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Welcome to the latest Lightning Talks podcast brought to you by Lightning TV.
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I'm Mike and I'm joined by Harrison today.
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Harrison, how are you, mate?
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Doing alright, thank you yourself.
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Yeah, pretty, pretty good.
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Only a couple of days away now for the start of preseason.
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I think the summer's gone fairly quickly.
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I don't know about you, you might have been counting down the days and the minutes, but uh yeah, for me it's flown by.
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Yeah, I mean you've got a bit of a different scenario having a child as well.
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So, whereas, I mean, I've just been every day pretty much preparing stats for seasons, so it's been quite quick, but also quite slow at the same time.
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That's a good disclaimer Harrison has all the knowledge, and I'm pretty much just gonna try and remember who I am for the sake of this.
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But uh, this is the first one ahead of the preseason games against the Rostock Piranhas.
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Now, the format for these will be this will be weekly, and in this segment, we'll normally be talking about the previous weekend's matches, having a bit of a review of what's happened there.
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We then will then have an interview with somebody.
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We have got an interview, so we'll be chatting to assistant coach Lewis Christie coming up as well.
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But as there wasn't a previous week's game on this one, the last game was way back at the beginning of April.
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We're not going to be doing that.
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So for this format for today's episode, we're going to be going through the lightning roster, then we'll be having a bit of an interview, and then we'll do a bit of a preview of the upcoming weekend's games against the piranhas.
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Does that sound good with you, Harrison?
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Sounds great to me.
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Perfect.
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I know uh Aaron in a previous episode did go through with Pete Russell with some of the squads and talk through some of the signings.
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We're gonna go through them as well and just do a review because there has been an a new player arriving since that podcast with Aaron and Pete and Tom.
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Uh but we'll follow Aaron's format because it was a very logical format to do.
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So we'll go through in the position order.
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So we'll start at the back and we'll talk about the two netminders.
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And Harrison, do you want to tell us about who the tandem will be?
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Because Pete did stress on this, it's not a starter and a backup, it's very much a 1A and a 1B.
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I think is probably the fairest way to describe the tandem for this upcoming season.
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Yeah, I think it's uh I think it probably is going to be a 1A and 1B.
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I mean, you look at the standards of the netminders, we'll start off, we'll mention the one that most will be familiar with, Jordan Headley.
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Um, 10th season at MKL this year.
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So that's a a milestone that I'm sure there'll be a testimonial at some point uh for him.
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And it'll be quite new for him.
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So in the NIHL, he's never really he's never had the uh non-bitish non-British trained netminder to compete with.
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So this is gonna be an interesting season for Jordan Headley.
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Um, but last season, if we look at his stats, 90.03 save percentage last season in the league, played over two and a half thousand minutes.
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It's one of the highest minutes that he's logged in a season for Lightning.
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So I think he's he's on it's on he's on track.
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He's gonna have a good season this season because he's got that competition, and also last season was quite a good one for him.
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I was gonna say the heads faced a lot of shots last season as well.
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He he did he did uh, I think he was averaging was over 30 shots a game, possibly even more than last season.
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So he definitely had to be called upon.
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The fact that he's still posted over a 90% uh save percentage just shows uh what a solid dependable keeper he is.
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GB experience as well for heads, and as you say, his 10th season, he came through for junior setup here.
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He was a fan in the stands as well, so he's he's that role model netminder that a lot of uh youngsters and a lot of young goalies in Milton Kings need to look for.
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He's probably the best netminder that's come through the MK uh Academy, in my opinion.
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There's been a few other good shouts that have come through as well over the years, but Heads has gone up to play the elite league, he's played for his country.
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Uh he's put in very impressive numbers there, and also as well, congratulations to Jordan Jordan as well over the summer with uh his uh baby daughter Heidi as well.
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So uh a nice addition uh to the family there.
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I imagine he I can empathise with the sleepless nights he's probably had as well.
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So uh I hope he's uh getting better sleep than I've I've been over the uh over the summer.
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Yeah, I can imagine that that's not been fun.
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But also, yeah, I suppose that we'll go on to the other netminder now, Jared Whale.
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Um, it'll be good for Jordan to have that sort of ability to know that he can rest if he needs to.
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And someone with of Jared Whale's quality coming in, NCAA netminder, obviously only played three games last season uh due to injuries, but it's the first import netminder for MKL in the NIHO era, and he's also the youngest non-British trained player in the league, so there's gonna be a bit of hunger in that as well.
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Definitely, and and obviously he had had the injury over last season, so was able to get many minutes.
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I know he'll be desperate to get onto the ice again and between the pipes, but he'll he'll learn a lot, I think, off of heads as well.
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So I think we've got a very good solid net mining tandem there, and he's played against some very good players, and that the NCAA Div one is a very, very high standard.
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And we've seen quite a few of these guys have come over to the UK from playing in college hockey in America and Canada, and they've put up some big numbers, they're putting some impressive performances, still young as well, so still wanting to learn, improve their game, and I think it'll be a great addition.
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And he knows a couple of the guys already.
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I know he said in his interviews as well, he's been in the uh the player WhatsApp a bit as well, and I believe he's uh he likes his golf as well, so I think he'll be fine as well with a lot of the lightning team as well.
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So uh good addition.
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I think a lot of a lot of fans are quite excited to see him play as well.
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As uh there's high potential from him.
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Oh, for sure.
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And I mean, as you said, the NCAA is a very good league, and you've got to look at the fact that a lot of NHL players start in the NCAA, they come through that setup and go through the college hockey, and then they end up in the ECHO, AHL, and so make it to the NHL.
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So it's no it's no small feat playing in the NCAA, especially the top division.
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And he recorded 65 games in the NCAA and an 89.7% save percentage with less than three goals against per game.
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That is no mean feat in the NCAA at all.
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Very impressive numbers, and I mean I think there's you look across the league, there's impressive netminders there.
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I think there's some solid netminders in every team.
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I think it be I think we'll be sport for choice this season in the NIHL with in the goaltending department.
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Um but I think we'll we'll just need to mention as well uh outgoing netminder as well, though.
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Uh Will Curlin, who's going off to join the the Bristol Pitbulls.
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And Will again, like Jordan, was a Lightning fan, came through the the youth setup in Milton Keynes as well.
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And he made some tremendous saves and performances for the Lightning, especially when he had to cover in for Jordan a couple of years back.
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Uh when Head's got that nasty injury down in Slough.
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Will stepped up and helped for T, but he stepped up as well in the playoffs uh season before last as well.
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And we wish Will the very best as he goes back to Bristol because he did join the Lightning from the from the Pitbulls originally.
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And I think that experience I think will put him in good stead down at the pound.
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Oh, absolutely, for sure.
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I mean he was well loved at Lightning as well, the energy that he brought in the locker room as well as uh at awards nights, if uh those that were there have seen.
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Um, but yeah, absolutely nothing but the best for for Will Curling, and I'm sure that the experience he's gained from Lightning the last three seasons are gonna do him incredibly well going down to to Bristol to battle it out with Ben Norton to be their number one.
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Brilliant, and so we'll we'll move on for from the netminders and we'll go to the defence corps and we'll go through the returnees and the new signings on the on the Brit Corps on Decor, but all Brits, all Brits, no no uh non-EIHA or uh Scottish Ice Hockey Association trained uh players there that all all British trained, and I think that was something deliberate what Pete said in his interviews as well that he wanted a a young Brit decor.
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Oh, he certainly did, and there was never any real doubt that he wasn't going to go for uh non-British trained defencemen.
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And you can see with the defencemen that Lightning assigned, and we're obviously about to go through them, that there's a mix of a lot of experience in there, as well as a lot of hunger and that youth that Pete wants to bring to this Lightning side.
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He wants to bring that youth, he wants to bring that excitement, and he wants to bring these players to the next step of their journey.
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And there's a few of them that we'll go through that are certainly making that next step for sure.
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Yeah, uh so we'll go.
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Should we go through number order and do them all, or should we do uh new starters and then do return and then go on to uh uh do signs and then do returnees, or vice versa?
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Let's go number order, mainly because it's in order for me.
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Fair enough.
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Make it easier for you, mate.
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Make it easier for you.
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Makes it easier, um, but yeah, we'll start with the number three, new signing, Jake Haywood.
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Um, Coventry youth player, so accustomed to British game.
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Um, he did make some appearances for the Blaze NIHL side in 21-22 before moving to Canada for two years in the OHA and then moving to the US for the USPHL.
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So, USPHL, a lot of young players have come from that league back to the UK.
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If you think about the Osborne, they came from the USPHL as well.
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So, you've got some players there that they're putting up good points and then they're coming back over, and they're coming back over hungry.
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And Jake Hayward's one that I think people might sleep on, but he's on a two-way with Coventry Blaze for a reason, and he also got called up to GB in February.
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You don't just get called up to GB for no reason.
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And Pete said in his interview a few weeks ago that he liked what he saw from Jake Hayward, and he ended up getting a lot of minutes for GB in that tournament in Edinburgh.
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So there's there's a player in there, and having seen him a couple times at training as well, he's gonna be very good, I think, then for the next season.
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Definitely, and uh we chatted to Jake a few weeks back as well.
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Really, really nice lad.
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You could tell he's got that hunger and desire to play, kind of local as well, just up the road in Daventry as well.
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So I think he'll be very popular.
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Uh, provided, of course, he doesn't do the business with he gets called up to Coventry, and we have maybe another situation when we had David Clements as well, uh, a few years back when he was originally the two-way, and then his performances for the Blazers impressed Blaise so much he ended up making the jump up.
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I'm speaking selfish a bit selfishly here, but very, very talented player.
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And as you say, he played the GB under 20s in January and then got instantly called up for the senior squad as well, and he didn't make the numbers up there.
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He put in serious minutes.
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Really looking forward to see Jake on the ice, and I I think he'll I think I think he'll be very popular with with the fans here in MK because he's got a very high work and compete rate.
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Oh, for sure.
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And he's got a lot of players that he can work with as well that are either play young players that are on that same sort of path to the next step in their hockey career, or you've got the players with the experience as well.
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So he's got the both of them that he can work under that and he's also gonna be coached by Lewis Christie, who is arguably the greatest defenseman for the Lightning in their history.
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So it's a very good time for him in his career as well as for Lightning to acquire someone like Jake Haywood.
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Definitely.
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So uh who's next?
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Number four, I believe.
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Yes, yeah, number four, Archie Salisbury.
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Now we spoke to him obviously in uh on the pod as well a few weeks back.
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Um it's his fourth season in MK, so he feels like he's feels like that's flown by.
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I can remember when he signed from Peterborough uh as a youngster.
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Uh he was what he would have been about 17 at that point.
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And now fourth season, last season was his highest points total since his senior debut, and it's his highest since he was 12 years old playing for Phantoms under 15s.
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So his points total last season was kind of a story that went under the radar, I think.
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Yeah, definitely.
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And I I can't I'm saying this about Archie and I forget how young he is, but I'm saying he's one of the senior D men on the team now, and he's one of the leaders.
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He was part of he showed that leadership skill last season at times, especially when we were short on bodies on the blue line, and we had to call in a couple of like 16 or 17-year-old lone guys, uh, for the likes of D side and uh elsewhere around in the in the leagues as well.
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But he he took took that responsibility and he showed such maturity.
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I I think last season might well have been a breakout season.
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I think this season expect him to build on that and improve.
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Yeah, and I think also last season was a little bit different for him, where we had a lot more stay-at-home D-men last season, and so he got more of an opportunity to drive forward and to get in those opportunities, and they really developed his attacking side of his game.
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And I mean, yeah, three goals and ten assists, it doesn't sound like much, but when you compare that to previous seasons, where that was that's double the points last season in than every other game that he played for us before that, so it's not it's not like it was a fluke at all.
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He has really developed his attacking game, and you were starting to see him on this sort of second-line power play towards the end of the season as well.
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And Louis was giving him that trust, and that's only gonna just project his career so much higher.
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And working under Pete as well, what more can you ask, really?
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Definitely.
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Uh next up, then number 12, Kel Beatty.
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And this was a signing when it was announced I was buzzing for a really talented player, cannot wait to see him in a lightning shirt.
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Oh, 100%.
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I mean, he's a stalwart to the NIHL.
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You he was one of those players that I think you if you thought of Solway, you thought of Kel Beatty, and for him to make the move over to MK, um, joining some of his friends that we will go into as well.
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Um, but he's not just joining Lightning, he's also on a two-way with the Giants.
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And again, he's played quite a lot for them.
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He's played 41 times for them, he's even got a few assists uh for the Giants in his career, and he also got called up to that GB camp in February as well.
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So, again, he's his career is on the up as well, and 30 points in 48 games, pretty good for a D-man.
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Very, very good.
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And he was, as you say, he was such a stall at Solway, he was one of the leaders there, and they were gutted.
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I know the the Solway fan base were gutted to lose Kelts, and their loss, I think, would be Lightning's gain, and yeah, that two-way with the Belfast Giants with his hometown team definitely will help.
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And yeah, as you say, he's uh joined some of his uh Belfast friends as well, and we'll talk about them later on.
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But next up is another new addition to the Lightning.
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Certainly is Archie Hazeldine, number 13.
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Now, when you look at the GB squad, I think this is when um GB came to Lightning.
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Uh, I think it was April.
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Um, he was one of those that was in that pre-umor championship squad, and he got a decent amount of ice time both here and in Nottingham, and even travelled to Italy for the other games there before the world championships, and he didn't look at the place at all.
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And I think that's what the experience of having two years at Coventry has done for him.
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And I mean, he's known to the league as well, Telford and Leeds fans will remember him quite vividly.
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Lightning fans might remember him from a game for Telford against Lightning a few years back as well.
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But what a what a time in his career, and Pete has already said that one thing maybe he needs to work on more is the defensive side of his game, but where better to do that than a part of the unit that Lightning are building now, and under the GB head coach?
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Definitely under the GB head coach, and as you mentioned, uh Lewis Christian's coach, and also as well, uh the next player on our our list as well, Archie will learn a lot from also someone that did play at Coventry for uh uh for for a year before he came to Milton Keynes and this is a full circle moment because Griff was the uh first player that Pete Russell announced as signing when he first became the lightning coach, and uh Griff is still here again, still here, so a bit of a full circle moment because I I remember when he announced Griff and this was still at a point where Pete Pete was coming in after the back of Nick Paul standing aside as uh as coach.
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So there was I didn't have the warmest of welcomes, Pete.
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And when he announced James Griffin was the player that had been signed, the reaction from some of the fans was a bit muted.
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I was fist pumping the air because I was like, oh my god, we've got one of the best British D men coming to play for Milton Keynes, he's he's even covertry.
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He was impressive when he was at Swindon and when he came to went to Covertry, applied to trade in the elite league for a season, then came to MK and it's been his home ever since.
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And yeah, I I don't think we could say much more about number 15 James Griffin, can we?
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No, I mean it's season 12 with MKL, that tells you everything, and it's 12 consecutive seasons as well.
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He stayed with the Lightning during the elite league days as well, which you can't really say for many.
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Um captain the last two seasons, and he's he's approaching that top five appearance maker list as well for Lightning.
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So I'm sure he might uh have that in his eyesight as well.
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Yeah, a bit of a frustrating one because I know he had a couple of niggas injuries over the course of last season, and I think because of the short and body, so he's probably playing a couple of games where normally he probably would have had to sit them out, but just because he wanted to help the team out there, he he played through them.
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Hopefully, he'll have an injury-free season because we know when Griff gets rolling, he he's a massive, massive part of that decor, and he also helps out on the attack as well.
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And I think everyone still remembers that the soft hands he had in that playoff final against Peterborough the other year with that lovely little hands and that backhand into the net to put lightning on their way.
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Yeah, and I remember being there for that and watching and thinking, what's Griff doing in the slot?
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And everyone was just like, hold on a minute, that's James Griffin.
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But yeah, I think injuries will be one thing that I think he'll hope to be able to get through this season and not have to worry about.
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And I mean the D Corps will uh definitely help out.
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There's a lot of youngsters in there with a lot of fight, and I think you speak about injuries, we'll go on to the next one.
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Um, number 25 Ed Nags last season plagued with an injury that ended his season a lot earlier than both he and Lightning would have wanted.
00:21:02.810 --> 00:21:13.130
Um, and up to that point where he got injured, he'd only missed five NIHL league games since the inception of the NIHL.
00:21:13.130 --> 00:21:28.890
So he's one of those players that you that was just always there, and so gutting for him to have an injury, but back training, and he said in the pod as well, he's feeling good, he's feeling probably arguably the best that he's felt.
00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:36.250
So, and this is also his tenth season, uh maybe a joint, maybe a joint with uh with heads with heads, yeah.
00:21:36.330 --> 00:21:51.450
So no, he did obviously he split time as well coming through the the the lightning uh with the storm storm junior's venue also spent time as well in in Bracknell, but born just down the road, literally from where I am in Hemel Hempstead, he was literally just born around the corner.
00:21:51.450 --> 00:22:00.810
Um but he's so dependable, always reliable, and he's I think we we we mentioned it in the interviews with him.
00:22:00.810 --> 00:22:04.970
You don't notice he's on the ice, and that's what you want from a from a D-man.
00:22:04.970 --> 00:22:08.810
You you know that never puts a foot wrong, reads the game really well.
00:22:08.810 --> 00:22:12.490
And there were some defensive struggles last season.
00:22:12.490 --> 00:22:19.930
Does it coincide with the fact that Nagy was off the ice for the majority of that of that of that season?
00:22:19.930 --> 00:22:24.810
And when you're playing short, more injuries happen because Blaze are double shifting.
00:22:24.810 --> 00:22:28.410
But I know he was frustrated, he was at the rink still every every week.
00:22:28.410 --> 00:22:32.090
Ken to cheer the guys on and was helping out where he could off ice.
00:22:32.090 --> 00:22:35.769
I know though he's chomping at the bit to get back onto the ice.
00:22:36.009 --> 00:22:37.530
Yeah, I think you are right as well.
00:22:37.530 --> 00:22:48.250
There are points last season that you almost look for that it's a weird phrase, but it's that silent leadership, and that that just that player that can calm you down in moments where things might get a little bit heated.
00:22:48.250 --> 00:22:51.850
And Ed is that sort of player who you can just depend on.
00:22:51.850 --> 00:22:57.450
You know that when things are going tough, he's going to be as calm as anyone.
00:22:57.450 --> 00:23:07.290
And I don't think there's a a moment of worry that goes into his body because he never looks like he's under any stress or under any pressure.
00:23:07.290 --> 00:23:08.650
Definitely.
00:23:08.890 --> 00:23:23.210
Uh, and rounding off the decor, there was rumours that he well, I've I think I'd seen him rumoured to think be going to every single team in both the elite league and the NIHL at some point over the summer.
00:23:23.210 --> 00:23:27.290
Happens every year with this Bab, but it's because he's just so talented.
00:23:27.290 --> 00:23:37.610
But we kept him for another year, he's back in the 55 again, and yeah, he's extremely talented, and he's made Milton Keynes always his home home now.
00:23:37.610 --> 00:23:40.410
And if he ever does move up, I know we'll wish him well.
00:23:40.410 --> 00:23:46.570
But I think a lot of people begutted that uh this young man, because he's still is I still can't believe how young he is as well.
00:23:46.570 --> 00:23:48.170
But he's been Milton Keynes for so long.
00:23:48.170 --> 00:23:49.690
But yeah, Malik Martelli.
00:23:50.170 --> 00:24:11.850
Yeah, it's his sixth season with MKL, and just saying that alone, uh I mean, I I don't want to make you feel old, but that makes me feel old, despite the fact that like he has it again, he's been here since he was on a two-way with Streatham, and even that season that he was on a two-way, he didn't look out of place at all.
00:24:11.850 --> 00:24:20.810
He was on the two-way with the change of priority the next season, and then we signed him permanently, and ever since then, he's just never looks back, really.
00:24:20.810 --> 00:24:27.050
I mean, there's a reason why every team in the league, if you ask them if you could take a player from Lightning, who would you take?
00:24:27.050 --> 00:24:35.130
Malik Martelli is 99% of the time the answer, and again, last season was a career high points for him as well.
00:24:35.130 --> 00:24:40.410
I mean, 35 points in 45 games, he had a couple towards the end of the season.
00:24:40.410 --> 00:24:44.090
I think he missed most of the playoffs due to a little knock as well.
00:24:44.090 --> 00:24:48.810
Also got a GB call up in February as well, so that shows how much Pete rates him.
00:24:48.810 --> 00:24:53.769
Um, but yeah, there's there's a not enough good words to say about Malik Martelli.
00:24:54.890 --> 00:25:01.370
Definitely, and just to show the mentality of him, this was I think when it was possibly his first season at Lightning, maybe his second.
00:25:01.370 --> 00:25:04.650
He was playing at Coventry Finals weekend.
00:25:04.650 --> 00:25:16.330
He played with Streatham in their final against Solway, lost that game, and then straight after the game, the rest of the Streatham boys were going off for a constellation beer and just to meet with their families.
00:25:16.330 --> 00:25:25.530
Malik had got his gear and was running from one end of the skydome to the other with his gear to go put his equipment on and then play for the lightning.
00:25:25.530 --> 00:25:28.810
So he played two games in that one afternoon.
00:25:28.810 --> 00:25:34.330
That just showed how much he wants to play hockey, and he's still putting a shift in that in that game for the lightning as well.
00:25:34.330 --> 00:25:36.570
That just goes to show the commitment for the man.
00:25:36.810 --> 00:25:37.450
Not 100%.
00:25:37.450 --> 00:25:52.250
I mean, you do have to feel bad for him for that weekend, though, to be fair, because he's played the Sunday morning game, lost, and then obviously we don't want to go into it too much, but the Sunday afternoon game with Lightning also was a defeat as well.
00:25:52.250 --> 00:26:05.130
But as you said, the m the attitude on him is um is unmatched, and yeah, I think he's definitely still a fan favourite, and he will continue to be a fan favourite as long as the ice is in that lightning jersey.
00:26:06.009 --> 00:26:09.210
So we've talked about the defence.
00:26:09.210 --> 00:26:24.410
I think we'll have a little rest from us talking about the team now, and I think we'll uh as we're talking about defense here, Harrison, I think we'll now go on and talk to a lightning legend, as you mentioned earlier, probably the best defender we've ever had at the Milton Kings Lightning.
00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:27.930
Uh, is assistant coach Lewis Christie.
00:26:27.930 --> 00:26:31.290
Louie, thanks for joining us on the Lightning Talks podcast.
00:26:31.290 --> 00:26:33.210
How have you been over the summer?
00:26:33.850 --> 00:26:34.810
Yeah, good, mate.
00:26:34.810 --> 00:26:35.530
Really, really good.
00:26:35.530 --> 00:26:38.890
A nice summer, had a nice break, a few uh little holidays away.
00:26:38.890 --> 00:26:45.690
So just got back last well, got back last uh Friday from Scotland, so it was lovely to uh see the family and stuff like that.
00:26:45.690 --> 00:26:47.930
So yeah, it was nice, nice, good summer.
00:26:48.330 --> 00:26:49.769
Great to hear, great to hear.
00:26:49.769 --> 00:26:53.930
And uh got to quickly talk a little bit just quickly like last season as well.
00:26:53.930 --> 00:26:59.050
Obviously, to tell in the face, you did it all last season.
00:26:59.050 --> 00:27:06.490
You were assistant coach, you were playing, you were player assistant coaching, and then you were interim head coach.
00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:15.530
Have you had a chance over the summer just to take stock of a bit just what a roller coaster that last season was for you personally and also for the team?
