Milton Keynes Lightning

Milton Keynes Lightning
City	Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
League	EIHPL
Founded	2002
Home arena	The MK Arena
Colors	White, Black & Blue
General manager	Nick Poole
Head coach	Peter Russell
Captain	Adam Carr
Affiliates	Coventry Blaze Milton Keynes Thunder Milton Keynes Storm
Website	mk-lightning.com
Franchise history
2002 – present	Milton Keynes Lightning
Championships
Regular season titles	3 (03/04, 04/05 & 09/10)
Playoff championships	4 (02/03, 03/04, 04/05 & 05/06)

The Milton Keynes Lightning are a semi-professional ice hockey team from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the EPIHL. The team was founded in 2002 to replace the Milton Keynes Kings; who had departed Milton Keynes for Solihull at that time. Their home rink is the refurbished and renamed MK Arena; known locally as the Thunderdome. It has a capacity of circa 2,500.

Club history

Foundation

Founded in 2002, MK Lightning moved into the empty space left by the departure of the Milton Keynes Kings. The MK Kings were involved in a dispute with rink operators Planet Ice, which led to their relocation to Solihull in May 2002.^[1] There they became the Solihull MK Kings before being wound up in April 2003, after a single season.^[2]

2002–2006: The Early Years

The demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague in 2002/03 led to major restructuring of Ice Hockey in the UK. The Milton Keynes Lightning became a founding member of the new Elite Ice Hockey League but competed in the lower English Premier Ice Hockey League. The first Lightning squad was made up of local players and three Canadian imports, Nick Poole as Player Coach, Claude Dumas, and Dwayne Newman. Lightning finished their maiden season in 2nd place, behind Peterborough Phantoms. The two teams met again in the playoff final, with Lightning winning. A rivalry quickly grew between them as they continued to dominate EPL Ice Hockey,^[3] MK Lightning were crowned league champions in 2003/04 & 2004/05 as well as dominating the Playoffs until 2006.

2006–2008: League Struggle

2006/07 saw Lightning struggle for the first time. A lack of new players, predictable tactics & an improved opposition being the main drivers. The team ended the season in 5th place^[4] & were eliminated from the Playoffs in the first round.^[5] 2007/08 saw the situation worsen, with a league finish of 6th. This resulted in a roster overhaul for the new season.^[6]

2008–2010: A Return to Success

The Lightning squad for 2008/09 included several experienced ex-Elite League players, young British talent & new European imports. After a slow start the team dominated the second half of the season & finished runners-up behind Peterborough.^[7] They then met again in the playoff final with the Phantoms winning the encounter.^[8] Lightning became the team to beat in 2009/10, despite Elite league Basingstoke Bison & Manchester Phoenix joining the EPIHL. Further squad strengthening helped Lightning dominate & a home win against Swindon Wildcats in March 2010 saw the EPIHL league trophy return to Milton Keynes.

2010–2015: Near Misses, Unexpected Changes & Disappointment

An inconsistent 2010/11 saw Lightning finish 5th in the league and lose the play off final to Guildford Flames. 2011/12 fared no better, with the team again finishing 5th; having led the league in December. The team lost in the playoff quarter finals to eventual winners Slough Jets, despite taking a three-goal lead into the away leg. The 2012/13 season brought upheaval when in January 2013 Nick Poole unexpectedly announced his immediate retirement from playing. Lightning finished in 4th place and lost to Guildford Flames in the play off semi-finals, despite arguably playing the better hockey. The disruption continued in 2013/14 as home games were played in Coventry due to the renovation of the Milton Keynes rink. Due to a lack of practice ice time, the team struggled for consistency but finished in a credible 4th place. They were also the runners up to Basingstoke Bison in the cup. The 2014/15 season started with Lightning continuing to play out of Coventry. Indifferent early form left the team languishing near the bottom of the league. The refurbishment of the Milton Keynes rink was completed a month into the season and the first game back on home territory was played on the 18th October 2014 against Sheffield Steeldogs in front of a capacity crowd of 2,500. Despite the return to home ice; Lightning continued to perform poorly. The loss of key players through roster changes and a series of injuries increased pressure on an already struggling team saw Lightning finish the season in 7th place, their lowest ever position. Despite poor league performances, Lightning defeated Guildford in the playoff quarter finals before losing to Manchester Phoenix in the semi final game.

