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.
Image by Mel O'Brien
To be totally honest, when Harvey left in 2021, it wasn't something I saw as a loss to the teams overall makeup. He had shown flashes of the potential that made Michael Farn sign him, but hadn't really lived up to that potential, that said 8 games is a low sample size so I would say I was hasty in that opinion. In fact what Harvey needed to bring out that potential was to play on a team at this level who were going to give him a bigger role, as he returned as something of a thorn in the side of the Redhawks on a few occasions. So I was pleased to see Harvey prove me wrong on his return to the club this season.
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.
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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.
Another example is this goal(also scored on Solent, which seems to be Ryans specialty)
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.
Photo By Mel O'Brien
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
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
So the 2024 off-season is well and truly underway. Silly season sees fans guessing who's coming in and who's leaving while other anonymous accounts post rumours about who is going where. For us Streatham fans we have so far seen 5 confirmed departures and 7 confirmed returns and 2 new and 2 familiar face returning. So just what has the club lost and what has the club retained
Now its safe to say, with several key players opting to take the High Road out of town, Streatham fans have had some concerns. Especially as 2 of the players departing where big pieces of a multi title winning puzzle that have gone to one of our biggest title rivals in 24/25. I suspect the club sensed this as they put out the below release to assure fans the evolution of the team is progressing.
Something that has to be remembered, is that hockey teams and the results they get are generally cyclical in nature. Top teams eventually are always weakened, if you have the top guys other teams are always after them to strengthen themselves and weaken you. Sometimes players achieve goals with one team and want a new challenge, having finally won the National title maybe that can be true here. Other times players have to move to other regions for university or work reasons, or just want to play closer to home or return to a boyhood club. Whatever the reason players do eventually depart and championship winning cores begin to see elements fall away.
Of course all this represents is a challenge and a chance for Ben to put to use the ability he has for identifying and fixing problems and weaknesses in the roster(probably a crossover from his day job as an electrician) If I was to venture an opinion it would be that while the team was the strongest defensively and while it did look potent offensively, it was an offence that teams could close down, and struggled to bang in the garbage goals and generate screens at times. While also getting itself into penalty trouble too much. And while the defence and PK first approach was underlined by 22 minutes of PK in the National final, Ben possibly will feel the team shouldn't have put themselves in that position in big games.
The club has also taken steps this offseason to improve its chances of signing high calibre talent in the future, and developing its own prospects with the formation of a development pathway with the Berkshire Bees. This now means academy players can move from NIHL 2 With the Blackhawks to us in NIHL 1 and the the NIHL with the Bees. And in our case we get the chance to sign Bee's players looking to take a step back from the commitments of National League Hockey. A great bit of business that hopefully will secure success for both sides involved.
Taking The High Road Out Of Town
Nate Gregory
In hockey the starter being able to win you games is key, but an underrated thing is a back up who can win you games when the starter hasn't made it possible. Streatham has been very luck since Nate Gregory arrived to have a back up who fit that description. I do feel using the term back up is somewhat unkind to Nate as he's always shown the potential and ability to be a starter at this level. He's just always been behind the likes of Matt Colclough, Damien King, Tom Annetts and Danny Milton. Great net-minders in their own right, who while keeping Nate in that back up role will have been great teachers for him to learn from. As a player Nate was often that back up you could rely on to start and win games as well as finish them out. Never having a season with a career average of 2.29 GAA and a SV% of .919 according to EP over his time in NIHL 1.
The club has lost a strong second option in net. Most likely we'll see Dylan Phillips brought in as Nates replacement, unless the club pulls off another Annetts/Milton pairing style signing as it did a couple of seasons back
Where is he going? At this time no idea, being born in Woking and having spent time in the Bracknell junior system a possible destination could be Slough maybe, but then maybe Nate fancies a stint as a starter and is headed to somewhere like Harringey who would be on the look out for a starter calibre net-minder at NIHL 2 level who could join them when they move up to NIHL 1.
Jack Hoppes
A recurring theme in Streatham's recent seasons has been the unearthing of a young up and coming defender who ends up leaving the club after a season or 2. Millique Martelly, Emil Oksanen, and now Jack Hoppes departs the club for the Solent Devils. Yes Jack has done the unthinkable for some and opted for the south coast side of the Solent Streatham side of the rivalry.
Image By Mel O'Brien
The club has lost a talented young right handed D man who I always described as a player much like Millique Martelly but with less shooting accuracy than Millique. Still a great puck mover and solid in his own end, I will never forget seeing him frustRate the man who is now his coach Alex Murrayin that title decider 2 seasons ago. I'd suspect given Jacks age he's headed to the south coast and the Devils as a result of him heading off to university maybe(at 19 it would fit the bill) or as a player with National experience with Bees and a championship calibre the Devils met the price to pry Jack away from the High Road.
