Aaron 0:20

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the latest episode of the Lightning Talks Podcast, a brand new series of interview-style videos brought to you exclusively here on Lightning TV. My name is Aaron Files. I'll be your host for this latest episode, and join me for what should be a bumper discussion about all things off-season, the behind-the-scenes operations, and of course, the latest Lightning roster. I've got two very, very special guests indeed. So, without further ado, let's introduce our first one, a man who'll be a familiar face around Planet Ice, Milton Keynes. It is, of course, Lightning Director Tom Roberts. So, Tom, great to have you here on the podcast to chat all things, operations and behind the scenes and this brand new roster. I've got to ask, how's the summer treated you so far?

Tom 1:14

Well, first of all, great to see you, Aaron. Um, lovely to uh see you once again. Uh, see you so often at the rink. And uh bit weird to see you online, but uh a pleasure nonetheless. Uh summer's been great so far, managed to have a little bit of a holiday, but um, it's been all go right since the end of the season. But enjoying this fantastic weather we're having in in the UK, watching a bit of football and uh taking some time out. But uh yeah, looking forward to the discussion.

Aaron 1:42

Oh, most definitely. And well, it isn't just myself and Tom on this latest episode of the podcast. I mentioned Tom being a familiar face at the ice rink itself, but we've also got a familiar face here on the platform because you may have seen a few weeks ago our new head coach and director of hockey operations had a sit-down with Chris Dicko ahead of the start of the new season. So let's bring him in, let's introduce our second guest. It is the one and the only Pete Russell. Pete, I'll ask you the exact same question. How's the offseason been so far?

Pete 2:17

Yeah, good. Um, I've had quite a bit of time, not doing a lot of coaching. Then we went to obviously went to Zurich. That was a tough trip, you know, and a guy's worked hard, it was just tough. And then we come back, and I guess we've just been putting a team together and also watching the football. Um really enjoyed last night's game, to be honest. Not even that Argentina England game we're talking about. I see a few sad faces on here, but don't worry, it's only another four years till you do it again. Well, for the World Cup, that is, of course.

Aaron 2:54

Your rose in 2028, Pete. So you never know. It could still come home within the next couple of seasons. But no, gents, thank you ever so much for taking the time. I know that we call it the off-season as fans, but I know for the pair of you it's a very, very busy time of season. So thanks again for obviously hopping on. And speaking of the off-season itself, it does feel like a logical, a rational place to kickstart tonight's discussion before we talk about the roster and a little bit about the season itself. So, Tom, I'll come to you first for our opening question. But for you as one of the directors of the club itself, what does your summer actually look like? What goes on behind the scenes to ensure that everything is prepared and ready ahead of the new season?

Tom 3:43

Yeah, so I think it's actually probably for the off-ice and the kind of management team, the busiest time of year. Um, in some ways, getting to repeat a home game every week for 30 weeks, you get into a lot of routine who are obviously supported by a fantastic off-ice team and all of our partners that make match night possible. And that's, you know, not taking anything away from the on-ice team who do a fantastic job and uh play the actual sport. But in the in the off-season for us in the summer, there's a lot of work to do. There's a lot of things to do which start um before the last season ends and really run up right until we're into that new season. So everything from the commercial side of the business in terms of setting budgets and attracting sponsors and making sure we're ready to go for the next year upcoming. Um, there's building the roster, which I know we'll talk about in a little bit as well. And then there's everything sort of administrative behind the scenes. So selling season tickets, loading those onto the system, working with the league to agree those fixtures and understand who we're going to be playing, working out what our sort of requirements for the bus trips are going to be, and processing players' visa applications and making sure we're all above board from a kind of regulatory and uh immigration standpoint on that. And then it's just uh a case of getting everything ready in terms of the sort of brand, the player announcements. Um, Vicky, Jill, and Lee work incredibly hard to bring to life everything over the summer, posting content every single day, announcing those new players, um, and getting ready to sort of build that momentum into the new year. I spend a lot of time uh working with Pete as well. We talk every day, um, thinking about the year ahead, who we want to get into the team, and uh yeah, really focusing on getting ready and putting all the hard work in. And that makes the kind of season time for us a little bit easier because everything's done and ready to go and can be smooth in its operation.

Aaron 5:48

Most definitely, and it is going to be a very, very busy season, as I have no doubt we'll touch upon throughout the course of today's discussion. And for yourself, Pete, I'll ask you the exact same question. I know you mentioned there about the the trip to Zurich, so that particular venture to Switzerland over this summer. But what what does your off-season, what does your summer look like, especially in those two roles as not only the head coach but also the director of hockey operations?

Pete 6:20

I'm just gonna apologise if the internet keeps going down because I think in Scotland I'm at my parents just now, and I think it runs them called up here, it just keeps uh dropping in and out, to be honest with you. So if I stall, I apologize, Leo. Um I think it's just well, I think it started in um probably March. Um I kind of could start when I agreed with Tom I was gonna do it, then we started, you know, I started looking at players and then um had a rough idea of what uh we what we needed after watching quite a few games and um I think from there it was just targeting people we wanted, um that well I wanted especially that would uh try and bring a brand of hockey that I want to try and bring back to Milton Keynes. Um so I think it was just working my way through players that I liked and you know trying to get as many as we could to come. And uh and I think working with Tom on the budget, you know, it's pretty uh I think we've done really well. We've got a good budget, we're not gonna lie, we're a big club. Um but I think the budget is actually not as big as everybody thinks, and I think we've spent it very, very, very well. We've been very lucky. Um it's pretty clear working with Tom that what you have and you go on with it, and that's been a good thing. You know, there's no there's a lot of transparency there. Um and I think we've put uh a really um it's a pretty exciting team. I think the league's got better. I think uh Leeds have got better, Sheffield's got better, Swindon are gonna be really strong again, they're the team everybody wants to catch, Hull's gonna get better, you know, like that everybody is you know, the one thing that everybody added is an extra import, you know, and that's gonna make every team better. That's the bottom line of it. Um I think we've uh maybe because I'm British, I've gone the British route, do you know what I mean? And um we're gonna try and do it with good British players, do you know what I mean? And really try and create a really deep roster, it's a young roster, you know, but it's an it's a great age roster. And uh we've got players I think that are hungry to use as a stepping stone, and I've no problem with that. Now does Tom.

