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The off-ice report

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It's been a relatively quiet week on the Elite League signings front, with only a handful of moves to report.  First up is Regan Darby, with the defenceman making a move to Sheffield Steelers after a season with league rivals Cardiff Devils.  Sheffield Coach Dave Whistle speaks highly of the Canadian blue-liner, saying "Regan comes to play every shift, he is a great skater, a leader and a great team mate.  Regan also adds a huge amount of toughness, perhaps something we were short of last year, his physical presence was something I wanted badly."

Darby himself is looking forward to playing under Whistle for the forthcoming season. "I was really impressed with the Steelers coach Dave Whistle," says Derby.  "My good friend Dave Matsos also told me what type of coach Dave was an how much players enjoyed playing for him.  Everyone in the league was impressed how he turned Sheffield around last seaon when joining them late in the year, it seemed to us all watching from the outside that guys enjoyed playing for him and wanted to win for him.  I am really excited about coming to Sheffield, after speaking with Dave about the kind of team he is building I realised I wanted to be a part of that team and really make a play for the championship."

Former Coventry Blaze and Sheffield Steelers netminder Jody Lehman has reportedly announced his retirement from the game.

Nottingham Panthers departing coach Paul Adey has signed on with AS Renon in Italy.

Another in-league move this week saw Trevor Koenig signing for Coventry Blaze after a season with Play-Off Champions Newcastle Vipers.  The former San Diego Gulls and Atlantic-City Boardwalk Bullies netminder is joining the Blaze whilst taking a Masters degree at Coventry University, and the signing comes much to the delight of Blaze Coach Paul Thompson.  "Trevor is an outstanding goalie," says Coach Thompson. "He kept Newcastle in a lot of low scoring games last year.  His puck-handling takes the pressure off the defence and that is one area I was looking to improve."

by Richard Allan