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

GB face Japan in penultimate game of tournament

Great Britain’s senior mens team are set to face Japan later on today in their penultimate game of the Division 1A World Championship tournament in Budapest.

So far in the tournament GB have struggled against their opposition and are yet to secure their first points of the tournamnet following a 4-2 defeat to Hungary, 5-0 to Kazakhstan and 5-1 against Italy on Wednesday. Their rivals today are Japan who currently occupy 4th spot in the table after their sole victory against Korea on Wednesday.

GB started the tournament in high spirits and pushed Hungary all the way in their opening game on Sunday night; however they have been left in deep water following the tough defeats to Kazakhstan and Italy. Japan have also struggled so far in the tournament with defeats also to Kazakhstan and Italy and their only victory coming against the lowest ranked side Korea.

GB will also end the tournament tomorrow afternoon when they face Korea. As with GB themselves and also Japan, Korea have struggled to match the pace of the top 3 in the group, however were able to record an impressive shoot-out victory against Hungary on Monday. They currently sit just above GB in the group standings with 2 points and GB will surely be looking for two victories from the final games to make the jump above at least one if not both of their rivals.

Today’s game will once again be shown on Premier Sports live on Sky with a face-off time of 16:00. Tomorrow’s final game against Korea starts at 12:30.

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.

GB hoping to pull off the Italian Job

It is a big day for Great Britain as they face-off in their third match of the Division 1A World Championships; against tough opposition.

Italy is the team in the way today and GB will be hoping to turn their fortunes around against the 16th seed country.
Italy has been in good form so far in the tournament and has been the early leaders, alongside Kazakhstan, having won their opening two games.

It is a case of missed opportunities for GB however as they lost 4-2 to Hungary on the opening night and were blanked 5-0 by Kazakhstan a day later. However the results do not reflect the performance on the ice, with GB holding their own against two countries that are ranked well above them in the IIHF World Ranking order; but with the round robin style tournaments such as these the world rankings count for nothing and it goes down to how you play on the day.

Italy have comfortably beaten Korea (4-0) and Japan (4-1) so far in the tournament but GB will be hoping to put up a better fight in this afternoon’s game.

Belfast Giants’ netminder Stephen Murphy told the Ice Hockey UK website; “We are used to the pressure, we are used to the tough games, so we are well prepared for this. We need to keep our energy levels up and we have a lot of positives to take forward.

“Italy are a good team, they are an A pool team and tough opposition for sure. Our aim is to get something from the game and take it forward into our last two games.”

Penalty trouble was something that blighted GB during the final Olympic qualification round in Latvia earlier this year and was something that Assistant Coach Doug Christiansen hoped they could improve on in this tournament.

In Latvia GB was the highest ranked country in terms of penalties taken having registered 54PIM over the three games. So far in this tournament, improvements have been made, and GB are ranked 5th overall with 22PIM from their first two games.

Further improvements have also been seen in terms of scoring opportunities however luck has not bounced our way with those chances being converted into actual goals.

Both teams will feel a little refreshed having had a day off yesterday and GB will go into the game in high spirits and full of confidence. An early goal would give them a great boost which could lead them to victory; however they must not let their heads drop should Italy take the lead.

GB’s game will once again be shown live on Premier Sports (Sky channel 428) with the face-off at 3pm.

Chieftains and Raiders through to Play-off Final

With the EPL and EIHL both finishing in early April there was still plenty of action to keep the fans interested in ice hockey for a little longer before the summer takes over.

Last weekend saw the semi-finals of the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) South 1 play-offs. With the Chelmsford Chieftains already crowned league champions they would be looking to do the double in the play-offs.
As expected the semi-finals featured the top four from the league and two epic battles were drawn. Chelmsford would face Invicta whilst the two Raiders were locked in battle.

Invicta went into their semi-final the under-dogs knowing they had only beaten Chelmsford once in six attempts this season. Thanks to goals from Ross Brears, Julius Sinkovic and player/coach Gary Clarke the Chieftains took a 3-2 lead into the second leg on home ice.

On Sunday the Dynamos gave everything they could to get back in the game and a 13 goal thriller was decided in favour of the Chieftains after the two legs were completed; to progress to the play-off finals.

On Saturday the Wightlink Raiders were at home and knew they need a comfortable cushion to take into the second leg in Romford; which would be the last ever game to be played at the Rom Valley Way Ice Rink and home to the Raiders for the past 20+ years.

The Raiders put in a spectacular performance on home ice to take a two goal lead into the second leg in Romford. However the tables were turned the following night as Romford clawed back the two goal deficit, scoring with just 10 seconds remaining to force overtime.

However the game would be decided on the dreaded penalty shoot-out. The first two attempts were missed by both clubs, but Richard Facey stepped up for Wightlink and calmly slotted his shot home to put them ahead. Romford’s Danny Marshall was up next but he could not match Facey and his shot missed giving the victory to Wightlink and sending them to the play-off finals to face Chelmsford.

In the NIHL the play-off final is a two game contest with a home and away fixture to decide the winner; unlike the EPL/EIHL which is decided in one game at the finals weekend.

The Raiders will play at home on Saturday 20th April before heading back to Essex on Sunday for the final showdown of the season.

Play-Off Semi Finals
Saturday 13 April 2013 – Leg 1

Wightlink Raiders 4-2 Romford Raiders
Invicta Dynamos 2-3 Chelmsford Chieftains

Sunday 14 April 2013 – Leg 2

Chelmsford Chieftains 7-6 Invicta Dynamos
Romford Raiders 4-2 Wightlink Raiders

GB blanked again by Kazakhstan in 5-0 drama

It was day two of the World Championships (Division 1A) in Budapest and Great Britain faced Kazakhstan, looking for their first win in the tournament.