Aaron 8:21

Well, we'll touch upon that again in more detail a little bit later on, Pete, because that is the lion's share of this latest episode. It is the breakdown, the makeup of the roster itself. But I just want to bring Tom back into the discussion first and foremost to talk about a couple of additions off the ice. So before we talk about those extra personnel in the squad itself, of course, we've got a couple of brand new sponsors on the commercial side of things, including a brand new title sponsor in Lifestack Tom. How important is their support when it comes to actually providing the budget for this team? And how significant are their contributions to the club itself?

Tom 9:03

Uh, very significant. And um, it's been a fantastic process getting to know Steve and Claire at Lifestack over the past few months. Um, Steve's a long-term fan of the club, and uh getting to know him, understanding what he's building in terms of the Lifestack brand has been uh uh really interesting, and he's a really interesting person, and it's a a fantastic kind of proposition that you'll hear a lot more about as it begins to grow and uh be launched out into the market um early in our season. And and it is a massively important thing, right? The uh the objective of all of the commercial activities off the ice is to make sure that we are able to put a strong and competitive uh sporting side of the business. I always describe the the strategy of the club, if you like, as um if you start with great people, you get great sporting results, and that leads to some commercial success, which allows you to reinvest that uh that money back into the club. The commercial successes are always used to attract, retain, and develop great people to be on our roster. And you know, we never take any money out of the club, we uh reinvest everything, every profit is uh reinvested back into the operation of the club. And sponsors play a massive part of that. And a title sponsor gives you that guaranteed certainty of a certain level of income. And then our uh other sponsors across the sort of diamond, platinum, gold, um, right down to those who are taking aboard or sponsoring an individual player, all play a massive role in giving that income certainty to us. And if you think about the kind of income that a hockey team gets, it's it's sponsorship, it's the merchandise, where we're fantastically lucky to work with Dave and the supporters club on that. It's season tickets, which again give us that kind of guaranteed run rate of income that we can get. And then it's uh the brilliant fans that turn up every single night and uh watch us play and spend their hard-earned money to come watch the uh watch the guys go out on the ice in the rink. Those are the sort of income sources. And to have certainty over as much of that as we possibly can means that we can give Pete the right level of budget. But most importantly, we can make sure this is a sustainable, well-run operation, that we are not spending beyond our means, that we are uh working in the right way. We're thinking long-term as custodians of a club. Um, we want to make sure that it survives, thrives, and operates in a really good way. So sponsors are a massive part of that.

Aaron 11:40

They really are, and it is fantastic, isn't it, to have a couple of those local sponsors on board. And it is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting season across the league. As Pete mentioned, every single side, every club has added some star power. So I think it's fantastic, all of the work that goes in behind the scenes and obviously the support from the sponsors. So, yeah, a massive thank you to those once again. But chaps, let's speak about it. We have alluded to this roster time and time and time again. Let's break it down, right? We'll do it in chronological order. So, in my opinion, that goes from goaltenders to defensemen to forwards. But before we go into specific detail, position by position, Pete, you touched upon it identity and brands. What are your expectations from this side? What would make them successful in your view from a coaching's point of view?

Pete 12:40

Um I think there's a I think for our team, like I just think we want our team to play with more pace for a start. I think the you know, like Tom Tom talked to me about um you know, Milton Keynes is a good team. He you loved it like the last five years and have done things good teams, and and he said when GB came to play, he noticed the pace difference. You know, like in those games he could see it, you know, and we want to try and create a team that plays with more pace, so they're really dangerous at the start. The second thing was I think we needed more compete. I think uh compete was a big thing for me. So the guys we brought in, most of them are get hit high compete level. I think we want to be a team that is gritty in the right way and willing to lay skin and play hard to the net and try and get some people doing that. And then I think the other thing was just depth. I don't think I think they got really unlucky last year with uh what happened with injuries, probably in a bit of recruitment. Um, and I think it's tough recruitment, you know. Sometimes some years it goes good whatever you're coaching, some years it doesn't. And I think the one thing I said to Tom was you want a deep team, you can't have three guys injured, and then all of a sudden you've got not enough to compete anymore. Do you know it's just leaves you really short? So I think that was a big goal for us, to be honest with you, to make sure that we had cover in every position and uh and we had the chance to create a team that creates a lot of competition within. I think that's important because then the accountability level changes because uh you know if you're not going, somebody else is gone. If uh if you don't behave, so you're benched, and you know, somebody else is gone. And when you don't have the depth to do that, you can't create that competition throughout the lineup, I don't think.

Aaron 14:18

Well, that is a fantastic point, and again, we'll touch upon that, especially when it comes to the forwards and even the defensemen as well. There are so many different players competing for those spots, especially on the first line. But Tom, when it comes to your feelings on that brand, that identity that you want to see the Lightning play, I mean, what does that almost entail for you as one of the co-directors? What are your expectations this season?

