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03/07/10
Two more sign up...

MK Thunder continue to plan for the 2010/11 season with the signings of 2 more players, one existing and one returning from playing elsewhere. Dan Chaplen and Aidan Mahmud have both agreed to sign on for the upcoming season and bring with them experience of EPL hockey with the Lightning, despite being aged only 20 and 21 respectively. Both Chaplen and Mahmud also have experience of playing for the South West conference junior sides in their careers, where they were also team mates of new Thunder signing Jamie Line.

                 

Chaplen has been full time with Thunder for the past 2 years, the year before that he split his time between Thunder and Lightning, putting in some impressive performances for the EPL side when called upon and scoring regularly for Thunder when he was playing in the ENL. Last year Chaplen missed a lot of games due to becoming a father for the first time, but things have settled down now and he has been training hard to get ready for the new season and looks to get back to his scoring form of the past. On his re-signing Chaplen had the following comments; "I can't wait to get back onto the ice for next season." "After a couple of seasons where I feel I have not been at my best, I am looking forward to getting started and being a big part of the team again." "Cliff is putting together what looks like a very strong team so far, and I am happy to be a part of it."

Mahmud is another face well known to the MK Hockey faithful, he spent a large part of his junior career here in MK, as well as splitting his time between Thunder and Lightning for a year before heading off to play for the Coventry ENL Blaze for 2 years whilst studying there. Mahmud is a versatile player who has played forward and defence over the years in the ENL as well as the EPL, but he has established himself more as a D man during his time in Coventry and this is where he will predominantly play in the forthcoming campaign.

On the resignings head coach Lewis Clifford commented; "I am really happy with these 2 signings, as well as the way my team is taking shape overall." "Chappy and Aidan are 2 guys who seem like they have been around for ages but are actually still only young, and both have huge amounts of potential which we have seen over the years that I will be looking to harness and utilise in the squad I am putting together." "I have spoken to Chappy a lot this summer and I know he has not been happy with the way last season went, and he is looking to put that right, I have every faith in him to do that, he may not be the biggest guy on the team but he plays with a lot of heart and when he is on his game he has the rare skill of knowing where the net is and how to find it." "Aidan again is a player I am looking forward to working with and playing alongside this season." "He is a versatile player which will help me out throughout the season, although he will be playing mainly on defence, he is a more than capable forward who can fill a gap on any line if the need arises." "Aidan is a great team guy on and off the ice, he is still only young but he can look to be a leader on this team with his performances and attitude." "I am looking forward to seeing how his game has developed over the last 2 years under an excellent coach in Joel Poirier."

19/06/10
Jamie Randall back with Thunder

Thunder management are pleased to announce that Jamie Randall has agreed to rejoin the team after a year in the EPL with Bracknell Bees.    

Jamie brings a wealth of experience to the team and being a real two way player offers Coach Lewis Clifford options especially on his special teams. MK hockey supporters know Jamie well from his time with Lightning and will recognise what an asset he'll be to Thunder with his total commitment and effort during every single game.
When asked about Jamie signing for next season, Clifford said, "I am really happy that Jamie has agreed to rejoin us this season after a year away at Bracknell." "Two years ago playing alongside Jamie I realised how much of a grafter he is and also how well he can adapt to playing a variety of positions and will be happy to sometimes play more than one position within the same game." "Jamie is just the type of player I have been looking for, he brings a hell of a lot to the team and will give me all he's got and make those players around him better." "I am looking forward to working with Jamie again once we start training, I know exactly what I am getting, and he will be willing to do whatever I ask of him with minimal fuss and maximal effort."

17/06/10

Two more defencemen announced

MK Thunder are continuing to make signings for the forthcoming season, and the latest two names to be released are one returning from a season elsewhere, and one returnee from last season.

