SWINDON, UK - First two names in the bag this week were both at Bracknell where British netminder Adam Marashi signed for a second year, having previously iced with the Bracknell Hornets from where he was called on by the Bees on several occasions during the last campaign. The Hornets also supplied D-man-of-the-year Ben Johnson who had played there for a year from the Bees in a quest for more ice time, so the D-man rejoins the Bees presumably reassured he will attain his ice-time expectations.

It’s always nice to top a chart and Jets’ defenceman Adam Greener managed it twice by ending last season the number one penalty-taker in both the EPL overall and the British players’ charts with an average of four minutes per game. His impressive 200-plus minutes total was the equivalent of the lowest 110 penalty receivers in the EPL who played at least one game, and to quote Mae West, who claimed prophetically when talking about threatened bad publicity: I expect it will be the making of me.’ Jets’ coach Pete Russell obviously concurs because Greener re-signed for a second term.

EIHL Edinburgh Capitals said farewell to British forward Scott McKenzie who signed for Telford straight after the weekend open trials held by the Tigers. Coach Tom Watkins was quick to point out the deal was done before the experimental weekend, so no news yet coming from that direction as yet.

The Wildcats made their second signing from EIHL Cardiff Devils with British forward Jamie Hayes. Cardiff-born Hayes is no stranger to the Swindon club having iced for them just two seasons ago before joining his hometown club.

The first player to reach 600 games for the Flames was Rick Plant in what is so far an eleven-season career there. On his re-signing coach Paul Dixon said Plant was one of the headiest players on the ice he had ever known, so with a twelfth season coming up he will also be the ‘longiest’. 

Coach Jon Rowbotham at the Scimitars said this week his player signings were going well and the roster filling nicely. He added he was still talking to some players for the remaining spots but felt the finishing line coming into view was ‘exciting’. Adding to that exciting line-up was young Brit Lewis Bell, a product of the Sheffield Scimitars Academy, who re-signed for a second year. Coach Rowbotham commented he had decreed Bell the ‘King of the self-sacrifice’ for the fearless way he will fling himself in front of a puck to protect the net. 

No news this week from the Lightning, Phoenix or Phantoms, but Steve Moria, boss at the Bison confirmed Canadian forward Joe Ciccarello would not be offered a new contract for the coming season, but Viktor Jubenko had been. The Slovakian, who has been playing in Poland, signed for the Basingstoke side and at six-feet-three might be better described as an ‘upward’ rather than a forward.

So, very little news from abroad this week with just the single import signing announcement which made me wonder how things stood with regard to foreign players. Last season, excluding the UK, 11 nationalities were represented in the EPL by 54 players made up from 38 forwards, 14 D-men and 2 netminders. So far during this ‘closed’ season 24 foreign players of seven nationalities, including one new one so far, Ukraine, have been signed up in the shape of 17 forwards, five D-men and two netminders, which suggests the final make-up will be similar. There are eight new foreign faces to EPL so far coming either from abroad or other leagues, and twelve players have been confirmed released or have left of which 4 have re-signed with another team.

But now for something completely silly. Taking Canadians, because they constituted the largest non-British nationality in the EPL last season with 16 forwards and four defensemen so roughly a team less netminders and about the same size roster as the Jets or Scimitars, and put them altogether as a pretend-team they accounted for 275 goals, 408 assists and 683 points with 949 penalty minutes. Now compare that to say Milton Keynes because they topped the league and have been known to score a goal or two, and actually managed 218 goals with 344 assists giving 562 points with 1,112 penalty minutes.

Also, take Slough because they won the playoff weekend, and ended the season with 251 goals, 403 assists for a total of 654 points with 858 penalty minutes, and you have another interesting comparison.

I said it was silly, but for more EPL facts, figures and news try my website – www.iceman-epl.com

Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com