Callum Burnett
Callum only had 1 season on the high road, but certainly made an impact and impressed me greatly during his time here. Something I felt the D needed going into last season was players with youth and energy but on a solid footing. Callum fit that bill for me, he had the youth and energy. But as I saw it became a great transitional defenceman able to play in both ends and be reliable doing it. Would always contribute strongly to the offensive phase and this was the pedigree he came in with and lived up to. Callum could be relied upon to provide those much needed assists from the back end as he chipped in 9 in the season and 3 in the play offs along with 2 goals on the season.
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At this time, Callum hasn't been announced as signing anywhere. But given his youth at the age of 23 that means he could be the target of any southern National league team. But I'd wager the best odds lay with him joining Ben Ealey Newman and Brandon Miles in Slough having been a Slough junior as well. With an outside chance he returns to the Chieftains team he captained before he joined us.
Ben Ealey Newman
This is the first of 2 departures that really blows a hole in the forward lines. Ben Ealey Newman ended the season as the clubs 4th leading scorer and Ben Paynter coaches player of the season. Bouncing back after a 22/23 that saw him sidelined for a long time with an injury Ben has been a big part of Streatham scoring group over the 3 seasons he has been Redhawk. His calmness on the puck when skating at opponents, and cut backs from the half boards to the centre to roof the puck where something to behold. Sadly we'll now have to fear these moves as he joins up with title rivals the Slough jets for the 24/25 season. For Ben its a move that makes sense, hes a former Jets junior, he possibly feels having won the National he can now move on to a new opportunity that possibly moves him closer to home.
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Bens departure, throws a question mark over a return of brother Josh, as generally clubs have always signed the pair together. However this will also of course depend on how Josh heals from his shoulder injury suffered in January.
The Jets needed a player capable of scoring but also doing the dirty physical stuff. Ben fits this bill perfectly, and in signing a leading scorer from a strong opponent in the past the Jets have succeeded in weakiening our core group. All be it hopefully temporarily depending who Ben signs in his place.
Brandon Miles
Over the years there have been switches in sports that no one saw coming. Hulk Hogan joing WCW after leaving WWF, Sol Campbell signing for Arsenal from hated rivals Tottenham, Figo trading Barcelona for Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez trading the red side of Manchester for the Blue. And now we can add Brandon Miles leaving Streatham for Slough.
Brandon Miles may not have been a Streatham junior, but he is basically the player most associated with the clubs identity and the way it plays hockey. One of those players you love when you have them but hate them when on another side. Brandon has been on quite an upward development from 2020. When I first saw him play in 2017 he seemed little more than another typical goon, more interested in fighting and hard hits that drew the ire of opponents and officials. But since his return in 2019 he's developed in to one of the best power forwards in this league. Granted this past season he posted only 3 goals and 13 assists. But Brandon always provided that insurance that if you messed with anyone on the streatham roster you'd answer for it.
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In a post season pod cast appearance I stated slough needed a Brandon Miles. And either Lukas Smital heard and agreed with me, or had already made the approach. Either way the Jets now have a hard hitter capable of scoring given good service and in jack Goodchild, and the Mohrs he will receive this, meaning we could see his stats go up again.
His departure leaves a gap in the fan bases hearts that hopefully someone in the locker room will fill. Because Brandon was very much the peoples champion of Streatham hockey. Why did he choose to leave? Only he can tell us, given he started out in Slough he possibly fancied a homecoming. If memory from a road trip serves he's based near Slough so that also makes sense. But possibly he having won a National title, felt it was time to close this chapter and open another one. Either way for us fans it feels like we've lost not just a player, but an unofficial captain of the team. Slough fans will soon learn how lucky we were in Streatham to have such a player
Taking The High Road Back
So now we have looked at the departure so far, why not take a look at who's going to be taking the High Road back into town. Because while a few core elements have departed, there are several key faces from the past few seasons who have decided to return once more
14 Ben Paynter
Having now been the coach who masterminded 2 league title a play-off title win and finally a National Championship it was obviously a no brainer for Streatham to bring back head player coach Ben Paynter. I believe Ben to be the best 2 way centre and defensive forward in the entire league. And a coach who has shown a great acumen in my opinion for identifying what needs to be changed in order to win, case in points I feel are the way he changed the teams focus from one of overwhelming firepower to overwhelming and smothering defence and all with a minimal of player turnover. And further to that when the team looked to be finally hitting that rough patch so many fans had wanted us to have with the 3-2 and 3-0 losses in early season. Ben successfully identified the changes needed and made them. Ben is always humble, and tells me its not about him its the team when I've tried to ask him how it feels to be the coach who has won what his predecessors couldn't. And he's very right in that regard, he clearly has exactly what a winning coach needs which is confidence and trust in his players to execute his game plan. While also clearly having the respect, confidence and trust of his players to lead them to the end goal of winning trophies.
