CARDIFF, UK – After a season away from the sport, long time Cardiff NIHL coach Mark Cuddihy has returned to the rink to form a new hockey team with big ambitions.
Cuddihy back in Cardiff (Tim Bowers)
Cardiff Fire will compete in NIHL 2 under the tutorage of the 39 year old and will bring back a familiar workload to a man refreshed from his break.
‘I actually went into the rink 3 times in my year off’ said the native Welshman.
‘I saw one NIHL game, helped a friend with his Rec team and attended Jason Stone’s jersey retirement – I wasn’t going to miss that!’
‘Other than that, I haven’t been in the building. I wanted a complete break. I went from being in the rink most weeknights and every weekend to nothing and if I’m honest it was fantastic. I needed it. I have given every weekend to my family and we haven’t wasted one’
‘Having said all that, most weekends I would open Twitter on my iPad and refresh it every couple of minutes to see what was going on, but I think I will always do that’
‘I was also in touch with lots of players through the season and I helped a few players that were looking to move teams last summer so when I say complete break, its as complete as it ever will be’
Cuddihy had been coaching the NIHL Devils for seven years until his departure last summer, and was a former junior player who at one point also held the title of GM for the city’s Elite League team.
His latest venture isn’t connected directly to the Cardiff hockey club (the NIHL Devils and Elite league team are the other senior sides at the rink) as it stands and the deliberate name change reflects that. That isn’t to say that Cuddihy wants to continue that way in the future.
‘Currently, the club isn’t connected to another Cardiff club’ he explains.
‘Refreshing Twitter’ photo by Tim Bowers
‘We are open for that to change and I think it will. That being said, development is key so the junior players will be invited to train with, and play for the Cardiff Fire’
‘This development is key to future success of our city’s ice hockey. As for the name, this has been on the cards for 18 months so we discussed a lot of names, some were absolutely stupid some were close but we voted on it and came up with Cardiff Fire.’
Development has always been a key theme in Cardiff with Cuddihy playing a big part in providing that stepping stone over the years for players to move up from junior hockey to the higher leagues.
Current EIHL Devils Chris Jones, Luke Piggott and Callum Buglass all played NIHL hockey under Cuddihy, with Ben Davies of Braehead Clan another notable former player.
The city is also heading into its most exciting period in years as the new twin pad facility gets ready to open its doors and continue a hockey legacy in the city that started with a bang in the late 1980’s.
‘The city needs it and has done for a while’ admits Cuddihy.
‘It’s a long, long time since the Wales National Ice rink was closed, and the new building is world class. Chris Hartrey has done an unbelievable job’
‘I had a tour recently and I feel that it’s going to be worth the wait. Everything has been thought out and considered. The facilities will be top draw and we have been crying out for two pads’
‘It will make a huge difference and open ice sports to lots of people in the city as ice time is hard to come by right now due to demand.’
As for the Fire, well they will compete at a level lower than the one Cuddihy is used to, but he has already signed up a crop of former players including long serving local players Ricky Deacon, Ross Wilkinson, Mike Brabon and Phil Manny – three of which played all of last season for London Raiders.
Slovak Rob Sedlak was also recently announced, giving Cuddihy’s new team a familiar feel to say the least.
‘Absolutely yes’ was Cuddihy’s emphatic response when asked if those players were first on his radar when building the team.
‘They always were through the years when I was recruiting teams, you need people you can trust and all the guys I have recruited so far are very important to what we are trying to do here’
‘They are great guys and great players. We have been through the mill together.’
Ex NIHL alumni Luke Piggott
Cardiff Fire will play in a league that is regionally divided yet still contains tough tests, not least last seasons winners Bristol Pitbulls. Richie Hargreaves nomadic side may have lost a few guys from their roster (not least Alan Armour who reversed his retirement to re-join Cuddihy in Wales), but they will still prove a tricky obstacle to any promotion challenges.
‘You always want to win the league you are playing in, sometimes you know it’s out of reach but we feel we have a chance and we are going for it’ said Cuddihy, who has also assembled a competent backroom team to assist the on-ice team.
‘The players have bought in to our ambition and it’s right at the front of their minds, I’ve coached most of these players for a very long time. We finished runners up in the league above a few years ago and I think this group really deserve to win something together.’
The fixtures come out this week but there is already plenty of confidence from the Fire camp and it remains to be seen if they can have the impact they are hoping for.
‘I’d like to add a huge thank you for all the support we have received so far setting up this team’ said Cuddihy.
‘It’s taken a lot of work but has been made so much easier due to that help. Fans in Cardiff are very passionate and have really helped us get the word out there. The interest has been spectacular. We can’t wait to get going and put the past behind us. It’s all about the future.’
Regardless of how they get on this year, one thing is for certain; standing on the Fire bench in the rink should be more enjoyable than refreshing Twitter on a weekend… or will it.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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