00:27:15.850 --> 00:27:27.210
Well, yeah, for me for me personally, it was uh bit of a yeah, crazy, crazy um season for uh coming back to yeah, as you say, being an assistant to playing.
00:27:27.210 --> 00:27:40.970
I think playing was probably the hardest part uh from not playing for a year and trying to get actually get fit again, which was the uh I always keep myself in shape, but playing ice hockey is a bit for different fitness, I always say.
00:27:40.970 --> 00:27:44.490
Like the boys always say, How do we get fit for playing hockey?
00:27:44.490 --> 00:27:47.930
You can, unless you're on the ice, it's completely different.
00:27:47.930 --> 00:27:50.170
Uh but yeah, no, I was I enjoyed it.
00:27:50.170 --> 00:27:53.610
Like 12 games was was fun, but um yeah, yeah.
00:27:53.610 --> 00:27:57.050
Well, obviously I said to Tim at the time, I was like, I'm done.
00:27:57.050 --> 00:28:01.210
So it was um it was it was fun, but you know what?
00:28:01.210 --> 00:28:10.730
Like I said, then obviously going into the coaching role was bit of a hit as an interim head coach was a bit of a shock, but you know what?
00:28:10.730 --> 00:28:13.130
Like I always I always wanted to do something like this.
00:28:13.130 --> 00:28:18.250
I say maybe not so early in my coaching career, but no, it was uh it was fun.
00:28:18.250 --> 00:28:20.410
Uh and the boys helped me massively.
00:28:20.410 --> 00:28:24.890
I said we just never never got the uh the balances that should have come, really.
00:28:25.370 --> 00:28:41.850
So yeah, and obviously the uh the efforts that you did over that season were reflected and uh appreciated as as you were given uh at the person of the year at the uh end of season awards night.
00:28:41.850 --> 00:28:46.810
Was that that come as a bit of a shock and a surprise to you just to pick that one up?
00:28:47.850 --> 00:28:48.970
Yeah, it was actually.
00:28:48.970 --> 00:28:55.290
I I actually said to Chloe afterwards, I actually forgot there was an award for that, like that kind of thing.
00:28:55.290 --> 00:29:05.610
And uh I actually thought it was a joke to start with in my head, but it was uh no, it was I really appreciate I say I say but as I I try the best for the team.
00:29:05.610 --> 00:29:10.970
I say this is my my home club, like I love Milton Keynes, I'd never do it anywhere else.
00:29:10.970 --> 00:29:13.050
It's uh one place I'd I'll always stay.
00:29:13.290 --> 00:29:28.090
So yeah, uh and obviously moving into this season back in the assistant coach role again and working alongside a coach that you've played for previously at the Lightning in Pete Russell.
00:29:28.090 --> 00:29:33.050
Uh what's it like now to be working as his as his assistant?
00:29:34.009 --> 00:29:40.250
Well, I see I I've known Pete since I was like 10-year-old, eight-year-old sort of thing, somewhere about then.
00:29:40.250 --> 00:30:00.250
Uh, I've known him for a very long time, and then uh obviously 10 years 10, 11 years ago when he came to Milton Keynes, it was it was a big shock because I say, well no, Nick Poole was here previously, and uh obviously when Pete came, it was a bit of a shock to everybody, but I think it's what it needed at the time, uh, in a little in a bit of a way.
00:30:00.250 --> 00:30:16.009
Um put a shock to the system to myself, to like Lee Jameson, uh Adam Carr, Michael Farn, just to give us a bit of a boost, which I think is um I hope's gonna happen again because we've done good things when Pete was around last time.
00:30:16.009 --> 00:30:24.970
And I say for myself personally, I'm gonna I feel like I'm just gonna try and soak in it, soak everything in like a sponge from Pete because he's he's done it at the highest level.
00:30:24.970 --> 00:30:32.009
So for me, it's a massive learning curve uh to work and a privilege to work under somebody that's been there and done it.
00:30:32.970 --> 00:30:42.410
Yeah, I suppose after all the experience that you've got from last season as well, adding now working under Pete is probably just gonna send that even further.
00:30:42.810 --> 00:30:43.690
I I hope so.
00:30:43.690 --> 00:30:44.330
I really do.
00:30:44.330 --> 00:30:44.890
I hope so.
00:30:44.890 --> 00:30:52.810
I say it's uh it's something that I didn't expect last year, but obviously obviously Tom and JP Vicky gave me the opportunity.
00:30:52.810 --> 00:30:59.690
So it's as you say, just learning learning little snippets from different coaches and different training methods.
00:30:59.690 --> 00:31:01.769
I say we train Thursday with Pete.
00:31:01.769 --> 00:31:08.250
I say I come a little bit late, but watching the way Pete trains, he he explains everything, then he asks guys, is everything okay?
00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:14.490
And then he gives like some teaching points to the guys there and then when they're on the ice, which is like quite refreshing to see.
00:31:14.490 --> 00:31:17.769
Sort of it's giving guys like the option to ask a question.
00:31:17.769 --> 00:31:20.250
Whereas myself, I was it was just do you know the drill?
00:31:20.250 --> 00:31:22.890
Yeah, okay, like we're we're going sort of thing.
00:31:22.890 --> 00:31:28.570
Um that's it, that's me learning not on learning on the on the job as such, in a way.
00:31:28.570 --> 00:31:31.210
So I know it's gonna be fun, I think.
00:31:31.370 --> 00:31:41.690
Good fun and the team that's been put together, it's it's a stacked roster, uh across the lines there.
00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:48.970
I mean, I've we we've said it before, and we've we've chatted to some of the returnees, we've chatted to some of the new guys but on previous episodes.
00:31:48.970 --> 00:31:56.090
But for those playing coach at at home and trying to guess the lines, it's near impossible.
00:31:56.090 --> 00:31:58.730
Is it good to have such a talented roster there?
00:31:58.730 --> 00:32:04.490
Because obviously every guy wants to be on the ice and every guy wants to be getting as many shifts as possible.
00:32:04.490 --> 00:32:07.370
So, is that friendly competition really good there?
00:32:08.170 --> 00:32:08.650
100%.
00:32:08.650 --> 00:32:23.370
Like uh Pete asked me what what is what or what he what I would do in a situation like this, and his words were he said the best part of this is going to be we're gonna have competition all over the ice from goalies to defense to forwards.
00:32:23.370 --> 00:32:28.650
Uh, everyone's playing for a position, um, no matter if you're on the first line or the fourth line.
00:32:28.650 --> 00:32:33.210
Like one minute you could be you could be bumping up them lines pretty quick if you're playing well.
00:32:33.210 --> 00:32:37.050
I think Pete's philosophy is if you play them well, you're playing.
00:32:37.050 --> 00:32:46.410
So um it's good that for me is for me last year having so many guys, it was quite hard because I've never never dealt with it.
00:32:46.410 --> 00:33:00.570
Where Pete has done that through in Germany and in the elite league, uh, and now he's obviously coming back to Milton Keynes, he's got four lines, so it's gonna be friendly competition, which I think is gonna be fun.
00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:06.490
So I think that's one thing that you also see from his uh GB rosters as well.
00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:16.570
Um, when GB came to MK up back in March, is um it was that just consistent rocking four lines.
00:33:16.570 --> 00:33:21.290
There was never like a top line or a fourth line, it was four lines.
00:33:21.290 --> 00:33:27.370
And is that a sort of thing that you think's gonna benefit like me this season?
00:33:28.170 --> 00:33:33.130
Well, I look as yeah, you look at our roster, and we're we as you as Mike said, it we're pretty stacked.
00:33:33.130 --> 00:33:35.210
We are uh we've got a great team.
00:33:35.210 --> 00:33:44.810
Um but it's if guys gel together, like we just gotta we've got to work what work what works for the team and who's playing for the team and not individually.
00:33:44.810 --> 00:33:47.210
Um is where we've got to be.
00:33:47.210 --> 00:33:51.370
We've got to strive to be the best team in the league, uh, first of all.
00:33:51.370 --> 00:33:56.970
Um, but it's just getting the guys to work together and work as a unit five on the ice.
00:33:56.970 --> 00:33:59.050
That's where I see it.
00:34:00.570 --> 00:34:02.730
And uh have the guys all jetting in.
00:34:02.730 --> 00:34:05.530
I know uh they've been now on the ice.
00:34:05.530 --> 00:34:13.530
Uh we saw over the social media the last week or so the uh the guys coming over from Canada and uh arriving at the arrivals hall in Heathrow.
00:34:13.530 --> 00:34:17.690
Obviously, probably a little bit of jet lag still for just to recover and get used to it.
00:34:17.690 --> 00:34:23.289
I know we've had baking hot summer, and I think when the guys landed, it was chucking it down with rain for the first time.
00:34:23.289 --> 00:34:24.969
So we were quite happy for that.
00:34:24.969 --> 00:34:39.849
But uh on the ice and around, have has the team started gelling as you would expect a lightning team to because we know a lot of being playing for this team, it's it's that locker room and it's that brotherhood between the team, isn't it?
00:34:40.650 --> 00:34:45.610
Yeah, I said that I think we've had we've had guys that have uh going to strengthen the team this year.
00:34:45.610 --> 00:34:57.690
Obviously, you're getting back guys like Max Stewart, Liam Stewart, uh Carter, Cam, guys that are like good, very good locker room guys who can bring a room together, like Jordan County.
00:34:57.690 --> 00:35:04.010
Like they would they love doing things together as a group, which I think is a massive key thing to uh success.
00:35:04.010 --> 00:35:22.570
Um I say the years we had um when we won the league many years ago now, but um we were we were like a group, a united group that wanted to do things together, like go for go for dinner together, go to the gym together, um, which I think this year's team is um I think they want to do that.
00:35:22.570 --> 00:35:27.610
They all want to they all want to be a part of each other's journey, which which is nice to see.
00:35:27.610 --> 00:35:29.930
Um so yeah, it's it's it's gonna be fun.
00:35:29.930 --> 00:35:31.690
It's gonna be real, real good fun.
00:35:31.690 --> 00:35:34.730
Uh it's gonna be it's gonna be fast, I'll tell you that.
00:35:36.090 --> 00:35:37.690
Yeah, you can say that.
00:35:37.690 --> 00:35:53.530
And you've got so you mentioned some of the players that are coming back, but looking also at the the newer players that are joining as well, you've got um the likes of David Thompson, you've got Jared Whale, Jared White, uh Brady Johnson, just to name but a few.
00:35:53.530 --> 00:35:58.730
What's it been like the first couple training sessions seeing them and how have they fit in?
00:35:59.530 --> 00:36:04.730
I'm getting the really nice guys, they're all genuine hockey players, they all want to they all work hard.
00:36:04.730 --> 00:36:08.730
That's one thing we've built our team on is guys that want to work hard and work for each other.
00:36:08.730 --> 00:36:15.610
Um, just even just doing like battles in the corner, like guys are battling hard in the first first couple of weeks in practice.
00:36:15.610 --> 00:36:28.010
And but for me, that that's amazing because they are they're here to compete and they're all here to make each other better, which is um, which is but yeah, some of these guys really good imports.
00:36:28.010 --> 00:36:33.769
We've got some really good imports, good guys, guys that wanna want to be here, which is uh which is good.
00:36:33.769 --> 00:36:40.410
I say they I asked that, I can't think of a speak who was speaking to it, but I asked him, have you been around Milton Keynes and his first words?
00:36:40.410 --> 00:36:44.170
A lot of roundabouts, and I said, get used to that.
00:36:44.170 --> 00:36:49.610
So um, yeah, so they say get used to it, you're gonna do that a lot.
00:36:51.210 --> 00:36:53.210
Have you finally got used to the roundabouts, Louis?
00:36:53.210 --> 00:36:54.970
I know you've been here for oh well.
00:36:55.050 --> 00:36:59.450
I moved out, I moved out of I moved out of Milton Keynes, that's for the reason.
00:36:59.450 --> 00:37:05.369
I know it's uh Milton Keynes is special for that one thing.
00:37:06.730 --> 00:37:24.490
Uh brilliant, and uh obviously the guys will be back in training, and we're only a few days away from uh the start of pre-season, and uh Oberliga North, uh German opposition in Rostock Piranhas home and home Saturday and Sunday.
00:37:24.490 --> 00:37:31.130
We played at Oberliga side at the start of last season in Tilburg, and those guys could skate.
00:37:31.130 --> 00:37:36.010
And what kind of a challenge are you expecting uh from the Piranhas this weekend?
00:37:37.050 --> 00:37:40.010
I'll look into a very similar, very fast team.
00:37:40.010 --> 00:37:42.650
Um they move the puck well.
00:37:42.650 --> 00:37:44.010
They move they move the puck well.
00:37:44.010 --> 00:37:47.769
Like we've just got to be aware like defensively that they can't score goals.
00:37:47.769 --> 00:37:54.410
Um, so I just think we're gonna be we're gonna start from the back and work away out and just play like our game, sort of thing.
00:37:54.410 --> 00:38:10.570
Like the team we've got is it's built on like good guys that are ready to support each other, which I think they have got a they're very close net group, like um and they just yeah, they're they're very strong and powerful, which I think we've just got to go and match that.
00:38:10.570 --> 00:38:14.010
Let's see, it's it's gonna be a tough, tough challenge for us, but you know what?
00:38:14.010 --> 00:38:17.530
You'd rather have a challenge than have a walkover game, wouldn't you?
00:38:17.530 --> 00:38:19.930
Like, so it's it's gonna be fun.
00:38:19.930 --> 00:38:22.730
It's gonna be fun, fun game or games.
00:38:23.450 --> 00:38:28.090
Yeah, uh with it being that double head of it, is it almost that first game?
00:38:28.090 --> 00:38:34.570
You might also be sort of both teams sort of feeling each other out, trying to understand the strengths and weaknesses of in that second game.
00:38:34.570 --> 00:38:40.329
It's almost like, okay, we know how this how this is gonna go, we know that how the game plan.
00:38:40.329 --> 00:38:47.130
Uh, and also as well, often we see in the league some things do carry over from the first night to the second.
00:38:47.130 --> 00:38:50.650
Uh, obviously it's pre-season, but there's no such thing as a friendly in hockey.
00:38:50.650 --> 00:38:53.369
Are we expecting possibly something like that as well?
00:38:53.369 --> 00:39:08.170
I mean, I I don't know some of the German lads how good their English is, uh, but I imagine there'll probably be some some chirps going across uh the benches, uh mentioning no names, but he he has been on the podcast previously and he he has made a list a bit like Santa Claus.
00:39:08.170 --> 00:39:16.170
Uh but uh is that something that as a player you look forward to as well when you see a team when you know they've got them you've got them back to back?
00:39:16.970 --> 00:39:17.450
You know what?
00:39:17.450 --> 00:39:23.210
I always say it's a little bit like playoff games, like you know you've got them back to back.
00:39:23.210 --> 00:39:32.170
Um you're gonna you're gonna do your best to win that first night, but obviously whatever happens, like you're either holding the title or you're you're going for revenge.
00:39:32.170 --> 00:39:37.769
So you never know what happens on these uh preseason games, especially playing an opponent from abroad.
00:39:37.769 --> 00:39:57.610
Uh it's very, very different, but it's still gonna be it's you know what I always say, you've just you've just got to go out there, find your legs, because it's the first game for us, um, which is always the which always is the hardest part because getting fitness is you can have the best fitness, but you come to a game, it could be completely different.
00:39:57.610 --> 00:40:09.530
You could be handing your end for five minutes, um, and you just guys are struggling with their legs, like it is a complete um whirlwind, you never know what's gonna happen.
00:40:09.530 --> 00:40:11.130
So no, I think it's gonna be fun.
00:40:11.130 --> 00:40:17.690
That's one thing I think it's gonna be good fun, and I think it'd be good for the fans to come and see us, see us uh the new team.
00:40:20.410 --> 00:40:31.050
So yeah, and when it comes to the that first couple games, obviously you've still got another week of pre-season after that.
00:40:31.050 --> 00:40:34.329
How do you look at this weekend of preseason?
00:40:34.329 --> 00:40:42.809
Is it as you said, just about just getting them getting the boys going and getting the legs moving, or is there a little bit more of figuring out lines?
00:40:42.809 --> 00:40:45.289
Is that what the the thought is?
00:40:45.610 --> 00:40:50.570
Well, I think pre-season is always uh is always about just finding your legs to start with.
00:40:50.570 --> 00:40:57.289
That's the key is to find your legs at the end of the day, because it can't that can that's the hardest part of hockey is finding your legs.
00:40:57.289 --> 00:41:06.329
I say you've always got that up up and up top, you know what's going on, and you can um you can play what you can play play smart with your head, and you can be simple.
00:41:06.329 --> 00:41:12.410
Um if you've got both of them, you're you're you're cruising, you're fine, you're good, you're good to go.
00:41:12.410 --> 00:41:26.490
So but yeah, no, having two weekends pre-season, um, yeah, it's it's um we don't know the top of the opponents this weekend, but obviously we know what Peterborough is like, it'll be uh great place to go.
00:41:28.090 --> 00:41:34.570
So there might be a couple of fans watching this who still haven't got their tickets yet for the preseason games.
00:41:34.570 --> 00:41:38.410
They might be sitting on the fence going, Oh, do we wait for the league season to start?
00:41:38.410 --> 00:41:46.250
What would be your message for those fans to get to the rink for this these two Rostock games, and then of course the Peterberg game the week after?
00:41:47.050 --> 00:41:48.090
Well, I'd say one thing.
00:41:48.090 --> 00:41:54.809
I said if you have you seen us practice in this last couple of weeks, I suppose I think you'll probably get your tickets uh pretty sharpish.
00:41:54.809 --> 00:41:59.930
I say uh we've got some characters in that room that'll make you smile, make you happy.
00:41:59.930 --> 00:42:03.210
Um, yeah, we're just gonna have so much, we're gonna have a lot of fun.
00:42:03.210 --> 00:42:10.329
Uh, and I think guy people that come to watch are actually gonna enjoy it uh seeing us play hockey and actually have a smile on our face.
00:42:10.329 --> 00:42:13.610
So uh yeah, you guys need to get your tickets.
00:42:14.490 --> 00:42:15.130
Brilliant.
00:42:15.130 --> 00:42:17.210
And the final question.
00:42:17.210 --> 00:42:21.050
Obviously, you uh you did your 12 games last season.
00:42:21.050 --> 00:42:27.769
Any chance that uh you'll be uh putting on the skates again this season if uh if the need arises?
00:42:29.130 --> 00:42:30.889
I'm gonna say that as a no.
00:42:30.889 --> 00:42:34.490
Uh I love hockey, I love it very much.
00:42:34.490 --> 00:42:36.170
But I'll tell you where my kit is just now.
00:42:36.170 --> 00:42:37.769
My kit is in my loft.
00:42:37.769 --> 00:42:42.889
My skates are in the rink or on the ice for the boys, but my kit is staying in the loft.
00:42:42.889 --> 00:42:50.889
Uh, I'll be playing one little tournament with uh Adam Carr and the Lizards uh at the end of the season.
00:42:50.889 --> 00:42:56.410
Um that's the only time I think I'll be getting my kit out of the uh out of the loft to play that.
00:42:56.410 --> 00:42:58.730
So um hope everyone stays healthy.
00:42:58.730 --> 00:43:01.930
That's my uh my main uh main priority this year.
00:43:03.369 --> 00:43:05.450
So lizards and testimonials, that's it now.
00:43:05.450 --> 00:43:08.490
That that that that's the only time you'll be on the ice, then yeah, that's it.
00:43:08.570 --> 00:43:10.650
That's the only time they'll be coming coming out of the loft.
00:43:10.730 --> 00:43:12.570
That's the one thing it'll be doing.
00:43:12.570 --> 00:43:14.730
So all right, perfect.
00:43:14.730 --> 00:43:16.970
So message is there, but stay healthy.
00:43:16.970 --> 00:43:21.690
So uh Liam and the uh medical team need to keep those boys as healthy as possible.
00:43:21.690 --> 00:43:32.730
But uh Pete's got a Pete's got a fairly big big roster, so hopefully, figure touch all the wood, fingers crossed, that uh we won't have the injury and the absences that we had of last season.
00:43:32.730 --> 00:43:34.329
Yeah, yeah, fingers crossed.
00:43:34.410 --> 00:43:37.930
So we we got a young team this year, which I think is is beneficial to us.
00:43:37.930 --> 00:43:44.570
I say I remember me being younger and uh being a bit more elasticity.
00:43:44.570 --> 00:43:50.809
Uh me being old is uh one one thing that I felt every ache and pain.
00:43:50.809 --> 00:43:57.050
So yeah, fingers crossed these last fit and healthy under Leon's supervision and his team.
00:43:58.170 --> 00:44:00.090
Perfect, no pressure to the team there.
00:44:00.090 --> 00:44:01.610
Thanks, Louis, for that insight.
00:44:01.610 --> 00:44:06.889
And can't wait to see you and all the boys this weekend against Rostock.
00:44:06.889 --> 00:44:10.329
I think that pretty much finishes it now for the defensive call.
00:44:10.329 --> 00:44:16.250
But Harrison, obviously, we need to mention those who uh played for the team last season have moved on.
00:44:16.889 --> 00:44:17.769
Yeah, of course.
00:44:17.769 --> 00:44:28.490
And first of all, I mention that uh a former fan favourite uh Jordan Spadafour has joined the newly formed LS LHSB League in Canada.
00:44:28.490 --> 00:44:29.849
Um joining St.
00:44:29.849 --> 00:44:31.289
John Flames.
00:44:31.289 --> 00:44:35.530
I mean, Jordan Spaderfour was a fan favourite for sure.
00:44:35.530 --> 00:44:42.090
We can't deny that and wish him all the best in his travels back to Canada.
00:44:42.090 --> 00:44:48.010
Josh Kelly makes an in NIHL move down to the Bristol Pitbulls.
00:44:48.010 --> 00:44:53.769
Obviously, moved from Barkshire B's to come to us and made quite an impact.
00:44:53.769 --> 00:44:58.970
I remember him having a fight, I think it was against Ty Cathcart against Bison when we were losing it.
00:44:58.970 --> 00:45:04.250
Kind of just G'd the crowd up, so that was something I remember about Josh Kelly.
00:45:04.250 --> 00:45:09.930
Josh Saunders has moved to Solway Ice Hockey Club.
00:45:09.930 --> 00:45:13.369
So that's going to be a good opportunity, I think, for him as well.
00:45:13.369 --> 00:45:25.210
Because I think he played maybe too many minutes for lightning in times where if we had more D, then it probably would have been a lot less stressful on him.
00:45:25.210 --> 00:45:29.210
But he's gone back to Scotland, and I think it's a great opportunity for him, don't you think?
00:45:29.610 --> 00:45:30.329
Definitely.
00:45:30.329 --> 00:45:33.690
Uh I think Josh I thought performed very well.
00:45:33.690 --> 00:45:42.970
Uh one of the lads who I thought may have stayed, but he's a bit closer to home, and I think he'll he'll do very well up in Solway.
00:45:42.970 --> 00:45:46.650
He's got some good teammates up there, and being coached by Martin Grubb, yeah.
00:45:46.650 --> 00:45:48.809
Josh will do very well and a very nice guy.
00:45:48.809 --> 00:45:51.530
As of all the guys who have gone, they put a lot of time for the fans first.
00:45:51.530 --> 00:45:57.849
They definitely embraced what it was like to be a Milton Keynes Lightning player and embrace the community in Milton Keynes.