Tom 14:47

So um every every year I have a little chat with the players. We're we have a little meeting before the season, and and I often say that we can control the things we can control. So we can control how we turn up, how we play, the effort we put in, the fairness we compete with, the respect we show our oper our opponents, the effort we put in in practice, the way we treat each other in the locker room, and the way we kind of carry the honour of the lightning badge on our jersey. And those are the things that I really want to focus on. That's that's my expectations of the club is that we focus on the things we can control. Everyone's trying to win out there, right? There are 11 teams out there, all of whom are trying to do the same thing. So it'd be it'd be silly of me to go, look, I we we have to win everything or win one thing or you know, focus on the outcomes. You can't really control those, but I'm a firm believer that if you do control the inputs, then the outcomes will follow. And Pete said it, right? We wanted to make sure that we had good depth, we had all the right ingredients, we had all the right elements in play, and we'd selected the right people. It's probably worth saying, look, you're limited in the the number of players you can sign. You can sign a roster of 25. It doesn't mean you should, right? And we will stop at a certain point and we'll talk about that in a bit, I'm sure. But a hard limit of 25, including your two-way players from outside the club. And you can only ice 20 players and two goaltenders, and two of those 20 have to be under 18. So you've got to be really choosy and really intentional about the team you pick, the roster you assemble, and have that depth kind of from top to bottom. So the things I I really want to control, and my expectations are we control those inputs, we have the right depth, and we play for each other out there. That's all I can ask, really.

Aaron 16:50

Absolutely. And that is going to be so important, isn't it? In what is an ultra-competitive league. It's about togetherness, it's about having that brand, that style of play, which can almost be a differentiator for the Lightning on the ice this season. And I know we've touched upon it before, but for you two, is there a lot of collaboration when it comes to the roster itself?

Tom 17:13

Yeah, there definitely is. Um, I think we uh the first thing we probably did, Pete, was set up a couple of you know shared player boards and uh start to move people in, have a long list, uh apply the budget to that and start to sort of pull the players in. I that you know, from my side, I see uh a team team forming, Pete, as you start to speak to those guys. But how how does it work from your point of view, Pete?

Pete 17:40

Yeah, I think it like I don't think there's ever been a conversation that when I said to Tom, I sign this guy, and he went, I don't think you should. It's never really been like that. Do you know what I mean? I think that way. I think, but I think there's always a collaboration when it comes to money, and there's collaboration of probably character, uh maybe you're gonna bring somebody back, it was there before. Do you know what I mean? You have to ask that question, like, I bring this guy back, what do you think? Do you know? Because that's that's part of it. But Tom's been pretty good at um well, very good at just trusting me and supporting me to go and that's what he brought me here for. Do you know what I mean? Like he to revamp a team. Like it was it was uh the first month in the job was hard. I watched games for a month and then I had to let I think 13 guys leave. Do you know what I mean? And I made those phone calls, you know, and it was uh it's difficult, but that had to be done, and it was the right way to do it and give them a chance early to get something else. And I think we kind of that side of things, I think we've worked pretty well together. I don't think there's ever been a time when I've been like, I can't believe Tom's seen that. Do you know? I just care there's not really a time yet. I'm sure it'll come, do you know what I mean? Like, let's be honest. But there's not really he's not been like that. Do you know what I mean? It's like you know, the the Milton Keynes lightning, Tom and the people that own it want to do well. And I think, like I say to Tom, just be patient, you know, like you just need to be patient. Like it's everybody wants to win, do you know what I mean? And I think that the one thing we have to create is Tom's touching them all. We're values are the same, what we believe. They work hard off the ice, and we have to work hard on the ice. And uh if things align, and I think the big thing with this team is from the first minute they get together to the last minute, they're gonna get better. There's a lot of potential in it, and it's just finding that potential, it's getting out of them, and it's being really patient because I know people are like, Oh, look at that team they put together. It's a young team, it's not just stepping on the ice and clicking straight away, it's gonna take a lot of patience, there'll be ups and downs. But if the people improve in that team, it could be a really, really exciting team. You know, there's no doubt in it. Do you know what I mean? It's just uh our job to try and make sure on and off the ice we manage that. Um I think we take pressure away. I felt when I've uh I felt when I was in Milton Keynes, there was a real pressure when it came to the playoffs. I th I felt I felt Tom felt pressure. I think the team felt pressure because it hadn't been the year they wanted, and you don't want to get to that stage. You know what I mean? You want to try and know that you this went sometimes you go really well and it doesn't click, you know, and you can't get over the line sometimes. Sometimes you have a year like last year where it just nothing clicked for them. Do you know what I mean? Like nothing, they'd no luck. It's not through people not working hard on the ice, it's not through collaboration, it wasn't through bringing new bodies in, you know, it was like it just didn't work for them, and that happens. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes that's a new page, and uh, I think for us, I think we've put together, I don't think we could have put together a better British core from what was available in the market that we've put together, to be perfectly honest with you, and that comes from hard work recruiting and talking, probably using some connections because I know some of them, probably Tom making a couple of calls because he knows some of them, probably somebody like Liam Stewart calling Tom because he's scared to call me, you know. I'm only joking though. And Liam called Tom, and Tom said, Liam's called, he wants me to ask you if you can come back. And I was like, I think we know the answer to that. Do you know what I mean? I don't think that's a tough conversation. Do you know what I mean? And it's like, so I think there's been a lot of good things that's happened, do you know what I mean? And it's and I think it's I don't think I'm trying to think back on the British side of players, and from who we tried to sign, I don't think anyone's not game through the summer. I'm trying to think, oh, we set goaltend, we'll get to that. Um the only people that didn't come were the backup goalies. The rest all wanted to come and play in Milkings, and that was that's a good thing. That tells you a lot about the club and a lot about the thing what we're trying to do just now to try and take it another step again.