The last time the two countries met the Kazakhs gave a fine performance to blank GB 6-0 in the final Olympic qualifiers in Latvia back in February.

With that, surely at the back of their minds, they went into the game hopeful of a better performance and a little bit of revenge.

The game started with the better chances going GB’s way. On three separate powerplay opportunities mid-way through the period, GB had their best chances; however Kazakh netminder Vitali Kolesnik was up to the task and kept his clean-sheet.

With it looking like the first period would end scoreless, the Kazakhs showed their prowess on offense and scored two late goals; just 19 seconds apart.

Collecting the puck from his own blueline, Konstantin Romanov skated through the neutral zone making an initial pass to Andrei Spiridonov who gained the zone. With Romanov clear of the last defender he skated in un-opposed and put the pack past Belfast Giants’ Stephen Murphy.

The second game moments later when Roman Savchenko made a diving poke check in his own zone to win the puck. Maxim Belyayev collected the puck and made a quick break down the right hand side, cutting inside he was knocked off the puck by Robert Dowd; but Ilya Solarev came from nowhere to fire the puck through traffic and past Murphy.

Matthew Myers battles for the puck during GB’s game against Kazakhstan

With a two goal deficit GB were not out of contention but had to create something big. They got an early opportunity just minutes into the second period on the powerplay. With the puck worked from behind GB’s net Colin Shields worked up centre ice and flicked the puck over to Dowd; with a backhand pass to Jonathan Weaver, the Nottingham Panther took a big slap shot from the blueline but was denied by the chest of Kolesnik.

Another chance and another missed opportunity came for GB. Ashley Tait worked the puck well from the corner and worked the puck to Phil Hill to the right of net. A sliding pass in front, through traffic, found its way to Danny Myers at the back door; but once again GB was to be denied by Kolesnik.

Despite looking the better team for the majority of the second period, GB hit penalty trouble late on, when David Clarke was called for cross-checking at 38:39. Less than 30 seconds later and GB were down to three men with Matthew Myers being called for delaying the game at 38:56. With the two man advantage the Kazakhs worked the puck well. With a big slap shot from the right face-off circle by Yevgeni Blokhin the puck was deflected off Murphy onto the backboards.
Dmitri Upper kept the puck in the zone and worked it back in front to Roman Savchenko who fired a strong wrist shot past Murphy on the glove side. The goal ended the second period and gave Kazakhstan a 3-0 lead heading into the final 20 minutes.

Robert Farmer and Ashley Tait battle for the puck in the corner.

The Kazakhs started the third period still on the powerplay. Working around the zone the puck was fed to Savchenko on the blueline. A big slap shot was deflected at first but found its way to Vadim Krasnolslobodtsev on the right and he left no doubt firing his shot past Murphy.

Mid-way through the third period and the Kazakhs almost made it 5-0. A well worked play saw Konstantin Savenkov break down the right after a long pass from his own zone. Skating in on Murphy the chasing Luke Boothroyd brought the Kazakh down and a penalty shot was awarded.

Savenkov stepped up and started zigzagging down centre ice. With a deke he fired the shot to Murphy’s right only to be denied by the post. Just over a minute later and the fifth goal did come; when Blokhin slotted home a pass at the back door with less than 10 minutes remaining. GB held on during the final phase to avoid any further heart break with the game ending 5-0.

Robert Dowd is tripped whilst working the puck in the zone.

It was a frustrating game for GB who looked the better side of the two for the majority of the game. However they were denied time and time again by Kolesnik and did not, despite their chances, look likely to beat the Kazakh goalie.
GB must now re-group and keep their heads held high ahead of their clash on Wednesday against Italy.
Kazakhstan and Italy have led the way so far in this tournament and GB will be hoping for a better performance to halt the winning run of their European neighbours.

After the game, David Longstaff said; “We did not deserve to lose that game in the way we did. We created so many chances but just could not find a way past their netminder. He had an excellent game and stopped us on so many occasions.”

“We can be proud of the way played the better hockey against a higher-ranked nation. There are plenty of positives despite the defeat. We will now rest up ahead of our next game.”

 

In the groups other games, Italy recorded their second victory of the tournament with a 4-1 beating over Japan. Whilst Korea gave the shock of the tournament so far coming back from 4-1 down to score three unanswered third period goals to tie the game. With overtime unable to find a winner, penalty shots were required where Korea overcame Hungary. This leaves GB in last place in the table and promotion hopes slipping away..

1.  Kazakhstan 6pts

2. Italy 6pts

3. Hungary 4pts

4. Korea 2pts

5. Japan 0pts

6. GBR 0pts

 

GB v Kazakhstan Updates – Period Three

Kazakhstan stretched their advantage further in the third period with the game ending a disappointing 5-0.
Inside the opening 2 minutes Vadim Krasnolobodtsev scores making it 4-0. With less than 10 minutes remaining Manchester Phoenix defenceman was called for hooking on a breakaway attempt and a penalty shot awarded. However Stephen Murphy was up to the task and denied Savenkov.

Less than 20 seconds later and Jonathan Weaver was also called for hooking gifting Kazakhstan a 5-on-3.
Just over a minute into the powerplay Yevgeni Blokhin scored the final goal of the game gifting Kazakhstan 5-0 victory and their second of the tournament.