COVENTRY, UK – A big week in the UK’s Elite League as two teams add new faces to the league and the league adds a tenth team, whilst elsewhere teams begin to bid farewell to last season’s talent.
The week started with the Elite League board meeting at Nottingham East Midlands Airport, where the board agreed to bring Elite League hockey to the Dundee Ice Arena next season with the addition of the Dundee CCS Stars to the league.
Dundee, who have yet to announce their coaching staff, have spent the previous 4 seasons playing in the Scottish National League and Northern Premier League and previously were the last Playoff Champions of the now defunct British National League.
It is widely expected that three or four of the Stars’ current team will make the jump to the UK’s top league including top scorer John Dolan and former Edinburgh Capitals defenceman Euan Forsyth.
Stars fans are looking forward to re-igniting old rivals with Edinburgh Capitals and Coventry Blaze whilst Stars are also likely to have a heated rivalry with Elite League expansion side Braehead Clan.
The league also announced that the two expansion teams together with Hull Stingrays, Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers will be permitted to sign an extra imported player taking their total of non-British trained players to 12.
The first new faces have arrived in the league with hard hitting Brad Zanon putting pen to paper with League Champions Coventry Blaze, the blueliner joins the team from Florida Everblades in the ECHL and joins a Blaze defence already boasting GB captain and 5 tive Alan Weeks trophy winner Jonathan Weaver and 2009-10 Blaze player of the year Brian Lee. Zanon arrives with the expectation of keeping the puck away from net, but could also pose an offensive threat having been the first defenceman to lead University of British Columbia in scoring during his seasons in the CIS championship.
Blaze will however, be without Utility player Tom Watkins who joined the English Premier League’s Telford Tigers as Player/Coach. Watkins played just shy of 700 games in the Sky Blue, over a 10 year spell including 4 Elite League championships.
Meanwhile, forward Derek Campbell is taking in the summer in Sydney, Australia signing up for AIHL basement side Sydney Ice Dogs for the summer.
So too not lining up for the Blaze next year is assistant Captain Danny Stewart who joins Newcastle Vipers as Player-Coach.
Stewart is one man with a lot of work ahead of him, whilst he managed to tie up hot prospects Jamie Tinsley and Nathan Salem who will be key to his British pack, alongside back up netminder Liam McAllister who joins after a stellar year with English National League side Whitley Warriors. Stewart, however wil be without the services of point-a-game British legend David Longstaff who has opted to join EPL Guildford Flames. Promising youngster Dean Holland has also exited the Vipers Lair, signing with Manchester Phoenix in the EPL and fellow hot prospect Ben Campbell has also confirmed he will play in the EPL next year. Back up netminder Richie Lawson joins them through the exit door, with the destination not known at this moment in time.
Belfast Giants meanwhile go the other way, adding 41 point GB International Mark Garside who follows coach Doug Christiansen from Edinburgh Capitals over the Irish sea. Garside had a breakout year with the Capitals and has signed a 2 year contract with the reigning playoff champions in a team that already boasts Colin Sheilds, Stephen Murphy and Craig Peacock.
The news coming out of Hull Stingrays, Cardiff Devils and Braehead Clan is very much silent whilst Edinburgh Capitals announced the return of experienced British defenceman Kyle Horne.
Sheffield Steelers, trying to rebuild after a diappointing year, lost hot prospect Rob Farmer to Manchester Phoenix of the English Premier League but with the addition of Ashley Tait to the line up, Coach David Matsos will not be worried by Farmer’s exit.
Finally, Nottingham Panthers continued their unrelenting assualt on the newswires of the lace city with the addition of “Weapon X” Alex Penner from Colorado Eagles of the CHL. Penner, signed without apology to act as protection for skilled forwards David-Alexandre Beauregard and Jade Galbraith. Penner dropped the gloves 19 times during his tenure with the Eagles, including two wins against former Belfast and Coventry forward Carlyle Lewis. Panthers also re-signed junior programme product Tom Norton and re-signed Robert Lachowicz from Manchester Phoenix.
Contact the Author: phil.andrews@prohockeynews.com
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