Aaron 21:49

Well, that is very, very interesting indeed, and we'll speak about that British Corps. I have no doubt whatsoever. But Pete, you've just spoken about it there. I did say we'd go in order. So from the goaltenders or netminders, depending on your preferred nomenclature, through the defenseman to the forwards. So let's start with the goalies because Jordan Headley is returning a fan favorite at the Thunderdome. And then there'll be a new backup in Jared Whale, who will be the first import netminder at MK in almost a decade. Patrick Colleen was the last one back in 2018-19. So what can you tell me about that goalie rotation? And what can you tell us about Jared Whale? What was it about his style of play which wanted you to bring him into the side in the first place?

Pete 22:38

I don't think he's coming as a backup, to be falsely honest. I think him and Heads can fight for it and see what happens. Do you know what I mean? I've known Heads since he was a kid. Heads is good, he's reliable, he's a great kid. He's a man now, do you know what I mean? Makes me feel old, he's got a kid. Um Heads is he loves Milton Keynes, he's going to get a testimonial, I would imagine, and everything else, so he deserves it all. Um getting to the goalie thing, we'd signed a young goalie. Tom's probably gonna kill me for telling you this. We'd signed a young goalie, probably the best 17, 18-year-old in the country, and then he decided he didn't want to come. Um so that's fine, he's young, didn't want to come. At that point, the goalie market was dry, and um we were gonna go with two British goalies, and then uh so then I had to start looking for an import goalie, and then um there was a goalies out there, a lot of them, and then when Whale came, you know, Whale's name came up, he didn't have a lucky year last year, he was injured, but the year before he played 33 games in NCAA in the second top division, like he can play, do you know what I mean? There's no doubt in it, he moves well, everything else, and he's a good guy, and I just think it gives us two really good goalies. And I just think that any team that wants to compete needs two goalies because uh you need it, you know, and like you need to be able to know that you can put any one of them in, and you're gonna feel really solid, and the players feel they can play up the ice and they don't want to sit in. And I think we have that. I think we have hip heads really experienced in Milton Keynes, fans love him. He's a Milton Keynes boy, and they should love him. Do you know what I mean? Um, and then we add Jared to that young import, really young import, but comes with a great predigree, and um and he's coming to fight for it, do you know what I mean? And that that's a good thing.

Aaron 24:18

Certainly is, and Tom, just touching upon that last bit in more detail, because it is something which we've seen in recent seasons. MK not having a quote-unquote backup, you've got two guys who are starter-ready. We've seen that in recent seasons with Will Curling, who's now gone to the Phantoms. Is that something which in the off-season is something which you almost put on the list of potentials? You want two guys who can vie for that starting spot?

Tom 24:48

Yeah, if you think about it, there's uh what is it, 54 league games, six playoff games, two games over the Coventry weekend. So that's 62 games, uh, if my maths is right. And that means that have having depth in all of those positions is super important. So having a goalie tandem, having people who are sort of playing off each other, raising that kind of competition is uh is really vital. You have a good game at home, you've then got to go and play on the road on the Sunday nights as well. And you might want someone who's fresh or different, you know, someone who plays a slightly different game, or you might go with the same guy. Um, I can trust Pete that he will always do the best thing in terms of uh choosing the right guy who's going at the given point in time, the right guy for the right situation. Having having two of that um makes it a uh a more balanced and a more effective squad, uh in my mind.

Aaron 25:46

Well, it does. And of course, competition is healthy, isn't it? Regardless of the spot, regardless of position. So, yeah, that will be interesting to see how those two get on over the course of the campaign. And switching our focus then from the guys in goal, let's talk about the men just in front of them, let's talk about the defence because there are some very, very exciting additions. And we speak about youth and experience, and I think that is MK's defence to a T this season. Again, Pete, I'll go to you first, but what were the profiles of players that you were looking for? Because for those who haven't seen the announcements, Kel Beatty, he comes into the side, so too there's Jake Haywood and Archie Hazeldyne, who's been playing for the Coventry Blaze. What was it about that trio that made you want them in the roster in the first place?

