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Hand: "recruiting progressing well"

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With two early summer signings already in the bag in the form of British prospects Joe Miller and Adam Walker, Phoenix Head Coach Tony Hand pronounced himself pleased with the progress made so far. 

Speaking from his Edinburgh home, Hand commented, "I'm very pleased with the two guys we've signed already and I'm confident that others will follow as the recruiting work is progressing well. At this early stage of the summer, the process is something of a game of cat and mouse as some teams are still playing and so some possible targets are not yet available to contact."

Hand though is far from idle in his search for the right calibre and character of players he wants to bring to his Phoenix roster and he added, "I want guys who are mobile, can skate well and play with an edge. We have to be able to compete and if that means with a physical element, then we have to ensure that we have that in the right measure too - we're not coming into this league to make up the numbers."

The recent trip to Scandinavia for a tournament and coaching seminar appears to be bringing its rewards as Tony Hand stated, "I've already had 'phone calls from people I met while away and I'm following up on the information they've given me. We've also had a couple of interesting leads from elsewhere and so each day is spent checking and cross-checking references. The homework on players is vital, I know the type of player I want to bring here and ensuring possible targets have those qualities is vital before offering a contract."

"Signing Joe and Adam early, I believe shows our intent," the Phoenix supremo continued. "They are two exciting young players with good size and both are eager to succeed, I'm sure they will seize the opportunity and make an impact. Now we have a couple more irons in fires - and further signing news might not be too far away."

Related reads

• Young gun Joe Miller is Tony Hand's first summer signing
• Hand swoop nets fellow Scot Adam Walker