On the ice as I said Ben is the best 2 way centre in this league in my view. Being a coach has not seen Ben drop off his own production as he ended this past season on comparative ground with his last couple of seasons with 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 league points. While down on the previous season the shift in team ethos to a more conservative approach on offence of looking for the chances instead of bombarding the net was probably a factor here. Hopefully the new signings he's touted in recent press releases can help add to this.
8 Preston Tombs
As I mentioned in Jack Hoppes section, a recent trend in Streatham has been the unearthing of young up and coming defensemen, who end up getting noticed by other teams and being given an opportunity elsewhere. Best example of this being Millique Martelly. Preston has not been as explosive as Millique was in his arrival on the Streatham hockey scene. But that hasn't made his rise any less impactful. Preston debuted for the club 2 days after turning 16, in the 21/22 season, the same season as Millique. But while Millique has grabbed the headlines as a puck moving offensive D man. Much the same as Martelly and Hoppes before him Preston will be getting National league experience on a 2 way deal this season as he's been signed by the Berkshire Bees on a 2 way with us.
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Preston has been developing solidly in to a top 6 guy as the solid reliable defence-man you can trust to just do what he's out there to do well. As coach Paynter has said of Preston he reads the game well, and has come to be very trusted to handle the toughest of situations. He really in my view came to the forefront this past season during the short benching phase. The fact he is iced alongside of Sam Waller most of the season is testament to how highly he is rated as a player. Seeing Preston return will have been key for Ben who no doubt wanted to avoid a repeat of Jack Hoppes leaving possibly a little too early on a two way, who after signing with the Bees returned to Streatham early in the season, low on confidence after seeing little ice time in the National, despite having been part of Bee's team that was over performing by many pundits estimations. However with Preston part of the development pathway, I doubt we will see this pattern repeated.
13 James Warman
The man I mistakenly assigned a Josh Ealey Newman goal to on two occasions returns for his testamonial season on the High Road. James is part of the furniture in Streatham(literally, the guy lives in Streatham) but has been on the team sheet of every coach in Streatham for the past 10 years. And it's plain to see why, off the ice James is great with us fans and in the locker room with his team mates. In coach Paynter's words he brings the right attitude week in and week out. For me thats always underlined he goes along with a running gag from twitter over that goal I miss-assigned to him.
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On the ice James is that thing that every coach wants on their roster. A solid reliable and dependable defence-man that does the simple stuff and everything else well and in the good sense will go unnoticed by a commentator like myself, then abruptly announce himself with a huge hit. James loves his hits and I have seen him deliver multiple bone crunchers at High Road centre ice. While his stats may not reflect it in the goal column. James is a great player in the transitional phase of play, making those key passes in the neutral zone and offensive zone, that lead to goals, for example picking up the key assist on jared lanes goal in Coventry. Though he did have a less productive 23/24 but having missed a large chunk of the back end of the season with a dislocated shoulder that can be overlooked.
15 Ziggy Beesley
2023/2024 was the year of Ziggy Beesley in Streatham, leading goal scorer, leading points scorer, winner of nearly everything at the end of season awards night, and winner of so much in the raffle that JJ Pitchley had to eat his remaining tickets to prevent him winning anymore.
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When Vanya Antonov departed the club, someone was needed to step in and fill the gap of the clutch free scoring forward that the club could rely on in any situation. Many thought maybe Danny Ingoldsby or the Ealey Newmans or Pitchely and Martin would fill this gap. But Ziggy put in the hard work this season, training twice a week with the Redhawks and Blackhawks to maximise his ice time. I already saw Ziggy as one of the best centres in the league, but this past season he took it to a new level. Putting in a career season with 20 goals and 22 assists. Ziggy became a net front presence that could score and create, but also developed a deadly one timer snap shot from the slot. Coach Paynter describes Ziggys return succinctly To be successful you have to have guys like Ziggy in the line up.
37 Sam Waller
Waller brings so much to our team in all areas. He is relied upon in big situations defensively, he is composed on the puck and leads our D offensively. Those are the words Ben used to describe Sam Waller. Sam has become the offensive engine in the heart of the Streatham defence. Sam doesn't really fit into one single mould as a defence-man. At times he's a shutdown guy you can rely on, at others a physical defence-man who puts the body about, and finally an offensive D-Man who contributes goals and creates them. Such flexibility is craved by coaches in their D groups. Streatham are fortunate we have it all in one player.