2015–2016: Management Change & Coventry Blaze Partnership

At the end of the 2014/2015 season it was announced to the surprise of the fans and players that head coach Nick Poole would take over the duties of General Manager from Vito Rausa and be replaced by Team GB coach Peter Russell. This was shortly followed by the announcement in May 2015 that Milton Keynes Lightning would be forming a partnership with Elite League side the Coventry Blaze.^[9] The 2015/16 season also saw a change from the traditional white, black, and gold colours to a white, black, and blue combination which reflected the sponsorship of local company Smith Recycling.

Logo history

• 

  2002 - 2014

• 

  2014 – Present

• 

  Adam Carr Testimonial Logo - 2015

• 

  Grant McPherson Testimonial Logo - 2016

Arena Redevelopment

In March 2013, Milton Keynes Council approved plans to redevelop the Leisure Plaza after failed attempts in 2006 & 2011. The development of the arena was funded by Morrisons Supermarkets and took 17 months to complete. This forced Lightning to play their home games at the Coventry Sky Dome during the 2013/2014 season & part of the 2014/2015 season. The team returned to the redeveloped rink which had been renamed the "MK Arena" on 18 October 2014 against Sheffield Steeldogs, in front of a sell out crowd in excess of 2,500.

Club honours

• EPIHL League: 3

Winner (3): 2004, 2005, 2010

Runner-up (2): 2003, 2009

• EPIHL Playoffs: 4

Winner (4): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Runner-up (2): 2009, 2011

• EPIHL Cup: 0

Runner-up (4): 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014

Club Roster

Netminders
No.	Nat.	Player	Catches	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired
29		James Hadfield	L	(1992-10-04) 4 October 1992	Sheffield	2015 from Guildford Flames
33		Jordan Marr	L	(1991-06-10) 10 June 1991	Lochgelly	2015 from Finlandia Lions (USA)
45		Dean Skinns	L	(1984-10-03) 3 October 1984	Basingstoke	2015 from Basingstoke Bison

Defencemen
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired
19		Leigh Jamieson - Alternate	R	(1985-07-30) 30 July 1985	Milton Keynes	2009 from Coventry Blaze
21		Ross Green	R	(1992-02-19) 19 February 1992	Chelmsford	2008 from Milton Keynes Storm
55		Michael Farn	L	(1988-06-23) 23 June 1988	Durham	2009 from Swindon Wildcats
66		Lewis Christie	R	(1989-08-30) 30 August 1989	Edinburgh	2008 from Belfast Giants
77		Martti Jarventie	L	(1976-04-04) 4 April 1976	Tampere, Finland	2015 from HPK (Finland)

Forwards
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired
8		Blaz Emersic	L	(1980-10-10) 10 October 1980	Ljubljana, Slovenia	2010 from Slough Jets
9		Grant McPherson - Alternate	R	(1987-03-03) 3 March 1987	Stirling	2006 from Edinburgh Capitals
10		Bobby Chamberlain	R	(1995-03-16) 16 March 1995	Hull	2015 from Manchester Phoenix
11		Lewis Hook	L	(1996-08-18) 18 August 1996	Peterborough	2014 from Peterborough Phantoms
18		Adam Carr - Captain	R	(1984-06-15) 15 June 1984	Durham	2003 from Isle of Wight Raiders
39		Markku Tahtinen	L	(1978-04-10) 10 April 1978	Pori, Finland	2015 from Cardiff Devils
83		Frantisek Bakrlik	L	(1983-06-02) 2 June 1983	Litvinov, Czech Republic	2015 from Bracknell Bees
93		Jack Watkins	R	(1993-02-03) 3 February 1993	Durham	2015 from Manchester Phoenix
95		Jordan Cownie	L	(1995-08-01) 1 August 1995	Dundee	2015 from Braehead Clan

