Latest  FBNL News

 

 For the Latest FBNL Results & Match Reports:  Click here

Weekend Fixtures:

14/02/2003

Saturday 15/02/2003
British National League
Basingstoke v Guildford 6.30
Coventry v Dundee 7.00
Fife v Solihull 7.15
Newcastle v Edinburgh 6.30

Sunday 16/02/2003
British National League
Edinburgh v Coventry 6.00
Fife v Newcastle 6.30
Guildford v Cardiff 6.00
Hull v Dundee 5.30
Solihull v Basingstoke 6.15

For FULL Match Reports Click HERE

To view all Fixtures & Results Click Here

Coventry Blaze lift League Title Trophy this Saturday

14/02/2002

Officials from the Findus British National League will be at the Coventry Skydome to congratulate the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Team and present the Findus League Title Trophy for winning the League title for this season 02/03.

 

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the FBNL who will present the Cup this weekend said, “Coventry have come very close over the past few seasons in every competition and title we have had as a League.  It is great to award it to a Team that has always demonstrated a great team spirit and work ethic.  The atmosphere was excellent at Dundee last weekend when Coventry won the game that put them out of reach of all others in the League including nearest rivals Dundee who denied them the League title and Play-off championships last season.  I am really looking forward to presenting the Cup in what I am sure will be a capacity attendance game.  Well done to the fans, the management and of course the team who deserve the glory.”

 

Saturday’s game will be another clash between Coventry and Dundee Stars with the face off at 19:00.  Fans are advised to get their tickets early from the box office on 02476 630693.

 

Sunday sees a road trip for the League Champions against Edinburgh Capitals.

Coventry Blaze are 2002/03 FBNL Champions!

10/02/2002

Coventry Blaze completed a 3-1 victory last night in Dundee, creating an eight point unassailable lead in the Findus British National League. Dundee had to take at least one point from the game in order to continue the title race.

The Blaze still have four fixtures left to complete the league schedule before entering the play-offs at the beginning of March.

2003 FBNL PLAYOFFS - the changes...

07/02/2002 

It was confirmed yesterday at an FBNL Board Meeting that the 2003 playoffs will be held commencing the first weekend of March. 

The competition will be divided into two groups dictated by the position in the league at the end of the regular season. 

Group A will consist of those who finish 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th. 

Group B will consist of those who finish 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th. 

In regular games during the Play-offs, in the event of a draw at the end of regular time, 10 minutes overtime will be played.  If at the end of the overtime it is still tied, each team will receive 1 point.  If one team scores in overtime, they receive 2 points and the losing side receives none.

In the Play-off semi-finals games, the Team who finishes highest in the play-off group gets the choice of leg on home ice.

The team who goes through to the finals will be decided by points, rather than an aggregate score.  That is to say that each game will be played as regulation time - 60 minutes. 

If (in the semi-finals), at the end of regulation time in the second leg the Teams have equal points, then a sudden death period of up to 10 minutes overtime will be played to decide who goes through to the final.  If at the end of 10 minutes, no goals are scored, then it will be 'best of 5' penalty shots.  If still tied, it will go to sudden death to find the winner who goes thr
ough to the Play-off finals.

With the new rules, every game will be of equal importance where points are the primary factor, rather than aggregate goals.

In the final, the leg on home ice may be decided by the Team who finishes highest in the regular league season.

Newcastle Vipers Release

09/12/2002 

 

ISL meets FBNL at Board level

28/11/2002

"The Ice Hockey Superleague and Findus British National League Boards of Directors met for the first time formally on Friday 22nd November 2002 to discuss "The future of professional hockey in the UK".

A wide ranging discussion took place regarding joint enterprises in future cup competitions, the development of UK players and the finances within the sport.

No decisions were taken at this meeting, but there was a commitment to meet again for the mutual benefit of all".

 

Fife Flyers Release

28/11/2002

Fife Flyers can confirm that Canadian forward Steve Roberts has left the club by mutual agreement.. Flyers director Tom Muir said "Steve and Mark had a long talk about the future, and both decided that it would be mutually beneficial if Steve were to move on. Steve is a good player, and a decent lad, and will do a good job for someone, but his style did not work with the style of the rest of the team."

Steve's departure has come at a critical time, with assistant coach Karry Biette struggling to be fit for the weekend games, and with head coach Mark Morrison having had to return to Canada, following the death of his mother. Fife Flyers directors, players, staff and supporters offer their heartfelt condolences at this sad and difficult time for Mark and the Morrison family.

 

Flames make goaltending switch

21/11/2002

The Guildford Flames have made a goaltending switch by releasing 32-year-old netminder Danny Lorenz and replacing him with 30-year-old Canadian Mike Torchia. Torchia is no stranger to the British game after spending the last two seasons in the Ice Hockey SuperLeague with Sheffield Steelers and Manchester Storm. This season was to be his 3rd in the UK, but he was forced to make the trip back to Canada just weeks ago when the Manchester outfit announced they would no longer hold a SuperLeague franchise.

Torchia was a 4th round draft pick of the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars in 1991. In 1994-95 he made his NHL debut for the Dallas stars, playing in 6 games and recording an .895 save percentage. Since that time he has moved around North America’s top leagues including more than 200 games in the AHL and IHL. In 2000-2001 Mike landed in Britain, suiting up for the Sheffield Steelers and recording and astounding .923 save percentage in 23 games. Torchia has become widely regarded as one of the top goaltenders in the country and will be a solid addition to the Flames line-up. He will be with the Flames squad beginning this weekend as they travel to Newcastle on November 23rd & 24th for the Findus Cup Finals.

 

Signings Galore in the FBNL

15/11/2002

This week has seen a signing frenzy in the Findus British National League. Like the Wella Bison's new signing Dwight Parrish, the majority of these signings are ex-ISL players.

Dundee announced the signing of ex Scottish Eagles player Scott Campbell, along with 21 year old John Dolan who joins from the Camperdown Stars.

click here for full details.

Hull Thunder have signed ex Scottish Eagle and Great Britain international Jonathan Weaver.

click here for full details.

Fife Flyers today confirmed the signing of Frank Evans. This will be Evans second time with the Flyers, he first played for the Scottish team in the 1995/6.

click here for the full story.

 

Latest Signings

14/11/2002

Edinburgh Capitals News

It was announced yesterday that Paddy Ward has now signed for the Edinburgh Capitals. Paddy, who was previously on loan to the Murrayfield side was a great asset last season and the much-improved Capitals side will welcome Paddy officially to the Team.

Scott Neil at the Edinburgh Capitals took the initiative this week to meet the need of Scottish Eagles hockey fans and introduce a special discount offer for Eagles season ticket holders to be able to watch the Edinburgh Capitals in action at Murrayfield for half the normal ticket price.

More information concerning this offer and Capitals info can be obtained from their website at www.ediburgh-capitals.com

Hull Thunder News

Great Britain international Jonathan Weaver is to join Hull Thunder after moving from the Scottish Eagles.

Weaver will make his debut at Solihull MK Kings tomorrow night before facing champions Dundee Stars at the Hull Arena on Sunday (face-off 5.45pm).

While fellow new recruit Anthony Payne has filled the much-sought after vacant British spot on the roster, Weaver replaces Mark Bultje

Basingstoke Press Release

It’s all change in Basingstoke as Dwight Parrish takes the place of Benoit Cotnoir who was released this week.

merican born Dwight Parrish, from Southfield , Michigan , moves from Manchester Storm.

 

Flames Sign Bowen

11/11/2002

The Guildford Flames are pleased to announce the addition of 29-year-old defenceman Jason Bowen to their Findus British National League squad. Bowen, a 1992 1st Round Draft pick (15th overall) of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, stands at 6-foot 4", and weighs 230lbs will add some considerable size and weight to the Flames defensive line-up.

Bowen, a no-nonsense defensive defenceman, brings a lot of experience to the Spectrum, having spent the majority of his career plying his trade in the AHL (American Hockey League) and the NHL (National Hockey League). It was in the NHL where he spent 5-seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, playing 77-games and receiving 109-minutes in penalties.

Bowen came to British hockey 2-seasons ago when he joined the Belfast Giants, he now joins the Surrey based side from the Superleague's Scottish Eagles who's business ceased trading this week.

News courtesy of the Guildford Flames - click here

 

 

NEW PLAYER SET FOR THUNDER

06/11/2002

Hull Thunder director Mike O’Connor is today looking to complete the signing of an import forward.

 Storm forward Mark Bultje made his debut in the home defeat by Guildford on Saturday after agreeing to help Thunder out.  

O’Connor confirmed they will be speaking to Bultje about the possibility of the Dutch international making the trip across the Pennines .  

He said: “I certainly would not rule it out. But the bottom line is a decision will have to be made today.”

 

Cardiff Sign Lyle and Matulik

31/10/2002

Paul McMillan has today secured the services of two former Cardiff Devils, Stevie Lyle and Ivan Matulik.

McMillan, the Peterborough businessman who assumed control of the Devils this week, has worked tirelessy with the coaching staff to improve the structure and performance of the club.

This week he met with each player on the roster and re-negotiated contracts with them. The need for financial stability is his first priority and as such all the players have taken on board the responsibility of making Cardiff the force in the BNL it should be.

"We have made some changes this week which we think will both please the fans and improve the team as a whole" said McMillan. "Stevie is a great goalie and Ivan wears his heart on his sleeve for the Devils, he gives it everything"

Lyle, who made his debut famously as a 14 year old in a European tournament, returns to South Wales after a stint at Manchester Storm, whose future looks grave.
A proven ISL and Great Britain international Goaltender, Stevie brings huge British experience in to replace former starter Brian Leitza.

Matulik needs no introduction to Cardiff fans. A former Captain of the Devils, Ivan's work-rate and physical style of hockey soon made him a fan favourite and he greatly enjoyed his stay in South Wales.

"Any moves you make are with the intent of strengthening your hockey club. We feel we have done that and now the onus is on our team to get back on track" said coach Mulvenna today.

Both players should ice on Sunday against Basingstoke - 6pm face-off.

We look forward to welcoming both Ivan and Stevie back to South Wales on Sunday.

News Courtesy of Cardiff Devils - click here

 

Vipers sign Longstaff

31/10/2002

NEWCASTLE KBS Vipers have pulled off the signing of one of the ISL's top forwards in time for tomorrow night's home game against Guildford Flame.

GB international David Longstaff returns to his native North-East following financial problems at Manchester Storm, more than adequately filling the skates of BNL rookie Adam Carr.

"I am pleased to be coming home to play in front of the North East fans and I'm looking forward to the challenge of contributing to the success of the Vipers team this season," said Longstaff.

Longstaff - known as Lobby - spent many years under Vipers coach Clyde Tuyl as a Grand Slam winner with the Sheffield Steelers and played last season in Stockholm.

Talk of Longstaff being followed North by former Newcastle defenceman Rob Wilson is still unconfirmed, although considering the current situation at Manchester there would be a lot of interest in the ex-Jester.

Club owner Darryl Illingworth said: "I feel for the Manchester Storm supporters as Newcastle fans have been through this before but we are excited in bringing the best player in the country back home!"

 

Ware suspended for 3 Games

22/10/2002

It was today confirmed by the FBNL Disciplinarily Committee that Mike Ware receives a 2 game ban for a recent incident @ Cardiff.

He also receives a further 1 game suspension for penalty point accumulation.

 

 

Findus Cup Accommodation Offer!

18/10/2002

For fans searching for quality accommodation for the Findus Cup weekend as tickets continue to sell and the FBNL has stepped in to help out.

 

The FBNL has purchased 50 rooms at a highly preferential rate at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Washington and is offering these to fans at the same rate of £25 per person B&B.

 

The hotel is around 10 minutes from the Arena and there are a mixture of twins and doubles available and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

 

Those fans wishing to take advantage of this offer should e-mail finduscup@britnatleague.co.uk with details of number of rooms and type (double or twin).

SOLIHULL MK KINGS RELEASE

08/10/2002

The Solihull Mk Kings have made a player change - leaving will be Johan Erikkson who has worked very hard for the club but couldn't find the net.

 In comes ex London Knight and Guildford Flame Todd Wetzel. Todd is a proven goal scorer and will add some fire power to the Kings who have had trouble scoring goals so far this season.

Issued by the SMKK Press Office

Findus Cup Debut for Capitals' New Goalie

04/10/2002

Edinburgh Capitals face a couple of hard games this week-end with two away fixtures in the Findus Cup. On Saturday they travel to Cardiff to take on the much-improved Cardiff Devils. Sunday seems them moving back north to Newcastle for the first of two games this week against Newcastle Vipers.

Capitals new netminder Ladislav Kudrna has been very impressive in training. His registration was confirmed today clearing the way for Ladislav to play in goal for the Caps on Saturday. Ryan Ford is also recovering from the injury he sustained against Hull last week and will be travelling as backup netminder.

Capitals have confirmed that plucky Canadian Paul Howes who impressed in his trial games against Hull last week has joined the team. Capitals D-Man David Beatson recently suffered minor injuries in a car accident. He has resumed training and although still shaken is expected to return to the Capitals BNL lineup.

A new signing announcement will be made early next week.

News courtesy of Edinburgh Capitals Website - click here

 

 

Clarke Suspension Upheld

03/10/2002

The FBNL Appeals Committee met yesterday to discuss the appeal against Guildford Flames' David Clarke suspension, following an incident in a recent Guildford vs. Basingstoke game.

The Appeals Committee considered all of the facts and upheld their original decision to impose a 4-game suspension on David Clarke, effective immediately.

Issued by the FBNL Commercial Department
Findus British National League Media Release - click here

 

Findus Cup Weekend Info

 

30/09/2002

The 2002 Findus Cup will be held at the Newcastle Telewest Arena on
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th November.

The competition will consist of games between the top two Teams from
each of the two groups.

THE GROUPS ARE:

Saturday 23rd
Group A Winner vs Group B Runner Up @ 13:30
Group A Runner Up vs Group B Winner @ 16:30
('home' team to be drawn)

Sunday 24th
Runners Up match @ 13:00
FINAL @ 16:00

if there is other information you would like, e-mail us here

Clarke suspension...

26/09/2002

Following a review of the game video of the Basingstoke Bison v Guildford Flames match on Saturday 7th September 2002, the BNIHL Disciplinary Panel have awarded a 4 game suspension to David Clarke for a 'reckless and dangerous' challenge resulting in injury to Steve Moria of Basingstoke.

Capitals confirm two more

19/09/2002

Edinburgh Capitals can confirm that Stuart Lonsdale has been addded to the FBNL roster. They also have South African Chris Jeavons training with them this year and hope to have him playing once the paperwork is sorted out. More info and stats to follow as soon as possible.

For more information visit www.edinburgh-capitals.com - click here

Wella Bison Sign Key Defenceman!

13/09/2002

Basingstoke Wella Bison today announced the signing of key defenceman Benoit Cotnoir. Coach Steve Moria has been eagerly awaiting his arrival to complete his defensive line-up.

This 27 year old defenceman from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada, weighs in at 200lbs and stands 6'1" tall.

Cotnoir is a former All-American from the University of Notre Dame where from 1995 - 1999 he studied for a business degree. He played last season for the Mobile Mysticks in the East Coast Hockey League where in 57 games he tallied 2 goals + 16 assists = 18 points and had 38 minutes in penalties.

Steve Moria commented "Benoit comes to us highly recommended and I look forward to him being a valuable contributor to our defensive strategy this season".

 

FBNL Findus Cup Face-off

06/09/2002

The puck drops for the start of the 2002 Findus Cup this weekend with 8 games of FBNL Ice Hockey action. Saturday sees Basingstoke in action against local rivals Guildford, Fife meeting their local rivals Dundee, Hull meeting newcomers Newcastle KBS Vipers and the new Solihull team travelling to Cardiff.

On the Sunday, Cardiff entertain Basingstoke, Hull travel to Dundee, Solihull are on the road at Guildford and Newcastle complete their first weekend in the FBNL against a strong Fife Flyers squad.

The groups for the Findus Cup will once again be split North and South with the top two from each group going through to the finals weekend at the Newcastle Telewest Arena on the 23rd and 24th of November.

The groups are:

GROUP A (South)
Basingstoke
Cardiff
Coventry
Guildford
Solihull

GROUP B (North)
Dundee
Edinburgh
Fife
Hull
Newcastle

There will be what many will consider an improvement to the format of the Findus Cup this year with all four qualifying Teams playing twice over the 4-game weekend, ensuring fans get the most hockey action whoever they support.

Information concerning tickets etc, will be announced once the competition is underway.

News courtesy of the FBNL - click here for more info.

Flyers Add to Defence

04/09/2002

Fife Flyers have re-signed defenceman Derek King for his 13th season with the club and signed netminder Steve Briere.

A Flyers spokesman said "Derek is one of the most experienced defencemen in the country, and is at the top of his game right now. Last season he was immense for us on the blueline, and we will be looking for him to lead by example again this season". Derek has had two spells with Fife, which were split by a successful period with Cardiff Devils in the early 90s.

Winnipeg born, Steve Briere spent his college days at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, and has had spells at Memphis Riverkings, and Providence Bruins as backup, landing his first starting position at the ECHL Mississippi Sea Wolves in the 2000/01 season. Steve ended that season at Manitoba Moose in the AHL, where he was called up to take a roster spot vacated by Johan Hedberg's move to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Steve's signing completes the goaltending lineup for the Flyers.

For more information visit Fife Flyers - click here .

Edinburgh Capitals sign Jan Krajicek

03/09/2002

Edinburgh Capitals Ice Hockey Club are delighted to be able to announce their third Slovakian signing Jan Krajicek, subject to work permit.

He is a large and strong defenceman who checks, reads the game and shoots and passes well. He has a lot of experience gained through playing professional hockey for 11 seasons.

Jan has racked up over 360 games between 1992 and 2001 and spent a short while playing with the Capitals second Slovakian signing, Peter Konder.

He also has 4 Slovakian National A Team games under his belt and 12 National
B Team games

News courtesy of Edinburgh Capitals - click here

Stefan hangs up Skates!

28/08/2002

Joe Stefan announced today that he would not be returning to play hockey in the UK. Whilst not ruling out the possibility that one day he may return to the UK in a coaching capacity, he has decided that the time has come to explore other avenues and use some of the skills that he has acquired whilst coaching in this country.

News courtesy of the Official Slough jets website, to read Joe Stefan's message: click here

Shewan signs for Solihull!

28/08/2002

Solihull MK Kings are pleased to confirm earlier rumours that former
Solihull and Coventry Blaze defenceman Mike Shewan is the latest addition to the lineup. 29 year old Shewan, who began his career with the Ontario
London Knights, brings plenty of experience from the ISL and Findus British
National League, as well as local knowledge of the Hobs Moat Road rink.

British trained forward Matt Darnell also joins the roster, having played last season for the MK Kings.

The Kings start the season with warmup games against fellow FBNL team Hull
Thunder, away in Hull on Wednesday 4th and at home on Thursday 5th
September, face off 8.00pm. The first Findus Cup game is on Saturday 7th at home to Cardiff Devils, face off 7.30pm.

The new shirt for the new team was unveiled earlier this week on the website, www.smkkings.co.uk, the team colours are black, dark blue and silver.

Solihull MK Kings Team click here

Dailey for Flyers!

22/08/2002

Fife Flyers are pleased to announce that American JASON DAILEY has joined the team for the 2002/3 season.

The classy defenceman spent last season with Guildford Flames, after moving to them from the Slough Jets, where he spent the 2000/01 season. Jason, whose career average is over 21 points per season, and has scored over 30 points in each of his seasons in the UK, is the second Flame to move to Fife in as many seasons, following last season's capture of Karry Biette. The 26 year old from Pittsford, New York played for Cornell University in his NCAA days, before going on to the ECHL with Roanoke Express and Charlotte Checkers.

A spokesman for the Flyers said "We were aware that we would need another solid defenceman, and Jason fits the bill perfectly. He reads the game well, and does a good job at the back, but doesn't take silly penalties, we are sure that he will be an important acquisition for the club, and will be a key part of the team".

Also returning to the Flyers will be back up netminder and new father, COLIN GRUBB. "Grumpy" as he is known to the fans, has been the Flyers backup goalie for the last couple of seasons, after having a brief period with the Paisley Pirates.

Fife are also in the process of concluding discussions with a number of other players, and will make formal announcements of their signing as and when signed contracts are received.

News courtesy of the Official Fife Flyers website, for further news; click here

 

Texol Stars Sign Outstanding Youngster

22/08/2002

Dundee Texol Stars today announced the signing of 23 years old defenceman, Marty Hughes from Trenton Titans in the East Coast Hockey League. The young New York player comes with outstanding reports from across the 'Pond' for his performances in his rookie season in the ECHL and was strongly recommended to Texol Stars by several people.

Hughes was part of the 2000/2001 Boston College team who won the championship and attended a civic reception in the White House.

News courtesy of the Offical Dundee Stars website, for further news click here

Edinburgh Capitals sign Peter Konder

22/08/2002

Edinburgh Capitals Ice Hockey Club are delighted to be able to announce their second Slovakian signing Peter Konder, subject to work permit.

He is a two way center, a good team player and is also good in defence. He has a lot of experience gained through playing professional hockey for 9 seasons.

Peter has spent most of the last 5 seasons playing for HKM Svolen in the Slovakian Extraliga. HKM Svolen were the Extraliga champions in 2000/2001.

He played in last years Continental Cup, making the semi-final, losing to the Milan Vipers 4-2

News courtesy of Edinburgh Capitals - click here

 

Stars Sign Stanley Cup Winner

15/08/2002

Dundee Texol Stars have completed the signing of Stanley Cup winner, Ken Priestlay. Priestlay, who has over 160 NHL games to his credit, recently played for Sheffield Steelers in the ISL.

This is a tremendous signing for the reigning FBNL Champions and coach Tony Hand, who played with Ken at Steelers, said today,'This is an outstanding coup for Dundee Texol Stars. Ken, who played with Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, is a superb player who will be a huge asset to Texol Stars and will be a big favourite with the fans. He is a Stanley Cup winner and there aren't many players around who can boast that distinction.'

Ken said today, 'I played with Tony at Sheffield and have the utmost respect for him and his stature in this game is awesome. It wasn't a difficult decision for me to join up with him again and I am looking forward to meeting the people of Dundee and hopefully, helping Stars retain their title. I can't wait to get started.'

This signing underlines the determination the Ward Brothers have in maintaining the current status Texol Stars have achieved in British Ice Hockey and serves notice that they will not give up their title without a fight.

Texol Stars will complete their roster within the next few days with the announcement of a further two major signings.

News courtesy of the official Dundee Stars website for further news click here

Wella Bison Add Import Strength

15/08/2002

Basingstoke Wella Bison Head Coach Steve Moria announced today the signing of import defenceman Daryl Lavoie for the 2002/3 season. The 28 year old Canadian, who shoots left, will bring strength and depth to the Bison defence. Lavoie played for the East Coast League and Western Professional League before coming to Britain in 2000/01 to join the Nottingham Panthers in the Superleague. Last season he played for the Hull Thunder in the Findus British National League, where in 40 games, he achieved 64 points from 8 goals and 56 assists and notched up 102 minutes in penalties.

Bison Coach Moria commented "Lavoie is a very important signing for our club. He was one of the best defencemen in the league last season and will bring a strong offensive dimension to our game and add toughness and feistiness to our defence".

 

Tait in to Fire Blaze

15/08/2002

The "High and Mighty" Coventry Blaze are delighted to announce that they have completed the signing of one of the top British players in the Country.

Nottingham trained Ashley Tait will be joining the Skydome based outfit for the 2002-03 season after agreeing terms with the ambitious British National League side.

Tait has played at the top level in Britain throughout his career with the exception of two seasons in the late 1990's spent with Hull in the BNL.

Having played for Nottingham in four Superleague seasons he is one of the most experienced home grown players on the circuit and has been a consistent scorer even at the ISL level. Last season saw Tait collect 7 goals and 15 assists from 49 games for the Panthers.

Recently turned 27, standing 6'1" and weighing in at 175 lbs, Tait ranks amongst the most successful British qualified players around. Tait has played for Coach Paul Thompson before, at international level, for the Great Britain national team over the past two seasons and will undoubtedly be a major factor in the Blaze offence this season.

Issued by the Coventry Blaze - click here

 

Roberts takes a Flyer!

08/08/2002

Fife Flyers have signed experienced hit-man Steve Roberts. The 28-year-old comes to Kirkcaldy after an impressive season with Coventry Blaze last year which saw him finish the club's top scorer with 52 goals, including 13 on the powerplay, despite playing fewer games than his team-mates after a brief spell at Hull.

News courtesy of Fife on line for further news click here

 

Trumbley signs for Vipers.

06/08/2002

Newcastle Vipers announced today that Rob Trumbley has signed up for the 2002/3 season.

The forward is a fan favourite in Newcastle, playing for the Cobras. Riverkings and signing to play for the Jesters before the team pulled out of the ISL. Last season Trumbley iced in the FBNL for Edinburgh Capitals.

News courtesy of 'This is the North East' website, for further news. click here

 

Devils new signing

06/08/2002

We are pleased to announce we have reached agreement with ECHL scorer Jason Elders.
Elders has spent five of the last six season with Mobile Mystics, notching up impressive points totals. He has also briefly spelled in the IHL and Italy.

Glenn is pleased to add to the teams' scoring depth, and says that we have great toughness and great skill in the squad for this season. "He is a solid guy and a great stick handler and shooter. We are lucky to have him in here, a lot of European and ISL clubs have targeted him but he chose Cardiff above them. Jason is a real natural goalscorer and will fill the back of the net. This guy is the sniper we have been looking for"

Details as follows:
Jason Elders Left Wing
Born Dec 28 1970 -- Winnipeg, MAN
Height 5.10 -- Weight 195 -- Shoots L

In his last four season, Jason has scored 123 + 162 for 285 points, an average of over 71 points a season in a tough league.

Dog signs for MK Lightning

06/08/2002

The MK Lightning's quest to win the English Premier league has taken a huge step forward with the signing of Dwayne Newman. The fans' favourite known as 'the dog,' has played for Peterborough, Basingstoke and last year for the MK Kings, and is described by Coach Nick Poole as the 'icing' on the cake.

'Newman is a big strong defenseman, a natural leader on the ice and a player highly regarded by his peers. He is one of the toughest players in the British game, and alongside Howie (Simon Howard), Knightsey (Mike Knights) and Barry Hollyhead in goal, this gives us the strongest defence in the league'.

Assistant coach Howard said of the signing that, 'Every great team plays great defence, once you have that in place the forwards have the confidence to create havoc at the other end of the rink. Newman could have played in any BNL team, and it will be a privilege to play with him again. We are creating a lot of interest both on and off the ice and I know once the campaign starts we'll show that we have the quality to put ice hockey in Milton Keynes back on the map again.'

Devils sign ex-Bison

06/08/2002

Scott, a no-nonsense former IHL D-man has experience of the British game, having played with Basingstoke, Manchester and most recently Bracknell. He has scored over 100 points in 5 ISL seasons and brings an excellent presence to the blueline.

Netminder Leitza comes highly recommended. Frank Pietrangelo, former ISL player of the year and goalie with vast experience in North America and the NHL, says "he's a great signing. He brings size - 6' 2", 224lbs - agility and experience to the Devils".

Pietrangelo is now a player agent and acts for both players as well as Ashley Tait - with whom we have held talks. Many Cardiff fans remember the famous 5-0 beating of the Storm with Pietrangelo in goal, but he is revered by Pittsburgh Penguins fans for "stoning" the legendary Peter Stastny one-on-one in a Stanley cup match.

Coach Glenn Mulvenna is pleased to have agreed terms with two signings he sees as key for the coming season. Scott's ability is well documented and Leitza was recommended to him by every person he spoke to.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new Devils to the organisation.
We are currently in talks with Frank Evans who is keen to make a return to Cardiff, along with several other players to shore up the roster.

Kings sign Slava

02/08/2002

Solihull MK Kings are pleased to have signed the very talented British forward Slava Koulikov.

He last played for Kings in the English Premier League as a top scoring 19 year old, since then he has gained Findus British National League experience with Hull Thunder and Dundee Stars.

Slava is delighted to be returning to Kings and will be working hard to make a big offensive impact this year.

 

The Rocket Roars into Coventry

31/07/2002

 

Marple Adds Strength and Experience

30/07/2002

The Guildford Flames are pleased to announce the signing of veteran defenceman Ian Herbers from ISL side Ayr Scotish Eagles, a no-nonsense defender who has averaged over 150 penalty minutes per season in his 12-years of Pro Hockey.

35-year-old Ian comes to the Flames with a wealth of experience having played 65 games at the worlds highest level with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders.

Ian, who was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, 190th overall, in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, stands at 6 foot 4", weighs 225lbs, and will bring a lot of strength and stability to the Flames defensive line.

Herbers is a close personal friend of Marple from their days at the University of Alberta where they won a National Championship together, and he will be working closely with Stan and Assistant Coach Mike Urquhart this season.

Marple commented:

"It would be foolish not to take advantage of Ian's vast experience. He will be the best defensive defenseman in the FBNL this season. Ian has won things in the past including a Turner Cup with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, and I am sure he will be a big part of this season in our attempt to capture some silverware. Ian is the consummate team player who will do whatever it takes to help his team win. I am very glad he has decided to play in Guildford this season."

 

Aldridge and Crombie Re-sign

24/07/2002

Basingstoke Wella Bison have confirmed the return of two of last season's Herd with the signing of Canadian forward Chris Crombie and British forward Ryan Aldridge.

Chris returned to the Wella Bison in January after starting last season with the Slough Jets and returned a league stats total of 33 points (15+18) from 41 games, this included a point a game for Basingstoke.

The 30 year old from Hamilton Ontario made his British debut in a Wella Bison shirt in 1998 and in that season finished as the club's top goal scorer.

Director of Ice Hockey for Planet Ice Charlie Colon said, "Chris is a committed player who is not afraid to do what it takes for his team-mates. His signing completes what I feel will be two very powerful lines".

Ryan joined the Wella Bison last season after a spell in France with Evry. He was the main stay of Basingstoke third line last season having been a former junior Great Britain international and this did not go unnoticed as the 24 year old was voted Captain's Player of Year last season.

Colon said, "Ryan always gives his all for the club and I'm pleased he has returned this season."

 

 Flames get thier Man

16/07/2002

The Guildford Flames are pleased to confirm that Head Coach Stan Marple has added high-scoring forward, Jason Lafreniere to his 2002/2003 squad.

Lafreniere, who spent last season with the FBNL’s Edinburgh Capitals, has played in all of North Americas top Leagues, reaching the very top during the mid-eighties when he was drafted by the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques in round 2 (36^th overall) of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.

Stan Marple had this to say about his latest recruit:

“Jason has been a proven goalscorer in every League he has played in. He did a great job both on and off the ice last season in Edinburgh, finishing 4^th overall in League scoring and also helping Scott Neil with coaching duties. Jason brings a wealth of experience with him and chose Guildford because he wants the opportunity to win things. I am confident that we will be able to help each other out in that regard. I look forward to the contribution that he will make to the Club.”

 

 

Stars sign Swedish Power Forward

16/07/2002

Dundee Texol Stars have confirmed the signing of Swedish power forward Johan Boman.   The 6ft 2ins, 220lb player comes highly recommended and was sought after by several ISL and FBNL sides.

Having played for several years at the highest level in Sweden, Johan spent last season playing in France for Mulhouse Les Scorpions.    Whilst playing in the Swedish Elite League for Bjorkloven he was a team-mate of Texol Stars’ Martin Wiita and was with the Swedish outfit for seven years before moving to France last season.

Texol Stars’ Player/Coach Tony Hand said today,  ‘I am delighted to have singed Johan for Stars.  He comes very highly recommended and this is a great signing for the team.   He is a powerful forward who has played at the highest level in one of the toughest leagues in Europe.

Johan said, ‘I am looking forward to coming to Scotland and playing again with Martin.   I have heard so much about the Texol Stars and that they are a very professional club.  I will do my best to please the fans.’

Tony is pleased the way his roster is taking shape and is near to completing his negotiations.


Blaze sign highly rated Swedish defenceman

16/07/2002

Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are delighted to announce the signing of highly rated Swedish defenceman, Andreas Moborg. Having parted company with 3 of last seasons 5 defencemen, the Blaze needed to reinforce the Blueline for the coming season and Moborg is the man to provide the solidity.

Moborg is a 25 year old, 6 ft tall defenceman originally hailing from Mantorp in Sweden. He attended the University of Vermont between 1997 and 2001 and was the top defenceman on their NCAA team in all four years. He launched his professional career last season with an immensely successful year with the Trenton Titans of the East Coast Hockey League. The Titans won their division of the League and Moborg was a vital member of their line-up, racking up an extremely impressive 6 goals and 20 assists in the regular season, and adding 2+3 in just 7 play off games. For a rookie defenceman in that league, these are highly impressive stats!

 

Kings sign Brent Pope

13/07/2002

Solihull MK Kings are building steadily with the signing of Nottingham Panthers defenceman Brent Pope. At 6' 3" and 225 lbs, Brent will bring size, toughness and leadership to the Kings for the upcoming season.

Canadian born Brent has been playing in the ISL and the ECHL for much of his career. He was in the Cardiff team which won the ISL championship in 96/97 and has recently become a GB International.

FBNL TEAMS AND FIXTURES RELEASED

10/07/2002

 The Findus British National League are pleased to finally confirm the 10 Teams in the 2002/03 season and the associated fixtures.

The 10 Teams are made up of (in alphabetical order):

• Basingstoke Bison

• Cardiff Devils

• Coventry Blaze

• Dundee Stars

• Edinburgh Capitals

• Fife Flyers

• Guildford Flames

• Hull Thunder

• Newcastle Vipers

• Solihull MK Kings

 Fixtures for the 2002/03 season start with the Findus Cup, which will climax in the finals weekend at Newcastle at the Telewest Arena on 23^rd & 24^th of November.

A full list of fixtures is now available here . 

 

New Face For Bison

10/07/2002

Head Coach Steve Moria has announced his second new face for the Basingstoke Bison for the 2002/3 season. The new forward Peter Campbell, 22, hales from Ontario, Canada and played in the Central Hockey League last season and tallied 50 points. Playing 33 games for the Tulsa Oilers he recorded 23 points and in 29 games for the Fort-Worth Brahams he scored 27 points.

Bison Coach Moria said "Campbell is a big, strong, quality forward with a hard shot and proven scoring record who will impact our offensive. He has played all his hockey in North America and now wants to widen his horizons. He is an exciting addition to our line up".

 

Tasker Back to Fire Blaze

09/07/2002

Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are delighted to confirm that GB international forward, Michael Tasker will be lining up in the sky blue of the Blaze for Season 2002-03. Despite strong rumours linking the fiery forward to FBNL new-boys, Newcastle Vipers, Tasker has committed himself to the Blaze for the next 2 seasons and will therefore be in the Blaze line-up through to the end of Season 2003-04.

A gritty, aggressive, player, Tasker will be linking up with his international coach, Paul Thompson, again and will be looking to build on the very solid performances he put in last season. One of the top British players in the league, Tasker finished the season with 36 points (including a four goal game) and 107 minutes in penalties.

