EPL Roundup – Dogs on a toboggan

SWINDON , UK –  All aboard! You put your dog on the toboggan, stick the lead in his mouth and with a hearty shove send him off down the hill hoping he will reach the bottom safely – but quick. Or in this case, your Steeldog. The week has seen some very brisk activity at the Sheffield club where they must be under tremendous pressure to complete the arrangements to get them to the starting line in time for the big off, so full credit to all involved in what must have felt, and probably still feels, like slalom at times.
 
By the end of the week eleven players were on the books with forward Scott Morris first over the line and something of a surprise because he had been playing with ENL Spartans and although on ex-coach Jon Rowbotham’s wish-list, was not on the Scimitars’ roster. Similarly with name number two Craig Elliott (GBR)(F).
 
Netminder Ben Bowns, however, was the first Scimitars’ name to be added and was accompanied by a statement to the effect all names were back in the hat leaving fans wondering where the eight players already signed stood. Well, seven, because Ukrainian Pavel Gomeniuk had already departed for the Phoenix blueline.
 
Next for the Steeldogs came British forward Stuart Brittle direct from last year’s Scimitars’ roster followed by Slovakian Matej Kangyar, the second Scimitars’ re-signing and first import. Russian-born Dimitri Zimozdra, the next to sign, is not technically an import player but became the third Scimitars’ re-signing.
 
Hmmm. All very busy, busy and akin to not being able to pick out an individual tree from the forest zooming past so still raising questions from bewildered fans who hadn’t managed to read between the lines. So the club issued a statement claiming to make the matter clear and although several previous statements had been made about the club talking to all the signed players and having their support, implying all would receive new contracts, they didn’t actually say the words even now in the clearing up statement which meant, of course, some names would probably miss the gate. But while no one can blame Matt Darlow, the new head coach, for wanting to build his own team, an unambiguous statement would have been more helpful for the fans.
 
Chris Sykes and Andy Hirst, former Scimitars’ forwards, were the next to sign with forward Oli Barron from ENL Spartans. Then came a more familiar name with the signing of Scimitars Defenceman-of-the-Year Lee Haywood and finally former Spartans’ captain Simon Offord.
 
So by Sunday night eleven players were accounted for, but it is also interesting to note who isn’t. Of those signed by Jon Rowbotham still waiting at the top of the slope are D-men Aaron Strawson and Lewis Bell, Canadian forward Peter Vaisenen, netminder Paul Jones, and forward Tom Squires. While it is still conceivable all could still be offered contracts, we still don’t actually know what is going on.
 
Not a million miles away and the Steelers were considering a Steeldogs’ proposal to stagger home game dates to hopefully improve attendance figures, but the Elite League team has enough of its own problems at the moment. Owner Bob Phillips said he had no idea if his contracted players would turn up for training at the start of the season now he has put the club up for sale. He said he simply didn’t know what would happen because there were no pre-season friendly games because that was the Elite way, and was waiting to see who turned up for training immediately before the season kicked off. From the sound of things if the local business consortium reported to be interested in buying the club isn’t impressed by the numbers there may not even be a Steelers in a month, which would be a bit ironic and would presumably help Steeldogs attendance figures.
 
While on the subject of rumour, hints from the direction of the Phoenix camp suggested former player Italian Joe Tallari would be the first import forward to be signed, and sure enough a couple of days later Canadian Curtis Huppe, with extensive north American experience, filled the role. Huppe had also previously played with coach Tony Hand at Belfast Giants back in 2004.
 
Flames all-time top points scorer Milos Melicherik re-signed for a seventh season where he will also take on the roles of assistant coach and Under18 head coach. The Slovakian is the fifth import to sign for the Guildford side which prompted commercial manager Kirk Humphries to observe that there were too many injuries to too many imports last season which probably cost them some silverware, so this campaign would mean more British players in the squad.
 
Former Tigers’ D-man Ashley Stanton (GBR) re-signed following a year with ENL Titans. Stanton was so pleased with his recall he declared the news to be ‘like Christmas’, bless him. Also signed by the Tigers was British forward Josh Bruce from ENL Coventry where he had been fortunate to train with the Elite team following a spell in Canada with the Ontario Hockey Academy. Head Coach Tom Watkins said, ‘I like the shape of the Tigers. It has experience, youngsters and some grit. A playoff place is a realistic target for us.’
 

Over at the Bison Coach Steve Moria reported his team was complete, the first coach to make such an announcement. “I look forward to the 2010 Bison season” he said “I think we are strong in every department.” Hmmm. But only one netminder signed and number 55 US-born Rick Skene reported as signed from the Flames on 22^nd May 2010 not showing on the website roster.
 
Meanwhile Bees’ assistant coach Greg Randall said he thought the Bracknell team last year was at times ‘tactically and defensively naïve’ as a result of not having a bench coach. He added that new bench coach Gareth Cox would change all that because he would be more focussed and be able to react quicker to events and make changes faster.
 
At the end of the week the Phantoms completed two re-signings, both British forwards. Young Luke Ferrara, who Coach Cruikshank says should be in the GB national side ‘sooner rather than later’, and Shaun Yardley who holds the all-time club record for appearances.
 
Winning the quiet stakes this week are the Jets, Lightning and Wildcats, while I now have to go and haul that sledge back up the hill to wait and see what next week brings.  
 
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Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com