster. Rand was one of the league’s most consistent and highest scorers during the season; having scored 47 goals and 46 assists for 93 points in 36 games. Rand finished the season as second highest scorer behind Invicta’s import Ryan Ellis.

For the past season with the Bison, Rand has been a well rounded third liner. However with their injury troubles during the season he has found himself being moved about depending on what lines Sheppard wanted to run with given the players at his disposal. That can sometimes lead to disruption in a players productivity and his ability to connect and gel with his linemates. But for Rand he went out every single night and gave it 100% and still put the points up on the board. I don’t think anyone was expecting him to set the world alite and put up the same numbers as he did with the Raiders the season before, but just under a point per game production is still not something to be sniffed at. Joe was the fourth highest scorer on the team last season behind Greg Chambers, Sheppard, Greg Owen and just finished a point ahead of Joe Miller and Joe Greener.

Point production wasn’t the reason why Rand was bought in by Sheppard; there are plenty of other imports throughout the league that can and have put up more points than he has during the season. But a player that can hit and is commited to taking the body, works hard and disrupts the flow of play for the opposition and someone that gives his all for the team and can create chances is exactly what he was first signed for.

The re-signing shows Sheppards content for the next season, despite losing Greg Owen (retirement) and Stevie Lyle (Swindon) he is showing that the team he puts together will still be hard hitting and gritty which is what the fans love. How Rand will fall into the grand scheme of things will depend on the other signings Sheppard makes. Is there better import forwards out there; well absolutely! Is Rand the right fit for the Bison and Sheppard; I’d say at this moment in time 100% yes.

Carlon makes the switch to the Lightning

The MK Lightning has confirmed the signing of British forward Tom Carlon for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons; as they continue to show their intent on challenging for EPL honours next season.

It is a great pick-up for Head Coach Nick Poole, as he adds the highly-rated forward to his British contingent. He said that the chance to sign Tom for the Lightning on a two year deal was an opportunity not to be missed. “I’ve spoken with Tom over the past few summers about him coming to play in MK, and I’m very pleased that we have finally captured his signature. He is a big strong player that I’ve admired since I saw him play junior hockey. Over the last few years he has gained confidence and become one of our league’s best British forwards.

“Tom is ambitious, he wants to win trophies and we know he’ll fit right in with our style of play. He’s a very good skater with an excellent shot and will immediately improve our offence, and he brings a lot of experience at international level and also from his time in the Elite league. His size and strength will add to our forecheck and he will be a real thorn in the side of opposition defences.”

Carlon makes the switch to MK for 2013-14.

Carlon makes the switch from the Lightning’s local rivals; the Peterborough Phantoms after three and a half seasons with the Cambridgeshire club.

The Telford born forward began his junior development with the Telford Wildfoxes aged 14 and began to progress through the clubs rankings, with his skill and ability earning him call ups to the Great Britain Under 18 and Under 20 selection between 2003 and 2005. He has captained the GB U18’s and has won several gold medals at international level.

Icing full-time for Telford, Tom also enjoyed guest appearances with the Coventry Blaze in the Elite League and was signed on a permanent basis in 2006; when the club took the League Championship.

In 2007 he made the switch back to the English Premier League and headed south to join the Bracknell Bees. 2008 marked a switch back to his home-town team; however with the Tigers unable to compete in 2009 due to financial reasons he made the switch to join the new league champions for his first spell with the Phantoms. After two seasons he made the switch to join the Jets, but financial difficulties saw him released mid-season and he made a return to the Phantoms.

Tom is very capable in the forward position and has good positioning and awareness on the ice. He is also able to score and will give the Lightning added fire power across their forward lines. However he is not a player that will score 50 goals a season and his abilities are utilised elsewhere. A player that is not afraid to put his body on the line or through a hit when needed; he is a great addition to Poole’s team.

He is coming off the back of his second best season in the EPL in terms of point production having scored 54pts from 21 goals and 33 assists. It will be interesting to see if Tom can once again be part of a championship winning side and what role he will play in MK depending on the further signings made by Poole.

MK Lightning Add 4 to their Brit Pack

The Milton Keynes Lightning have confirmed the return of four of their influential Brits for the 2013-14 season. Team Captain Adam Carr returns for an 11th straight season with the Lightning and is joined by fan’s favourite Leigh Jamieson, Lewis Christie and Michael Farn.

All four men signed two year contracts during the summer of 2012, something of an unknown in the English Premier League and will return for another season with the Lightning.