Having represented GB at the last two World Championships the 5’11”, 190lb, North Easterner will be looking to continue his international career and to enhance his already dynamic reputation as one of the hardest working forwards in the league.  The 29 year old still lives in the North East and travels to Coventry each week with team mate and long time friend Shaun Johnson.

“Micheal has played for me for 3 seasons now and I’m glad to have secured his services for the next 2 seasons. I know what I’m going to get from him every game and he is the kind of player that will give his team everything he has got, every night. Since playing for the Blaze over the last 3 seasons I feel he has developed his overall game and has done a fantastic job in all offensive positions on every line for the Blaze.”

Tasker himself added “I’m really delighted to be back for another 2 seasons – I really had no intention of signing for anyone else. This is my club!”

 

Kings find Finn

07/07/2002

The latest addition to the Solihull MK Kings lineup is 26 year old defenceman Antti Kohvakka, from Tampere in Finland. Antti has experience in the Finnish Leagues and in the US East Coast Hockey League.

 

Last season he played for the Jukurit side which beat London Knights in the Continental Cup and is currently keeping fit playing in the Australian Ice Hockey League for the Sydney Bears. He's a hard working player who has the skills to contribute at both ends of the ice. He'll be joining former team-mate Janne Ronkainen and the Kings are looking forward to his first season in the Findus British National League.

 

Guildford Flames Press Release

02/07/2002

The Guildford Flames summer signing continued this week as Head Coach Stan Marple confirmed that he had added two more power forwards to his 2002/2003 line-up, as Corey and Craig Lyons put pen to paper with the Surrey based Club.

Corey, a 32-year-old right-winger is no stranger to the British game, having spent time with the Ayr Scottish Eagles, London Knights, Newcastle Jesters and Hull Thunder.

Standing at 6 feet and weighing 205lbs, this 3^rd-Round, 1989 NHL Draft Pick of the Calgary Flames is sure to be a BIG HIT with the Guildford faithful. Corey was one of last seasons’ top 10 scorers in the FBNL.

29-year-old Craig Lyons, a 6 foot 2”, 195lbs right-winger, is also no stranger to the British game after spending the 1995/’96 season with the Dumfries Border Vikings where he amassed 216 points (108 goals and 108 assists) in just 51 games. Since then, Craig has spent the majority of his career plying his trade in North America’s West Coast Hockey League, latterly with the Colorado Gold Kings. In the last 4-seasons whilst with the Colorado Gold Kings, Craig was Team Captain and averaged 40-goals per season while amassing a total of 405 points.

Stan Marple had this to say about the signings:
“Both Corey and Craig are excited about playing together this season. They have played well together in the past and I am confident that they will give a lot of FBNL defences a little more than they can handle. They are both big strong guys who shoot the puck well and have excellent and proven offensive ability. They have played in the UK before and have always been consistent performers for the teams they have played for.

 

Young Blueliner Signs on for Blaze

02/07/2002

Highly rated young defenceman, Adam Radmall, has been confirmed as a Coventry Blaze player for the coming season. The promising blueliner joins from Nottingham having played primarily for the English National Premier League Nottingham Lions last season but also having dressed for a limited number of Panthers games.

The youngster has represented England at Under 18 level and has earned rave reviews from all corners for his performances over the last couple of years. Blaze fans may remember Radmall from two appearances he made for the Skydome outfit in the Best of British competition during Season 2000-2001 where he impressed Head Coach Paul Thompson:-

“Adam impressed me 2 seasons ago when he played for us and I have been keeping my eye on him since then, he needs the challenge of the next step and I’m prepared to give him that opportunity. He’s a very keen and dedicated young man who wants  to climb the hockey ladder and with what I have seen and heard I’m sure he could become a fixture with Coventry in the FBNL.”

 

Thunder clinch Parlatore deal

28/06/2002

Hull Thunder have won the race to sign former Paisley Pirate Domenic Parlatore.

The Canadian hitman proved a pointscoring sensation in his British debut campaign last season. His 95-point haul meant he finished second only to British ice hockey legend Tony Hand in the charts.

Parlatore's exploits sparked a chase for his signature for 2002-03, with a number of clubs in the running for his services. However, the goalscoring ace has plumped for Thunder, to the delight of player-coach Mike Bishop, who said: "We're still waiting for the contract to be returned, but his agent has assured us everything has been agreed and that he's our player. "It's a fabulous signing and a great addition to the squad, bearing in mind we've already acquired the services of players like Marc West and Dan Currie.

"We tried to lure Dom away from Paisley last Christmas because their play-off prospects looked bleak, but he wouldn't budge. "That says something about him. It shows he doesn't quit and give up and that's the type of attitude we want players to have in Hull."

Thunder's current thinking is to team up Parlatore with captain Anthony Johnson, and possibly the club's top scorer from last season Steve Smillie. Alternatively, he may play on the main forward line with former NHL draftees Dan Currie and Marc West, if Thunder's attempts to sign Ashley Tait fall through.

Whichever duo he teams up with, Bishop is expecting even more from Parlatore than Paisley saw last season. He is confident the 24-year-old will not prove a one-season wonder, adding: "I suppose you could say that about anyone, but he had a very good year in Paisley on a not particularly good team. "We expect him to fit into the squad we're putting together. "He will be playing with better players so I would expect even more from him."

Meanwhile, Hull firm Excel Laminating and Chesterfield's VK Vodka Kick have confirmed sponsorship deals with Thunder for the new season. Club director Mike O'Connor said: "We're obviously delighted to have two marketing partners on board for the new campaign."

 

 

Hay!! Lidds, Cote and Skinns are Back

28/06/2002

The Wella Bison's first new signing for the 2002/3 season is 27 year old Canadian netminder Scott Hay, a new face to British ice hockey. Scott joins Basingstoke from the Bakersfield Condors (WCHL) where from 44 games he had a GAA of 2.93 and 90.3 save percentage Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Hay played in the Ontario Hockey League and the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union before making his professional debut in 2000/1 with Topeka Scarecrows in the CHL.

Bison Coach Moria said "Scott had good stats last season and seems very keen on an opportunity to play in Europe. I'm sure he will do a good job for us this season".

Backing Hay between the pipes in the 2002/3 season is Dean Skinns. Dean had a fantastic debut season for the Herd starting with a shut-out against Slough in the Findus Challenge Cup and ending with an award from the Bison Supporters Club for Most Improved British Player.

Also signing this week are Bison fans'favourites Matt Cote and Neil Liddiard. Great Britain International defenceman Neil re-signs for his third season with Basingstoke following another successful year in Hampshire. Liddiard rounded of his season by being voted British Defenceman of the Year by the British Ice Hockey Writers Association. This will also be Matt's third season with the Wella Bison after last year being voted Supporters Club Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

 

 

Kings sign new Scandinavian forward

27/06/2002

Solihull MK Kings have signed their first newcomer to the squad, an exciting young player from Sweden. 24 year old Johan Eriksson is 6' 1" and 190lbs. He's from Nykopings and Leksands and was in the junior Swedish international squad.

 He's also played in the top leagues as a senior in
Sweden and most recently for Sparta Bears in Norway's top league. He's a big, strong right winger who is looking to make an impact in British ice hockey.

 

Vipers strike to sign Lapointe

27/06/2002

Newcastle's all-new ice hockey team have signed their first import.

The KBS Vipers, who will make their debut in the British National League next season, have agreed a contract with Martin Lapointe - a 185lb defenceman who spent last season with Augusta Lynx in the East Coast Hockey League.

Lapointe - not to be confused with his namesake in the National Hockey League - played 69 games for the Lynx last season.

"He's an offensive defenceman and that's what we've been looking for," said general manager Alex Dampier. He played 69 games last season, scoring 14 goals and registering 17 assists. He's a smallish guy who can skate well, he's a good puck handler and I'm sure he'll do well."

Teams are allowed eight imports in the BNL, and the Vipers intend to use their full quota.

The Vipers have also signed Durham-born defenceman Ian Defty, who spent last season with Hull Thunder, and are close to landing the experienced Andre Malo, who has plenty of Superleague experience from his days with the Sheffield Steelers.

Dampier said: "Andre's an older guy, he's experienced and that's what we need."

Former Whitley Warrier Simon Leach is another player who will be wearing a Vipers shirt next season, and the signature is one which will surprise many fans. But Dampier said: "Simon has a lot of potential and he's definitely worth a risk. I think we've caught him at a point where he's decided he's missed out on a lot and he wants to concentrate on his hockey.

"If he's fit he can play a part for us next season. He's got a lot of skill - it's hard to find players who can do what he can. He's an exciting player."

But one player who will not be joining the Vipers is Finnish centreman Mikko Koivunoro, who has another year to run on his Guildford Flames contract.

 

Stingrays #1 joins Blaze

27/06/2002

Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are delighted to confirm recent speculation as to the identity of their first choice netminder for season 2002-03. 26 year old Canadian, Jody Lehman, will be taking the responsibility of backstopping the Blaze during the season.

 The North Battlford, Saskatchewan native has been playing in South Carolina for the Stingrays in the East Coast League for the last four years. In addition he has played a number of games in the American Hockey League for Rochester Americans. Standing 5’11” tall and weighing 190 lbs the talented goalie comes with glowing references from his coaches and fans of the Stingrays.

Lehman was the starting netminder during the Stingrays championship winning season a couple of years ago, and coach Paul Thompson expects his experience to prove vital for the Blaze next year.

“The league has improved to a level where I feel that we have to bring a guy in with Jody’s experience. He is regarded as one of the top goaltenders in the coast and has experience in the AHL with Rochester. I’m delighted to secure his signature for this coming season and he will, without doubt, make us a more complete hockey club.”

 

Deco re-signs for Flames.

19/06/2002

The Guildford Flames IHC are pleased to announce that popular American forward Derek DeCosty has agreed to return to the Club for the 2002/2003 season.

The 2002/2003 season will be the New York natives fifth with the Surrey based Club where he is currently in fourth place on their All-Time Players list with 401 points in 280 games.

Stan Marple had this to say about Derek: "Deco has been a very consistent performer with the Club. He loves Guildford, which he has made his permanent home, and he is very glad to be back on board for the forthcoming season. What Deco brings to the table you cannot teach, he is a natural goalscorer who has notched up 110-goals in his last two seasons with the Club. He has been a big part of things in the past and will be a big part of things this season. I am very glad he has decided to stay loyal to the Club. I know he wants nothing more than to help the team win some more silverware."

 

STARS NET MURPHY!

19/06/2002

Dundee Stars have re-signed GB International netminder Stephen Murphy on a new two years contract.  Murphy, who was chosen in the FBNL All-Star team for 2002/2003 will return to the City of Discovery after helping the Stars to three trophies last term.

Stephen said today, ‘I am pleased to be returning to Dundee and although I had offers from ISL clubs and to move abroad, I felt that it would be better for me at this stage of my career to remain in Dundee.   The club have a great set-up and there are many quality players on the roster.  Obviously we had a successful last season and hopefully we can continue where we left off.’

Stars’ player/coach Tony Hand added, ‘This is a massive signing for the club; to have a British player of his quality in our nets is a huge bonus for us.  Stephen is an outstanding talent and this was confirmed by his inclusion in the Great Britain squad for the World Championships in Hungary earlier this year.  He is a young lad with a very mature temperament and was wanted by many of the UK’s top outfits.  It is a measure of this club that he has chosen to stay in Tayside. ’

Stephen, who was born in Dundee, has also been sponsored by Skate of the Art, the ice hockey retail outlet who are about to open a new ice hockey shop in Dundee.   The shop will also sell the official Dundee Stars’ merchandise.

TWO NEW TEAMS TO JOIN FBNL

13/06/2002

The Findus British National League Board of Directors approved applications from Newcastle and Solihull yesterday to join the League for the coming season 2002/03.

The FBNL Selection Committee last week, heard presentations for three proposals to join the league for the coming season from Newcastle, Solihull and Telford. Further details were required from all three applicants, who were given a deadline of midday on Monday to allow sufficient time for the selection committee’s recommendation to the Board for Tuesday. The applicants proposing the team for Telford informed the committee on Sunday night that they were withdrawing their application leaving two applications to go forward to the Board.

Unanimous acceptance was given by the Board for both Solihull and Newcastle who joined the second half of the meeting to discuss a revised wage structure to players for this coming season. The Executive of the FBNL will actively monitor any costs on players, by way of monthly returns and spot checks at every team.

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the FBNL said, “We held a very progressive meeting in respect of welcoming new teams and discussing the way forward for this season. One of the bones of contention has always been the suggested spend on player wages, so it was very encouraging that all the Directors agreed to a more definitive and measurable means of controlling costs for the teams. This may not be the panacea to fully control the situation but the commitment is there from all parties to endeavour to find a solution and workable system that sits well with the existing levels of business the respective teams have achieved. We will now be working on the fixtures and would hope to have a draft out to all Teams by the end of this month’.

Bishop delight at West signing

13/06/2002

Player-Coach Mike Bishop believes new Canadian signing Marc West will ensure Hull Thunder mount a serious challenge for silverware next season.

West is expected to spearhead the club's forward lines, linking up with former NHL winger Dan Currie. Now 36, West was NHL-drafted by Boston Bruins in 1985, but has spent much of his career in Europe. His travels have taken in Holland, Italy, Sweden and the German Elite League, but he is new to Britain.

Bishop said: "I'm ecstatic right now. We set our stall out to get two out of three from Dan, Marc and Scott Young and we've managed to get all three.

"We're now about half way to completing our team and Marc is a vital piece in the puzzle. "Our ultimate goal is to win silverware this year, and right now we have the makings of a very good side."

While Currie is a winger, West can play either as a centre ice man or on the wing. The initial idea is to ice the duo alongside each other to make Thunder's rivals sit up and take notice. Bishop added: "Dan and Marc should be a lethal combination. "Marc is very clever with the puck. He plays with a lot of poise and should be a great addition to the club."

Thunder's new signing is unknown in Britain, but Bishop, West and Young's careers crossed in Holland a decade ago. "I've known Marc for quite a while, I have always rated him very highly. "When I heard through word of mouth he might be available, I had no hesitation in finding out for sure," Bishop said.

Thunder are also chasing the sig- nature of Paisley Pirates' Domenic Parlatore. The Canadian-born forward finished second in the British National League's pointscoring charts last season in his first BNL campaign. Thunder tried to sign him at Christmas when Pirates ran into financial difficulties.
 
Parlatore spurned the club's offer, forcing Thunder to turn their attentions to his team mate Oleg Synkov. Nevertheless, Thunder officials made no secret of the fact they were impressed with the feisty 24-year-old's 95- point haul for a struggling Pirates outfit.

Bishop confirmed: "Dom's agent has confirmed he is eager to play for Hull. Whether or not we can sign him remains to be seen. "We are not in a great rush to keep signing players, we have plenty of time to look round the market. "At the moment it seems our signings are attracting a lot of interest from high quality players who want to play in Hull. "That's a compliment to us and shows that we're heading in the right direction."

 

New Coach for the Bison Uncovered

30/05/2000

The Basingstoke Wella Bison are pleased to announce today the
appointment of Steve Moria as Head Coach to the Basingstoke Wella Bison
for the season 2002/3.

Steve Moria, born in Vancouver, British Columbia, brings a wealth of
experience to his new position at Basingstoke.

Moria, a Canadian, played in the 1985/86 season for the Newhaven Night
Hawks, a farm club of the New York Rangers in the AHL (American Hockey
League) where he competed in 74 games and tallied 56 points (19g + 37a).

His debut in Great Britain was with the Fife Flyers from 1986 - 1988. He
played 53 games over the two seasons compiling 302 points (113g + 189a).
Moria is best known for long standing career with the Cardiff Devils. He
played with the Devils in the BHL from 1988 - 92. From 1993-5 he spent a
season with the Blackburn Hawks (BHL) as player/coach and the following
season with the Swindon Wildcats (BHL) where he finished as top points
scorer with 221 points (87g + 134a) in 43 games.

He returned to Cardiff for the 1995/6 season and from 1996 - 2001 Moria
had five very successful years in the ISL, (Ice Hockey Superleague) with
the Devils. During this period he played in 211 regular season games
scoring 183 points (94g + 89a). In 1998/99 he was top points scorer and
voted as the 'Players' Player of the Year'.

Last season Moria played for the Nottingham Panthers (ISL) and his
regular season statistics included 25 points ( 4g + 11a) in 47 games
played. He was ranked fifth highest scorer for the Panthers.

Over five seasons with the G.B. team from 1994-9 he competed in 49 games
where he recorded 35 points (22g + 13a). Moria was the captain of 1998/9
G.B. team for the World Pool B Championships in Denmark. He also
captained the team for the 1999/00 World Championships in Poland.

Throughout his career Moria has rarely missed a game and is regarded as
one of the iron men of British ice hockey. Moria has tremendous
playmaking ability and is highly respected as a penalty killing expert
in the country.

Director of Hockey Operations Charlie Colon commented "Steve's track
record speaks for itself and I am very confident that he will do an
outstanding job for us this season. Moria said 'I'm really excited about
this opportunity and looking forward at the challenges ahead.

 

GUILDFORD FLAMES - 1 IN - 1 OUT

30/05/2000

Guildford Flames are pleased to announce that Head Coach and General Manager Stan Marple has captured the signature of GB International forward, David Clarke.

Peterborough born Clarke, who stands at 6’ 1” and weighs 185 lbs, spent last season split between the FBNL’s Milton Keynes Kings and the ISL’s London Knights and will add some much needed size and strength to the Flames forward line.  Unfortunately, leaving the Flames will be 28-year-old, Scottish born forward John Haig who asked for his release from the Club only a few days ago.  Haig, a summer 2000 signing alongside fellow Scot David Smith, was instrumental in helping the Flames achieve their second treble in 4-seasons in only his first season with the Spectrum based Club.

Stan Marple had this to say about David Clarke:

“David Clarke is a huge signing for this Club. He is an extremely skilled player who is very coachable and plays a solid game both offensively and defensively. I watched him play last season both in the FBNL and the ISL. He was a huge addition to the Kings last season giving them some much-needed offence and his arrival was instrumental to them making the FBNL play-offs last season. David is a big, strong young man with a lot of raw talent and he possesses a work ethic that I know the fans in Guildford will appreciate.

 

Dowd returns to the Stars

27/05/2000

Dundee Stars are pleased to announce the re-signing of defence-man, Gary Dowd for the new season.   Gary, who signed from Billingham had a successful season in the Stars championship wining team.

Gary said today, ‘I am thrilled to be coming back to Dundee as I enjoyed my season and it was a pleasure to play alongside the quality players on their roster.

  I am looking forward to meeting up with everyone again and am determined to help the Stars retain their title.’

Tony Hand, Stars’ player/coach said, ‘Gary has proved to be a valuable team member and worked hard for us during the past season. 

 I am delighted to retain him on my roster.’

Tony is happy with the way his roster is coming together and will make another announcement soon.

 

A White Flame appears!

27/05/2000

The Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club is pleased to announce another new signing for the 2002/2003-season.

Stan Marple has bolstered his back line by signing ex-Paisley Pirates Defenceman Jeff White. 26-year-old White, an ex-Northern Michigan University player in the NCAA, stands at 5' 10", weighs 180 lbs and will be playing only his second season in British hockey. White spent the 1999/2000-season split between the Western Professional Hockey League's Alexandria Warthogs and Waco Wizards before moving onto the East Coast Hockey League's Toledo Storm. It was then that he decided to leave North America to try his luck in Europe, landing first in Austria where he spent the whole of the 2000/2001-season playing for Zell am See EK, before moving over to Britain last season to play for the FBNL's Paisley Pirates where he amassed 24-goals and 45-assists in 44-games for the Scottish based Club.

Flames Head Coach and GM Stan Marple was more than impressed with Jeff's ability last season when the Flames and the Pirates met: " I heard a lot of good things about Jeff as a player and as a person. Todd Gordon, a friend of mine who coached him in Toledo, had a lot of good things to say about Jeff. He had a very good year in the top league in Austria two-years ago, but with North America's International Hockey League folding last summer those jobs were hard to keep. Last year Jeff played exceptionally well all season; he scored a game winner against us in Paisley and was always a threat. Defensively I was impressed with how well he played. He is not the biggest D man in the League but he plays with a lot of passion, he is extremely mobile and very smart.

 

 

Revised FBNL Ruling For The 2002/03 Season

24/05/2002

It was decided today at a meeting that the FBNL would re-introduce the awarding of a point for a team losing in overtime.

League Secretary Stan Wiltshire explained "Should the scores for both Teams be tied at the end of regulation time, each team will receive 1 point and an additional 10 minutes of sudden death overtime will be played. The first team to score will receive an additional point. If at the end of the 10-minute sudden-death period the scores still remain tied, both teams will retain their original single point ? there will not be a penalty shoot-out."

The decision was taken as a continual drive to improve the games within the FBNL and as General Manager Gary Stefan explains, "..the revision of this rule will come as a welcome return to those both sides of the plexi-glass".

This was echoed by Player Coach for the Dundee Stars Tony Hand who responded "This is definitely fairer for everyone ? when Teams have worked really hard for 60 minutes and a single error in overtime costs them 2 points, this can really make a difference in the tables and to the players. By at least getting a single point, it brings it in line with other sports and rewards players for their dedication to the Team and the game."

 

 

Hull announce first overseas signing

23/05/2002

Hull Thunder Ice Hockey Club today announce the first contract completion of an overseas player for the new campaign. Although there is still a great deal of speculation surrounding the FBNL’s defenceman of the year Scott Young it is new man Dan Currie who hits the news with his signature.

Currie has had a sparkling career in North America making over twenty two NHL appearances with the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. Last season saw Currie play in the Italian Elite League for Merano.

Profile:
Position   Left Wing
Born        March 16^th 1968 Burlington, Ontario
Height     6ft 2 inches
Weight     210 lbs
Shoots      left

 FBNL next season. Dan is a proven goal scorer as not many players in this league have scored over 50 goals in a season in the AHL-IHL.” More signings are expected to be announced as early as next week as Bishop pledges he will bring another high profile player to the city as the Thunder challenge for silverware next season.

Flames sign goalkeeping duo!

21/05/2002

The Guildford Flames are delighted to announce their new goal-tending tandem for the 2002/2003 season.

Between the pipes for the Flames this season will be 32- year-old Canadian born Danny Lorenz, a 1988 3rd round draft pick (58th overall) of the NHL's New York Islanders. Danny, who spent last season with the ISL's Nottingham Panthers, comes to the Flames with a wealth of experience having played in all of North America's Top League's.

Returning to the Flames fold is 22-year-old Grant King who decided to take a step away from the sport to pursue a job in the field of Sport Management back in January of this year.

Blaze Bank on Poirier

21/05/2002

Kings Fans vote to fight on!

21/05/2002

About 300 fans came to the forum last night and early signs are that there is plenty of support to continue the fight to keep Kings on the ice.

It was confirmed that negotiations have been opened with Solihull Barons for MK Kings to play their home games in the FBNL at the recently refurbished Hobs Moat rink, while working towards an eventual return to MK in a new facility. Following the support at last night's meeting, the negotiations will now be taken to the next stage.

Mike Darnell outlined the events leading up to Kings being forced to leave
Planet Ice, and sadly announced that he will be stepping aside from further involvement. He gave his wholehearted support to a new company which will be formed by a consortium.

MK Kings were delighted with the turnout at short notice and would like to thank everyone who came to show their support. We'll keep fans informed of progress and there will be another meeting next Tuesday evening.

 

 

Peterborough - The Latest

16/05/2002

Following much discussion, it has been confirmed that a Peterborough ice hockey team will be competing in the ENPL next season and the latest signing has been Luc Chabot who has accepted the position as Coach. 

Canadian Luc Chabot, 37, had been player coach with the Isle of Wight Raiders for the last three seasons where he has achieved an impressive record including winning the ENPL Cup in 2000/1.

The move to Peterborough is seen as a positive step for Chabot and gives him the opportunity to develop his leadership qualities with an established ice hockey programme.

Luc commented “I am looking forward to this new venture and will work hard to put a team together that will make the fans proud.  I would like to thank the Isle of Wight supporters and players for three good years.  My son was born on the Isle of Wight so it will always be a special place for my family”.

 

 

STARS ITALIAN CONNECTION

 

07/05/2002

Dundee Stars are delighted to confirm that popular Italian forward, Patric Lochi has committed himself to the club for the new season ahead and has re-signed, to join Tony Hand, Jan Mikel and Martin Wiita back at the FBNL Champions.

Patric, who played alongside Tony at Ayr Eagles, was an instant hit with the Dundee fans and will be welcome back at Camperdown next season.   The speedy forward, who scored vital goals for the club in their championship winning season said today,   ‘I am delighted to be returning to Dundee and was very happy there last season.  The fans are wonderful and the team spirit is excellent.’

Tony Hand, Stars' head coach said, ‘It is great news that Patric is returning; he was an important player for us last season and his pace is a thread to any defence.    He scored many vital goals and it is good to have him back.’

Tony is pleased by the way his roster is taking shape and will announce other signings shortly.

Stars Re-sign Wiita

07/05/2002

Player/Coach Tony Hand has announced that Texol Stars' influential Swede, Martin Wiita, has agreed a new contract with the FBNL Champions.

Tony said today, 'I am delighted to tie up Martin's signing as he was one of the finds of the season.

He has proven that as well as being a quality forward, he is equally at home in the defence and is also a model professional off the ice.' Texol Stars add Martin to the roster that already has Tony and Jan Mikel returning to the City of Discovery.

Tony is in the process of filling his roster and confirmed that more announcements will follow.

Edinburgh face the NYPD

01/05/2002

An 'Edinburgh Select' team will be playing against the New York Police Dept on Sunday 9th June Face off 6.00pm. All proceeds will be donated to local charities and a donation made to the NYPD for a charity of their choice. It is hoped to raise a substantial sum of money and hockey fans be they from Edinburgh, Fife, Dundee or Paisley are asked to come along and make it a great night.

Included in the 'Select' team will be Paul Hand, Iain Robertson, Tony Hand and Scott Neil with word awaited from the 'honeymooning' Steven Lynch.  It is also hoped that some fans or companies can club together and perhaps purchase a table in the Riversdale Suite for a pre game meal before watching the game. Ideally ten to a table would be a suitable number. It is proposed to hold an auction of the 'Select' jersey's after the game so you may wish to come along and make a bid.  If you are interested in some sponsorship, details of who to contact will be posted on the Edinburgh Capitals website soon at www.edinburgh-capitals.com.

 

Flames Shuffle - Smith out and Chinn Returns

30/04/2002

The Guildford Flames are pleased to confirm that power forward Nicky Chinn will be returning to the squad for the 2002/2003 season.  Following closely in the footsteps of Team Captain Paul Dixon, Chinn becomes only the second player to be confirmed as returning to the Flames Ranks.

The Club has also confirmed today that Scottish forward David Smith will not be retuning for the 2002/2003 season.  Like Chinn, 28-year-old Smith, who joined the Flames in the summer of 2000 after many successful seasons with the Manchester Storm, Telford Tigers and his Home-Town Fife Flyers, was instrumental in helping the Flames secure 3 trophies in his first full season with the Club.

Head Coach and GM Stan Marple said this of both players:

“I know that our lack of success last season has made Nicky more determined than ever to help the Club succeed this season. If the team is going to be successful in 2002 / 2003 we need Nicky to be a big part of things. When Nicky plays mean he is one of the best right - wingers in the FBNL. Nicky as well as the rest of the team, is looking forward to the challenge of a new season and the opportunity to give something back to our fans. 

In regard to David Smith, after a lot of thought and consideration, we have decided not to include him in our team building plans for the forthcoming season. We appreciate David’s contribution to the Club over the past two seasons and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours”. 

 

McArthur Leaves The Flames

19/04/2002

The Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club today confirmed that Number One netminder, Mark ‘Sparky’ McArthur, will not be returning for the 2002/2003 season, instead opting to take up an offer made to him by his old Team EC Supergau Feldkirch of the Austrian Elite League. 

McArthur, a New York Islanders draft pick in 1994, first came to the UK in the summer of 2000 where he joined the Flames for the 2000/2001 season. Born in 1975 in Ontario Canada, Mark brought with him 8 years experience of playing in North America’s Top League’s, OHL (Ontario Hockey League), IHL (International Hockey League) and the AHL (American Hockey League) whilst waiting for his call up to the show.  During his last season in the AHL, Mark posted a 90.1 save % before moving to Europe where he joined Feldkirch for the 1999/2000 season, and it was their that he posted a 92.0 save%, which included 6 shut-outs in 30 games.

During his first season McArthur proved he was the best goalie in the Findus British National League as he picked up a whole host of awards to go along side his three winners’ medals.

Head Coach and General Manager Stan Marple had this to say about the departure of McArthur:

“After winning the treble in 2000/2001, the Management of the Guildford Flames secured the services of Mark McArthur for a period of two-years. Although there was no out-clause for either party in that agreement, Mark asked on April 5^th 2002 if we would release him from his contract with the Flames, because he wanted to play at a higher level. Although I would have liked Mark to finish his contract with
us and stay with the team for another season, I told him that as long as he gave me enough time to find a suitable replacement, I would let him go if that was what he had his heart set on doing.

Legally we could have made Mark honour his agreement with us, but myself and Management, felt that we did not want to keep any player in Guildford who does not wish to play here. We did not make any announcement regarding Marks’ decision to leave, until now, as we were not aware that he had signed his new contract to play in Austria until today. We thank Mark for his contribution to the team’s success over the past two seasons and we wish him and his family all the best in Austria.”

 

 

Paul Thompson signs three year deal with Coventry Blaze

10/04/2000

After coaching the High and Mighty Coventry Blaze to their best ever finish in the Findus British National League in his first year as full time coach, Paul Thompson has now agreed new terms and will remain with the Blaze for the next three seasons.

Thompson will continue in his position as Director of Hockey Operations as the ambitious Blaze look to build on the successes of the past season. His appointment will also see him continue to oversee the development of the Blaze junior hockey system and he has already appointed Blaze player, James Pease, as Head Coach of that section of the Club.

Already the longest serving Head Coach in senior British ice hockey, the new deal will see him rewarded for his commitment with a full testimonial in the third year of his contract.

Club Chairman, Andy Buxton, is delighted that his highly rated Coach will be back on board for next season :-

"Paul has been the heartbeat of this Club for a number of years now, and as we continue to drive to take the organisation forward, we are very pleased that his enthusiasm and ability will be available to us for the next three years.

"I think it's fair to say that he has consistently over achieved as a Head Coach and that is one of the main reasons we wanted to extend his contract. With a three year appointment he'll have the opportunity to build more for the future as well as concentrating on the season ahead.

"Paul's an ambitious person, like the rest of the management team here, and although there may be other UK and European clubs who are interested in his services, we really believe that we are able to offer him a range of responsibilities that will both challenge him and broaden his range of skills. He agrees with that and sees huge potential for both the club and himself over the coming seasons, which is why he was more than happy to make this long term commitment to the club."

Thompson is now on duty as Assistant Coach of the Great Britain national team who will be training for a week in Nottingham before flying out to Hungary to compete in the World Championships. He is expected to start building the Blaze side for next season on his return.

Blaze victory not enough

02/04/2002

This had to be the most exciting game seen across the UK all season as Coventry came to Dundee with the John Brady Bowl in their sights. Despite a three-goal deficit they went at the Dundee side in their own rink like their lives depended on it.

Dundee Stars 1 Coventry Blaze 3 (Agg 8-7 to Dundee)
A goal-less first period with a tribute to the excellent defence and superb goaltending from Murphy and Burt. The second period saw the first goal of the game go to the visitors and was quickly followed by a controversial second goal as Jan Mikel fiercely complained at Scott Young being blatantly tripped without a penalty being given right by the side of the goal leaving it open for Dumas to get Coventry’s second. Whilst in this case Mikel was right, Referee Mike Evans objected to the manner in which Mikel spoke to him and awarded him the penalty for misconduct after abusing an official. Dundee pulled one back in the second to close down the goal advantage on aggregate that Coventry were eating away at so they again needed two goals to force the game into overtime.

In what was overall the best game of the season as these two Teams matched shot for shot throughout the game, the third period saw the 350 or so Coventry supporters who had travelled to Dundee erupt as Chartrand scored in the 53rd minute needing just the single goal to draw level and force the 10-minute overtime. In the 58th minute, Coventry’s net was knocked off its moorings by an attacking player a split second before Craig Nelson was passed the puck and scored. The referee rightly ruled it a ‘wash-out’ as the TV cameras and commentators that were at the game showed on the replay that the net was way off it’s moorings before Nelson even touched the puck. This only served to intensify the atmosphere for the last 90 seconds as Coventry pulled their netminder to give them the extra man. Coventry gained possession but it soon fell to Dundee’s Scott Young who did so much in this game for a long shot on the goal from behind his own blue line only to hit the post. Another attempt by Dundee went wide whilst at the other end, Coventry were bombarding Stephen Murphy with shots – all of which he saved to help the Dundee Stars carry off their third major award, after winning the Caledonian Cup and of course the Findus British National League title this season.

 

 

Stars shoot into lead

31/03/2002

Coventry Blaze 4 Dundee Stars 7
It was a game to be seen with Dundee never losing their early lead in this game. The first period netted each side a goal before Dundee picked up a second in the 12th minute.

Straight out of the break and Dundee picked up a short handed goal then scored again half way through to give them a 4-1 lead. At the start of the third, Dundee tried to slow the pace of the game down but Coventry took advantage and caught Dundee out twice to pull two back.

Dundee turned on the style and netted another three to secure the win for this leg, although Coventry managed to pull a third goal too to take them forward to the second leg with a three goal deficit.

 

 

Coventry to Face Dundee in Playoff Final

26/03/2002

Coventry Blaze and Dundee Stars both scored 10 goals against their opponents this weekend, as the top 2 teams from the FBNL marched on to next weekend?s end of season showdown.

Coventry made the final with a 10-4 aggregate win over Guildford. On Saturday night the Blaze were 2-0 down after the first period. Coventry turned up the heat in the second period to score at 21.09 through Stephen Cooper and then just 45 second later Cooper scored his second of the game to level the scores. A goal from each team took the score to 3-3 at the end of the second period. A 3-0 final period by Coventry gave them a commanding lead going into Sunday?s game, Carpenter, Tasker and Dumas scoring for the home side.

On Sunday Coventry increased the gap to 4 goals through Steve Chartrand. The score stayed at 1-0 until the final period when Tasker made it 2-0 at 42.38. Tony Redmond scored for the Flames to take the aggregate score to 8-4 (& 2-1 on the night), but further goals from Shaun Johnson and Steve Roberts sealed the win for the Blaze and booked their place in the final.

Dundee also took a 3 goal lead into the second leg when they won 2-5 in Fife. A tight game saw the score stay level until the final period of the game when Dundee surged ahead through Hand, Wynne and Mikel. Teeder Wynne scored a hat-trick on the night and took Man of the Match for Dundee.

On Sunday Dundee made sure there was no comeback for Fife as Patric Lochi gave the Stars an early lead. 3 more goals in the first period put the result beyond doubt with 2 periods of hockey still to be played. Fife added their only goal in the second period, before Dundee completed the match with a goal in the third period to take the game 5-1 on the night and 10-3 on aggregate.