Paul Gore returns after a year away playing for Oxford where he was given the Coach's Player award following a very good season as one of the Stars top D Men. Coffey returns for his 3rd season as a senior Thunder player but his senior hockey experience stretches much further back than that having played for the Lightning in the EPL as far back as the 03/04 season as a 14 year old, as well as playing up for both Thunder and Lightning throughout his junior career.

                     

Gore is an reliable defenceman, hugely experienced in ENL hockey and will bring a great deal of resilience and knowledge to our blue line, he excelled in Oxford last season and looked to have reinvented his game which we are looking forward to seeing on the ice next season back in a Thunder shirt.

Last season Coffey may have put less points on the board than in previous years, but he was deployed into more of a defensive role than he would usually be due to the make up of the team. He is an offensively talented player, who has a good eye for when to join the rush and when to stay back, and the new more offensive Thunder team should suit his style a lot more than the team of last season. Coffey has a great engine, and there were games last season when the team was down on numbers at the back, where he would comfortably play over 30 minutes a game without dropping his standards.

On the resignings head coach Lewis Clifford had the following comments;

"I am really looking forward to working with these 2 guys this season." "Gore and Coff are both quality players who can really bring a lot to the table and make our team function."

"Gore is one of my best friends in and out of hockey and I must be honest that it never really sat comfortably with me seeing him in a different shirt last season and I made it known to him that I wanted him back as soon as I knew I was Coach for another year." "I went to one of Oxfords play off games last season and Gore was the best defensive player on the team" "It wasn’t an easy decision to make for Gore as he had a fantastic season last year with Oxford, made the playoffs and was Coach's Player of the Year." "I am glad he decided to buy in to what I am trying to build here and agree to come back because I see him as a huge part of my defensive unit and team as a whole."

 

05/06/10

MK Thunder v New York Imperials

MK Thunder took on the New York Imperials in a challenge game on the 5th June. In an entertaining and very competitive game the visitors came out on top 8-3.

With Thunder icing a team that will form the basis of the squad for next season, it was the first time they had played together and the off season rustiness showed in the opening period. That is to take nothing away from the Imperials, who are a good skating and passing side and thoroughly deserved the win.

Photos of the game are kindly supplied by Claire Stanton, and many more can be found using the links below. All photos are available for purchase, simply follow the instructions on the icehockeyphotography site.

http://www.icehockeyphotography.co.uk/gallery.php?eid=322&pid=1#picture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csp1/sets/72157624087342077/

29/05/10

Two more sign up....

MK Thunder are pleased to announce the signings of two forwards, one returning from last season and one returning after a few seasons elsewhere. Keiron Goody and Aram Todd have both agreed to return to Thunder for the 2010 -2011 season as the squad continues to take shape.

                   

Keiron returns as one of the few remaining players who has been with Thunder since its inception, whilst Aram returns after 2 years with Coventry ENL Blaze and a year away from playing as he helped coach MK Falcons ladies team.

Keiron was ever dependable last season which is no less than we have come to expect, he is a reliable forward, responsible in his own end and also contributes offensively. It would be hard to imagine a Thunder team after all these years without Keiron in it, and the club and Keiron are both looking forward to the upcoming season with the management and coaching team looking to ice a competitive team that is competing at the right end of the table.

‘Toddy’ returns to Thunder after 3 years away. We are delighted to have him back in the squad and are looking forward to him regaining the form he showed for 2 seasons in the Coventry ENL Blaze organisation when he served as Captain showing a real leadership quality on and off the ice. Toddy is a gifted player who has a great pair of hands, powerful shot and a fantastic eye for a defence splitting pass.


On the re-signings Head Coach Lewis Clifford had the following to say;

"I am very happy that these two guys have committed to playing for Thunder again this season".

"Keiron goes without saying, he is an ever present, and was one of the guys near the top of my list when I was looking at who I would like to return from the previous season". "Keiron does a lot of the little things well that may go unnoticed to spectators, he wins a high percentage of his face offs, is very solid defensively and is a responsible and reliable player who can play in a variety of different situations". "Last year I don’t feel that we got the best of Keiron with the lines not being settled and the whole team not being able to find their groove from week to week, but with the way I am building the team this year that wont be a problem and we can look forward to seeing the best out of him in both ends of the ice again".

