PETERBOROUGH, UK – Peterborough Islanders fans haven’t had much to shout about this season, however the return of Steve Maile to the club has at least lifted some of the gloom at Bretton Way.
With seven goals in twelve appearances, he is already the third highest scorer on the team and has had a significant impact since his move back from Romford Raiders of the English Premier League. Maile certainly has no regrets about his decision to drop a league and return home:
“It wasn’t Romford that was the problem, it was the EPL. It’s such a big commitment (especially when you’re travelling from outside the area) and you have to really want to be there if you’re not getting paid the big bucks,
“Jesse Hammill is a good friend so I was honest with him, I wouldn’t ever want to play for a team where my heart wasn’t in it – it wouldn’t be fair for the Romford fans or my teammates. There are some great guys there and hopefully they can try and turn things around, but they will definitely miss Jesse when he returns to Canada”
The Islanders have struggled this season and need a minor miracle to stay in Division 1. Firmly rooted at the bottom of the league and nine points behind Haringey and Milton Keynes above them, the Islanders refuse to go down without a fight, as Maile confirms:
Steve Maile enjoying life in the ENL (Photo Paul Young)
“Anything is possible but realistically we look like we are going down. It’s a shame that Haringey and Milton Keynes are above us by the margin they are, because of off ice issues and rulings by the league but it is what it is,
“We have had some big games when we needed to get the wins and we didn’t show up and the other team deserved the points. We’re not sulking about it or blaming anyone else, you need to work hard to win games, you need to win games to stay out of relegation – we’re not sugar coating it, we know we haven’t done the job and because of that we will have to take what comes with it. Don’t get me wrong we’re not down and giving up, we’ll go to the last game of the season no matter what”
The Islanders lost a lot of players at the start of the season, and many ENL fans were surprised to see a weak roster considering how competitive the Islanders have been in recent years. Maile believes that the lack of experience and depth in the team is a key factor in the decline:
“It’s a backlash from financial troubles we had last year, we have lost a dozen solid players from what we started with last year which is a real shame. We have guys who aren’t used to be being a clutch player, or don’t have special teams experience. A few of our guys we’re playing recreational hockey last year so it’s been a big jump up a level,
“The results haven’t gone our way but a lot of guys have picked up some valuable experience, even if it was the hard way from being chucked in the deep end. We haven’t got the depth this year so no player can take a night off and rely on the guy next to him, everyone needs to put the numbers up and be accountable”
One thing that also hasn’t helped the Islanders is the rise in standard across the whole league. Maile acknowledges that this has also played a factor in his side’s league placing:
Cardiff proved a tough test (Photo by Tim Bowers)
“The standard of the ENL is always getting better. Chelmsford and Wightlink have really taken it to the next step and the league is more exciting than ever this year. I honestly think Invicta could beat Romford and Swindon in the EPL this year with guys like the Smiths’, Nicky Lewis, Ryan Giles, White in nets and their imports. There is a lot more depth this year too,
“A few years ago you had to focus on stopping the top import or maybe a good line, now teams like Cardiff and Bracknell just roll three lines of solid hockey players. It’s a good year to be playing in the ENL and its great that there hasn’t been any casualties and Haringey have made it through what seemed a tough time”
Most people would expect a last placed team to suffer from in-fighting and internal strife but Maile insists that nothing could be further from the truth:
“The atmosphere in the team is good – people ask what the problem is all the time but the locker room is fine. There are no fights or a bunch of bad guys, it’s a good room and people aren’t crying about it. Don’t get me wrong there is some sulking and people feeling sorry for themselves, but that again is down to experience and being accountable,
“Hockey is a fun sport, its all about enjoying it and its only a game at the end of the day, we know what we have to do to win and if you don’t care enough to do it when the puck has dropped, then there is no point in caring about it with your head in your hands after the game in the locker room. We’re just like any hockey team with good banter and we still have time for a laugh, but nothing too outrageous this year”
If Maile sounds passionate about the situation, that’s because he has been a part of ice hockey in Peterborough for longer than most people think. His parents were Peterborough Pirates fans, and then to ingrain hockey even further into the Maile’s, his aunty married Cardiff Devils legend Shannon Hope and upped sticks to live in Wales where the family connection has remained ever since. A lifelong Devils fan, Maile made his Peterborough debut at the tender age of sixteen for the now defunct Pirates in the British National League, he then went on to make over two hundred appearances in the English Premier League for the newly formed Peterborough Phantoms. To top it all off he also ended up playing with Devils hero Doug McEwen during the veteran’s stint with the Phantoms. Maile has seen it, done it, got the jersey and has no regrets:
Passionate about Peterborough (Photo Paul Young)
“I don’t think that I’ll play EPL again. I play hockey for fun and that means ice, hits, shots and goofing around, not travelling the country at weekends to play the trap for eleven minutes a game. I know what I do well, what my limits are, and I wouldn’t want to get out of my depth trying to keep playing EPL,
“The ENL is just the ideal level for me on the ice and off the ice. I’m very happy with what I’ve done with hockey so everything else is a bonus from now on. I coached the Phantoms under 18’s last year, and won the Hull conference tournament with the South East under 17’s with Steve Johnson last year. They were a fantastic bunch of guys so I think I might look at coaching the kids again soon. It’s pretty strange playing with and against the guys you’ve coached so I might wait until I’m done playing”
As for senior hockey in the UK, Maile certainly has strong opinions about the way things are going in the EPL, and he pulls no punches with his assessment:
“As a hockey fan there’s something a little sterile about the EPL now. The fans want to see passionate, fast, hard hockey but it doesn’t seem to be there anymore. Removing the clutch and grab is great for the dozen or so skillfull guys in the league but the majority play a rawer, rustic game. A few years ago teams were made up with the right amount of local guys who cared about the shirt, and the city and local rivalry meant something. Fights we’re fights because of the heat of the moment and not organised generic tough guy versus generic tough guy at centre ice,
“I honestly believe that MK Lightning are so successful because of their core of guys that hasn’t changed for the last seven or eight years. A team that drinks together wins together. The skilled and exciting players are all there, the fans want to see passion and gripping hockey games,
“Take away the journeymen who are there for the pay cheque, fill your rosters with local players, and tell the ref’s to let the game flow instead of worrying about rips in shorts or how low someone’s visor is and you have a really exciting league. No fan wants to see the team/leagues top players miss ten minutes of a hockey game because his visor is an inch too high”
If the Islanders do go down, it is pretty certain that Steve Maile’s phone will be ringing with offers from other ENL clubs. Peterborough will be hoping that the man who has spent most of his career in their colours, will ignore them and sign up for the inevitable Islanders promotion push next year.
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
Carrsy
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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