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Brebant signs, "gem in the rough."

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Smiling like the proverbial cat that got the cream, Manchester Phoenix head coach Rick Brebant has confirmed Canadian forward David Kozier as his latest signing coup.

David Kozier, 25, hails from Terrace in British Columbia and played last season for the Isle of Wight Raiders in the English Premier League. A college hockey star with Cornell University while studying Applied Economics and Business Management, Kozier lit up the EPL last season scoring 70 goals and 64 assists in 37 outings to finish second in the scoring race, and topped the Premier Cup scoring with 22 plus 14 in just 10 games. Guesting for Basingstoke last season he scored a hat trick against Bracknell and that brought him to the attention of clubs in the higher levels.

Understandably delighted at the signing Brebant said, “David came very highly recommended to us and we followed up on that immediately. He is without a doubt what I would call a ‘gem in the rough.’ He made a big impression in the EPL so much so that we were not the only Elite club chasing his signature this summer.”

The Phoenix coach added, “He has all the skills and at this stage in his career is looking for a bigger stage on which to demonstrate them. I intend to spend time working with him polishing his undoubted talent and believe in David, Manchester has signed a real gem. He’s a left shot centreman with good size, speed and an eye for goal who will be a tremendous asset to our team this season.”

Kozier noted, “Looking to improve the level of my game this season, I did have a number of options available to me. Manchester were very persuasive but at the same time gave me plenty of time to make my decision. Now I’ve signed, I’m looking forward to meeting with Rick and the rest of the squad and picking up his tradition of winning. I’ve never been to Manchester but everyone I’ve spoken to since I signed tells me it’s a great city with a great arena and great fans.”

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• Profile for David Kozier