BRACKNELL, UK – Bracknell Hornets legend Danny Hughes will take to the ice this weekend to commence his tenth and final season in black and yellow after announcing his impending retirement from league hockey.
The former GB junior international has racked up 404 points in 305 games for the Berkshire side over the years, proving to be a familiar foe for opposition netminders with his heavy slapshot and scoring touch.
A testimonial game beckons with details still to be announced, but for the 6’ 1” winger he feels the time is right to give notice.
“It’s been 10 years for the Hornets and a good landmark on which to call it a day” explains Hughes, who broke into senior hockey 19 years ago as a fresh faced teenager.
“The main factor is my son Oliver who is five and I want to spend more time with him at weekends. He does enjoy going to rink so maybe he will get into hockey but I won’t push him.”
Hughes first got a taste of senior hockey in the old EPL with the England u20 team in 2000. The team were a select squad facing senior opposition on a regular basis with a development angle.
Hughes later broke into the GB junior set up and rose through to the British National League, first with Slough Jets and then with Bracknell Bees. He first appeared for the Hornets in 2003 where 17 goals in 14 appearances gave a hint as to his potential for the higher leagues.
“It was great fun playing for GB and England but I always enjoyed club hockey the best” continues Hughes.
“I did a season with the Bees in the old BNL and we won everything, both the league and the cup. We then dropped a league and I got offers from other clubs so I decided to see what hockey would be like elsewhere and ended up on the Isle of Wight playing for the Wightlink Raiders, which was fantastic.”
Hughes captained the island side under then coach Jeremy Cornish before a return home to the Hive in 2010.A place he has been ever since.
“The Hornets has always been my club” maintains Hughes, when asked of his highlights over the years.
“The set up is great and I’ve made many close friends. It’s been good to play with so many different players and personalities and you end up with so many memories.
“Away trips on the coach always seem to stick in the mind. We once went to Prague for a tournament and locked our coach Dan Moinahan in the toilet while crossing the borders.
“Our manager at the time was my step dad who told us not to be late out drinking. When we all came back in at 6am the following morning we caught him in the bar drinking JD and coke with his fry up. Little memories like that always make me smile.
“Hockey is a fun game we all love it. The buzz in the locker room at games and training has always been a great laugh. To be honest that’s what I’ll miss most.”
The melancholy can wait a few more months however, as under new Coach Mark Saunders the Hornets have assembled a strong looking roster to coincide with Hughes’s swansong in the Britton Conference.
Isle of Wight days
Quality and experience in the form of netminder Tom Annetts and blue liners Dom Hopkins, Chris Cooke and Matt Foord have signed up at the Hive, while fellow new signings Callum Best, Tamas Elias, Michael Stratford and Steve Osman will provide Hughes with composed support up front.
“We have a quality team this season” says Hughes, who even at 36 is still younger than three of his team mates – Adam Bicknell, Foord and Hopkins – all equivalent to fine wine.
“The league gets stronger every year and it will be a tough season but that’s what makes hockey exciting isn’t it?”
As well as playing the game, Hughes has been a long-time coach in the junior set up at Bracknell largely at under 15 and under 18 level, passing on his experience and know-how to the next generation of potential Hornets and Bees at the Hive.
This season he will combine his playing duties for the Hornets with coaching Bracknell under 13s and also the new look NIHL 2 team, the Wasps. As an experienced junior coach Hughes has seen a lot of changes to coaching styles over the years and has had to adapt, but he’s looking forward to the upcoming challenges on all fronts.
“I’m looking forward to the season with both teams and to helping the players develop” he explains.
“Rory Gavin and the Bracknell juniors have given me a lot of opportunities over the years and I’m thankful for it.
“Bracknell is a great setup and has some good coaches so the kids are in good hands and we should produce quality players for the future and hopefully I will still be involved to see the outcome.
“Coaching styles are of course very different to when I started. We had very strict coaches and I saw a lot of kids walk away from the sport. Now you have to allow a bit of fun and let the kids enjoy the game or they will walk away.
“It’s ok to be firm during games and training but we also let them enjoy the game and walk away from the rink happy and not in tears.
“I’ve enjoyed the game so much over the years and it’s good to give something back, but ultimately I could not have done it without the support of my family and friends, for which I’m very grateful.”
Contact the author davidcarr_2@hotmail.com
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