 

 

BNL's ITV Coverage Times

20/03/2002

It has long been recognised that TV coverage is an integral and important part of the growth and stability of the Findus British National League, both by means of added exposure for the individual Teams and attracting other branded Sponsors to the Sport

As a League we are fortunate enough to have secured two one-hour long shows which will be shown on Saturday 6^th & 13^th of April with highlights and roundups from the Playoff semis and finals. Due to budgetary implications and the fact that as a League we could not finance this standalone, our title sponsor Findus gladly came on board to underwrite some of the costs incurred for the two shows. In turn we have had to work very closely with the Sponsor and the Television production department to ensure that as a League, we produce a product of a high enough standard and interest factor that will open doors for either further involvement from Findus or new Sponsors who realise the value of being involved with Ice Hockey and our League.

We are able to offer fans old and new ITV1 coverage of all semis and finals games as shown below:

Saturday 23^rd March

Coventry Blaze v Guildford Flames (19:00)
Fife Flyers v Dundee Stars (19:15)

Sunday 24^th March

Guildford Flames v Coventry Blaze (18:00)

Dundee Stars v Fife Flyers (18:30)

 Findus and ITV1 have been key players in getting this unrivalled TV coverage and as a League, the FBNL recognise and respect the requests and requirements of the Sponsors and TV company, who with the hard work of the FBNL have made this invaluable exposure for the sport possible.

 Fans are advised to get their tickets early for all of these games as they are sure to sell out fast!  Contact the number’s below to book your tickets:

Coventry Blaze                     02476 630693

Dundee Stars                        01382 832244

Fife Flyers                             01592 595100

Guildford Flames                  01483 443333

 

 

FBNL REGULAR SEASON HALL OF FAME

18/03/2002

TOP GOALSCORERS

Teeder Wynne (Dundee) 44
Russell Monteith (Fife) 44
Domenic Parlatore (Paisley) 43

TOP POINTSCORERS

Tony Hand (Dundee) 25+79 - 104
Domenic Parlatore (Paisley) 43+52 - 95
Teeder Wynne (Dundee) 44+50 - 94

BEST DISCIPLINED TEAM

Cardiff Devils 414 PiM
Basingstoke Bison 494 PiM
Fife Flyers 507 PiM

BEST NETMINDERS

info to follow shortly.

 

 

FBNL ALL STAR VOTE – THE RESULTS

12/03/2002

It’s the time of year where we look forward to the Play-Off semis and finals, plus look back on a great season of Ice Hockey in the UK.

There have been many individuals who have stood out and every Team’s Coach has cast the votes received for the FBNL All Stars, (although of course they could not vote for their own Team…)

• Leading Points Scorer:            Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

• Player Of The Year:                  Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

• Netminder Of The Year:           Stephen Murphy           Dundee Stars

• Defenceman Of The Year:       Scott Young                 Dundee Stars

• British Player Of The Year:     Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

• Coach Of The Year:                 Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

 

ALL-STAR TEAM

• Netminder:                               Stephen Murphy           Dundee Stars

• Defence:                                   Jan Mikel                     Dundee Stars

• Defence:                                   Scott Young                 Dundee Stars

• Forward:                                  Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

• Forward:                                  Teeder Wynne              Dundee Stars

• Forward:                                  Jason Lafereniere          Edinburgh Capitals

 

BRITISH ALL-STAR TEAM

• Netminder:                               Stephen Murphy           Dundee Stars

• Defence:                                   Stephen Cooper           Coventry Blaze

• Defence:                                   Neil Liddiard                Basingstoke Bison

• Forward:                                  David Clarke                Milton Keynes Kings

• Forward:                                  Steven King                  Fife Flyers

• Forward:                                  Tony Hand                   Dundee Stars

 It is hoped that all of the All Stars will be present to receive their awards at the last leg of the Championship finals on March 31^st – the venue of which is to be decided after the games this weekend.

 

 

2002 Play-Off 'Casualties'

10/03/2002

Basingstoke & Milton Keynes are the first casualties of the 2002 Play-Offs as Dundee & Guildford qualify for the semi-finals.  Milton Keynes are without a win in the competition and Basingstoke's defeats at the hands of Dundee & Guildford mean that even if they win the next two games and Guildford lose theirs, Basingstoke will not get through as Guildford have a better goal difference.

Group 2 is still wide open and realistically, any of the 4 Teams can still qualify.

 

 

Foster's season over

28/02/2002

Hull Thunder's Stephen Foster today revealed he's "gutted" to be missing the rest of the season. An MRI scan has shown the club's number one netminder has a tear in his medial collateral knee ligament. The specialist's advice is Foster will be sidelined for six weeks, ruling him out of Thunder's entire play-off series.

It's the news team officials have been dreading since the GB international keeper limped off against Sheffield last week. It's also a bitter blow to Thunder's play-off dreams for a campaign which starts on Saturday in Fife. Foster said: "I'd been trying to stay so positive, so when they told me yesterday it would be six weeks I was gutted. I'm just dev- astated to be missing the rest of the season.

"I've enjoyed playing for Hull, they're a great set of players and the fans are terrific. "We've got a good team, we just have to play for the full 60 minutes, instead of in bursts. "We can play with the best of them when everyone pulls in the same direction."

Foster will have to wear a knee brace for the next five weeks to prevent sideways movement of the joint. If everything goes according to plan, he will be "A1" in under two months. Thunder director Mike O'Connor could barely disguise his disappointment and said: "Stephen has done a fabulous job for us since signing from Basingstoke. "Our main thought for him now is to get him fit for the start of the new season."
The club's recent performances and results have been far from impressive, but O'Connor believes Foster's absence could act as a catalyst for Thunder. He said: "Maybe this is the wake-up call that our players need. "With the best will in the world, we will not have Stephen Foster in goal. "It's time for the players to get into gear and buckle down so we get everyone reading off the same page."

O'Connor and player-coach Mike Bishop will travel to Milton Keynes tonight to watch Foster's possible replacement in action. Tonight's Milton Keynes-Paisley show- down will decide who clinches the eighth and final play-off spot. Thunder want to sign the losing team's keeper – either Paisley's Clint Owen or Milton Keynes' Domenic DiGiorgio. Rumours from down South suggest those hopes may yet be scuppered as reports indicate DiGiorgio is carrying an injury. However, it is believed Thunder have already made alternative plans should the Owen-DiGiorgio plans not come to fruition.

 

 

Dundee's Young Out For 2 Games

26/02/2002

Scott Young, influential player with the Dundee Stars will miss the first two games for the FBNL Play-Offs after picking up a 10+GAME+GROSS misconduct penalty in Sunday's game against Edinburgh Capitals.

The penalty, that was said to be given for 'Abuse of an Official' apparently started over a challenge to Referee Glen Meier's award of an assist to one of Dundee's goals.

The first two games will be away to Basingstoke and at home to 8th place winners - either Milton Keynes or Paisley.

 

Fossie´s Season Over?

24/02/2002

Hull Thunder´s Stephen Foster fears knee ligament trouble could rule him out for the rest of the season.

The GB international sustained the injury in Thunder´s midweek Yorkshire Cup clash with Superleague Sheffield Steelers. He will definitely miss the club´s final two league games in Slough tomorrow and at home to Guildford on Sunday.

His absence means Thunder are now searching for a guest goalie both for this weekend, and possibly some or all of their play-off matches.

Foster said: "At the moment they think it´s a medial ligament problem, but hopefully it´s just a strain.Timescale wise it´s too early to tell when I´ll be back, but I´m definitely not playing this weekend. How long I´m out for depends how the treatment goes and how I react. It could go great and I´ll be back for the start of the play-offs next weekend. On the other hand, there´s a possibility I might not get back this season. Obviously I´m hoping my season isn´t over, as I want to help the team win the play-offs."

Thunder director Mike O´Connor admitted Foster´s absence is a big blow to the club´s ambitions and said: "Steve has always been one of our biggest bonuses of the season. To lose him now is clearly a major loss for us, but we just have to get on with it."

Although past the transfer deadline, Thunder should be able to bring in a guest keeper.

The club´s favoured option for this weekend only is Sheffield´s Eoin McInerney, who nearly signed for Thunder during the summer. The South Yorkshire outfit have already given permission, but any such move would need both McInerney´s and the British National League´s approval. Thunder would have to look elsewhere longer term, possibly to a team which does not qualify for the play-offs like either Milton Keynes or Paisley. O´Connor said: "We have to approach these things one step at a time. "We´ll look for the best possible replacement, if necessary.

"It´s likely to be an import netminder, which means we´ll have a team selection problem."

That dilemma is unlikely to occur this weekend because Canadian Daryl Lavoie is sidelined through injury.
However, once he is fit, Thunder would have to drop one of their eight imports to accommodate an overseas´ goalie.

 

 

New Dundee Sponsor Comes 'Out Of The Blue'

21/02/2002

Scotland’s favourite newspaper, The Scottish SUN, has team up with the new Findus British National League champions, Dundee Texol Stars as they enter the ice hockey play-off finals.

The newspaper, whose logo will be displayed across the back of the team shirts, are delighted to be involved with Stars, who, under the guidance of GB International, Tony Hand have had an outstanding first season after their formation last summer.

A spokesman for the Stars said today, ‘We are honoured that Scotland’s best loved national newspaper has agreed to sponsor us for the play-offs and it is a tribute to the sport and to the team that such a respected company is supporting ice hockey.’

 

 

FBNL Last Play-Off Place & Fixture Announcement

17/02/2002

The battle for the last play-off place continues between Paisley & Milton Keynes.  Paisley did not have a Sunday fixture, giving MK the chance to jump into the 8th place.

Milton Keynes have three games to play, two of which are against Fife Flyers.  Paisley have just Guildford to play before both sides meet each other in what is shaping up to be the deciding game on Wednesday 27^th @ Milton Keynes.

Paisley’s battle is simple, they need to get every point they can and their only opportunity is against Guildford this Saturday (23^rd) in their only game of the weekend.  MK have a tough weekend with back-to-back games against Fife Flyers. 

When Paisley have played Guildford this season, Guildford have won 2 games with Paisley picking up the third in overtime.  Milton Keynes however after losing in their first meeting with the Flyers, took the points with a 6-1 win at Fife on December 9^th.

All this is likely to mean that the final game for these two sides will not only be against each other, but will be the deciding game.  Even if MK lose both games against Fife and Paisley win or lose at Guildford, it will still fall to the result of the game on the 27^th.  It could even end up tighter with a draw and if this is the case, Paisley would take the points and the position as they have beaten MK twice this season.

October 10 2001 – MK 4 v 5 Paisley

October 20 2001 – Paisley 4 v 2 MK

January 01 2002 – Paisley 3 v 4 MK

 All eyes will be on the Milton Keynes Ice Arena on Wednesday 27^th February for what is likely to be their biggest attendance of the season as these two teams fight for the honour of inclusion in the 2001/2 season Play-Offs, with the semis & finals being shown on ITV1.

 

 

Stars announce new signing

07/02/2002

Dundee Texol Stars are pleased to announce the signing of former Florida Panther and Ayr Scottish Eagles player, Trevor Doyle.

Doyle, a hard hitting defenceman has had his work permit granted and with all the paperwork now complete, will fly into the country to help the new FBNL League Champions´ push towards the play-offs.

A spokesman for Texol Stars said today ´This signing emphasises the ambition of the club as it strives to give the fans quality professional ice hockey in the city. Although we have won the league championship in our first season we owe it to the fans, sponsors and to the City of Dundee to maintain and indeed impro ve, the standards we have set.

We aim to build this club into one of the strongest in the country for many years to come and players like Trevor will help us achieve that goal.´

 

 

 

Fozzie re-signs for Thunder!

07/02/2002

Netminder Stephen Foster has agreed a deal which will see him return to Hull Thunder next season.

Foster has been in outstanding form since his move in October, having been axed by National League rivals Basingstoke Bison.

His string of man-of-the-match displays has left Mike Bishop´s side with a great chance of claiming a top-four finish.

Bishop last week agreed to return next season, while key defenceman Eric Lavigne will also be back having signed a two-year deal.

"There was no difficulty in persuading Fozzie whatsoever," said Bishop.

"I think we have provd, not just to people in Hull, but also to the players, we are making giants strides and this is a place for the future.

"He´s a huge asset to us, he is a character person, there is no other netminder in the league who works any harder either during a game or in practice. He leads by example and his work-rate is second from none."

Foster, too, was only too pleased to stay in Hull.
He said: "To be honest it was not a difficult decision to make, it was all fairly straightforward.

"Basically I have thoroughly enjoyed myself since I came to Hull last October. The team have been great, the fans have been great and I am also based in Durham, it was all those factors together really."

 

Dundee Stars 'Untouchable' as FBNL League Champions

05/02/2002

Last weekend’s 13-0 defeat of Cardiff was no ordinary win for the Team who have dominated the League tables this season as it signified they could not be knocked off the top of the League table by nearest rivals Coventry Blaze.

Coventry, who had a very brief taste of the top slot early in the season were beaten by Guildford Flames, making first place impossible for them.

In their first season with the Findus British National League, Dundee have lost only 4 League games from the 40 they have played to date, scoring a total of 261 goals. ‘The Stars’ can also boast 3 of the League’s Top Goalscorers (Lochi, Wynne & Young) and 50% of the League’s Top Pointscorers (Hand, Wynne, Mikel, Young & Lochi). Not only have they scored the most goals, but also conceded the least too.

Stars’ MD Mike Ward told us “We set out at the beginning of the season to bring back top quality hockey to the City of Discovery. What we have achieved in winning the FBNL League Title has surpassed all our expectations. This achievement is in no small measure due to the hard work of all at the club, the tremendous local public support shown towards the team, and from the backing and encouragement received from the business community within Dundee. It was always our intention to put Dundee back on the British Ice Hockey map and this is the first step in doing just that.”

The presentation of the ‘Findus League Shield’ will be made on 24th February at the last game of the season v Edinburgh. Both officials from Findus and the League will be there to present the Findus Shield and to join in the celebrations both during and after the match.

Dundee’s 4 remaining games include a match against local rivals Fife Flyers which caused a complete sell-out with 3,000 fans in Kirkcaldy earlier this season, before play-off fever hits the UK and with the semi & finals of the play-offs being televised and shown on ITV1, we are expecting even better things for the Findus British National League next season and in seasons to come.

 

 

Nick Poole Signs for Fife Flyers

01/02/2002

Fife Flyers will be enhancing their chances in the FBNL Play-Offs with the acquisition of Nick Poole from the Peterborough Pirates, however Nick will not be appearing at the Fife Ice Area just yet.

Respectfully and under FBNL rules, Nick has been loaned back to Peterborough for 14 days (from 31/1/02) and will after this time have to decide whether he is going to drop out of the FBNL or play for Fife in their last games against Paisley, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and his old club Peterborough.  Not a difficult decision!

 

 

British Ice Hockey Scores a Television Hit!

01/02/2002

The FBNL today finalised details for a television deal that will see four matches being televised on ITV1. The games to be shown will be both the Semi-Finals and the Finals of the Play Offs for the John Brady Bowl, due to take place on 23^rd/24^th and 30^th/31^st March 2002.

Granada Sport, will be producing and filming all of these games which are due to be aired on Saturday 6^th and 13^th April at 1.30pm-2.30pm. The programme will take the style of a Match of the Day format, with 40 minutes of Game action and a further 20 minutes of round ups with commentary and interviews with the players. This is seen to be a major move forward for the profile of the sport and further endorses the future of British Ice Hockey within this Country.  Although Ice Hockey is seen as a non-mainstream sport, this move with televised coverage of the play-off games further endorses the increased levels of interest that are apparent for this sport.

Jim Raven, Managing Director of Granada Sport, said: “We are delighted that ITV is able to provide British Ice Hockey this opportunity to be seen on mainstream television. With increased exposure, we hope fans will enjoy watching and that we can then build on this.”

Tom Muir, Chairman of the Findus British National League said, “ This television deal is great news for the growth of our League and the sport in general. We have worked very hard behind the scenes to put this package together and now feel that the League in general is in such a strong position financially that the time was right to push forward with our plans for increased coverage and profile of the game. We are now working on a partnership agreement with a major sponsor for this coverage and hope to release details of this within the next few days”

The franchise areas offering coverage of these games will be, Granada, LWT, Meridian, Anglia, Central, Tyne Tees, HTV, Yorkshire, Border, Scottish and Grampian.

 

 

11th Hour Signing For Edinburgh Capitals

31/01/2002

Scott Neil announced tonight that the Capitals have clinched another signing ahead of  Thursday's signing deadline.  With David Fry out for the remainder of the season, Scott has swooped to sign burly Finnish forward Samuli Mykkanen as his replacement. 

21 year-old Mykkanen from Helsinki is a powerful forward, 6'1 and 200lbs, who has played in the Finnish 1st Division and has spent two seasons with English Premier League side Solihull Barons.   He has a strong scoring record netting 32 goals and 27 assists from his last 22 games.  He is currently second top scorer for the Barons and 5th overall in the EPL.  

David Fry has been forced out of the team by injury and is returning home to Canada this week.  Fry has been plagued by a recurring shoulder injury this season, and has reluctantly had to accept medical advice and cut short his season.   He is now returning to Toronto for surgery on the shoulder and to recuperate so that he will be back to full fitness for next season. 

Fry was Capitals' top goal scorer last year and is a firm favourite with the fans.  Bidding farewell to the Murrayfield last Sunday, he received a resounding send-off from the Capitals supporters.   On behalf of the team and fans we wish David our best wishes for a full recovery.  We would be happy to see him return to the City in the autumn.

 

 

McEwen Leaves Pirates For The Thunder 

29/01/2002

The Peterborough Pirates yesterday announced that Doug McEwen has left the club with immediate effect.

McEwen, who was the Pirates coach and General Manager until last November, asked for his release on Monday afternoon and this was granted.

He immediately signed for the Hull Thunder, who Pirates played on Saturday night, and who are the Pirates next home opposition on the 10th February.

His last game for the Pirates was on Sunday night when he scored one goal, and got an assist as the Pirates lost 3-2 to the Basingstoke Bison.

 

 

Ex-Bison Debuts for Guildford This Week

 

29/01/2002

Ex Basingstoke Bison Netminder Alec Field debuts for the Guildford Flames this week, taking over from Grant King who is leaving the team to pursue a career in Sports Marketing.  Alec was said to be delighted with the move, having left Basingstoke earlier this season.

The 1,000th Goal For Stars' Tony Hand

 

21/01/2002

 

Tony Hand needed just a single goal Saturday evening to notch up his 1,000th in British Ice Hockey, but in true style, he finished the game against Hull Thunder having scored a hat-trick! 

Tony's 1,000th was a short-handed goal in the game and this strengthens his position as the unchallenged top point-scorer in the FBNL for the 2001/02 season to date. 

 

MD Mike Ward told us "We are very proud of the way our guys work as a Team and having Tony (Hand) as the Player/Coach has worked brilliantly for this season.  We join all the fans in congratulating Tony on hitting the 'magic 1,000' and look forward to many more!"

 

The Real Story Behind The Troubles At Slough

 

21/01/2002

 

A company, Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd, had been formed to take over the running of the Jets but after an interested businessman pulled out the current Directors put together an action plan and have run the company since.  The former company secretary and Director owned the company as well as being involved with other Ice Hockey clubs and a leading supplier of Ice Hockey equipment.  He assured the Directors he was prepared to run the company and prepare the accounts and payroll for nothing.

He supplied Management accounts to the Directors saying that the income tax had been paid but after obtaining copies of the bank statements (which were originally sent directly to him) the other Directors called a meeting to discuss discrepancies.  At this meeting this rogue Director assured the other Directors that the tax had been paid and that he had also given a £5,000 personal sponsorship.  This turned out to be completely false and he was removed from all bank mandates with immediate effect.

Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd ended the year with a deficit of £16,000 owing to the revenue as none of the income tax had been paid.  We were advised to engage a solicitor and it transpired that the same person had defrauded other ice hockey companies and also forced the hockey equipment supplier into liquidation.

Upon investigation the solicitor found that this person had no assets as they were in his wife’s name and the Company were advised to take action against the bank for allowing money to be taken with a single signature when all transactions required double authorisation.  The company was also advised to expect to receive £50,000 to £60,000 in damages and compensation and, as the bank would be keen to avoid adverse publicity, settlement would be obtained quickly.

The settlement took over a year in which time the company was forced into scrimping while repaying the first years tax liability.  The final figure received was much less than the original figure suggested which allowed some of the liability to the Inland Revenue to be cleared but not all.

The Jets acknowledged that they had received a very generous deal from the council, in fact one of the best in the league if not the best.  The council then transferred management of the facility to a trust, Slough Community Leisure Ltd and along with it the agreement for the Jets.  The Jets commenced negotiations with the Trust to continue their use of the facility and still have a very favourable deal, however the deal with the trust, whilst still being one of the best in the league, has cost the Jets approximately £7,500 in lost income and at short notice.

Upon agreement of the deal the Trust issued a press release saying that the Jets had entered into a major sponsorship deal and the sponsorship papers would be signed at the Ice Arena.  Many people believed the term major sponsorship deal to mean a huge injection of cash into the club when, in fact, the agreement with the trust only allowed for a lessening of direct, guaranteed income.  As a consequence of this press release many of the personal sponsors felt there was no longer a necessity to continue their personal sponsorship and the budgeted figure of £10,000 realised only £3,000, for which the Company continues to remain grateful.

Along with other losses sustained and not budgeted for in sponsorship income the overall effect to Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd has been approximately £30,000 less than expected in sponsorship and/or direct income.

Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd have always recognised their liability to the Inland Revenue and in an effort to make inroads into clearing the deal had committed to a repayment plan that would have seen the debt cleared by the end of this season.  With the above £30,000 budget deficit and the unexpected low attendance numbers the company found they could no longer meet this repayment plan.

In December 2001, Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd received a letter from the Inland Revenue stating that they wanted our liability to them cleared immediately.  The Company submitted an achievable two year repayment plan to the Inland Revenue which reflects the seasonal nature of the business but this plan has been rejected.  

The current position is that the repayment plan has now been put before the Court where a judge will decided if the repayments offered are reasonable.  If the judge decides they are reasonable then a binding repayment plan will commence.                                                                                                                                                Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd fully intends to complete their fixture obligations for this season and acknowledge that changes would have had to have been made regardless of the current situation with the tax debt due to income being considerably lower than expected.

Geoff Cutting then outlined the plans and contingency plans in place.  He emphasised that Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd only controls the Slough Jets and the Junior Development programme would be safe as it is a separate entity.                                                                                                                                                At present the Slough Jets are awaiting the outcome of a league meeting which will decide the future structure of the league and no definite course of action regarding league entry could be taken until next season’s structure had been decided.  It was however clear that we could not afford to be competitive in this season’s league.

It was agreed that fund raising would be needed irrespective of whether the current company survived or not to ensure the future of the Jets.  The current company, as a founder member of the league do not have to pay an upfront bond and have rights and privileges from the league.  A new company, taking over the running of the Jets, would have to provide a substantial bond before the season started and would lose those rights and privileges held by the current company.  Therefore, approximately the same amount would be needed to run the Jets in the FBNL next season under a new company without the support currently received from the league as to save the current company with the benefits and support.

The bottom line is that Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd needs to raise £15,000 by April to survive.

Loan player stays Long term

19/01/2002

Slough Jets Head Coach Joe Stefan has agreed terms with Marc Long for him to join the Slough Jets for the remainder of the 2001/02 season. Marc has played four games so far for the Jets on loan and has so far scored a goal a game.

On his signing Joe Stefan said; “Marc has done well in the games he has played for us so far. In our current situation he didn’t want much money as he just wanted a chance to play for the remainder of the season. It’s worked out well for both parties and I’m glad that he has decided to stay on.”

Canadian Marc who is 5’11 and weighs 185lbs played for Milton Keynes Kings last season in the FBNL before joining Romford Raiders this season.

 

 

Nick Cross flies out of the Hangar 

17/01/2002

This week British forward Nick Cross accepted a deal from Basingstoke Bison that will see him complete the season with the Hampshire club.  He will be leaving the Hangar with immediate effect.

On losing Nick Head Coach Joe Stefan commented; “Obviously it is a bit disheartening losing Nick as he has been with the club for so long but as I said to all the other guys you have to think of what is best for you and I wish him well”.  In 41 games for the Jets this season Nick has scored 35 points (11+24) and accumulated 82 minutes in penalties.

 

 

Mitch Grant joins the Flames

17/01/2002

Following Nick Cross’ move to Basingstoke Bison Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd can confirm that leading scorer Mitch Grant will also be leaving the Hangar.

Mitch Grant joined the Jets last season from Basingstoke Bison and has been the top goal scorer consistently since his arrival. Last season Mitch averaged over a point a game and has continued to score at nearly the same rate in this season’s much tougher league.

On the loss Joe Stefan said, “I am truly sorry to see Mitch go and he will be missed as much off the ice as on. He has been a true professional from his first day with the club and has a work ethic second to none. He set a great example to the rest of the guys and will be missed as much in the dressing room as on the ice.”

He continued; “I’d like to thank Mitch for continuing to play for us since the expiry of the his original contract and wish him well. He will be a great acquisition for the Flames organisation.”

In 39 games with the Jets this season Mitch has scored 42 points (25+17) for 10 penalty minutes.

Mitch will line up for his new club this Saturday when the Jets play Guildford Flames at the Hangar.

 

 

Basingstoke Release Derek Higdon

 

11/01/2002

 

Basingstoke Bison this week released Derek Higdon from 'The Herd'.  According to the Owners of the Team, "The Coaching staff felt that further changes were necessary as a result of the Team's past performances".  Derek Higdon has played 29 games for the Bison this season, scoring 14 goals, 22 assists and only accumulating 20 penalty minutes, making Higdon the second highest point-scorer in the Team, together with Chris Brant, who was also released the previous week.  

Edinburgh's David Fry out for rest of season? 

 

11/01/2002

 

Forward David Fry picked up an injury at last Sundays game against Coventry which may well prevent him playing for the remainder of the season.  Fry suffered a recurrence of the shoulder injury which has plagued him this season and has been advised by the physiotherapist that this could take 6 to 8 weeks to heal.  He has been referred to a specialist for attention to the injury.

Capitals have already found a replacement, snapping up Canadian forward Rob Simner from Romford Raiders.  An ex-colleague of Noel Burkett, Simner was one of Romford's top scorers.  He will join the team initially on a temporary basis and will ice with the Capitals for the first time against Paisley on Saturday.    

In the nets this weekend will be Jason Crossland returning to his old club to replace injured netminder Ryan Ford.

 

Ice hockey loses great friend

07/01/2002

The Directors, Players and Supporters of Slough Jets are saddened to hear of the death of Dudley Moore, a great friend to ice hockey.

Dudley work tirelessly, mainly behind the scenes, taking on the immense task of maintaining and organising team hotlines.

Dudley passed away on Thursday and in his passing Ice Hockey has lost a great friend, supporter and servant. He will be greatly missed by all.

League's Top Goalscorer Changes for the first time...

 

07/01/2002

For the first time this season, the League tables show not one, but two top goalscorers as Dundee's Patrick Lochi and Coventry's Steve Roberts share the title, knocking Domenic Parlatore off the top for the first time.  In the Pointscorer's tables, Dundee's Tony Hand still dominates this with an impressive 72 points (14+58), although Domenic Parlatore is still pushing hard just 3 points behind.

Two very good games for Coventry saw Steve Roberts fly up both the Goalscorer and Pointscorer tables for this week and although Parlatore did not score any goals, a handful of assists kept him up in 2nd place.

For the 'Bad Boy', Team PiM's and Netminder stats, visit the 'Top 10' page here

Slough Cut Budgets and Players

 

04/01/2002

Whilst the much publicised cuts at Slough are rife at the moment, the true reasons are rarely mentioned, suffice to say that any monies owed are not through fault of anyone at the Slough Jets who are getting grossly unfair criticism on 'non-official' websites and forums.

They have unfortunately though been left to try to pick up the pieces and this has meant at this stage cutting the Team and consequently budgets.

In the latest of these cuts, Jon Cameron moves with immediate effect to Paisley Pirates, replacing Jussi Eloranta, with more moves due to be announced shortly.

 

Weekend Results

11/12/2001

Sun 09/12/2001

FBNL:
Basingstoke Bison 3 Paisley Pirates 4
Coventry Blaze 3 Dundee Stars 2 (OT)
Edinburgh Capitals 2 Guildford Flames 9
Fife Flyers 1 Milton Keynes Kings 6
Hull Thunder 5 Slough Jets 2
Peterborough Pirates 6 Cardiff Devils 1

Sat 08/12/2001

FBNL:
Cardiff Devils 2 Peterborough Pirates 6
Dundee Stars7 Edinburgh Capitals 2
Fife Flyers 7 Guildford Flames 3
Milton Keynes Kings 4 Coventry Blaze 4 (OT)
Slough Jets 3 Basingstoke Bison 4 (OT)

For FULL Match Reports
Click here

 

Hollyhead Moves On

 

08/12/2001

The “High and Mighty” Coventry Blaze can confirm that their popular back-up netminder, Barry Hollyhead, has been granted a loan move that will take him away from the Skydome for the remainder of this regular season.

Hollyhead has been frustrated with the lack of ice time that has been available at Coventry this season and has now been offered the starting role with the troubled Cardiff Devils outfit. The Blaze are fully supportive of Hollyhead’s request and have agreed to Barry moving to South Wales on loan.

Coach Paul Thompson was philosophical on the situation “It’s very hard for a guy of Barry’s quality to sit on the bench, but it has not been possible to give him the ice time he wants. As a club we will never stand in the way of a player who is offered a chance to play more. Barry will go to Cardiff with our blessing and good wishes and the increased ice time will certainly do him good. He’s a guy that is right there in the Great Britain squad and deserves the chance to play regularly.”

Hollyhead will take up his position with the Devils from this coming weekend. The back-up netminding void that will be left by Hollyhead’s departure will be filled by Ricky Ashton. The youngster has been playing for Altrincham Aces in the English National League and has also played for England Under 20’s in the last year. Coach Thompson has been impressed by Ashton’s attitude and potential and has offered him the chance to step up to the FBNL. He will make his debut in the Sky Blue in Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Hollyhead’s loan deal provides for him to return to the Blaze should it be necessary, and also for the end of season play-offs.

Blaze fans will get their first chance to welcome Ashton to the Skydome on Sunday night when Coventry take on top of the table, Dundee Stars at 6.00pm.

 

 

Weekends Results

03/12/2001

Sun 02/122001

FBNL:
Guildford 5 Paisley 4
Dundee 4 Coventry 0
Edinburgh 4 Peterborough 2
Slough 3 Fife 7
Hull 12 Cardiff 1
Milton Keynes 4 Basingstoke 5

Sat 01/12/2001

FBNL:
Basingstoke 5 Hull 2
Edinburgh 9 Cardiff 1
Paisley 2 Fife 5
Peterborough 4 Guildford 3
Slough 2 Dundee 5


For FULL Match Reports
Click here

 

Fixture changes

30/11/2001

Following the postponement of last Sunday’s away game at Coventry the Slough Jets can announce the following changes to their fixture schedule for the remainder of the 2001/02 season.

Sunday 30th December Coventry Blaze vs Slough Jets 1800
Saturday 12th January Basingstoke Bison vs Slough Jets 1800

 

Northern Ireland on board

28/11/2001

Ice Hockey UK is proud to announce that they have been able to broker an agreement with the Northern Ireland Ice Hockey Association and are now able to recognise that body as being the regional governing body for Northern Ireland.

With this new working agreement ice hockey should now be able to leap forward in Northern Ireland and we would like to extend our thanks to the Northern Ireland Sports Council for their input.

The Board of Directors of Ice Hockey UK look forward to working with all the clubs, players and the association in Northern Ireland and in taking the IIHF/IHUK 'Learn to Play' cross ice programme to the junior players in that association.

 

 

Weekends Results

27/11/2001

Sun25/11/2001

Findus Challenge Cup final:
(At Nottingham NIC)
Coventry 3 Fife 6

FBNL:
Cardiff 4 Hull 1

Sat 24/11/2001

Findus Challenge Cup semi-final:
(At Nottingham NIC)
Basingstoke 3-3 Coventry
(Coventry win 3-2 in penalty shootout)
Peterborough 2-10 Fife

FBNL:
Milton Keynes Kings 3 Guildford Flames 3 (OT)
Paisley Pirates 10 Cardiff Devils 3
Slough Jets 3 Edinburgh Capitals 4

For FULL Match Reports
Click here

Jets look to soar with new netminder

23/11/2001

Speaking from the Ice Arena at Slough, Jets Head Coach, Joe Stefan announced that after a hectic week of forms and paperwork he had managed to secure the services of netminder, Bill Russell.

On the signing Stefan comments, "Bill called me at the right time and was available to start straight away. He has an impressive playing record and comes highly recommended, so he can only be a benefit to the team."

Russell, aged 24 stands at 6ft 1in, weighs 190lbs and originates from Alberta in Canada. His previous clubs include, Fife Flyers, Newcastle Jesters, Knoxville Speed, Augustana University, Seattle Thunderbirds and the Swift-Current Broncos.

On his signing Russell comments, "I am looking forward to starting in the Jets line-up, I feel that I've made the right decision to join them as they are traditionally play-off contenders."

 

 

Weekends Results

19/11/2001

FBNL:

Sun18/11/2001

Basingstoke12 Paisley 1
Coventry 6 Dundee 3
Edinburgh 1 Fife 6
Guildford 5 Peterborough 2
Hull 9 Cardiff 1
Slough 1 Milton Keynes 2

FBNL:

Sat 17/11/2001

Cardiff 2 Dundee 11
Coventry 3 Hull 5
Fife 8 Basingstoke 2
Milton Keynes 8 Slough 3
Paisley 4 Edinburgh 6
Peterborough 1 Guildford 6

For FULL Match Reports
Click here

 

 

Best of British BoBs up

16/11/2001

With only 2 games played in this season’s Best of British Competition, a noticeable increase in attendances has already been noticed.

Malcolm Norman MD of the Guildford Flames said “having hosted both of the games, we have already seen at least a 50% increase in the attendances. Given that both of these have been mid-week games, it pays tribute to the hard work that is going on continually to promote the FBNL and Ice Hockey in the UK.”

Lesley Wickham, FBNL Commercial Manager said “The Best of British Competition continues to offer the fans competitive Ice Hockey whilst giving the developing British players a further opportunity to showcase their talent. The increased numbers of fans appreciating the standard of the Best of British Competition and coming along to see the games serve as a testament to the players and the standards at which they play. The FBNL is continuing to focus on junior development as part of it’s 5-year plan and these increases are certainly encouraging.”

The next Best of British fixture is on Wednesday 21st November as Slough Jets face the Guildford Flames. This will be their second meeting in the competition after Slough won 4-2 at Guildford earlier this week.

Tuesdays Result

14/11/2001

Best of British Cup:

Tue 13/11/2001

Guildford 2 Slough 4

 For FULL Match Reports
Click here

SHUFFLING AT MK...

14/11/2001

There will be two new big guys in the Kings lineup, with the addition of young British forward David Clarke and Canadian Bryan Blair who scored in both games against Kings for Cardiff Devils last month. They both add skill, size and toughness to the team.  Player Coach Rick Strachan was able to see David Clarke in action with the GB squad this week and is expecting big things from the Team with these guys on board.

