EPL Roundup w/e 25th April 2010

SWINDON, UK – First team news of the week was the signing of Gareth Cox as coach for the Bracknell Bees from a successful season with the local ENL side Bracknell Hornets. His first captures were the signatures of Czech forwards Michal Pinc and Jaroslav Cesky who had made it pretty clear a few weeks earlier they wanted to return, even if it meant less money. And they were true to their word, because both turned down lucrative offers from the Elite League to stay with the Bees. Also re-signing was captain and British forward Terry Miles, who has been associated with the club and teams under its umbrella for over a decade. Miles, it was reported, was delighted to be working with Cox as the two have similar aims for hockey in the town.
Still with the Elite League, and Newcastle Vipers captain David Longstaff(GBR)(F), in what for many was a surprise move, left and signed with the Guildford Flames, confirming another strong rumour. Guildford have tempted back Czech forward Martin Masa, a top ten goal scorer.
Bison added Slovakian forward Ondrej Lauko to their roster as a re-signing making that their third so far after Steve Moria(CAN)(F) and Sam Oakford(GBR)(D). British D-man Tony Redmond, the all-time Bison highest British points scorer has also returned, making it twelve seasons in the game for the Herd.
Coach Tony Hand at the Phoenix was quite vocal about his team’s future prospects disclosing that both Finnish forward Jaakko Hagelberg and British forward Adam Walker had been offered new contracts and both had been hesitant with the pen as apparently both players want time to consider their futures. On a more positive note backup netminder Adam Summerfield and fellow Brits Greg Wood(F) and Ben Wood(D) have all placed their mark on the dotted line. Hand also said he had an Elite League forward lined up to sign, and would make the announcement at the weekend. Sure enough, another Vipers’ player, forward Dean Holland, became the first new face at the Manchester club stating, “Manchester is a big city and in sporting terms demands winners…”. Hand went on to say he would be filling the Brit spots before looking for imports, which makes you wonder about the Hagelberg offer.
It was reported Czech D-man Jan Krajicek would not be available to the Swindon Wildcats next season. Coach Ryan Aldridge informed the press the club couldn’t meet Krajicek’s need for accommodation, so they had departed company. EPL Coach-of-the-Year Pete Russell, boss of the Jets, was reappointed for another season and rumoured to have snapped up the defenceman with an offer of accommodation and a pay rise. Days later said rumour was confirmed, at least the snapping up bit, and was followed by the re-signing of netminder Greg Rockman.
Good news for the Wildcats, though, with their first signing in the shape of Czech defenceman Jan Melichar released days before by the Jets. Coach Aldridge said he had been trying to obtain his signature for four years after the two had been team mates at the then successful Bracknell Bees. Also good news for the Swindon side was the signing of D-man James Griffin, their seventeen-year-old international, who put pen to paper for his second year.
Meanwhile, Phantoms Canadian players Brent Gough(F) and Doug MacIver(D) were still stranded in the UK since the end of the season by the Icelandic airborne ash problem and unable to return to their homeland. Gough observed he was getting married in August, so presumably he is expecting a long delay. Luckily the government heard about his problem and after test flights, reopened the airports.
‘Hands off our players!’ demanded General Manager Vito Rausa at Milton Keynes as coach Nick Poole(CAN)(F) re-signed, the fourth to do so this week. Apparently most of the rest of the team are queuing up to return and some have made their mark on contracts like British D-men Michael Farn and Lewis Christie closely followed by Lukas Zatopek(CZE)(D). The signing bonanza continued with Brit forwards Adam Carr, Matt Towalski and Adam Brittle.
But, amongst all these early moves, the really most welcome news must be the announcement that Tom Watkins, previously a forward with Elite League Coventry Blaze, has become the new player-coach for the returning Telford Tigers.
 
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Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com