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No rest for the wicked

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He may be used to it, but Tony Hand never gets the summer holiday other sportsmen and women have once the season is over.

Slaving over a computer or ploughing his way through countless faxed or emailed CVs is all he has to look forward to after the final whistle blows in April. Tony did manage a few days away in Spain with a couple of mates for a bit of golf, and then it was back to the grindstone. Of course there is also the family to look after and all the little jobs around the house that need to be done, which have been neglected since last September.

Tony said, “I would not have it any other way, but don’t tell the missus. It is like a new season crammed into a couple of months. Quite often some of the work is done before the season ends. When you work with the guys all season, you get the feel for those who sign up to what you want to achieve as a coach and the system you play. A wee quiet word here and there and you can have the basis of a contract discussion already on its way. The play offs, too, can be a busy time although sometimes I think coaches of teams that are not involved in the final four get a jump on the others by talking to people over the weekend. As a coach involved in the semis and final, you just do not have the time for that.

“The recruiting for next season is going well and we have got off to a great start with the signing of Slava Koulikov. He is going to be a great asset to us with his skill and experience. Also, being British-trained and undoubtedly of import standard, that allows us more scope to get the import signings right. Signing Tom Duggan nice and early is another bonus. Tom worked his socks off for us last season and his energy and enthusiasm is just what we need in the locker room.

“Other teams are way ahead of us in the recruiting wars, but that never bothers me,” continues Tony, “As long as we have the roster ready and raring to go in September, we will be fine. I am not keen to show my hand to other coaches so early in the summer either. You get into the mentality of picking players because other teams have recruited this style or that style and you can lose sight of core objectives.

“I like to take my time and weigh up all the possibilities. It is like doing a jigsaw. It is never finished until the last piece is fitted into place.

“There are plenty of players around looking for jobs for next year. I have more than a couple of CVs on the table to look at and decide if they will fit into the plan. Over the last few years, Joe Tallari, David Beauregard and Johan Molin all dropped onto my desk late on in the summer and look at the job they did for us.

“My message to the fans is don’t worry. Come September we will have a team ready to defend our title and one that will entertain and make you proud of Phoenix once again. Just to tease you guys a little bit, I am very excited about the way things have gone this last week on bringing a new import forward to the club. This guy has experience of British Hockey in the Elite league and is a proven goal scorer and great in the locker room. If all the pieces fall into place, he will be a fantastic signing for the club. I have also just about completed the British line up for next season and I think it is an improvement on last year, so keep an eye on the official website and watch Phoenix TV for all the up to date news.”