00:45:58.329 --> 00:45:59.450
Oh, for sure.
00:45:59.450 --> 00:46:07.690
And a couple more Patrick Forsberg as well joined us halfway through uh in the 24-25 season.
00:46:07.690 --> 00:46:13.690
I remember his opening game uh at home to Swindon and he let one rip from the blue.
00:46:13.690 --> 00:46:17.930
I think it was it um was it us two on comms that or was it you on comms?
00:46:17.930 --> 00:46:24.970
And I remember being up in the gantry and watching him warm up, and he's just ripped a slap shot off the pipe.
00:46:24.970 --> 00:46:28.570
And I I think I've just turned to you and gone, Jesus.
00:46:30.329 --> 00:46:41.050
It as soon as I saw that warm up, it reminded me of Lucas Setapek just with that big blue line one-time slap shot, and yeah, definitely a very popular player again.
00:46:41.050 --> 00:46:46.490
He did a lot of work um with Gilpak, who uh his player sponsors as well.
00:46:46.490 --> 00:46:51.450
Uh, yeah, fantastic player, fully committed to the team.
00:46:51.450 --> 00:47:01.450
And uh I don't I not with hasn't got a club yet, but I'm sure I'm sure he'll find one if uh if he gets his way off the golf course.
00:47:02.250 --> 00:47:05.210
Too busy trying to make it to the Masters, I think.
00:47:05.210 --> 00:47:07.130
But yeah, all the best to him.
00:47:07.130 --> 00:47:12.010
And finally, one that is um quite an interesting one, and I think this is also a really good move for him.
00:47:12.010 --> 00:47:25.849
Bailey Thomas has is on what is a three-way contract with D-Side Dragons in NIHO 1 North, uh, Hull Seahawks in the NIHO National, and Manchester Storm of the Elite League.
00:47:25.849 --> 00:47:35.050
Now, as far as we're aware, that he'll spend the majority of his time at Hull, which again more NIHO ice time for him, and he got a decent amount with Lightning last season.
00:47:35.050 --> 00:47:38.329
And again, at 17, did not look out of place either.
00:47:38.329 --> 00:47:42.490
But training with Manchester, that's going to be huge for his development.
00:47:42.730 --> 00:47:46.650
I'll definitely, and I think everyone remembers his goal against Romford.
00:47:46.650 --> 00:47:47.849
Uh, that he scored.
00:47:47.849 --> 00:47:50.650
The place absolutely went wild.
00:47:50.650 --> 00:47:59.849
Uh, I I generally hope he gets to Ice in a game for the storm at the ME uh at the AO arena as it is now.
00:47:59.849 --> 00:48:06.650
But imagine being out in the the Manchester arena, going out to that big arena, playing, making your debut in the storm jersey and that.
00:48:06.650 --> 00:48:11.530
I good luck to him up that I hope he cherishes every second that he does for that.
00:48:11.530 --> 00:48:20.090
Because even if he doesn't get any any ice time, just that lining up on that blue line for the anthems in front of an arena like that, that must be goosebumps for a player.
00:48:20.090 --> 00:48:23.210
So that's that's the that's the dream to play in a in a building like that.
00:48:23.210 --> 00:48:24.090
Oh, 100%.
00:48:24.410 --> 00:48:40.809
And that alone, that experience alone, even as you said, even if he doesn't get much ice time or any, just that experience of being in the locker room with the elite league lads and also being a part of what could be some record-breaking crowds up in Manchester this season.
00:48:40.809 --> 00:48:42.329
It's only going to benefit him.
00:48:42.329 --> 00:48:47.930
And with all of the D, we wish them all the very best in their next journey as well.
00:48:47.930 --> 00:48:52.650
But I think that's probably about time to move on to the forwards.
00:48:53.210 --> 00:48:55.450
Yeah, uh, the forward pack now.
00:48:55.450 --> 00:48:56.809
This could take a while.
00:48:56.809 --> 00:49:07.769
There's uh quite a few of them to get through, but uh we'll go through the number order again, and starting with someone who, when we did the last preview, hadn't been announced.
00:49:07.769 --> 00:49:13.610
Uh, he's been announced fairly recently, and a big name, big name signing.
00:49:13.610 --> 00:49:17.930
And I think this is one a lot a lot of people are going to get excited about.
00:49:18.250 --> 00:49:21.369
Yeah, you're right there, and it is Danny Waite.
00:49:21.369 --> 00:49:31.210
Now, those NHL fans that may know, uh, he is the son of former all-star player and Stanley Cup winner, Doug Waite.
00:49:31.210 --> 00:49:43.210
Um, so the pedigree in that family alone is something to go off, but that's not even talking about Danny Waite's career in America so far.
00:49:43.210 --> 00:49:46.490
He played for the USA under-17s.
00:49:46.490 --> 00:49:50.410
And you think, oh, who's he played with?
00:49:50.410 --> 00:50:02.090
Only names like Cole Caulfield in the NHL, Trevor Ziegress, Jack Hughes, the Olympic gold medal winning goalscorer, Matt Baldy.
00:50:02.090 --> 00:50:10.809
He played with some unbelievable players and has then spent five seasons in the NCAA as well.
00:50:10.809 --> 00:50:16.250
There's a lot of experience coming from a man who's still very young as well.
00:50:16.570 --> 00:50:30.730
Yeah, and he's had a obviously you've mentioned his his father Doug, so there's always been interest in him over this overseas, but some of the scouting reports have said he's plays such a good game, and he's a very smart two-way hockey player as well.
00:50:30.730 --> 00:50:32.570
Very, very strong addition.
00:50:32.570 --> 00:50:40.410
I know that Pete said initially he was only going to go the four imports unless the right man and the right fit came along.
00:50:40.410 --> 00:50:48.970
He clearly found his man, and I was thinking it may have been a few more weeks down the line until after all the training camps over in the States and in Canada had finished.
00:50:48.970 --> 00:51:01.849
But he got Danny and he'd got his man, and a very, very good signing, very what one I'm excited about, and not just because I grew up watching Doug play with St.
00:51:01.849 --> 00:51:04.329
Louis and uh the New York Islanders.
00:51:04.329 --> 00:51:11.210
Uh when he was at Edmonton, it was just a bit before I started uh watching the NHL, but yeah, he was part of that St.
00:51:11.210 --> 00:51:13.369
Louis Blues team that I grew up idolising.
00:51:13.369 --> 00:51:17.369
So yeah, the fact that Danny's gonna be here.
00:51:17.369 --> 00:51:20.329
Hopefully, Doug will get over to MK to to see a game.
00:51:20.329 --> 00:51:23.769
I will probably be be fangirling quite quite a lot.
00:51:23.769 --> 00:51:31.369
If he's there, I'll probably be paying more attention to uh to to Danny's dad fan uh most of the fans do for Liam's dad.
00:51:32.329 --> 00:51:37.130
Make sure maybe you're not on comms for that one, then if he turns up, you can definitely, definitely, yeah.
00:51:37.130 --> 00:51:40.329
You can go and be roaming camera and stand next to him.
00:51:40.329 --> 00:51:51.530
But yeah, I think that that's uh that's gonna be a sign, and that I think I mean it's just the icing on the cake as the the forward lines or the forward players all already.
00:51:51.530 --> 00:52:03.050
A lot of fans were like, what a forward core lightning have and to add someone of that calibre to to the the roster, it just it just puts the icing on the cake for sure.
00:52:03.050 --> 00:52:10.170
Uh and a very different one for the next one a returnee after two seasons away at Bristol.
00:52:10.170 --> 00:52:23.530
Cameron Hamill returns to Lightning, and he was getting top six ice with the Pitbulls and getting a point in almost every other game, which was definitely new for him.
00:52:23.530 --> 00:52:28.490
But that experience that he's now got that's gonna come in handy for Lightning for sure.
00:52:28.889 --> 00:52:29.610
Definitely.
00:52:29.610 --> 00:52:43.530
I think Cammy grew as a player with the added responsibilities down at Bristol and had his paddlec last season, trusted him on the special teams, both the PK and the PP, and he rewarded that trust.
00:52:43.530 --> 00:52:46.170
He got good points for the pit bulls.
00:52:46.170 --> 00:52:50.250
He still was his terrier-like attitude there, he battled in the quarters.
00:52:50.250 --> 00:52:53.930
He pound for pound, he's probably one of the toughest guys in the league.
00:52:53.930 --> 00:52:58.970
He's he's not the biggest, but he he very much reminds me of like a player like Grant McPherson.
00:52:58.970 --> 00:53:02.730
What's not afraid of anyone, he'll stand up for himself and is for his teammates.
00:53:02.730 --> 00:53:04.570
Real team first player.
00:53:04.570 --> 00:53:10.010
Uh yeah, delighted to that that Cammy's back and that work rate and that attitude.
00:53:10.010 --> 00:53:11.610
He would he he was popular in Bristol.
00:53:11.610 --> 00:53:25.369
The Pitbulls fans loved him and uh were gutted to see him uh return back to Milton Kings, but uh everyone at MK is buzzing to see see Cammy back in an MK jersey and wearing the number seven jersey.
00:53:25.610 --> 00:53:29.690
Yeah, it's a big number, it's uh it's a big number to to fill.
00:53:29.690 --> 00:53:34.170
But yeah, I mean he had a bit of an injury problem at the start of last season.
00:53:34.170 --> 00:53:51.690
It took him a little bit to get into it, but again, there's no doubt in the the talent that that he has, and again, he's coming back to lightning a different player than what he left um back in the 23-24 season um when he made the move down to Bristol.
00:53:51.690 --> 00:54:02.970
Um next one is uh another one who's uh struggled with injuries last season, but the old ever reliable number 10 Toms Rutkiss now is his fourth season.
00:54:02.970 --> 00:54:09.849
Um, and last season was his best points per game in the second tier in his career.
00:54:09.849 --> 00:54:12.809
So he's still got it.
00:54:12.809 --> 00:54:15.849
He's been there, he's been in the league for quite a while.
00:54:15.849 --> 00:54:22.809
He had obviously a stint in the elite, but I think he for lightning has just been Mr.
00:54:22.970 --> 00:54:23.769
Reliable.
00:54:23.769 --> 00:54:26.090
Yeah, you said it exactly, Mr.
00:54:26.090 --> 00:54:26.809
Reliable.
00:54:26.809 --> 00:54:35.930
Um, I mean I do like to uh give him the Joe Hendry when I'm on comms, but you do say his name and he's just there and he appears and he gets a goal at a key moment.
00:54:35.930 --> 00:54:42.809
It was a shame he got his injury when he did because he was flying, it like he'd just got that hat trick against Peterborough.
00:54:42.809 --> 00:54:47.610
He was seeming to just know where the puck was going to be, he was reading the game perfectly.
00:54:47.610 --> 00:54:52.329
He'd got a good bit of um good bit of partnership going on on the line that he was on.
00:54:52.329 --> 00:55:05.210
I think he was with Harry Gulliver and Ilya Karenchuk at that point, and the three of them were just starting to click together, and then yeah, bad injury happened, it ruled him out for the majority of that season.
00:55:05.210 --> 00:55:12.329
But he came back and he still got the points still on the boards, and he got some clutch goals during the playoffs as well.
00:55:12.329 --> 00:55:16.490
Obviously, he didn't get through to Coventry, but you'd want him on that line.
00:55:16.490 --> 00:55:25.610
And I think with Tom's, he does as uh Louie alluded to, like, there's players who could play any line could be on the top line one week, but they could be working on the PK the next.
00:55:25.610 --> 00:55:26.329
Tom's will do that.
00:55:26.329 --> 00:55:31.289
You give him a role and he'll do it, and he will absolutely do a great job on that role.
00:55:31.289 --> 00:55:41.289
And I've I think he's a player that sometimes flies under the radar, I think, with some of the names that you have at Lightning, but you always know what you're gonna get, you're gonna get 100% from game in, game out.
00:55:41.610 --> 00:55:43.930
Yeah, I think it was it was proven last season, really.
00:55:43.930 --> 00:55:56.250
He started on that third line, and then all of a sudden, he got a good string of games, started putting the points on, and then ended up on the top line with I think it was County and Gulliver or Karenchuk Gulliver and goodbye at one point.
00:55:56.250 --> 00:56:01.289
So you've got loads of opportunity to move lines if you're performing.
00:56:01.289 --> 00:56:16.970
And Tom's Rutkiss was the absolute pinnacle of performing and moving up the lines, and hopefully stays injury free this season because again, he's just under a point per game for lightning um in his time with with us.
00:56:16.970 --> 00:56:24.809
So there's a lot, there's a lot to come from him, and this is gonna be an important season for him as well because there's more competition in the squad than ever.
00:56:24.809 --> 00:56:29.690
Yeah, and um next up is a number change.
00:56:29.690 --> 00:56:36.970
So it's gonna be an interesting one because it's Harry Gulliver sporting the number 11.
00:56:36.970 --> 00:56:41.130
Now, I'm pretty sure it's what he wore in his uh his youth.
00:56:41.130 --> 00:56:48.090
Um, and last season 54 games, 49 points, scoring 30 goals.
00:56:48.090 --> 00:56:56.329
Now, weirdly, I feel like people don't mention Harry Gulliver that much when it comes to Lightning's brick core.
00:56:56.329 --> 00:56:58.490
But 30 goals is no mean feat.
00:56:58.490 --> 00:57:04.490
That that's uh that's some good numbers for someone that doesn't really get much of a mention.
00:57:05.210 --> 00:57:10.490
Harry consistently is up uh up at like the top top of the scoring charts on the team.
00:57:10.490 --> 00:57:18.090
He he has been since he's joined, and I I think he is criminally underrated still.
00:57:18.090 --> 00:57:28.090
I think that there are some big names in this league, of course, but Gully delivers at like gaming like every time like you you know you're gonna get goal.
00:57:28.090 --> 00:57:35.369
Gullies like the underscore doesn't scored it there, and I've 30 goals that that's massive.
00:57:35.369 --> 00:57:39.530
That like you you you think 30 goals from some import is a is a good return.
00:57:39.530 --> 00:57:57.849
So for a Brit who again maybe was moving some of the lines again last season, he he sometimes on the pit like a PP2, but he was also on like the third line, he could do the job like doing the enforcing and grinding out the opposition, but he could also score goals, make goals for nothing.
00:57:57.849 --> 00:58:07.289
And another player like Tom's Rutgers played under Pete's at Okanagan, so he knows exactly what Pete Russell's about.
00:58:07.289 --> 00:58:16.809
It'd be interesting, I think, for Pete to see some of these guys that he coached at junior and then like the conference size and down at Okanagan, what they're like now as they've become more senior.
00:58:16.809 --> 00:58:27.369
And I'll be intrigued to get Pete's thoughts later on in the season, what he's thought of those guys who he treated his taught as junior because they playing how you envisage they would have done when they were like 16, 17.
00:58:27.769 --> 00:58:31.450
Yeah, it's a full circle moment for players like Harry as well.
00:58:31.450 --> 00:58:36.329
But that was his highest scoring season as well, um, since going senior.
00:58:36.329 --> 00:58:39.210
So, yeah, massive season that he had last year.
00:58:39.210 --> 00:58:44.010
And I think again, it's it's only gonna continue under under Pete.
00:58:44.010 --> 00:58:52.889
But someone who uh is also no stranger to MK returning in the number 16 jersey is Max Stewart.
00:58:52.889 --> 00:59:08.809
Now had that year out um of the NIHL going to Coventry to play full time for the Blaze, which I think we all expected after the season that he had in um 24-25, getting 74 points in 61 games.
00:59:08.809 --> 00:59:15.289
Remember him on that on that line with County and Gulliver, those three were relentless together.
00:59:15.289 --> 00:59:17.769
Yeah, but I see an elite.
00:59:17.769 --> 00:59:23.530
I think that's just gonna be exactly what he needed just to up his game that little bit more.
00:59:24.010 --> 00:59:24.889
Yeah, definitely.
00:59:24.889 --> 00:59:29.690
And I this was actually one that completely threw me by surprise when he got announced.
00:59:29.690 --> 00:59:36.329
I thought, I thought generally he was elite that was yeah, he he was gone, he was an elite league player.
00:59:36.329 --> 00:59:40.970
That's he was gonna be like Sam Tolbert and Lewis Hook, he's elite league.
00:59:40.970 --> 00:59:57.289
We're not gonna see him maybe until he decides he wants to like play a little less, like it play a little less hockey focus and a bit more things, and like and life's a bit like similar to what feeders the boss feeders did, a bit similar to what Jordan County's did as what has done as well.
00:59:57.289 --> 01:00:01.130
But back after a year, and delighted that he's come back to Milton Keynes.
01:00:01.130 --> 01:00:13.289
He's obviously on a two-way with with Belfast, so he'll be still getting that uh benefit of training up with the elite league side icing when when required, uh, and when when we can let him go.
01:00:13.289 --> 01:00:24.809
But and but also he'll he'll be learning under Pete Russell, but then when he's at Belfast under Adam Keith, he's got two great coaches to learn under and harness and improve his game even more.
01:00:24.809 --> 01:00:28.170
And I think he he he loves Bill McKeynes, the fans love him.
01:00:28.170 --> 01:00:31.050
It's yeah, a perfect, perfect thing for that.
01:00:31.050 --> 01:00:34.410
And I've yeah, the reactions when he returned.
01:00:34.410 --> 01:00:36.970
Yeah, fan fans were absolutely love loving it.
01:00:36.970 --> 01:00:44.730
And um, I I guess we need to decide, we need to think about who's got who's having Stuart on the back and who has the uh in the first initial when Stuart.
01:00:45.289 --> 01:00:48.010
Oh that will be that'll be an interesting one.
01:00:48.010 --> 01:00:50.730
I feel like we'll find out this weekend, probably.
01:00:50.730 --> 01:00:51.289
Yeah.
01:00:51.289 --> 01:00:57.450
Um, the next one is uh another good move for number 22, Lewis Conroy.
01:00:57.450 --> 01:01:09.289
So last season was obviously on the two-way with MK Thunder, um, and got a decent return there, getting eight points, um, not looking out of place at all in senior in his first senior hockey season.
01:01:09.289 --> 01:01:19.450
Um, now he's made a another step with being on a two-way with the Telford Tigers two in the NihL Morley in the in the north.
01:01:19.450 --> 01:01:22.170
And that's only going to benefit his game.
01:01:22.170 --> 01:01:31.530
Getting more ice time in a better league is only gonna progress him more so that he hopefully becomes an NKL stallwart in the future.
01:01:31.849 --> 01:01:32.730
Oh, for sure.
01:01:32.730 --> 01:01:43.369
I mean, he 17 is so he he joined Light last United 16, trained a bit, and he he got uh he got some ice minutes towards the end of the season as well, and I think didn't look out of place.
01:01:43.369 --> 01:01:52.650
He was so unfortunate not to get a goal, and I think it was a great pass from Don Goodbye, just didn't quite get the connection that he would have wanted.
01:01:52.650 --> 01:01:57.130
But it will come and keep practice and keep working hard.
01:01:57.130 --> 01:02:04.970
But he's a talent, he's come through that storm academy, and I think everybody wants to see him progress.
01:02:04.970 --> 01:02:17.690
And hopefully, as well, there'll be more players like Lewis Conroy coming through now with the developments that they've got with uh the storm development with uh Joe and Slough going in to help with the storm there as well.
01:02:17.690 --> 01:02:22.410
Hopefully, we'll see more more Lewis Conroy's icing in lightning jerseys in the future.
01:02:22.730 --> 01:02:24.490
Yeah, for sure, and a quick one.
01:02:24.490 --> 01:02:28.170
Lewis Conroy has had the chance to work under a lot of great coaches already.
01:02:28.170 --> 01:02:38.650
He's worked under a former NHL in Tim Wallace, he's worked under a lightning legend in Lewis Christie, he's got a chance now to work under GB head coach Pete Russell.
01:02:38.650 --> 01:02:42.730
So quite a start to his career, and that's only going to benefit him too.
01:02:42.970 --> 01:02:47.849
Definitely in the North One and playing outside of Milton Kings will be a big benefit to him as well.
01:02:47.849 --> 01:02:50.170
He'll learn a lot more, he'll develop a lot more.
01:02:50.170 --> 01:03:01.289
Uh, and I think he'll I think he'll do great, and I think the uh the tigers fans uh watching the uh the the uh the two side will enjoy watching them.
01:03:01.289 --> 01:03:06.329
So definitely reason to uh to go and watch him in Telford if he's playing for the for the Tigers too.
01:03:06.809 --> 01:03:07.369
Perfect.
01:03:07.369 --> 01:03:19.450
Now, this is probably one of the sign-ins of the uh of the summer now, and it's number 23, David Thompson, moving from the Telford Tigers.
01:03:19.450 --> 01:03:22.329
I mean, the numbers speak for themselves.
01:03:22.329 --> 01:03:24.010
I think that's the easiest way.
01:03:24.010 --> 01:03:28.090
173 points in 96 Telford games.
01:03:28.090 --> 01:03:31.690
That's 1.8 points per game.
01:03:31.690 --> 01:03:41.530
He is just he knows where the back of the net is, he knows how to rile the crowd up, he knows how to rile opponents up.
01:03:41.530 --> 01:03:44.490
He's gonna be fantastic, isn't he?
01:03:44.809 --> 01:03:53.769
He is, and the advantage as well that he has as opposed to the other inputs is he knows the league as well, he's played in it, he knows the buildings, he knows the style of play here.
01:03:53.769 --> 01:04:04.730
There'll be no surprises for him, and the last import we saw we signed who used to play for the Tigers, didn't turn out to be uh half bad at all.
01:04:04.730 --> 01:04:09.050
So if uh I think he was right, yeah, and yeah, yeah.
01:04:09.050 --> 01:04:19.289
Thomas, he's like we we got the privilege of chatting to him, really knowledgeable, knows his hockey, loves being the pantomime villain as well.
01:04:19.289 --> 01:04:22.970
So he won't be phased going into those tougher way rinks there.
01:04:22.970 --> 01:04:31.930
He'll he'd almost be disappointed if he's not come off the ice, and the opposition fans are shouting at him and cursing him because he knows he wouldn't have done his job.
01:04:31.930 --> 01:04:43.050
But he's that player, he'll probably wind up everyone in that building, and then he'll then go forward and then score the game-winning goal with like 20 seconds left just to silence them even more, and then probably clap his ear at the at the crack.
01:04:43.050 --> 01:04:56.090
Probably, but he he he backs it up because he could play hockey, he he he knows what to do, and yeah, I it'll be interesting to see Hopo's not on the line with Eric Henderson because the two of them were scary together.
01:04:56.090 --> 01:05:08.889
I think though he'll he'll settle fair very well into this lightning team, and I I I think he'll be I think I can think he'll be a big favourite, and there'll be a number of Thompson jerseys being worn around the rink this season.
01:05:09.130 --> 01:05:12.170
Yeah, and you talk about those that like to be a pantomime villain.
01:05:12.170 --> 01:05:16.970
That takes us very much nicely onto a pantomime villain who has a list this one.
01:05:16.970 --> 01:05:27.050
It is number 24, Carter Hamill, makes the return after spending a season in Solway, getting his best points production in his senior career as well.
01:05:27.050 --> 01:05:30.730
It seems to be quite a theme with a lot of Lightning signings this year.
01:05:30.730 --> 01:05:40.250
He's back on a two-way with the Giants as well, and he got a good reception from the Giants at the back end of last season, playing a few more games for them and getting on the points board as well.