With the new signings Ross Mackintosh, Paul Sample and Stuart Potts are to be released. They have worked hard in the team, but the Team's results so far has meant a call for more experience.

 

 

Weekends Results

12/11/2001

ISL:

Sun 11/11/2001

Cardiff 5 Basingstoke 7
Coventry 0 Milton Keynes 2
Dundee 5 Fife 6
Edinburgh 3 Paisley 0
Guildford 0 Slough 3
Peterborough 2 Hull 5

Sat 10/11/2001

Basingstoke 3 Guildford 1
Fife 8 Edinburgh 2
Hull 2 Coventry 5
Milton Keynes 6 Peterborough 1
Paisley 2 Dundee 7
Slough 6 Cardiff 0

 For FULL Match Reports
Click here

 

 

Weeks Result

08/11/2001

CHAL:

Wed 07/11/2001

Cardiff Devils Select 4 GB 10

For FULL Match reports
Click here

DUNDEE GET EVEN STRONGER

08/11/2001

Dundee Stars have just unveiled the signing of EHCL star Scott Kirton.

31 year old Scott played for Greenville Grrowl in the EHCL last season

finishing top points scorer and comes highly recommended from Stars forward

Teeder Wynne.

 

Scott is a 31 year old forward, weighing in at 16st 4lbs and 6ft 3 inches

tall. Scott played for Greenville Grrowl in the EHCL last season, his stats

were Played 70, Scored 20, Assists 42, Points 62, PiM 148.

 

Scott can be described as a powerful, skillfull hard hitting forward, he

will become a key figure in the current squad and should settle in nicely,

Scott also had a spell with ISL team London Knights in season 1998-99, Scott

should be clear to play in this weekends games with Paisley and Fife.

 

 

Blaze burnt by GB Challenge

07/11/2001

Reading more like a Who’s Who of the FBNL (and some ISL), fans were treated to some of the biggest talent in hockey today at both ends of the ice. Coventry’s side was enhanced by the defensive power of Rick Strachan and the return of fans favourite AJ Kelham, who now spends his time on the ice at Nottingham.

Coventry Blaze 4 Great Britain 7
GB picked up their only penalty of the game after just 26 seconds as David Longstaff was sent off for 2 minutes for ‘illegal equipment’. This gave Hilton Ruggles the opening to put the ‘home side’ in control 64 seconds into the game. Coventry reaffirmed their intentions with a second unassisted goal from Captain Steve Chartrand at 5:48. A penalty for Coventry in the 8th minute failed to see a goal from the GB side but, credit to both sides as these two were the only penalties of the night. Both Teams battled to beat their opponents and GB finally notched up their first just before the 15 minute mark. This was to be the last goal of the period as Coventry went back to the dressing room 2-1 up.

Into the second and it was again the Coventry side who took control with a goal at 24:01 – the first of two from Russell Cowley who has so far only played 3 games for the Blaze. GB were quick to respond and the first of two from Darren Hurley with the second 4 minutes later brought the Teams level again. Both Teams worked hard but it was Basingstoke’s James Manson who pulled GB into the lead from which they never slipped. The second period saw fast skilful hockey but no more goals but it was only 41 seconds after the break before Guildford’s Paul Dixon scored for GB.

Coventry were able to answer with Cowley’s second goal but it was not enough to catch the GB side who ran away with two more goals from Peterborough’s David Clarke and Basingstoke’s Mike Ellis at 54:30 and 59:13. Hollyhead spent the night between the pipes for Coventry facing 40 shots whilst the GB Team saw some of the finest netminders Stephen Lyle, Stephen Murphy and Joe Watkins all take a period each. An excellent game and a rare opportunity to see so much talent on the ice together.

Coventry: Carpenter 0+1, Strachan 0+1, Roberts 0+3, Chartrand 1+0, Cowley 2+0, Eley 0+1, Ruggles 1+0.

Great Britain: Manson 1+0, Clarke 1+1, Horne 0+1, Hand 0+1, Berrington 1+0, Tait 0+3, Longstaff 0+1, Watkins 0+1, Nelson 0+1, Dixon 1+0, Ellis 1+1, Hurley 2+1.

Period scores: 2-1/1-3/1-3
Shots on Goal: 40-25
Penalty Minutes: 2-2
Referee: Kirkham Linesmen: Darnell & Stanley
Attendance: 911

Team listings:
2 James Pease, 3 Steve Carpenter, 4 Rick Strachan, 7 Mathius Soderstrom, 8 Shaun Johnson, 9 Claude Dumas, 10 Steve Roberts, 11 Marc Twaite, 12 Steve Chartrand, 16 Kurt Irvine, 17, Russell Cowley, 19 Rob Eley, 21 A.J. Kelham, 27 Shaun Yardley, 31 Barry Hollyhead, 32 Ian Burt, 44 Mike Shewan, 54 Hilton Ruggles, 55 Stephen Cooper

1 Stephen Lyle, 01 Joe Watkins, 2 James Manson, 3 Neil Liddiard, 5 David Clarke, 7 Scott Young, 8 Kyle Horne, 9 Tony Hand, 10 Paul Berrington, 11 Michael Tasker, 12 Ashley Tait, 14 Johnathan Weaver, 15 David Longstaff, 17 Rick Plant, 19 Danny Meyers, 20 Tom Watkins, 23 Craig Nelson, 24 Paul Dixon, 26 Mike Ellis, 29 Darren Hurley, 30 Stephen Murphy

 

 

 

OUT WITH OLD & IN WITH THE NEW

07/11/2001

Guildford Flames Head Coach and General Manager, Stan Marple has decided to make changes to his squad in a bid to turn around his Teams fortunes.

Coming in to the Flames line-up are 30-year-old Finnish forward, Mikko Koivunoro and 29-year-old defenceman Scott Campbell. 

As a 5’11”, 188lbs forward, Mikko is no stranger to this country having played for both Newcastle and London in the ISL, and it was during his time at Newcastle that he set a League record for ‘Most Assists’ in a season with 39.  More recently, he has been on the Edinburgh bench, having played 12 games for them this season.

Glasgow born Campbell, who stands at 6’1” and weighs 195 lbs, was an integral part of the Flames last year and was one of the main reasons the Club enjoyed so much success.  Campbell was originally brought in last year to replace the out going Tom Brown, and right from his very first game with the Club he became an instant fans favourite. 

Stan Marple had this to say about his two latest acquisitions:

 “Mikko is a proven playmaker who will complement Derek and Todd well. We have had problems scoring goals lately and Mikko will definitely help us out in that regard. Scotty came in last year under similar circumstances and played a big part in turning around the fortunes of the Club. He knows the way I coach and most of the players already so that will be a big help

Released from the Team this week are Rob Lamey and Kent Nobes.

Rob Lamey, who came up through the Guildford Junior Programme, had been a first Team regular since the 1996/’97 season. Kent Nobes joined the Club at the beginning of the season after a successful couple of years in the Canadian University League.

Stan Marple said:

 “When I took this job I knew that I would have to make a lot of tough decisions and with the current form of the team, I felt that some changes had to be made in order to better the Clubs current position. With the new additions to the side I had to make some real tough choices. Robert and Kent are both young players, who have a lot of potential, and we wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavours. “

Peterborough's Spirit Shines as an example

07/11/2001

In the past, when the going has got tough for the Pirates, it's the imports that have get going. So, when the club announced last week that they were losing about £1,500 per week some of the fans started to worry. Their worry was made worse by Captain Dwayne Newman announcing he was off to the Milton Keynes Kings as he was looking for Financial stability.

The fans though, needn't have worried about a mass exodus of their favourite Imports.

Player Coach Doug McEwen and Netminder Pasi Raitanen both pledged their future to the club, as did Fans favourite, and dad-to-be Jesse Hammill.

Fellow import Nick Poole went one step further by announcing that he would play for free, as long as his salary went on some new players. Nick is Junior Development Officer at Milton Keynes and receives a salary from this full-time job. The only downside is that Nick cannot make Scotland trips due to working the following morning.

Nick said "I do all right during the week as I work full-time. The club need a bit of financial help and could do with bringing in an extra player so that's why I took my wages out of the equation and just play for fun now. That does not mean I will not be giving 100%"

 

 

Weekends Results

05/11/2001

FBNL:

Sun 04/11/2001

Coventry 4-3 Basingstoke
Dundee 14-5 Peterborough
Edinburgh 2-1 Slough
Guildford 5-0 Cardiff
Hull 11-5 Paisley
Milton Keynes 2-5 Fife

Sat 03/11/2001

Basingstoke P-P Hull
Cardiff 2-5 Edinburgh
Fife 5-0 Slough
Milton Keynes 2-6 Dundee
Paisley 4-3 Guildford OT
Peterborough 2-5 Coventry


For FULL Match report
Click here

Blaze turn up the Heat...

03/11/2001

Coventry Blaze have confirmed that they have completed the signing of Steve Roberts on a permanent basis.

Roberts had played a handful of games with the Blaze earlier in the season before taking a couple of weeks out.  Roberts had been expected to play for Newcastle, but the recent collapse of the Jesters meant that Steve will be returning to play in Coventry, where in just 6 games, he scored 9 goals and 6 assists.

Coach Paul Thompson said "it's no secret that we wanted Steve to sign a contract with us...  we thrashed out a deal to bring him back to Coventry for the rest of the season."

This now means that Jordan Shields, who was on trial with the Team will not be retained.  Thompson said of Shields "Unfortunately, he is just not quite the type of player that I am looking for right now".

 

 

Caps undergo changes

03/11/2001

Edinburgh Capitals today announced some changes to their roster prior to this weekends crucial games against Cardiff Devils and the Slough Jets.

Playmaker forward Mikko Koivunoro has left the club to join Findus British National League rivals, and reigning champions, Guildford Flames. The former Newcastle and London star joined the Capitals after problems with the Newcastle franchise, and proved a big hit, having scored 17 points (1 Goal, 16 Assists) in just 12 games.

The Capitals are expecting to have a replacement in the line-up ahead of the weekend, after Canadian Noel Burkitt being involved in training over the past fortnight. This is Noel's first season in Britain, having come from Canada's junior ranks to play for Romford Raiders, where the 5'11", 200lb forward was their top scorer after 13 games (11 Goals, 9 Assists).

 

 

CHANGES AFOOT AT PETERBOROUGH

02/11/2001

The Peterborough Pirates announced this week the departure of team captain and assistant player coach Dwayne Newman to local rivals the Milton Keynes Kings.

His departure is by mutual consent as both the team and Mr. Newman has parted company on amicable terms. The main reason for leaving the team he captained to the semis finals of this season’s Findus challenge cup is because of the new restructure of the team’s finances.

Club Director Phil Wing said "..as with any business, without more sales, or in this case fans, we have to look hard and fast at tightening our belts if we are going to see the whole of the season through"

Dwayne along with two other team members had been asked to play on reduced wages to help the Team through the period but captain Newman required more stability and opted to accept the offer from Milton Keynes Kings, where he joins previous Team-mates, Rick Strachan, Duncan Patterson and many more.

Coach McEwen says “it’s a very sad day when you see one of your top players go to a rival team, but in ice hockey the owners have to look at the whole club and do what they have to to survive.  We wish him luck in his future he will be sadly missed at Peterborough not only as a team mate but as a friend”.

The team have already brought in Forward Warren Tate on a trial basis but realise they have much work to do to fill the gap left by 'The Dog'.

Midweek Result

01/11/2001

Best of British:

Wed 31/10/2001:

Guildford Flames 7 Basingstoke Bison 3

For FULL Match report
Click here

 

BASINGSTOKE TEAM CHANGES

01/11/2001

The Basingstoke Bison ice hockey club today announced the following player changes to the Bison squad for the coming weekend.

Adam Greener will be icing for the Bison on Saturday, but from Sunday onwards will be loaned to the Isle of Wight Raiders for 2 weeks to cover for injuries. Richard Hargreaves has also been re-assigned to Isle of Wight for the remainder of the season.

 

 

Former Kings ace McSorley `on his way to Wales'

31/10/2001

NHL minder Marty McSorley has said from his Los Angeles home, "I'm on my way to Wales."

The former Los Angeles Kings ice hockey player, who for years was Wayne Gretzky's minder in the NHL, wants to play for Cardiff Devils in their challenge match against Great Britain at the Wales National Ice Rink.

Ice hockey fans opposed to the current Devils management have thrown their backing behind the match on Wednesday, November 7 - and a capacity attendance is expected.

Marty's brother Chris said, "Marty has just rung me from LA and said he is ready to come. He is keen to play for Cardiff - and wants to be there next Wednesday."

Many former Devils players have been invited to play, including Ivan Matulik, Alan Schuler, Dwight Parrish, Vezio Sacratini, Kim Ahlroos, Mike Ware, Claude Dumas, Shannon Hope, Hylton Ruggles, Jason Stone and Nicky Chinn.

The match has been organised as the McSorley brothers negotiate to buy the team. Rink bosses are giving their backing to the game and have made the ice time available.

All money raised through tickets and programmes will be divided between Great Britain and the fund to pay last season's players money they are still owed.

Former Devils coach Paul Heavey will be invited as bench coach.

The GB team includes ex-Devils Steve Thornton and goalie Steve Lyle.

Superleague and Findus British National League bosses have given their backing for the Friends of Cardiff Devils to invite players, although they will need the permission of their own clubs.

Cardiff ice hockey fans opposed to the current Devils team management are organising the match, which will face-off at 7pm.

Sue Bradley, a director of lease-hold-ers Reds Wales Properties Ltd, has confirmed the match will go ahead.

Tickets will be on sale via the Wales National Ice Rink box office. They can be contacted on Cardiff 2039 7198.

McSorley today said negotiations to buy the ice rink lease and take over the team are progressing.

 

 

 

HULL ANNOUNCE NEW OWNERS

31/10/2001

The Findus British National League announced today the acceptance of a new membership application from Hull Thunder Ice Hockey Team. The application from Drinkprize Ltd, was approved today by the Executive Committee of the FBNL; Martin Jenkinson and Mike O Connor will join the Board of Directors of the FBNL and will work with the League to achieve permanence for Hull Thunder as a Club and it’s many loyal fans.

Martin Jenkinson said, ”Hull Thunder Ice Hockey Club has a solid base of support and we are delighted to finally take the reins of the new Company. We looked at the business as a result of our involvement in Sheffield with the Steelers and identified the exciting potential of this Club. The Local Council and Hull Arena management team have been extremely helpful in moving forward with us, which can only mean a bright future for Ice Hockey in Hull and the Findus British National League. We will work hard with the FBNL, the fans, local sponsors and marketing partners to ensure that Hull Thunder will grow and become a force within British Ice Hockey”.

 

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the FBNL, said, “ We have worked hard to ensure that the next move that we take as a League regarding Hull was for the benefit of all parties concerned, we could not allow any other concerns in Hull to overshadow the potential of this Club, or potentially jeopardise the reputation of the League.  The junior programme is flourishing; a huge motivator for these youngsters is to play in the FBNL, the present structure of the Team would offer an opportunity for any talent to move up through the ranks. With all of the uncertainty over the past season, it is great to approve an application that looks solid and can achieve a stable operating base for the Team and its fans”.

 

 

Coventry join in the 'reshuffle' trend

31/10/2001

Coventry Blaze were the latest Team in the FBNL to reshuffle their Team as they announced 'loaned' Steve Roberts will not be playing for the Team in this weekend's fixtures.

 In addition to this, they are trying out ex-Peterborough Jordan Shields after his release from the Pirates.

 

 

Kings Release Smillie & Sign Daniels

31/10/2001

MK Kings have announced the departure of Steve Smillie and the arrival of Jeff Daniels.

MK Kings are sad to announce that we have parted company with Steve Smillie. The decision has been made with the best interests of the team in mind. Mike Darnell, Kings CEO said - "This is a sad moment for any team, but Smillie has not yet broken the 'goal drought' which has plagued him since the start of the league campaign this term. We cannot afford to wait around for Steve to come good and although this has been a tough decision for Rick Strachan to make but I must trust his judgment on this."

Milton Keynes Kings also announced today that they have signed Jeff Daniels.  "We are in a building process but after a good start we have lost ground and if we are to succeed we have to make tough decisions.  We wish Steve all the best in the future and thank him for his services to the club, he is a good hockey player."
Jeff will be a great addition to the squad, he is a strong player both ways which we need in the system that we are playing, Jeff will help our power play set up and will bring bags of needed experience to our young team. We may have to make more changes as we go on - we have said that we are a team that is developing and this means making changes when we see the need, we don't have the finances to keep adding players to the roster, so every guy on the squad needs to be operating at 110% all the time if we are to get the results we want".

 

 

ROB McCAIG OUT UNTIL NEXT YEAR

31/10/2001

Following an investigation into incidents at the Slough V Hull game on 13th October 2001, the BNIHL Disciplinary Committee has suspended the above player until 1st January 2002. A supplementary fine of £200 is to be added to any fines awarded by the automatic ‘penalty points’ system.

This decision was based on several issues;

There was a reckless ‘high-sticking’ on an opponent that could have led to serious injury.

A series of threatening gestures made to opposing players whilst being escorted from the ice.

The player’s previous disciplinary record was also taken into account.

The BNIHL wishes to re-iterate its position regarding violent play; whilst it is recognised that ice hockey is a physical game and injuries can occur, it will not tolerate unnecessary violence especially where it involves the use of a stick. Action will be taken against players who have a disregard for the safety of others and also those players who have a poor disciplinary record.

It is also acknowledged that although certain actions may be tolerated in some professional areas, the BNIHL will neither accept nor tolerate actions that are either irresponsible, unprofessional or that may incur serious injury to any player or official of the Sport.

 

 

Next update

12/10/2001

Next update for this page will be Wed 31/10/2001, as we will be on Holiday in Zante for 2 weeks.

For all the latest news Visit or Rumours Results & Gripes section .

Click here to Enter

 

 

FOSTER ON THE MOVE AGAIN?

12/10/2001

The grapevine has been buzzing with the speculation of Stephen Foster.  Local newspapers in Basingstoke, where Stephen recently parted company with the Baisngstoke Bison ran stories this week about how Foster wanted to come back to his old club and disputed the reasons given over his departure. 

This seems to have all been forgotten as in the same week Foster signed for Hull Thunder.  Last weekend, Foster tended the Milton Keynes Goal whilst Degiorgio recovered from an injury sustained the week before.  This temporary stop was cut short when Hull offered and he accepted. 

Foster faces his 3rd weekend out of 4 weeks in the FBNL playing for a different club - is this some sort of record?  Saturday's game will be against Slough Jets whilst Sunday will see Foster between the pipes against his old club Basingstoke Bison.

 

 

TRIBUTE TO VIC BATCHELDER

12/10/2001

It was with deep regret that the BNIHL received the news that Vic Batchelder had passed away earlier today.

BNIHL Secretary, Stan Wiltshire, said, "I remember Vic from his early days as Secretary of Nottingham Panthers when they were members of the Inter-City League.

 

 He was always striving to improve the game: Vic may have ruffled a few feathers along the way, but he always knew what he wanted and where he wished the sport to go. I honestly believe that without the many 'reality checks' he inflicted upon the various Administrators of the sport over the last 20 years, we might still be playing in the 'dark ages'.

 

Players will come and go, Administrators will come and go, but there will never be another VB.

Thankyou for your contribution to our great game".

 

 

 

Weekend's Results

08/10/2001

FBNL:

Sat 06/10/2001

 Cardiff 8 Paisley 3
Coventry 3 Fife 2
Dundee 4 Basingstoke 2
Guildford 4 Edinburgh 2d
Hull 5 Milton Keynes 2
Peterborough 4 Slough 3 OT

Sat 07/10/2001

Cardiff 2 Hull 14
Coventry 8 Slough 1
Dundee 13 Paisley 1
Edinburgh 5 Fife 1
Guildford 5 Basingstoke 3
Peterboroug 6 Milton Keynes 3

For Match reports
Click here

 

 

GREG BURKE JOINS THE FLAMES

08/10/2001

Guildford Flames Head Coach Stan Marple has today bolstered his defence with the signing of experienced 31-year-old Boston native Greg Burke.

Hard-hitting Defenceman Burke, who has experience playing in North America (NCAA & ECHL), Germany (DEL) and the United Kingdom (BISL), stands at 6’2” and weighs 200lbs.

Stan Marple was very upbeat about his latest recruit:

“I have done a lot of research to make sure that we got the right guy for this position.

 

From all his previous coaches and teammates that I have talked to, Greg is a consummate team player who has the ability to play forward as well as defence. He has played most of the last four seasons on Defence in the ISL and will be playing this position for us.

He is an aggressive, in your face player who leads by example and has a great work ethic. Greg has a vast amount of pro experience and he will add a lot of stability and experience to our team.”

 

 

Stephen Foster at MK - temporarily

06/10/2001

Ex-Bison netminder Stephen Foster will be standing in for injured Domenic DeGiorgio as he rests his injured hamstring. Stephen, released from Basingstoke last week has agreed to step in as cover for Domenic at short notice.

 (Domenic's fans can rest assured that this is only temporary!)

Flames release Stone

06/10/2001

Guildford Flames Defenceman, Jason Stone was today officially released by the Club as Head Coach Stan Marple makes early changes to his squad.

28-year-old, Cardiff born Stone originally joined the Flames during the summer of 2000, having spent his entire career with his hometown Devils where he had shared in many years of success with the Welsh outfit.

He rejoined the Flames this summer after helping the Club to three out of a possible four trophies last season.

When asked about the release of Jason Stone, Coach Marple commented:

“Jason has been released by the Club for reasons that I would like to keep confidential between Jason and myself. This was a difficult decision to make but one that was made in the best interests of the Club.  We wish Jason all the best in his future endeavours and look forward to seeing him here at the Spectrum again, most probably in a Cardiff Devils shirt.  

Mark Hazlehurst is new Player Coach

05/10/2001

It was announced today that Mark Hazlehurst is to be the new Player-Coach of the Cardiff Devils.  The 28 year old defenceman from Peterhead has already played a significant role as a leading British Player in the new FBNL Team and he has now been given the chancfe to guide the club into the top half of the League table.

Mark, a sheet metal worker originally based in Telford has played for the Tigers, Guildford Flames and the MK Kings, who the Devils face at MK on Saturday.

'Haze' said "I am excited at the prospect of working with the Devils and turning them into a major force in the FBNL.  I have experience of coaching and relish the challenge of showing what I can do at Cardiff.  We have a good nucleus here and I am looking to build the Team ready for top of teh table Ice Hockey.  

Cardiff Devils Director Sue Bradley said "Mark is committed to bringing the winning habit back to the club and he has our full support in winning back the fans".

 

 

Guildford Flames sign new player

03/10/2001

Guildford Flames Head Coach Stan Marple, this week made a new addition to his squad, with the signing of Centreman Todd Wetzel.

28-year-old Ontario native Wetzel, who stands at 5’11” and weighs 185lbs, comes to the Spectrum with a proven scoring record from some of North America’s and Europe’s Top League’s.
 

Stan Marple commented on his latest acquisition:

“Todd is a natural centre and a right handed shot who has put up very good numbers in every league he has played in. With Derek DeCosty out of the line up we have been struggling offensively lately but with the addition of Todd and Derek in this weekends line up it should remedy that. Todd is a great playmaker and we look forward to his contribution to the team. 

 

 

Dundee Stars lose Nate Leslie

03/10/2001

Dundee Stars have just announced  the shock departure of Nate Leslie to the London Knights.  The Knights made a surpriseswoop today and Nate will join his new teammates tomorrow. 

Tony Hand admitted "We are sorry to lose Nate he is a fine player and we wish him well, I am sure we will hear good reports about him in the future." when asked if this was a setback Tony added "The high calibre of players at the stars will always attract interest from superleague clubs and we will never stand in a players way if he feels the move is right for him." When asked about a replacement Tony said "Things move fast in hockey, I am speaking to potential players at present and as soon as any deals are struck, the fans will be the first to know."

Nate Leslie added "I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Dundee, the lads are superb and the fans are absolutely wonderful, but this is a huge opportunity for me and one that I could not turn down."

One of the Dundee Stars owners, Mike Ward commented "We wish Nate all the very best with his new club and it's always been our intention to improve all our younger players and give them every opportunity in professional ice hockey."

 

 

 

Weekend's Results

01/10/2001

FBNL:

Sun 30/09/2001

Cardiff 2 Hull 14
Coventry 8 Slough 1
Dundee 13 Paisley 1
Edinburgh 5 Fife 1
Guildford 5 Basingstoke 3
Peterboroug 6 Milton Keynes 3

Sat 29/09/2001

Basingstoke 5 Coventry 7
Fife 1 Dundee 6
Milton Keynes 3 Guildford 1
Paisley 3 Cardiff 11
Slough 7 Edinburgh 4

For Match reports
Click here

 

 

Basingstoke release Stephen Foster

28/09/2001

Charlie Colon announced today with regret that Stephen Foster has been released from the Basingstoke Bison due to unforeseen circumstances beyond his control.  This unexpected decision was not personal but essential for the Team.

Robert Schistad (35) has been brought in for this weekend's league games against Coventry & Guildford.  Schistad a Norwegian Canadian from Wingham Ontario played for the Norwegian national Team.  Last season he was with Wilhelmshaven-Stickhausen and prior to that he spent 4 years in the German DEL with the Schwenningen Wild Wings.

Saturday's match against Coventry will be a crunch game as they are drawn together for the first semi-final of the Findus Challenge Cup at Nottingham in November.

 

 

Blaze Lose Young Star

27/09/2001

The “High and Mighty” Coventry Blaze have been dealt a cruel blow with the news that young Canadian Andrew McNiven has ruled himself out of contention for a place in the team for the foreseeable future.

The feisty winger has been suffering with Post Concussive Syndrome ever since arriving in the country and has missed most of September already. McNiven met with Head Coach, Paul Thompson, yesterday and confirmed that despite his starring role in last Sunday’s home win against Paisley Pirates, he then suffered a relapse and has decided to take an extended break from the sport in order to fully recover.

McNiven, who joined the Blaze from Cornell University in the USA, has already become a fans favourite despite only playing a handful of games.

Having himself been forced into early retirement with a back injury, Coach Paul Thompson is sympathetic to the young Canadians’ plight. “Everyone associated with the club is absolutely gutted for the lad, at only 22 he has his whole career ahead of him and now he will have take stock of the situation and just wait to see how his health improves. We certainly still hope that Andrew may be able to return to us later in the season, once this problem is ironed out, but for the moment, we have to move on. He will be a hard act to follow, quality player, quality person.”

With the Findus British National League season just one week old the injury blow could have put a real dent in the team’s chances, however, the Blaze have moved quickly to sign a temporary replacement.

Ex-Belfast, Sheffield and Nottingham winger, Steve Roberts has been signed as cover for the short term and is expected to make his debut against Amsterdam Tigers in the International Challenge Match on 27 September. Roberts had turned out for Hull on a temporary basis last weekend whilst waiting for the Newcastle Jesters season to start in the Super League.

Roberts, a 27 year old from Saskatoon, Canada, will link up with former team-mates Steve Carpenter and Stephen Cooper. The 5’11”, 190lb winger scored 13 goals and 13 assists in 47 games in the Super League last year, split between Belfast and Sheffield.

“We are absolutely devastated for Andrew,” confirmed Grant Charman, Operations Director, “he has been outstanding in the games that he has managed to play so far this season. We are lucky that a guy of Roberts quality is available to come in at short notice and fill his skates.”

“It’s terrible when a young guy’s health is affected like this. We are totally in support of Niv’s decision to take a break, he cannot risk his health any further. One big hit could do him irreparable damage right now. We wish him all the best for the future and sincerely hope that he makes a full recovery and returns to Coventry as quickly as possible.”

MK Lose #1 Netminder

27/09/2001

Milton Keynes Kings Netminder, Domenic Degiorgio will NOT be fit for this weekend's games against Guildford Flames & Peterborough.

He sustained an injury on Saturday night in the game against Hull Thunder and was strapped up for the game on Sunday but after midweek training, he was not considered to be match fit for the weekend.

This information was released after the deadline for the 'Weekend Roundup'.  Representatives from Milton Keynes Kings were not available for comment.

 

 

Cardiff Devils on road to recovery

27/09/2001

After much speculation, the Findus British National League today confirmed that they had been in talks with the management team of the Cardiff Devils today and had agreed a way forward for the ailing Team.

Members of the FBNL Executive Committee today met with the management of the team to re-structure the finances and to wholeheartedly offer their support to the Team.

 

Lesley Wickham, Commercial Manager of the FBNL, said, “We have heard so many stories from various bodies and organisations that Cardiff were not going to survive that we decided to go and see for ourselves. What we did see is a body of committed persons, who want the Cardiff Devils as an Ice Hockey Team in the Findus British National League to succeed. Unfortunately, there are some destructive and negative factions, that are more concerned in trying to undermine the present Team and believe the various rumours that abound, rather than actually support the Cardiff Devils as is. Given some of the latest rumours regarding a Superleague team waiting in the background and a potential investor being again apparent, we spoke to the highest level in the ISL today, who confirmed that they are not interested in supporting a team out of the Wales National Ice Rink and stand by their statement issued some weeks ago, in that, Cardiff as a venue could not sustain the costs involved in operating a Superleague Team”.

 

Both Gary Stefan and Lesley Wickham, will meet with the management and the team again next week to confirm the support of the Board of Directors of the League and will agree a restructure which will almost certainly include one of the FBNL Executive being involved on an operational basis with the team. More details of this meeting and the re-structure will be issued by Thursday 27^th September.

 

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the FBNL said, “ We were given a directive by our Board to go and help in any way that we can, which we are doing. We really hope that after this release the fans get behind the Team once more and ensure that The Cardiff Devils remain in Wales for the good of the sport and of course to allow the opportunity for the young developing British players to shine on their home territory. Our presence there today and for the forthcoming weeks should confirm our commitment as a League to the team and also to those fans who want to support the future of Ice Hockey in Cardiff”

 

 

DEVILS AXE COACH SOUTHWICK

25/09/2001

Ken Southwick has been sacked as coach of cash-strapped Cardiff Devils after less than a month in the job.

The 50-year-old from Toronto was working in Britain for the first time after coaching spells in North America, Holland, Austria and Germany.

Spokeswoman Sue Bradley said: "It is a financial decision. Attendances have been low and we could not sustain employing a separate coach."

 

 

Weekend's Results

24/09/2001

Findus British National League:

Sun 23/09/2001

Cardiff 3 Slough 5
Coventry 12 Paisley 3
Edinburgh 2 Basingstoke 5
Guildford 7 Milton Keynes 1
Hull 1 Fife 6
Peterborough 4 Dundee 7

Sat 22/09/2001

Fife 6 Cardiff 2
Guildford 1 Dundee 3
Milton Keynes 5 Hull  4 (overtime)
Paisley 4 Basingstoke 9
Peterborough 1 Edinburgh 2
Slough 4 Coventry 5 (overtime)


For Match reports
Click here

 

 

FCC Finals draw

22/09/2001

Thanks to our friends at 'talkSPORT' we were able to do our draw for the finals weekend live on national radio. The independent draw was made and the results were:

Semi-final #1 (11:00)
Basingstoke Bison v Coventry Blaze

Semi-final #2 (15:00)
Peterborough Pirates v Fife Flyers

The winners will go through to the final to be played at 15:00 on Sunday 25th November

 The Findus Challenge Cup Finals Weekend will take place at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham on 24th and 25th November 2001.  Full details below.

Looking to stay over in Nottingham then visit our PLACES TO STAY FOR HOCKEY section.

 

2001/02 Rule Changes

22/09/2001

The following rule changes will be adopted as of the start of the League season for this Saturday 22nd September and will remain in place for the duration of the season.

The ‘touch icing’ trial that has taken place throughout the Findus Challenge Cup will not be taken forward for the season's play, instead it has been agreed that the ‘automatic icing’ rule will apply.

The other rule change that has been agreed, is regarding overtime play.

If a game is level after 60 minutes regulation time, 10 minutes sudden death overtime will be played. If a team scores within the 10 minutes they will be awarded two points. Should the score still be level after 10 minutes overtime there will not be a penalty shoot out, instead both teams will each receive one point.

 

League rallies behind Devils

22/09/2001

After much speculation, the Findus British National League today confirmed that they had been in talks with the management team of the Cardiff Devils today and had agreed a way forward for the ailing Team.

Members of the FBNL Executive Committee today met with the management of the team to re-structure the finances and to wholeheartedly offer their support to the Team.

Lesley Wickham, Commercial Manager of the FBNL, said, “We have heard so many stories from various bodies and organisations that Cardiff were not going to survive that we decided to go and see for ourselves. What we did see is a body of committed persons, who want the Cardiff Devils as an Ice Hockey Team in the Findus British National League to succeed. Unfortunately, there are some destructive and negative factions, that are more concerned in trying to undermine the present Team and believe the various rumours that abound, rather than actually support the Cardiff Devils as is. Given some of the latest rumours regarding a Superleague team waiting in the background and a potential investor being again apparent, we spoke to the highest level in the ISL today, who confirmed that they are not interested in supporting a team out of the Wales National Ice Rink and stand by their statement issued some weeks ago, in that, Cardiff as a venue could not sustain the costs involved in operating a Superleague Team”.

Both Gary Stefan and Lesley Wickham, will meet with the management and the team again next week to confirm the support of the Board of Directors of the League and will agree a restructure which will almost certainly include one of the FBNL Executive being involved on an operational basis with the team. More details of this meeting and the re-structure will be issued by Thursday 27th September.

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the FBNL said, “ We were given a directive by our Board to go and help in any way that we can, which we are doing. We really hope that after this release the fans get behind the Team once more and ensure that The Cardiff Devils remain in Wales for the good of the sport and of course to allow the opportunity for the young developing British players to shine on their home territory. Our presence there today and for the forthcoming weeks should confirm our commitment as a League to the team and also to those fans who want to support the future of Ice Hockey in Cardiff”

 

FBNL Finals weekend announced

20/09/2001

After much preparation, the FBNL can now announce that the Findus Challenge Cup Finals Weekend will take place at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham on 24th and 25th November 2001. After three weeks of superb Ice Hockey, Basingstoke Bison, Coventry Blaze, Fife Flyers and Peterborough Pirates have qualified and will all play on the Saturday in the semi-finals, with the two winning Teams going through to the finals the following afternoon.

Lesley Wickham, FBNL Commercial Manager said “This is the first Findus Challenge Cup and we are delighted by the response from fans across the country, attendances are up on this time last year, which may well indicate that organising our own Cup Competition was the right way forward. What we now have to do is rally round the fans for our Finals weekend in November. Not only will it give us a chance to showcase our own Hockey but it will also give us the opportunity to entertain our Major Sponsors and reinforce some of our core values in nurturing British talent”

Fans are guaranteed fantastic Ice Hockey in the historic city of Nottingham, as well as the opportunity of seeing the Nottingham Panthers in action at home on Saturday evening. For those purchasing a weekend pass, the ticket price to see the Panthers will be only £6.00.

