SWINDON, UK – What better way to start a week than with a bit of controversy? The Bison have lost, so far, four players with Mindy Kieras going first to the Jets, shortly followed by Rick Skene, Ben Davies and Carl Graham moving elsewhere. Sure, the Bison have re-signed seven, and now added Marcel Petran from Slovakia, presumably to replace Kieras, but the situation is dire enough in Basingstoke for Coach Steve Moria to call for an increase in the non-British-trained quotas to be raised by one. Moria’s argument is that with the Elite League dropping their import quota back to ten thereby attracting more high-end Brits, and the higher-budget EPL teams grabbing the rest, there just isn’t enough ‘quality players’ left for the rest of us. Now Moria is a wise old bird and has been around the rink enough times to not only have considered exactly what he was saying, but more importantly its impact so also knows if this was a serious proposition or whether he was simply trying to highlight some of the issues in the EPL, and British hockey for that matter, that really ought to be addressed. When it comes down to it, what he seems to be saying is if the English Ice Hockey Association wish to refer to the EPL as a ‘development league’ then we need a properly structured multi-level organisation that not just welcomes youngsters in but nurtures them right up to EPL level with decent coaches and a reasonable hope of playing therein. Without deviating too much such a system should not forget that those at the other end of the age hierarchy who having been through the system should also have somewhere to ply their talents before retiring. I may be wrong but I don’t think the Bison have a truly integrated tier system with juniors in the area, unlike say Peterborough or Swindon where there is a thriving junior programme and for which they are advertising for more coaches. So, although Moria may be looking for an alternative option to his recruiting problem, and who can blame him, the danger with simply upping the import allocation is it being only a short-term papering over the cracks. Tangentially, we have seen Coach Payette at the Steeldogs try to do something about the development issue recently in announcing the club plans to arrange training and possible ice time for his home-grown players with an Elite League side. While initially ruling out the Steelers, you can’t help feeling the Steeldogs are in a uniquely both good and bad position with their loftier neighbours and the club need credit for any beneficial accommodation that can be made. This week, however, Payette went further and announced he was only interested in signing local players, apart from his imports that is. This is a bold, and some will surely say foolish, stance undoubtedly fraught with challenges, but as Payette isn’t a noted recluse and certainly has drive perhaps it will turn out to be the small snowball beginning its roll downhill.
Staying with controversy for a minute, the Bees GM Stuart Robinson felt it necessary to answer critics that the club’s spending was in danger of going into overload having acquired the likes of Rob Lamey, Lukas Smital, Shaun Thompson, and Bison’s Carl Graham who signed this week. Robinson explained the Bees’ salary budget was the same as last season and that credit for the acquisitions was due to Coach Cox, and new assistant Lukas Smital’s, judicious spending. Perhaps as a balance the Bees also signed utility player Bradley Watchorn from ENL Wightlink where he has chalked up some decent figures so long as you don’t count the penalty minutes which would have given him a foot on the ‘winner’s’ podium had he been in the EPL. On that basis alone he qualifies as a replacement for Nicky Watt who this week signed back on with the Wildcats. Plus, presumably the Bees have a bob or two put towards the new players with the confirmed departures of Jaroslav Cesky and Michal Pinc and must have no desire to commit business suicide after the experience of the previous couple of seasons. Another player on the move is 18-year-old Jack Watkins, younger brother of the Tigers’ coach Tom, who has gone to the Elite League’s Hull, while Andy McKinney re-signed with the Telford side for a second term as did netminder Declan Ryan. Coach Watkins said he had received a lot of interest from players wanting to join the Tigers, but stated he wanted to retain ‘a lot of the young players’ because, ‘That gives us something to build on.’ Also continuing a local rebuild is the Phantoms where forward Warren Tait, who returns for a third season with new Coach Allen singing his praises for adapting to a duel role on the blue line last campaign. Also returning to that fold is back-up netminder Damien King, a product of the Phantoms’ junior programme for whom Allen sees more opportunity this season under Steve Walls’ tutelage. L ightning’s ‘Best Defensive Player of the Year’ Michael Farn re-signed, while at the Tigers it is rumoured netminder Ben Hunt, who has been playing for the ENL Titans, will be moving up. To end this Roundup we turn to some speculative thoughts about the Phoenix. This week Coach Hand expressed satisfaction with his recruiting programme, declaring the Brit section was all but lined up and, as we all know, he neither rushes into forming a squad and also has the knack of picking up the odd diamond from abroad or, as he said, imminently from the Elite league. But, he has lost not just his two top scorers but two of the league’s top three scorers with Marcus Kristoffersson off to Europe and, to make matters worse, Curtis Huppe to his closest rival in Guildford. Plus, two of the league’s top D-men in Pavel Gomeniuk and Ben Morgan have also gone, to the Steeldogs with Greg Wood. That is a serious chunk to have bitten from your leg. On the plus side the top ten British forward Slava Koulikov has been captured from the Jets, and occasional player Dean Holland is returning to the EPL but as yet to an unnamed club. And where does owner Neil Morris fit in saying he would accept an offer for the club while talking about his delight at the prospect of a further three-year working relationship with Hand? Hmmm. You can’t help wondering what is going to rise from the ashes come September. For more EPL facts and figures, results and news why not try our mailing list by clicking the link on www.iceman-epl.com Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com
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