EPL Roundup – taking things on the Chinn

SWINDON, UK – Once again it was all aboard for another week on the roller coaster that is British ice hockey.
 
Things started gentle enough along the shallow incline towards the Big Off as the Jets signed 18-year-old British netminder Ryan Bainborough from the Phantoms as a backup to Greg Rockmann prompting Coach Russell to say that was it for his goalie line-up.
 
And then came the sudden but not too frightening drop as his forward Carl Thompson informed Russell he would not be able to guarantee a full-time commitment again due to work and studies. Russell said, ‘Carl understands we can’t be swapping and changing the line-up every weekend and the team needs consistency within it to succeed. Carl is a great guy and the last thing we want is to lose him from the club.’ In other words his part-time status is better than nothing, although Russell added, ‘I have taken the decision to make one further addition to the team on the offence…We will be announcing the addition very soon.
 
Back on the up the following day and the Jets announced the signing of Shaun Thompson which brought with it a mildly heady feeling because not only is he the big brother of the player he is replacing, so keeping it all in the family so to speak, but also happens to be the same Shaun Thompson who was unceremoniously dumped from EIHL Braehead the previous week with Sam Bullas, now back with the Wildcats, after just weeks on the books. So, while both players presumably would prefer to be plying their trade back in the EIHL, it is still comforting to know they have both been welcomed back in the EPL rather than wandering the streets hockeyless. Strangely, though, while the Jets website invites further inquiries, they did not answer one about Thompson S, which makes you wonder how that system works.
 
However, while still intoxicated by all this niceness which by then had swept away the fallout from EIHL Hull Stingrays plummeting to earth last week, the Phoenix somewhat aptly crept from the ashes clutching the signature of the orphaned British forward James Archer. Clearly a wise if not saucy move on the part of Coach Tony Hand because almost before the ink was dry followed rumours the Hull team was about to rise again from its own ashes. Not that it worried young Archer who said, ‘I was devastated about what happened at Hull, but I have put it behind me now.’ Wow! What resilience, especially as the next day it was announced the Stingrays were in fact to be re-floated with, and here I pause for a taken aback moment, the help of EIHL Coventry Blaze. So, the remaining Brits who hadn’t been picked up like ex-EPL forward Matty Davies were now back in business and were all re-signed so will still be playing in the Elite League next year. But not so Archer by the looks of things, whose powers of bouncebackability must surely now be really tested. Or maybe not. Hand, it will be remembered had shown great generosity with the recently-signed Robert Farmer back in June in allowing him to go play in Canada, so will he be as benevolent to James Archer? Can afford to be?
 
Any turbulence on the horizon came to nought by the end of the week and we heard the Phantoms had re-signed British netminder Damien King, who joined last season from the junior programme, and D-man Thomas Jeffrey of whom Coach Cruickshank said, “I think his physical style of play will make him very useful this coming season”. Oh, I do like a provocative comment. Cruickshank also confirmed the name of his final import would be announced before the weekend, and it was with the signing of Lithuanian forward Darius Lelenas from Belarus, which also caused the coach to declare his regular- player roster complete. ‘I like the look of the team.’ he said, ‘I think we have found the mix I wanted.’
 
Nothing so simple for Bees Coach Gareth Cox who had a dilemma. The Bracknell team has eighteen names on the roster, despite having intended to keep things cut close to the bone, and the recent informal training sessions had thrown up two more as yet unnamed players whom Cox felt might be worthy of a place. But on the other horn of the dilemma is Cox also wants another ‘experienced campaigner’.
 
Cox also stated he felt it unlikely the top five teams last year – Lightning, Jets, Flames, Bison and Phoenix – would be threatened by the rest although, of course, he was going to give it a darn good try. It is his opinion the Flames, in bringing in three players from the Elite League, are going to be the team to watch because elsewhere he thought there had been little player movement this summer. Figures show new signings compared to current rosters average about 34% so far.  
 
The breeze whispered past my ears as everything appeared to trundle along swimmingly and the Bison signed D-man Daniel Lackey from their Buffalo ENL team from where he had iced already iced three times for the EPL team. Coach Steve Moria said he hoped the signing would be the start of a developing programme of bringing their junior players into the EPL. Bison captain and veteran player Nicky Chinn, meanwhile, said he felt British hockey would be better served if only four imports were allowed in all leagues. Having vented on that subject several times recently and while still of a tranquil disposition so not wanting to lift that stone again just yet, it was, however, still reassuring to know respected EPL elder statesmen such as Chinn hold such views.
 
Then the roller-coaster car fell off the world because Chinn added that given the chance at an alternative existence his wish was to be Buzz Lightyear. Now that sits just fine with me and if pressed would admit it even elevated Chinn in my admiration a touch. But the thought slammed into that part of my memory marked ‘oh, dear’ because as luck would have it my drooling uncle ‘Sparky’, who can’t be identified for legal reasons for having been a guest in one of those nice secure HMG homes for the troubled, had insisted it was Ranger Lightyear from Star Command who had ordered him to burn down the warehouse in Shoreditch. And, coincidentally, he’s just been released and seeks new orders.
 
Mr Chinn, meet Uncle Sparky while I go and have a lie down.      
   
For more EPL facts, articles, figures and news try my website – www.iceman-epl.com Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com