"Toddy is a player who I am very excited about coming back into the team after he has been elsewhere for a few years". "I tried to tempt Toddy out of his year off half way through last season but unfortunately for me he had committed to taking the year out and couldn’t be swayed". "Toddy has been working hard on his fitness over the last few months with a view to a comeback and when I saw him for the first time in a while recently I was really pleasantly surprised with the shape he had got himself into despite not playing last season". "I like to think of myself as a realist and I can honestly say knowing Toddy as I do that when he is on form there are not many players around who have as much natural talent as he does". "I look forward to working with him and helping him to unleash his massive potential again this season".

 

18/05/10

Back to patrol the blue line 

                  

MK Thunder are happy to announce their first two returnees to the blue line for the 2010 / 2011 season. Two Defencemen with very different styles but who are both just as important to the team and fill their own niche, Lee Featherstone and Matt Roberts.

Lee Featherstone is a great 2 way defenceman, and offensively is one of the top puck movers in the league, he works the powerplay well and has an eye for the net and a defence splitting pass. Last year when Fevs returned to MK Thunder after several seasons in Oxford, he instantly made a difference to our strength at the back, and scored some important goals at some important times.

Matt Roberts was the ‘Coach's Player of the year’ last season and he does a lot of the things that may go unnoticed to many observers, but certainly don’t go unnoticed to his team mates. He is an old school stay at home D man, he takes the body, blocks shots and clears the zone well. M-Ro gives the team the spark they need some times in games by making a big hit nice and early, or diving in front of a puck in the first minute of the game that others might only do in the last minute.

On the re-signings, head coach Lewis Clifford had the following to say; "I had a big list of players from last season who I wanted to bring back this year and Fevsy and M-Ro were 2 of my top priorities, I am happy that they have both agreed to give me another year".

"Fevsy is one of the players this year that I will look to to get our Powerplay ticking, and I think with some of the forwards we have signed and the overall face of our team changing, we will get the most out of him this year". "I have been team mates with Fevs on and off since I was 11 years old, and I know as much as anyone else in the team, he wants to win and will do whatever he can to make that possible for the team".

"M-Ro again I see as an essential part of this team, and his importance to the team has been more noticeable over the past few seasons when he hasn’t been there due to his injuries and work commitments". "I look forward to working with Matty again and getting the most out of him over a full season of games". "It’s no surprise that he got the coaches player of the year from me last season, and I look forward to seeing him back out there patrolling the blue line in September".

 

15/05/10

MK Thunder are very pleased to announce the signing of
Jamie Line from EPL’s Basingstoke Bison. As Jamie is under 21, he will also be training with MK Lightning and available to Nick Poole whenever Thunder don’t have a game. This joint approach has worked extremely well in the past with a number of promising young players progressing through from Thunder to Lightning. Lewis Clifford and Nick are excited at the prospect of having local lad Jamie back in Milton Keynes, as both coaches have watched him develop as a player at EPL level with Bracknell Bees, Slough Jets, and Basingstoke Bison, as well as two years with the GB U18s. Jamie, who will be wearing the # 5 Thunder shirt, brings undoubted skills and a tenacious attitude which will add a lot to Thunder’s offence and provide Nick with more forward options. 

On agreeing the deal with Jamie and Nick, Thunder’s Head Coach Lewis Clifford had this to say;

"I am very pleased that we have managed to come to an arrangement with Jamie and Nick to allow us to bring in a player of such undoubted quality.  I have been speaking to Jamie for a number of weeks now, and once we finally got his agreement to come and play for us I was over the moon. 

I have known Jamie since he was an under 12, and the thing he has always possessed has been an abundance of speed and a relentless work ethic, these qualities as well as his silky hands and accurate shot will make Jamie a great fit within the team we are putting together for the season and will have a huge part to play on the team. 