01:05:40.250 --> 01:05:43.849
He's got seven points in 29 games for the Giants.
01:05:43.849 --> 01:05:51.450
So he's putting the points on the board for the Giants, the Giants fans like him, Solway fans loved him as well, and Lightning fans.
01:05:51.450 --> 01:05:54.490
Well, we used to love him and we're gonna love him again.
01:05:54.889 --> 01:06:03.690
Yeah, Carter is just an absolute amazing human being, uh, really fun to be around, great personality.
01:06:03.690 --> 01:06:08.329
But as you say, Solway he just put in the performances was fantastic.
01:06:08.329 --> 01:06:14.730
And with Solway missing out in the playoffs, it meant he was able to train and play regularly up with Belfast.
01:06:14.730 --> 01:06:23.930
And credit to the Giants for giving him that opportunity, and credit to Bart as well for doing it because he he picked, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and he made the most of it.
01:06:23.930 --> 01:06:28.410
And he put in the performances, he put the work in, and I I think he.
01:06:28.410 --> 01:06:32.970
he'll he comes back to Milton Keynes, I think he'll be a better all-round player.
01:06:32.970 --> 01:06:38.730
Uh and he'll be pushing he'll be pushing for top six minutes as well.
01:06:38.730 --> 01:06:59.289
And if if those guys maybe who you think might be the more established names, if if if there's an injury or if uh the performances aren't great, there'll be that he's there with one of a few players that'll be hungry to snap up and he played power play for a bit towards the end of his time at Lightning as well and was that nuisance player in the crease I think he might well be the same again.
01:06:59.369 --> 01:07:22.490
He'll be getting in players heads he'll be playing up to the crowd but he knows where the back of the net is as well and I think I'm I'm expecting a lot of excitement when uh when Carter and Cami are going to be on the ice oh for sure and we're intrigued to see who uh he ticks off of his list as well I want to see this list I really want I really want to see this list.
01:07:22.490 --> 01:07:31.769
Yeah I want to see what this list is yeah I mean I guess I guess we'll be able to assume who's on it by uh as the season goes on.
01:07:32.010 --> 01:07:37.369
But there's a there's a few names who I already think but I want to just get confirmation as I don't want to say them out loud.
01:07:37.610 --> 01:08:32.329
Yeah so no I I think we might be thinking on the same sort of page there as well um right the next one announced um today as we're recording this Elliot Lewis number 29 has been announced with the Guildford Flames um he had a great preseason with them as well he travelled with them to France um and just this weekend just gone played both games against Bristol in the home and away fixture got a goal and an assist in Bristol on the Saturday scored again on the Sunday um and yeah he is his two way has now been adjusted so he is now on a two way with Guilford being the priority meaning there is a very high chance that we don't see him at Planet Ice Milton Keynes but it could not happen to a better and funnier guy if I'm being completely honest.
01:08:32.329 --> 01:08:44.489
If anyone was at the awards night uh at the end of the season um there was some time to kill and Dave Bunyan had asked Elliot Lewis to waste about five minutes just to sort of like keep things going.
01:08:44.649 --> 01:10:36.489
Half an hour later and Elliot Lewis is giving the mic to everyone and trying to embarrass them and it was absolutely hilarious but on the ice he's shown why he deserves that call up yeah uh so yeah two points on that one that first one I've not forgiven him for that because we'd made a quick appearance downstairs in the lobby to say hi to some people we were sat with a six week old getting tired getting getting hungry and Sarah was messaging people saying where are you and I was like Els has still got the mic else is still chatting on the mic we're gonna have to sneak out and then and then we had a mess I thought you were sneaking out he goes he started picking on people with the with the microphone so we didn't dare stand up because he wasn't gonna shove the mic in our face and I was I we're like oh okay so we had to quickly say hi bye to everyone very quickly downstairs in the lobby um whilst else was chatting but as you say fully deserved it so hard working absolute delight off the ice I mean I don't know what we're gonna do now with a lot of our media posts now that Els is going to be in Guildford but I he he he he he came through a bit down at Guildford so it's full it's great for him and I mean this in the most respect I part of me doesn't want to see him in a lightning jersey because I know that means he's doing the job in the elite league and he's getting the ice time and he's doing the minutes it's one of those ones I don't want to stand in the way of a young Britt's progress and he thoroughly deserves this and I really wish him all the best at Guildford if he is back in the lightning jersey it'll be great to see him playing still in a lightning jersey but I I generally hope he's he he does the number he does the business in the elite league and yeah he he goes on to massive things and maybe the next time we see him at Milton Keynes is he's wearing a GB jersey.
01:10:36.889 --> 01:12:03.769
No that would be that would be something else and he said it on um another podcast just over a year ago that it was a difficult decision for him to leave um Bristol to make the transition to us but he said that that was something that seemed like the next step in his career and he's now got that next step and fully fully deserved and we wish nothing but the best to Elliot Lewis in his venture and now we move on to a new import um one of many in the NIHL that are trading the France 2 for the NIHL and that is number 73 Jared White now played some times in the NCAA with uh Jared Whale which is not confusing at all um having two Jared's in the side um at least one of them spelt differently so that makes it a little bit easier um but I mean again he's played 94 games in the NCAA getting 24 points the NCAA is a a tough league and it's another great input definitely and the French uh French two league is really really good and the imports that go there make a massive massive difference and we've seen the ones that have come over from France too into the UK a lot of them into the NIHL when they're topping the scoring charts and some moving on the bit bigger and better things.
01:12:03.849 --> 01:12:33.849
I mean Cam Huff is the the the big example on that but I I think that would be a very solid signing uh I'm looking forward to see uh how Whitey gets on there because it was uh yeah I know that you and Chris to differentiate between the two and it was double R and single R but uh I I think it's a very good signing and I think you can slot in on it you could put him on any line on in this lightning lineup and I think he'll be a threat and he'll put a lot of fresh put a lot of points on the board.
01:12:33.849 --> 01:12:40.489
Yeah it's one of those ones where you don't you know much about him so you you you can't wait to get to see him on the ice and see what what he does.
01:12:40.729 --> 01:21:32.170
Yeah and that's why you should make sure you get your tickets for this weekend um little plug there had to do it um moving on to someone that is an established MKL player an established GB International really now is number 86 Sean Norris who was picked in the world championship squad as well unfortunately missed out on it due to injury um but he made his 200th appearance for lightning in the playoffs um last season and he's got 285 points in 200 games for lightning that is some impressive numbers and he sits firmly in the top 10 of lightning point scorers and one of the ones coming up uh later is right next to him in those scoring charts yeah I I think Sean might I I can see Sean climbing up those those those charts as well he's he can skate really well he's got a great shot on him controls the park well but he can also hit as well he's not afraid to mix it up when things get physical yeah he he's played a played away in the elite league played at Belfast and for a bit at Guildford represented GB he would have been going to Switzerland as well but for that injury yeah solid play and then now he gets to work with Pete all the time I'm expecting a big thing from Sean and he loves playing the Milton Keynes as well he loved he loves the team he loves the fans yeah we we're very lucky to have him and yeah not what more can you say about Sean he's yeah that's an absolute beauty yeah 34 goals as well last season as well so um he was the top goal scorer for lightning last season as well and another new import uh is next on the list it is number 90 and it is pronounced Braddy Johnson and this is another one where again there's not too much that we've not seen enough of him any HL fans will know that his uh his stepbrother is Johnny Cornell so those of you that know that that's um a good little bit of um knowledge to know to tell your friends but uh he joins from hockey etan in Sweden um he also played nearly 250 games in the OHL um as well as 123 in the U Sports as well so good pedigree behind him some good points in the OHL as well it's another unknown but there's the the the stats are saying good things I mean that that that that's some top leagues he's playing with some really really good players and so as you say there's good pedigree here it'll be first time in Britain but he knows a bit about the sport obviously through speaking with John Ian he's watched it a bit so he knows a bit about what he's getting into and the hockey ethan isn't as physical as the NIHL but U Sports and the OHL is so I think he won't be too much of a worry there and yeah from the chat with him on that that we had on the previous episodes as well really really good guy and I think he'll settle right into the team straight away and yeah I I I can imagine uh Brady's name will be sung quite a bit this season I can imagine so as well having seen him last week in and training he's going to be a fan favourite I can guarantee that one now penultimately and another new number and another return for the number 94 Liam Stewart disco's back disco fever it hit lightning in December last year it's hitting for the final time in the NIHL this season he said it's his last dance and he said on the pod not too long ago with Sean Norris that it's uh he's not coming to just have fun he's coming to to play hard and who knows what he can do but you know what Liam Stewart brings you what he offers and he's a fan favourite what more can you say he's Liam Stewart yeah yeah Stuart's box office and I I think every time he puts on the lightning jersey fans get excited there's just that anticipation every time he gets the puck you hear the buzz you hear that noise level just rise because you know that he will do something whether it is going to be he'll go on a solo skate and lift it over the shoulder he might just pick out a pinpoint pass or was uh Will Weldon of the Phantoms found out a few years ago if he drops the gloves he's quite handy when he has a bit of when he drops the gloves as well yeah he he's box office he brings the fans in he's great character in the in the room love interviewing him as well and chatting to him he's he's hilarious I mean I don't think anyone else could uh get the I think the words moose knuckle and discombobulate into the same sentence in a postgame interview as what he did with me a few years ago yeah he's he's an absolute brilliant person and yeah all those disco shirts that I've got people we buy new ones because they need to get the new number I think he does that on purpose everyone's he's he's had what 12 44 8 16 now we've got 94 suppose 94 works as that's when the year he was born so suppose that that that one is quite valid though um but yeah and then finally we move on to number 95 Jordan County he's another player really that what more can you say but electric he is one of those players that gets the puck and will create something out of nothing if you need someone to step up in the big moments Jordan County's your man did it multiple times last season and yeah I mean he was top point scorer in 24 25 and is back under Pete Russell as well because Pete gave him that senior um opportunity now what 11 years ago now roughly 11 12 years ago uh yeah so I think Counts was established in the team alongside hooky uh but I think Counts actually played a year under uh poolie as well so he was actually a poolie signing as well but you know he hoed his skills with Pete then he went up to the elite league didn't work out for him so he came back to Milton Keynes and yeah then then eventually went up and made a great career up in the elite league before coming back to Milton Keynes for uh yeah because he wanted to start a family down here uh down in Milton Keynes with his partner who's who's from Milton Keynes as well uh yeah Aaron calls him the flying Scotsman and I think it's very very apt is he absolutely has wheels on the ice a very smart hockey player though and now one of the leaders in that locker room as well and one of the leaders on the ice and on team and I think we could see uh last season a lot that uh first Tim and Joan then loser was yen were leaning onto that leadership with him and he did have the A last season not sure who if he will this season yet that's all to be announced the leadership uh on ice but you know what he gives you player that a lot of players respect the fans absolutely love him and I'm sure that DJ Bertie was already got uh Gardas Freed from desire queued up ready for the start of the season I just remember that ringing round Coventry at the end of uh 24 25 and their DJ silencing it and just letting us take it home and it that was one of those moments that I hope he's seen it and I hope he realizes how much he's loved in MK and will continue to be loved in MK and that rounds out the lightning players um in terms of for the 26 27 season we will just briefly mention the players that the forwards that have also moved on as well so number two Adam Rossbottom has moved back down south and is at the Basin Stoke Bison I think that'll be a good move for him to refind his scoring mentality Callum Field probably one of the more notable departures from lightning gets an opportunity with Telford Tigers and I think working under Tom Watkins I think you'll agree with me here is going to do him a hell of a lot of good yeah yeah for sure I mean uh just touching quickly on uh on Adam Rossboth them I know he works down that area so I think there'll be less travel for him and I think at Basingstoke I think he'll do a good job.
01:21:32.250 --> 01:24:07.049
I thought he put in great performances for lightning he just didn't get the points that those performances sometimes deserved uh and yeah Callum I think he'll do a really good job I sometimes you just need to move out of that comfort zone and like away from the hometown and I think he'll do a good job definitely under Tommy Watkins and at Telford I I think he you could see quite a few points that he could uh for him this season I think he may have a slightly different role as he has done previously and may get more ice time and maybe a few more times on special teams so uh it'll be one I'll be following with intent to see how he gets on oh for sure for sure indeed and uh Andy Heath uh he makes the journey to Sheffield scimitars and Mac howlitt as well he is now a baseline stoke bison um so that's gonna that's a huge huge acquisition for them um gonna really help in their forward lines Dominic Gabby makes the change to Peterborough it was uh that's a change that I think maybe not many fans were expecting but having seen that player like Dylan Lawrence made made that move and it's worked out for him can only see it really working out for Gabay as well I I think so and Peter we need to replace the points of uh Cam Huff and why not do it with one of the most established goal scorers in the NIHL in Don Kuby he's worked as well with Ashley Tate I think yeah that that's a good acquisition for the Phantoms for sure um Jana Joachinen is back in Europe he's made the trek to the Netherlands to play with smoke heaters galleen and next one Rio Grinnell Park moving to Chelmsford chieftains this one was a particularly I think surprised a few fans when the the rumor started going out about it because he just seemed like he was just always at MK he was always playing that role really well but a good opportunity for him to get top line hockey um with some players that are also ex-lightning players as well like Ben Russell for example and then finally is Jarvis Hunt he is not uh it's not been announced where he has signed or if he's signing anywhere at all yet but to all of those um players and all of the previous ones we wish you all nothing but the best um and we will see you around if you are in the NIHL still and I'm sure we'll all be a lot of lightning fans will be keeping some eyes out for for to hear some of these names again.
01:24:07.049 --> 01:27:52.649
I'll definitely once you've worn a lightning jersey fans never forget you they'll always keep an eye up for you and they'll always say hello to you you may get you may get a few little bits of banter during the game but at the end of the game you get get an applause and you get the welcome back uh yeah so yeah we never forget who's born what what born the uh the black and gold of the Milton Kings lightning that that is very true and now just before we we end we'll obviously it is hockey week and it's been too long since we've been able to say that um so we're gonna preview the weekend um against an opponent that lightning have not faced before yep uh German Oberliga Nord opposition the Rostock Piranhas and we played Oberliga North teams the last two pre-seasons so we played the uh the now defunct Essen Mosquitoes two years ago and then last season we welcomed the Tilburg Trappers who are the Dutch team but they play in the German Oberliga North uh Rostock are a very established side quite a large following very very good side as well and a popular side as well and if their hockey fans are like the football fans I don't know if you saw any of the clips from uh when Hansa Rostock played Watford a couple of a couple of weeks back it was loud it was colourful it was a proper party atmosphere so uh I I think if uh a few of the German fans will be uh will be heading over to follow the piranhas I think it'll be a good side and that they had their their their preseason started last weekend as well Rostock they took on Polish opposition uh so Gico S Katovice and they won 6'5 in overtime uh so sorry sorry 6'54 I apologise in regulation but a good game lots of uh lots of oppressed lots of good hockey uh and they were short a couple of bodies as well so one of their new signings didn't make the journey as he was uh only just got into Germany so rather than go and play playing away game in neutral ice on the uh border with Germany and Poland uh so he didn't ice but we expect him to be icing this weekend and they had a player go off injured early on in the first period so we'll keep an eye out to see if he travels for this weekend but should be a good test for the lightning the German sides we played before skated very fast they hit very hard as well I mean that Essen game there was uh a lot of physicality on that and Tilburg Trappers last season absolutely scored for lightning yet but we have to say if they put the hands up there they were very very impressive moved the puck so fluidly and interestingly enough when they went to Rostock the Trappers got beat by the Piranhas five goals to two so just goes to show that league it's very competitive Rostock finished towards the bottom of the standings last year however they'll be looking to improve on that and they've got some talented players and one of their former players is playing in uh Swindon this season yes that is uh that is one of those that especially when looking at the stats it was quite a uh quite one that was just oh we nearly faced him now now we're going to face him week in week out but you mentioned like uh gks katowice just for any of those that are watching uh a former Swindon player and Thomas Malasinski used to ice for for Katowice so it's another team that have got some famous famous NLHL names in the past definitely there's a couple of Polish internationals still on that Katovice team and they played Belfast Giants a couple of years back in the Continental Cup as well so it's it's a good good result for for Rostock to get the preseason with a with a W over a good opposition.
01:27:52.729 --> 01:28:30.969
So lightning needs to be need to be wary I think it'll be a should be a good game uh and it's home and home so two two nights in a row both uh both at Planet Ice Milton Keynes oh for sure and just a a look at a couple of the the players that are in that rostock squad um one that stands out for me when looking at it is Eric Gollenbeck number 14 the defenceman now he captain Germany's under 18s in 2012 2013 which may not seem like much but that was an under and under 18 side that contained The certain Leon Dreisitel.
01:28:30.969 --> 01:28:36.089
Now that's that's a heck of a teammate to be able to say that you've played with.
01:28:36.569 --> 01:28:38.089
Not just played with captains, yeah.
01:28:38.089 --> 01:28:41.369
I I was I was I was Leon Dreisitel's captain.
01:28:41.369 --> 01:28:44.569
That's that's something that you could not many players could say that.
01:28:44.569 --> 01:28:47.449
So yeah, definitely proper leadership skills there.
01:28:47.769 --> 01:28:48.809
Yeah, for sure.
01:28:48.809 --> 01:29:02.729
And just one more um Reed Petrick, the number seven, um, played with Jordan County in Glasgow in 23-24 season, um, and also has over 200 games in the AHL.
01:29:02.729 --> 01:29:25.369
So, in terms of quality, if any of you are not so sure on what quality this um Rostock side possess, that's just a little bit of an insight into what the the Rostock roster contains and some of the experience and the I mean the AHL is nothing to uh nothing to shy away from.
01:29:25.369 --> 01:29:28.409
That is arguably the second best league in the world.
01:29:28.729 --> 01:29:33.049
Definitely, and uh the German third tier is a very, very good standard.
01:29:33.049 --> 01:29:46.170
Uh so we mentioned Tilburg the night after they played us, they played Coventry Blaze, they led the Blaze for the majority of the match before eventually they tied out in the third period to go down 3-1 to the to the Coventry Blaze.
01:29:46.170 --> 01:29:48.569
So very, very good standard there.
01:29:48.569 --> 01:29:49.769
And uh another player as well.
01:29:49.769 --> 01:29:50.889
I just need to mention as well.
01:29:50.889 --> 01:29:59.449
Yes, but Orval was their top scorer, and also played to Manchester Storm as well, uh, back in the 22-23 season as well.
01:29:59.449 --> 01:30:15.289
So some very talented players there on offer, and uh I think Rostock could be a good opposition for the Lightning, and also it's a team that you you're not gonna see again uh for this season unless you do go over to Germany and catch a couple of the games over there.
01:30:15.289 --> 01:30:17.929
So chance to see some new opposition.
01:30:17.929 --> 01:30:20.649
I'm looking forward to calling that one.
01:30:20.649 --> 01:30:26.170
Um, not quite looking forward to mispronouncing some of the names on there.
01:30:26.170 --> 01:30:33.929
I've had to uh go back to my GCSE German lessons to try and get a bit more of a bit of help here uh with some of the pronunciation.
01:30:33.929 --> 01:30:41.369
So uh if you're united again, at least listen to the stream and have a good laugh at me and Harrison trying to pronounce some of the names.
01:30:41.689 --> 01:30:42.089
That's right.
01:30:42.089 --> 01:30:46.809
I remember doing the Essen game a couple years ago, and I requested that one solo.
01:30:46.809 --> 01:30:56.170
Not sure why I did that because the entire game uh well watched back the highlights recently, and uh yeah, it it it was a it was an interesting watch for sure.
01:30:56.170 --> 01:31:01.369
So yeah, it'll be a laugh if you can't make it to the Thunderdome on Saturday or Sunday.
01:31:01.369 --> 01:31:06.409
Uh, don't forget the Sunday game is included in your season ticket and has skate with the players afterwards.
01:31:06.409 --> 01:31:16.329
The Saturday game, not included in the season ticket, but you've got the welcome introduction to the Lightning side at three o'clock at mantra.
01:31:16.329 --> 01:31:24.729
So make sure that you are there um in order to be introduced to your 26-27 MK Lightning roster.
01:31:25.849 --> 01:31:28.009
Definitely, yep, House of Mantra.
01:31:28.009 --> 01:31:30.729
Uh I will be I will be uh your host for that one.
01:31:30.729 --> 01:31:32.569
So uh make sure you're there for that one.
01:31:32.569 --> 01:31:40.969
And we'll be back on the podcast as well next week as well, where we'll be giving you uh a review and a look back at the two Rostock games.
01:31:40.969 --> 01:31:50.170
Uh, we'll also be giving a preview of the upcoming match against the Peterborough Phantoms in that uh home and away double header in pre-season.
01:31:50.170 --> 01:31:53.449
We'll have another interview as well with one of the players.
01:31:53.449 --> 01:32:02.329
But uh until then, enjoy the rest of your week and we'll see you at the Thunder Dome for Saturday for the Lifestack MK Lightning and the Rostock Piranha.
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:21.120
Welcome to the latest Lightning Talks podcast brought to you by Lightning TV.
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.600
I'm Mike and I'm joined by Harrison today.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:24.960
Harrison, how are you, mate?
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:26.800
Doing alright, thank you yourself.
00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:29.440
Yeah, pretty, pretty good.
00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:33.600
Only a couple of days away now for the start of preseason.
00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.920
I think the summer's gone fairly quickly.
00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:41.200
I don't know about you, you might have been counting down the days and the minutes, but uh yeah, for me it's flown by.
00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.840
Yeah, I mean you've got a bit of a different scenario having a child as well.
00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:54.079
So, whereas, I mean, I've just been every day pretty much preparing stats for seasons, so it's been quite quick, but also quite slow at the same time.
00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:02.399
That's a good disclaimer Harrison has all the knowledge, and I'm pretty much just gonna try and remember who I am for the sake of this.
00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:08.799
But uh, this is the first one ahead of the preseason games against the Rostock Piranhas.
00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:20.959
Now, the format for these will be this will be weekly, and in this segment, we'll normally be talking about the previous weekend's matches, having a bit of a review of what's happened there.
00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.000
We then will then have an interview with somebody.
00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:30.319
We have got an interview, so we'll be chatting to assistant coach Lewis Christie coming up as well.
00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:37.040
But as there wasn't a previous week's game on this one, the last game was way back at the beginning of April.
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:38.560
We're not going to be doing that.
00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:49.280
So for this format for today's episode, we're going to be going through the lightning roster, then we'll be having a bit of an interview, and then we'll do a bit of a preview of the upcoming weekend's games against the piranhas.
00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:50.719
Does that sound good with you, Harrison?
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.640
Sounds great to me.
00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:53.599
Perfect.
00:01:53.599 --> 00:02:00.239
I know uh Aaron in a previous episode did go through with Pete Russell with some of the squads and talk through some of the signings.
00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:09.199
We're gonna go through them as well and just do a review because there has been an a new player arriving since that podcast with Aaron and Pete and Tom.
00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:13.680
Uh but we'll follow Aaron's format because it was a very logical format to do.
00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:15.759
So we'll go through in the position order.
00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:21.280
So we'll start at the back and we'll talk about the two netminders.
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:26.800
And Harrison, do you want to tell us about who the tandem will be?
00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:32.319
Because Pete did stress on this, it's not a starter and a backup, it's very much a 1A and a 1B.
00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.039
I think is probably the fairest way to describe the tandem for this upcoming season.
00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:41.280
Yeah, I think it's uh I think it probably is going to be a 1A and 1B.
