TAKING THE HIGH ROAD
More Comings And Goings
Hello again all and welcome back, the team building for the Streatham Redhawks continued these past couple of weeks with the departure of a homegrown talent, the welcome return of two big parts of last seasons roster and one of the biggest and best signings at our level this off season. Whether by coaches design or by offers too good to pass up players end up leaving eventually. And while its always a shame to see our favourites depart(I was crushed when Vanya left for example) sometimes these departures form part of a teams natural evolution. As has been shown in nature, creatures that fail to adapt to the environment around them go extinct. In the case of the Streatham RedHawks coach Paynter is trying to ensure the teams run of dominance doesn't go the way of the dodo.
HARVEY BRIGGS
As I said in the previous post about Jack Hoppes, its a tradition on the High Road recently for the club to find solid young players in the prospect pipeline and see them depart one or two seasons after we signed them. Alongside Conner Smith Briggs was touted as a great young homegrown prospect. However after the opening phases of the season saw limited ice time for the youngster, and too some extent overshadowed by the emergence of Millique Martelly as one of the best offensive D-Men in the league. Harvey ended up departing the club for Romford Buccaneers(then Raiders 2) for 2 seasons. Arguably Harvey made a smart move here as this opened up the door for him to make 30 appearance for the Buccs and 8 games with the Raiders national side scoring 2 goals at National level in the process.
While he may not have improved his stats line in fact ending the season with the same points as the season before in the league with 5+6 for 11 points on the season. With an additional 2 goals and 1 assist in the Britton cup. Harvey looked a totally different player to the one I remembered. He moved the puck with more confidence, was able to thread needles to get pucks into the zone. A big part of the Streatham model as I have said has been speedy players who can move the puck, Vanya Antonov archetypes and Harvey fit that bill on his return. And even though he only just slightly edged his stats higher this season, that number doesn't reflect that when paired with certain line mates he had chemistry with Harvey showed why he has landed the opportunity he now has
We don't know yet where Harvey is bound for, the best best would be the Bee's as part of the development pathway. But in all likelihood he has probably been enticed back to North London and the Romford Raiders. With an outside bet on him heading up to MK to join up with Millique.
Taking The High Road Back
49 Ryan Watt
Back in 2017 Jeremy Cornish was faced with a dilema, a roster he had built to contend for NIHL 1 silverware had gone from champions in waiting to a team having to overcome the odds as the collapse of EPIHL hockey saw the Redhawks forced to chose between NIHL 2 and familiar competition or toughing it out against the former EPIHL powerhouses. The decision to stay was the right one, but Corny knew he needed more skill and firepower able to contribute at this level. Enter 3 men who have entered legendary status at the club in Adam Carr, Michael Farn and Ryan Watt.
Watty has always been something of a divisive player wherever he has played. He is one of those players you love if he's on your team, and hate if he isn't. This is because Ryan is a player who plays close to and over the edge and is prone to letting the red mist descend, that has lead to some lengthy suspensions. Which has lead to some divides at times among us Streatham fans over his on ice actions.
But to me something that outweighs these things, is everything that Ryan has brought to the club since that first season in 2017. Ryan brings that blend of skill and physical play that does lead to him straddling and crossing a line. But that in part has been because Ryan has always bought in on being part of this team, cliche as it sounds he goes to war for his team mates every game. But like a good captain he holds his team mates responsible as well. Even when injured or suspended Ryan can still be found at the rink supporting the team both home and away. Ben sums up quite well why you need a player like Watty on the team
"Being able to secure someone with Watties experience and skill at this level is massive. He has been a huge part of all of our success over the years and he has the ability to score massive goals when it matters. He plays the Streatham way with a blend of skill and physicality and knows what it takes to win trophies!"
From day 1 I have enjoyed the way he can throw hits and hands one minute, the next out dangle the opposition to deliver the needle threading pass for a goal, or find the room up top for a bullet from the point. Ryans bursts up and down the wing to rush the net have been great to watch over the 5 seasons he's been with us. Ryans been more of a set up player for the last 2 seasons, however it should be noted injury and suspensions did cut short his playing time over the last 2 seasons. Seeing him only score 7 goals a season, but generating 29 assists in 22/23 and 11 in 11 games in 23/24. He dominated in the Britton Cup however scoring 6+9 for 15 points in 5 games in this competition.
Something about Watts scoring in the past 2 seasons has been that he's found a specialty in making things happen from up high, particularly on the pp. Below is just such an example, the goal that basically secured the 22/23 league title in a 3-2 win over Solent, Ryan feeds in a shot/pass for a waiting Ben Paynter to tip it in.
Ryan has been a big part of the championship success the team has enjoyed in recent seasons, both on the scoreboard and the important intangibles and of course the leadership he brings to the team. So it's great that Ben was able to get Ryan back on board, but as Ryan said in his signing interview like coach Paynts said we're not done yet. So I have no doubt there was nowhere else Ryan wanted to be this season.
