Swindon Wildcats purring along.

SWINDON, UK – Jason Stone probably holds a record for longevity with a single club, and if he doesn’t he should do having served the Cardiff Devils for 21 years and played over one thousand games. But no more because he was signed by the Wildcats at the beginning of the month. The Cardiff-born player started his senior career at just 15 in 1988 and has won several championships with his hometown club, and is known as a dependable, no-frills, solid defenseman.
 
Another Welshman, Steve Fisher, top scorer with over two points per game with Cardiff’s ENL team was rumoured to be the target of Coach Ryan Aldridge’s attentions but as nothing was heard for the rest of the month it was looking like he might be going to one of the other clubs that has been courting him.
 
Ryan Watt, on the other hand, has had more of a roaming brief and is no stranger to the Swindon side despite being still just 20. Two seasons ago he played with brother Nicky under then coach Pete Russell, but was released part way into the season. A spell with the Bees ended on a sour note, and he left only to be immediately re-signed by Russell, by then with the Jets. Both the Watt brothers ended their previous foray with the Wildcats as high penalty takers, but they are also exciting, dogged players so it will be interesting to see how Ryan fares under present coach Ryan Aldridge, who believes he is the man to bring out the best in the young forward.
 
It was no great secret that Aaron Nell’s future with the club was on borrowed time. He is a local lad and still only twenty year of age but has been very loyal to his club following an early career playing hockey in North America. But his obvious talent, which has given him top ten places in the EPL goal scorers chart and EPL British points scorers chart last year always meant his days with the Wildcats were numbered.
Although icing in every Wildcats game, Nell also played thirteen times as part of his 2-way contract with EIHL Coventry Blaze, and that is where everyone assumed he would go on a permanent basis. Then, as expected, just over week later the announcement of Nell’s departure to Coventry was made with Coach Aldridge acknowledging it would be ‘tough’ to replace him and adding that he felt Nell was the best British player in the EPL last season. This was somewhat confirmed a few weeks earlier when he became the only EPL player to be selected for the GB team to play in Slovenia, when he was named as a reserve.
 
Sam Bullas, former Under-20 GB international, left the Wildcats and signed on as a forward for new boys Braehead Clan who will play just outside Glasgow having been recently accepted into the Elite League.
 
The month ended with the news British forward Matt Foord re-signed for the Wildcats for a second term. Coach Aldridge said Foord was a versatile player and can play many rolls and he is confident the Swindon team will benefit from his improving game in the coming year.
 
So with seven names in the bag, and only one of those an import, there is still a long way to go so more next month.
 
For more Wildcats stats and news take a look at my website – www.swindonwildcats.me.uk
  Contact the author Bill.collins@Prohockeynews.com