00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:48.479
I mean, you look at the standards of the netminders, we'll start off, we'll mention the one that most will be familiar with, Jordan Headley.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:51.360
Um, 10th season at MKL this year.
00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:58.319
So that's a a milestone that I'm sure there'll be a testimonial at some point uh for him.
00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.400
And it'll be quite new for him.
00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:08.000
So in the NIHL, he's never really he's never had the uh non-bitish non-British trained netminder to compete with.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:11.680
So this is gonna be an interesting season for Jordan Headley.
00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:20.479
Um, but last season, if we look at his stats, 90.03 save percentage last season in the league, played over two and a half thousand minutes.
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:25.360
It's one of the highest minutes that he's logged in a season for Lightning.
00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:29.120
So I think he's he's on it's on he's on track.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:35.759
He's gonna have a good season this season because he's got that competition, and also last season was quite a good one for him.
00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:39.919
I was gonna say the heads faced a lot of shots last season as well.
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:47.680
He he did he did uh, I think he was averaging was over 30 shots a game, possibly even more than last season.
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.000
So he definitely had to be called upon.
00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:57.520
The fact that he's still posted over a 90% uh save percentage just shows uh what a solid dependable keeper he is.
00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:02.960
GB experience as well for heads, and as you say, his 10th season, he came through for junior setup here.
00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:12.080
He was a fan in the stands as well, so he's he's that role model netminder that a lot of uh youngsters and a lot of young goalies in Milton Kings need to look for.
00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:18.399
He's probably the best netminder that's come through the MK uh Academy, in my opinion.
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:26.240
There's been a few other good shouts that have come through as well over the years, but Heads has gone up to play the elite league, he's played for his country.
00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:35.839
Uh he's put in very impressive numbers there, and also as well, congratulations to Jordan Jordan as well over the summer with uh his uh baby daughter Heidi as well.
00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.439
So uh a nice addition uh to the family there.
00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.600
I imagine he I can empathise with the sleepless nights he's probably had as well.
00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.399
So uh I hope he's uh getting better sleep than I've I've been over the uh over the summer.
00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:50.720
Yeah, I can imagine that that's not been fun.
00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:54.879
But also, yeah, I suppose that we'll go on to the other netminder now, Jared Whale.
00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:00.959
Um, it'll be good for Jordan to have that sort of ability to know that he can rest if he needs to.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:22.240
And someone with of Jared Whale's quality coming in, NCAA netminder, obviously only played three games last season uh due to injuries, but it's the first import netminder for MKL in the NIHO era, and he's also the youngest non-British trained player in the league, so there's gonna be a bit of hunger in that as well.
00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:29.759
Definitely, and and obviously he had had the injury over last season, so was able to get many minutes.
00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:39.199
I know he'll be desperate to get onto the ice again and between the pipes, but he'll he'll learn a lot, I think, off of heads as well.
00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:50.639
So I think we've got a very good solid net mining tandem there, and he's played against some very good players, and that the NCAA Div one is a very, very high standard.
00:05:50.639 --> 00:06:10.079
And we've seen quite a few of these guys have come over to the UK from playing in college hockey in America and Canada, and they've put up some big numbers, they're putting some impressive performances, still young as well, so still wanting to learn, improve their game, and I think it'll be a great addition.
00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:12.319
And he knows a couple of the guys already.
00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:23.519
I know he said in his interviews as well, he's been in the uh the player WhatsApp a bit as well, and I believe he's uh he likes his golf as well, so I think he'll be fine as well with a lot of the lightning team as well.
00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.639
So uh good addition.
00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.399
I think a lot of a lot of fans are quite excited to see him play as well.
00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.839
As uh there's high potential from him.
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.040
Oh, for sure.
00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:51.279
And I mean, as you said, the NCAA is a very good league, and you've got to look at the fact that a lot of NHL players start in the NCAA, they come through that setup and go through the college hockey, and then they end up in the ECHO, AHL, and so make it to the NHL.
00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:56.240
So it's no it's no small feat playing in the NCAA, especially the top division.
00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:04.720
And he recorded 65 games in the NCAA and an 89.7% save percentage with less than three goals against per game.
00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:09.680
That is no mean feat in the NCAA at all.
00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:16.879
Very impressive numbers, and I mean I think there's you look across the league, there's impressive netminders there.
00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:20.240
I think there's some solid netminders in every team.
00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:26.800
I think it be I think we'll be sport for choice this season in the NIHL with in the goaltending department.
00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:34.240
Um but I think we'll we'll just need to mention as well uh outgoing netminder as well, though.
00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:38.399
Uh Will Curlin, who's going off to join the the Bristol Pitbulls.
00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:45.120
And Will again, like Jordan, was a Lightning fan, came through the the youth setup in Milton Keynes as well.
00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:53.600
And he made some tremendous saves and performances for the Lightning, especially when he had to cover in for Jordan a couple of years back.
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.480
Uh when Head's got that nasty injury down in Slough.
00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:04.160
Will stepped up and helped for T, but he stepped up as well in the playoffs uh season before last as well.
00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:09.279
And we wish Will the very best as he goes back to Bristol because he did join the Lightning from the from the Pitbulls originally.
00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.439
And I think that experience I think will put him in good stead down at the pound.
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:14.879
Oh, absolutely, for sure.
00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:24.800
I mean he was well loved at Lightning as well, the energy that he brought in the locker room as well as uh at awards nights, if uh those that were there have seen.
00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:39.279
Um, but yeah, absolutely nothing but the best for for Will Curling, and I'm sure that the experience he's gained from Lightning the last three seasons are gonna do him incredibly well going down to to Bristol to battle it out with Ben Norton to be their number one.
00:08:40.480 --> 00:09:09.759
Brilliant, and so we'll we'll move on for from the netminders and we'll go to the defence corps and we'll go through the returnees and the new signings on the on the Brit Corps on Decor, but all Brits, all Brits, no no uh non-EIHA or uh Scottish Ice Hockey Association trained uh players there that all all British trained, and I think that was something deliberate what Pete said in his interviews as well that he wanted a a young Brit decor.
00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:18.159
Oh, he certainly did, and there was never any real doubt that he wasn't going to go for uh non-British trained defencemen.
00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:32.720
And you can see with the defencemen that Lightning assigned, and we're obviously about to go through them, that there's a mix of a lot of experience in there, as well as a lot of hunger and that youth that Pete wants to bring to this Lightning side.
00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:38.720
He wants to bring that youth, he wants to bring that excitement, and he wants to bring these players to the next step of their journey.
00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:44.799
And there's a few of them that we'll go through that are certainly making that next step for sure.
00:10:14.730 --> 00:10:16.889
Yeah, uh so we'll go.
00:10:16.889 --> 00:10:26.169
Should we go through number order and do them all, or should we do uh new starters and then do return and then go on to uh uh do signs and then do returnees, or vice versa?
00:10:26.490 --> 00:10:29.209
Let's go number order, mainly because it's in order for me.
00:10:29.769 --> 00:10:30.409
Fair enough.
00:10:30.409 --> 00:10:31.610
Make it easier for you, mate.
00:10:31.610 --> 00:10:32.490
Make it easier for you.
00:10:32.730 --> 00:10:38.649
Makes it easier, um, but yeah, we'll start with the number three, new signing, Jake Haywood.
00:10:38.649 --> 00:10:44.090
Um, Coventry youth player, so accustomed to British game.
00:10:44.090 --> 00:10:56.169
Um, he did make some appearances for the Blaze NIHL side in 21-22 before moving to Canada for two years in the OHA and then moving to the US for the USPHL.
00:10:56.169 --> 00:11:01.449
So, USPHL, a lot of young players have come from that league back to the UK.
00:11:01.449 --> 00:11:05.449
If you think about the Osborne, they came from the USPHL as well.
00:11:05.449 --> 00:11:13.209
So, you've got some players there that they're putting up good points and then they're coming back over, and they're coming back over hungry.
00:11:13.209 --> 00:11:22.329
And Jake Hayward's one that I think people might sleep on, but he's on a two-way with Coventry Blaze for a reason, and he also got called up to GB in February.
00:11:22.329 --> 00:11:25.929
You don't just get called up to GB for no reason.
00:11:25.929 --> 00:11:35.610
And Pete said in his interview a few weeks ago that he liked what he saw from Jake Hayward, and he ended up getting a lot of minutes for GB in that tournament in Edinburgh.
00:11:35.610 --> 00:11:46.250
So there's there's a player in there, and having seen him a couple times at training as well, he's gonna be very good, I think, then for the next season.
00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:51.610
Definitely, and uh we chatted to Jake a few weeks back as well.
00:11:51.610 --> 00:11:52.970
Really, really nice lad.
00:11:52.970 --> 00:11:58.889
You could tell he's got that hunger and desire to play, kind of local as well, just up the road in Daventry as well.
00:11:58.889 --> 00:12:01.289
So I think he'll be very popular.
00:12:01.289 --> 00:12:18.009
Uh, provided, of course, he doesn't do the business with he gets called up to Coventry, and we have maybe another situation when we had David Clements as well, uh, a few years back when he was originally the two-way, and then his performances for the Blazers impressed Blaise so much he ended up making the jump up.
00:12:18.009 --> 00:12:22.889
I'm speaking selfish a bit selfishly here, but very, very talented player.
00:12:22.889 --> 00:12:30.649
And as you say, he played the GB under 20s in January and then got instantly called up for the senior squad as well, and he didn't make the numbers up there.
00:12:30.649 --> 00:12:32.169
He put in serious minutes.
00:12:32.169 --> 00:12:44.250
Really looking forward to see Jake on the ice, and I I think he'll I think I think he'll be very popular with with the fans here in MK because he's got a very high work and compete rate.
00:12:44.569 --> 00:12:45.209
Oh, for sure.
00:12:45.209 --> 00:12:56.329
And he's got a lot of players that he can work with as well that are either play young players that are on that same sort of path to the next step in their hockey career, or you've got the players with the experience as well.
00:12:56.329 --> 00:13:05.689
So he's got the both of them that he can work under that and he's also gonna be coached by Lewis Christie, who is arguably the greatest defenseman for the Lightning in their history.
00:13:05.689 --> 00:13:15.129
So it's a very good time for him in his career as well as for Lightning to acquire someone like Jake Haywood.
00:13:15.769 --> 00:13:16.970
Definitely.
00:13:16.970 --> 00:13:19.610
So uh who's next?
00:13:19.610 --> 00:13:20.730
Number four, I believe.
00:13:21.769 --> 00:13:24.090
Yes, yeah, number four, Archie Salisbury.
00:13:24.090 --> 00:13:28.730
Now we spoke to him obviously in uh on the pod as well a few weeks back.
00:13:28.730 --> 00:13:34.569
Um it's his fourth season in MK, so he feels like he's feels like that's flown by.
00:13:34.569 --> 00:13:39.209
I can remember when he signed from Peterborough uh as a youngster.
00:13:39.209 --> 00:13:43.370
Uh he was what he would have been about 17 at that point.
00:13:43.370 --> 00:13:56.009
And now fourth season, last season was his highest points total since his senior debut, and it's his highest since he was 12 years old playing for Phantoms under 15s.
00:13:56.009 --> 00:14:02.009
So his points total last season was kind of a story that went under the radar, I think.
00:14:02.809 --> 00:14:03.850
Yeah, definitely.
00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:12.329
And I I can't I'm saying this about Archie and I forget how young he is, but I'm saying he's one of the senior D men on the team now, and he's one of the leaders.
00:14:12.329 --> 00:14:27.689
He was part of he showed that leadership skill last season at times, especially when we were short on bodies on the blue line, and we had to call in a couple of like 16 or 17-year-old lone guys, uh, for the likes of D side and uh elsewhere around in the in the leagues as well.
00:14:27.689 --> 00:14:32.569
But he he took took that responsibility and he showed such maturity.
00:14:32.569 --> 00:14:35.370
I I think last season might well have been a breakout season.
00:14:35.370 --> 00:14:39.049
I think this season expect him to build on that and improve.
00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:55.129
Yeah, and I think also last season was a little bit different for him, where we had a lot more stay-at-home D-men last season, and so he got more of an opportunity to drive forward and to get in those opportunities, and they really developed his attacking side of his game.
00:14:55.129 --> 00:15:14.009
And I mean, yeah, three goals and ten assists, it doesn't sound like much, but when you compare that to previous seasons, where that was that's double the points last season in than every other game that he played for us before that, so it's not it's not like it was a fluke at all.
00:15:14.009 --> 00:15:21.929
He has really developed his attacking game, and you were starting to see him on this sort of second-line power play towards the end of the season as well.
00:15:21.929 --> 00:15:29.289
And Louis was giving him that trust, and that's only gonna just project his career so much higher.
00:15:29.289 --> 00:15:32.889
And working under Pete as well, what more can you ask, really?
00:15:32.889 --> 00:15:34.329
Definitely.
00:15:34.730 --> 00:15:39.929
Uh next up, then number 12, Kel Beatty.
00:15:39.929 --> 00:15:48.649
And this was a signing when it was announced I was buzzing for a really talented player, cannot wait to see him in a lightning shirt.
00:15:49.049 --> 00:15:49.850
Oh, 100%.
00:15:49.850 --> 00:15:53.129
I mean, he's a stalwart to the NIHL.
00:15:53.129 --> 00:16:06.490
You he was one of those players that I think you if you thought of Solway, you thought of Kel Beatty, and for him to make the move over to MK, um, joining some of his friends that we will go into as well.
00:16:06.490 --> 00:16:11.689
Um, but he's not just joining Lightning, he's also on a two-way with the Giants.
00:16:11.689 --> 00:16:14.809
And again, he's played quite a lot for them.
00:16:14.809 --> 00:16:24.730
He's played 41 times for them, he's even got a few assists uh for the Giants in his career, and he also got called up to that GB camp in February as well.
00:16:24.730 --> 00:16:33.529
So, again, he's his career is on the up as well, and 30 points in 48 games, pretty good for a D-man.
00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:35.370
Very, very good.
00:16:35.370 --> 00:16:42.889
And he was, as you say, he was such a stall at Solway, he was one of the leaders there, and they were gutted.
00:16:42.889 --> 00:16:54.090
I know the the Solway fan base were gutted to lose Kelts, and their loss, I think, would be Lightning's gain, and yeah, that two-way with the Belfast Giants with his hometown team definitely will help.
00:16:54.090 --> 00:17:00.730
And yeah, as you say, he's uh joined some of his uh Belfast friends as well, and we'll talk about them later on.
00:17:00.730 --> 00:17:04.569
But next up is another new addition to the Lightning.
00:17:04.970 --> 00:17:07.850
Certainly is Archie Hazeldine, number 13.
00:17:07.850 --> 00:17:14.329
Now, when you look at the GB squad, I think this is when um GB came to Lightning.
00:17:14.329 --> 00:17:16.329
Uh, I think it was April.
00:17:16.329 --> 00:17:34.410
Um, he was one of those that was in that pre-umor championship squad, and he got a decent amount of ice time both here and in Nottingham, and even travelled to Italy for the other games there before the world championships, and he didn't look at the place at all.
00:17:34.410 --> 00:17:39.370
And I think that's what the experience of having two years at Coventry has done for him.
00:17:39.370 --> 00:17:45.690
And I mean, he's known to the league as well, Telford and Leeds fans will remember him quite vividly.
00:17:45.690 --> 00:17:52.330
Lightning fans might remember him from a game for Telford against Lightning a few years back as well.
00:17:52.330 --> 00:18:07.930
But what a what a time in his career, and Pete has already said that one thing maybe he needs to work on more is the defensive side of his game, but where better to do that than a part of the unit that Lightning are building now, and under the GB head coach?
00:18:08.810 --> 00:18:48.890
Definitely under the GB head coach, and as you mentioned, uh Lewis Christian's coach, and also as well, uh the next player on our our list as well, Archie will learn a lot from also someone that did play at Coventry for uh uh for for a year before he came to Milton Keynes and this is a full circle moment because Griff was the uh first player that Pete Russell announced as signing when he first became the lightning coach, and uh Griff is still here again, still here, so a bit of a full circle moment because I I remember when he announced Griff and this was still at a point where Pete Pete was coming in after the back of Nick Paul standing aside as uh as coach.
00:18:48.890 --> 00:18:51.690
So there was I didn't have the warmest of welcomes, Pete.
00:18:51.690 --> 00:18:59.130
And when he announced James Griffin was the player that had been signed, the reaction from some of the fans was a bit muted.
00:18:59.130 --> 00:19:08.810
I was fist pumping the air because I was like, oh my god, we've got one of the best British D men coming to play for Milton Keynes, he's he's even covertry.
00:19:08.810 --> 00:19:18.090
He was impressive when he was at Swindon and when he came to went to Covertry, applied to trade in the elite league for a season, then came to MK and it's been his home ever since.
00:19:18.090 --> 00:19:23.130
And yeah, I I don't think we could say much more about number 15 James Griffin, can we?
00:19:23.450 --> 00:19:29.370
No, I mean it's season 12 with MKL, that tells you everything, and it's 12 consecutive seasons as well.
00:19:29.370 --> 00:19:34.810
He stayed with the Lightning during the elite league days as well, which you can't really say for many.
00:19:34.810 --> 00:19:41.530
Um captain the last two seasons, and he's he's approaching that top five appearance maker list as well for Lightning.
00:19:41.530 --> 00:19:46.009
So I'm sure he might uh have that in his eyesight as well.
00:19:46.330 --> 00:20:02.570
Yeah, a bit of a frustrating one because I know he had a couple of niggas injuries over the course of last season, and I think because of the short and body, so he's probably playing a couple of games where normally he probably would have had to sit them out, but just because he wanted to help the team out there, he he played through them.
00:20:02.570 --> 00:20:15.290
Hopefully, he'll have an injury-free season because we know when Griff gets rolling, he he's a massive, massive part of that decor, and he also helps out on the attack as well.
00:20:15.290 --> 00:20:26.170
And I think everyone still remembers that the soft hands he had in that playoff final against Peterborough the other year with that lovely little hands and that backhand into the net to put lightning on their way.
00:20:26.490 --> 00:20:31.930
Yeah, and I remember being there for that and watching and thinking, what's Griff doing in the slot?
00:20:31.930 --> 00:20:35.370
And everyone was just like, hold on a minute, that's James Griffin.
00:20:35.370 --> 00:20:42.410
But yeah, I think injuries will be one thing that I think he'll hope to be able to get through this season and not have to worry about.
00:20:42.410 --> 00:20:45.690
And I mean the D Corps will uh definitely help out.
00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:52.730
There's a lot of youngsters in there with a lot of fight, and I think you speak about injuries, we'll go on to the next one.
00:20:52.730 --> 00:21:02.810
Um, number 25 Ed Nags last season plagued with an injury that ended his season a lot earlier than both he and Lightning would have wanted.
00:21:02.810 --> 00:21:13.130
Um, and up to that point where he got injured, he'd only missed five NIHL league games since the inception of the NIHL.
00:21:13.130 --> 00:21:28.890
So he's one of those players that you that was just always there, and so gutting for him to have an injury, but back training, and he said in the pod as well, he's feeling good, he's feeling probably arguably the best that he's felt.
00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:36.250
So, and this is also his tenth season, uh maybe a joint, maybe a joint with uh with heads with heads, yeah.
00:21:36.330 --> 00:21:51.450
So no, he did obviously he split time as well coming through the the the lightning uh with the storm storm junior's venue also spent time as well in in Bracknell, but born just down the road, literally from where I am in Hemel Hempstead, he was literally just born around the corner.
00:21:51.450 --> 00:22:00.810
Um but he's so dependable, always reliable, and he's I think we we we mentioned it in the interviews with him.
00:22:00.810 --> 00:22:04.970
You don't notice he's on the ice, and that's what you want from a from a D-man.
00:22:04.970 --> 00:22:08.810
You you know that never puts a foot wrong, reads the game really well.
00:22:08.810 --> 00:22:12.490
And there were some defensive struggles last season.
00:22:12.490 --> 00:22:19.930
Does it coincide with the fact that Nagy was off the ice for the majority of that of that of that season?
00:22:19.930 --> 00:22:24.810
And when you're playing short, more injuries happen because Blaze are double shifting.
00:22:24.810 --> 00:22:28.410
But I know he was frustrated, he was at the rink still every every week.
00:22:28.410 --> 00:22:32.090
Ken to cheer the guys on and was helping out where he could off ice.
00:22:32.090 --> 00:22:35.769
I know though he's chomping at the bit to get back onto the ice.
00:22:36.009 --> 00:22:37.530
Yeah, I think you are right as well.
00:22:37.530 --> 00:22:48.250
There are points last season that you almost look for that it's a weird phrase, but it's that silent leadership, and that that just that player that can calm you down in moments where things might get a little bit heated.
00:22:48.250 --> 00:22:51.850
And Ed is that sort of player who you can just depend on.
00:22:51.850 --> 00:22:57.450
You know that when things are going tough, he's going to be as calm as anyone.
00:22:57.450 --> 00:23:07.290
And I don't think there's a a moment of worry that goes into his body because he never looks like he's under any stress or under any pressure.
00:23:07.290 --> 00:23:08.650
Definitely.
00:23:08.890 --> 00:23:23.210
Uh, and rounding off the decor, there was rumours that he well, I've I think I'd seen him rumoured to think be going to every single team in both the elite league and the NIHL at some point over the summer.
00:23:23.210 --> 00:23:27.290
Happens every year with this Bab, but it's because he's just so talented.
00:23:27.290 --> 00:23:37.610
But we kept him for another year, he's back in the 55 again, and yeah, he's extremely talented, and he's made Milton Keynes always his home home now.
00:23:37.610 --> 00:23:40.410
And if he ever does move up, I know we'll wish him well.
00:23:40.410 --> 00:23:46.570
But I think a lot of people begutted that uh this young man, because he's still is I still can't believe how young he is as well.
00:23:46.570 --> 00:23:48.170
But he's been Milton Keynes for so long.
00:23:48.170 --> 00:23:49.690
But yeah, Malik Martelli.
00:23:50.170 --> 00:24:11.850
Yeah, it's his sixth season with MKL, and just saying that alone, uh I mean, I I don't want to make you feel old, but that makes me feel old, despite the fact that like he has it again, he's been here since he was on a two-way with Streatham, and even that season that he was on a two-way, he didn't look out of place at all.
00:24:11.850 --> 00:24:20.810
He was on the two-way with the change of priority the next season, and then we signed him permanently, and ever since then, he's just never looks back, really.
00:24:20.810 --> 00:24:27.050
I mean, there's a reason why every team in the league, if you ask them if you could take a player from Lightning, who would you take?
00:24:27.050 --> 00:24:35.130
Malik Martelli is 99% of the time the answer, and again, last season was a career high points for him as well.
00:24:35.130 --> 00:24:40.410
I mean, 35 points in 45 games, he had a couple towards the end of the season.
00:24:40.410 --> 00:24:44.090
I think he missed most of the playoffs due to a little knock as well.
00:24:44.090 --> 00:24:48.810
Also got a GB call up in February as well, so that shows how much Pete rates him.
00:24:48.810 --> 00:24:53.769
Um, but yeah, there's there's a not enough good words to say about Malik Martelli.
00:24:54.890 --> 00:25:01.370
Definitely, and just to show the mentality of him, this was I think when it was possibly his first season at Lightning, maybe his second.
00:25:01.370 --> 00:25:04.650
He was playing at Coventry Finals weekend.
00:25:04.650 --> 00:25:16.330
He played with Streatham in their final against Solway, lost that game, and then straight after the game, the rest of the Streatham boys were going off for a constellation beer and just to meet with their families.
