SWINDON, UK - Monday 1^st February and Week 21 is underway with the player-signing deadline over, but not for Swedish-born Andy Sande who signed for the Bison as a Brit courtesy of his English father, making it his third spell with the club although this time after a long layoff.

A look at the weekend stats shows Manchester and Slough are now well represented in the Penalty Receivers Top Ten with the entry of Andre Payette at three, and Jaako Hagelberg at ten. Adam Greener of the Jets now tops the chart, with Joe Greener  not a million miles away at six. This means the Phantoms and Wildcats representatives have dropped out. In the British Top Ten Penalty Receivers chart things are a bit different with just Slough of the new pair making an entrance. Here, Swindon and Phantoms are still present, but dropping.

Not much change in the Top Ten Points Scoring chart with just Manchester’s Adam Walker replacing Flames Martin Masa and Joe Greener and Daniel Davies of the Jets both make an entry into the British Top Ten Points chart.

No big change in the Top Ten Goal Scorers chart either, just some swapping about and the only significant change in the British Top Ten Goal Scorers chart is the reappearance of Phoenix’s Tony Hand, while in the Assists Scoring charts things remain essentially unchanged.

Netminding has also changed little with just Flames Dean Skinns replacing Steve Fone of the Phoenix in the tenth spot and Mark Lee, also of Guildford, swapping with Lightning’s Barry Hollyhead at five and six. In the overall team netminding chart everyone either maintained position or moved up a place apart from Guildford who actually dropped three places despite a four-point weekend.

Phantoms’ new head coach Tim Peacock, following his team’s dismal display in what was the first game under his control stated

"We have been giving up silly fouls and as we have learnt, we are not going to win anything from the penalty box.”

You can’t say it clearer than that, but still the injury crises which did former coach Doug Irwin no favours continues with a muscle strain to James Spurr to add to the list, leaving only James Ferrara reported as returning this weekend.

Also with the Phantom, they are to stage a charity game next month in aid of SportAid, Active Inspiration and Cancer Research. Apart from being worthy causes, which goes without saying, the reason it is mentioned on this EPL page is that all the skaters signed up to take part, can’t! What a wonderful idea.

Luke Boothroyd - Back for more! (Photo Manchester Evening News)

Phoenix player-coach Tony Hand announced his first signing for next season with the news that Luke Boothroyd will return as captain of the Manchester side.

Later in the week the Scimitar’s welcomed back netminder Paul Jones for his first excursion onto the ice since major hip surgery last November. Jones, who has been out all season, took part in his first training session, but as coach Jon Rowbotham pointed out, his return to full fitness is still some way off.

Saturday evening had its share of surprises. For starters Guildford lost at home, and in fact were three down by the first break to a  Phoenix team minus Iain Bowie, Ed Courtenay and Ryan Johnson, which meant the Flames dropped a place in the league and now stand foruth, one place below Manchester. The Wildcats, in a tremendous effort, went into the lion’s den at Milton Keynes and came from behind to gain a point, which could actually have been two. In another surprise the Bees won at Romford and the two points means they are once again above Swindon despite their success. And there’s more because the Phantoms bounced back nicely from last week’s first-game disaster for new coach Peacock to win away from home at Sheffield. So that only leaves the Jets who won comfortably at home to the Bison.

Mixed fortunes for Tim Peacock so far (Photo Paul Young)

Sunday and the Bison returned the Jets compliment and gained revenge, Bracknell made it a four-point weekend by beating Sheffield, and the Phantoms had another white knuckle game like the previous evening, this time gaining a point against the Flames. So something of a recovery in their fortunes. Manchester continued to get back on the rails with a massive twelve goals against Romford’s three, which equals the record for the fifth time for the highest team score this season, but not quite the record for a combined score which goes to the Flames/Bees at sixteen. Andre Payette led the Phoenix charge with four goals.

So how does the weekend pan out? Well, the top four after Saturday’s games had a nine point spread, which was widening after the closeness of a couple of weeks ago, but by Sunday night it was back down to seven.

That's it for this week. Can't wait to see what next week will bring!

Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com