Pete 26:38

There's three of the best young British team in the country. Um played in the national team last year. Um, you know, so I think that when you can grab three players like that, um, you should take them. You know, and I think uh I know that um they had the two import D last year, um, and I just felt that we needed something a little bit different in a four or five import league. I'm all for the national players playing. When we're in Germany, we've done it, you know, we did the import forwards, um, and I think for us, Malik's already a top, top, top, one of those other prospects, the same as those other three guys. Then you get Griff, who's a solid, stay-at-home D-man, it just makes hits and kills penalties, and he's good at that, he's great at it, and he loves doing it. And he needed to be in that role for you to see the best of Griff when Griff's has to do too much. Griff doesn't want that. Griff wants to be a guy that's playing hard for the team and solid and turning up every night. And then, you know, Nagzi as well. Nagy played, uh, brought Nagy in basically when I was at Milton Keynes last time. We know what Nagy is, he's smooth, can make plays, you know, he's good, he's scared, and then you get a little Archie, he's a little bull. Do you know what I mean? Archie's another great prospect. People forget how young he is. Um, and I think like when you add those guys to uh Archie Hazeldyne, Archie's Archie is office offensively mindset, gifted, like he sees the ice really well. If he can prove anything, he needs to be grittier and better in his own end, and he'll learn that. Um and he's going to be great, Archie, 100%. He needed the change just to take his next step, I think, to build his confidence back up. Um, he was with us all the way to Italy before the world championships, and he played great in those games. And I think Kel Beattie for me is one of the best skating D-men in the league last year. I think Kel's got wheels on him, he's strong. I mean, both those guys are going to end up in the elite league, there's no doubt in it. And then uh Jake Hayward's great, a really good young player. We brought him last year to the national team in February, and he played in the the tournament there, and he came as just a young guy for the under-20s, and we ended up he was playing minutes for the last two games. Like he was he was a surprise, and then it kind of fell into place. He wanted to come home. He lives in his mum and dad in Coventry, and it just kind of worked. You know, we I went and met them, and then I said to Tom, can I add this guy as well? And Tom said yes. So I was like, all right, good. Do you know what I mean? So then he just a little it was an extra player, and uh he's he's gonna be great. Do you know what I mean? And last year's one massive problem for the Milton Skeen Lightning, and one of the biggest problems was the injuries in D last year. And if you know there's maybe people go, oh, 7D, they won't be happy. Well, they have to be happy because last year there was 4D sometimes and they had no players. Do you know what I mean? And then were they happy then? Do you know what I mean? And we have to protect a club, do you know what I mean? And it's people will see it as uh as too many players. No, it's not, it's not too many, it's protecting the club, it's creating competition, and we'll find ways to make it all work. Do you know what I mean? And you never go through a season with everybody healthy and everything else, and we must have that. That if somebody's not healthy, we'll not force them to play, we can let them rest. Do you know what I mean? If somebody's not playing as well, we take them out, we take give them a rest, do you know, different things? And I think I really like the deco, it's really young, and I just think we have five, five young guys there that are really, really, really huge potential. Do you know what I mean? And there's a mix in it as well, a real mix, do you know, and I really think that's exciting, do you know what I mean? I think that's a really good thing, and that's what the NIHL should be about. Do you know what I mean? We should be trying to get all the best young players in this league and trying to push them to get to the highest level they can and helping them get there. But when they're with us, they're also helping our clubs uh be successful as well. And if uh some people don't like that, that's the truth. Do you know what I mean? That's what EPL used to be. A lot, a lot of players played in EPL, went to the elite league. Um, Robert Dowd, Farmer, do you know you can go through them? Lewis Hook, Jordan County, you can work your way right away through them, all the way down, many players. And I think that that that pathway has to be there again, that opportunity. And I think for us as a club, we're not scared of that. Do you know what I mean? We're not scared to get the best kids, uh best, not even kids. I think we have five or six uh 2003s that play in the GB under 20 team together. That's quite crazy. Do you know what I mean? When you think about it, that's quite amazing, actually. Do you know like that whole age group is a brilliant age? We are more than aware two or three will probably go to the elite league in a year's time, but then we'll get to find the next ones. Do you know what I mean? And that's that's what it's all about, and that's what we want to do in Milton Keynes. We want to be successful, and if we can mix age and experience, that's gonna be fantastic, and also it just livens the room up. Do you know what I mean? Like it the young guys are fun, you know, and the old guys like the young guys being in the room, it's funny, do you know? They're telling stories and they're doing things the old guys can't do anymore because they've got kids. Do you know what I mean? So it keeps them just on the edge, it's too funny watching them have fun and watching them grow. And uh, the decor's exciting, you know, as I really hope it works because it's really exciting.

Aaron 31:51

Yeah, most definitely, Pete. It is, it's really, really exciting to be honest. The the strength in depth and the blend of youth and experience within that decor is going to be incredibly fascinating throughout the duration of the season. And Tom, for yourself, when it comes to the signing process, so for the likes of Jake and Archie, who we've already touched upon there, along with Kel Beattie, what does that process actually entail? And something else which might be quite interesting to touch upon within that question is the presence of any potential multi-year deals. For those who may have read the statements, the announcements, or gone on various websites, they tend to be one-year deals. So, what can you tell us about not only the process of recruiting defencemen, but the process of general recruitment for the Lightning?

Tom 32:43

Yeah, so uh as we talked about earlier on, um, there's a long list, and Pete uses his network and selects the players, and and my job is to kind of back Pete as much as I can to get the players in that he wants. Um, we'll generally work through what the kind of commercial offer looks like to that player, agree on a number, and then uh I'll prepare the contracts and work out the you know the fine detail around that and we'll get them signed up. In terms of when that's done, um without giving names away, because I'm not gonna. Um some of the guys who have been announced this year were already signed. So they're already on multi-year deals. We don't always, and in fact, often do not announce if somebody is on a multi-year deal. Um, just gives that flexibility to make sure that we are uh able to think about sort of how we announce those, how we share the details of the team in the following year, and keeps that excitement up as well. So some guys have got more years to go on their contract, some are in the second year of their contract. Um there's a lot of sort of difference, and it's not always the one-year deals that you see out there. And I think that that's something that maybe doesn't come across to fans. Sometimes we get the thought that look, we announce a player on a Friday and we've sort of signed them that day. I mean, not at all, right? A lot of these guys have been signed for a number of months now, if not from last season. So it's a a different process to how it comes across to the fans, I think.

Aaron 34:18

Well, it is. It's a lot of behind-the-scenes work, isn't it? When it comes to recruitment, when it comes to the signing process. You spoke about it right at the start, Tom, but all of the legal stuff as well, which has to go in, especially when it comes to the import players. So, no, it is it's really interesting to gain that additional insight. And let's face it, it is interesting. It's a fascinating part of professional sport. It's something which as fans we aren't quite used to when it comes to those day-to-day operations. So I really appreciate you speaking about that. And we've covered the goaltenders, we've covered the defensemen. Let's now touch upon the forwards. And I go back to a quote from yourself, Pete, in that previous chat with Chris Dicko, where you said you're looking for someone to bang the puck into the net, right? And one name immediately springs to mind, and that is David Thompson. So before we talk about the rest of those signings, he's just come off the back of a 94-point season in the regular campaign for Telford Tigers. In the last year and a half, he scored 150 total points in the season for the Tigers as a whole. What was it about the import forwards in particular? And in this scenario, Thompson, what was the profile of these players that you're looking for for this year's roster?

