CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – After a traumatic season in the UK with both Romford Raiders and Haringey Greyhounds, most hockey players would probably ditch their kit and enjoy the summer. Twenty year old defenseman Alastair Band chose instead to boost his morale by jetting off to Australia to sign for Canberra Knights in the AIHL.
Spending the off season playing in Australia has been a popular choice for a number of UK based hockey players over the past few years and Band is the latest to try his luck. Having stepped up to the English Premier League last year with the Raiders, a lack of ice time saw him tie up a two way contract with the Greyhounds in the English National League in a campaign that ultimately saw the North London side relegated. With the Raiders also struggling last year, Band had a tough time but is bouncing back on the other side of the world:
“It’s nice to be away from the pressure of losing teams, although Canberra are on a bit of a slip at the moment, for sure. The schedule out here is a lot less demanding, so you often only have one game on a weekend which is a nice change,
“But to say I’m away from the pressure full stop? There’s always pressure when people are paying to watch you play, and they let you know when you’re not performing! Would I have it any other way? Definitely not”
Photo by Guido Rozdarz
The AIHL is similar in structure to the EPL with teams limited to the amount of imports they can ice (Canberra have five registered). Band has the luxury of an Australian passport so is classed as a native despite learning his trade with Haringey juniors in the UK. This is not the first time he has played abroad however as he spent some time playing in Canada for Winnipeg South Blues and then Arborg Ice Dawgs in the KJHL.
After eight games the Knights currently lie in fifth place but Band insists that the team is a lot stronger than their position shows, and he has also been surprised at the standard of play:
“The AIHL probably compares to the higher end of the English National League. The local talent is a lot better than I expected with many guys on my team having represented or currently representing the Australian national team as well as playing overseas for the northern hemisphere season,
“The crowds vary greatly too, the Canberra crowd is definitely the noisiest and most rowdy. We get over 1000 per game in a tiny little barn so it can be quite intimidating for opposing teams, and a big reason we’ve only lost once on home ice so far,
“The imports are good and tend to raise the standard of play greatly. The intensity and physicality of the games is pretty high too, although they don’t condone fighting which leads to a lot more cheap shots”
Fighting is an art that Band has familiarized himself with, in recent seasons. At Romford he was signed as a guy willing to drop the gloves and whilst with Haringey he acted as the team’s enforcer in the last two campaigns. By continuing playing through the off season Band is hoping to develop other areas of his game to make him a better all round player:
“It used to be a role I loved but to be honest I would rather be known as a guy that can play, as well as stick up for his team when needed rather than just a fighter. I’ve worked hard on my skating and actual game play to try and get to a level where I can play the game and keep up with my opposition,
“I don’t mind dropping the gloves, and I’m sure I will again, but I will never sign for a team just to fight again. Fighting cold is a recipe for injury; it’s the most intense 30-45 seconds you can imagine. However having said all that there is no better feeling than when the gloves drop and the crowd erupts”
Another name playing in the AIHL that will be familiar to UK hockey fans is Band’s former Romford team mate Dallas Costanzo. The Canadian is the Gold Coast Blue Tongues top scorer so far this season and Band says that playing against Costanzo has been the highlight of his trip so far:
“Sun, sand and hockey in 25 degree weather. It was an awesome weekend despite the Gold Coast rink being dire (the lines were spray painted on before each period and the ice wouldn’t freeze).Despite the facility, the area itself was stunning and Dallas is a lucky guy to be living there and playing hockey”
So when all said and done, would Band recommend Australia as a destination for hockey players to spend their summer?
Photo by Guido Rozdarz
“I’d recommend the Aussie experience to anyone, it’s a great way to travel the world and see some amazing places and meet some amazing people. I’m lucky I ended up in Canberra, they treat you well and the guys are awesome. I am sharing a three bed house with four guys so it is a little cosy but it will be even cosier when my girlfriend comes over in July so I don’t mind. We’re always hanging out as a team and that’s a big part of my enjoyment of this trip so far,
“I also see it as a great way of staying game ready so hopefully I will have a jump start on guys when I return to the UK next season”
Which begs the question, who will Band be icing for in the UK next season? Romford are playing ENL hockey this season and Haringey’s future looks in serious doubt so what next for Band?
“I can’t officially say who I will be signing for, but they’re a recently reformed team who are looking to make a big impact on next season”
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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