Ben Bowns - An Appraisal

As part of my decision to make this blog a general hockey blog, here's one for the Cardiff Devils fans of the blog. Hope you like it.

I've been watching Ben Bowns a lot, and I mean a lot. I've been watching him before he first arrived in Cardiff. Not watching him as in stalking his every movement, but watching him play. I've watched Ben emerge from the Sheffield junior system to seeing him play for Hull, before heading onto Cardiff and the GB national team. That's quite a journey to say the least.

Born in Swinton, on the outskirts of Rotherham. Ben has followed a path of decent quality netminders from this neck of the woods. Previous ones who have done the same include former Coventry Blaze and Manchester Phoenix goalie Stephen "BT" Fone, and Andy Jaszczyk who has featured for a number of clubs in his career. Rotherham itself is also the home town of Liam Kirk who is expected to be drafted by a team in the NHL in the next couple of weeks and was also the birthplace of Ian Wood who was drafted in the ninth round by the Edmonton Oilers in 1982.

2007-08 was Ben's breakthrough season as he made 25 ENL appearances for the now defunct Sheffield Spartans team where he played alongside Braehead Clan stalwart Matthew Haywood. Ben did enough to get three games in the EPIHL with the Sheffield Scimitars and also made three appearances for the GB Under 18 team; his first international honours. The following season saw more progress with the Spartans and despite only making just another three appearances for the Scimitars at EPIHL level; his potential was clear for all to say and that is where I first got to see him in action. He looked the part.

The Scimitars obviously thought the same, as Ben became their number one goalie for 2009-10 and despite the season not ending in silverware - Ben posted more creditable statistics with a save percentage in all competitions of over 91%. Two further seasons in the EPIHL with the rebranded Sheffield Steeldogs followed with a dèbut appearance in Elite League but not at the Steelers, but at Yorkshire rival Hull Stingrays and it saw him record a shutout. The first of many at this level.

Hull obviously thought highly of Ben that they awarded him the starting netminder role for 2012-13 and he started 48 out of the 52 league games played by the Stingrays that season. He also got his first international caps for the GB senior men's team, playing in the Olympic qualifier in Latvia and recording a shutout in a Division 1A game despite the Brits suffering relegation. Another season at Hull followed and five more appearances for the national side as his stock began to rise.

When Ben announced he was to seek new challenges at the end of the 2013-14 season, many expected him to be back with the team he supported as a boy - the Steelers. However, it was a surprise to most that Ben headed south to link up with the Cardiff Devils and he's gone from strength to strength since. Barring injury, he's become the undisputed number one in South Wales and is adored by the Devils supporters. He's also become the first choice for GB as well and won his 25th cap for his country in that game against Hungary which will remain long in the memory.

I personally expected Ben to move on this summer, and that's no slight on Cardiff. After 4 seasons, he's won everything he can in the EIHL and is more than good enough to play at a decent level in Europe. He'd definitely be able to back stop a reasonable team at Allsvenskan or DEL2 standard. However he's signed for a fifth season in South Wales but claims he had "options" in the summer. Will he take the jump next summer? Only Ben can decide that. But he's for sure "the one that got away" for the Steelers, a shame really because he would have done just as good as he has at Cardiff that I remain convinced.

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