Other options include:

£ 7.00 for a child/conc. day pass

£17.00 for an adult day pass

£12.00 for a weekend child/conc pass

£32.00 for a weekend adult pass

£43.00 for a family day pass

£82.00 for a family weekend pass

(TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM EARLY OCTOBER)

Lesley Wickham added “It really is the ultimate weekend for the true Ice Hockey fan and tickets have been priced sensibly so that all of the family can enjoy the whole weekend without breaking the bank. Findus will be there and we will be holding competitions with give-aways, goodie bags and interval entertainment”

 Looking to stay over in Nottingham then visit our PLACES TO STAY FOR HOCKEY section.

 

 

Double delight for Thunder

20/09/2001

Hull Thunder have pulled off a double signing coup by snatching Steve Roberts and Rob Trumbley from under the noses of Superleague Newcastle.

The former NHL draft picks were originally heading to the Jesters, but Thunder have taken advantage of the Superleague club's uncertain future. Thunder expect the pair to transform the team's prospects and make their mark on the British National League.

Trumbley and Roberts will be teaming up again with Thunder player coach Mike Bishop, who played alongside the duo in the Superleague. Bishop said: "Steve and Rob were both waiting to see if jobs were available in Newcastle, but we've been able to snatch them up.

"We've been chasing them for a while, but we've been waiting to see how the Jesters situation panned out because we couldn't compete financially with the Superleague.

"We've bided our time and now we've got them, which is great news for us."

Thunder's player coach said he is expecting the 28-year-old pair will add considerable strength to the club's firepower. They are also well known round Britain's top flight, with Trumbley a noted penalty taker.

Bishop added: "We needed added punch up front and Rob and Steve's pedigree is top class.

"Steve has a phenomenal shot and was Nottingham's leading goalscorer until he picked up a shoulder injury in his first year.

"Rob is a total menace to play against, as he goes out there to do a job and he does it well He is a no-nonsense sort of player who will add a totally different dimension to the team."

The 5 ft 11in Roberts played alongside Bishop in Nottingham in 1998-99, before moving on to Sheffield and Belfast last season.

An inch shorter than his fellow new signing, Trumbley previously spent time on the same line as new team-mate Anthony Johnson in Newcastle.

He played alongside Bishop in Ayr, and moved on to Manchester last season.
However, Thunder's signing spree is not yet finished.

Club officials expect to have a new number one netminder in goal for Saturday's opening British National League clash at Milton Keynes.

Thunder's home fans will get their first chance to see all three players in action at Hull Arena against Fife Flyers on Sunday.

Confirming another signing is in the pipeline, Bishop said: "I've said all along we would be looking for another netminder.

"We've taken our time, but we expect to have all three in place for the weekend.
"They will all be great additions to our team."

 

 

Weekend's Results

17/09/2001

Findus Challenge Cup:

Sun 16/09/2001

Basingstoke 13 Romford 2
Coventry 1 Guildford 3
Dundee1 Fife 3
Edinburgh 2 Paisley 3
Hull 2 Swindon 1
Peterborough 5 Cardiff 1
Invicta 2 Slough 3
Solihull 3 Milton Keynes 8

 

Sat 15/09/2001

Cardiff 5-1 Hull
Fife 8-1 Edinburgh
Guildford 0-3 Coventry
Milton Keynes -6 Solihull
Paisley 0-9 Dundee
Romford 4-7 Invicta
Slough 0-3 Basingstoke
Swindon 1-2 Peterborough

For Match reports
Click here

 

League to raise money for Meningitis

12/09/2001

This weekend sees another corporate fund raising event from the FBNL in support of the Meningitis Trust. Every Team throughout the League will have collecting tins, posters and leaflets to help support the current awareness campaign for National Meningitis Week.

Lesley Wickham Commercial Manager of the FBNL said “We have decided that as a League we will identify three weekends in every season and for each individual weekend we would nominate either a Charity or cause and collectively help raise funds for them throughout the Country. We regularly entertain in excess of 12,000 people by way of a captive audience every weekend and given that the fund raising events we held last season were so successful, the natural progression from this was to collectively as a League organise events where not only the Charity would benefit but also where the Teams and their Players could use their increasing profile and put something back into the Community. The first of our organised events was decided upon out of deference to the MD of Guildford who sadly lost his wife this year to Meningitis”

Malcolm Norman Managing Director of the Guildford Flames said, “Meningitis is an evil disease which can strike anyone, without warning, and can kill within a matter of hours unless prompt action is taken. My wife was a fit, healthy, 57-year-old, who was beginning to enjoy the prime of life, Meningitis was not something we believed could affect people of our age, it happened so fast we barely knew what was happening to her until it was too late. Be aware of the symptoms, and take immediate action if you suspect meningitis, whether in a child or older person.”

The Meningitis Trust’s Awareness Week (September 10-16) sees the launch of a ground breaking new website for schools and a major new campaign alerting teenagers to the dangers of Meningitis. Find out more about the B aware campaign and the full range of events at www.meningitis-trust.org.uk or call the 24 hour helpline on 0845 6000 800

 

 

Weekends Results

10/09/2001

Findus Challenge Cup:

Sun 09/09/2001

Edinburgh 2 Dundee 8
Guildford 7 Milton Keynes 1
Hull 4 Peterborough 6
Invicta 4 Basingstoke 5
Slough 5 Romford 2

Sat 08/09/2001

Basingstoke 7 Invicta 4
Cardiff 7 Swindon 5
Dundee 10 Edinburgh 1
Fife 4 Paisley 2
Milton Keynes 1 Coventry 3
Peterborough 7 Hull 4
Romford 2 Slough 4
Solihull 4  Guildford 9

For Match reports
Click here

 

McCaig back with Thunder

07/09/2001

Rob McCaig looks set to play for Hull Thunder this weekend – just four months after a double coronary heart bypass operation.
The penalty-prone popular Canadian became a cult hero in Hull last season despite playing only six games before being sidelined.

He had two arteries near his heart unblocked last September and was advised not to play ice hockey again late last year.

After a successful bypass operation in Canada, McCaig is set to return for a second bite at the cherry.
But Thunder were today stepping up the search another netminder after losing their former NHL-draft pick player Eoin McInerney to Superleague Sheffield Steelers.

Thunder player coach Mike Bishop said: "I've been speaking to Rob since mid-June, he had a health problem last year, but that's sorted now. He will be a great addition to the team, both from a players and fans point of view. A lot of people like his style of play and he's well respected round the league."

When McCaig signs it will end a long-running tug of war which almost saw him join rivals Cardiff.
McCaig said: "I have a lot of friends in Cardiff, and I think they'll have a relatively good team.

"However, when I went down there I saw things I didn't really care for. I've a lot of friends in Hull and was treated pretty good here last year. Mike seems a genuine good guy, he's always been straight with me."

Ironically, McCaig's return should be against Peterborough – the same team he faced last year on his ill-fated debut. However, Thunder will not be back-stopped by Eoin McInerney.

The former Nottingham keeper was only hours away from flying into Britain to join up with Thunder last Thursday. Unfortunately, when the club's fixtures were suspended due to an unpaid bill, Bishop cancelled the flight – for the player's sake.

That proved fatal, but Thunder's player coach has no regrets.
Bishop said: "It's a huge blow for us, but we have to face the facts of what's been going on in recent days. It'd taken six or seven weeks to persuade him to join, we got him, but then we've lost him.

"It's very disappointing, but guys are trying to make a livelihood out of the sport.

"I could've got him over here, but I didn't want to bring him over and then see him hung out to dry if things weren't OK.

"I'd do the same again, I want players to trust me."

As a result, Thunder's GB junior international keeper Andy Moffat will be between the pipes this weekend.
Bishop's search for another netminder continued today.

 

 

Latest FBNL Results

07/09/2001

Findus Challenge Cup

Tue 04/09/2001

Paisley Pirates 2 Fife Flyers 7
Swindon Lynx 4 Cardiff Devils 3

Thu 06/09/2001

Coventry Blaze 11 Solihull Barons 0

For Match reports
Click here

 

 

Thunder re-signs Lyons

05/09/2001

Hull Thunder have signed former Canadian national team forward Corey Lyons.
The sharp-shooter finished as Thunder's top scorer last season despite joining a player exodus last January over wage arrears.

Lyons is expected to ice in Thunder's weekend fixtures against Peterborough after yesterday's settlement of a wrangle concerning an unpaid bill.

The near-£5,000 debt, owed by Thunder to former general manager Glenn Meier, was paid via the British National League.

The BNL immediately gave the green light for Thunder's games to go ahead. Player coach Mike Bishop said: "I'm definitely glad it's all sorted.

"It was a stumbling block we had not anticipated, but now we have to put it behind us and move on."

Thunder had been trailing 31-year-old Lyons for nearly three weeks before finally securing the former London, Ayr and Newcastle forward's signature.

Bishop said: "I played against him for a few years and I know he's well respected.

"Corey is a gifted goalscorer and fitted the bill perfectly."

However, the row over Meier's unpaid CCJ may have cost the club the services of Eoin McInerney.
The highly-rated keeper had agreed terms with Thunder and was due to fly in late last week.

Rumours now suggest Superleague Sheffield might swoop to sign the former Nottingham netminder.
Bishop said: "Eoin hasn't signed for us yet, although he was all set to fly in last week before I cancelled the flight.

"I've heard rumours Sheffield are interested, but I haven't spoken to him directly."
Losing McInerney would be a bitter blow to Thunder so close to the start of the season.

Thunder owner Brown has paid the debt out of the £10,000 bond he lodged with the BNL last June before being allowed to run the club this year. He has also apologised in writing for the tone of his letter to Ice Hockey UK and provided the requested letter of indemnity to the BNL and IHUK.

IHUK chairman Jim Anderson said: "It should never have got to this position in the first place.
"Unfortunately we (IHUK) had to step in when we should never have had to step in.

"The matter should have been taken care of by normal business transactions prior to the start of the season."

 

 

Weekend FBNL Results

03/09/2001

Findus Challenge Cup

Sat 01/09/2001

Basingstoke Bison 3 Slough Jets 3
Cardiff Devils 4 Peterborough Pirates 11
Coventry Blaze 5 Milton Keynes Kings 1
Fife Flyers 3 Dundee Stars 2
Guildford Flames 6 Solihull Barons 2
Invicta Dynamos 2 Romford Raiders 2
Paisley Pirates 5 Edinburgh Capitals 1

Sun 02/09/2001

Dundee Stars 11 Paisley Pirates 2
Edinburgh Capitals 1 Fife Flyers 8
Hull Thunder V Cardiff Devils Postponed
Milton Keynes Kings V Guildford Flames Postponed
Peterborough Pirates 6 Swindon Lynx 3
Romford Raiders 3 Basingstoke Bison 7
Slough Jets 7 Invicta Dynamos 1
Solihull Barons 2 Coventry Blaze 10

For Match reports
Click here

 

 

Weekend Roundup

31/08/2001

The long awaited start of the 2001/02 season comes around this weekend with the start of the Findus Challenge Cup.  Many of the 16 participating Teams played last weekend in pre-season games which will have given both new and returning players chances to ‘gel’ before they embark on the qualifying rounds of the Findus Challenge Cup.  These include the 12 FBNL teams plus Swindon, Romford, Invicta (Kent) & Solihull.  

North of the border our 16-match weekend includes a clash between Fife Flyers and newcomers Dundee Stars.  Normally, ‘the smart money’ would be on Fife but Dundee’s pre-season performances have surprised many people and the Teams’ first meeting on Saturday at Fife will be a game worth seeing.  Sunday sees Fife take on old rivals Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield, whilst Dundee are at home to Paisley Pirates, having played Edinburgh the night before.

 

Newcomers to the FBNL Cardiff Devils play their first game of the Cup at home against Peterborough Pirates.  Peterborough have a promising team and have used their pre-season games well to concentrate on working as a Team and putting joint skills into practice, rather than how many goals they can score.  Player Coach Doug McEwen was enthusiastic about the Team, saying “we went out to work on what we had been practicing.  With many new members in the Team, it was important to use these opportunities well and we have done just that.”  Peterborough Pirates on Sunday are at home, with Swindon Lynx playing their second FBNL Team in as many nights after hosting a match with Hull Thunder on Saturday.  Hull’s Sunday game is at home against the Cardiff Devils.

 Solihull Galaxy Barons have a tough start to the Cup, taking on last year’s League Champions Guildford Flames at the Spectrum.  Solihull returns to their home ice on Sunday for an equally hard challenge against Coventry Blaze.  Head Coach of the Flames Stan Marple said, we are looking forward to the weekend.  With only one Team per group going through, you can’t afford to put in a bad performance.”  Coventry’s Saturday game sees them warming up Milton Keynes Kings for Guildford, who meet on Sunday in MK.  Coventry Blaze has been a determined side in pre-season matches and promise this year to once again challenge Guildford Flames for the top slot.  Blaze Coach Paul Thompson was confident his Team would make an impact and take home some silver this season.  Milton Keynes however have a very strong team, led by the charismatic and successful Player Coach Rick Strachan and look to feature far higher up the league table than last season.

Basingstoke Bison draw against old local rivals Slough Jets for their first game on Saturday.  Historically, these two Teams have met prior to the start of the season, but not this time.  Both will go into this first game, not having experienced what their opponents have to offer this season.  On Sunday Basingstoke travel to Essex for Romford Raiders’ first game against an FBNL Team in this Cup, having played Invicta Dynamos the night before.  Invicta face a similar challenge playing at Slough on Sunday.

First game will go ahead

30/08/2001

The Wella Charity Event due to take place this evening at Planet Ice, Basingstoke has been cancelled, due to technical problems with the ice pad.

The Ice Hockey season WILL start as scheduled on Saturday 1st September, with the FCC game against Slough Jets. Face Off 6:30pm doors open 5:30pm.

Planet Ice Basingstoke apologise for any inconvenience caused.

 

 

2001/02 Team Listings

29/08/2001

These are the released names to date:

 

 

More signings around the league

24/08/2001

Doubled signing by Flyers
Fife Flyers made another double signing this week with the return of home-based players Andy Samuel and Derek King. And the latest additions will join up with the rest of the squad as pre-season training gets underway at Fife Ice Arena.

The opening game against Dundee Stars will mark defenceman King's 16th consecutive season as a senior player, during which time he has iced for Flyers as well as Premier League Grand Slam champions Cardiff Devils, returning to his home town team in 1993/94.

Second line powerhouse Samuel, meanwhile, begins his ninth straight season with Fife -- and both skaters will be key figures in Mark Morrison's bid for honours this season.

Club spokesman Alistair Cameron welcomed the duo back, stating: ''Derek and Andy are important members of the squad and I know Mark is delighted to have them back on board.

Slowly but surely we're adding to the bench and there are still some names to be confirmed -- we're talking to a few guys with a view to tying up deals before the first game.

'' With training set to commence this week it promises to be a busy spell as the imports fly in over the coming days to hook up with their home-based colleagues.

Pirates announced signing of versatile youngster
The Peterborough Pirates have today announced the signing of returnee Geoff O'Hara.
Geoff is a young versatile player that can play both in defence and as a forward. His role this season will be starting as a defenceman as he did last season, playing very well alongside Dwayne.

Coach Doug McEwen says "Geoff is determined to prove to the Pirates loyal supporters that he is worthy of his place on the team and has worked very hard all Summer to get himself in shape ready for this season."

Another import for Paisley
Pirates have signed Import Forward Oleg Sinkov. 36 year old Sinkov played a few seasons ago for Championship runners up Blackburn, scoring over 100 goals for them in that season. A welcome addition to the Pirates squad who will bring depth and experience to the Pirates team.

Two more for Basingstoke
Popular British forward Jake Armstrong returns to Basingstoke after a two year absence. 20 year old Jake first joined the Bison in 1998 when the Herd moved to the British National League. After a successful debut season, Armstrong decided to return to his hometown club in Solihull.

Last season Jake played in Canada in the World Junior All Star League.

Charlie Colon commented, “It’s great to have Jake back, he’s a complete player, who always plays with grit and determination”.

The Bison’s second signing this week is 22 year old British player Ryan Aldridge. A product of the Swindon Junior programme, Ryan spent last season in France playing for Rouen.

Ryan Aldridge has spent the last 6 weeks training at Planet Ice Basingstoke, impressing both Charlie Colon and Mike Ellis, who both see him adding to the Bison’s offensive strength.

 

 

Yet another Eagle Lands in Dundee

23/08/2001

Tony Hand will renew his longstanding partnership with Teeder Wynne at the Dundee Stars it was revealed at the Findus British National League side’s first full training session in Dundee today (Wednesday, August 22, 2001).

Hand, the Stars head coach, introduced Wynne to his new team mates at Dundee Ice Arena today as the side prepared for their friendly against Superleague outfit Ayr Scottish Eagles on Sunday, August 26, 2001, face off 6.30pm.

Ayr was where Hand and Calgary born Wynne (27) last combined forces to form a formidable forward pairing, having previously worked together at Sheffield Steelers.

‘‘Teeder will make a massive impact for the Stars and I’m looking forward to playing alongside him again this season,’’ Tony said.

‘‘He was among the Eagles’ top scorers in the Superleague last season and will be a sure fire hit with Dundee ice hockey fans when he gets among the goals in the FBNL this season.’’

 

 

Jets sign former Tulsa Oilers player

23/08/2001

Speaking from the Ice Arena at Slough, Jets head coach Joe Stefan announced that he had secured the services of centre Jon Cameron from the Tulsa Oilers.

The 6ft 3ins, 215lbs forward comes from Langley, British Columbia, Canada. His pr

evious clubs include Providence College, Columbus Cottonmouths and two seasons with the Tulsa Oilers.

On the signing Joe comments, "I've heard lots of good things about Jon. He's big and strong and will be solid at both ends of the ice. Once he's settled in I'm sure that our fans will get a lot of excitement from him."

On signing with his first British club, Jon comments, "I'm really looking forward to playing for Joe Stefan and the Slough Jets. I've wanted to play in the UK for a while now, but I felt that I really needed to play in the US and gain more experience before making the move. I feel that I'm now ready for the challenge and I'm looking forward to finding out all about European hockey first hand." He adds, "This will be my first visit to the UK and I'm very excited to be coming, as my mum's parents are from England and I still have family living there, so it will be great to meet up with them."

 

 

"Mr Sheffield" Simms sent to Coventry

23/08/2001

With the new ice hockey season just days away, the "High and Mighty" Coventry Blaze have moved to strengthen their off ice organisation with the appointment of Dave Simms as their new Business Development Manager.

Simms joins the Blaze after ten years with the Sheffield Steelers organisation during which he played a major part in helping the Yorkshire outfit grow from next to nothing to being the biggest club in the country.

Simms, who lives in Coventry, just ten minutes from the team's base at the
Skydome Arena, will take up his new position with immediate effect and will report directly to the Blaze Board of Directors.

Coventry Blaze Chairman, Andy Buxton is delighted that he has been able to bring Simms' tremendous experience to the organisation :-

"There are very few people in the country who can rival Dave's experience and passion for the game and there is no doubt that he has the ability to make a big contribution to the growth of our organisation. The growth we've seen in the twelve months since we've been in Coventry has been phenomenal and we recognised a while ago that we needed additional help in managing everything that is going on.

"Over the next twelve months, we really want to expand the foot print of our business such that we can offer much more than just ice hockey games. We're finding that supporters and sponsors alike want to be even more integrated into our business and are asking us to do so much more that they can get involved in. Dave's without doubt, the man to help us to meet the high expectations that the market is setting us.

"What really appealed to him about taking on this challenge is that he will have a specific remit to focus on. In Sheffield he'd been doing so many things from matchnight announcing to managing the team. He won't be doing any of that here in Coventry and will just be focusing on helping us to become a bigger and better business. He'll be a great asset."

Simms too is also relishing getting to work with the Blaze :

"I already knew many of the people in the Blaze organisation so when this opportunity came along it seemed exactly the right thing to do. They are a great club and have already come such a long way in a very short space of time so I'm very excited about getting involved. I've already started work on a number of projects for the Club and hopefully I'll be able to help the organisation maintain its level of progress over the coming months."

 

Big signing day around the league

17/08/2001

Fife Flyers are set to unleash a potent scoring line on the Findus British National league. Russell Monteith has confirmed his return to Rosslyn Street for a third successive season -- and his signing is another huge piece in the jigsaw as Fife build towards icing a hugely competitive team for the 2001/02 campaign.

The return of Monty comes just a few weeks after the capture of key import skaters Mark and Todd Dutiaume, and underlines that coach Mark Morrison is looking to re-ignite his side's challenge for honours.

Toronto-born Monteith is a huge favourite with the fans -- and widely regarded as one of the very best players in the FBNL. In 1999/2000 he shattered Fred Perlini's club powerplay record with a 38-goal haul and his goalscoring abilities have earned him all-star nominations. His return has delighted club officials, and spokesman Alistair Cameron commented:

''This is another huge signing by Mark -- we're thrilled that Russell is back again. The potential from a Monteith-Dutiaume-Dutiaume line is quite incredible -- I wouldn't like to be a defenceman coming up against them. They have skill, vision and size, and the ability to dominate, and win, any hockey game.''

The Edinburgh Capitals have signed Chris Deardon a defenceman, formerly of the Bakersfield Condors (WCHL). Chris is 6'-3" 205lb.

With their first match in their home city fast approaching, Dundee Stars have confirmed the signings of another two young players.

Wayne Maxwell from Kirkcaldy is a forward for who head coach Tony Hand predicts great things.

The 23-year-old former Fife Flyer learned his trade alongside Stars team mate Andy Findlay in the Fife junior set up and is relishing the opportunity to play in the Findus British National League.

‘‘Wayne is a very good young player and he has the potential to go far with the Dundee Stars,’’ Tony said.

Tony is also tipping former Slough Jets forward Dominic Hopkins to make his presence felt on the ice and become a firm favourite with the Dundee fans.

At 6’6”, the 21-year-old caught Tony’s eye at the recent Great Britain training camp at Nottingham. He played last term with the Jets and has previously seen FBNL action with the Guildford Flames. He has also represented Great Britain at U18 and U20 levels.

‘‘He’ll be a big asset to the Stars as he is as comfortable in defence as he is in attack. I’ve no doubt he will be an instant hit with the fans at Dundee Ice Arena,’’ Tony said.

Dundee Stars will make their debut at Dundee Ice Arena on Sunday, August 26, 2001, face-off 6.30pm.

Season ticket are also on sale at Dundee Ice Arena. Contact 01382 206020 for further details.

Dumas re-joins Blaze

16/08/2001

Claude Dumas has ended speculation about his future by confirming that he will be returning to the “High & Mighty” Coventry Blaze for season 2001/2.

The talented French Canadian had been considering his future in the game following his successful completion of a University course. Having been one of the perennial top scorers in the British Leagues throughout the 1990’s.

After beginning 2000/1 with local rivals Milton Keynes, Dumas joined the Blaze just after Christmas as a replacement for the departed Craig Chapman. Claude then picked up a back injury in just his second game but continued to play due to the absence of Steve Chartrand through injury. It wasn’t until the start of the Play-Offs, and the return of Chartrand to the side, that the Blaze fans were able to see Dumas returning to form. Claude finished the play-offs with 15 points from 6 games lead the Blaze in scoring.

The quietly spoken forward has returned from holiday in Canada this week and has been quick to confirm his return with Paul Thompson, much to the Coach’s delight:

“Claude told me at the end of the season that he was considering ‘hanging them up’ and I told him I would call him in six weeks for a decision on his hockey future. After only a couple of minutes on the phone it became clear that Claude was very angry and felt that too many people where writing him off. He had discussed the upcoming season with his wife and decided he wanted to make a few people eat their words and have a successful season with the Blaze.

“I’m glad Claude is back on board. Not only for the above reasons, but also as his Captain is happy. When I was discussin possible right wingers with Steve Chartrand, Claude was his only choice!”

Dumas will also be starting a new, off-ice, career in the next few weeks, when he takes up a marketing position with a company in the midlands.

Dumas himself confirmed “I decided to come back because I like the set-up in Coventry. I like the team that Paul Thompson has built over the summer. We have a very good mix of players and I’m sure that we will be competing for silverware. Also, I have a very strong respect for Paul, it’s probably one of the reasons I have come back. He’s a tactical coach and a good motivator.”

 

 

 

Armstrong and Aldridge Join the Herd

16/08/2001

Popular British forward Jake Armstrong returns to Basingstoke after a two year absence. 20 year old Jake first joined the Bison in 1998 when the Herd moved to the British National League. After a successful debut season, Armstrong decided to return to his hometown club in Solihull.

Last season Jake played in Canada in the World Junior All Star League.

Charlie Colon commented, “It’s great to have Jake back, he’s a complete player, who always plays with grit and determination”.

The Bison’s second signing this week is 22 year old British player Ryan Aldridge. A product of the Swindon Junior programme, Ryan spent last season in France playing for Rouen.

Ryan Aldridge has spent the last 6 weeks training at Planet Ice Basingstoke, impressing both Charlie Colon and Mike Ellis, who both see him adding to the Bison’s offensive strength.

Ruggles returns to Blaze

15/08/2001

The “High & Mighty” Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are delighted to finally confirm the re-signing of last season’s top scorer, Hilton Ruggles. The veteran goal-poacher will return for his second year in Blaze colours, and will be hoping for as productive a year as last term.

The 6’0” and 185 lbs Canadian picked up 68 points (34+34) during last season’s league campaign leading the Blaze in scoring. In addition to his goalscoring talents, Ruggles also contributed as a leader on ice during the difficult period after Christmas last season, and has been rewarded this year with the Alternate Captain’s badge.

Coach Paul Thompson confirmed :

“Hilton will always be known as a goal-scorer, but what impressed me more last season was the way he sacrificed his own game for the sake of his team when we ran into injury problems. I also gave him the ‘C’ during Stevie’s absence, which is why he will wear an ‘A’ on his jersey this season – for the leadership he showed on and off the ice last term.”

Hilton will also be taking up a new role, off-ice, with the company this year. Having enjoyed a productive year as Commercial Manager, the Directors of the Blaze have asked Ruggles to now take on the Customer Relations role. He will be responsible for ensuring that all sponsors and groups involved with the Blaze are kept informed of developments in the team, and that they have everything they need from the Blaze.

Grant Charman, Operations Director of the Blaze, said “It’s become very apparent to us that we need to move forward as an organisation after the first year in Coventry. The appointment of Paul Thompson as a full-time Director of Hockey Operations is one of the major steps in this re-organisation. Hilton’s move into Customer Relations is another of the vital steps. It’s so important that we look after our sponsors and Hilton is the best guy in the business at talking to people and making sure they are happy. We genuinely believe that Hilton will be helping to build the Blaze into a bigger, better organisation, ready to face the challenges of the future.”

 

 

Big signing scoop for Stars

14/08/2001

Dundee Stars today confirmed the signing one of one of ice hockey's top players to add to their growing squad for the new Findus British National League season.

Defenceman Scott Young, who was born in Ontario, Canada, has played for Superleague outfit the Ayr Scottish Eagles for the past five seasons and was an integral part of their Grand Slam winning side.

The 36-year-old Great Britain player will renew his defensive partnership with Yan Mikel at Dundee Ice Arena and the Stars are proud to have him as a part of their team.

''It's a major coup for us. Scott had many offers from the Superleague and BNL, but has chosen to join Dundee Stars.

''I'm delighted to bring a top quality player of Scott's ability and experience to Dundee. He will most definitely be a superb player for the Stars.''

Dundee Stars will announce another major signing next week.

 

 

New logo for Findus BNL

14/08/2001

Findus and the British National Ice Hockey League today released their new joint logo, See above. which will take them into years 1,2 and 3 of their sponsorship contract. Both the FBNL and Findus recognised the opportunity to develop a united brand, which would encompass their mutual goals in developing both the British player and encouraging junior awareness in the sport.

Lesley Wickham, Commercial Manager of the FBNL said “I am delighted with the new logo and see this as the next step in our partnership with Findus. Findus have demonstrated their commitment in every way, in sponsoring the League Title and more recently a further cash injection with the Findus Challenge Cup, sponsorship of our match pucks and our nationwide Ice Hockey road-shows (programmed to start over the August Bank Holiday), in terms of financial support this represents a further £100,000 this season. We have been working away behind the scenes in the close season to achieve our common objectives, which include heightening our mutual profiles and increasing the accessibility for aspiring junior and British players. We are also working with Findus on a concept directed towards the younger element of the game, which will be released within the next four weeks”

Gerardo Mazzeo, Marketing Director of Findus said” We entered into a three-year Title Sponsorship deal with the British National League that starts August 2001. As an introduction to the Sport, Findus sponsored the Playoffs for last season, we became so enthused with the possibilities and potential growth of the sport that we agreed to sponsor the Findus Challenge Cup and develop other projects in line with the League’s Five Year Plan. Some of those initiatives are starting to expand and we will begin to roll them out over the next three years”

To find when an Ice Hockey Roadshow is near you visit www.britnatleague.co.uk

FBNL teams confirmed for 2001/02

10/08/2001

At a full Board of Directors meeting today (9th August 2001) it was confirmed that the following teams will participate in the FBNL 2001/02 Season:

Basingstoke Bison, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Dundee Stars, Edinburgh Capitals, Fife Flyers, Hull Thunder, Guildford Flames, Milton Keynes Kings, Paisley Pirates, Peterborough Pirates and Slough Jets.

A fixture list for the league season will be available tomorrow, Friday the 10th of August.

Kings go Italian

09/08/2001

MK Kings are delighted to reveal that their new goaltender is Domenic DeGiorgio. Domenic is from Niagara Falls in Ontario, where he played for the Niagara Falls Canucks. Last season he had a great season as number one goalie for HC Fassa in the top Italian League Serie A, with stats of GAA 3.25 and save % 90.1 from 48 starts. Last season he had a great season as number one goalie for HC Fassa in the top Italian League Serie A, with stats of GAA 3.25 and save % 90.1 from 48 starts.

Rick is very pleased with the capture "We are looking forward to Dominic's arrival, he is a quality goalie and has proved he can win the big games, with a solid goalie the Kings will be a solid team who will surprise many" said Rick Strachan.

Another import signing for Coventry

09/08/2001

The “High & Mighty” Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are delighted to confirm the signing of Canadian Andrew McNiven. The 22 year old forward joins the Blaze from the Cornell Big Red, the same American University team as new netminder, Ian Burt.

Standing 6’1” and weighing 215 lbs, McNiven is described by former coaches as a solid, physical player. His points tally in NCAA hockey belies his skills as he played much of his college hockey on a third, checking line and was relied upon for defensive rather than offensive skills.

A dominating physical player, the Vancouver native is strong on the puck and in one-on-one situations and has a great shot. In addition, he was the Big Red’s Captain last year and saw significant action on the team’s penalty kill unit.

Despite his size and style, McNiven is not a heavy penalty taker and will make a big contribution to the Blaze with his all round hockey skills. The Blaze were keen to sign a physical player who brings more to the game than just their size.

Coach Paul Thompson confirmed :

“Andrew is coming in to play a power forward role. He’s a big, strong, physical guy who will give us the size to drive to the net and make things happen - an area that we needed to improve on from last season.

“Being the Captain of Cornell shows his leadership qualities and I’m sure he will be a big ‘hit’ over here in Coventry. I’m also sure that he will give us what we need offensively – a big physical presence.”

McNiven, a graduate in Operations Research and Engineering said “I am really excited at the opportunity to play in the FBNL. The past couple of years I have been playing in a very defensive league in a defensive role and I haven’t been in a position to put up strong offensive numbers. I am looking to expand my game and to put up some good numbers through playing solid hockey for the Blaze.”

 

 

Dundee add 4 to the Team

07/08/2001

Findus British National League side the Dundee Stars have today announced their latest recruits.

All are UK-grown players and are determined to make their mark with Tony Hand’s new Dundee-based outfit.  

Most senior of the four new signings is Gary Dowds (25). A tough, uncompromising forward from Cleveland in Northern England, Gary has played for Billingham Bombers and caught Tony’s eye with his powerful style of play.

‘‘Gary has a good work ethic and to have him at Dundee is a huge boost for the team,’’ Tony said.

Voted player of the year and supporters player of the year at Billingham, Gary is looking forward to the switch from the English Hockey League.

A product of Fife Juniors, Andy Findlay (22) has been a regular in the Flyers line up for the past five years and has developed his game alongside top class imports who have graced the Fife bench.

Born in Kirkcaldy, he is a solid team player and will slot seamlessly into the Stars attack line.

Derek Franklin (19) was born in Aberdeen and began his hockey career with Elgin Juniors before leaving for Brno in Czech Republic at 16 years of age. He has played in the Czech second division for the past three years and was also a main coach in the late Milan Figala’s hockey schools in the Czech Republic.

A Scottish internationalist, Derek has developed into a strong, fast thinking forward with massive potential.

‘‘I’m looking forward to returning to Scottish ice hockey and playing on the bigger stage in front of the Dundee fans,’’ he said.

Youngest of the new recruits is 18-year-old Stuart Rugg. A native of Inverness, the teenager has been outstanding in the nets throughout his junior career, representing his country and making numerous appearances for the Scottish National League team last year.

As back up to Stephen Murphy, he is a great prospect for the future and emphasises Tony Hand’s commitment to younger players on the circuit.

‘‘Stuart is very proud of the fact that he is the first Inverness player to go professional, something which helps to reinforce the game in the North of Scotland,’’ said Tony.

 

Final import and a Brit for Bison

04/08/2001

Basingstoke Bison Head Coach Charlie Colon confirmed today that defencemen Jimmy Andersson and Andy Morgan are returning to Basingstoke for the 2001/2 season.

Jimmy Andersson joined the Herd last season after playing for Amarillo Rattlers and FBNL club Peterborough Pirates in 1999/2000

An offensive defenceman, Jimmy was the Bison’s highest scoring defenceman in 2000/1.

Jimmy Andersson is Charlie Colon’s last import signing before the 20001/2 season gets underway, leaving the Bison with one spare import place to fill later if needed.

20 year old British defenceman Andy Morgan also joins the Bison for his second season moving from the English National League to the FBNL last season.

 

 

 

British Duo Back on Board

02/08/2001

 

 

Thunder smash and grab!

01/08/2001

Hull Thunder have snatched Nottingham Panthers' Daryl Lavoie from under the noses of several Superleague sides.

The 27-year-old, 5ft 10in Canadian has plumped for Thunder after turning down a chance to return to the Panthers or join another Superleague outfit.

Thunder's player coach Mike Bishop is understandably delighted at pulling off what he regards as a coup.
He said: "Daryl is a huge signing for our team, he's a quality defenceman.

"He had the opportunity to go back to Nottingham and different Superleague teams were also interested in him, but obviously we showed something that attracted him. I think it was the commitment I've shown and Darren (Brown) has shown in keeping the team. Everyone knows the position we are in here.
"I've stressed all summer long it's going to take a lot of work, but I think he's the type of guy that doesn't mind a little hard work."

The Chatham born, former East Coast Hockey Leaguer Lavoie was new to Britain last year when he joined Superleague Nottingham.

He is primarily a defenceman, but can play up front if necessary.
Lavoie has been recommended to Bishop – a fellow former Panther – by a variety of players and coaches.

Bishop explained: "I put my feelers out before we made any contact with Daryl and I had nothing but positive responses. The people I spoke to were friends of mine, they wouldn't put me wrong. The first time Daryl and I spoke on the phone I could tell he was a quality guy."