Carr joined the Lightning in 2003-04 following a season with the Isle of Wight Raiders, where he made is senior debut. Carr also made an appearance for the Basingstoke Bison in the EIHL in his first season; however apart from an overseas switch to the Sydney Icedogs in 2004-05 in the Australian Ice Hockey League, has remained a Lightning member for the remainder of his senior career. The centreman has been a consistent point scorer during his time with the Lightning; averaging around 40 points a season. It was no doubt that Carr would return for another season with MK. He is Lightning through-and-through and will likely end his career with them.

Leigh Jamieson makes a return to the Lightning for his 5th successive season after ending the season as the team’s leading point scorer. Jamieson is a quality player that can play either defence or offence. The past two seasons Leigh has stepped up and been an integral forward for the Lightning registering over 70 points each season.

His vast experience includes spells in the Elite League with the Belfast Giants and Coventry Blaze and he is a valuable asset to any team. He will once again be a vital piece in Head Coach Nick Poole’s plans for 2013-14.

Defenceman Michael Farn has continued to demonstrate his valued spot on the team with stella performances week in, week out; including the Man of the Match accolade at the recent Play-off Semi-final match against the Guildford Flames.

2013-14 will mark Farn’s 5th season with the Lightning having joined the club from the Swindon Wildcats at the end of 2008-09.

Fellow defenceman Christie will start is 6th consecutive season in 2013-14 having joined the club from the Giants in 2008. Despite his low scoring Christie goes about his job of defending and does it well as he is considered one of the better defenceman in the EPL. With Farn and Christie back again, Poole has a solid foundation to work from at the back and can positively build on them as he looks to develop a team capable of challenging at the top of the EPL.

Alongside the announcement that Blaz Emersic will return for a third season (Here), Poole has the makings of a good team once again. But will they be able to challenge the establishment at the top of the league.

Emersic back to strike with the Lightning

The Milton Keynes Lightning announced at their end of season awards night that Slovenian forward Blaz Emersic will be returning to the Lightning fold for a third straight season.

Blaz Emersic returns to the Lightning in 2013-14

 Emersic joined the Lightning in January 2011, following off-ice issues with the Slough Jets, and quickly became a fan favourite with his scoring ability registering 39 points in 28 games. He returned for 2011-12 and showed his vast experience and ability in front of net scoring 72 points from 34 goals. This past season he has once again been a consistent point scorer, coming second only to Leigh Jamieson for the season total, with 70 points overall.

Blaz is the kind of player that you know you can rely upon to put the puck in the back of the net, night in or night out, or be the set up guy. 103 assists over two and a half seasons shows that he is not afraid to be the set up guy.

Head coach Nick Poole said to the MK website; that signing Blaz was a statement of the club’s ambitions for next season.  “He is one of the first names on the team sheet each matchday – and the fact that his is the first signing we can announce gives an indication of how strong a team we want to put together for next year.  I’ve used the phrase before that he’s like a Rolls Royce, because his form is so consistent – and that is still true. 

“Blaz is a leader in our room with his professional approach to the game, and is a great role model for younger players.  Whenever I talk to the lads in the off season, the first question they always ask me is if Blaz is coming back – and that just shows how highly-regarded and respected he is by his peers.”

With Blaz taking up the first import slot on the team’s roster for next season it will be interesting to see if Poole re-signs this seasons imports, or goes for someone fresh next season.

Lyle switches Bison for Wildcats

Lyle joins the Wildcats for the 2013-14 season. Photo by David Steadman

The Swindon Wildcats have announced what could arguably be their best signing for the 2013-14 season with the capture of Basingstoke Bison talisman netminder, Stevie Lyle just weeks after the play-off finals. The 33 year-old Cardiff born netminder joined the Bison last season, as they looked to over-turn their fortunes in the English Premier League, following three consecutive seasons with the Cardiff Devils in the Elite League.

Lyle, pulled out all the stops in his first season in the EPL with some huge performances during the season and was one of the reasons the Bison finished in their highest league position since dropping to the EPL from the Elite League. Despite finishing behind Milton Keynes’ Stephen Wall in the stats charts, Lyle was arguably the best netminder in the league and was voted in the EPL All-star first team. Lyle iced in 52 league games, which would have been 54 had he not been selected by Tony Hand to represent Great Britain in their 2014 Winter Olympic qualification tournament in Latvia in February, and faced 1,678 shots. He put up impressive numbers for the season; included a 2.43 goals against average and a 92.43 save percentage.

A huge, huge blow for the Bison and Doug Sheppard with very big skates to fill, and a fantastic pick up and first signing for Aldridge in his 6th season in charge of the Wildcats. He said in the announcement of his return for next season that he wanted to move the club forwards and upwards and what better way to start. Although the pairing of Skinns and Murdy is not a bad one, last season the Wildcats recorded 214 goals against whilst the Bison had the league’s lowest of 138; with only the Lightning and league champions Guildford coming close.