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If the club are to continue the defence first, physical style players like Sam Waller are vitally important. He's played at a high level in UK hockey and has brought that experience every time he skates for Streatham. His partnership with Preston Tombs this past season was a great example of 2 players complimenting one an-others style. With Sam laying the big hits and forward forays looking for offence while Preston would cover off getting to the puck first and using speed bursts to cover the back end on turnovers and counters. Hopefully these 2 are back together again this coming season.
51 Jared Lane
One of the design structures baked into the streatham model of team building going back to Jeremy Cornish is players who have speed and skill coupled with players that bring phyical play. Jared is very much the case of a player with speed and skill. An excellent eye for passing Jared reminded me of Vanya Antonov on first viewings. He's able to thread needles to get pucks on the rights guys stick for crucial goals. But is also able to put himself in just the right spots to score the crucial ones as well as we saw when he collected James Warman's pass for the 3rd goal in Coventry.
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A player who had a lot of pressure and potential heaped upon him as a younger player in Guildford and Bracknell, however for whatever reason his development didn't progress as many had predicted. However at Guildford Phoenix and here with us he found a spark that ignited him meeting that potential. He's become a big part of the teams core, it can be no coincidence that when Jared returned and Ewan Hill left the teams flagging early season performances turned around in a big way.
As Ben puts it He moves the puck well, is calm under pressure and in big moment and I can rely on him to play in all situations. He adds a dynamic to our offence that not a lot of teams have and delivers every night. I'd further add that Jared is speed and skill all rolled in one player.
42 Danny Milton
When you build a championship winning team, you need to build from the net out. That is vitally important for a team operating on the mantra of defence wins championships. You also need the kind of netminder who steals you games you have no business winning to win championships. In Danny Milton the club has secured just such a netminder.
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In his first year with the club, Danny saw limited outings. He had come is as an alternate option for Tom Annetts, when Tom was unavailable and when Danny's goalie coaching time allowed. He would make a total of 7 league and 3 cup appearances that season. Posting I think at least 5 shutouts in the process Danny ended that saeson with 1.65GAA in league action and 1.52GAA in the play offs. Of course this lead to Ben immediately wanting Danny back for 23/24.
Danny has been a wall in the Streatham net this past season, and is exactly as I described the netminder who wins games the team has no business winning. His form of course also made it nigh on impossible for Nate Gregory or Dylan Phillips to get a look in. He backstopped this team to hard fought wins in games like the cup semi final first leg v Invicta, and his heroics on the High Road keeping out the most dangerous offence in South 1 were what won the team the challenge cup this season. As Ben puts it He was a difference maker all year and I have no doubt he will be the same this coming season.
Taking The High Road In
Roman Cathcart
Up next, we have the newest addition to the Streatham roster. Roman Cathcart. Most 17 year old players coaches sign can be lumped into the development prospect category. Guys the coach has an eye on for the future who show promise. In the case of Roman I wouldn't put him in there. He's already a well developed and rounded player having already had experience at NIHL 2, NIHL 1, and National level, in particular being up for a solid 11 games with Basingstoke. Roman will continue to gain experience at high levels while with us as he will be signed with both us and the Berkshire Bees on a two way deal
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With Brandon Miles no longer a RedHawk, Ben has needed to bring in a players who can play the Streatham style, but have some youth and more of a scoring touch or potential. While Roman is no direct swap for Brandon, he's a physical player, but he's a physical player with speed. Something that could and did trip Streatham up over the last few seasons was that the faster players such as Jared or Ziggy could sometimes be too far forward waiting for the support of the physical players. With Romans youth and tenacity there's now someone who can probably keep pace with these guys. But additionally he's a player who comes in with a string pedigree.
Harvey Stead
The second of the new signings announced over the last couple of days, Harvey is a player I have come to be rather familiar with over the past season working as a commentator for the Berkshire Bees webcast where he joins us from. Having just become a father Harvey has opted to step away from the National league and join us as part of our cooperation with the Bee's, so he can have more family time. Harvey is of course another player who fits the mould of being a Streatham player. He's physical, clears the net well and has an offensive upside too him and will stand up for himself and the rest of the team. To boot he's also born and bred in my hometown of Reading.
Photo by Chris Callaghan Blue Line Photography
The club have lucked in big time landing a player of Harvey's experience and skill, while he is still very much in his prime years at only 28. I've heard it said the peak age for D-Men is the later part of their 20's to early 30s due to the accumulation of experience by this point. Not to of course make this about Harvey's age but landing a player still in their 20's with over 350 EPL and National league games experience is a great get by coach Paynter. Not only that but he also bring international experience with the GB youth teams.