On the ice, Bishop said Lavoie is likely to make a big contribution to Thunder's cause: "He's a great skater, has great hands, and is a great passer of the puck.

"He doesn't mind taking care of things, and that's exactly what we need, he'll be a huge bonus for our team."

 

 

Pre season cup sponsor and fixtures announced

01/08/2001

The Findus British National League today confirmed that the pre-season cup will go ahead for this season with Findus as it’s new Sponsor. The competition will be called "The Findus Challenge Cup" and will include four EPL Teams, being Swindon, Solihull, Invicta (Kent) and Romford. Historically the pre-season tournament has been played in conjunction with the Superleague and was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, when the contract came to a close with B & H, the executive of the FBNL saw an opportunity of creating a tournament that would showcase more British Talent and potentially create a partnership with a Sponsor who is committed to the development of British Players.

Lesley Wickham Commercial Manager of the FBNL said "Findus were the ideal choice for this Cup Competition as we are growing both brands towards British and Junior Development Initiatives. It is also an excellent vehicle for Findus to use to launch the season and their Title Sponsorship deal with us. There are lots of exciting initiatives that we are working on with Findus, to not only support the Sport but to also heighten the profile for both parties. It is great to be working with a Team of people, who constantly want to promote and improve the partnership, we are very excited about the future and realising our joint objectives"

Gerardo Mazzeo, Marketing Director of Findus, said, "Our relationship with Ice Hockey has proved a resounding success and offers a natural synergie between the two products, we are pleased with the partnership prospects and look forward to releasing further initiatives in line with our mutual brand strategies. In the meantime Findus are very excited about being the Sponsors of the Challenge Cup and wish all of the Teams and Competitors the best of luck!"

The Findus Cup Competition will start on the weekend of 1st & 2nd September, 16 Teams will participate in the qualifying rounds and will be split into four groups of four, whereupon the top four Teams from each group will all go forward into a weekend finals event in November.

Click here for Fixtures

 

ISL rejected as McArthur stays with Flames

31/07/2001

The Guildford Flames are pleased to announce that, despite interest from a lot of clubs in both the BNL and ISL, Mark McArthur has decided to stay with the Surrey based Club for the next two seasons.

McArthur proved he was the best goalie in the Findus British National League last season as he picked up a whole host of awards to go along side his three winners' medals:

Stan Marple commented, "Mark was the best goalie in the BNL last season and I would have to say probably in the whole of the UK. He is a consummate professional who is 100% mentally and physically prepared every time he hits the ice. These qualities rub off on the rest of the team and have a very positive impact on the club. Mark was my first priority for this season, which was obvious considering his performances last season in the League and Play-Offs.

 His Family enjoyed living in Guildford and he enjoyed playing here, so much so, that we have signed Mark until the end of the 2003 season. This is great news for the Club and I am sure will be very well received by all our great fans in Guildford.""

 

 

Second Dutiaume among Fife signings

26/07/2001

Fife Flyers have completed a double Dutiaume signing.

The Kirkcaldy ice hockey club have already agreed terms with Canadian hitman Todd Dutiaume for a third season, and today they pulled off a major coup by luring his brother Mark Dutiaumefrom the London Knights.

The 24-year old native of Winnipeg has been snapped up by player-coach Mark Morrison to play a key role in the club's challenge for honours in the 2001/02 campaign which starts in just six weeks time.

Dutiaume is the second London player to head north. Last month netminder SHAWN SILVER signed for Fife as Morrison builds a team to challenge for honours in the expanded British National league.

Dutiaume enjoyed a highly successful hockey career in North America where he was a Buffalo Sabres second round draft pick in 1995. He spent three seasons with the BC Icemen in the UHL and four with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL before joining London midway through last season. His CV also includes spells with Rochester Americans in the AHL and South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL.

Commented club spokesman Alistair Cameron: ''Mark is a fantastic signing for us. He has played at a very high level and impressed many people with his performances in the Super League last year. ''He is another key element in Mark Morrison's plans for next season -- and everyone is looking forward to seeing him form a potentially lethal partnership with Todd.''

Fans got a glimpse of the Dutiaume /Dutiaume partnership when the duo teamed up at Mark Morrison's testimonial game at the end of last season, but they can expect much more from the six-foot, 200-LB forward who will add size and skill to an already potent first line.

 

 

Lyons new Devils Chief

24/07/2001

Corey Lyons, the former London Knights forward, has been appointed player-manager of Cardiff Devils.

Calgary-born Lyons will be in charge of Devils' British National League team and will work with a coach, also from abroad, who is due to be named soon.

Cardiff BNL franchise-holder Brian Candy said today: "We will have a coach appointed quickly - and half the team signed in the next week.

"I've had one hell of a weekend, but I'm feeling positive about things now. Things are coming together. I'm delighted Corey Lyons has agreed to join us."

The 31-year-old Lyons, a 5ft 11in tall, powerfully-built forward, has Superleague experience with London, Ayr Scottish Eagles and Newcastle Jesters.

He finished last season with Newcastle, joining them after leaving Hull Thunder because of their cash problems. Before signing for Hull, Lyons was with West Coast Hockey League team Colorado Gold Kings.

The Devils have played at the top level of British ice hockey for 14 years, but it now looks certain there will not be a Superleague team in the city during the coming season.

 

 

Carpenter Checks In!

24/07/2001

Latest BNL SIGNINGS

 16/07/2001

This page details new signings for the forthcoming 2001/02 Season.

16/07 Fife Flyers sign 'ex-Knight & Steeler' Shawn Silver
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FIFE FLYERS SITE

James Pease returns to Coventry
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

Peterborough Pirates sign ex-Pirate John Oddy
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

Hull Thunder sign Karl Hopper & Anthony Johnson
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE HULL THUNDER SITE

Guildford sign 'ex- Knight' Regan Stocco
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

Slough Jets sign local future Star Russell Stevens
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

David Heath re-signs for Slough Jets
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

Coventry re-sign Mathias Soderstrom
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

Ex-Bison Tony Redmond & FBNL Newcomer Kent Nobes sign for Guildford
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

20/06 - Peterborough re-sign Jason Porter & Jon Cotton
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

18/06 - Jason Stone moves from Cardiff to Guildford
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

18/06 - Chris Crombie moves over to Slough Jets (CLICK HERE)
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

12/06 - Gary Clarke moves from MK to Basingstoke
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BASINGSTOKE BISON SITE

07/06 - Andy Pickles signs to Basingstoke
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BASINGSTOKE BISON SITE

06/06 - Tony Hand joins Dundee Stars as Player/Coach
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE DUNDEE STARS SITE

06/06 - Nick Cross & Adam Bicknell re-sign for Slough Jets
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

04/06 - Rick Plant & Grant King re-sign for the Flames
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

01/06 - Rick Strachan signs as Coach with Milton Keynes (CLICK HERE)
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE M.K. KINGS SITE

31/05 - Scott Moody re-signs with the Jets
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

31/05 - Coutts re-signs to Jets after 2 year break
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

25/05 - Peterborough re-sign 4 players
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

25/05 - Mitch Grant & Matt Foord re-sign for Slough Jets
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

24/05 - James Manson returns to Basingstoke for 2-year deal
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BASINGSTOKE BISON SITE

18/05 - Decosty re-signs for the Flames
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

17/05 - Mark Morrison returns for a 9th season at the Flyers
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FIFE FLYERS SITE

15/05 - Guildford re-sign two
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

15/05 - Peterborough re-sign fans favourite
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

08/05 - Guildford Flames re-sign Lamey & Dixon
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GUILDFORD FLAMES SITE

08/05 - Peterborough Pirates add another 3 to the squad
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

01/05 - Coventry Blaze re-sign Shaun Yardley
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

21/04 - Basingstoke Bison re-sign Matt Cote & Neil Liddiard
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BASINGSTOKE BISON SITE

20/04 - Slough Jets sign Joe Stefan as Head Coach
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SLOUGH JETS SITE

17/04 - Basingstoke re-sign Mike Ellis on 2 year deal
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BASINGSTOKE BISON SITE

17/04 - Coventry re-sign Shaun Johnson on 2 year deal
& Sjodin not offered a place this Season
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

10/04 - Coventry re-sign coach Thompson
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

09/04 - Coventry re-sign Tom Watkins
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

04/04 - Coventry re-sign Michael Knights
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

30/03 - Peterborough sign Jesse Hammill & Dwayne Newman on 2-year contracts
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PETERBOROUGH PIRATES SITE

29/03 - Edinburgh Capitals sign Steven Lynch, Craig Wilson & Laurie Dunbar
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE EDINBURGH CAPITALS SITE

25/03 - Steve Chartrand signs a 2 year deal with Coventry Blaze
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE COVENTRY BLAZE SITE

Tony Hand is Dundee Stars new coach

01/06/2001

The men behind Dundee’s new National League ice hockey side today pledged to restore the city to its "rightful place" in the top echelons of the sport with the announcement that their bid to re-create the glory days of the much-lamented Dundee Rockets would be led by the legendary centre Tony Hand

At a Press conference at Dundee Ice Arena, brothers Charlie, Mike and Steve Ward revealed the "worst-kept secret in ice hockey" when they introduced the Superleague Player of the Year as the man they believe can guide the newly-named Dundee Stars to success in the Findus British National League.

Charlie Ward said, "Tony is, without doubt, the best British player currently involved in the sport and bringing him to Dundee as our player/coach is a major coup for the team, for the ice arena and for Dundee.

"Given his experience in the National Superleague with Sheffield Steelers and Ayr Eagles, we believe his arrival offers boundless possibilities for the future of ice hockey in Dundee."

Regarding the choice of name for Dundee’s new ice hockey side, Charlie added, "With Tony in charge and the prospect of signing some of the players he has been talking to there was really only one option - the Stars.

"Dundonians are ice hockey people and, for our part, we are determined to put Dundee back on the ice hockey map and provide an opportunity for youngsters to have a clear path to achieving professional ice hockey success.

"In Tony, and the other stars we hope to be able to welcome soon, they will have a set of very positive role models and it is our sincere belief that the possibilities are limitless."

Based on the Ward brothers’ business plan, the Dundee Stars have been granted entry to the highly-competitive Findus League, where they will play against other Scottish sides from Fife, Edinburgh and Paisley - as well as rivals from as far afield as Slough, Coventry and Cardiff.

Tony, who started his remarkable career with Murrayfield Racers in Edinburgh and as a teenager played for the Edmonton Oilers in Canada, expressed the ambition to "win everything" in his first season in charge of the Dundee Stars, although he admitted that a top- six finish in the 12-team league was more realistic. "For the past week or so I have been talking to various agents trying to build up a network of players who might be available, suitable and within the budget I have been set and, with the national league allowing a 50/50 split between home players and imports, I think we will soon have the right people on board."

Charlie Ward said he and his brothers would give their new coach all the backing he required to build a side Dundee could be proud of.

"Dundee is an ice hockey city and it has always been a source of great regret to us, as ice hockey fans ourselves, that we have gone without an ice rink for so many years.

"That period is now at and end and we believe the people of Dundee will come to watch top-class professional ice hockey again."

 

 

NEW CARDIFF APPLICATION APPROVED BY FBNL

01/06/2001

The Selection Committee of the FBNL today approved an application by Teamplan Ltd to operate an Ice Hockey Team out of the Wales National Ice Rink.

An application was provisionally approved from Andy French one of the directors of the proposed new team, however upon further investigation the FBNL found that certain criteria could not be satisfied and therefore were compelled to progress the application from Teamplan Ltd. 

Brian Candy Director of Teamplan Ltd said that ‘he was both thrilled and looking forward to the challenge of competing in the FBNL and securing professional hockey in Cardiff for the future.  He also confirmed that he had agreed an ongoing 12-month contract for ice time with the rink operators that would provide Ice Hockey for 8 months of each year and Inline Hockey for the remaining Contract period.

Candy said ‘ I applied to the FBNL in April but could not attend the presentation dates given due to personal reasons so I was surprised and elated to be given a ‘second bite of the cherry’.

 My main purpose and goal is to create more of a profile in Wales for Hockey in general, if we can also bridge the gap between Inline Hockey and Ice Hockey and create a natural progression into the sport, that would be great. Whilst we were in Superleague the void was too great at least with BNL Hockey the opportunity to work on developing and nurturing some of our own home grown Hockey players to play professionally is within our grasp’.

Teamplan Ltd is a family business run by Brian and his wife Carol Candy who already operate a successful Inline Hockey business in Swansea.  Brian and Carol have two children, the youngest their son plays Inline Hockey and is Captain of his Team. Brian is also running for Chairman of the Welsh Region of BIPHA and was an official in the Welsh League National Finals last weekend that took place at Afan Lido, Port Talbot.

In the past both Brian and his family have been avid Cardiff Devil supporters and will not be phased by the financial investment required to sustain a Team in the FBNL. Brian Candy said that ‘He would be happy to underwrite a Team in the FBNL but could not entertain financing a Team in the Superleague. 

He also added that an overall budget in excess of £300,000 is far more realistic given the capacity of the Wales National Ice Rink as opposed to a crippling million pounds operating budget if the Team were to stay in the Superleague.  Brian confirmed that he had contemplated applying for a Superleague Team and whilst he could sustain the investment needed to be competitive for a short term basis could not sustain a loss over five years, which past indications have shown could run into a million pounds!’

Tom Muir Chairman of the FBNL said ‘we are very pleased to welcome Teamplan Ltd into our League and will do our utmost to support and help this new Team through their first season.  It is great to have on board another Team that has a very well established junior development programme that can only be good for the Welsh-based players coming out of that area. Given the financial concerns there have been with past operators this now gives the Cardiff Team an opportunity to create some financial stability and build on the existing strong fan base for the future; whether that includes a ‘new-build’ Arena or not.’

There is expected to be a decision made on the application for Hull Arena by Wednesday of next week (6 June), the FBNL Selection Committee will reconvene on Tuesday morning to discuss the future of British National League Membership in the City of Hull.

 

 

NEW TEAMS FOR THE
FINDUS BRITISH NATIONAL LEAGUE
SEASON 2001/2002

21/05/2001

The Findus British National League today confirmed that next season, the League will expand from 10 to 12 Teams. The two successful applications came from Cardiff and Dundee, both of whom were among the applicants who attended a Presentation Day to the Selection Committee of the League on Monday 7^th May.

Going from strength to strength, the British National League has just completed their most successful season to date with major sponsorship deals being signed with Findus, PTV and NTL, plus several applications from new Teams hoping to join the League for the coming season 2001/02. Gary Stefan the General Manager of the FBNL said, “He was encouraged by the applications; which reinforced his belief that the FBNL are moving in the right direction with their strategies and Management Team”. Stefan also said “that any decisions were not taken lightly and that the calibre of the applicants was very high, adding that the League was now in an enviable position of strength with sponsorship monies and a Television deal to ensure that any Team that was a part of the FBNL had a strong and solid basis in which to build upon for future growth of not only their own business but the development of British trained players”.

Andy French, Director of the Team that will play out of The Wales National Ice Rink Cardiff, said “We are pleased to announce that the Wales National Ice Rink has been able to secure this support from the FBNL who will provide a more secure platform for our well established Junior Development Programme. We are also delighted to announce that Merv Priest our highly successful Junior Development Officer will continue to raise the standards set in the 2000/01 season, providing home grown talent with the ability to play professional Ice Hockey at International Level. The decision to join the FBNL will also encourage local players to return to Wales and re-create the missing identity previously achieved with mostly foreign players changing year in year out”.

Mike Ward one of the Directors from the successful Dundee application said, “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the FBNL for allowing us to establish first class professional Ice Hockey in Dundee. The people of Dundee deserve the best and that is what we are aiming to give them. We will be holding a press conference at the Dundee Ice Arena before the end of this month where we will introduce our coaching staff and outline our vision for the future of the sport in the ‘City of Discovery’.

With 12 Teams now in place, the fixtures for the coming season can now be compiled to include a pre-season tournament, league fixtures and the Best of British Cup. Hull will have a FBNL Team operating out of the Hull Arena.  Although a decision for the operator has not yet been released, it is expected that the FBNL will make an announcement on this by 25^th May.

 

 

New teams for the BNL....

18/04/2001

The BNL is set to expand as was previously reported.
The new set up will include at least 2 new teams.

It is reported that one will come from Dundee with the other coming from further South.
Newcastle,Whitley Bay,Braehaed and Cardiff have been linked with a move to the BNL and
the announcement of the other team accepted into the league will be made soon.

 

 

Weekend RESULTS:

  02/04/2001

Sun 01/04/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship Finals 2nd Leg:

Guildford Flames 5 Bisingstoke Bison 2
(Guildford win 12 – 4 on aggregate)

Sat 31/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship Finals 1st Leg:

Bisingstoke Bison 2 Guildford Flames 7

GAME REPORTS OFF ALL GAMES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR NEW FROM THE STANDS SECTION.

Click Here To View

 

 

Weekend Preview

30/03/2001

As the past season starts to fade into the distance, the bright lights will be shining across Hampshire and Surrey this weekend as once again Guildford Flames and Basingstoke Bison battle for another trophy.

The battle started early when both Teams met at Sheffield Arena for the very last Benson & Hedges Final – the second year running Basingstoke had been there and won it.

Guildford Flames then added to their trophy cabinet by beating last years Grand Slam winners Fife Flyers in the Christmas Cup in a powerful display that gave them a 7-3 victory (over 2 games).

This weekend the final accolade awaits either Guildford or Basingstoke – both Teams hungry for the prize of Findus Play-Off Champions 2000/01. The title will be decided over 2 legs, the first on Saturday at Basingstoke. Face off is at 19:00 and a capacity crowd is guaranteed.

24 hours later, the two Teams meet again, this time at Guildford’s home rink. Again a full house is expected, as it was the last time Basingstoke visited; to decide the League Title just over 4 weeks ago. Face off at Guildford is 18:00.

Both Teams have improved throughout the season and fans can be assured of the best quality hockey this weekend. Malcolm Norman, MD of the Guildford Flames said “We could not have wished for a better finale than meeting the Bison with a chance to avenge our B&H Plate defeat. The boys are really looking forward to the weekend and we will continue our successful strategy.” Basingstoke’s Coach Charlie Colon was straight to the point – “We are raring to go and intend to put the Flames out.”

Basingstoke will be icing a full squad, whereas Guildford will still be missing Barcley Pearce, out with an eye injury.

 

 

Weekend Fixtures & Results:

  25/03/2001

Sun 25/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship semi-finals 2nd Leg:

Bisingstoke Bison 3 Peterborough Pirates 1
(Bison win 5-2 aggregate)

  Guildford Flames 5 Slough Jets 2

(Flames win 10-4 aggregate)

Sat 24/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship semi-finals 1st Leg:

Peterborough Pirates 2 Basingstoke Bison 2
Slough Jets 2 Guildford Flames 5

GAME REPORTS OFF ALL GAMES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR NEW FROM THE STANDS SECTION.

Click Here To View

 

 

Flames lose Biette appeal

24/03/2001

Following a video review of the game between Guildford Flames and Peterborough Pirates played on Sunday 18th March at the Spectrum, the BNIHL have rejected an appeal by Guildford Flames against the second 5+game penalty awarded in the game to Karry Biette.

As such Biette will miss the Findus British National League Championship Semi-Final game on Saturday at Slough.

 

 

Chartrand commits to Blaze for another two years

24/03/2001

Coventry Blaze have already started their preparations for Season 2001/2002 and have confirmed that inspirational team captain, and Findus British National League Player-of-the-Season, Steve Chartrand has signed a new two year contract with the team that will keep him at the Skydome until the end of the 2002/2003 season.

The French-Canadian scored over 100 points this season despite missing the whole of January and more than half of February with a serious facial injury which coincided in a slump in form which saw Blaze slide from a commanding league leading position to mid-table.

"I'm delighted that we have secured his signature for another two years," said Blaze Head Coach Paul Thompson. "To win the Player of the Season award, even though he was injured for so long, shows just how well regarded Steve is.

"He's an inspirational player and leader and will be a core member of the squad for next year. Adding him to Michael Tasker and Stephen Cooper gives us three quality players to start building from."

 

 

Findus Play-off Championship Details

20/03/2001

After a tense weekend where some Group positions were decided on sudden-death penalties, the four teams to go through to the Semi-Finals of the Findus Play-Off Championships are:

Saturday 24/03/2001
Findus Play-Off Championships (Semi Finals)

Slough Jets v Guildford Flames (18:30)
Peterborough Pirates v Basingstoke Bison (19:30)

Sunday 25/03/2001
Findus Play-Off Championships (Semi Finals)

Guildford Flames v Slough Jets (18:00)
Basingstoke Bison v Peterborough Pirates (18:00)

Guildford Flames and Slough Jets have met a total of ten times this season and whilst the scales of victory have tipped in Guildford’s favour on most of those occasions, the increasingly stronger Slough side has made this more and more difficult. This is evident from the narrow 2-1 scoreline the last time they met on February 18th. Guildford’s M.D. Malcolm Norman acknowledged Slough’s effective regroup saying “..they are tough Play-Off opponents, particularly in their own rink and we will need to play a tight defensive game and capitalise on our chances.” Before the start of the Play-Offs, Joe Stefan, Player Coach of Slough Jets stated that “we’re not here to make up the numbers” and has certainly proved this. He is still pulling no punches today as he said “..Guildford are an excellent Team but we are going to give them a little bit more than they can handle.”

Basingstoke Bison and Peterborough Pirates are very evenly matched with 4 of the 7 games played between the two teams in Peterborough’s favour, however 4 games in total have been won by just one goal and two of those after penalty shoot-outs. Peterborough’s Player/Coach Doug McEwen said “The home game is vital for us to win so we can go to Basingstoke with a good lead.” Basingstoke Coach Charlie Colon, who was delighted at reaching the semi-finals, said, “It will be a hard, tough game against Peterborough, but we will be giving it our all.”

 

 

Weekend's Results

  19/03/2001

Sun 18/30/2001
BNL Playoffs :

Basingstoke Bison 3 Slough Jets 2 (Aafter OT & penalty shots)
Coventry Blaze 7 Milton Keynes Kings 4
Fife Flyers 8 Hull Thunder 5
Guildford Flames 6 Peterborough Pirates 1

Sat 17/30/2001
BNL Playoffs :

Hull Thunder 3 Basingstoke Bison 4
Slough Jets 3 Fife Flyers 2 OT
M Keynes Kings 2 Coventry Blaze 4
Peterborough Pirates 5 Guildford Flames 4 (After OT & penalty shots)

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Weekend preview

16/03/2001

Although the 3rd weekend of Findus Play-Off Championships is approaching, there is only one certainty for the Semi-Finals, with Guildford Flames having won all of their games (in fact they have not lost a game in 2001). However, they have tough opponents this weekend playing Peterborough Pirates away on Saturday and back in Guildford on Sunday. Peterborough are holding second in the Group ‘A’ table having lost just one game so far and came through last weekend winning both games after regulation time against Coventry Blaze & Milton Keynes. Malcolm Norman, MD of the Guildford Flames said “Peterborough will be hard to beat in their own rink as they fight for the other semi-final place, but we will be playing to keep our unbeaten record in 2001.”

Coventry this weekend also play a double with their opponents being Milton Keynes Kings. Milton Keynes have yet to win a game in the Play-Off Championships, although narrowly lost in a penalty shoot-out at the hands of Peterborough last weekend. Coventry Blaze are currently 3 points behind Peterborough so they can still claim the second semi-final place, but will have to beat Milton Keynes in both of this weekend’s games to keep their hopes alive.

In Group ‘B’, group leaders Slough Jets play two of the toughest opponents – Fife Flyers on Saturday at home and away to Basingstoke Bison on Sunday. Remember though, Slough have already beaten Fife once in the play-offs and know they are capable of beating Basingstoke, even at their rink. Jets’ Player/Coach Joe Stefan said “This is a crucial weekend for us. We’ve put ourselves in a good position and want to finish the job”. Fife look to be playing with a full squad, as do Slough, but Basingstoke look to be without Dru Burgess, still missing through injury.

Hull Thunder have yet to score a point in the Play-Off Championships and will have a tough time this weekend at home to Basingstoke on Saturday and away at Fife Flyers on Sunday. This is the second time Hull have met these two teams and whilst they did not beat them, they did manage to put 2 goals past Basingstoke and 1 past Fife.

 

 

BNL All-Star awards

16/03/2001

The results are in! The FBNL Annual Awards have been decided and will be presented at the respective winners home Rinks over the next two weeks. The Winners of this season's awards have been agreed upon by each Team's Coach in the FBNL and submitted on a voting form to The Secretary of the FBNL. The deadline was last Thursday and the results are as follows;

Player of the Year
Steve Chartrand - Coventry Blaze
GP-23/G-14/A-22

Netminder of the Year
Mark McArthur - Guildford Flames
GP-35/Mins-2027/Save Avg-92.5%

Defenceman of the Year
Matt Cote - Basingstoke Bison
GP-36/G-5/A-17

Coach of the Year
Paul Thompson - Coventry Blaze

British Player of the Year
Steven Lynch - Edinburgh Capitals
GP-36/G-21/A-29

Scoring Champion
Todd Dutiame - Fife Flyers
GP-35/G-40/A-43

GP= Games Played / G=Goals / A=Assists - STATS ARE FOR FBNL LEAGUE GAMES ONLY

All-Star Team
Netminder
Mark McArthur (Guildford Flames)
Defence
Matt Cote (Basingstoke Bison)
Jason Dailey (Slough Jets)
Forward
Todd Dutiame (Fife Flyers)
Steve Chartrand (Coventry Blaze)
Albie O'Connell (Basingstoke Bison)

British All-Star Team
Netminder
Stephen Foster (Basingstoke Bison)
Defence
Stephen Cooper (Coventry Blaze)
Paul Dixon (Guildford Flames)
Forward
Steven Lynch (Edinburgh Capitals)
Anthony Payne (Hull Thunder)
David Smith (Guildford Flames)

 

 

Weekend's Results

  12/03/2001

Sun 11/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship:
Fife Flyers 3 Basingstoke Bison 4
Guildford Flames 5 Milton Keynes Kings 2
Hull Thunder 3 Slough Jets 5
Peterborough Pirates 5 Coventry  Blaze 4 OT

Sat 10/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship:
Basingstoke Bison 0 Fife Flyers 1
Coventry Blaze 1 Guildford Flames 4
Milton Keynes Kings 2 Peterborough Pirates 3 OT
Slough Jets 3 Hull Thunder 0

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SOUPY HEADS BACK TO CANADA

    08/03/2001

The Guildford Flames longest serving player Ryan Campbell today announced his retirement from the game and from the Flames Organisation as a whole.

‘Soupy’, as he has become affectionately known by the Guildford faithful has decided to take his wife Celia and two young sons, Tyler and Jordan back ‘Home’ to Winnipeg, Canada at the end of this season.

Soupy joined the Flames Organisation at the beginning of the 1993/94 season along with fellow Canadians Paul Thompson and Rob Friesen when Barry Dow owned the team.  

The 1995/1996 season saw a consortium of businessmen, led by John Hepburn, give the Flames the financial stability and organisational structure, to become one of the best-run clubs in British Ice Hockey. A key part of that success “behind the scenes” has been the driving force of Soupy, who has been 100% committed to the club as Commercial manager, and to the growth of the league, where he was part of the Executive Committee

until this season.  

During the 1997/1998 season Soupy helped the Flames to win the ‘BNIHL Southern Premier League’, the ‘BNL Playoffs’, the ‘Upper Deck Christmas Cup’ and the ‘Benson & Hedges Plate’.  But he didn’t stop there he has also been apart of the Flames success in the ntl Christmas Cup and the Findus British National League – both 2000/2001.

Along the way he has picked up a few personal awards at the ‘Flames End of Season Banquets’; ‘The Sportsmanship Award’ 1996/1997, ‘The Flames Top Point Scorer Award’ 1993/1994 and the ‘Players Player Award’ 1993/1994.

Soupy wasn’t just the Flames Top Points Scorer for 1993/1994, he is also the All-Time Top Points Scorer for the club on 907 points, with his closest ‘rival’ being Fred Perlini on 438 points, and during the 1999/2000 season he became the first Flame to reach 500 assists.

  Managing Director Malcolm Norman commented:

                   “Ryan will be a great loss to the Club, and to the Findus British National League.

He has seen the Guildford Flames come from virtual bankruptcy, to the success it      is today. Ryan can leave feeling proud of what he has achieved for the Flames, both as a player, and as Commercial Manager. Our best wishes will go with Celia, Ryan, and the boys, as they head off for a new life in Canada. We have a big gap to fill, but are pleased to welcome back our ex-player Kirk Humphreys to take over the role of Commercial Manager.” 

  This is probably the hardest decision that any professional ice hockey player is faced with and Ryan is no different, as he tells us here:

  “The time has come to say goodbye. It is not going to be easy because Guildford has been my home for the past 8 years and I have made so many great friends.  I couldn’t have asked for more from my career- I’ve won Championships and been part of building one of the best organisations in Britain.  But I have the best and most supportive wife in Celia and it’s now time for me to support her and our boys Tyler and Jordan.  I’m not saying goodbye today as we’ve still got some unfinished business, but I do want to say thank you to everyone for my time in Guildford and in Britain, and especially to the best fans anywhere!

 

 

Weekend's Results

  05/03/2001

Sun 04/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship:
Coventry Blaze 6 Peterborough Pirates 3
Hull Thunder 1 Fife Flyers 5
milton Keynes Kings 1 Guilford Flames 3
Slough Jets 2 Basingstoke Bison 3 OT

Sat 03/03/2001
BNL Play-Off Championship:
Basingstoke Bison 5 Hull Thunder 2
Fife Flyers 1 Slough Jets 2
Guildford Flames 3 Coventry Blaze 1
Peterborough Pirates 4 Milton Keynes Kings 0

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Caps make first signing for 2001/02

04/03/2001

Steven Lynch, yesterday signed a 2 year deal with Edinburgh Capitals. Lynch, one of the top home bred BNL marksmen and voted the Capitals British Player of the year by the fans, pledged his support to the Capitals, saying "I'm determined to help the Capitals move up the ladder. We are re-building and I want to be part of it".

 

Tuesday's Result

  28/02/2001

Tue 27/02/2001
BNL:
Fife Flyers 8 Paisley Pirates 0

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Flames win the league as the Bison get blown away

26/02/2001

Guildford Flames added the Findus British National League title to the ntl: Christmas Cup already in their trophy cabinet by beating a Basingstoke Bison side that out-shot them, but suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Both sides had the maximum allowed eight imports, despite having two sidelined, with Basingstoke leaving out Rob Douglas and Peter Nyman while Guildford took to the ice without Chris Crombie and Barcley Pearce.

Flames’ coach Stan Marple said: “I am so proud of the boys and the effort put into the game for the whole 60 minutes.

“They never gave up even when a 50/50 puck looked like going to a Bison stick.

“They battled hard and came out on top. This win is just as much for our fans as it is for us.”

 

Fife Flyers showed no mercy as they clinched third place with their fourth shut-out of the season, and third against oldest rivals Edinburgh Capitals.

Coventry Blaze enjoyed their second shut-out of the season, as Hull Thunder came away goal-less for the second time.

Slough Jets levelled the score with Milton Keynes Kings at two league wins apiece as they completed a four point home weekend.

 

Weekend Results

  26/02/2001

Sun 25/02/2001
BNL:
Edinburgh Capitals 0 Fife Flyers 13
Guildford Flames 5 Basingstoke Bison 1
Hull Thunder 0 Coventry Blaze 5
Slough Jets 4 Milton Keynes Kings 1

Sat 24/02/2001
BNL:
Basingstoke Bison 2 Fife Flyers 6
Milton Keynes Kings 3 Peterborough Pirates 4
Paisley Pirates 4 Edinburgh Capitals 3 (After OT & Penalty Shots)
Slough Jets 5 Hull Thunder 2

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Weekend preview

24/02/2001

This weekend brings us a total of 8 games but all eyes will be on the League Title decider between Guildford Flames and Basingstoke Bison. Both teams have fought hard to get to the top and with Fife’s destruction of Basingstoke last weekend, it really is down to the wire!

Basingstoke Bison take on the Fife Flyers on Saturday ahead of the big game – the result from this irrelevant as this will not effect the outcome. Basingstoke will want to ensure no injuries are sustained for the following day, whilst Fife Flyers will be aiming for third place in the League, after lifting the trophy last season. Sunday, Fife are away again, this time closer to home as they take on the Edinburgh Capitals. Edinburgh are now out of the playoffs as Milton Keynes clung onto their place last weekend, but they still have a busy weekend, travelling to Peterborough tomorrow (Thursday), to Paisley Pirates on Saturday, returning to face the Flyers on Sunday.

Milton Keynes Kings play their last two games of the regular season – on Saturday at home against Peterborough Pirates in the Pirates last game and away on Sunday to Slough Jets. Milton Keynes have clung onto a play-off place with 22 points after beating Hull Thunder last Saturday. Peterborough meanwhile have not faired well in their last three games, losing to Basingstoke and twice to Coventry Blaze.

Slough Jets have played good hockey this season and have been unfortunate on more than one occasion losing to penalties. Their weekend is complete with a home game against Hull Thunder on Saturday and as Jets’ Player/Coach Joe Stefan said “we need a couple of wins to get us in the right frame of mind for the play-offs”.

Guildford have one more game to play this season before the play-offs and it couldn’t be more important as it will decide whether they, or Basingstoke Bison are crowned League Champions for the season. Played at the Spectrum, giving Guildford a distinct advantage, Basingstoke hope to collect their second accolade as once again the two teams meet to do battle for the ultimate prize. Only 2 months ago the teams met in the last Benson & Hedges Final when Basingstoke won 3-2, however that was not in front of the loyal and loud home crowd. Guildford will be looking to redress the balance, although after their ntl: Cup victory over Fife Flyers recently, both teams will be going for the second trophy for the cabinet. Face off is at 18:00 and the game will be covered live on the official league website at www.britnatleague.co.uk

 

Weeks Results

22/02/2001

Thu 23/02/2001
Planet Ice Shield:
Coventry Blaze 10 Milton Keynes Kings 3

Wed 21/02/2001
Findus BNL:
Peterborough Pirates 15 Edinburgh Capitals 1

Tue 20/02/2001
Findus BNL:
Fife Flyers 2 Coventry Blaze 0

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Last game to decide league Champions

  22/02/2001

As the end of the Ice Hockey season draws near, the fans expectation of a hockey-less summer has been masked by the battle at the top of the League table between Guildford Flames and Basingstoke Bison and their final all-important clash on Sunday 25^th. 

One could not have planned a more spectacular finale to the season ahead of the Play-Off games as Coventry, who dominated the League standings for much of the season fell away with the untimely injury of Captain Steve Chartrand.  This led the way for Guildford Flames and Basingstoke Bison to fight for the top and that’s exactly what they have done to the very end. 

For many weeks, the outcome of each of the teams’ games has been crucial and with Basingstoke having two games in hand over their Surrey counterparts, the advantage, although very slight had to be theirs and they went into this weekend knowing that if they lost just one of their games, Guildford could still take the title.  Exactly that happened when last season’s League Champions Fife Flyers tore through the Hampshire team beating them 6-2 in a last bought of defiance, although their chances of retaining the title were beyond their reach some weeks ago. 

