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Hand lands his 'vital component'

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Head Coach Tony Hand claims his latest signing – forward Mike Kiesman – will be a vital component as he continues the recruitment of his first Manchester Phoenix roster.

 “Mike is a quality person and a quality hockey player,” enthused Hand from his Edinburgh home. “He’s got good size, great experience, skates well, can play both ends of the ice and is a real leader. We had a great relationship last season, I’m very happy that he’s agreed to join Manchester for the coming season and I know the fans will love his style of play and work ethic.”

Twenty-seven year old Mike Kiesman, from Prince Rupert in British Columbia, played alongside Tony Hand in Edinburgh last season following five years spent mostly in the East Coast Hockey League in North America. Standing 6ft 2ins and tipping the scales around 205lbs, the left-shot forward can play at centre or left wing.

Commenting on joining the Phoenix he said, “I really enjoyed playing in the UK last season, and wanted to come back. I didn’t get here till November last season, so an opportunity like this to join a brand new team in a new building is exciting and something you want to be a part of.”

He added, “Of course, I know Tony and I think it’s good for myself, and the team, to have that kind of understanding of how the coach wants to play. We got along really well last year; I played on a line with him for a while and then helped out on defence when we hit a few injuries. I’m looking forward to teaming up with him again, being part of a really competitive team and being part of what he wants to build in Manchester.”

Player Profile

• Profile for Michael Kiesman