"He has a magnitude of experience playing at a higher level and I can’t wait to see how he translates that experience into our line up. Transitioning defence to offence was something I felt we struggled with last season and the addition of Harvey really helps with that"
Harvey to some extent fits the Sam Waller archetype I described earlier, a physical D man, who will mix it up but also has a lot of offensive potential and underlying numbers to be a big threat at this level in all 3 zones.
Brendan Baird
Another of the marquis off season signings that strengthens the defence, in comes Brendan Baird, Brendan joins as part of the development path way with streatham and Berkshire Bees, that gives players looking to play at the semi pro level and commit less time to hockey a chance to sign on with streatham in exchange for youngsters going the other way on 2 way deals. No stranger of course to Streatham fans having last donned the Red and White in the 17/18 season. Brendan has been playing at a high level in UK hockey for the past 6 seasons, with the now newly minted Berkshire Bees and before that as part of a battling Basingstoke bison side.
Photo by Chris Callaghan Blue Line Photography
While not showing his defensive ability. The below shows the kind of offensive input we can hope for from Brendan. He's the kind of offensive player involved in every phase of the play
Again underlining Bendan's offensive skillset is this clip from a Bees game last season. Brendan delivers a shot from the blue line that beats the keeper, after finding the space to do so
Brendan, much like Harvey, is a player who I have seen play a few times this past season in my capacity as co commentator on the Bees webcast. Brendan is another player that will help with that weakness that Ben has noted which is a struggle with transitional play from offence to defence. He's a player who creates for others around him. But also is a defence-man who can given the chance put the puck in the net. He's been left exposed at times on a struggling g Bees side this season, but the player I have seen still rarely leaves his post and is very adept at making sure he supports his net-minder around the crease. At 28 again Brendan is in his prime years as a players and has already amassed over 404 games experience across NIHL 1, National and the EPIHL level. All indicators that Brendan is a high quality get at this level.
Aidan Doughty
Another big signing this week is the arrival or return of Aidan Doughty. Aidan is the second of 2 players signed as part of the 2 way development path between Streatham and the Bees. Like Brendan Baird Aidan has take adbvantage of the affiliation between the two to keep playing but drop to a level he can fully commit to. Aidan last iced for us back in the 17/18 season. Having been the second highest scorer on the solent Devils. Aidan only managed a 21 point season for us the following season. Something was obviously not a good fit for Aidan in that season however as he went onto be a force the following season for the team he joins us from the Berkshire Bees where he had 36 and 27 point seasons, before joining the Basingstoke Bison where he posted a career high 51 points. The following campaign Aidan was on a 42 point pace before his season was cut short by a spinal injury. A total of 21 points on a struggling Bee's team I feel is attributed more to the way he was used and who he was iced with.
The reason I have just run off that list of figures, is because after last season when Josh Martin and JJ Pitchley arrived and it took them some time to settle and find goals some questioned the signings. Of course JJ came good in the end, and there is no reason Aidan wont either. He provides something that I have touched on as missing earlier in this article, which has been a player who can generate from the very front of net. Picking up rebounds, and causing chaos as part of a screen, which with the new offensive edge for the back end could see plenty of chances generated and converted.
Final Thoughts
It's been something of an explosive start to the offseason for Streatham fans. The lows of losing several of the core group. To the highs of being announced as a development partner with the Berkshire Bee's, that has seen 3 high calibre players bolster the ranks of what is one of the most stacked rosters in the division. Ben said he wanted to identify the weaknesses and fix them, with Harvey Stead and Brandon Baird on board the club trades Jack Hoppes and Callum Burnett for 2 top 6 National league D men. Who can both contribute on the defensive and offensive transitional play. Something that was as Ben has pointed out a sticking point for the team last season. Aidan Doughty provides an offensive upgrade in front of net in terms of the net front presence and physicality if he can recapture the form that saw him score 51 points at national level just 2 seasons ago, again don't forget he was a 1st line player with the Bees at times last season. Roman Cathcart signing as a 2 way development path player gives the forward lines an injection of quality, physical play and potential, that hopefully we see pan out. Ben really helped bring on Preston Tombs last season, so he knows how to develop the best out of young playersAdd these to the already existing and key core team members that have been retained and the doom prophecies some fans were predicting when it was announced Brandon was leaving can be dispelled to a degree(Slough and Chelmsford are strengthening as we speak after all)
Getting the likes of Ziggy, Jared, Sam and Milton back were vital signings after some of the core left. Now those departures may be because Ben is changing things up, or they as I said fancied a new challenge. Either way making sure as much of last years group stays is vital and we are off to a great start with the re-signings. But it was important that the replacements are equal to or better than the components they replace and on the potential alone matched against experience I think Ben has hit the bullseye here with that.
