31/07/23:45 PM

Player Signings

With the recent player trials now completed for the Wightlink Tigers ice hockey team, Head Coach Roy Meadows is pleased to announce the first batch of players to sign up for the forthcoming 2010/2011 English National League Division 2 season, which starts in just five weeks time.The first match is a mouth watering local derby, as the Wightlink Tigers make the short hop across the Solent to face a strong Solent and Gosport Devils team. This seasons squad looks to be around 22 to 24 players in size, which will be a huge boost as work commitments and injuries played a major part in last seasons lack of personnel. First up to lead the team will be 36 year old Canadian forward Jason Coles, with his vast knowledge and experience of the game he will once again Captain the side. Colesy was looking forward to the season ahead stating" we had a good turnout for the trials and have been training hard for the last few weeks commenting on his return Colesy had the following to say "we have a great group of guys that are all on the same page with a good hungry attitude and willingness to do well. Some dead wood has gone and its time to move on from last years disappointments as we look to make an impression on the league this year. We have a good mix of youth and experience and all these guys including myself cant wait to get going". Wearing the "A" on his shirt and returning for his 4th consecutive season with the Tigers is veteran utility player, 42 year old Tony Blaize, another player with a huge amount of leadership and experience, he will be playing on defence this coming season. Not that it will be a problem for Blaizey as this is his natural position when he originally took up playing as a 15 year old back with the Streatham Redskins. Tony is a great mentor for the younger guys on the squad and his emotion and passion for the game are second to none and still obvious to see, despite him being involved in senior hockey for almost 30 years now. Along with Colesy he has been training much earlier this off season as he looks to put Tigers back in the top half of the ENL this coming season. Blaizey commented, "I still enjoy playing the game, and we have a great bunch of lads, so I will keep on playing as its been a big part of my life for so long. September can't come soon enough". The last of the trio of older members of the team back for his 4th season is 37 year old centre Chris "Randy" Randall. Known to his team mates as "Badger", his will continue in his role with an "A" on his shirt. With his consistency on face offs and his high work ethic he will once again be responsible for his defensive style of play. Not afraid to drop the gloves every now and then, he doesn't take a shift off and is know for his passion for the game. Looking ahead to the season Randy commented "we have a team that has a nice mix and we are all looking forward to the challenges of the season ahead and I am looking forward to the first game at Gosport".