MANCHESTER, UK – Red hot Great Britain Under 20 prospect Rob Farmer has joined top English Premier League side, Manchester Phoenix, after finishing last season with Elite League underperformers Sheffield Steelers.
Farmer, the only Steeler to star in the Elite League play off weekend by way of England U19 team taking a win that afternoon against their Scottish counterparts, spent 41 games with the Sheffield Arena based club scoring 6+11 for a return of 17 points to attract review as one of the outstanding prospects in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Facing reduced ice time following the arrival of Ashley Tait to the Steelers alongside the Elite League moving to an 11 import system, Farmer has taken the choice to move to the EPL where he will be able to utilise more ice time minutes across the Pennines in Manchester.
There he will be under the tutelage of Tony Hand, Great Britain all time leading points scorer, and occupy a similar role as Robert Lachowicz, who this season has returned to the Elite League’s Nottingham Panthers after a 44 point haul with the Phoenix.
Undoubtedly the target for other Elite League coaches, Farmer is able to develop close to home and is sure to be a stand out player in the English Premier League.
Another player making the same choice is Dean Holland, moving to the Phoenix from his hometown Newcastle Vipers. Also a forward, Holland has looked promising for the big black snakes. Whilst fellow Viper Ben Campbell is a third hot prospect spending their season in the EPL.
Whilst there are lots of promising EPL players yet to sign, it doesn’t look like too many are going to heading the other way with outstanding power forward Joe Greener opting for another year with the English Premier League’s Slough Jets.
There’s evidence too that a year in the English Premier League will do no harm to your development. Defenceman Stephen Lee spent a year with Guildford Flames before moving to the Nottingham Panthers this past term culminating in a call up to the Great Britain squad for the World Championships.
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