Pete 35:42

Um good question. I think we needed a goal scorer once we um once we decided we were going to change the imports. Um we need a goal scorer, and I think Thompson uh scores goals, he's great in face-offs, and he's gritty. And I also think we have the players to complement that and the players to make up for his weaknesses as well. So when he came available, it was kind of the way I've looked at a lot of imports. I just thought he was tried and tested. You know, whether he'll score 50 goals in Milton Keynes, I don't know. Do you know what I mean? But we don't need him to score 50 goals, to be honest with you. Do you know? We we need him to be an import that brings a lot to do, his five, four or five things he's really good at, and he's highly competitive. And I just think when I watched uh Milton Keynes play Telford, he scored every single time and he stuck out to me. Do you know what I mean? Like he just looked like a pain in the ass out there. Do you know what I mean? And the guys were winding people up, and I kind of like that. You know, it's kind of like you can see them getting wound up, and I thought, yeah, he's the type of guy you want on your team. Do you know what I mean? He's he's gonna he's gonna get under the skin of people, so that was the one thing. Imports with a little bit more bite, I think, and I think he brings that.

Aaron 36:55

He certainly does, and he is proven in the NIHL national.

Pete 36:58

So sometimes that's a good way to recruit, to be honest with you. Do you know what I mean? It's it but watch what I see here. It's not easy to attract high-end imports to the NIHL. Trust me. Um it's it's a process. We are not at the we are not at the top of their players' list, do you know what I mean? And um, you've got to dig deep and you've got to work really hard, do you know what I mean, to try and find the right import that suits the league as well. Because a four-import league's different. So for me, they have to either be a great two-way player that does everything for the team, they have to be a goal scorer, they have to be able to carry a line, do you know what I mean? Like there's got to they've got to have something that defines them, and I think Thompson does that. I think he's got something that defines him. He's a pure goalscorer.

Aaron 37:44

He certainly is, and as for the other two imports in that forward unit, let's speak a little bit about Brady Johnson and Jared Weiss as well. What can MK fans expect to see from them on the ice this season?

Pete 37:58

Yeah, I think Brady's under the radar, to be honest with you. Or Brady, sorry, his name is. I think Brady Johnson's under the radar, played in a good league last year, that Swedish league, the third league's good, and he was on a good team. And if people underestimate how good that league is, he was on a really good team, he's got really good college stats, played major junior, and I got kind of lucky with him because one of my inputs I had in Germany was his best friend. So um he had options, and I got on him early, and uh we had good conversations. And I think Brady's gonna be good, man. Brady works hard, he's a good skater, he's good with a puck, he's got offense, he can play in the middle on the wing, and he works hard for the team, and he and he wants to do well, he wants to grow as a player and go to higher level, and I really like that about him. Do you know what I mean? I think it's a really good thing. Uh, Jared Whale, uh Jared White was uh I watched him straight away, and I was like, I thought Milton Keynes needed another import that kind of done some dirty stuff, guess goes to the harder areas, a real hard worker, drives a line in a different way. And when I watched him straight away, I liked him. He was in the French League in the second French League's good, it's fast, it's faster than the NIHL for sure. He's a good skirt, he'd a good college, solid college career as a third liner. Um, he had some good junior years as well, and when he when he was younger, he had a lot of points in two of the years, and I just liked him, and I heard he's an unbelievable character. I spoke to two coaches in that league, and they just said they would have him their team in a heartbeat. Like he carries that team, a young team he was playing on in the French league, a low budget team, and he helped that team massively. And I just liked everything I heard. Um I just thought his work rate was just there, and I think that's going to add to the team because I think there's a lot of talented British players there, do you know what I mean? That can really play, and they just need to be complimented a little bit more, and hopefully I've got it right.

Aaron 39:52

Fingers crossed. But judging from that description, two different players, but two exciting prospects over the duration of the regular season and beyond.

Pete 40:02

I I think the three imports are totally different. Like there's nothing the same about them. Um, no well, nowhere near. Do you know what I mean? They're all very, very different. Um, and I think that was important to get different ones. And I hope that uh I hope the what it says in the kind of beans, that's what they are.

Aaron 40:22

Well, we can but keep our fingers crossed, can't we? Because we have had some really good imports, MK, in recent seasons. And Tom, that brings me on to my next question. Because if we were to rewind to the start of last season, MK had five imports, didn't they? With the likes of Jochen and Forsberg, of course, Dom Gabay, who's since gone to another team in the league. Then you've got the likes of Patrick Forsberg, Jordan Spadafour, to name but a few. What was different this season when it came to that decision to go for the tried and tested four imports? Was that due to league regulations or was that just a slight shakeup with the the balance of the squad?

