COVENTRY, UK – With a significant change to the playing roster necessary for the first time in years at Elite League champions Coventry Blaze, the club have wasted no time in capturing the first new face to the league for the 2010-11 season.
Paul Thompson has added some size at the bank with 6ft 2in defenceman Brad Zanon, who joins standout defenceman Brian Lee and Great Britain captain Jonathan Weaver on the Blaze blueline for next season, leaving Thompson in the market for at least one further blueliner with league winners Jason Robinson and long time servant Matthias Soderstrom yet to ink new deals for the coming season whilst utility player Tom Watkins has taken up a post as Player-Coach with the returning Telford Tigers of the English Premier League.
Zanon spent last season with the Florida Everblades whose previous exports to these shores include Nottingham Panthers duo Corey Neilson and Kevin Bergin. Delivering 14 points (2+11) in 77 regular season and playoff outings with the Estero based outfit suggests Zanon is a big defenceman, with reports from Florida suggesting the big blueliner is an outstanding penalty killer. Meanwhile, Zanon also racked up 128 penalty minutes this season just gone.
Zanon heading to the Blaze (Photo Florida Everblades)
A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Zanon who today celebrates his 27th birthday, is also not afraid to drop the gloves, doing so six times during the season just gone, winning the majority of his bouts. The former WHL player has also spent time at camp with the Carolina Hurricanes whilst playing for their Albany River Rats affiliate, and has also spent time with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL.
Don’t expect not to see the name Zanon appearing on the scoresheet next season, 84 points in 137 games during his time in the high standard CIS championship with University of British Columbia suggests that Zanon can make an impact up the ice too, a position Coventry Blaze head coach Paul Thompson makes clear speaking to their website today,
“Wherever he’s played junior, university or pro, Brad’s had a reputation of giving one hundred percent effort every night and is noted for his physical play all over the ice…but he’s definitely a player with a good offensive upside, he was the first player in University of British Columbia history to lead his team in goalscoring.”
Zanon’s brother Greg is currently also playing professional hockey, icing over 300 games in the NHL and currently on the roster of the Minnesota Wild. The Blaze half of the Zanon family will continue his education next season with Coventry University becoming the latest in a long line of players to be attracted to the Blaze as part of their partnership including standout performers Trevor Koenig, Reid Simonton, Neal Martin and Dan Carlson.
The Elite League has improved in its ability to retain players with most teams outside expansion teams Dundee and Braehead announcing the retention of a number of imported and British trained players alike.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Elite League, Chris Korchinski of ECHL’s Elmira Jackals has been confirmed via his agent as on his way to the Elite League.
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