A player like Lyle gives you confidence at the back, however he cannot be relied upon totally to win you games. He can definitely give you an edge, which showed with the Bison this season, however you also need a strong defence and forward set-up so that you also score goals whilst not conceding them. The Wildcats had the best offensive line in the league last season with Jonas Hoog and Aaron Nell and these will be the next signatures Aldridge will be desperate to capture to ensure that once again the Wildcats have a strong squad, not only on paper, but also on the ice as well.

For Sheppard back in Basingstoke, he’ll surely be scratching his head as another key Brit he would have surely been hoping to keep has slipped through his grasp, less than two weeks into the summer recruitment period. He showed a year ago that he can recruit well on, and sign top players, whilst being on a medium sized “budget” and he will already have a feeling as to who could fill the void that has now been left by Lyle’s departure.

We’ve still got weeks and months ahead of us before the season re-starts in September and it is already getting interesting and exciting as to who will sign where.

The full Swindon Wildcats press release is available here.

 

Bison’s Owen calls it a day

Greg Owen retires from ice hockey after 12 seasons.

Basingstoke Bison’s British star, Greg Owen, has announced his retirement from professional ice hockey, just over a week after the conclusion 2012-13 EPL season.

The 31 year old centre, is currently with the national squad ahead of their Division 1A World Championship in Hungary this coming week, however has advised that following the completion of the tournament on 20th April he will be hanging the skates up for good.

Owen got his first taste of ice hockey in 1996-97 icing for the Oxford City Stars in the English Division 1 for only 3 games. Over the next 4 years Owen represented both the GB under 18 and under 20 sides in the World Junior Championships; whilst also registered with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Junior A Saskatchewan Junior Ice Hockey League.

2001-02 saw Owen ice in his first full season for the Hounds, registering 70 points from 63 appearances. The following season saw a return to British shores when he joined the Bracknell Bees in the Ice Hockey Superleague. He split his time between the Bees and Milton Keynes Lightning in the 3rd tier English Premier League. Owen went on to score 63 points from 40 goals and 23 assists during 36 games for the Lightning whilst also helping them to capture the play-off title.

2003-04 saw a return to the Bees in the newly formed British National League (BNL). Owen went on to win the double with the Bees in 2004-05 as they claimed the BNL title and the Challenge Cup in only their second season in the league.

The 2005-06 season marked the first appearance that Owen would make for the Basingstoke Bison, during two separate spells with the Hampshire squad, having been signed from the champions by coach Mark Bernard. With Bernard’s departure in 2006, current Player/Coach Doug Sheppard took over the helm and with Owen back for a second season he formed the infamous partnership with line mates Brad Cruickshank and Greg Chambers. As part of the “Bison Line” Owen went on to have a break-out year in senior hockey scoring 54 points from 53 starts.

Despite the departure of Sheppard, following the appointment of Ryan Aldridge as player/coach of the Bison, Owen returned to the Herd for a third season in 07-08, registering almost a point per game as he racked up 52 points in 54 appearances.

France came a-calling in 2008 as Owen made his first move abroad since his early career to join Briançon in the French Ligue Magnus. A more competitive league than the EIHL saw Owen score just 21 points during the 25 starts. He was also called up to represent GB during their 2010 pre-Olympic qualifying rounds in Poland. However GB finished 3rd in their group and missed out on qualifying for the final Winter Olympic selection.

A year later marked the return back to the UK and the EIHL as Owen joined the Coventry Blaze. He was reunited with former line-mate Chambers and with Head Coach Paul Thompson adding Cruickshank at the 2010 trade deadline, the former “Bison Line” was once again together however this time causing terror for the Blaze. The Blaze tasted success with the capture of the EIHL league title and Owen’s first title in the top flight league.

Despite returning for a further two seasons with the Blaze, they could not reach the same heights as in previous years, and following the conclusion of the 2011-12 season he announced that he would prefer to move closer to home (Reading); sparking a many rumours as to his intended destination.

With Sheppard returning to lead the Bison for the 2012-13 season, he looked to put a competitive team together to launch a full challenge in the EPL. Turning to previous team-mates Sheppard announced that former Bison and 06-7 team-mate, Owen had signed for the season ahead alongside his former line-mate Chambers.

Sheppard lead the Bison to their best ever league finish in the EPL with 2nd and also taking them to their first play-off finals weekend, reaching the semi-finals where they lost to eventual winners Manchester.

Having assembled a competitive team, Sheppard would have surely been hoping to keep the core of his players for the next season, with Owen being one of huge experience and influential to their title challenge.

The loss for the Bison will prove a huge void to fill ahead of the 2013-14 EPL season with Owen still one of the top Brit centres in both the EPL and EIHL. Many expected him to be re-signed by Sheppard for a further season as they continue to lead the Herd charge back to success; however you cannot fault or be angry against a guy that wants to give up a huge part of his life and passion for his family.