Tom 41:04

So uh so overall, you're allowed you're allowed five imports and um in this league. And that decision was made uh a while ago, so uh just after the season ended or early in the summer. Um so we've been able to sort of have that in mind. And I think Pete can can talk a little bit about the uh the sort of choice we're making around a fifth import in a moment. But uh last year, I think you know, we're we went a certain direction with imports. This year, I think when when Pete and I sat down and sort of talked about the the kind of pedigree or after, I think he's hit the nail on the head, some of it's sort of tried and tested. Um, but we also talked about the kind of profile in terms of those young guys, the experience of the North American leagues, the kind of NCAA pedigree that some of them bring. And that that gives us a certain level of discipline, of work rate, of professionalism, and developing themselves. So that was that was literally the only guidance I sort of put on the table. Um played this game for a long time as a kid and was always a defenceman. So don't fully understand how the kind of forward lines work and the role of specialist uh sentiment and the kind of different roles they play. I'm getting to know it a little bit more. But um, yeah, we wanted people who are exactly the things that Pete described. Different. They complimented the team, they are bringing a certain role uh to the team, and that they all had a contribution to make and a pedigree that led into it. Uh, you'll you'll have noticed by now though we've we've signed four out of the five imports. Pete, do you want to talk about that a little bit?

Pete 42:47

Yeah, sure. Um I can sign another import tomorrow for find one and I want one. Um the money's there, it's in the budget. But right now, um, unless it's what I really, really want and what the team needs, then we'll start the season with four imports because I think right now we have a pretty good team. Do you know what I mean? Uh we actually, to be honest, if I can be transparent, Tom. Yeah. So I when I started early in mid-March, I signed a lot of the team within the first six weeks. So we built a team for four imports. Um and then the import rule changed. And at that point, I kind of spat my dummy out a little bit to Tom. And I said, Well, we'll put the four imports just to make a point. You know, and he's like, No, no, you don't need to do that, it's alright. You've not the budget, money's there. And just really there was one part I really liked, couldn't get him. He went to Italy, and I think the rest right now, I don't really see something jumping out of the bag at me, and I really believe in our British players. Um, maybe it's my heart over my head, I don't know, but I really believe in them. I want to give them my Real chance. Um, I believe that we have enough um real talent and our British talent. Like they've done it even last year in a team that never done well. The Brits carried that team at times when I watched it. I felt I don't mean that against any of the imports. I'm not trying to be horrible, especially offensively. Um, and I think if we can uh get them to get going, then we can wait and we can add an import when we think we really need it and what we think we really need in the end. Does that make sense unless something special really comes? So we're not in a major rush to add an import right now. Um and I think that's a fantastic position to be in because you know you're gonna talk about the forwards, but when you've got Jordan County, Liam Stewart, Sean Norris, Max Stewart, Carter Hamill, Tom Rutgers. We could keep going through them. Like they have to play. Do you know what I mean? And I've I miss people because you're gonna talk about them anyway. Um, I've missed a bit that we we are blessed, you know, like to that they wanted to be part of this, and you know what? Let them be a part. Do you know what I mean? They get a real chance, and if they take it, great. If they don't, then we'll add an import. Do you know what I mean? I think that's being pretty transparent right now. And Tom would love it because it'd save them money.

Tom 45:21

Yeah, like yeah, like everything's there for a fifth import. So for the the fans listening to this, the the money's there, the the uh work permit sponsorship route is there, the the network is there to go and choose that. It's an intentional decision right now to uh to look at what we've got and see how we start. And then uh, as Pete said, that optionality is massively important as the the season progresses. You can work out a uh a most effective at that point in time.

Aaron 45:53

Well, it comes down to flexibility, doesn't it? If the situation presents itself, what we're saying is the the player would theoretically be available in that import slot. So no, thank you for the the clearing up of that and the additional clarity. And well, Pete, you spoke about some of those domestic players in that last passage. Let's talk about them because we are getting towards the end of the episode, and we haven't spoken about the likes of your Jordan Cownies, the returning Liam Stewart. We saw him in one fixture last season, and the reception he got was absolutely mega. So, what can we expect from not only the returning players, so your Cownies, your Sean Norrises, for example, but also some familiar faces from seasons gone by, the likes of Liam and Max Stewart, as well as the Hamill brothers?

