Get ready for take off

This summer has been filled with speculation regarding potential departures, but we have managed to keep the majority of players from last season. Those players that have departed include puck-dodger Andy Jaszczyk, defenseman James Robinson (most famous for missing an open net from inside the crease), and enforcer Sam Cooper.

To replace Jaszczyk, we have signed both Karl Holmes and Tristan Rodgers. These boys have returned to the Jets after a few seasons away: Karl spent the previous season with Grimsby, whereas Tristan took a break from ice hockey to concentrate on pig farming. Seriously.

Other signings include forward Jamie Cobley, who spent the previous season with Newcastle Vipers ENL; and former Grimsby defenseman Stuart Head, who will become our new enforcer!

These signings (coupled with a more slim-line Ben Milhench) give the Jets a much stronger team than last season. We will need this strength due to the new league structure, in which we will be competing with the top teams in the north and midlands. Relegation has been introduced this season, and I believe that we will be the favourites to go down – based solely on the fact that we finished lower than any of our rivals did last season. It will certainly be a difficult season, however, I do not believe that we will be involved in a relegation dog-fight. On paper, we have one of the best teams in the league; and if we play to our ability then we should finish at the top-end of the table!

Once again, we will be competing in the ENL Cup. Last season, we reached the semi-final, in which were marginally beaten by the Peterborough Islanders. We did not play a competitive match for six weeks prior to this semi-final, whereas Peterborough had been playing regularly in the playoffs. If we had similar match practice, I believe we would have won the semi-final and gone on to lift the cup!

Ben Spurgeon

Jets for Life