77 LUKE BRITTLE
Late in the 19/20 season coach Adam Carr signed a new face to the Streatham roster as some late season depth and additional scoring. In 7 games Luke posted 9 goals and 9 assists, for a total of 18 points, making him a 2.5 Point per game player. When hockey returned in 2021, I looked forward to seeing Luke back on the team sheet, as someone who had watched Luke play in NIHL North 1 for Telford many years prior I felt given a full season in NIHL 1 South he'd tear the league apart. Ben had the same thoughts, as he resigned Luke for this campaign at the start of the year this time, Ben acknowledged that Luke had spent time away from the game and that he needed time to get up to speed. No doubt attempting to temper expectations that Luke would be firing the puck in the net at the same pace. Goals were not immediately abundant, but soon as he got dialled in and got those first few goals he began lighting the lamp and picking up the assists as well. Ending the season on a 1.65 PPG pace, with 38 points in 24 league games.
While I have focussed a lot in these articles on the physicality of the players Ben has been bringing in, especially the newer faces. It's also important that the team has puck movers on the offence as well as in the defensive transition phase of play. This is something Brittle is really good at as he showed last season with his 24 assists. Of course he knows how to fill the net as well as evidenced by 14 goals to go with it. Brittle provided something I didn't feel we had enough of which was the guy who could bat in the garbage around the net, something Ben has added to with some key additions this off season. But I'll never forget the sight of Luke batting a puck in out of mid air against Solent. Luke has stated he feels he can contribute more, and Ben has said given a full season, and summer of prep under his belt he thinks he will be producing more.
TAKING THE HIGH ROAD IN
George Norcliffe
Losing Brandon Miles to Slough, meant Streatham lost one of if not the best power forwards in the league. So there was only one possible response Ben could have but to go out and get a player who has all the potential to take the crown of best power forward in this league. George Norcliffe brings everything that Brandon did to the ice, size, physicality, willingness to fight. There is a key difference between the two however, which is that George has more of a goal scoring pedigree to go with this.
George is another returnee to the high road this season rejoining after his last appearances for the club back in 2017. And to me he's the most important signings made this off season. Its one thing to sign a player who was in the National league last season, it's another to sign a player who has now had multiple double digit goal, assist and point seasons, over a sustained period at second tier level. George is one season removed from a career year captaining the Bison where he scored 57 points. That career year saw him much sought after before signing for the Romford Raiders, where he had a downturn in production ending the season on 34 points, with 12 goals and 22 assists. This to me underlines the potential that is there that George could dominate the division
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Looking online for descriptions of George, the best comparables I have seen, are that of him being akin to a brick being thrown at a window or a freight train moving at high speed, when he's on the puck and heading for the net, and that he is the spearhead you use to force attacks through. These are all things a coach looks for, especially in a power forward so it's easy to see why Ben signed him, as he is an evolution on the Streatham archetype. Big and physical at 6'2" and with a goal scoring and assist generating pedigree fresh off 6 seasons playing in the various iterations of hockeys second tier George is a high caliber addition that not only plugs the gap left by Brandon Miles, but to a degree further reinforces and replaces on the gap in the line up left by Ben Ealey Newman departing, as he has the potential to be that same clutch big goal scorer.
Conclussions
Getting Ryan back on board will have been one of those split second decisons for both Ryan and Ben. Ryans the captain, he's part of the core and he's basically part of the furniture in the rink these days. So much so as I said he's always there for the lads when he's not able to ice. With a few parts of the core leaving keeping Ryan was also about that continuity of both the same group of players, but also the glue and spirit that has helped turn this team into the force it is at this level.
Losing Harvey Briggs does cost us something in the mobility and speed department going forward. But I think the new transitional defensemen we have brought in should compensate for this. Its a shame to see a young player with such upside leave but an offer of National hockey for someone looking to go as far as they can in their career is not to be turned down, so all we can do is wish Harvey the best, and in an odd way hope its a long, and successful time in National or Elite before we see him again.
Its great to see Luke Brittle convinced to give it at least one more go this year. I often wondered what happened to him after that short stint with us in 19/20 as he was a potent threat in front of net. So its great to see he's settled here in London and wanting to give it at least one more go with us. I asked last off season with Vanya gone who would score the goals, Luke made a good contribution in that regard, with a full season now under his belt, back up to speed and a full summer prep I am excited to see if he improves on this.
Lukes return, along with the biggest signing of the off season so far in George Norcliffe signals to me that Ben's taking the team in a still defence first mode, but one that is able to transition, crash the net and score more goals. Because though Streatham won a lot of games last season, those 1 goal losses to Oxford, Slough and Solent in the play offs are no doubt playing on Ben's mind that if we'd had a player able to put up the points and break through we might have landed that grand slam. George Norcliffe personifies this for me. And to paraphrase Mr Olivander "We can expect Great things from him" on his return to the High Road
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