Pete 46:43

Yeah, I think uh I think Jordan Counter is a fantastic player. Like and I I like Jordan, do you know what I mean? And he's so talented, he's gonna be awesome next year, and he's excited. I think Stewy's Stewie played for me in a national team, but I think he's a great person, he's a leader, he's gritty, he's good, he'll be the smartest player in the room, in the room, do you know what I mean? Like he knows how to play the game, and if you don't take Liam Stewart, you're crazy. Do you know what I mean? Like really crazy. Um, he's gonna add to the team massively. I love Sean Norris as well. He played for me in a national team two times. Sean is gonna have he's gonna have a good year. He had a tough year last year, but he was still best plus minus and everything else, so he goes a bit unnoticed at times at things he does, physicality-wise, as well. Um, I think he's got a great shot. Um then we got Harry still, Harry Gulliver's capable 30 goal scorer or more. Do you know people don't talk about him? He scored 30 goals last year. Do you know like a like any team would want him? 30 goals, you know, that's from a British guy. Um then we move Tommy Rotkas, he's got so much experience. Do you know Tommy will play in any lane, you put him on, you'll work hard for the team, and we've got a lot of competition in it. Um, mass competition. Um, he's a high, high competitor. And I think I think if I went back to Harry, I would be challenging Harry to show higher compete because Harry's capable. I coach Harry's a kid, and Harry's capable of playing straight lines and causing absolute chaos, and that's what I'm looking for from Harry Gulliver. Because if Harry Gulliver does that, he's an absolute handful. Do you know what I mean? Like there's he's got it in his game. Um, I think when the opportunity came to sign Carter and uh Cameron, I think they just bring something a bit different. Do you know what I mean? They just come to play every night. Um, I think Cameron had a good year than Bristol last year. I thought Carter had a great year. He'd done really well in Belfast as well when he played there. Um and I think they just add grit, they just bring other people to the fight, they'll just get that little bit of Belfast in them. Do you know what I mean? And they've got a little bit of chip in their shoulder, and they're and they're also and you know, and Max that way is Max a sneaky little gritty player as well in his own way. Do you know what I mean? Like he I know he scored a lot of points the last time, as well, but he's a he's he's greasy, do you know what I mean? He'll do dirty things, you know, and then if you just look at it, I think we're missing one player, missing Elliot Lewis now, the only one I've not talked about. I think Elliot's got a bit of grit in him as well. He hits like an absolute train. Do you know what I mean? And like he's got the guts to use it and what's it? Of course, last but not least, Lewis Conroy. Um, it's important for us to try and help the development of the Milton Keynes kids that are ready. Lewis is the first one a little while, and he came through last year a little bit. He's most probably gonna go on loan to an NHL one team, but we want to make sure we try and build this and help this part of the game and part of the development programme within the club. You've got to be the best you can be. It's not about the money you spend or anything else, it's about having the right character that can handle it because some nights it's not gonna work, but you've got to be ready to play. No one's not everybody likes to come play in that rank. They might hate the lights, but they come to play in that rank. Do you know what I mean? It's a good rink, it's a great atmosphere, like it's on top of you. Do you know what I mean? When there's 3,000 people in there, it's noisy, you can't hear a thing the way the seats are in there, and it bounces off the low roof, and it's an unbelievable atmosphere. Everybody talks about it. We need a team that can handle that and a team that can dig in when they have to dig in, when the skill's not taken over, we've got to be able to put it a different way. So we just tried to put a team together that maybe had a wee bit of that. It used to be in the old days, you'd have Tommy Melli or a Matt Nickerson to turn the game a different way. You can't get away with that anymore. We need to have a team, a team with guys that are willing to bring other people to the fight a little bit. Do you know what I mean? Or do it when it's needed, and I don't mean fight, I mean be physical, be willing to stand up for yourself, do you know what I mean? Be willing to where it's not gone tonight, let's win it, let's try and win the game a different way. Do you know? And that just means be a bit greasy. And I think we have that. I really believe, I really, really believe we have that. And the one big thing that even when I was talking to these person to sign them, when I spoke to people, they all said, when they guys were in the room before, the room was absolutely hilarious. And I was like, what do you mean? And they were like, they're hilarious. And I was like, all right, fine. They're what do you think of that? It goes great. I love hilarious people. Do you know what I mean? Like it's and I think they're gonna liven the whole place up. Do you know what I mean? And they'll get if they don't behave, they'll get a little chap in the back of the head, they know that, but you know, they can they're gonna bring the bringing life, and I think everybody's excited, and you know, the players that are coming back are excited with the guys that are coming, and they're excited with the new guys, and new guys are excited, and they're not excited to just come in and go, oh, we're gonna win everything. It's not about that. I think they're excited to play together, they're excited to play in Milton Keynes, they know they get their money every week, they know they're looked after, they know they get their equipment, and it's like, and that's just a good starting point. Do you know what I mean? I think when you have a team, you want people to come in excited and looking forward to playing with each other. And I really feel we have that, you know, we have and that's that's just that's a big starting point in a recruitment drive.

Aaron 51:53

Well, I think that is the the word of the day, isn't it? Excitement. Excitement amongst you guys, excitement amongst the squad, and of course, excitement amongst the fans. And Tom, I think that leads us beautifully on to our final question for today's episode, which does involve the fans. As Peach just mentions, they are unbelievable. From our spot on the gantry, you get goosebumps just broadcasting lightning games. They are the best fans in the league, in my very biased opinion. So, what would your your message be to the fans, to those supporters, the season ticket holders ahead of this season?

Tom 52:33

Uh I think, look, uh, as the roster's been announced on the socials and things, the excitement has built. Um, I've had such a a pleasure of kind of knowing what that roster is for a long time. And I've been itching for all of this news to get out. And you can feel the energy building, you can feel the momentum starting to build in the fan base, you can feel the players starting to get excited, you can feel them starting to really understand what this season could be. So for the fans, continue to be yourselves, enjoy the game, enjoy coming, enjoy meeting the other fans there, enjoy looking after each other. Um, it's a massive part of a lot of people's life. And and it's a real honor and a privilege to be able to be part of that because I know that that hockey is uh it's not just a sport to a lot of people, it is um it's a social meeting place, it's where they may have met their partner, it's where they've celebrated success, they've uh uh commiserated when there's been uh losses, they've built those networks, built those friendships and built that kind of solidarity over a number of years. It's a real honour to be part of that, to put something on every Saturday night. So I want the fans to, you know, trust in the organization, trust that we're here for you, trust that we are doing our very best to put the best possible team out on the ice and uh hopefully aim to win some silverware. But as I say, the most important thing to me are that we have the right values, control those inputs. And if you do all of those, good things will happen. I've got no doubt.

Aaron 54:16

Absolutely. Well, Tom, I think that is a lovely place to wrap up this latest episode of Lightning Talks. A massive thank you to yourself and of course to Pete Russell for joining me on this latest episode. I'm just looking at the time, the light's fading behind, as you can painstakingly see. It's about to go dark here in the Midlands, but it's been an absolute pleasure, gents. Thank you ever so much for taking the time. And well, we're gonna ever closer to the start of the season. Not long to go at all, before these conversations of the ifs, the situational things suddenly turned to reality. And we here on Lightning TV will be here to broadcast all of the major moments as they happen live throughout the season. But on behalf of myself, Aaron Files, Pete Russell, and Tom Roberts, we thank you ever so much for tuning in to this latest episode of the podcast. And we'll see you very shortly.