00:25:16.330 --> 00:25:25.530
Malik had got his gear and was running from one end of the skydome to the other with his gear to go put his equipment on and then play for the lightning.
00:25:25.530 --> 00:25:28.810
So he played two games in that one afternoon.
00:25:28.810 --> 00:25:34.330
That just showed how much he wants to play hockey, and he's still putting a shift in that in that game for the lightning as well.
00:25:34.330 --> 00:25:36.570
That just goes to show the commitment for the man.
00:25:36.810 --> 00:25:37.450
Not 100%.
00:25:37.450 --> 00:25:52.250
I mean, you do have to feel bad for him for that weekend, though, to be fair, because he's played the Sunday morning game, lost, and then obviously we don't want to go into it too much, but the Sunday afternoon game with Lightning also was a defeat as well.
00:25:52.250 --> 00:26:05.130
But as you said, the m the attitude on him is um is unmatched, and yeah, I think he's definitely still a fan favourite, and he will continue to be a fan favourite as long as the ice is in that lightning jersey.
00:26:06.009 --> 00:26:09.210
So we've talked about the defence.
00:26:09.210 --> 00:26:24.410
I think we'll have a little rest from us talking about the team now, and I think we'll uh as we're talking about defense here, Harrison, I think we'll now go on and talk to a lightning legend, as you mentioned earlier, probably the best defender we've ever had at the Milton Kings Lightning.
00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:27.930
Uh, is assistant coach Lewis Christie.
00:26:27.930 --> 00:26:31.290
Louie, thanks for joining us on the Lightning Talks podcast.
00:26:31.290 --> 00:26:33.210
How have you been over the summer?
00:26:33.850 --> 00:26:34.810
Yeah, good, mate.
00:26:34.810 --> 00:26:35.530
Really, really good.
00:26:35.530 --> 00:26:38.890
A nice summer, had a nice break, a few uh little holidays away.
00:26:38.890 --> 00:26:45.690
So just got back last well, got back last uh Friday from Scotland, so it was lovely to uh see the family and stuff like that.
00:26:45.690 --> 00:26:47.930
So yeah, it was nice, nice, good summer.
00:26:48.330 --> 00:26:49.769
Great to hear, great to hear.
00:26:49.769 --> 00:26:53.930
And uh got to quickly talk a little bit just quickly like last season as well.
00:26:53.930 --> 00:26:59.050
Obviously, to tell in the face, you did it all last season.
00:26:59.050 --> 00:27:06.490
You were assistant coach, you were playing, you were player assistant coaching, and then you were interim head coach.
00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:15.530
Have you had a chance over the summer just to take stock of a bit just what a roller coaster that last season was for you personally and also for the team?
00:27:15.850 --> 00:27:27.210
Well, yeah, for me for me personally, it was uh bit of a yeah, crazy, crazy um season for uh coming back to yeah, as you say, being an assistant to playing.
00:27:27.210 --> 00:27:40.970
I think playing was probably the hardest part uh from not playing for a year and trying to get actually get fit again, which was the uh I always keep myself in shape, but playing ice hockey is a bit for different fitness, I always say.
00:27:40.970 --> 00:27:44.490
Like the boys always say, How do we get fit for playing hockey?
00:27:44.490 --> 00:27:47.930
You can, unless you're on the ice, it's completely different.
00:27:47.930 --> 00:27:50.170
Uh but yeah, no, I was I enjoyed it.
00:27:50.170 --> 00:27:53.610
Like 12 games was was fun, but um yeah, yeah.
00:27:53.610 --> 00:27:57.050
Well, obviously I said to Tim at the time, I was like, I'm done.
00:27:57.050 --> 00:28:01.210
So it was um it was it was fun, but you know what?
00:28:01.210 --> 00:28:10.730
Like I said, then obviously going into the coaching role was bit of a hit as an interim head coach was a bit of a shock, but you know what?
00:28:10.730 --> 00:28:13.130
Like I always I always wanted to do something like this.
00:28:13.130 --> 00:28:18.250
I say maybe not so early in my coaching career, but no, it was uh it was fun.
00:28:18.250 --> 00:28:20.410
Uh and the boys helped me massively.
00:28:20.410 --> 00:28:24.890
I said we just never never got the uh the balances that should have come, really.
00:28:25.370 --> 00:28:41.850
So yeah, and obviously the uh the efforts that you did over that season were reflected and uh appreciated as as you were given uh at the person of the year at the uh end of season awards night.
00:28:41.850 --> 00:28:46.810
Was that that come as a bit of a shock and a surprise to you just to pick that one up?
00:28:47.850 --> 00:28:48.970
Yeah, it was actually.
00:28:48.970 --> 00:28:55.290
I I actually said to Chloe afterwards, I actually forgot there was an award for that, like that kind of thing.
00:28:55.290 --> 00:29:05.610
And uh I actually thought it was a joke to start with in my head, but it was uh no, it was I really appreciate I say I say but as I I try the best for the team.
00:29:05.610 --> 00:29:10.970
I say this is my my home club, like I love Milton Keynes, I'd never do it anywhere else.
00:29:10.970 --> 00:29:13.050
It's uh one place I'd I'll always stay.
00:29:13.290 --> 00:29:28.090
So yeah, uh and obviously moving into this season back in the assistant coach role again and working alongside a coach that you've played for previously at the Lightning in Pete Russell.
00:29:28.090 --> 00:29:33.050
Uh what's it like now to be working as his as his assistant?
00:29:34.009 --> 00:29:40.250
Well, I see I I've known Pete since I was like 10-year-old, eight-year-old sort of thing, somewhere about then.
00:29:40.250 --> 00:30:00.250
Uh, I've known him for a very long time, and then uh obviously 10 years 10, 11 years ago when he came to Milton Keynes, it was it was a big shock because I say, well no, Nick Poole was here previously, and uh obviously when Pete came, it was a bit of a shock to everybody, but I think it's what it needed at the time, uh, in a little in a bit of a way.
00:30:00.250 --> 00:30:16.009
Um put a shock to the system to myself, to like Lee Jameson, uh Adam Carr, Michael Farn, just to give us a bit of a boost, which I think is um I hope's gonna happen again because we've done good things when Pete was around last time.
00:30:16.009 --> 00:30:24.970
And I say for myself personally, I'm gonna I feel like I'm just gonna try and soak in it, soak everything in like a sponge from Pete because he's he's done it at the highest level.
00:30:24.970 --> 00:30:32.009
So for me, it's a massive learning curve uh to work and a privilege to work under somebody that's been there and done it.
00:30:32.970 --> 00:30:42.410
Yeah, I suppose after all the experience that you've got from last season as well, adding now working under Pete is probably just gonna send that even further.
00:30:42.810 --> 00:30:43.690
I I hope so.
00:30:43.690 --> 00:30:44.330
I really do.
00:30:44.330 --> 00:30:44.890
I hope so.
00:30:44.890 --> 00:30:52.810
I say it's uh it's something that I didn't expect last year, but obviously obviously Tom and JP Vicky gave me the opportunity.
00:30:52.810 --> 00:30:59.690
So it's as you say, just learning learning little snippets from different coaches and different training methods.
00:30:59.690 --> 00:31:01.769
I say we train Thursday with Pete.
00:31:01.769 --> 00:31:08.250
I say I come a little bit late, but watching the way Pete trains, he he explains everything, then he asks guys, is everything okay?
00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:14.490
And then he gives like some teaching points to the guys there and then when they're on the ice, which is like quite refreshing to see.
00:31:14.490 --> 00:31:17.769
Sort of it's giving guys like the option to ask a question.
00:31:17.769 --> 00:31:20.250
Whereas myself, I was it was just do you know the drill?
00:31:20.250 --> 00:31:22.890
Yeah, okay, like we're we're going sort of thing.
00:31:22.890 --> 00:31:28.570
Um that's it, that's me learning not on learning on the on the job as such, in a way.
00:31:28.570 --> 00:31:31.210
So I know it's gonna be fun, I think.
00:31:31.370 --> 00:31:41.690
Good fun and the team that's been put together, it's it's a stacked roster, uh across the lines there.
00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:48.970
I mean, I've we we've said it before, and we've we've chatted to some of the returnees, we've chatted to some of the new guys but on previous episodes.
00:31:48.970 --> 00:31:56.090
But for those playing coach at at home and trying to guess the lines, it's near impossible.
00:31:56.090 --> 00:31:58.730
Is it good to have such a talented roster there?
00:31:58.730 --> 00:32:04.490
Because obviously every guy wants to be on the ice and every guy wants to be getting as many shifts as possible.
00:32:04.490 --> 00:32:07.370
So, is that friendly competition really good there?
00:32:08.170 --> 00:32:08.650
100%.
00:32:08.650 --> 00:32:23.370
Like uh Pete asked me what what is what or what he what I would do in a situation like this, and his words were he said the best part of this is going to be we're gonna have competition all over the ice from goalies to defense to forwards.
00:32:23.370 --> 00:32:28.650
Uh, everyone's playing for a position, um, no matter if you're on the first line or the fourth line.
00:32:28.650 --> 00:32:33.210
Like one minute you could be you could be bumping up them lines pretty quick if you're playing well.
00:32:33.210 --> 00:32:37.050
I think Pete's philosophy is if you play them well, you're playing.
00:32:37.050 --> 00:32:46.410
So um it's good that for me is for me last year having so many guys, it was quite hard because I've never never dealt with it.
00:32:46.410 --> 00:33:00.570
Where Pete has done that through in Germany and in the elite league, uh, and now he's obviously coming back to Milton Keynes, he's got four lines, so it's gonna be friendly competition, which I think is gonna be fun.
00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:06.490
So I think that's one thing that you also see from his uh GB rosters as well.
00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:16.570
Um, when GB came to MK up back in March, is um it was that just consistent rocking four lines.
00:33:16.570 --> 00:33:21.290
There was never like a top line or a fourth line, it was four lines.
00:33:21.290 --> 00:33:27.370
And is that a sort of thing that you think's gonna benefit like me this season?
00:33:28.170 --> 00:33:33.130
Well, I look as yeah, you look at our roster, and we're we as you as Mike said, it we're pretty stacked.
00:33:33.130 --> 00:33:35.210
We are uh we've got a great team.
00:33:35.210 --> 00:33:44.810
Um but it's if guys gel together, like we just gotta we've got to work what work what works for the team and who's playing for the team and not individually.
00:33:44.810 --> 00:33:47.210
Um is where we've got to be.
00:33:47.210 --> 00:33:51.370
We've got to strive to be the best team in the league, uh, first of all.
00:33:51.370 --> 00:33:56.970
Um, but it's just getting the guys to work together and work as a unit five on the ice.
00:33:56.970 --> 00:33:59.050
That's where I see it.
00:34:00.570 --> 00:34:02.730
And uh have the guys all jetting in.
00:34:02.730 --> 00:34:05.530
I know uh they've been now on the ice.
00:34:05.530 --> 00:34:13.530
Uh we saw over the social media the last week or so the uh the guys coming over from Canada and uh arriving at the arrivals hall in Heathrow.
00:34:13.530 --> 00:34:17.690
Obviously, probably a little bit of jet lag still for just to recover and get used to it.
00:34:17.690 --> 00:34:23.289
I know we've had baking hot summer, and I think when the guys landed, it was chucking it down with rain for the first time.
00:34:23.289 --> 00:34:24.969
So we were quite happy for that.
00:34:24.969 --> 00:34:39.849
But uh on the ice and around, have has the team started gelling as you would expect a lightning team to because we know a lot of being playing for this team, it's it's that locker room and it's that brotherhood between the team, isn't it?
00:34:40.650 --> 00:34:45.610
Yeah, I said that I think we've had we've had guys that have uh going to strengthen the team this year.
00:34:45.610 --> 00:34:57.690
Obviously, you're getting back guys like Max Stewart, Liam Stewart, uh Carter, Cam, guys that are like good, very good locker room guys who can bring a room together, like Jordan County.
00:34:57.690 --> 00:35:04.010
Like they would they love doing things together as a group, which I think is a massive key thing to uh success.
00:35:04.010 --> 00:35:22.570
Um I say the years we had um when we won the league many years ago now, but um we were we were like a group, a united group that wanted to do things together, like go for go for dinner together, go to the gym together, um, which I think this year's team is um I think they want to do that.
00:35:22.570 --> 00:35:27.610
They all want to they all want to be a part of each other's journey, which which is nice to see.
00:35:27.610 --> 00:35:29.930
Um so yeah, it's it's it's gonna be fun.
00:35:29.930 --> 00:35:31.690
It's gonna be real, real good fun.
00:35:31.690 --> 00:35:34.730
Uh it's gonna be it's gonna be fast, I'll tell you that.
00:35:36.090 --> 00:35:37.690
Yeah, you can say that.
00:35:37.690 --> 00:35:53.530
And you've got so you mentioned some of the players that are coming back, but looking also at the the newer players that are joining as well, you've got um the likes of David Thompson, you've got Jared Whale, Jared White, uh Brady Johnson, just to name but a few.
00:35:53.530 --> 00:35:58.730
What's it been like the first couple training sessions seeing them and how have they fit in?
00:35:59.530 --> 00:36:04.730
I'm getting the really nice guys, they're all genuine hockey players, they all want to they all work hard.
00:36:04.730 --> 00:36:08.730
That's one thing we've built our team on is guys that want to work hard and work for each other.
00:36:08.730 --> 00:36:15.610
Um, just even just doing like battles in the corner, like guys are battling hard in the first first couple of weeks in practice.
00:36:15.610 --> 00:36:28.010
And but for me, that that's amazing because they are they're here to compete and they're all here to make each other better, which is um, which is but yeah, some of these guys really good imports.
00:36:28.010 --> 00:36:33.769
We've got some really good imports, good guys, guys that wanna want to be here, which is uh which is good.
00:36:33.769 --> 00:36:40.410
I say they I asked that, I can't think of a speak who was speaking to it, but I asked him, have you been around Milton Keynes and his first words?
00:36:40.410 --> 00:36:44.170
A lot of roundabouts, and I said, get used to that.
00:36:44.170 --> 00:36:49.610
So um, yeah, so they say get used to it, you're gonna do that a lot.
00:36:51.210 --> 00:36:53.210
Have you finally got used to the roundabouts, Louis?
00:36:53.210 --> 00:36:54.970
I know you've been here for oh well.
00:36:55.050 --> 00:36:59.450
I moved out, I moved out of I moved out of Milton Keynes, that's for the reason.
00:36:59.450 --> 00:37:05.369
I know it's uh Milton Keynes is special for that one thing.
00:37:06.730 --> 00:37:24.490
Uh brilliant, and uh obviously the guys will be back in training, and we're only a few days away from uh the start of pre-season, and uh Oberliga North, uh German opposition in Rostock Piranhas home and home Saturday and Sunday.
00:37:24.490 --> 00:37:31.130
We played at Oberliga side at the start of last season in Tilburg, and those guys could skate.
00:37:31.130 --> 00:37:36.010
And what kind of a challenge are you expecting uh from the Piranhas this weekend?
00:37:37.050 --> 00:37:40.010
I'll look into a very similar, very fast team.
00:37:40.010 --> 00:37:42.650
Um they move the puck well.
00:37:42.650 --> 00:37:44.010
They move they move the puck well.
00:37:44.010 --> 00:37:47.769
Like we've just got to be aware like defensively that they can't score goals.
00:37:47.769 --> 00:37:54.410
Um, so I just think we're gonna be we're gonna start from the back and work away out and just play like our game, sort of thing.
00:37:54.410 --> 00:38:10.570
Like the team we've got is it's built on like good guys that are ready to support each other, which I think they have got a they're very close net group, like um and they just yeah, they're they're very strong and powerful, which I think we've just got to go and match that.
00:38:10.570 --> 00:38:14.010
Let's see, it's it's gonna be a tough, tough challenge for us, but you know what?
00:38:14.010 --> 00:38:17.530
You'd rather have a challenge than have a walkover game, wouldn't you?
00:38:17.530 --> 00:38:19.930
Like, so it's it's gonna be fun.
00:38:19.930 --> 00:38:22.730
It's gonna be fun, fun game or games.
00:38:23.450 --> 00:38:28.090
Yeah, uh with it being that double head of it, is it almost that first game?
00:38:28.090 --> 00:38:34.570
You might also be sort of both teams sort of feeling each other out, trying to understand the strengths and weaknesses of in that second game.
00:38:34.570 --> 00:38:40.329
It's almost like, okay, we know how this how this is gonna go, we know that how the game plan.
00:38:40.329 --> 00:38:47.130
Uh, and also as well, often we see in the league some things do carry over from the first night to the second.
00:38:47.130 --> 00:38:50.650
Uh, obviously it's pre-season, but there's no such thing as a friendly in hockey.
00:38:50.650 --> 00:38:53.369
Are we expecting possibly something like that as well?
00:38:53.369 --> 00:39:08.170
I mean, I I don't know some of the German lads how good their English is, uh, but I imagine there'll probably be some some chirps going across uh the benches, uh mentioning no names, but he he has been on the podcast previously and he he has made a list a bit like Santa Claus.
00:39:08.170 --> 00:39:16.170
Uh but uh is that something that as a player you look forward to as well when you see a team when you know they've got them you've got them back to back?
00:39:16.970 --> 00:39:17.450
You know what?
00:39:17.450 --> 00:39:23.210
I always say it's a little bit like playoff games, like you know you've got them back to back.
00:39:23.210 --> 00:39:32.170
Um you're gonna you're gonna do your best to win that first night, but obviously whatever happens, like you're either holding the title or you're you're going for revenge.
00:39:32.170 --> 00:39:37.769
So you never know what happens on these uh preseason games, especially playing an opponent from abroad.
00:39:37.769 --> 00:39:57.610
Uh it's very, very different, but it's still gonna be it's you know what I always say, you've just you've just got to go out there, find your legs, because it's the first game for us, um, which is always the which always is the hardest part because getting fitness is you can have the best fitness, but you come to a game, it could be completely different.
00:39:57.610 --> 00:40:09.530
You could be handing your end for five minutes, um, and you just guys are struggling with their legs, like it is a complete um whirlwind, you never know what's gonna happen.
00:40:09.530 --> 00:40:11.130
So no, I think it's gonna be fun.
00:40:11.130 --> 00:40:17.690
That's one thing I think it's gonna be good fun, and I think it'd be good for the fans to come and see us, see us uh the new team.
00:40:20.410 --> 00:40:31.050
So yeah, and when it comes to the that first couple games, obviously you've still got another week of pre-season after that.
00:40:31.050 --> 00:40:34.329
How do you look at this weekend of preseason?
00:40:34.329 --> 00:40:42.809
Is it as you said, just about just getting them getting the boys going and getting the legs moving, or is there a little bit more of figuring out lines?
00:40:42.809 --> 00:40:45.289
Is that what the the thought is?
00:40:45.610 --> 00:40:50.570
Well, I think pre-season is always uh is always about just finding your legs to start with.
00:40:50.570 --> 00:40:57.289
That's the key is to find your legs at the end of the day, because it can't that can that's the hardest part of hockey is finding your legs.
00:40:57.289 --> 00:41:06.329
I say you've always got that up up and up top, you know what's going on, and you can um you can play what you can play play smart with your head, and you can be simple.
00:41:06.329 --> 00:41:12.410
Um if you've got both of them, you're you're you're cruising, you're fine, you're good, you're good to go.
00:41:12.410 --> 00:41:26.490
So but yeah, no, having two weekends pre-season, um, yeah, it's it's um we don't know the top of the opponents this weekend, but obviously we know what Peterborough is like, it'll be uh great place to go.
00:41:28.090 --> 00:41:34.570
So there might be a couple of fans watching this who still haven't got their tickets yet for the preseason games.
00:41:34.570 --> 00:41:38.410
They might be sitting on the fence going, Oh, do we wait for the league season to start?
00:41:38.410 --> 00:41:46.250
What would be your message for those fans to get to the rink for this these two Rostock games, and then of course the Peterberg game the week after?
00:41:47.050 --> 00:41:48.090
Well, I'd say one thing.
00:41:48.090 --> 00:41:54.809
I said if you have you seen us practice in this last couple of weeks, I suppose I think you'll probably get your tickets uh pretty sharpish.
00:41:54.809 --> 00:41:59.930
I say uh we've got some characters in that room that'll make you smile, make you happy.
00:41:59.930 --> 00:42:03.210
Um, yeah, we're just gonna have so much, we're gonna have a lot of fun.
00:42:03.210 --> 00:42:10.329
Uh, and I think guy people that come to watch are actually gonna enjoy it uh seeing us play hockey and actually have a smile on our face.
00:42:10.329 --> 00:42:13.610
So uh yeah, you guys need to get your tickets.
00:42:14.490 --> 00:42:15.130
Brilliant.
00:42:15.130 --> 00:42:17.210
And the final question.
00:42:17.210 --> 00:42:21.050
Obviously, you uh you did your 12 games last season.
00:42:21.050 --> 00:42:27.769
Any chance that uh you'll be uh putting on the skates again this season if uh if the need arises?
00:42:29.130 --> 00:42:30.889
I'm gonna say that as a no.
00:42:30.889 --> 00:42:34.490
Uh I love hockey, I love it very much.
00:42:34.490 --> 00:42:36.170
But I'll tell you where my kit is just now.
00:42:36.170 --> 00:42:37.769
My kit is in my loft.
00:42:37.769 --> 00:42:42.889
My skates are in the rink or on the ice for the boys, but my kit is staying in the loft.
00:42:42.889 --> 00:42:50.889
Uh, I'll be playing one little tournament with uh Adam Carr and the Lizards uh at the end of the season.
00:42:50.889 --> 00:42:56.410
Um that's the only time I think I'll be getting my kit out of the uh out of the loft to play that.
00:42:56.410 --> 00:42:58.730
So um hope everyone stays healthy.
00:42:58.730 --> 00:43:01.930
That's my uh my main uh main priority this year.
00:43:03.369 --> 00:43:05.450
So lizards and testimonials, that's it now.
00:43:05.450 --> 00:43:08.490
That that that that's the only time you'll be on the ice, then yeah, that's it.
00:43:08.570 --> 00:43:10.650
That's the only time they'll be coming coming out of the loft.
00:43:10.730 --> 00:43:12.570
That's the one thing it'll be doing.
00:43:12.570 --> 00:43:14.730
So all right, perfect.
00:43:14.730 --> 00:43:16.970
So message is there, but stay healthy.
00:43:16.970 --> 00:43:21.690
So uh Liam and the uh medical team need to keep those boys as healthy as possible.
00:43:21.690 --> 00:43:32.730
But uh Pete's got a Pete's got a fairly big big roster, so hopefully, figure touch all the wood, fingers crossed, that uh we won't have the injury and the absences that we had of last season.
00:43:32.730 --> 00:43:34.329
Yeah, yeah, fingers crossed.
00:43:34.410 --> 00:43:37.930
So we we got a young team this year, which I think is is beneficial to us.
00:43:37.930 --> 00:43:44.570
I say I remember me being younger and uh being a bit more elasticity.
00:43:44.570 --> 00:43:50.809
Uh me being old is uh one one thing that I felt every ache and pain.
00:43:50.809 --> 00:43:57.050
So yeah, fingers crossed these last fit and healthy under Leon's supervision and his team.
00:43:58.170 --> 00:44:00.090
Perfect, no pressure to the team there.
00:44:00.090 --> 00:44:01.610
Thanks, Louis, for that insight.
00:44:01.610 --> 00:44:06.889
And can't wait to see you and all the boys this weekend against Rostock.
