SWINDON, UK – The week may not have been bulging at the seams with quantity, but there were plenty of interesting moves and developments. Maybe not so much in Swindon or Basingstoke, though. At the Wildcats James Knight was re-signed for a full term where his last season’s figures once again were heading towards him becoming a top British scorer, so clearly a name worth having back on the roster. While in Basingstoke, forward Ollie Bronnimann, who for much of the season was the top British goal scorer and the lone British representative in the EPL Top Ten Goal Scorers Chart returned to the fold for a third season. He was shortly followed by 20-year-old D-man Sam Oakford for the second of his two-year contract and fellow defender Kurt Reynolds for his forth. A few days later British forward Chris Wiggins, who topped the EPL as the most penalised British player of the season, was also back on board. However, the remainder of the news bore surprises and confounded many including my old grand-pappy who told me you don’t tinker with your best tractor if it is working properly unless you are fitting racing wheels or you’re broke and giving it a clean because you have to sell it. I assume he is giving an agricultural bent to the old adage about not changing a winning team, which appears to be the case in some quarters, and although there is undoubtedly more than meets the eye in Guildford, Manchester and Peterborough, at least it keeps things interesting. The Flames, for example, announced that British D-man Joe Graham would not be returning to the side explaining they couldn’t guarantee him the ice-time he deserved. More surprising, perhaps, was the departure of Czech forward Martin Masa who ended the season as an EPL top ten goal-scorer. While the club acknowledged his quality, referring to him as a ‘key’ player and a ‘skilled forward’ it said it was ‘simply making a choice to go a different route.’ But whatever that route is, days later it involved Lukas Smital who was also given his marching orders, thereby supporting the rumour he was about to return to the Bees where he made his EPL debut four years ago, although also something of a surprise because the Czech forward was an EPL top ten points scorer last season. Continuing in a surprising vein, the Phantoms added to it with the announcement Canadian D-man Chris Allen, who played a few games while Darius Lelenas was injured, was replacing Curtis Cruickshank as head coach. While Allen will be a player-coach you can’t help wondering about the thinking behind the move because Allen will be as new to the head coach position as Cruickshank was last time out. When Cruickshank took over at the Phantoms he’d had a year as assistant-coach with EIHL Hull, and now of course a year as head coach with the Phantoms. Allen, on the other hand, has been assistant coach with EIHL Edinburgh, but for only twelve games which is the same period as his tenure in the same roll with the Tigers. So on managerial experience alone looking like back to square one which, after the recent financial problems in Peterborough, suggests it has come down to money. Anyway, Allen’s first signings days after his appointment were two important ones with top five netminder Steve Wall and fellow Canadian Jeff Glowa both putting pen to paper for another season. Meanwhile in Bracknell, the second part of the Smital rumour was confirmed with his signing along with the return of D-man Sam Waller and Slovakian forward Peter Jasik. All this raises another important issue. Last week owners, or former owners we know not which, Kate Eleftheriou and Stuart Robinson said they would confirm their decision whether or not to remain with the club, and while this still remains unconfirmed what they did say was there would definitely be a Bees side next season. What wasn’t so clear was the where or how and the knock-on effect it might have on the Hornets. Fear no more because Waller and Jasik were reported to have been re-signed for, and here I quote – ‘the 2011 – 2012 English Premier Ice Hockey season.’ That also clears up the tenth remaining spot in the league for the coming season which, according to the recent managers meeting, had only nine returnees. Interestingly, the Phoenix chose a different recruiting tack and in an unusual move placed an ad inviting ‘high-quality experienced players’ to send in a CV for consideration for one of their ‘playing positions.’ Candidates, we were told, were required to be from the European Union or North America with the appropriate dual nationality, and an ‘excellent accommodation and educational package’ was offered. We wait with interest to see if there will be room for not such ‘high-quality experienced players’ like up-and-coming Brits. Regardless, this is a fascinating step because after just having had a pretty darn good season it makes you wonder who of the winning team will be asked back. Marcus Kristoffersson for one was ‘unlikely’ to return according to Phoenix owner Neil Morris, while the man himself said no one had even spoken to him about the possibility of a return. His preference, he added, was to stay in Manchester but with offers from other EPL clubs, the Elite League and elsewhere in Europe, he wasn’t going to hang around waiting too long. And finally….It was great to see lone EPL representative David Longstaff of the Flames in the points in the World Championship win against Poland thereby helping to ensure a silver medal for the GB team. Sadly, the radio broadcast was tarnished by the so-called commentator whose diatribe against the EPL and in particular its foreign players did nothing for British hockey in what is a worldly medium, particularly with home hopes and plans involving Europe. Not only that, it was painfully clear he was unable to easily identify any of the Polish players, never mind pronounce their names, and referred to them by name so infrequently it gave the listener the impression there were only British players on the ice, which must have done wonders for Anglo-European hockey relations. The EPL may not be perfect, but as my old grand-pappy used to say: ‘If you are going to call the kettle black, make sure you have polished your boots first.’ For more EPL facts and figures, results and news why not try our mailing list by clicking the link on www.iceman-epl.com Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com
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