Something that fascinates me in life, is the butterfly effect theory, and causality. It likely stems from my love of Doctor Who. How one action creates waves that travel outward causing reactions. The shorthand being a butterfly flaps its wings in central park and you get rain in the Philippines. Many years ago, a young man was born in Pensacola Florida. Born into a family who were royalty in the world of professional wrestling. This event and its ripples would lead to one of the greatest wrestling storylines in the last decade. As he and his Bloodline would enter a long-term war with the son of another of wrestling’s dynasty families. All leading to these two men Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes battling for the WWE Title at this year’s wrestlemania. All through this Cody Rhodes a man who back in 2016 had been released by the company, had left and gone on a storied journey to rise to the top of the pro wrestling world in other federations would, say that winning the WWE title would be the final chapter, it would finish his story.
The reason I’ve just tried to compact 4 years of wrestling story line into a paragraph in a post about hockey is this. Just as Cody came up on the losing end to Reigns many times in the course of his story. Streatham have been on the receiving end of two heavy and hard to take losses at the hands of the Solway Sharks. Denying them the one trophy they have been unable to secure, in the NIHL 1 National title. But on April 28th the RedHawks will get another chance to claim this title, to finish their story against the Billingham Stars.
On that April day in 2023, fresh off losing 4-0 to the Solway Sharks for the second season in a row. I had to interview head coach Ben Paynter; it wasn’t easy for me to find the questions to ask him about what had just happened. But it was plain to see behind the disappointment on Ben’s face. There was some form of a plan forming, he would be back here next season, he would rebuild and retool to not just make this final for a third time. But to win it at the third asking. Now that outcome is still to be decided of course. But the way it could be done was decided I think that day.
For 3 seasons the game plan in Streatham had been, victory by overwhelming firepower. Win games by 12 to the oppositions 11. And while the defence had always been strong and able to ensure that the opposition rarely got the better of the team. It was apparent in both final appearances that Solway was able to pick the defence apart, and the team struggled against the strong opponents on the penalty kill. So, I believe Ben decided there and then, it was no good scoring over a hundred goals in a season as a team if you can’t score them when it matters, but equally if you can’t stop the team that’s shutting you down from scoring them. Defence wins championships he told me in an interview. A philosophy made famous by American Football coach Bear Bryant, it’s a sound one that has this season carried the RedHawks to 2 cups and a 4th league title in a row. While also possessing the lowest Goals against and statistically making Danny Milton the number 1 netminder in NIHL 1.
Those defensive numbers translated into a close shot at the grand slam, as the RedHawks have ended this season with the challenge cup, Britton cup and the league title. But unlike previous seasons this one hasn’t been one where the team had it all its own way. Early season results suggested the dominance may be coming to a close as Invicta spoiled the party on the opening night of pre-season and then also scoring 3 past us and shutting us out a month later.
The road to triumph can often be paved with overcoming adversity. In Streathams case these early season losses to Invicta and others to Oxford and Chelmsford, while shattering the myth of the all-conquering RedHawks to some. Where all part of the adversity that has forged this team this season. Of course Ben had to make some changes, releasing Ewan Hill, and bringing back Jared Lane, along with adding another Lane in Ethan Lane(no relation) these changes were an instant boost to the team. As it went on a run into the new year that set Streatham up perfectly for another run at the title.
But it was the games in the new year that truly tested this team’s ability to triumph through adversity. The infamous brawl between Streatham and the Dynamos lead to several long suspensions and an injury to a key forward. Losing JJ Pitchely, Josh Martin,Nate Gregory ,Brandon Miles and Josh Ealey Newman at a time when the team was pushing for the league title, and was prepping for the challenge cup semi-finals was far from ideal timing. Being down to 6 forwards heading into the 2 semi-finals the team had to put in a gargantuan effort in Invicta to come away 3-2 winners before sealing the tie with a 4-2 win on home ice. Granted in that home tie both Miles and Pitchley made returns. But now there was to be new adversity to overcome.
In Invicta Jordan Gregory would go down injured, a week later James Warman would suffer a dislocated shoulder in a fight in slough. Down to 4 defencemen Streatham would see themselves double shifting for several games. The prospect loomed that the RedHawks would have to face the Slough Jets potent offence with only 4 D-Men. Enter a returning Michael Farn, and James Warman returning from injury surprisingly early to bolster the D core ahead of the biggest challenge the team would face all season. The Slough Jets, in the challenge cup final.
The week before Streatham sealed the league championship with a 4-1 win over Romford. Streatham would just about escape Slough with a 3-2 lead over the Jets after a defensive battle of wills between the 2 sides. Before possibly the greatest 60 minutes of hockey seen in South 1 for some time. As the Jets and RedHawks battled for 58 minutes holding each other at bay. Until Lukas Smital’s choice to pull Brett Massey for an extra attacker backfired giving Streatham the go-ahead goal.