00:44:06.889 --> 00:44:10.329
I think that pretty much finishes it now for the defensive call.
00:44:10.329 --> 00:44:16.250
But Harrison, obviously, we need to mention those who uh played for the team last season have moved on.
00:44:16.889 --> 00:44:17.769
Yeah, of course.
00:44:17.769 --> 00:44:28.490
And first of all, I mention that uh a former fan favourite uh Jordan Spadafour has joined the newly formed LS LHSB League in Canada.
00:44:28.490 --> 00:44:29.849
Um joining St.
00:44:29.849 --> 00:44:31.289
John Flames.
00:44:31.289 --> 00:44:35.530
I mean, Jordan Spaderfour was a fan favourite for sure.
00:44:35.530 --> 00:44:42.090
We can't deny that and wish him all the best in his travels back to Canada.
00:44:42.090 --> 00:44:48.010
Josh Kelly makes an in NIHL move down to the Bristol Pitbulls.
00:44:48.010 --> 00:44:53.769
Obviously, moved from Barkshire B's to come to us and made quite an impact.
00:44:53.769 --> 00:44:58.970
I remember him having a fight, I think it was against Ty Cathcart against Bison when we were losing it.
00:44:58.970 --> 00:45:04.250
Kind of just G'd the crowd up, so that was something I remember about Josh Kelly.
00:45:04.250 --> 00:45:09.930
Josh Saunders has moved to Solway Ice Hockey Club.
00:45:09.930 --> 00:45:13.369
So that's going to be a good opportunity, I think, for him as well.
00:45:13.369 --> 00:45:25.210
Because I think he played maybe too many minutes for lightning in times where if we had more D, then it probably would have been a lot less stressful on him.
00:45:25.210 --> 00:45:29.210
But he's gone back to Scotland, and I think it's a great opportunity for him, don't you think?
00:45:29.610 --> 00:45:30.329
Definitely.
00:45:30.329 --> 00:45:33.690
Uh I think Josh I thought performed very well.
00:45:33.690 --> 00:45:42.970
Uh one of the lads who I thought may have stayed, but he's a bit closer to home, and I think he'll he'll do very well up in Solway.
00:45:42.970 --> 00:45:46.650
He's got some good teammates up there, and being coached by Martin Grubb, yeah.
00:45:46.650 --> 00:45:48.809
Josh will do very well and a very nice guy.
00:45:48.809 --> 00:45:51.530
As of all the guys who have gone, they put a lot of time for the fans first.
00:45:51.530 --> 00:45:57.849
They definitely embraced what it was like to be a Milton Keynes Lightning player and embrace the community in Milton Keynes.
00:45:58.329 --> 00:45:59.450
Oh, for sure.
00:45:59.450 --> 00:46:07.690
And a couple more Patrick Forsberg as well joined us halfway through uh in the 24-25 season.
00:46:07.690 --> 00:46:13.690
I remember his opening game uh at home to Swindon and he let one rip from the blue.
00:46:13.690 --> 00:46:17.930
I think it was it um was it us two on comms that or was it you on comms?
00:46:17.930 --> 00:46:24.970
And I remember being up in the gantry and watching him warm up, and he's just ripped a slap shot off the pipe.
00:46:24.970 --> 00:46:28.570
And I I think I've just turned to you and gone, Jesus.
00:46:30.329 --> 00:46:41.050
It as soon as I saw that warm up, it reminded me of Lucas Setapek just with that big blue line one-time slap shot, and yeah, definitely a very popular player again.
00:46:41.050 --> 00:46:46.490
He did a lot of work um with Gilpak, who uh his player sponsors as well.
00:46:46.490 --> 00:46:51.450
Uh, yeah, fantastic player, fully committed to the team.
00:46:51.450 --> 00:47:01.450
And uh I don't I not with hasn't got a club yet, but I'm sure I'm sure he'll find one if uh if he gets his way off the golf course.
00:47:02.250 --> 00:47:05.210
Too busy trying to make it to the Masters, I think.
00:47:05.210 --> 00:47:07.130
But yeah, all the best to him.
00:47:07.130 --> 00:47:12.010
And finally, one that is um quite an interesting one, and I think this is also a really good move for him.
00:47:12.010 --> 00:47:25.849
Bailey Thomas has is on what is a three-way contract with D-Side Dragons in NIHO 1 North, uh, Hull Seahawks in the NIHO National, and Manchester Storm of the Elite League.
00:47:25.849 --> 00:47:35.050
Now, as far as we're aware, that he'll spend the majority of his time at Hull, which again more NIHO ice time for him, and he got a decent amount with Lightning last season.
00:47:35.050 --> 00:47:38.329
And again, at 17, did not look out of place either.
00:47:38.329 --> 00:47:42.490
But training with Manchester, that's going to be huge for his development.
00:47:42.730 --> 00:47:46.650
I'll definitely, and I think everyone remembers his goal against Romford.
00:47:46.650 --> 00:47:47.849
Uh, that he scored.
00:47:47.849 --> 00:47:50.650
The place absolutely went wild.
00:47:50.650 --> 00:47:59.849
Uh, I I generally hope he gets to Ice in a game for the storm at the ME uh at the AO arena as it is now.
00:47:59.849 --> 00:48:06.650
But imagine being out in the the Manchester arena, going out to that big arena, playing, making your debut in the storm jersey and that.
00:48:06.650 --> 00:48:11.530
I good luck to him up that I hope he cherishes every second that he does for that.
00:48:11.530 --> 00:48:20.090
Because even if he doesn't get any any ice time, just that lining up on that blue line for the anthems in front of an arena like that, that must be goosebumps for a player.
00:48:20.090 --> 00:48:23.210
So that's that's the that's the dream to play in a in a building like that.
00:48:23.210 --> 00:48:24.090
Oh, 100%.
00:48:24.410 --> 00:48:40.809
And that alone, that experience alone, even as you said, even if he doesn't get much ice time or any, just that experience of being in the locker room with the elite league lads and also being a part of what could be some record-breaking crowds up in Manchester this season.
00:48:40.809 --> 00:48:42.329
It's only going to benefit him.
00:48:42.329 --> 00:48:47.930
And with all of the D, we wish them all the very best in their next journey as well.
00:48:47.930 --> 00:48:52.650
But I think that's probably about time to move on to the forwards.
00:48:53.210 --> 00:48:55.450
Yeah, uh, the forward pack now.
00:48:55.450 --> 00:48:56.809
This could take a while.
00:48:56.809 --> 00:49:07.769
There's uh quite a few of them to get through, but uh we'll go through the number order again, and starting with someone who, when we did the last preview, hadn't been announced.
00:49:07.769 --> 00:49:13.610
Uh, he's been announced fairly recently, and a big name, big name signing.
00:49:13.610 --> 00:49:17.930
And I think this is one a lot a lot of people are going to get excited about.
00:49:18.250 --> 00:49:21.369
Yeah, you're right there, and it is Danny Waite.
00:49:21.369 --> 00:49:31.210
Now, those NHL fans that may know, uh, he is the son of former all-star player and Stanley Cup winner, Doug Waite.
00:49:31.210 --> 00:49:43.210
Um, so the pedigree in that family alone is something to go off, but that's not even talking about Danny Waite's career in America so far.
00:49:43.210 --> 00:49:46.490
He played for the USA under-17s.
00:49:46.490 --> 00:49:50.410
And you think, oh, who's he played with?
00:49:50.410 --> 00:50:02.090
Only names like Cole Caulfield in the NHL, Trevor Ziegress, Jack Hughes, the Olympic gold medal winning goalscorer, Matt Baldy.
00:50:02.090 --> 00:50:10.809
He played with some unbelievable players and has then spent five seasons in the NCAA as well.
00:50:10.809 --> 00:50:16.250
There's a lot of experience coming from a man who's still very young as well.
00:50:16.570 --> 00:50:30.730
Yeah, and he's had a obviously you've mentioned his his father Doug, so there's always been interest in him over this overseas, but some of the scouting reports have said he's plays such a good game, and he's a very smart two-way hockey player as well.
00:50:30.730 --> 00:50:32.570
Very, very strong addition.
00:50:32.570 --> 00:50:40.410
I know that Pete said initially he was only going to go the four imports unless the right man and the right fit came along.
00:50:40.410 --> 00:50:48.970
He clearly found his man, and I was thinking it may have been a few more weeks down the line until after all the training camps over in the States and in Canada had finished.
00:50:48.970 --> 00:51:01.849
But he got Danny and he'd got his man, and a very, very good signing, very what one I'm excited about, and not just because I grew up watching Doug play with St.
00:51:01.849 --> 00:51:04.329
Louis and uh the New York Islanders.
00:51:04.329 --> 00:51:11.210
Uh when he was at Edmonton, it was just a bit before I started uh watching the NHL, but yeah, he was part of that St.
00:51:11.210 --> 00:51:13.369
Louis Blues team that I grew up idolising.
00:51:13.369 --> 00:51:17.369
So yeah, the fact that Danny's gonna be here.
00:51:17.369 --> 00:51:20.329
Hopefully, Doug will get over to MK to to see a game.
00:51:20.329 --> 00:51:23.769
I will probably be be fangirling quite quite a lot.
00:51:23.769 --> 00:51:31.369
If he's there, I'll probably be paying more attention to uh to to Danny's dad fan uh most of the fans do for Liam's dad.
00:51:32.329 --> 00:51:37.130
Make sure maybe you're not on comms for that one, then if he turns up, you can definitely, definitely, yeah.
00:51:37.130 --> 00:51:40.329
You can go and be roaming camera and stand next to him.
00:51:40.329 --> 00:51:51.530
But yeah, I think that that's uh that's gonna be a sign, and that I think I mean it's just the icing on the cake as the the forward lines or the forward players all already.
00:51:51.530 --> 00:52:03.050
A lot of fans were like, what a forward core lightning have and to add someone of that calibre to to the the roster, it just it just puts the icing on the cake for sure.
00:52:03.050 --> 00:52:10.170
Uh and a very different one for the next one a returnee after two seasons away at Bristol.
00:52:10.170 --> 00:52:23.530
Cameron Hamill returns to Lightning, and he was getting top six ice with the Pitbulls and getting a point in almost every other game, which was definitely new for him.
00:52:23.530 --> 00:52:28.490
But that experience that he's now got that's gonna come in handy for Lightning for sure.
00:52:28.889 --> 00:52:29.610
Definitely.
00:52:29.610 --> 00:52:43.530
I think Cammy grew as a player with the added responsibilities down at Bristol and had his paddlec last season, trusted him on the special teams, both the PK and the PP, and he rewarded that trust.
00:52:43.530 --> 00:52:46.170
He got good points for the pit bulls.
00:52:46.170 --> 00:52:50.250
He still was his terrier-like attitude there, he battled in the quarters.
00:52:50.250 --> 00:52:53.930
He pound for pound, he's probably one of the toughest guys in the league.
00:52:53.930 --> 00:52:58.970
He's he's not the biggest, but he he very much reminds me of like a player like Grant McPherson.
00:52:58.970 --> 00:53:02.730
What's not afraid of anyone, he'll stand up for himself and is for his teammates.
00:53:02.730 --> 00:53:04.570
Real team first player.
00:53:04.570 --> 00:53:10.010
Uh yeah, delighted to that that Cammy's back and that work rate and that attitude.
00:53:10.010 --> 00:53:11.610
He would he he was popular in Bristol.
00:53:11.610 --> 00:53:25.369
The Pitbulls fans loved him and uh were gutted to see him uh return back to Milton Kings, but uh everyone at MK is buzzing to see see Cammy back in an MK jersey and wearing the number seven jersey.
00:53:25.610 --> 00:53:29.690
Yeah, it's a big number, it's uh it's a big number to to fill.
00:53:29.690 --> 00:53:34.170
But yeah, I mean he had a bit of an injury problem at the start of last season.
00:53:34.170 --> 00:53:51.690
It took him a little bit to get into it, but again, there's no doubt in the the talent that that he has, and again, he's coming back to lightning a different player than what he left um back in the 23-24 season um when he made the move down to Bristol.
00:53:51.690 --> 00:54:02.970
Um next one is uh another one who's uh struggled with injuries last season, but the old ever reliable number 10 Toms Rutkiss now is his fourth season.
00:54:02.970 --> 00:54:09.849
Um, and last season was his best points per game in the second tier in his career.
00:54:09.849 --> 00:54:12.809
So he's still got it.
00:54:12.809 --> 00:54:15.849
He's been there, he's been in the league for quite a while.
00:54:15.849 --> 00:54:22.809
He had obviously a stint in the elite, but I think he for lightning has just been Mr.
00:54:22.970 --> 00:54:23.769
Reliable.
00:54:23.769 --> 00:54:26.090
Yeah, you said it exactly, Mr.
00:54:26.090 --> 00:54:26.809
Reliable.
00:54:26.809 --> 00:54:35.930
Um, I mean I do like to uh give him the Joe Hendry when I'm on comms, but you do say his name and he's just there and he appears and he gets a goal at a key moment.
00:54:35.930 --> 00:54:42.809
It was a shame he got his injury when he did because he was flying, it like he'd just got that hat trick against Peterborough.
00:54:42.809 --> 00:54:47.610
He was seeming to just know where the puck was going to be, he was reading the game perfectly.
00:54:47.610 --> 00:54:52.329
He'd got a good bit of um good bit of partnership going on on the line that he was on.
00:54:52.329 --> 00:55:05.210
I think he was with Harry Gulliver and Ilya Karenchuk at that point, and the three of them were just starting to click together, and then yeah, bad injury happened, it ruled him out for the majority of that season.
00:55:05.210 --> 00:55:12.329
But he came back and he still got the points still on the boards, and he got some clutch goals during the playoffs as well.
00:55:12.329 --> 00:55:16.490
Obviously, he didn't get through to Coventry, but you'd want him on that line.
00:55:16.490 --> 00:55:25.610
And I think with Tom's, he does as uh Louie alluded to, like, there's players who could play any line could be on the top line one week, but they could be working on the PK the next.
00:55:25.610 --> 00:55:26.329
Tom's will do that.
00:55:26.329 --> 00:55:31.289
You give him a role and he'll do it, and he will absolutely do a great job on that role.
00:55:31.289 --> 00:55:41.289
And I've I think he's a player that sometimes flies under the radar, I think, with some of the names that you have at Lightning, but you always know what you're gonna get, you're gonna get 100% from game in, game out.
00:55:41.610 --> 00:55:43.930
Yeah, I think it was it was proven last season, really.
00:55:43.930 --> 00:55:56.250
He started on that third line, and then all of a sudden, he got a good string of games, started putting the points on, and then ended up on the top line with I think it was County and Gulliver or Karenchuk Gulliver and goodbye at one point.
00:55:56.250 --> 00:56:01.289
So you've got loads of opportunity to move lines if you're performing.
00:56:01.289 --> 00:56:16.970
And Tom's Rutkiss was the absolute pinnacle of performing and moving up the lines, and hopefully stays injury free this season because again, he's just under a point per game for lightning um in his time with with us.
00:56:16.970 --> 00:56:24.809
So there's a lot, there's a lot to come from him, and this is gonna be an important season for him as well because there's more competition in the squad than ever.
00:56:24.809 --> 00:56:29.690
Yeah, and um next up is a number change.
00:56:29.690 --> 00:56:36.970
So it's gonna be an interesting one because it's Harry Gulliver sporting the number 11.
00:56:36.970 --> 00:56:41.130
Now, I'm pretty sure it's what he wore in his uh his youth.
00:56:41.130 --> 00:56:48.090
Um, and last season 54 games, 49 points, scoring 30 goals.
00:56:48.090 --> 00:56:56.329
Now, weirdly, I feel like people don't mention Harry Gulliver that much when it comes to Lightning's brick core.
00:56:56.329 --> 00:56:58.490
But 30 goals is no mean feat.
00:56:58.490 --> 00:57:04.490
That that's uh that's some good numbers for someone that doesn't really get much of a mention.
00:57:05.210 --> 00:57:10.490
Harry consistently is up uh up at like the top top of the scoring charts on the team.
00:57:10.490 --> 00:57:18.090
He he has been since he's joined, and I I think he is criminally underrated still.
00:57:18.090 --> 00:57:28.090
I think that there are some big names in this league, of course, but Gully delivers at like gaming like every time like you you know you're gonna get goal.
00:57:28.090 --> 00:57:35.369
Gullies like the underscore doesn't scored it there, and I've 30 goals that that's massive.
00:57:35.369 --> 00:57:39.530
That like you you you think 30 goals from some import is a is a good return.
00:57:39.530 --> 00:57:57.849
So for a Brit who again maybe was moving some of the lines again last season, he he sometimes on the pit like a PP2, but he was also on like the third line, he could do the job like doing the enforcing and grinding out the opposition, but he could also score goals, make goals for nothing.
00:57:57.849 --> 00:58:07.289
And another player like Tom's Rutgers played under Pete's at Okanagan, so he knows exactly what Pete Russell's about.
00:58:07.289 --> 00:58:16.809
It'd be interesting, I think, for Pete to see some of these guys that he coached at junior and then like the conference size and down at Okanagan, what they're like now as they've become more senior.
00:58:16.809 --> 00:58:27.369
And I'll be intrigued to get Pete's thoughts later on in the season, what he's thought of those guys who he treated his taught as junior because they playing how you envisage they would have done when they were like 16, 17.
00:58:27.769 --> 00:58:31.450
Yeah, it's a full circle moment for players like Harry as well.
00:58:31.450 --> 00:58:36.329
But that was his highest scoring season as well, um, since going senior.
00:58:36.329 --> 00:58:39.210
So, yeah, massive season that he had last year.
00:58:39.210 --> 00:58:44.010
And I think again, it's it's only gonna continue under under Pete.
00:58:44.010 --> 00:58:52.889
But someone who uh is also no stranger to MK returning in the number 16 jersey is Max Stewart.
00:58:52.889 --> 00:59:08.809
Now had that year out um of the NIHL going to Coventry to play full time for the Blaze, which I think we all expected after the season that he had in um 24-25, getting 74 points in 61 games.
00:59:08.809 --> 00:59:15.289
Remember him on that on that line with County and Gulliver, those three were relentless together.
00:59:15.289 --> 00:59:17.769
Yeah, but I see an elite.
00:59:17.769 --> 00:59:23.530
I think that's just gonna be exactly what he needed just to up his game that little bit more.
00:59:24.010 --> 00:59:24.889
Yeah, definitely.
00:59:24.889 --> 00:59:29.690
And I this was actually one that completely threw me by surprise when he got announced.
00:59:29.690 --> 00:59:36.329
I thought, I thought generally he was elite that was yeah, he he was gone, he was an elite league player.
00:59:36.329 --> 00:59:40.970
That's he was gonna be like Sam Tolbert and Lewis Hook, he's elite league.
00:59:40.970 --> 00:59:57.289
We're not gonna see him maybe until he decides he wants to like play a little less, like it play a little less hockey focus and a bit more things, and like and life's a bit like similar to what feeders the boss feeders did, a bit similar to what Jordan County's did as what has done as well.
00:59:57.289 --> 01:00:01.130
But back after a year, and delighted that he's come back to Milton Keynes.
01:00:01.130 --> 01:00:13.289
He's obviously on a two-way with with Belfast, so he'll be still getting that uh benefit of training up with the elite league side icing when when required, uh, and when when we can let him go.
01:00:13.289 --> 01:00:24.809
But and but also he'll he'll be learning under Pete Russell, but then when he's at Belfast under Adam Keith, he's got two great coaches to learn under and harness and improve his game even more.
01:00:24.809 --> 01:00:28.170
And I think he he he loves Bill McKeynes, the fans love him.
01:00:28.170 --> 01:00:31.050
It's yeah, a perfect, perfect thing for that.
01:00:31.050 --> 01:00:34.410
And I've yeah, the reactions when he returned.
01:00:34.410 --> 01:00:36.970
Yeah, fan fans were absolutely love loving it.
01:00:36.970 --> 01:00:44.730
And um, I I guess we need to decide, we need to think about who's got who's having Stuart on the back and who has the uh in the first initial when Stuart.
01:00:45.289 --> 01:00:48.010
Oh that will be that'll be an interesting one.
01:00:48.010 --> 01:00:50.730
I feel like we'll find out this weekend, probably.
01:00:50.730 --> 01:00:51.289
Yeah.
01:00:51.289 --> 01:00:57.450
Um, the next one is uh another good move for number 22, Lewis Conroy.
01:00:57.450 --> 01:01:09.289
So last season was obviously on the two-way with MK Thunder, um, and got a decent return there, getting eight points, um, not looking out of place at all in senior in his first senior hockey season.
01:01:09.289 --> 01:01:19.450
Um, now he's made a another step with being on a two-way with the Telford Tigers two in the NihL Morley in the in the north.
01:01:19.450 --> 01:01:22.170
And that's only going to benefit his game.
01:01:22.170 --> 01:01:31.530
Getting more ice time in a better league is only gonna progress him more so that he hopefully becomes an NKL stallwart in the future.
01:01:31.849 --> 01:01:32.730
Oh, for sure.
01:01:32.730 --> 01:01:43.369
I mean, he 17 is so he he joined Light last United 16, trained a bit, and he he got uh he got some ice minutes towards the end of the season as well, and I think didn't look out of place.
01:01:43.369 --> 01:01:52.650
He was so unfortunate not to get a goal, and I think it was a great pass from Don Goodbye, just didn't quite get the connection that he would have wanted.
01:01:52.650 --> 01:01:57.130
But it will come and keep practice and keep working hard.
01:01:57.130 --> 01:02:04.970
But he's a talent, he's come through that storm academy, and I think everybody wants to see him progress.
01:02:04.970 --> 01:02:17.690
And hopefully, as well, there'll be more players like Lewis Conroy coming through now with the developments that they've got with uh the storm development with uh Joe and Slough going in to help with the storm there as well.
01:02:17.690 --> 01:02:22.410
Hopefully, we'll see more more Lewis Conroy's icing in lightning jerseys in the future.
01:02:22.730 --> 01:02:24.490
Yeah, for sure, and a quick one.
01:02:24.490 --> 01:02:28.170
Lewis Conroy has had the chance to work under a lot of great coaches already.
01:02:28.170 --> 01:02:38.650
He's worked under a former NHL in Tim Wallace, he's worked under a lightning legend in Lewis Christie, he's got a chance now to work under GB head coach Pete Russell.
01:02:38.650 --> 01:02:42.730
So quite a start to his career, and that's only going to benefit him too.
01:02:42.970 --> 01:02:47.849
Definitely in the North One and playing outside of Milton Kings will be a big benefit to him as well.
01:02:47.849 --> 01:02:50.170
He'll learn a lot more, he'll develop a lot more.
01:02:50.170 --> 01:03:01.289
Uh, and I think he'll I think he'll do great, and I think the uh the tigers fans uh watching the uh the the uh the two side will enjoy watching them.
01:03:01.289 --> 01:03:06.329
So definitely reason to uh to go and watch him in Telford if he's playing for the for the Tigers too.
01:03:06.809 --> 01:03:07.369
Perfect.
01:03:07.369 --> 01:03:19.450
Now, this is probably one of the sign-ins of the uh of the summer now, and it's number 23, David Thompson, moving from the Telford Tigers.
01:03:19.450 --> 01:03:22.329
I mean, the numbers speak for themselves.
01:03:22.329 --> 01:03:24.010
I think that's the easiest way.
01:03:24.010 --> 01:03:28.090
173 points in 96 Telford games.
