Major Changes - PLEASE READ!

Time to make a very important announcement folks. Strap yourself in..

Anyway after a few discussions held over the last few days, I have decided that this blog will end shortly. As soon as the EIHL previous seasons articles have caught up with the most recent season I'm calling time on it. Why am I doing this? Read on..

As of now I've become the Sheffield Steelers and New Jersey Devils article writer for "Chasing The Puck" which is run by my good friend Hazel Rayson. I'm excited to join a team that has writers from all around the Elite League, by the way we're still looking for someone to cover the Panthers though, and it's an opportunity I could not turn down. This blog has served itself so well but this new challenge is something else.

With Chasing the Puck, this enables my articles to be viewed by a much larger audience than what I have at present. That said, all you who have followed by my adventures in writing on Frozen Steel first and latterly this - are welcome to read my stuff on CTP. It'll still be the same opinionated stuff, but on a much larger base. I feel that this move will help develop my writing that bit more which is something that I want to do and you never know it could lead to other things.

Once I have posted the final article on here, I'll close the Facebook page down and also the associated Twitter feed too. Please go and like the Chasing the Puck page on Facebook and follow CTP on Twitter with the handle @CTPHockey; the website is to be found at www.chasingthepuck.com too. 

I will close this by thanking a few people: To my girlfriend Gillian whose support when I'm writing articles has been nothing but awesome, Alan - who helped me get Frozen Steel as it was to a new level indeed, Hazel - for giving me the chance with CTP which I am eternally grateful for, my family for their support and motivational words and finally, you the readers and my friends who have followed it on social media and online. It's been a blast, but new challenges await.

Yours forever in hockey,

Mark

Around the EIHL: Edition 8

Welcome once more to your weekly round-up of transfers in the EIHL as the season starts in earnest, two months from now. Whose signed where, well your one stop article has it covered right here. Read on and find out.

All transfers correct as of Saturday 30 June 2018.

We start as always with the Belfast Giants, and just one transfer this week. Arriving in Northern Ireland for the Giants blue line is defenceman Curtis Leonard who is acquired from ECHL side Fort Wayne Komets. Next up are of the Braehead Clan and they have been busy with two in and two out. A new face at the Clan is forward Liam Heelis who joins from rivals Fife Flyers and Matt Beca returns after spending last year in Manchester. Leaving though are defenceman Josh Grieveson who has joined the Solway Sharks, and promising Brit Jordan Buesa for pastures yet not confirmed.

Two more players for the Cardiff Devils 2018-19 roster and again, and in a familiar pattern: these are re-signings as captain Jake Morissette and Italian internationalist Sean Bentivoglio commit for a sixth and third season respectively. One in, four out for the Coventry Blaze though. Norwegian defenceman Nicolai Bryhnisveen arrives from HC Dukla Jihlava whilst Dorian Peca, Alex Barron, Vojtech Kloz and Adam Courchaine will be all playing elsewhere next season. One transaction for Dundee Stars and it'll be a new face in between the pipes as netminder Travis Fullerton heads south of the border to join Guildford. Two departures for the Fife Flyers and crucial departures too; Liam Heelis swaps the East Coast for the West as he joins rivals Braehead whilst fellow forward Shayne Stockton has decided to retire from the sport.

One player in and one player out for the Guildford Flames as Travis Fullerton arrives at the Spectrum to form one part of a goaltending triumvirate but Slovakian blueliner Tomas Nechala heads across the English Channel to join Remparts de Tours in the second tier of the French hockey structure. Just the one movement at Manchester Storm as Matt Beca re-joins the Braehead Clan, and a single transfer for the Milton Keynes Lightning as they acquire former NHLer Tim Wallace from the Sheffield Steelers.

Two more clubs complete the list as always. Firstly, the Nottingham Panthers and Rich Chernomaz's roster continues with its rebuild as Kevin Henderson, who played four games for Nashville in "The Show" during the 2012-13 season, arrives from Danish club SønderjyskE but heading to Denmark are Mark Derlago who joins Esbjerg Energy and GB internationalist Evan Mosey who becomes a Herning Blue Fox. Finally, the Sheffield Steelers. One in and two out there with experienced centre Evan McGrath arriving from EC Kassel Huskies of DEL2, but Tim Wallace and Miika Franssila joining Milton Keynes Lightning and Dunaújvárosi Acélblkál respectively.

Join us next week for more transfer updates....

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