The league has improved all round this past season, meaning the team has not had it all its own way. But it has made it through the adversities and controversies to come away with 3 trophies. The playoffs and that chance of a grand slam has eluded us, but that in itself. Is just one more adversity to have to overcome in the long run. Because for this team, it’s now about how they pick themselves up from that disappointment, how they fight back, how they find a way to finally win. To find a way to finally win the big one and finally FINISH THE STORY
Good
evening, and welcome back to Streatham High Road, for another week of exciting
hockey action. As the Redhawks look to continue the strong start to the season
against the Oxford City Stars in NIHL 1 action. Oxford will be looking to get
their league campaign going with a strong start after only facing NIHL 2 Norths
Coventry Blaze in challenge matches a few weeks ago.
Before we
begin with this week’s article. I want to just say something. What’s going to
follow is sort of an outpouring of how I feel after 18 months without the sport
I love, and returning to the High Road 2 weeks ago. As the saying goes, you
never know what battles someone else is fighting. And you never know how
someone feels till you’ve walked a day in their shoes. The last 18 months has
been hard on us all, and I don’t want anyone to think what follows is me
putting my own struugles over that of others. I lost hockey for 18 months,
others lost loved ones and their lives. And there are hockey fans who sadly
will never see a puck dropped again because of the pandemic. We live in a time
where we’ve realized so much was taken for granted. And this is my personal
story from the past 18 months, how life without these weekly hockey games felt,
and the impact it had on me as a person. And how I feel, now that hockey’s back
It does
feel good though, to be able to start these with the words, “Welcome, back to
Streatham High Road” every week when I write these articles I rely on the
hockey landscape, my own loudmouth opinions on the sport, and talking points
around the team to come up with something I hope you the readers will enjoy.
But this week, I find myself reflecting upon that sentence “welcome back to
Streatham High Road” and what being able to say it again, means to me, my
mental health, and all of us who have spent 18 months wondering if we’d ever
see a puck dropped again.
I hope
you’ll forgive that this week’s article is going to be, a little self-indulgent
in places. But I hope at the same time I reflect what some have been feeling. And
I hope you will forgive that I’m going to talk about the world of the last 18
months, I know we all want to escape the new cycle were so daily bombarded with
by press briefings and statistical analysis and experts. That these few hours
in the rink should be a sacred haven from such things, but sometimes we have to
talk about things we don’t want to.
As I
write this, I am sipping tea from a mug with the words, “warning may start
talking about hockey” printed on it. This mug served as a warning to all my
colleagues at work that I may unprovoked begin talking about my favourite
sport, or to engage me about it when UK hockey made the headlines, such as when
Petr Cech signed for the NIHL 2 Guildford Phoenix. Or as one colleague learned,
to remind me that my NHL team had lost to a Zamboni driver was not a good idea.
My point here is, I love hockey, and everything that comes with it. And over
the 25 years the sports been in my life. Its become woven in to the very fabric
of my person and my mental health.
The
sports been such a big part of my life that my dad often remarks I studied
hockey not media production at Coventry Uni. This stems from the fact that when
asked if I’d be coming home to visit in the winter months. I would always say I
was either filming games, watching games, or playing for the university team.
My 3 years at Coventry uni I did immerse myself in the sport. I owe my career
in media to it as I learned the skills I use today in those 3 years working
onhockey projects. My first flat was
with a friend I had made attending hockey in Basingstoke. Every year I cleared
my schedule and put friends on notice that from September till April invites to
weekend activities would be met with the response “sorry I have hockey” The
game is for lack of a better term my escape. Its like my version of attending
church every week. And much the same as those who take solace in faith. I take
solace in the escape it allows me. My friends and family know this, so well by
now that they know if I’m dating someone, and I invite them to hockey. Things
must be getting serious. While others dreamed of a Caribbean get away or a trip
to Disney World. I spent my life dreaming of seeing hockey games in all manner
of arenas around the world. That’s how much hockey means to me in my life. In
part it is my life.
18 Months
ago, I packed up my bag, having watched the Redhawks pick up another home win.
The following weekend was due to be the single biggest test of the league
campaign so far. The Solent devils on Saturday, followed by the Chelmsford Chieftains
on Sunday. A 4-point weekend would all but guarantee the team would lift the
league title on home ice two weeks later. But as I left that night there were
questions in the air, Vanya Antonov despite reports of his departure had
remained with the team after news out of China. A storm was brewing, black and
terrible. A storm that would as we all now know, change everything.
When the
announcement was made that hockey was shutting down, at first, I didn’t realize
it would change things for me. After all, I’d gone through many an off season.
