EHM The Blue Line

Calv wrote:North Hampshire, he also set the record for Game winning goals whilst he was there

Phoenix feel the draught

25/ 8/2007

PHOENIX have been left in the lurch after their final signing of the summer pulled out at the last minute.

Coach Tony Hand was all set to announce the capture of a top-class offensive forward when the player did a U-turn and decided to stay at home.

"Everything was done," said Hand. "The contract was signed, the passport details were in place and the work permit was approved and then he phoned me up and said he had decided to stay at home.

"I'm not going to name the guy but it has caused us a few problems. I had stopped looking and there were a few guys I had offers out to who have now got fixed up.

"But these things happen and I'm not too worried about it. In fact it is better that something like this happens now rather than halfway through the season like last year when we lost Ryan Watson.

"We have started looking again and have a few offers out."

The squad are arriving back this weekend and there is a Meet the Players night for fans at the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham tomorrow night (7pm).

The bmibaby Elite league season gets underway on September 8 when Phoenix travel to Nottingham.

Before then they have two warm-up games against Sheffield Steelers in Yorkshire next Saturday and in Altrincham the following night.

Hand makes case for defence
Chris Brierley
28/ 8/2007

SUCCESS for Manchester Phoenix will be based firmly on defence this season.

That's the view of player coach Tony Hand who showed off his new line-up to Phoenix fans at the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham on Sunday night.

"I wanted to improve in that area after last season and I think you will see the difference in the players I have signed this summer," said Hand.

"We will be stronger in that department this time round and that's no disrespect to last season's players."

To start with Hand retained the services of Scott Basiuk - confirmed as captain once again - and his defensive partner Simon Mangos to keep some continuity on the blueline.

Then he has added two players with a solid pedigree and experience in the world's top league, the NHL.

Netminder Scott Fankhouser was drafted by St Louis Blues and played 23 games for Atlanta Thrashers.

Tougness

Jeff MacMillan played four times in the NHL and will bring leadership and toughness to the blueline.

Omar Ennaffati has a Hungarian mother and a Morrocan father but was born and raised in Toronto and is another quality player who make the Phoenix defence a tough one to crack.

There is still some work to be done up front with Hand saying: "We thought we had our final forward place filled but the guy decided he wanted to stay at home.

"That caused us a few problems but hopefully we will have someone signed up in the next few days.

"Once we do have the guy signed up it will take a few days to bring him in but we will be OK."

The team will have a distinctly Canadian flavour this season with Brett Clouthier and KC Timmons returning from last season and Brian Passmore - a Minnesota Wild draft pick - and Sean Starke arriving at Altrincham.

Hand - who turned 40 this month - leads the six strong British contingent and is likely to be as influential as ever in what could be his last season as a player.

Strides

"This season could be my last," he confirmed. "We are a new club, only a year old really, and we are trying to develop British players. Hopefully we will be successful in that and then I can take a back-seat and concentrate more on the coaching side of things."

Young Scot Adam Walker also returns from last season hoping to improve on the massive strides he made last year. Matt Rich is also back but won't feature for a month or two after contracting salmonella poisoning while on holiday.

Local lad Aran Fox is the back-up netminder while Davey Graham will bolster the blue line. Rhys McWilliams and Nick Whyatt complete the line-up.

Phoenix also have a new name on their back-room team in former Army physical training instructor Stuart Ness as physiotherapist.

Stuart served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq and specialises in back and spinal injuries.

Phoenix players have two weeks to get to know each other before the bmi baby Elite League faces off on September 8.

Before that Phoenix are in action twice against Sheffield Steelers next weekend - in Yorkshire on Saturday and Altrincham the following night.

"It's going to take a bit of time because you don't just hit the ground running," said Hand.

"But we are back a week before we were last season practising in our own rink so we will be much better prepared."

PHOENIX fans can watch their team on Channel M when the first of a weekly magazine programme starts next Tuesday.

"The first clash of the season between the GMB Nottingham Panthers and arch-rivals Sheffield has been brought forward. The match scheduled for mid-November (17th) will now face off on the evening of Wednesday September 12th.

The reasons for the change will become clear over the next few days with an exciting announcement for all British ice hockey fans. Tickets for the game in Sheffield are going on sale straight away."

Ice Hockey returns to Sky

Thursday, 30th August 2007
The first programme on Thursday September 13th will feature a tasty opener to the new ice hockey schedule as the Liberata Sheffield Steelers will play host to their arch-rivals the GMB Nottingham Panthers. If you've got Sky then take your places on the settee at 5.00pm for the return of top-flight British Ice Hockey to television.