Welcome to the Hangar for tonight’s match up with the Guildford Flames. This weekend and next weekend are massive games for the Jets, Flames and Phoenix as we play Guildford back to back this weekend and Manchester next Sunday. With a game against Swindon in between these top of the table fixtures it’s important the we don’t slip up next Saturday.
Tonight you’ll see the Jets icing in the retro shirts marking our 25th anniversary season. These shirts have been up for auction all week on the website and after tonight’s game the shirts will be the possessions of the highest bidders. I hope everyone has got the shirts they are after in the auction.
The Flames were last here just over a month ago and an overtime win was theirs on the night. The game could easily have gone either way and the Jets counted themselves unlucky to only get a single point, likewise I’m sure the Flames saw the luck in their extra point for the OT goal. Jozef Kohut seems to have taken great delight in scoring this season since his return to the Surrey club, a fact I’m sure the Flames fans with Twitter will take great delight in reminding me. Certainly an inspired signing for Paul Dixon.
For the Jets the last few weeks have been tough. Adam Calder missed time through injury, Darius missed a couple of games through injury and now Ryan has missed three games through injury. Every squad picks up injuries along the season but these three are all key players so their absence has been hard to fill. Unfortunately we can’t afford to have spare personnel so the rest of the team have to step up and fill an injury gaps. After a tough road weekend it was great to see the Jets bounce back last weekend with two fantastic games against the Bison. There’s a chance that Basingstoke could end up our play-off opponents so to close regular season competition against them in good fashion is a bonus should we end up drawn against them.
One of the topics on THF the last week has been regarding people who no longer watch hockey and their reasons. I can think of a few familiar faces who are missing from the Hangar these days and I guess some of the reasons cited on THF are shared by some of those people missing from the Hangar these days but as we reach towards the end of our 25th anniversary season it would be nice if we could all reach out to people we may know who are no longer supporters and see if we can encourage them back into the family? The hockey community has showed time and time what a special community the hockey fans make up, let’s see if we can entice back those who have left the family?
Enjoy tonight’s game
My team, your team, OUR TEAM
Mark