I would just like to finish off by welcoming Jamie to the team and I am looking forward to working with him once pre-season training commences."

12/05/10

MK Thunder are pleased to announce the return of their most consistent and effective line from last season for the 2010 / 2011 campaign.  The trio of Martyn Snape and the Goode brothers, Harrison and Connor, will be once again pulling on the Thunder shirt and looking to build on the chemistry they built up through the second half of last season. 

Between the three of them the 'prawn line' as they are known to their team mates received several accolades at the end of season awards night and look to build on this moving forward into the coming season.  Harrison and Martyn jointly received the most improved player award, Connor was voted Supporters Player of the Year, and Harrison also shared the Players Player (MVP) accolade with influential netminder Mark Woolf. 

On the re-signings, head-coach Lewis Clifford had the following to say; "I am really pleased with these three youngsters agreeing to come back for another season with the Thunder. They proved week after week last season that they have ability in abundance, and as they became more and more confident, they began to influence games in bigger ways as the season progressed. Having Connor commit to Thunder is a big bonus, as he impressed many of our competitor’s coaches last season. Connor will be wearing the # 82 shirt. We expect this line to hit the ground running and carry on where they left off at the end of last season." 

Last season Harrison was Thunders 2nd top point scorer, Connor was just behind him despite splitting the season between Thunder and the league winning Storm U18's, and Martyn also contributed a number of points and goals in big games as well as adding a physical dimension to his game which was a vital component in making the line click.

06/05/10

We are pleased to announce the return of experienced
Netminder Mark Woolf for the 2010/2011 season. Woolfie
is one of the top Netminders in the ENL and has performed heroics consistently for the Thunder for as long as most of us can remember. Over the past few seasons the team has been fighting relegation and successfully avoided it, it would be safe to say with any goalie in our net other than Woolfie, this survival never would have been achieved.

Woolfie sets high expectations for himself and his team mates with regards to on ice performance, off ice conditioning and total 110% commitment to being the best he possibly can be in every game and training session. Over the past few years the standards Woolfie sets have not always been met by the team as a whole. We truly believe that this season with the team we are looking to put together, they will meet the high standard that Woolfie sets.

Woolfie was voted Players Player of the year in 2009/2010 and this demonstrates how highly he is regarded amongst his peers and he has the complete respect of every player who has ever pulled on a Thunder shirt.

02/05/10

Thunder's first signing..
DFC Milton Keynes Thunder are delighted to announce the signing of former Lightning player and home grown talent Ross Bowers. Ross last played for the Thunder in the 03/04 season when he split his time between Thunder and Lightning. Since then he has gone on to spend 4 seasons full time with Lightning, a year away which was split between the Basingstoke Bison in the Elite League and Slough Jets in the EPL, and this past season he returned for his 5th as a full time Lightning player.

In all competitions last season Ross scored 24 goals and 22 assists from 56 games, which proves he has the pedigree to be a stand out player in ENL1 and add a lot of points to the scoreboard for the Thunder next season.

02/05/10

Head Coach
Lewis Clifford has been appointed as Head Coach for the 2010/2011 season.
Cliff proved over the course of last season that he has the makings of a great senior coach, and is totally committed 100% of the time. He’d admit that the learning curve has been immense and we got some decisions wrong along the way, but that’s what Thunder is all about, learning and development.
What better way of showing that than to support this young coach with our commitment to him, so we’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Cliff back and look forward to building the team for next season.

24/04/10

THUNDER END OF SEASON AWARDS

Forward of the Year: Tom Davis
Defenceman of the Year: Mike Knights
Most Improved Player: Harrison Goode and Martyn Snape
Clubman of the Year: Sam Fairhurst
Coach's Player of the Year: Matt Roberts
Player's Player of the Year: Mark Woolf and Harrison Goode
Supporter's Player of the Year: Connor Goode

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