01:03:28.090 --> 01:03:31.690
That's 1.8 points per game.
01:03:31.690 --> 01:03:41.530
He is just he knows where the back of the net is, he knows how to rile the crowd up, he knows how to rile opponents up.
01:03:41.530 --> 01:03:44.490
He's gonna be fantastic, isn't he?
01:03:44.809 --> 01:03:53.769
He is, and the advantage as well that he has as opposed to the other inputs is he knows the league as well, he's played in it, he knows the buildings, he knows the style of play here.
01:03:53.769 --> 01:04:04.730
There'll be no surprises for him, and the last import we saw we signed who used to play for the Tigers, didn't turn out to be uh half bad at all.
01:04:04.730 --> 01:04:09.050
So if uh I think he was right, yeah, and yeah, yeah.
01:04:09.050 --> 01:04:19.289
Thomas, he's like we we got the privilege of chatting to him, really knowledgeable, knows his hockey, loves being the pantomime villain as well.
01:04:19.289 --> 01:04:22.970
So he won't be phased going into those tougher way rinks there.
01:04:22.970 --> 01:04:31.930
He'll he'd almost be disappointed if he's not come off the ice, and the opposition fans are shouting at him and cursing him because he knows he wouldn't have done his job.
01:04:31.930 --> 01:04:43.050
But he's that player, he'll probably wind up everyone in that building, and then he'll then go forward and then score the game-winning goal with like 20 seconds left just to silence them even more, and then probably clap his ear at the at the crack.
01:04:43.050 --> 01:04:56.090
Probably, but he he he backs it up because he could play hockey, he he he knows what to do, and yeah, I it'll be interesting to see Hopo's not on the line with Eric Henderson because the two of them were scary together.
01:04:56.090 --> 01:05:08.889
I think though he'll he'll settle fair very well into this lightning team, and I I I think he'll be I think I can think he'll be a big favourite, and there'll be a number of Thompson jerseys being worn around the rink this season.
01:05:09.130 --> 01:05:12.170
Yeah, and you talk about those that like to be a pantomime villain.
01:05:12.170 --> 01:05:16.970
That takes us very much nicely onto a pantomime villain who has a list this one.
01:05:16.970 --> 01:05:27.050
It is number 24, Carter Hamill, makes the return after spending a season in Solway, getting his best points production in his senior career as well.
01:05:27.050 --> 01:05:30.730
It seems to be quite a theme with a lot of Lightning signings this year.
01:05:30.730 --> 01:05:40.250
He's back on a two-way with the Giants as well, and he got a good reception from the Giants at the back end of last season, playing a few more games for them and getting on the points board as well.
01:05:40.250 --> 01:05:43.849
He's got seven points in 29 games for the Giants.
01:05:43.849 --> 01:05:51.450
So he's putting the points on the board for the Giants, the Giants fans like him, Solway fans loved him as well, and Lightning fans.
01:05:51.450 --> 01:05:54.490
Well, we used to love him and we're gonna love him again.
01:05:54.889 --> 01:06:03.690
Yeah, Carter is just an absolute amazing human being, uh, really fun to be around, great personality.
01:06:03.690 --> 01:06:08.329
But as you say, Solway he just put in the performances was fantastic.
01:06:08.329 --> 01:06:14.730
And with Solway missing out in the playoffs, it meant he was able to train and play regularly up with Belfast.
01:06:14.730 --> 01:06:23.930
And credit to the Giants for giving him that opportunity, and credit to Bart as well for doing it because he he picked, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and he made the most of it.
01:06:23.930 --> 01:06:28.410
And he put in the performances, he put the work in, and I I think he.
01:06:28.410 --> 01:06:32.970
he'll he comes back to Milton Keynes, I think he'll be a better all-round player.
01:06:32.970 --> 01:06:38.730
Uh and he'll be pushing he'll be pushing for top six minutes as well.
01:06:38.730 --> 01:06:59.289
And if if those guys maybe who you think might be the more established names, if if if there's an injury or if uh the performances aren't great, there'll be that he's there with one of a few players that'll be hungry to snap up and he played power play for a bit towards the end of his time at Lightning as well and was that nuisance player in the crease I think he might well be the same again.
01:06:59.369 --> 01:07:22.490
He'll be getting in players heads he'll be playing up to the crowd but he knows where the back of the net is as well and I think I'm I'm expecting a lot of excitement when uh when Carter and Cami are going to be on the ice oh for sure and we're intrigued to see who uh he ticks off of his list as well I want to see this list I really want I really want to see this list.
01:07:22.490 --> 01:07:31.769
Yeah I want to see what this list is yeah I mean I guess I guess we'll be able to assume who's on it by uh as the season goes on.
01:07:32.010 --> 01:07:37.369
But there's a there's a few names who I already think but I want to just get confirmation as I don't want to say them out loud.
01:07:37.610 --> 01:08:32.329
Yeah so no I I think we might be thinking on the same sort of page there as well um right the next one announced um today as we're recording this Elliot Lewis number 29 has been announced with the Guildford Flames um he had a great preseason with them as well he travelled with them to France um and just this weekend just gone played both games against Bristol in the home and away fixture got a goal and an assist in Bristol on the Saturday scored again on the Sunday um and yeah he is his two way has now been adjusted so he is now on a two way with Guilford being the priority meaning there is a very high chance that we don't see him at Planet Ice Milton Keynes but it could not happen to a better and funnier guy if I'm being completely honest.
01:08:32.329 --> 01:08:44.489
If anyone was at the awards night uh at the end of the season um there was some time to kill and Dave Bunyan had asked Elliot Lewis to waste about five minutes just to sort of like keep things going.
01:08:44.649 --> 01:10:36.489
Half an hour later and Elliot Lewis is giving the mic to everyone and trying to embarrass them and it was absolutely hilarious but on the ice he's shown why he deserves that call up yeah uh so yeah two points on that one that first one I've not forgiven him for that because we'd made a quick appearance downstairs in the lobby to say hi to some people we were sat with a six week old getting tired getting getting hungry and Sarah was messaging people saying where are you and I was like Els has still got the mic else is still chatting on the mic we're gonna have to sneak out and then and then we had a mess I thought you were sneaking out he goes he started picking on people with the with the microphone so we didn't dare stand up because he wasn't gonna shove the mic in our face and I was I we're like oh okay so we had to quickly say hi bye to everyone very quickly downstairs in the lobby um whilst else was chatting but as you say fully deserved it so hard working absolute delight off the ice I mean I don't know what we're gonna do now with a lot of our media posts now that Els is going to be in Guildford but I he he he he he came through a bit down at Guildford so it's full it's great for him and I mean this in the most respect I part of me doesn't want to see him in a lightning jersey because I know that means he's doing the job in the elite league and he's getting the ice time and he's doing the minutes it's one of those ones I don't want to stand in the way of a young Britt's progress and he thoroughly deserves this and I really wish him all the best at Guildford if he is back in the lightning jersey it'll be great to see him playing still in a lightning jersey but I I generally hope he's he he does the number he does the business in the elite league and yeah he he goes on to massive things and maybe the next time we see him at Milton Keynes is he's wearing a GB jersey.
01:10:36.889 --> 01:12:03.769
No that would be that would be something else and he said it on um another podcast just over a year ago that it was a difficult decision for him to leave um Bristol to make the transition to us but he said that that was something that seemed like the next step in his career and he's now got that next step and fully fully deserved and we wish nothing but the best to Elliot Lewis in his venture and now we move on to a new import um one of many in the NIHL that are trading the France 2 for the NIHL and that is number 73 Jared White now played some times in the NCAA with uh Jared Whale which is not confusing at all um having two Jared's in the side um at least one of them spelt differently so that makes it a little bit easier um but I mean again he's played 94 games in the NCAA getting 24 points the NCAA is a a tough league and it's another great input definitely and the French uh French two league is really really good and the imports that go there make a massive massive difference and we've seen the ones that have come over from France too into the UK a lot of them into the NIHL when they're topping the scoring charts and some moving on the bit bigger and better things.
01:12:03.849 --> 01:12:33.849
I mean Cam Huff is the the the big example on that but I I think that would be a very solid signing uh I'm looking forward to see uh how Whitey gets on there because it was uh yeah I know that you and Chris to differentiate between the two and it was double R and single R but uh I I think it's a very good signing and I think you can slot in on it you could put him on any line on in this lightning lineup and I think he'll be a threat and he'll put a lot of fresh put a lot of points on the board.
01:12:33.849 --> 01:12:40.489
Yeah it's one of those ones where you don't you know much about him so you you you can't wait to get to see him on the ice and see what what he does.
01:12:40.729 --> 01:21:32.170
Yeah and that's why you should make sure you get your tickets for this weekend um little plug there had to do it um moving on to someone that is an established MKL player an established GB International really now is number 86 Sean Norris who was picked in the world championship squad as well unfortunately missed out on it due to injury um but he made his 200th appearance for lightning in the playoffs um last season and he's got 285 points in 200 games for lightning that is some impressive numbers and he sits firmly in the top 10 of lightning point scorers and one of the ones coming up uh later is right next to him in those scoring charts yeah I I think Sean might I I can see Sean climbing up those those those charts as well he's he can skate really well he's got a great shot on him controls the park well but he can also hit as well he's not afraid to mix it up when things get physical yeah he he's played a played away in the elite league played at Belfast and for a bit at Guildford represented GB he would have been going to Switzerland as well but for that injury yeah solid play and then now he gets to work with Pete all the time I'm expecting a big thing from Sean and he loves playing the Milton Keynes as well he loved he loves the team he loves the fans yeah we we're very lucky to have him and yeah not what more can you say about Sean he's yeah that's an absolute beauty yeah 34 goals as well last season as well so um he was the top goal scorer for lightning last season as well and another new import uh is next on the list it is number 90 and it is pronounced Braddy Johnson and this is another one where again there's not too much that we've not seen enough of him any HL fans will know that his uh his stepbrother is Johnny Cornell so those of you that know that that's um a good little bit of um knowledge to know to tell your friends but uh he joins from hockey etan in Sweden um he also played nearly 250 games in the OHL um as well as 123 in the U Sports as well so good pedigree behind him some good points in the OHL as well it's another unknown but there's the the the stats are saying good things I mean that that that that's some top leagues he's playing with some really really good players and so as you say there's good pedigree here it'll be first time in Britain but he knows a bit about the sport obviously through speaking with John Ian he's watched it a bit so he knows a bit about what he's getting into and the hockey ethan isn't as physical as the NIHL but U Sports and the OHL is so I think he won't be too much of a worry there and yeah from the chat with him on that that we had on the previous episodes as well really really good guy and I think he'll settle right into the team straight away and yeah I I I can imagine uh Brady's name will be sung quite a bit this season I can imagine so as well having seen him last week in and training he's going to be a fan favourite I can guarantee that one now penultimately and another new number and another return for the number 94 Liam Stewart disco's back disco fever it hit lightning in December last year it's hitting for the final time in the NIHL this season he said it's his last dance and he said on the pod not too long ago with Sean Norris that it's uh he's not coming to just have fun he's coming to to play hard and who knows what he can do but you know what Liam Stewart brings you what he offers and he's a fan favourite what more can you say he's Liam Stewart yeah yeah Stuart's box office and I I think every time he puts on the lightning jersey fans get excited there's just that anticipation every time he gets the puck you hear the buzz you hear that noise level just rise because you know that he will do something whether it is going to be he'll go on a solo skate and lift it over the shoulder he might just pick out a pinpoint pass or was uh Will Weldon of the Phantoms found out a few years ago if he drops the gloves he's quite handy when he has a bit of when he drops the gloves as well yeah he he's box office he brings the fans in he's great character in the in the room love interviewing him as well and chatting to him he's he's hilarious I mean I don't think anyone else could uh get the I think the words moose knuckle and discombobulate into the same sentence in a postgame interview as what he did with me a few years ago yeah he's he's an absolute brilliant person and yeah all those disco shirts that I've got people we buy new ones because they need to get the new number I think he does that on purpose everyone's he's he's had what 12 44 8 16 now we've got 94 suppose 94 works as that's when the year he was born so suppose that that that one is quite valid though um but yeah and then finally we move on to number 95 Jordan County he's another player really that what more can you say but electric he is one of those players that gets the puck and will create something out of nothing if you need someone to step up in the big moments Jordan County's your man did it multiple times last season and yeah I mean he was top point scorer in 24 25 and is back under Pete Russell as well because Pete gave him that senior um opportunity now what 11 years ago now roughly 11 12 years ago uh yeah so I think Counts was established in the team alongside hooky uh but I think Counts actually played a year under uh poolie as well so he was actually a poolie signing as well but you know he hoed his skills with Pete then he went up to the elite league didn't work out for him so he came back to Milton Keynes and yeah then then eventually went up and made a great career up in the elite league before coming back to Milton Keynes for uh yeah because he wanted to start a family down here uh down in Milton Keynes with his partner who's who's from Milton Keynes as well uh yeah Aaron calls him the flying Scotsman and I think it's very very apt is he absolutely has wheels on the ice a very smart hockey player though and now one of the leaders in that locker room as well and one of the leaders on the ice and on team and I think we could see uh last season a lot that uh first Tim and Joan then loser was yen were leaning onto that leadership with him and he did have the A last season not sure who if he will this season yet that's all to be announced the leadership uh on ice but you know what he gives you player that a lot of players respect the fans absolutely love him and I'm sure that DJ Bertie was already got uh Gardas Freed from desire queued up ready for the start of the season I just remember that ringing round Coventry at the end of uh 24 25 and their DJ silencing it and just letting us take it home and it that was one of those moments that I hope he's seen it and I hope he realizes how much he's loved in MK and will continue to be loved in MK and that rounds out the lightning players um in terms of for the 26 27 season we will just briefly mention the players that the forwards that have also moved on as well so number two Adam Rossbottom has moved back down south and is at the Basin Stoke Bison I think that'll be a good move for him to refind his scoring mentality Callum Field probably one of the more notable departures from lightning gets an opportunity with Telford Tigers and I think working under Tom Watkins I think you'll agree with me here is going to do him a hell of a lot of good yeah yeah for sure I mean uh just touching quickly on uh on Adam Rossboth them I know he works down that area so I think there'll be less travel for him and I think at Basingstoke I think he'll do a good job.
01:21:32.250 --> 01:24:07.049
I thought he put in great performances for lightning he just didn't get the points that those performances sometimes deserved uh and yeah Callum I think he'll do a really good job I sometimes you just need to move out of that comfort zone and like away from the hometown and I think he'll do a good job definitely under Tommy Watkins and at Telford I I think he you could see quite a few points that he could uh for him this season I think he may have a slightly different role as he has done previously and may get more ice time and maybe a few more times on special teams so uh it'll be one I'll be following with intent to see how he gets on oh for sure for sure indeed and uh Andy Heath uh he makes the journey to Sheffield scimitars and Mac howlitt as well he is now a baseline stoke bison um so that's gonna that's a huge huge acquisition for them um gonna really help in their forward lines Dominic Gabby makes the change to Peterborough it was uh that's a change that I think maybe not many fans were expecting but having seen that player like Dylan Lawrence made made that move and it's worked out for him can only see it really working out for Gabay as well I I think so and Peter we need to replace the points of uh Cam Huff and why not do it with one of the most established goal scorers in the NIHL in Don Kuby he's worked as well with Ashley Tate I think yeah that that's a good acquisition for the Phantoms for sure um Jana Joachinen is back in Europe he's made the trek to the Netherlands to play with smoke heaters galleen and next one Rio Grinnell Park moving to Chelmsford chieftains this one was a particularly I think surprised a few fans when the the rumor started going out about it because he just seemed like he was just always at MK he was always playing that role really well but a good opportunity for him to get top line hockey um with some players that are also ex-lightning players as well like Ben Russell for example and then finally is Jarvis Hunt he is not uh it's not been announced where he has signed or if he's signing anywhere at all yet but to all of those um players and all of the previous ones we wish you all nothing but the best um and we will see you around if you are in the NIHL still and I'm sure we'll all be a lot of lightning fans will be keeping some eyes out for for to hear some of these names again.
01:24:07.049 --> 01:27:52.649
I'll definitely once you've worn a lightning jersey fans never forget you they'll always keep an eye up for you and they'll always say hello to you you may get you may get a few little bits of banter during the game but at the end of the game you get get an applause and you get the welcome back uh yeah so yeah we never forget who's born what what born the uh the black and gold of the Milton Kings lightning that that is very true and now just before we we end we'll obviously it is hockey week and it's been too long since we've been able to say that um so we're gonna preview the weekend um against an opponent that lightning have not faced before yep uh German Oberliga Nord opposition the Rostock Piranhas and we played Oberliga North teams the last two pre-seasons so we played the uh the now defunct Essen Mosquitoes two years ago and then last season we welcomed the Tilburg Trappers who are the Dutch team but they play in the German Oberliga North uh Rostock are a very established side quite a large following very very good side as well and a popular side as well and if their hockey fans are like the football fans I don't know if you saw any of the clips from uh when Hansa Rostock played Watford a couple of a couple of weeks back it was loud it was colourful it was a proper party atmosphere so uh I I think if uh a few of the German fans will be uh will be heading over to follow the piranhas I think it'll be a good side and that they had their their their preseason started last weekend as well Rostock they took on Polish opposition uh so Gico S Katovice and they won 6'5 in overtime uh so sorry sorry 6'54 I apologise in regulation but a good game lots of uh lots of oppressed lots of good hockey uh and they were short a couple of bodies as well so one of their new signings didn't make the journey as he was uh only just got into Germany so rather than go and play playing away game in neutral ice on the uh border with Germany and Poland uh so he didn't ice but we expect him to be icing this weekend and they had a player go off injured early on in the first period so we'll keep an eye out to see if he travels for this weekend but should be a good test for the lightning the German sides we played before skated very fast they hit very hard as well I mean that Essen game there was uh a lot of physicality on that and Tilburg Trappers last season absolutely scored for lightning yet but we have to say if they put the hands up there they were very very impressive moved the puck so fluidly and interestingly enough when they went to Rostock the Trappers got beat by the Piranhas five goals to two so just goes to show that league it's very competitive Rostock finished towards the bottom of the standings last year however they'll be looking to improve on that and they've got some talented players and one of their former players is playing in uh Swindon this season yes that is uh that is one of those that especially when looking at the stats it was quite a uh quite one that was just oh we nearly faced him now now we're going to face him week in week out but you mentioned like uh gks katowice just for any of those that are watching uh a former Swindon player and Thomas Malasinski used to ice for for Katowice so it's another team that have got some famous famous NLHL names in the past definitely there's a couple of Polish internationals still on that Katovice team and they played Belfast Giants a couple of years back in the Continental Cup as well so it's it's a good good result for for Rostock to get the preseason with a with a W over a good opposition.
01:27:52.729 --> 01:28:30.969
So lightning needs to be need to be wary I think it'll be a should be a good game uh and it's home and home so two two nights in a row both uh both at Planet Ice Milton Keynes oh for sure and just a a look at a couple of the the players that are in that rostock squad um one that stands out for me when looking at it is Eric Gollenbeck number 14 the defenceman now he captain Germany's under 18s in 2012 2013 which may not seem like much but that was an under and under 18 side that contained The certain Leon Dreisitel.
01:28:30.969 --> 01:28:36.089
Now that's that's a heck of a teammate to be able to say that you've played with.
01:28:36.569 --> 01:28:38.089
Not just played with captains, yeah.
01:28:38.089 --> 01:28:41.369
I I was I was I was Leon Dreisitel's captain.
01:28:41.369 --> 01:28:44.569
That's that's something that you could not many players could say that.
01:28:44.569 --> 01:28:47.449
So yeah, definitely proper leadership skills there.
01:28:47.769 --> 01:28:48.809
Yeah, for sure.
01:28:48.809 --> 01:29:02.729
And just one more um Reed Petrick, the number seven, um, played with Jordan County in Glasgow in 23-24 season, um, and also has over 200 games in the AHL.
01:29:02.729 --> 01:29:25.369
So, in terms of quality, if any of you are not so sure on what quality this um Rostock side possess, that's just a little bit of an insight into what the the Rostock roster contains and some of the experience and the I mean the AHL is nothing to uh nothing to shy away from.
01:29:25.369 --> 01:29:28.409
That is arguably the second best league in the world.
01:29:28.729 --> 01:29:33.049
Definitely, and uh the German third tier is a very, very good standard.
01:29:33.049 --> 01:29:46.170
Uh so we mentioned Tilburg the night after they played us, they played Coventry Blaze, they led the Blaze for the majority of the match before eventually they tied out in the third period to go down 3-1 to the to the Coventry Blaze.
01:29:46.170 --> 01:29:48.569
So very, very good standard there.
01:29:48.569 --> 01:29:49.769
And uh another player as well.
01:29:49.769 --> 01:29:50.889
I just need to mention as well.
01:29:50.889 --> 01:29:59.449
Yes, but Orval was their top scorer, and also played to Manchester Storm as well, uh, back in the 22-23 season as well.
01:29:59.449 --> 01:30:15.289
So some very talented players there on offer, and uh I think Rostock could be a good opposition for the Lightning, and also it's a team that you you're not gonna see again uh for this season unless you do go over to Germany and catch a couple of the games over there.
01:30:15.289 --> 01:30:17.929
So chance to see some new opposition.
01:30:17.929 --> 01:30:20.649
I'm looking forward to calling that one.
01:30:20.649 --> 01:30:26.170
Um, not quite looking forward to mispronouncing some of the names on there.
01:30:26.170 --> 01:30:33.929
I've had to uh go back to my GCSE German lessons to try and get a bit more of a bit of help here uh with some of the pronunciation.
01:30:33.929 --> 01:30:41.369
So uh if you're united again, at least listen to the stream and have a good laugh at me and Harrison trying to pronounce some of the names.
01:30:41.689 --> 01:30:42.089
That's right.
01:30:42.089 --> 01:30:46.809
I remember doing the Essen game a couple years ago, and I requested that one solo.
01:30:46.809 --> 01:30:56.170
Not sure why I did that because the entire game uh well watched back the highlights recently, and uh yeah, it it it was a it was an interesting watch for sure.
01:30:56.170 --> 01:31:01.369
So yeah, it'll be a laugh if you can't make it to the Thunderdome on Saturday or Sunday.
01:31:01.369 --> 01:31:06.409
Uh, don't forget the Sunday game is included in your season ticket and has skate with the players afterwards.
01:31:06.409 --> 01:31:16.329
The Saturday game, not included in the season ticket, but you've got the welcome introduction to the Lightning side at three o'clock at mantra.
01:31:16.329 --> 01:31:24.729
So make sure that you are there um in order to be introduced to your 26-27 MK Lightning roster.
01:31:25.849 --> 01:31:28.009
Definitely, yep, House of Mantra.
01:31:28.009 --> 01:31:30.729
Uh I will be I will be uh your host for that one.
01:31:30.729 --> 01:31:32.569
So uh make sure you're there for that one.
01:31:32.569 --> 01:31:40.969
And we'll be back on the podcast as well next week as well, where we'll be giving you uh a review and a look back at the two Rostock games.
01:31:40.969 --> 01:31:50.170
Uh, we'll also be giving a preview of the upcoming match against the Peterborough Phantoms in that uh home and away double header in pre-season.
01:31:50.170 --> 01:31:53.449
We'll have another interview as well with one of the players.
01:31:53.449 --> 01:32:02.329
But uh until then, enjoy the rest of your week and we'll see you at the Thunder Dome for Saturday for the Lifestack MK Lightning and the Rostock Piranha.