2 Way Players
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired
5		Edward Knaggs (2 way MK Thunder)	L	(1998-05-13) 13 May 1998	Hemel Hempstead	2014 from Milton Keynes Thunder
14		Luc Johnson (2 way MK Thunder)	L	(1997-07-21) 21 July 1997	Blackburn	2015 from Okanagan Hockey Academy
15		James Griffin (2 way Coventry Blaze)	R	(1993-04-08) 8 April 1993	Swindon	2015 from Coventry Blaze
58		David Clements (2 way Coventry Blaze)	R	(1994-09-20) 20 September 1994	Coventry	2015 from Ogden Mustangs (USA)
72		Glen Billing (2 way MK Thunder)	L	(1997-05-28) 28 May 1997	Romford	2015 from Okanagan Hockey Academy

Statistical Records

Top ten appearances

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Appearances
1		Adam Carr	2003–2016 inclusive	617
2		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	506
3		Grant McPherson	2006–2016 inclusive	499
4		Ross Bowers	2002–2008, 2009–2010 & 2011–2015	467
5		Leigh Jamieson	2002–2004 & 2009–2016	427
6		Lewis Christie	2008–2016 inclusive	411
7		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	385
8		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010–2011	377
8		Ross Green	2008–2016 inclusive	377
10		Michael Farn	2009–2016 inclusive	370

Top ten points scorers

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Points
1		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010–2011	767
2		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	728
3		Adam Carr	2003–2016 inclusive	489
4		Leigh Jamieson	2002–2004 & 2009–2016	416
5		Blaz Emersic	2010–2016 inclusive	339
6		Greg Randall	2002–2006 & 2007–2009	260
7		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	259
8		Mikko Skinnari	2002–2008 inclusive	246
9		Andre Smulter	2008–2011 inclusive	229
10		Lukas Zatopek	2008–2014 inclusive	201

Top ten goal scorers

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Goals
1		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010–2011	436
2		Adam Carr	2003–2016 inclusive	233
3		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	211
4		Leigh Jamieson	2002–2004 & 2009–2016	155
5		Blaz Emersic	2010–2016 inclusive	146
6		Andre Smulter	2008–2011 inclusive	111
7		Ross Bowers	2002–2008, 2009–2010 & 2011–2015	101
8		Greg Randall	2002–2006 & 2007–2009	98
9		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	96
10		Mikko Skinnari	2002–2008 inclusive	91

Top ten goal assists

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Assists
1		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	517
2		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010–2011	331
3		Leigh Jamieson	2002–2004 & 2009–2016	261
4		Adam Carr	2003–2016 inclusive	256
5		Blaz Emersic	2010–2016 inclusive	193
6		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	163
7		Greg Randall	2002–2006 & 2007–2009	162
8		Mikko Skinnari	2002–2008 inclusive	155
9		Michael Farn	2009–2016 inclusive	143
10		Lukas Zatopek	2008–2014 inclusive	140

Top ten penalty minutes

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Minutes
1		Grant McPherson	2006–2016 inclusive	1226
2		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	1131
3		Kurt Irvine	2003–2008 inclusive	1109
4		Leigh Jamieson	2002–2004 & 2009–2016	875
5		Lukas Zatopek	2008–2014 inclusive	509
6		Lewis Christie	2008–2016 inclusive	506
7		Ross Bowers	2002–2008, 2009–2010 & 2011–2015	479
8		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	452
9		Matt Towalski	2005–2012 inclusive	446
10		Dwayne Newman	2002–2007 inclusive	374