Surely this was no different. But over time I realized that I’d begun to feel a
part of me had been taken away from me. Because unlike every April when I said
goodbye for the summer, there was no guarantee there would be a return in
September. Though the clubs did their best to encourage optimism and hope by announcing
rosters. I simply found myself unexcited by the announcements. I looked at
every one with doubt that they would ever happen. My
mental health hadn’t exactly been in good shape going into that March. I’d had
personal life setbacks, I wasn’t feeling satisfied in my career anymore, and I
was trapped in a living situation that was progressively getting worse and
worse. But all through that I’d had an escape, a way out for a few hours a week
at least. Hockey, and not just the game. But everything that came with it, the
found family I made that stretches from here in Southwest London, out to
Swindon, Basingstoke, Coventry and all the way to Canada. I knew I wouldn’t see
those people for a long time, and with the news that the virus was a killer. I
began to worry if I’d see them again ever. Some I only saw at the rinks and had
no contact info for, some were deeply entrenched in my life away from hockey as
well as in it. Either way they all helped me forget the failures of my life
when I was in a rink with them for a few hours. It was like therapy in a way
for me, it was what got me through the week. Knowing the countdown to puck drop
started on Saturday or Sunday and went on till the next week. But with a
countdown now set to infinity, my mind went to a dark and scary place
I found
myself closing off from people, those who follow my twitter will have seen it
became less whimsical and fun stuff about Nerd culture and hockey. And a place
where I daily railed against the government and its handling of things. I was
no longer the guy on the mug my friend got me. The next big blow came when it
was announced by my employers, they were making redundancies, and I had been
selected. My last day, was on a Friday, and I found myself wishing I had the
rink to go to the next day to at least get away from the panic and fear in my
mind. I wished I had one of these articles to write to take my mind off
worrying how I’d pay rent after my severance ran out.
Now I
will say I wasn’t bereft of support mechanisms. My friends and family were
always there for me. But when every phone conversation begins with, how is the
job hunt going it eats away at your sanity. When there was no hockey news to
discuss with my hockey friends, except going over the old stories. I began to
miss the rink even more; I began to miss the escape even more.
Luckily
the story here has a happy ending. A good friend when consoling me one day said
redundancy could be the best thing ever to happen to me. Because every friend
she had who had gone through this, had gone on to do something they loved. And
that friend was absolutely right, it sadly meant moving out of Streatham, but I
now work for an international leader in my field, and in the sector, I always
wanted to be in when I graduated university.
Still
despite the success, I still missed the rink. The EIHL elite series, and the
NHL regular season did something to satiate the need for a live hockey game to
enjoy. But without others around me yelling and shouting, without friends to
laugh with it just wasn’t the same. Twitter enabled some of this, but it was never
constant. At the tournaments close I found myself really missing hockey.
So, I
guess by this point, you are probably asking, Chris what point are you building
to with all this maudlin history? Well, I guess the point is this, I took
hockey being in my life for granted, and when it and everyone that I had in my
life attached via it was taken away I felt like a part if me was gone. And I
was worried it wouldn’t come back
I don’t
know if I’m the only one who felt that way. The last 18 months has shown all of
us different priorities. And the importance maybe of those very things we used
to say no to in favour of attending hockey.
I’m not
ashamed to admit 2 weeks ago, when I walked in the rink, . That I was emotional
(I always have been an emotional soft type) I was happy to be back, but I was
apprehensive as to if I would see the old familiar faces. Would everyone have
come through ok, would anyone be missing. For 18 months I had pondered this.
And I’m happy to say I saw so many of the old familiar faces in the old
familiar places. And as I settled in to my perch at the top of the block to
resume my twitter duties. I felt like I was whole again, for the next 3 hours
the only reminder to me of the last 18 months was the mask over my face. Other
than that, it was just another night at the High Road
But I’m
happy to say, it feels like that part of me is now back, and I hope its back
for a very long time. And I hope if anyone else reading this feels that way
that its back for you to. You see for me hockey’s not just about 22 players
with sticks and a puck. It’s always been about the hockey family that goes with
it. Who I’m so happy to have back in my life (yes that includes the referees)
For now,
hockey, something I took for granted in life is back in mine and all our lives.
And for that I am grateful. Grateful to see all the familiar faces, grateful I
got a game of hockey out of the evening. Grateful I got to see the arrival of
Milique Martelly and Harvey Briggs on the hockey landscape. Grateful that the
countdown clock has restarted, as I type this, I have 5 days to go till its
game day again. Grateful that in a few weeks I’ll be heading off on the road to
Swindon to see a friend and take in a Wildcats game. Grateful that even though
there’s still so much uncertainty in the world, and about the coming months,
that for now there is at least some sort of normalcy to our lives again.
Grateful that tonight we get to see a game of hockey again, and for the time
being an escape from the world outside.
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