It now comes down to a final showdown with a coincidental last game of the season for both teams being against each other.  Guildford’s home rink will be the venue, giving the Flames an advantage, however over the season, the games have been evenly balanced with both teams winning 4 of their 8 clashes.  Only 3 of those games were at Guildford and both teams won a game each with Basingstoke tipping the scales with a 2-1 overtime win in October. 

Sunday’s game will be the first this week for the home side, whilst Basingstoke play Fife Flyers again on Saturday – this time in Hampshire.  The outcome of this game is irrelevant, as the current scores mean it’s still down to the game on Sunday. 

When asked what the weekend ahead meant for both Teams, Guildford’s Player/Coach Stan Marple said “We’ve worked hard to get ourselves into this position and I know our boys are going to give everything they have on Sunday”.  Basingstoke’s Coach Charlie Colon said “this is the first time in years that the League Title has gone down to the last game between the two top teams and it’s going to be a battle.”  At the time of this release, it is expected that both teams will be fielding a full side.

Weekend's Results

19/02/2001

Sun 18/02/2001
Findus BNL:
Coventry Blaze 5 Peterborough Pirates 1
Edinburgh Capitals 7 Paisley Pirates 3
Fife Flyers 6 Basingstoke Bison 2
Guildford Flames 2 Slough Jets 1
Hull Thunder 3 Milton Keynes Kings 5

Sat 17/02/2001
Findus BNL: 
Basingstoke Bison 4 Hull Thunder 3
Peterborough Pirates 2 Coventry Blaze 3
Slough Jets 2 Guildford Flames 4

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Weekend preview

17/02/2001

This weekend sees Guildford playing the Slough Jets twice. The Flames need this to be another 4-point weekend to retain their chances of winning the League this season. Slough have almost guaranteed themselves a place in the play-offs after pulling 5 points clear of nearest rivals, Milton Keynes Kings. Basingstoke’s Saturday game is against Hull Thunder – a strong team who, despite all of the changes on and off the ice still continue to prove difficult opponents. Hull’s Sunday game is at home against Milton Keynes Kings who’s chances of a play-off place are now very slim. Basingstoke’s Sunday match is away to Fife Flyers who have the highest home win record in the League by far (91.6%). Basingstoke can only afford to lose one of their remaining games, otherwise they leave the door open for Guildford to take the titleship and this certainly looks like the toughest of the teams the Bison have left to play.

Peterborough Pirates and Coventry Blaze meet twice this weekend too – the first being at Peterborough. Coventry are only 2 points clear of Peterborough and a 4-point weekend for either team could make a dramatic difference to the League placings. Coventry seemed to have got through their dry patch although a defeat at the hands of Fife Flyers has quashed their Title chances that so many people had been certain of up until recently. Even if Peterborough achieve maximum points in their remaining games, it will not be enough to catch the teams at the top.

In the remaining games, Edinburgh Capitals and Paisley Pirates play only once this weekend in the FBNL and that will be against each other at Edinburgh on Sunday, after a Scottish Cup Final match on Saturday.

 

 

Week's Results

16/02/2001

Thu 15/02/2001

BNL:
Basingstoke Bison 7 Peterborough Pirates 5

Planet Ice Shield:
Milton Keynes Kings 7 Coventry Blaze 3

Tue 13/02/2001

BNL: 
Edinburgh Capitals 7 Coventry Blaze 9

Christmas Cup final 2nd leg: 
Fife Flyers 2 Guildford Flames 3 (Guildford win 7-3 on aggregate)

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MAJOR FIRST FOR SLOUGH JETS

13/02/2001

Each week on the BBC breakfast show, host Warren Lee selects a website of a local company, sports club or organisation and reviews it on air. In only the second week of running this feature the Slough Jets site was selected.

Speaking from the Slough Ice Arena, Jets webmaster Mark Denholm said, "It is a great honour for the club and me personally to have the Jets website chosen. I have tried to build a website that's easy to navigate, fun to read and that features as much information as possible for all ages, without being boring." He adds, "Hopefully this award will prompt some of the listeners to the programme to log on and possibly even come to a game, as many people do not realise just how much fun they can have at an Ice Hockey game, it appeals to people of all ages!"

BBC Radio Berkshire did an interview with Mark on Friday morning's breakfast show. It featured questions relating to the content of the site and what visitors can hope to get from logging on. The Jets also offered listeners the chance to win free tickets to Sunday's match against the Milton Keynes Kings, with one lucky winner also collecting a stick signed by the Jets team.

The Jets website can be found at www.sloughjets.co.uk. As well as featuring all the latest Slough Jets news there are also sections on player profiles, player statistics, junior club news, supporters club news and much more.

 

 

Weekend RESULTS

12/02/2001

BNL:

Sun 11/02/2001
Basingstoke Bison 7 Paisley Pirates 1
Edinburgh Capitals 1 Peterborough Pirates 5
Guildford Flames 4 Fife Flyers 1
Hull Thunder 2 Coventry Blaze 5
Slough Jets 3 Milton Keynes Kings 4 (After OT & Penalty Shots)

Sat 10/02/2001
Fife Flyers 4 Coventry Blaze 1
Milton Keynes Kings 6 Edinburgh capitals 7
Paisley Pirates 3 Guildford Flames 9
Peterborough Pirates 4 Hull Thunder 1
Slough Jets 3 Basingstoke Bison 4 (after OT & penalty shots)

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Weekend Preview

10/02/2001

With the end of the season nearing, the fight for the top of the table could not be closer with just 1 point between the top two teams and just 6 between the top three. Guildford Flames retain the top slot after a 4-point weekend, as did Basingstoke Bison, although one of their games against Peterborough Pirates was narrowly won with a penalty shoot-out.

This weekend Guildford Flames travel to the snow-covered land of Scotland to play against Paisley Pirates. Paisley were narrowly pipped at the post in their game against Hull Thunder last weekend and will want to improve on this. Guildford will be without Barcley Pearce due to an eye injury as well as Chris Crombie and Stan Marple – out for Saturday’s game-both serving suspensions. Despite this, they are enjoying a run of 14 victories and will return home on Sunday to play 3rd place Fife Flyers with Crombie & Marple back on the ice. Both teams will be desperate to take maximum points from this weekend to strengthen their League table positions, so out of all of the games this weekend, this has to be the pick of the bunch. Fife Flyers are at home on Saturday to former League leaders Coventry Blaze, for whom all of a sudden, their winning streak has taken a reversal, coinciding with the injury-led departure of Steve Chartrand from the team. Whilst they lost their Planet Ice Shield game on Saturday, a positive score against the Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday has meant that they retain 4th position in the League table, just two points behind the Fife Flyers. This could change before the weekend as Coventry have a League game against Hull Thunder tomorrow (Thursday) and having a game in hand over Fife, this could be the win they need to bring them back into the top three.

Hull Thunder have a re-match from Thursday against Coventry Blaze on Sunday at Hull, while their game on Saturday takes them to 5th place Peterborough Pirates. At the time of release, Peterborough are only 2 points behind Coventry and should not be overlooked, with a win against Coventry on Saturday and a loss to penalty shots on Sunday, the Pirates are still in a position to make a difference. Sunday, Peterborough head to Murrayfield to play Edinburgh Capitals. Edinburgh did not manage to pick up any points at the weekend and hopes of a play-off place are fading as they are now 8 points behind Milton Keynes and with only 5 League games left. Saturday, Edinburgh have the chance to narrow the gap as they play away to Milton Keynes Kings. The last time they met, Edinburgh won by a 5-goal difference, but just the day before Milton Keynes did exactly the same, so it could go either way.

Basingstoke Bison, currently second place in the League table but with a 2-game advantage over the leaders Guildford play away to the Slough Jets on Saturday and home to Paisley Pirates on Sunday. Basingstoke still without Tony Redmond with a broken hand, Neil Liddiard with a broken wrist and Andy Morgan with a cut hand (sustained outside of hockey) will be fighting for a 4-point weekend whilst Slough will be equally as determined, especially after their last League match back on 2nd December where Slough won 3-2 (after penalties) at Basingstoke. Slough’s weekend is complete with a home game against Milton Keynes Kings on Sunday. Slough look as if they will retain their 7th place in the League table, which is certainly not reflective of their playing skills, especially with Mitch Grant; one of the League’s top goalscorers in their squad.

Thursday's RESULT

09/02/2001

Thu 08/02/2000: 

Findus BNL: 
Coventry Blaze 12 Hull Thunder 3

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Bison engulfed in Flames as the Flyers fight the Blaze

05/02/2001

The top of the Findus British National League could not be closer as the end of the season gets closer! With just 3 more weekends before the play-offs, Guildford Flames lead the pack, although the Basingstoke Bison are in hot pursuit just one point behind. Fife Flyers are currently holding 3rd but Coventry Blaze in 4th place have an extra game this Thursday against Hull Thunder and could move up ahead of Fife before the weekend.

The League Table currently is as below:

As of today, the teams have the following League games left to play and the maximum points they could achieve:

Team	Games left	Maximum points
Basingstoke Bison	7 games	62 points
Hull Thunder	7 games	51 points
Coventry Blaze	8 games	57 points
Milton Keynes Kings	5 games	28 points
Edinburgh Capitals	7 games	24 points
Paisley Pirates	5 games	12 points
Fife Flyers	7 games	57 points
Peterborough Pirates	7 games	53 points
Guildford Flames	5 games	59 points
Slough Jets	6 games	35 points

What makes the race even more exciting is that one of the very last games is Guilford Flames v Basingstoke Bison!  The battle for the top is still a ‘4-horse race’ and those teams have the following opponents left to play:

Guildford	Basingstoke	Fife	Coventry
			Hull 08/02 (H)
Paisley 10/02 (A)	Slough 10/02 (A)	Coventry 10/02 (H)	Fife 10/02 (A)
Fife 11/02 (H)	Paisley 11/02 (H)	Guildford 11/02 (A)	Hull 11/02 (A)
Slough 17/02 (A)	Hull 17/02 (H)		Peterborough 17/02 (A)
Slough 18/02 (H)	Fife 18/02 (A)	Basingstoke 18/02 (H)	Peterborough 17/02 (H)
	Fife 24/02 (H)	Basingstoke 24/02 (A)
Basingstoke 25/02 (H)	Guildford 25/02 (A)	Edinburgh 25/02 (A)	Hull 25/02 (A)
		Paisley TBA (H)	Edinburgh TBA (A)
	M Keynes TBA (H)	Coventry TBA (H)	Peterborough TBA (H)

 

 

Weekend RESULTS 

05/02/2001

Sun 04/02/2000: 

Findus BNL: 
Coventry Blaze 11 Edinburgh Capitals 2
Guildford Flames 5 Slough Jets 1
Hull Thunder 1 Fife Flyers 5
 Milton Keynes Kings 15  Paisley Pirates 1
Peterborough Pirates 4 Basingstoke Bison 5 (After OT & Penalty Shots).

Sat 03/02/2000:

Findus BNL: 
Basingstoke Bison 0 Guildford Flames 5
Fife Flyers 5 Milton Keynes Kings 3
Paisley Pirates 4 Hull Thunder 5
Slough Jets 6 Edinburgh Capitals 3.

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Jets complete squad with Canadian Forward

022/01/2001

Findus British National League club, the Slough Jets complete their squad leading up to the play-offs with the signing of Canadian Forward, Darren Houghton

Speaking from the Ice Arena at Slough, Jets player/coach Joe Stefan announced that he had managed to secure the services of Darren Houghton for the remainder of the 2000/01 season.

On the signing Stefan comments, "I've been trying to find somebody who would not only fit in with the team but also be able to score goals for us. I've been in talks with a couple of guys but unfortunately they came to nothing." He adds, " Darren was previously with Hull Thunder and when I heard that he was available we talked and I'm pleased to announce his signing, he will be an asset to the team as he plays a very physical game and can score goals."

Twenty seven year old Houghton comes from Moosejaw, Saskatchewan in Canada, he is 6ft 2ins and weighs 210lbs. He previously played for five years with the University Regina Cougars in Canada. On his signing Houghton comments, "I love playing in the UK. I've come up against the Jets a few times this season and I admire the way they pull together in all situations and always play as a team, hopefully I'll be able to put the puck in the back of the net and score some goals for them."

Slough Jets player/coach Joe Stefan also announced that he had re-signed defenseman, Ian Pound. Stefan comments, "I've been in talks with Ian for the last month and I'm pleased to announce that he has re-signed as he did an excellent job for us last season. Ian has been skating and is in good shape to re-join us, I know that the boys are looking forward to getting him back in the line-up."

6ft 3ins Pound originates from Canada but now lives in Stratford upon Avon. He comments, "It's great to be going back to the Hangar as there is a very special and unique atmosphere there. The fans really get behind their team and support them all the way."

 

 

Mass exodus at Hull

31/01/2001

Over the last seven days Findus British National League team Hull Thunder have seen five of their top players leave the club ahead of the transfer deadline.

First to go was GB defenceman Stephen Cooper who has joined title contenders Coventry Blaze for the remainder of this season and the entire 2001/02 season.  On Monday news broke of Thunder's top point scorer Cory Lyons being signed by Superleague Newcastle Jesters along with Aaron Cain.

Recent Thunder acquisition Deb Carpenter has made a return to the Superleague joining Ayr Scottish Eagles for the remainder of the season and GB Under 20 netminder Andy Moffat has also left to join English Premier Division team, Chelmsford Cheiftans.

This leaves a depleted Thunder side to play Paisley Pirates away on Saturday and reigning champions Fife Flyers at home on Sunday.

 

 

Findus BNL Announces Play Off Format

30/01/2001

The Board of Directors of the BNIHL has decided on the format of this season's Findus British National League Playoff and Championship dates. The decision, taken took into account the commercial preferences of the competition's sponsors, FINDUS and the experience gained over the past three seasons using different formats.

With a majority vote, the following was decided as the format:

• The playoffs will be made up of two groups of four teams who will play a home and away round robin.

• The top team from each group will then go on to play a home and away semi final, against the second placed team in the other group.
  (The group winners will be decided using the BNIHL Competition Classification Rules.)

• The two Semi-final winners will go into the Final on a home and away basis, with the winning team being decided over those two games on aggregate.

• If there is a tie on aggregate, after regulation time in the second leg of either the Semi-final or Final, the two teams will play 5 minutes of sudden death overtime. If not decided by this method, a penalty shoot out consisting of 5 penalty shots each will take place and if both teams are still equal then a sudden death penalty shoot out will determine the winner.

Confirmed dates for the competition are:

Round Robin games	March 3rd & 4th
Semis	March 24th & 25th
Final	March 31st & April 1st

 

 

Weekend Results

27/01/2001

BNL:

Sat 27/01/2001:
Basingstoke Bison 6 Edindurgh Capitals 3
Fife Flyers 2 Hull Thunder 4
Guilford Flames 6 Coventry Blaze 2
Milton  Keynes Kings 8 Peterborough Pirates 5
Paisley Pirates 1 Slough Jets 5

Sun 28/01/2001:
Coventry Blaze 2 Basingstoke Bison 3
 Edinburgh capitals 1 Slough Jets 3
Hull Thinder 2 Guildford Flames 4
Peterborough Pirates 11 Paisley Pirates 1.

REPORTS OFF ALL GAMES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR NEW FROM THE STANDS SECTION.

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Weekend Preview

27/01/2001

With Guildford Flames’ place secure in the ntl: finals, Fife Flyers & Peterborough Pirates do battle in their 2nd leg clash tonight (Wednesday) with Peterborough Pirates not only travelling to Fife, but also starting 2-4 down after Fife’s win last week.

Basingstoke Bison caused some upset last weekend beating Coventry Blaze and also Hull Thunder. This has meant that the top 3 in the League table has changed, knocking Coventry off the top of the table for the first time in over 2 months. Basingstoke this weekend continue their quest for the top playing Edinburgh Capitals at Basingstoke on Saturday. Edinburgh are looking to continue their winning after beating Milton Keynes Kings last Sunday. Sunday sees an opportunity for Coventry Blaze to reclaim their crown as Basingstoke (minus Tony Redmond through injury) visit the Skydome in front of the ‘vocal’ Blaze supporters, after Coventry uncharacteristically lost both their matches last weekend.

The night before, Coventry will be playing at Guildford – the team who have stolen their glory by going top of the League table after last weekend’s win’s against Slough Jets & Paisley Pirates. Guildford Flames know they have to work twice as hard to maintain this lead, as they have still played 3 more games than either Coventry or Basingstoke and are going out there with all guns blazing, although Barcley Pearce will be missing through an eye injury. Malcolm Norman, MD of the Flames said “the guys are playing brilliantly and we have the confidence, spirit and determination which will ensure we continue our run of winning”. Sunday, Guildford Flames travel up to 6th place Hull Thunder who are just 1 point behind Peterborough Pirates. Hull won 1 of their 2 games last weekend and will be aiming for 2 this weekend, despite their opponents on Saturday being last season’s champs Fife Flyers, who get a night off on Sunday.

Paisley Pirates this weekend travel to Peterborough Pirates on Sunday, whilst Paisley’s home game on Saturday is against the team who Peterborough narrowly beat last weekend – Slough Jets, as part of Slough’s Scottish ‘double-header’. Slough Jets are showing some real strengths and despite losing both games last weekend, it was only by 1 goal on each occasion. Sunday, Slough Jets play Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield. Edinburgh are fighting for the last play-off place and judging by their performance on Sunday, should not be underestimated. Slough’s Player/Coach Joe Stefan, back in the line-up for this weekend said “we need to win both games this weekend to solidify our place in the standings”. Peterborough Pirates travel to Milton Keynes Kings on Saturday in the Kings’ only game this weekend. 5th place Peterborough are just 4 points behind Fife Flyers in the tables.

 

 

Thursday's Result

26/01/2001

Thu 25/01/2001: 

BNL:
Basingstoke Bison 6 Milton Keynes Kings 2

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Thunder star quits in cash chaos confusion

26/01/2001

It has been reported in the Hull Daily mail that Hull Thunder star Stephen Cooper has dropped a bombshell by quitting to join British National League title rivals Coventry Blaze.

The GB international defenceman's shock decision came just hours after Thunder owner Darren Brown admitted he is considering selling the club.  Reports from South Yorkshire revealed the UK Sports Group – which includes Chesterfield FC, Sheffield Steelers, Westfield Sharks and the Thunder – is facing a crisis.  Cooper is the first player to quit amid claims Thunder's players are still owed wages dating back to before Christmas, despite repeated promises of payments being made.  He may not be the last.

Thunder's squad is set to meet tonight to decide whether to fulfil Thunder's weekend fixtures at Fife on Saturday and at home to Guildford on Sunday.  They are understood to be basing their decision on how the club responds to their request for payment of some of their outstanding wages.  The situation has come to a head due to the South Yorkshire revelations and the fact the BNL transfer deadline is only a matter of days away.

Cooper said he was sorry to be leaving, but given the financial circumstances, he felt unable to continue.  He has joined Coventry on a two year deal, although he has not yet been officially released by the Thunder.  He also had an offer from another BNL club, Guildford Flames.  He explained: "Purely and simply it's the fact we have not been paid.  "It was a case of either getting out now and risk losing the six weeks' money I'm owed, or playing on for a fortnight and be eight weeks owed.

"Widely regarded as the best defenceman Britain has ever produced, Cooper has been the cornerstone of Thunder's defence this season.  He added: "The last thing I wanted to do was leave because I've had a great time. The lads are a great bunch, the fans are terrific and everything's been working really well. "But I can't afford to keep going. "I need to be putting money into the bank, not taking it out."

 

 

Wednesday's Result

25/01/2001

Wed 24/01/2001: 

NTL Christmas Cup :
Semi Final 2nd Leg: 

Fife Flyers 9 Peterborough Pirates 4  (13-6 Aggregate)

Flyers join Guilford Flames in Christmas Cup final.

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Title sponsor signs for The BNL

25/01/2001

The British National Ice Hockey League (BNL) today confirmed a Three-Year Title Sponsorship deal with FINDUS. The deal, which will re-name the League “The Findus British National Ice Hockey League”, brings with it a £500,000 Sponsorship Package making this the biggest Title Sponsorship deal the BNL has ever known.

Lesley Wickham Commercial Manager for the BNL said, “This news is really exciting and puts us on the map for some serious commercial partnership deals. We have been in discussion with Findus for the past two months and are happy and very enthusiastic about the natural synergy that there is between our product and Findus as a brand. The joint initiatives that can flow from such a partnership can only be positive for the growth of the Sport and for the profile of Ice Hockey in general. Again it’s another firm step towards completing our 5 Year Plan”.

The Frozen Food Company will start immediately on their marketing campaign and have already negotiated with the BNL to take The Sponsorship Package for the BNL’s Championship Playoffs in March. This will help to establish the new partnership and create the impetus for the next three seasons. Lesley Wickham continued “The main board at Findus are very progressive and exciting to work with, one of the most important aspects for us as a League is that Findus really understand the British Element of our game and want to progress any initiatives for the benefit of our Junior Players”

John Brittain, Managing Director of Findus Ltd said, “ Ice Hockey is a lively, family sport which is growing in popularity and has exactly the right healthy image for Findus to be associated with. Findus is entering a new era and it is appropriate that we have a major sporting partnership to help us raise our Corporate presence. Ice hockey appeals to all age groups but in particular to young people and as this is one of our major customer groups it is only natural that we want to be involved in helping them to take part.”

Over the next few weeks The League will re-name itself, “The Findus British National League” which will be a perfect backdrop into the Championship Finals. Then in the ‘close’ season, Findus and the League will fine-tune a 3 Year Development Plan ready for the start of season 2001/02.

Ice Hockey as a Sport has never been more stable, which can only offer bigger and brighter prospects for all concerned from this moment on.

 

British National League Sign TV Deal

23/01/2001

Premium TV Ltd has agreed terms with the British National Ice Hockey League to televise live games from the Teams Arenas from next season (Sept 2001/02). There is also exciting news of a dedicated magazine programme which will run during each season, the start date has yet to be agreed, but it will be a welcome addition for all supporters and fans of the sport in general.

Profiles and interviews on individual Teams and Players plus round ups and highlights of most games will feature in this regular programme.

More details on this partnership will be released in March in time for the BNL Championships and the start of the following season.

For more information contact Lesley Wickham on 01292 423565 or e-mail lesley@britnatleague.co.uk

 

 

Weekend's Results

22/01/2001

Sat 20/01/2001: 

BNL: 
Basingstoke Bison 5 Coventry Blaze 2
Fife Flyers 5 Peterborough Pirates 2
Milton Keynes Kings 6 Edinburgh Capitals 1
Paisley Pirates 1 Hull Thunder 15
Slough Jets 3 Guildford Flames 4

Sun 21/01/2001: 

BNL:
Coventry Blaze 3 Fife Flyers 5
 Edinburgh Capitals 7 Milton Keynes Kings 2
Guildford Flames 15 Paisley Pirates 0, Hull Thunder 5 Basingstoke Bison 7
Peterborough Pirates 3 Slough Jets 2

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Weekend Preview

19/01/2001

Another 2 NTL Semi-final matches fill the mid-week calendar with Coventry Blaze playing at home to Guildford Flames (2nd leg) and Fife Flyers travelling to Peterborough Pirates for their 1st leg game.

This weekend, there are 10 ice hockey games with each team playing both Saturday & Sunday – all League matches. Firstly, Basingstoke Bison play host to League leaders Coventry Blaze on Saturday. Coventry are enjoying a run of 4 league games without defeat whilst 3rd place Basingstoke’s current run of ‘wins’ is 6. The last league game Coventry lost was at the hands of Basingstoke and their coach Charlie Colon said, “we know Coventry are a strong team but this is a home game and we are playing really well at the moment.” Basingstoke’s game on Sunday is away to Hull Thunder, whilst Coventry are at home to last season’s champions Fife Flyers.

Fife Flyers dropped a place in the League table last week despite a resounding 5-0 win over Edinburgh Capitals. This weekend, as well as the game at Coventry on Sunday, they are entertaining Peterborough Pirates on Saturday in their second meeting this week. The last 2 occasions the teams met was a weekend in November, where each team won a game each. They appeared evenly matched that weekend but as Flyers Bench Coach Chic Cottrell said “we have developed tremendously since then and we are looking to pick up 4 points.” Peterborough on Sunday play host to Slough Jets who despite losing both games to Coventry last weekend are playing very well. Slough’s Mitch Grant scored another 3 goals making him the Jets’ top goal & point scorer, scoring almost as many goals as high-scoring players in the top teams. Saturday, Slough (still without Nick Cross & Joe Stefan through injury and Mark Galazzi being released this week) play host to 2nd place Guildford Flames, who have won their last 6 games. They need to win to keep their league table position as they have played 3 more games than those in 1st & 3rd place.

Guildford Flames are at home on Sunday playing against Paisley Pirates. With a new management team in place the Pirates are continuing their commendable positive attitude to each game and are intent on causing a stir by beating one of the top teams. Paisley are at home on Saturday to Hull Thunder – another team with a change in the Management team recently. Currently in 6th place but only 6 points behind the leaders and 1 point behind 5th place Peterborough, Player/Coach Ron Shudra said “This weekend we want to get 4 points and hopefully move up the table. Both games will be tough, but we will be giving it our all.”

Finally, Edinburgh Capitals and Milton Keynes Kings play each other twice this weekend, the first game being at Milton Keynes. Both Teams will be looking to pick up points in what has so far been a rather baron January.

 

 

Flames make ntl Final

18/01/2001

Karry Biette scored four goals as Guildford Flames reached the ntl: Christmas Cup final with a two game sweep over league leaders Coventry Blaze in their semi-final series.

Holders Fife Flyers took a giant step towards the final of the ntl: Christmas Cup as they won in Peterborough for the first time in four attempts this season.

Basingstoke Bison became the first side to drop a point against English League Isle of Wight Raiders in the Planet Ice Shield competition.

 

 

Wednesday's Results

18/01/2001

Wed 17/12/2001:

ntl Christmas Cup Semi-final 1st leg:
 Peterborough Pirates 2 Fife Flyers 4

Semi-final 2nd leg: 
Coventry Blaze 5 Guildford Flames 6 
(Guildford Flames win the series by 2 games to 0 & aggregate score of 10-6)

Planet Ice Shield:
Basingstoke Bison 4 Isle of Wight Raiders 3(After OT).

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Paisley's new GM in place

18/01/2001

Scott Rex is now in place with the Paisley Pirates as the new General Manager for the Team, he took up his position with the Club on Tuesday of this week and will remain until the end of this season. The Pirates have recently changed the Management structure of the Team and with the help and support of the BNL Executive Committee have put in place a business plan that will ensure the Pirates’ stability in the League until the end of this season. Once the re-structure of the Management had been completed it was apparent that a General Manager was needed, The BNL approached Rex to go into Paisley on a short term basis with a view to using his knowledge and expertise in the Sport to support the plan until the end of this season and to help formulate a more long term plan for the next season.

The BNL have made it clear that they see Paisley as an integral part of the British National League and consequently have done everything in their power to sustain the League membership of the Pirates. Two members of the Executive Committee, Gary Stefan and Lesley Wickham are presently working in partnership with the new Management Team at Paisley to ensure longevity of the Club and that the future of the Club is in the BNL.

Gary Stefan General Manager of the BNL said “ The response from the new management team in place has been very encouraging and certainly bodes well for the future. I think we can put any past problems to bed now and look forward to a more consistent time for the Pirates. Scott Rex is a great guy and an excellent General Manager, who will help and encourage the Team to look forward”

Rex held his first training session with the Pirates on Tuesday night, which he says was very encouraging and he felt that all of the Team worked hard and that they made good progress. Rex who is an ardent supporter of Scotland says, “He is looking forward to the challenge and will do his utmost to live up to Paisley’s rich hockey tradition. Events haven’t been easy recently for the players or the supporters, I hope to play my part in making the rest of the season more stable and enjoyable for everyone”

 

 

Kelland steps in for injured Chartrand

18/01/2001

The Coventry Blaze have acted to strengthen their injury stricken line-up ahead of the remaining league fixtures. Coach Paul Thompson has called upon an old friend and former Blaze player to help out the team until injured Captain, Steve Chartrand, returns. Former GB Captain Chris Kelland has agreed to return to the ice to help Thompson’s team through the next few weeks.

Kelland retired from competitive hockey at the end of last season when he played for Hull Thunder. Now 43, Kelland has been one of the legends of British hockey since arriving on these shores to play for Murrayfield Racers in the old British Premier Division in the early eighties. He joined Blaze during season 98-99, also as cover for an injured player, and became a real fans-favourite.

The utility player will give Blaze cover on both offense and defense during the hectic close to the league season.

Kelland has a wealth of experience having played for Murrayfield, Nottingham and Sheffield at the highest level in the UK for many years. The native of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario is now looking forward to helping the Blaze stay at the top of the British National League.

“Obviously, replacing Steve Chartrand is impossible. He is a great player that is irreplaceable, so we’ve had to find someone who can bring a different set of attributes to the team. Chris is not a centreman in the way that Steve is, but he’ll give 110% every night, and is a vastly experienced, very intelligent hockey player.” Thompson commented. “Chris will complement our existing line-up and his talents will gel well with the other guys. I think Kell will bring a lot to this team and will be a great signing for us heading towards the play-offs.”

Kelland is unavailable for the ntl: Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, but will link up with the team on Friday ahead of the weekends vital clashes at Basingstoke on Saturday and against Fife Flyers at the Skydome on Sunday.

 

 

 

Tuesday's Result

17/01/2001

Tue 16/12/2001:

Best of British Cup:
Guildford Flames 9 Basingstoke Bison 3

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Fife block Murphy's move to Jesters

17/01/2001

Stephen Murphy will not be joining the Jesters as agreed last week. The player is held by what the Scottish club claim to be a verbal contract and refuse him the move and opportunity to showcase his talent at a higher level.

The club had agreed terms with the player last week and expected him to report for training on Sunday. Player coach Mark Morrison from the Fife club claim that he is acting in the best interest of Murphy saying that he would be better off starting in every game for them in the BNL.  What the Newcastle club promised was an opportunity to train every day with better players and a higher level of coaching. Tomi Satosaari can't possibly play every game for the remainder of the season and Stephen most certainly would get the chance to step into a different class of hockey.

It is difficult to say whether the young net minder will get another chance to crack a line up in the ISL. It is certainly a different situation in the middle of May when resumes of players from around the world arrive with experience at a higher level than the young Scotsman. Newcastle GM Mike O’Connor commented, It is unfortunate that Stephen will not be joining us. Apparently he had a verbal agreement with the club and will now remain in Fife. I am sure that Fife are acting in the best interest of the Club but certainly not the player. The next time some one knocks the Superleague for not bringing British kids through to the top level of ice hockey should be reminded of this case. I hope Stephen gets another shot at the ISL but time will tell.

Out of favour Fife goalie Bill Russell joins the Jesters today on a two week fixed term contract to cover for Jimmy Hibbert who is out for the season. Russell played for the Flyers and owned a 2.3 Goals Against Average and a 92.4% Save percentage from 18 games. Russell is expected to travel to Belfast with the Jesters squad on Thursday along with new defenseman David Craievich.

 

 

 

Hull Thunder confirm new General Manager

17/01/2001

Hull Thunder Ice Hockey Club today confirmed the resignation of General Manager Glenn Meier. After lengthy talks with the club's owner, Darren Brown, Glenn felt that a change of career was beneficial to both parties.

"A great deal has happened over the past 13 months, and I feel that I have reached a point in my life wherein I desire more time with my family. A desire for a family and a career in the legal field outweighs my desire to remain as the club's General Manager.

I have enjoyed my time in Hull and have great admiration for the players, sponsors and supporters in the city. The BNL Directors and the Executive have made my tenure most enjoyable and I also wish them all the success in the future."

Club owner Darren Brown commented, "It saddens me to part company with Glenn. I know that he has worked hard and assisted us greatly with the Thunder Business plan. I can only wish him the best for the future and thank him for his long hours and dedication to the company."

The Thunder Owner also confirmed that Michael Grantham, the UK Sports Group Financial Director, will take over the day-to-day operations of the club.

 

 

Slough Jets release Mark Galazzi

17/01/2001

It was announced today that the Slough Jets had released Mark Galazzi from his contract.

Speaking from the Hangar, Jets player/coach, Joe Stefan said. "Mark has been with the Jets for a few seasons now and he also played in the junior divisions at Slough, he has really contributed both on and off the ice.

Nobody will forget his horrendous injury at the B&H Plate Final in Sheffield last year, but ultimately I have to put the best squad together with the available budget."

He adds, "This really is the down side of coaching, no coach likes to release guys midway through the season, but some changes needed to be made and I'm in the process of recruiting a much needed forward and hope to be releasing something within the next two weeks."

 

 

Due North - Scott Rex to lead Paisley Pirates

17/01/2001

Paisley Pirates have announced their new General Manager as Scott Rex.  Rex, an ex-coach of the Slough Jets and more recently assistant coach of the London Knights takes over at the ailing club with a view to cementing their place in the British National League.

Scott Rex was at the Paisley rink on Saturday night to see the Bison shut-out his new team and will be introduced to the Pirates' supporters at tonight's public meeting.

 

 

Teams rally round for Charity in the British National League

17/01/2001

£8250.00 has just been confirmed as the amount raised by all of the BNL Teams on their Charity Weekend. The BNL are said to be thrilled with this especially as it was ‘year one’ of what will now be a regular annual event.

Nine Teams nominated a local charity and then organised various activities and fund raising ideas at one of their home matches. The total was monitored by the commercial division of the League and then presentations for each Team was set up to hand over the individual cheques.

Lesley Wickham, Commercial Manager for the League said ‘We have 10,000 – 12000 people who come to our games on a weekly basis. Most of the teams already work in partnership with their local charity and it made sense for us as a League to heighten the profile of the Charities and raise money collectively.

It has also been agreed that a further weekend will be nominated from the BNL, as the next fund raising initiative this season 2000/01, this time raising money for the GB National Ice Hockey Teams. The event will reflect the League’s Five Year Plan and help to support our GB players when they go away to represent this Country in Ice Hockey. The BNL are also looking at other ways in which to raise funds for the Teams and will be including a main line sponsor in these plans next season. The belief of the League is to put something back into the sport and to try to make, success within the Sport as accessible to everyone irrespective as to their circumstances. Ensuring that The National Team is perceived as the pinnacle of any players sporting achievement.

 

 

Flyers dumped as Murphy moves on again

15/01/2001

The Newcastle Jesters have secured the services of young Stephen Murphy who had returned home from the Cleveland Barons for the festive period to link up with the GB squad and Newcastle’s David Clarke and Stuart Potts. The Barons decided to use the import slot that Murphy occupied on another player which left the British stand out without a club.

O'Connor commented, I was informed by a few people that Stephen was available and both David Clarke and Stuart Potts thought the young man has a lot of potential and would be the right player to bring in at this stage of the year. We have been looking for a goalie for some time now with injury problems Jimmy has been experiencing and I can tell you there is very little quality out there. Murphy had a fabulous season with Fife last year and deserves the opportunity he has been given for the rest of this season. I know that it has been a difficult decision for him to make particularly because of all the help the Flyers and Mark Morrison have given him but this is a great chance for him to focus on his career at a higher level and stretch his talent. He could be the next Stevie Lyle or Joe Watkins but no one will ever know till he gets the chance at this level.