Top ten points to game ratio

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Points/Games Ratio
1		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010-2011	2.03
2		Joakim Wiklander	2008–2010 inclusive	2.00
3		Greg Owen	2002–2003	1.74
4		Stefan Ketola	2005–2006	1.71
5		Monir Kalgoum	2009–2011 inclusive	1.67
6		Andre Smulter	2008–2011 inclusive	1.58
7		Tony Alasaarela	2007–2008	1.50
8		Steve Moria	2005–2006	1.45
8		Stanislav Lascek	2013–2015 inclusive	1.45
10		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	1.44

Top ten goals to game ratio

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Goals/Games Ratio
1		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010-2011	1.16
2		Greg Owen	2002–2003	1.10
3		Stefan Ketola	2005–2006	0.86
4		Franisek Bakrlik	2015–2016	0.78
5		Andre Smulter	2008–2011 inclusive	0.77
5		Stanislav Lascek	2013–2015 inclusive	0.77
7		Milan Kostourek	2014–2015	0.75
8		Kamil Tvrdek	2012–2013	0.65
9		Monir Kalgoum	2009–2011 inclusive	0.61
10		Steve Moria	2005–2006	0.60

Top ten assists to game ratio

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Assists/Games Ratio
1		Joakim Wiklander	2008–2010 inclusive	1.59
2		Monir Kalgoum	2009–2011 inclusive	1.06
3		Nick Poole	2002–2015 inclusive	1.02
4		Tony Alasaarela	2007–2008	0.98
5		Markku Tathinen	2015-2016	0.93
6		Ales Perez	2007–2009 inclusive	0.89
7		Gary Clarke	2002–2009 & 2010-2011	0.88
8		Stefan Ketola	2005–2006	0.86
9		Rene Jarolin	2015	0.85
9		Steve Moria	2005–2006	0.85

Top ten penalty minutes to games ratio

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	PIM/Games Ratio
1		Kurt Irvine	2003-2008 inclusive	5.38
2		James Morgan	2006–2007	4.30
3		Steve Carpenter	2004–2005	4.06
4		Daniel Croft	2007–2008	3.59
5		Frankisek Bakrlik	2015–2016	3.04
6		Michael Wales	2003–2012 inclusive	2.94
7		Michael Knights	2002–2003, 2004-2005 & 2006-2007	2.73
8		Chris Wiggins	2012–2013 & 2014-2015	2.62
9		Nicky Chinn	2012–2013	2.48
10		Grant McPherson	2006–2016 inclusive	2.46

Top ten save percentages

League, Cup & Play Offs; as at 15 February 2016 (Players with under 10 appearances not included)

Player
No.	Nat.	Player	Active Seasons	Save Percentage
1		Mark Woolf	2004-2005	93.68
2		Alex Mettam	2009–2013 inclusive	91.65
3		Barry Hollyhead	2002–2004 & 2006-2012	91.27
4		Stephen Wall	2012-2015 inclusive	91.13
5		Dean Skinns	2015-2016	91.04
6		Allen Sutton	2002–2008 inclusive	90.97
7		Jordan Hedley	2012–2015 inclusive	90.26
8		Lee Lansdowne	2005-2006	90.20
9		Jordan Marr	2015-2016	90.19
10		Matthew van der Velden	2004-2005	89.30

NHL Drafted Milton Keynes Lightning Players

Player
Nat.	Player.	Active Seasons	Year Drafted	Round & Draft Pick	Team
	Claude Dumas	2002-2003	1985	Round 5 Draft Pick 103	Washington Capitals
	Janne Jokila	2012-2014 inclusive	2000	Round 7 Draft Pick 200	Columbus Blue Jackets
	Martti Jarventie	2015-2016	2001	Round 4 Draft Pick 109	Montreal Canadiens
	Jurej Gracik	2011-2012	2004	Round 5 Draft Pick 142	Atlanta Thrashers
	Stanislav Lascek	2013-2015 inclusive	2005	Round 5 Draft Pick 133	Tampa Bay Lightning

Season-by-season record

Associated teams

• Coventry Blaze - Development Partnership
• Milton Keynes Thunder
• Milton Keynes Storm

References

External links

• MK Lightning Homepage
• MKIH Forums
• Planet Ice

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