PETERBOROUGH, UK – Scottish netminder Jordan Marr moved south of the border last summer for regular game time with the Peterborough Phantoms, and with one trophy in the bag already, hopes are high at Bretton Way that the good times will continue.
Marr in action (Kev Slyfield)
“The biggest reason I think we’ve performed well so far this season is because of the collection of people we have in our room” explains the 27 year old Lochgelly born stopper, who lifted the Autumn Cup with his team mates in mid-December.
“We have a great group of leaders, the coaching staff and the guys who wear letters and it’s a good mix down to the younger guys who are in their first year of senior hockey.
“We’ve all found a way to play that we feel gives us success and we try not to deviate from that.”
It’s been an up and down ride for Marr on a career path that brought him to Cambridgeshire this season. Not many British players get the chance to combine hockey with a stateside education, but thanks to a connection with former Fife Flyers legend Frank Morris, Marr left his native Scotland in 2008 and didn’t return back over to this side of the pond until 2015.
Phantoms Cup winners
“Frank was my coach at Fife’s U20’s” says Marr of Morris, whose sons Conor and Liam now play for Invicta Dynamos and Basingstoke Bison respectively.
“His old college roommate founded the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall and Frank helped me and a few other Scottish guys get over there. I had two great years there and a year of junior in Philadelphia before going to Finlandia University where I graduated in four years. I loved it over there.
“The thing I’m most grateful for was the chance to play with so many people from different backgrounds and countries. It was a great experience and played a huge part in moulding me into who I am today.”
Marr’s return to the UK in 2015 saw him picked up by Milton Keynes Lightning in what was then the English Premier League but after one season he found himself at Hull Pirates before finishing the year with the struggling Edinburgh Capitals of the Elite League.
Last season he signed with his home club Fife Flyers but predominantly spent his time on the bench as back-up, aside from the last quarter of the campaign stepping in for the injured starter.
“In the Elite League I felt that I wouldn’t get an opportunity to get the game time that I thought I was capable of earning” admits Marr, who currently sits at the top of the stats pile for starting goalies in the NIHL South 1.
“I realised that the clock was ticking on my career and I wanted to be somewhere where I could play a bigger role on a team and have a good chance at winning trophies. Slava (Koulikov) had contacted me before I signed in Fife, and again as soon as my season was done, so I knew he was really interested. I knew how tough it was to play in Bretton against the Phantoms and thought that this would be the perfect fit for me.”
Marr’s stellar performances between the pipes alongside a stingy defence have seen the Phantoms concede less goals than any other team in the league. The team sit in top spot with games in hand, and an NIHL Cup Semi-final against Bracknell Bees to look forward to in February.
“Half assed” macarena
The only suspect move Marr has arguably made since arriving, is a dancing celebration used by the Phantoms social media team on their Twitter account when he makes a big save during games. So the big question is of course, were the team given artistic license for their individual GIFs or were they directed?
“We pretty much just got told we could do what we wanted” explains the Scot.
“I had a little think and ended up doing that half assed Macarena type dance thing. Out of all of them though, I think my favourite one has to be Welds (Will Weldon) with his Stone Cold Steve Austin beer shotgunning.”
Locating a few hundred miles south from home is a big difference to being on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean but is still a reasonable distance away from loved ones north of the border. Marr is currently staying just outside Peterborough in Crowland with his girlfriend Valeen. Just as important as happiness on the ice, the new home has been equally important, but what if anything does he miss about the Kingdom of Fife?
“It (Crowland) is a lovely little town, it reminds me of the town they live in in Hot Fuzz a little bit” admits Marr, whose brother Renny has starred between the pipes for Swindon Wildcats this year.
“What I miss most from back home is probably family and the times you miss out on with them. It is a sacrifice being away, but I have the opportunity to play the sport I love and it’s a chance I’ve taken.”
Contact the author: carrsy2@gmail.com
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