Owen is one of those players that can frustrate the hell out of an opposition. He plays a clean, fast and clinical game on the ice. He can create plays and act as a set-up man which was evident during the seasons he spent alongside Cruickshank and Chambers; but he can also hit the net himself when required. His first season in the EPL saw him amass a season high points total from 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points. He was the second highest point scorer for the Bison, behind only Chambers; and he was also 6th highest British point scorer for the whole league.

Owen played with a level or maturity and experience, which would on some occasions, make him oblivious to the watching fan, as he went about his business on the ice and did it well! He was also a leader and respected by both his team-mates and fellow players.

Sheppard commented to the Basingstoke Gazette, “I am so glad to have played with Greg and he was a great leader for the team. I can understand that he now wants to spend time with his family.”

So what is next for Owen and the Bison? Well I am sure Owen will continue to be involved in ice hockey in some capacity whether it is watching and cheering on the Herd next season or in another way. For Sheppard the search now starts for a replacement and what big shoes they’ll have to fill.

Good luck in everything you do in your future Greg!!!

Aldridge set to lead Wildcats for 6th year running

The Swindon Wildcats have announced that head coach Ryan Aldridge will be returning to the club for a sixth successive campaign in 2013-14, and will be available to play as in previous seasons. Despite the disappointment of missing the play-off semi-finals for a third season running the club have moved quickly to start making the preperations for next season as early as possible.

Aldridge returns for a sixth season in charge of the Wildcats.

Aldridge returned to his home town club in 2008 after less than two months in charge of the Basingstoke Bison in the Elite League (EIHL); following on and off ice issues with the Hampshire side. He joined Head Coach Pete Russell as a player/coach for the remainder of the season leading the club to 8th place in the league standings.

The 2009-10 season saw Aldridge return to the club as player/coach with the club finishing in 8th place in the league standings for a second successive season. The Wildcats faced the league champions, the Milton Keynes Lightning, in the play-off quarter finals and an 10-8 aggregate score saw them proceed to the semi-finals in Coventry where they faced Guildford, but their path to the final was halted by a 5-2 loss.

The following season, Aldridge was once again back to lead the Wildcats charge in the EPL and a 7th place league finished marked a slight improvement over the previous two seasons, however was no where near where the club wanted to be. For 2011-12 Aldridge showed his clout in the recruiting department as he signed the entire top line of the Bracknell Bees; consisting of Jaroslav Cesky, Nicky Watt and Michal Pinc to the Link Centre. Jonas Höög made a return for a second season, whilst local boy Aaron Nell split his time between the Coventry Blaze and Wildcats. At the back Tom Murdy signed full time from the Blaze and he was joined mid season by Dean Skinns who had been released by the Bison. Despite a strong team on paper the Wildcats could only manage a 7th place finish for a second year running, whilst losing out to the Manchester Phoenix in the play-off quarter finals.

For this past season, it was all change again in the Wildcats squad. Aldridge announced before the season started that he’d prefer to coach from the bench, but would play if required. He eventually iced in 37 games due to injuries within the team and scored 26 points. Returning for a third season was Höög, joined on the top-line by Nell who retired full-time to the EPL squad.

Skinns and Murdy also returned for a second season, however a serious injury to Murdy would see Skinns take the number 1 mantle during the season.

The Wildcats started the season with Matias Perkkiö, Michal Kapicka, Jan Melichar alongside Höög in the import set-up. However a mid-season move for giant defenceman, Tomas Fojtik from the Telford Tigers, saw the departure of Kapicka after only 19 starts.

The Wildcats, had a less successful year than the last, in terms of overall victories however finished in a third successive 7th place in the league standings. In the play-offs they faced the Bison and after an initial 3-3 in the first leg of the play-off quarter finals; were eventually edged out in overtime in the return leg in Basingstoke, losing 2-1 to once again miss out on the finals weekend.

Despite the limited success Aldridge has enjoyed with Swindon it is a smart move by the Berkshire side. Consistency in terms of coaching and players is sometimes key to success on the ice. Having finished in the bottom 5 of the league standings for the past 5 years they will surely be looking to overturn their fortunes next season and despite the debate about what Aldridge has won with the Wildcats, there is not dispute that he is a decent coach in the EPL. Having had a strong squad on paper for the past two seasons and only reaching 7th in the league standings will be a bitter pill to swallow; however lessons will hopefully have been learnt at the Link Centre and next season they will be able to compete consistently on the ice week in and week out.

It will now just be interesting to see who will return and who Aldridge can capture to lead the Wildcats to a better finished than 7th in 2013-14.