Murphy is expected to train Monday morning with his new team mates and prepare for the Jesters tough two game road trip to Belfast on Thursday and Friday. Murphy was the stand-out star of the BNL in season 1999/2000 as Flyers swept the boards, winning the league title, a second play-off crown, the Christmas Cup and Scottish Cup. The Glasgow/Dundee trained youngster swept the all-star honours, being named Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, Netminder of The Year and made both All-Star teams. At club level he also swept up the silverware, taking four out of a possible six awards. In summer he headed to America to try his luck, icing first with Omaha Lancers and then Cleveland Barons before returning to the UK during the festive period to link up with Great Britain under-20 squad

 

 

Weekends results

15/01/2001

BNL:

Sat 13/12/2001:
Fife Flyers 5 Edinburgh Capitals 0
Hull Thunder 5 Peterborough Pirates 1
Milton Keynes Kings 3 Guildford Flames 7
Paisley Pirates 0 Basingstoke Bison 9
Slough Jets 2 Coventry Blaze 8

Sun 14/01/2001:
Coventry Blaze 6 Slough Jets 2
Edinburgh Capitals 1 Basingstoke Bison 6
Guildford Flames 5 Hull Thunder 2
Peterborough Pirates 3 Milton Keynes Kings 1

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Blaze lose leader through injury

13/01/2001

Coventry Blaze have lost the services of Steve Chartrand, possibly for the remainder of this season, through a serious facial injury.

Steve was injured when apparently a shot from team mate Michael Knights ricocheted into his face. It was originally thought at the weekend that the damage was only a flesh wound, however Steve has now had an operation during the week to insert a plate into his jaw.  He now looks certain to miss the remainder of this season.

The injury to Chartrand is devastating news for the Blaze and comes just weeks after Craig Chapman departed the Blaze.  Coach Paul Thompson must now look to find a replacement for the influential captain before the 31st January signing deadline.

 

Top netminder returns to Fife

12/01/2001

Stephen Murphy has re-joined Fife Flyers and will make his debut in Saturday's derby against Edinburgh Capitals.

The talented teenager takes over from Bill Russell who has been released.  Murphy (18) returns to the champions who gave him his senior debut in the 1999 Scottish Cup final, and will remain with them for the remainder of the season.

Commented player-coach Mark Morrison: '''When a player of Murphy's quality becomes available you have to make moves, and we're looking forward to welcoming him back.  It's tough on Bill who has come in and done a good job for us in a short period of time, but Murphy, I believe, can backstop this team to the play-offs and honours. He knows the set-up and knows the players.''

Murphy was the stand-out star of the BNL in season 1999/2000 as Flyers swept the boards, winning the league title, a second play-off crown, the Christmas Cup and Scottish Cup.  The Glasgow/Dundee trained youngster swept the all-star honours, being named Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, Netminder Of The Year and made both All-Star teams.

At club level he also swept up the silverware, taking four out of a possible six awards.  In summer he headed to America to try his luck, icing first with Omaha Lancers and then Cleveland Barons before returning to the during the festive period to link up with Great Britain under-20 squad.

Added Morrison: ''He's done as well as anyone could in America. Stephen went out and gave it his best shot, but he's in a tough situation because these teams are only allowed two imports, and Murf is one of them -- and they generally prefer their imports to be flashy goalscorers.

''I'm quite sure he can return again and continue to build on what he has already done.  'Stephen did say if he came back it would be to Fife and he has been as good as his word, and I am delighted to welcome him back.''

 

 

Wednesday's Result

11/01/2001

Wed 10/01/2001

NTL Christmas Cup semi-final 1st leg: 
Guildford Flames 4 Coventry Blaze 1

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Roster changes at Guildford

11/01/2001

Tyrone Miller and Jason Moses have asked to be released from their contracts with the Flames. Their decision has been made on the basis of wishing to explore opportunities elsewhere, as well as suiting personal circumstances, which involve living nearer their families.

Miller and Moses have been inspirational with their contribution to Guildford´s Under 19´s squad, so much so that the Phoenix are unbeaten so far this season.

Stan Marple acted quickly to help fill the void left on the Flames and Phoenix rosters, by signing Forward Neil Adams from the Galaxy Solihull Barons. Adams is well known to Flames Assistant Coach Mike Urquhart, who has coached him during his days with the Great Britain Juniors set up. Adams represented the GB Under 20´s with Moses and Miller, and last season was top scorer in the GB Under 18´s side.

Head Coach and General Manager Stan Marple commented: "We are sorry to be losing two players who have come through our Junior Development Programme and played at GB Under 20 level, but wish them well for the future. Adams is keen to move up to the BNL, and welcomes the chance to come to Guildford. He is a big lad with developing skills and we are pleased to have him on board."

 

 

Pirates new management structure gets league support

09/01/2001

The British National League met with interested parties this weekend in a bid to support the Paisley Pirates and to ensure that the Pirates as a Team remain in for the rest of the season. Plans were put in place to formulate a new management committee of which the League is in full support of and will help on a day-to-day basis.

Gary Stefan, General Manager of the League said, " That it will be business as usual for the Team, our main aim is to ensure that The Pirates as an organisation, can move forward not just for this season but in line with the League's Five Year Plan. Although there has been some changes particularly in recent weeks this should not be seen as a negative for the Team, but as an opportunity to reinvent the possibilities of the Pirates for seasons to come"

Alan Smith, will step down as a Director of the Paisley Pirates this week due to personal reasons. Lesley Wickham, Commercial Manager of the BNL, said "Alan Smith has done a great job whilst being a Director of the Team but due to the pressures of his job has reluctantly decided to resign. We have met with the new Management Team at the Rink and are happy that a positive working relationship has been formed and we can move forward with commercial prospects for sponsorship and partnership agreements. Lex Shields, Chairman of the Supporters Club has played a big part already this season in raising funds for the Team, he will be instrumental in coordinating everything and will be the communication route from the Team to the League".

Paisley Pirates played away to Peterborough Pirates Sunday night, a team who understand the pressures that Paisley are facing at the moment, as they struggled last season and have firmly turned the corner with their Club. As a gesture of goodwill and support, a bucket collection raised over £400. Bill Morrison, Player Coach for Paisley, said, "I was knocked out by the generosity and camaraderie that was shown by another BNL Team. It just goes to show that The League are working as a unit and that on the ice may be fierce at times, but off the ice we're all working towards the same game plan-Thanks to all the Peterborough Pirates for their support and generosity"

Further meetings will take place this week and next to finalise agreements and to ensure that a concerted effort is made over the next six weeks to strengthen the Pirates financial position. By next Wednesday a working party will be in place to support the Team for the future, further details will be given at this point.

 

 

Weekend Results

08/01/2001

Sat 06/01/2001

BNL:
Fife Flyers V Coventry Blaze Postponed
Guildford Flames 6 Edinburgh Capitals 1
Milton Keynes Kings 1 Basingstoke Bison 2
Paisley Pirates 2 Peterborough Pirates 16
Slough Jets 4 Hull Thunder 7

Sun 07/01/2001

BNL:
Basingstoke Bison 4 Fife Flyers 2
Coventry Blaze 12 Edinburgh capitals 2
Guildford Flames 5 Milton Keynes Kings 2
Hull Thunder 3 Slough Jets 5
Peterborough Pirates 11 Paisley Pirates 4

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Debb Carpenter SIGNS FOR HULL

06/01/2001

The 28 year old Canadian played for London in the Super League last season before ending the campaign at Basingstoke where he scored some vital goals as they reached the play-off finals.

Carpenter is a product of the University of Lethbridge coaching scheme and is a former Team Canada player - he joins the Thunder after playing for the San Antonio Iguanas in the Central Hockey League in America earlier this season.

Thunder coach Ron Shudra is delighted to finally get his man and commented. "I've been trying to get him for some time and I'm sure he'll do a great job for us and his signing is a terrific boost for the team going into the final stretch of the season."

Meanwhile Carpenter said. "It's good to be back in England and my job is quite simple - that's to put the puck in the back of the net. Hull have a good team and I'm sure we can do very well and I'm hoping to play my part in that."

 

 

Thursday's Results

05/01/2001

Thu 04/01/2001

BNL: 
Best of British:
 Peterborough Pirates 4 Milton Keynes Kings 10

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Paisley Pirates start restructure

05/01/2001

Paisley Pirates have begun the restructure process decided at the last management meeting for the rest of the season. With this restructure comes the introduction of Pasi Tyyvi who has already shown a valuable contribution to the Team's performance.

Meola and Nelson have been released from the Team this week, which ensures that the Team can be more economically viable going into the last half of the season. The Management of the Team could not elaborate on the reasons behind the move to release the two players for confidentiality reasons, but merely said that the major influencer was down to a gross breach of the Team's misconduct practice.

Alan Smith, Director of the Pirates, commented that, "he was moving towards a game plan decided upon with the British National League and wanted to ensure that Paisley would be accepted into the League for the coming 2001/02 season. We have had a really hard time this season with a lot of issues being blown out of proportion, which have prevented the Club from instigating some of the objectives we needed to, to ensure the financial success of the Club. The Supporter's Club have been marvellous in raising much needed funds for us this season, we now need to consolidate and move towards a successful partnership with the League and our Supporters to ensure the longevity of the Club for the seasons to come. It would be an awful shame if after the problems we have successfully addressed this season, that I am not in a position to apply for membership on behalf of the Club with the League for next season".

 

 

 

Tuesday's Results

03/01/2001

Tue 02/01/2001

BNL:
Edinburgh Capitals 11 Paisley Pirates 5
Peterborough Pirates 2 Guildford Flames 5

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Dumas signs on at the Blaze

02/01/2001

The Coventry Blaze have reacted swiftly to replace departing star Craig Chapman. The gritty centreman was granted his release immediately after Christmas in order that he can take up a position with a team in the USA.

With the Blaze currently sitting top of the British National League, Planet Ice Shield and Mission Best of British Cup, and with the prospect of ntl: Cup semi-finals over the next two weeks, Head Coach Paul Thompson knew that he had to act quickly to find a replacement for the popular Canadian.

"It's an extremely difficult proposition; to find a quality player, half way through a season, with a GB passport stamp, willing to join a team in the UK, and that will fit in with our team." commented Thompson.

Chapman's grit and determination have made him one of the stars of the season so far, but the offer on the table from the American team was one that he could not turn down, particularly as wife, Sam, is expecting their second child. Chapman had established himself as a firm crowd favourite with his dedicated and committed play.

With a worldwide search for a new centreman in full swing the Blaze received an unexpected option when local rivals, Milton Keynes, released Claude Dumas from his contract with the Kings. Dumas had been leading the Kings in scoring and is currently only four points behind the Blaze's own Hilton Ruggles in the scoring race, despite the Kings lowly league position. Dumas, a likeable French Canadian, has been a perennial league scoring title winner in recent years since coming to the UK in 1990. He was drafted by Washington in the NHL entry draft of 1985 and played for Binghampton and Baltimore of the American Hockey League and Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League before accepting an offer to join the Whitley Bay Warriors in the old British Premier League. His career since coming to the UK has taken in Whitley, Sheffield Steelers, Trafford Metros, Cardiff Devils, Telford Tigers, Peterborough Pirates, Hull Thunder and Milton Keynes, and he now joins the high flying Blaze outfit.

The 33 year old has racked up over 2000 points in British Hockey, and will undoubtedly form a fearsome combination with fellow French Canadians, Chartrand and Ruggles. Indeed, this is a combination that will have many hockey fans throughout the country watching with interest. A Chartrand-Dumas combination has long been touted by Blaze fans, and the three together are expected to wreak havoc amongst opposition defences in the New Year. The arrival of Dumas means that the Blaze now have four of the top ten scorers in the BNL so far this season (Ruggles 4th, Dumas 6th, Samuelsson 7th, Chartrand 8th).

"It's an exciting time for us," commented Operations Director Grant Charman, "Claude will not be a true replacement for Chaps, but he will bring a different set of skills and attributes to the team. It may well lead to a change in style for the team overall, but that is in Thommo's hands now.

"We believe that we have made a very sound move to sign a player of undoubted quality, with a proven scoring touch, to enable the Blaze to continue our quest for silverware in our first season here in Coventry."

Thompson added "Adding Claude to our squad brings a great offensive threat. He is, without doubt, one of the most gifted pure goal-scorers ever to play in this country. I think a lot of Coventry fans are going to enjoy the second half of this season!"

Dumas will make his debut for the Blaze on Saturday in the league game at Fife Flyers and will make his first home appearance 24 hours later at the Skydome when the Blaze take on Edinburgh Capitals (Face off 6pm).

 

 

Weekend Results

01/01/2001

Sat 30/12/2000

BNL:
Edindurgh Capitals 5 Hull Thunder 8
Fife Flyers 17 Paisley Pirates 1
Guilford Flames 1 Coventry Blaze1 2 (OT)
Milton Keynes Kings 4 Slough Jets 6

Christmas Cup - Group game: 
Basingstoke Bison 2 Peterborough Pirates 3

Sun 31/12/2000:

BNL:
Paisley Pirates 3 Fife Flyers 15

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Weekend Match Previews

30/12/2000

Heading towards the New Year and another weekend of Ice Hockey action, with all but one of the games being played on Saturday.

Slough Jets travel up the M1 to take on Milton Keynes Kings in a League match on Saturday. The two teams have met 3 times so far this season with Milton Keynes having won 2 of those games. Whilst a win will not make a dramatic difference to the tables, it will determine whether Slough retain their 7th position or swap it with 8th place Milton Keynes, as Slough are just 1 point ahead with a one-game advantage.

All of the matches this weekend are League games with the exception of Peterborough Pirates, who travel down to play Basingstoke Bison in an NTL Christmas Cup match. Peterborough cannot now catch Coventry Blaze who have won all of their games in this Championship. Basingstoke have had a disastrous time, winning only 1 game in 5 and destined to stay at the bottom of the table regardless of the result against Peterborough on Saturday.

The much-improved Edinburgh Capitals play host to Hull Thunder in a league game on Saturday. If Hull should win, it will put them back up amongst the leaders in the League table as there are currently 3 teams just 1 point ahead of Hull. 2 of those teams are Basingstoke & Peterborough who are playing an NTL match, giving Hull the opportunity to climb up the table.

League Leaders Coventry Blaze travel down to take on 3rd place Guildford Flames. The two teams are separated in the League table by Fife Flyers who are 3 points ahead of Guildford but have played 3 more games. Guildford will still be without Chris Crombie out recovering from a wrist operation and Barcley Pearce who is still suffering from an eye injury.

In what seems a weekly occurrence, Fife Flyers entertain Paisley Pirates for their seventh clash this season, this time in a League match – the only match being played on Sunday. Paisley have yet to notch up a victory against the Flyers who after a sticky start have won every game since the 5th of November, apart from the surprise defeat at the hands of the Edinburgh Capitals earlier this month. Paisley also showed improvement this week, putting 6 goals past Edinburgh on Tuesday. Face off for the Paisley v Fife game is at 15:00.

 

 

Christmas Results

29/12/2000

Thu 28/12/2000: 

BNL: 
Coventry Blaze 2 Basingstoke Bison 4, 

Christmas Cup Group game:
 Milton Keynes Kings 4 Guildford flames 8

Wed 27/12/2000: 

Challenge match: 
Slough Jets 5 GB U20s 4

Tue 26/12/2000: 

BNL: 

Christmas Cup - Group game: 
Paisley Pirates 6 Edinburgh Capitals 8

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Weekend's Results

24/12/2000

Sat 23/12/2000: 

BNL: 

Christmas Cup - Group games: 
Coventry Blaze 5 Basingstoke Bison 0
Fife Flyers 7 Paisley Pirates 1
Peterborough Pirates 7 Hull Thunder 3
Slough Jets 3 Milton Keynes Kings 4

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All Star Result

23/12/2000

Fri 22/12/2000: 

A real Christmas event for the fans in attendance who were treated to first class, skilful hockey, and off ice entertainment, which included a live band, clowns, stilt walkers, baloon modellers, and also the on ice skills and wacky mascot race!

At the end of the first period the scores were tied at one a piece. The All Star festivities started with the All Star skills challenge. The ISL has the fastest skater as Belfast Kory Karlander was able to get around the rink in just 13.11 seconds, whilst the BNL team won the hardest slapshot Todd Dutiaume with a bullet of 133 kph.

The first period was very relaxed and it took 'til the 12th minute before the ISL managed to test BNL goalie Mark McArthur when he made a great glove save. The ISL opened the scoring at 17.16 when David Longstaff used his hands to beat the defenceman and then laser a pass on P.C.Drouin's stick, who beat McArthur with ease.

The ISL had further chances but Chasse and Brown couldn't finish. The BNL got on the scoreboard with just 0.2 seconds left, a mistake by Manchester Storm winger Bullock allowed Ruggles and Dumas to combine for Karry Biette to fire home form close range.

The second period belonged to the BNL who scored three goals before the ISL were able to respond. Mike O'Neil was forced into a good save, but the rebound allowed Joe Stefan to fire into the roof of the net to make it 2-1. Then at 27.40 Shaun Jonnson scored the BNL's third with a slapshot.

Both teams changed their goalies around the thirty minute mark. Trevor Robins first job was to save from Hilton Ruggles who was through 1 on 0. The BNL scored the fourth at 34.40 Chartrand and Ruggles combined to feed Dumas who finished easily.

The ISL team finally woke up with just 30 second remaining in the period when David Longstaff feed the puck accross the top of the crease for Denis Chasse to tap into the empty net.

The ISL got on the board quickly in the third when Ed Courtenay was able to finish from close range. After that it was all BNL, who scored two more, the first was when Trevor Robins tried to clear the puck only to have the puck stolen Todd Dutiaume who finished into an empty net. Claude Dumas made it 6 at 51.32 with his second of the night.

The BNL were backstopped to victory by man of the match Pasi Raitenen who performed heroics in the last 20 minutes to enable a suprise, but well deserved victory for the BNL.

ISL Goals:
Drouin/Longstaff 17.16
Chasse/Longstaff/Arkiomaa 39.30
Courtenay/Chasse/Paek 40.29

BNL Goals:
Biette/Dumas/Ruggles 19.59
Hough/Cotton 27.01
Jonnson/Dutiaume/Dailey 28.40
Dumas/Chartrand/Ruggles 34.40
Dutiaume 46.52
Dumas/Chartrand/Ruggles 51.32

SOG:
ISL O'Neill - 15
Robins - 12
BNL
McArthur - 19
Raitenen - 29

No penalties

 

 

Weekend Match Previews

23/12/2000

Basingstoke Bison travel to the Skydome to take on Coventry Blaze. Basingstoke has yet to come alive in this competition being bottom of the group with just 1 win in three games with Dru Burgess & Brian Mason still out through injuries.

Coventry remain top of every current competition group they are playing in, despite being caught napping last weekend and being defeated 4-1 in their own rink by the Peterborough Pirates.

Peterborough Pirates are also at home, playing Hull Thunder. Peterborough is 2nd in their group, 3 points behind Coventry but with a game in hand. Hull Thunder continue to be hit by injury with Tommy Plommer and Rob McCaig still out and Player/Coach Ron Shudra doubtful with a groin injury. Ron said “….We will be up for the game and ready to do battle.”

Paisley Pirates clash for the sixth time this season with Fife Flyers. Despite showing utmost determination, Paisley have yet to notch a victory against Fife, (who this weekend will be without Mark Morrison) and despite being The season of good-will to all men, Paisley Pirates will take no prisoners when they visit Kircaldy on Saturday. Fife Flyers are equal top of their NTL group with Edinburgh Capitals, although Fife are narrowly ahead with a mere 1-goal advantage.

As Edinburgh Capitals are not playing this weekend, it gives Fife Flyers the opportunity to pull ahead in the group if they beat Paisley Pirates, although Edinburgh will be travelling to Paisley on Boxing Day to take on the Pirates.

Top of the NTL Southern Group Guildford Flames also get this weekend off with their next scheduled game on the 28th against Milton Keynes Kings. The Kings will be playing Slough Jets at the Jets home rink, The Hangar. Both teams will be trying to catch up with Guildford who are currently 4 points clear of their nearest contender. Slough Jets, who suffered a double defeat at the hands of Guildford last weekend, are looking to get 2 points in the bag from The Kings who also lost last weekend at the hands of Fife Flyers.

 

 

 

NSPCC ALL STAR CHALLENGE PREVIEW

22/12/2000

FRIDAY 22ND DECEMBER, AT THE NATIONAL ICE CENTRE, NOTTINGHAM.

Superleague All-Stars v British National League All-Stars

The third Superleague All-Star Game features an inter-league clash for the first time between the Superleague and the British National League. Previous formats have seen a Superleague North v South fixture in 1998/99 and host Club (Sheffield Steelers) v the Superleague All-Stars last season.

No Superleague team has ever lost to a British National League side in competitive play although there has been the odd scalp taken in pre-season ‘friendly’ contests, therefore the ISL stars cannot afford to be complacent! Competition between the clubs from the two leagues is restricted to the Benson & Hedges Cup and this season in two Challenge Round clashes, Newcastle Jesters beat BNL Champions Fife Flyers and Bracknell Bees won at Guildford against the Flames. The overall record for inter-league competition reads 84 games, Superleague 81 wins with 3 games drawn.

The Superleague All-Star team is crammed with it’s top players including the joint leading points scorers this season from Manchester Storm - Greg Bullock and Kevin Brown. Greg also leads the league with 16 goals and 7 power play goals. Others stars include; last season’s Player of the Year, Ed Courtenay, who has 10 points in his last 5 games as Ayr Scottish Eagles re-write their club record book after their outstanding recent revival; Sheffield Steelers Newcastle-born forward David Longstaff, who was the top points scorer in this season’s Benson & Hedges Cup and recently became the first British born and trained player to score 50 career Superleague goals. Goalkeeper Trevor Robins, now with London Knights, returns to Nottingham where he began his ISL career with a shut-out on his debut for the Panthers in 1996. He has played in more Superleague games than any other puck-stopper and his leading 3 shut-outs this season take his ISL career total to 10. Many of the ISL stars have experience at the highest level in the National Hockey League including Sheffield skipper Dennis Vial and goalkeeper Mike O’Neill. Nottingham’s Korean-born defenceman Jimmy Paek played over 200 games at the highest level, and was a team-mate of the younger brother of the London Knights ISL All-Star coach, Chris McSorley, when icing for Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

The BNL side includes a number of former ISL stars such as Doug McEwen, who was a member of the Cardiff Devils sides that won the Superleague in its’ first season in 1996/97 and the Sekonda Superleague Championship Play-offs in 1998, before moving to Peterborough in 1998. Hilton Ruggles was a member of the Newcastle losing side in last Spring’s Play-offs before moving to BNL newcomers Coventry Blaze.

Past Superleague All-Star games
1998/99 North All-Stars 5-5 South All-Stars (North won on penalty shots at the London Arena)
1999/00 Sheffield Steelers 7-2 ISL All-Stars (at Sheffield Arena)

 

 

CHANGES MADE TO BNL ALL STAR LINE-UP

21/12/2000

Fans will be disappointed to learn that the BNL have been forced to make more changes to their line-up for the NSPCC All Star Challenge, which takes place on Friday night (22nd December) at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.

Scott Campbell, Russell Monteith and Stephen Foster will not take part in the game. Stephen Foster has been replaced by fans favourite, Peterborough Pirates netminder, Pasi Raitanen.

 

 

Wednesday's RESULT

21/12/2000

TUE 20/12/2000

BNL: 

Planet Ice Shield:
Coventry Blaze 7  I.O.Wight 1

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BNL Team News

21/12/2000

Milton Keynes Kings 
announced today that Claude Dumas has been released from his contract.

"This was a difficult decision to make", said CEO Mike Darnell, "we have operated for a few weeks with an extra import and this has put a strain on our finances which could not continue, recently our results have been inconsistent and last Saturday's game was particularly disappointing. Losing a game in the last period after being the better team for the first two periods was a bitter pill to swallow for us all. We need to make changes and this is the first, there may be others to follow, we must be stronger defensively and we are looking for ways to achieve this. Whilst Claude was a high points scorer, this has not been converted into games won, I don't believe we have a problem scoring goals, we have gained Steve Smillie who is also a prolific scorer, but we need to concentrate on winning games not individual points tallies. We also need to control our finances, with Christmas crowds down by around 200 per game so far in December, so a reduction in wage costs was also necessary.

"We will regroup both on and off the ice, we will have to work hard off ice to win more supporters, however, our on ice results have to be improved to provide the foundation for building our support base.

Paisley Pirates
 import Rob Churcher has failed to return from Canada after going home with Matt Hampton for last weekend. This comes as a blow to the team who were expecting to have another extra import in place for this weekends Xmas Cup campaign, and have ended up with one less. Bill Morrison has been desperately trying to find another import to be in place this week, but hasn't yet found the player he wants

 

 

Tuesday's RESULT

20/12/2000

MON 19/12/2000

BNL: 

Christmas Cup - Group game:
 Basingstoke Bison 1 Hull Thunder 2.

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Forward lines strengthened with new signing

20/12/2000

Slough Jets Ice Hockey Club Ltd have today announced the signing of Norman Pinnington for the remainder of the 2000/01 season.  Pinnington helped out the squad at the weekend and has since accepted a deal to keep him at Slough.

Jets Player/Coach Joe Stefan said of the signing; "Norm will be an excellent signing for us, his hard work ethic and physical presence means that he will become a firm fan favourite pretty quickly.

Norm isn't the goal-scorer that we're looking for, but he will create some chances with his hard fore-checking and physical play. When we have a full line up, after the holidays, I think that we will see a bit of change as Norm will add some much needed zest up front."

Pinnington originally came to the Jets to help out with the injury crisis after being released from the reformed Solihull Barons.  His list of previous clubs include Bracknell, Telford, Kingston and Milton Keynes.

On his plans to further strengthen the squad Stefan added;  "We are still looking for that elusive goal scorer, but who knows, maybe Santa Claus can help us with this!!"

 

 

Two Referee System

19/12/2000

PRESS RELEASE
All Star Game will trial `Two referee system’


The NSPCC All Star Challenge, which is taking place at the National Ice Centre, Nottingham, on Friday 22nd
December 2000, has been selected as the first Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) game ever to use the two referee system.

At present, one referee and two linesmen are used to officiate in all ISL competitive games. The two man referee system is currently in operation in the National Hockey League (NHL), but has not yet been used anywhere in the European game.

The referees for the All Star Challenge will be Simon Kirkham and Dave Cloutman, with Simon Norcott and John Kerry selected as linesmen for the match. Ice Hockey Superleague’s Officials Manager, John Moore, commented. “I feel this is an ideal situation in which to experiment to see how the system could work. All Star games are usually centred around skill, thus not many penalties are called, but nevertheless, we can still gain a feel of how the system may operate and all officials involved are really looking forward to working this game.

“There is little likelihood of this being implemented in the ISL in the near future, but it does allow us the luxury to experiment and evaluate the benefits of such a system, “ he added.

 

 

Weekend RESULTS

18/12/2000

SUN 17/12/2000:

BNL: 
Basingstoke Bison 5 Hull Thunder 2

Christmas Cup - Group games: 
Edinburgh Capitals 10 Paisley Pirates 3
Guildford Flames 4 Slough Jets 0
Peterborough Pirates 3 Coventry Blaze 9

SAT 16/12/2000:

BNL: 
Milton Keynes Kings 6 Hull Thunder 8

Christmas Cup - Group games: 
Coventry Blaze 1 Peterborough Pirates 4
Paisley Pirates 2 Fife Flyers 10
Slough Jets 1 Guildford Flames 7

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Midweek RESULTS

14/12/2000

Wednesday 13/12/2000: 

Best of British - Southern Section: 
Guildford Flames 5 Slough Jets 0

 Tuesday 12/12/2000: 

Planet Ice Shield: 
Coventry Blaze 7 Milton Keynes Kings 1

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Joe Stefan Called up

14/12/2000

Slough Jets Player/Coach included in BNL All-stars

Slough Jets Player/Coach Joe Stefan has today been named in the British National Ice Hockey League All Star team which will play against the Superleague All Stars in the NSPCC Challenge.

Speaking on his inclusion, Joe Stefan said; "I'm very surprised to be included in the squad as I haven't played to my best so far this season.  I believe there are other guys that should have been picked before me but I  will go out and do my best to represent the Slough Jets and hopefully do myself justice".

The Slough Jets are delighted at the inclusion of their front man in the squad.  By his own extremely high standards Joe has not had the best of seasons but General Manager Pauline Rost said; "The club are honoured to have Joe added to the squad alongside Jason Dailey."

Stefan joins Jet colleague Jason Dailey on the team for the game at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham on the 22nd December.  The evening's entertainment starts at 5.30pm. In addition to the many give-aways, competitions, circus artists, autograph signing sessions and face painting taking place throughout the evening, the ISL and the BNL will battle it out in on-ice skills competitions and the All Star Game itself, which begins at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased from the National Ice Centre Box Office on 0115 853 3000 or 0115 989 5555.

 

 

Bison the most successful ever Plate Champions

11/12/2000

Basingstoke Bison 3 Guildford Flames 2

At 4.17 today the Basingstoke Bison became the most successful club in the history of the plate competition as they beat the Guildford Flames to lift their second plate.  Goals from Joe Baird and Jeff Daneils gave the Bison a two goal lead before Rick Plant and Wayne Crawford leveled the score. Rich Little provided the Bison's game winning goal at 54.18 to retain the title for Basingstoke.

 

 

Weekends Results

11/12/2000

Sat 09/12/2000

Benson & Hedges Plate final:
Guildford Flames 2 Basingstoke Bison 3 (Played at Sheffield Arena)

NTL Christmas Cup:
 Group A:
Fife Flyers 5 Edinburgh Capitals 0

 Group B:
Hull Thunder 2 Peterborough Pirates 1 (OT),

Group C:
Milton Keynes Kings 8 Slough Jets 1


Sun 10/12/2000:

 NTL Christmas Cup:
Group A:
Edinburgh Capitals 5 Fife Flyers 1

 Group B:
Coventry Blaze 5 Hull Thunder 2
Peterborough Pirates 10 Basingstoke Bison 4

Group C:
Guildford Flames 6 Milton Keynes Kings 3

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Weekend Preview

08/12/2000

SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER:

 Benson & Hedges Plate Fianal:
The rest of the weekend is almost shadowed by the Benson & Hedges final at Sheffield Arena between old rivals Guildford Flames & Basingstoke Bison. In terms of victories in past matches Guildford Flames have the edge, although Basingstoke’s chances are hampered with the loss of Brian Mason out with broken ribs after the serious car accident 2 weeks ago – also Dru Burgess – a major force of the Basingstoke Bison is likely to be out with injuries. Guildford Flames are unlikely to be fielding a full squad either, with Chris Crombie still out following his wrist operation. Face off at Sheffield is at 14:00.

NTL Christmas Cup:
In the rest of the BNL it is a weekend of NTL Christmas Cup matches. Fife Flyers take on the Edinburgh Capitals at Kircaldy on Saturday. Fife had a slow start to the season but now are turning up the power – this is evident having two of the top four goal scorers in the side; scoring 41 goals between the two of them! Edinburgh Capitals have had an unfortunate run of playing some of the strongest teams and coming out second best, although this has not stopped their enthusiasm or efforts. Sunday the two teams meet again at Murrayfield.

Hull Thunder have a tough weekend too against Peterborough Pirates on Saturday and Coventry Blaze on Sunday. Hull will be missing key player Tommy Plommer for at least six weeks with a broken thumb and are looking around for replacements this week. Peterborough Pirates are also a Team plagued with injuries after a broken collarbone meant Russell Coleman recently joined Dwayne Newman and Darren Cotton on the Peterborough injured list. Hull Thunder travel to the Skydome on Sunday to face what seems to be the unstoppable Coventry Blaze in their 1 game this weekend, although this season, Hull have already stolen 1 game off them from the 2 meetings they have had. In the NTL Christmas Cup Tables, Coventry Blaze are top of their group with 2 wins from 2 games, whilst Hull Thunder have lost one and had an overtime loss in the other, making a 3-point gap between the two Teams. Hull Thunder’s coach Ron Shudra said “..It won't be easy by any means but what game is these days ? If we play as well as we can then I'm confident that we can get a result in their barn”

SUNDAY 10TH DECEMBER 

NTL Christmas Cup:
Peterborough Pirates play at home to what will be an either jubilant or saddened Basingstoke Bison, depending on the result of their Benson & Hedges Final clash the day before. Either way, Peterborough Pirates are going for a 4-point weekend to ensure their first games in the NTL Christmas Cup send them up the Table, as their occupancy of the bottom slot is only because of having yet to play a game.

Milton Keynes Kings are at home to Slough Jets on Saturday. After last weekend against Fife Flyers eager for points, MK came away with nothing and will be aiming to rectify that this weekend. They’re, facing Slough Jets who last weekend had their first 4-point weekend of the season and are equally as determined to get maximum points this weekend. As this is the Slough Jets only weekend game, Milton Keynes look to face the full force of the Jets, despite being without Nick Cross, out with a broken ankle and Matt Foord with a broken wrist. Both Teams have everything to prove with not one game in their group having been played yet. The third Team in their group is Guildford Flames, who, like Basingstoke, will be on top of the world or nursing the wounds of defeat after the B&H Final on Saturday. Guildford’s bonus is that their match against Milton Keynes Kings will be at the Spectrum in Surrey – in front of a notoriously strong field of supporters.

 

Update on Charlie Colon and Brian Mason

28/11/2000

The latest news about Brian Mason and Charlie Colon is looking more positive today. Although Brian has three broken ribs, he has now been released from hospital to recuperate at home. The early estimate is that Brian will not be able to return to the ice for 4 to 6 weeks.

There were some concerns with Chuck, about possible neck injuries, but after a CT scan, thankfully it seems there are no broken bones. Charlie indeed has started to worry again about Bison matters, a good sign he is on the mend, although he remains in hospital for the time being, for further checks.
Mark Johnson of Planet Ice would like to convey thanks, on behalf of Charlie and Brian, for all the well wishes conveyed to them by telephone, card, e-mails and on the internet, they are all very much appreciated.

Just to complete the story, none of the three occupants in the foreign car involved in the accident has sustained serious injury… a lucky escape for all concerned!

 

Ex-Jets injured in car crash

26/11/2000

Late Thursday Evening, Basingstoke Bison Coach Charlie 'Chuck' Colon and player Brian Mason were involved in a serious car accident.

Early reports state that a car driven by a foreign driver was travelling on the wrong side of the road and collided with the car being driven by Charlie.

It is understood that Charlie may have suffered bone damage in his neck and Brian has several broken ribs - this information has yet to be confirmed by the hospital.

The update at 4.45 on Friday wis that Charlie has damage to his neck but has full movement in all his limbs - X-Rays and test will be carried out once the swelling goes down.  Brian does NOT have kidney damage as was first suspected, but does have broken ribs.

Both guys will be detained in Hospital for at least a few days.

Charlie has been diagnosed with a broken collar bone and is hopefully to be released either Sunday or Monday and that Brian has been released suffering with broken ribs.

 

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