SWINDON, UK – Although the countdown is now firmly under way, there are still gaps in some of the rosters with, in fact, only three sides have declared a completed line-up so far, and all this week.
The Flames lead this group with the signing of 18-year-old D-man Chris Cooke, who iced 18 times for the side last season from the juniors, and now joins the senior squad as the thirty-second teenager to join the EPL. Also signed was former GBU18 forward Scott Greenfield for what will be a forth season having first iced for the Flames when he was seventeen back in 2009.
With twenty names in the squad, that is likely to be at the higher end at least until the season gets under way, and while icing two netminders as usual, five imports, of course, isn’t. Well, not for the rest of the league. While no side will be able to actually play with five imports at any one time according to the league rules, the Flames have given themselves the option of choice with four import forwards from a total of eleven, plus further options with seven in defence.
The Bison declared second with the signing of forward Greg Chambers, late of the Flames. The Canadian has a huge amount of previous experience with the Bison from their days in the Elite League, and, through the laberinth that is the national identity qualifications, with the GB senior team. Chambers’s signing concluded the Bison roster at seventeen with a more traditional composition than the Flames with three import forwards, although fewer up front than last season, and also more in defence.
Close behind the Bison came the Lightning with the signing of Leigh Jamieson which must have must have been greeted with bunting and merriment because not just for re-signing, but on a 2-year contract! Jamieson is a splendid accuisition because he is one of the few players who is comfortable either up front or at the back, but what makes Jamieson special is after years on the blue line he made the transition to attack last season and, slap me, and pass me to mother, ended the season a top three Brit on points and points-per-game average. He was also a top ten Brit on goals and assists, so what more could you want if you support the Lightning?
The Lightning, then, wrapped things up with the more usual three import forwards from a total of ten, and with five on defence, but more unusually, three netminders with young Jordan Hedley giving them a squad of eighteen.
The only other side to make a signing this week were the Phantoms who added British forward Jamie Line who quit the Lightning last month where he had iced for two seasons after spells with the Jets, Bison and four seasons with the Bees. While the Phantoms now have eighteen on board in all the right sort of places, there has been no mention that the bench is fully occupied just yet from Coach Jon Kynaston in his first season.
So what about the rest? The Bees have seventeen signed including four imports split evenly between front and back giving a total of nine forwards and six on defence with two netminders; so close, but no announcement yet.
The Phoenix, who have only announced two imports so far, have a tally of sixteen which includes nine forwards and five on defence two of which – James Neil and Ben Wood – can perform a duel role. So with two netminders signed would it would be fair to assume the remaining imports slots to fill will be forwards, or would coach Tony Hand feel a ratio of 11-to-5 is not quite the right ballance?
With some way to go further than the Phoenix, and the league’s laggers, so to speak, are the Jets who have signed only fourteen so far and have places to fill in both forward and defensive departments. They also still have one further import to sign although already have the league’s biggest forward on the books in Czech Frantisek Bakrlik. So, just the netminding completed for Slava Koulikov in his league debut as a coach.
No declaration yet from the Steeldogs although eighteen have been signed, if for no other reason than only one netminder has been added. With four imports on board split evenly between front and back, that gives them eight defenders and nine up front, so another unusual configuration.
The Wildcats look near completion with eleven forwards including three imports, and five D-men. So seventeen accounted for and just a second netminder to announce.
Also on seventeen are the Tigers, although they still have an import to find, and have again gone with three netminders, including an import in Greg Blais. But with eight forwards and seven on defence we must assume the final slot will go to an import forward.
So to sum up, we have a few oddities like the Flames with twenty names including five imports, the Bison settling on seventeen, the Lightning with three netminders and Tigers with three goalies including an import, with the Bees and Steeldogs evenly splitting imports.
But as far as vacancies go, then there could be as few as seven places still to fill and, bearing in mind the first pre-season game, between the Tigers and National League Blackburn takes place on 25th, so before the next Weekly Roundup, not a lot of time in which to do it.
The clock is ticking.
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Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
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