Tim Wallace is AIB MK Lightning’s Player Head Coach
Tim Wallace is AIB MK Lightning’s Player Head Coach We are pleased to confirm that Tim Wallace will be returning to All In Black Milton Keynes Lightning as Head Coach, Player and Director of Player Personnel and Development for the 2022/23 Season. Tim is sponsored by 123 Internet Group and we are hugely grateful for their support! The move to a Player Coach model follows a review of our hockey structure as MKL Director Jon Payne explains: “We have restructured our coaching team so that we can focus more heavily on player development and on-ice performance. Having a player coach [...]
Head Coach and General Manager Lewis Clifford leaves AIB MK Lightning
Lewis Clifford has left his position as AIB MK Lightning Head Coach and General Manager after 3 years in this role. Following the completion of the season, the club completed an organisational review and has decided that in the best interests of the club the Coaching and General Manager roles need to be restructured for the upcoming 2022/23 Season. Cliff has a long history with MK Hockey, with a playing career of over 230 games between 2002 and 2011. His coaching career began in 2009/10 as player-coach of MK Thunder, before becoming MK Lightning Assistant Coach alongside Nick Poole in [...]
21/22 End of Season Awards Party with the MKL Supporters Club
On the 7th May, we finally had an End of Season Awards party. It's been a long time coming, and was a great night. Huge thanks to the MKL Supporters Club for organising everything. Here's a list of who won the awards in the 21/22 Season. Photo credits to Tony Sargent. Most Improved Player 21/22 - Callum Field Coaches Player of 21/22 - Ben Russell Top Scorer 21/22 - Bobby Chamberlain Best Defenceman 21/22 - Lewis Christie Most Valuable Player 21/22 - Liam Stewart Players Player of the year 21/22 - Hallden Barnes-Garner Supporters Club Player of the year [...]
James Griffin is our first signing of 2022/23
Last night at the Supporters Club end of season awards we were thrilled to announce that our first signing of 2022/23 is defensive favourite James Griffin! 29 year old James was born in Oxford and developed through the Swindon junior system. He made his Elite League debut in 2010-11 for Coventry and spent the following 4 seasons there before moving to MK in the 2015-16 season. Since then he has made over 280 league appearances including 30 in 2021-2022 when he picked up 2 goals and 9 assists, and a crucial 5 points in 10 playoff games. James returns to [...]
Ross Bowers steps down as MKL Assistant Coach
Ross Bowers has stepped down as MKL Assistant Coach. He joined the MKL coaching team at the start of the 2019/20 Season and has played a key role around the club. We are hugely grateful for all he has done and wish him all the best. Ross has had a long and impactful career in MK ice hockey, and has been racking up points since his first Lightning appearance as a 16 year old back in 2002/02. Since then he has spent the vast majority of his hockey career in MK colours. All in all, he made 415 MK Lightning [...]
Match Report: AIB MK Lightning 1-4 Sheffield Steeldogs Championship Final – 1st May 2022
Three Sheffield Steeldogs goals in the opening quarter of an hour effectively ended Milton Keynes Lightning’s hopes of a glorious end to the season with a 4-1 defeat in the Play-off Championship Final at Coventry Skydome on Sunday. Although MK did reply after Steeldogs second goal, it was the South Yorkshire side who were in the ascendancy. When Jason Hewitt added a third on 14mins 17secs Lewis Clifford’s men’s task became almost impossible. As the game went on Sheffield tightened their grip on the play, closing down the channels in the centre and forcing MK to the margins from [...]
Planet Ice to Sponsor NIHL National in 3 year deal
The English Hockey Association (EIHA) and Planet Ice are delighted to announce that from the 2022/23 season the National Ice Hockey League, National Division will be sponsored by Planet Ice and will going forward be known as the Planet Ice National Ice Hockey League, National Division. For the past 25 years Planet Ice have supported Ice Hockey in the United Kingdom, with a focus on the leagues and programmes under the jurisdiction of the EIHA, including hosting the EIHA’s Flagship event for the National Ice Hockey League, at their prestigious venue in Coventry. With the signing of the sponsorship agreement, [...]
Match Report: Telford Tigers 6-4 AIB MK Lightning – 24th April 2022
Telford Tigers just edged out Milton Keynes Lightning 6-4 in the final play off group game in Shropshire on Sunday – both teams already assured of qualification for the Coventry semi-finals. With the place in the final four in the bag MK coach Lewis Clifford took the opportunity to give some extra ice time to players who had not featured heavily in the line-up in recent times. Brandon Stones was given the netminder’s duties while Callum Field and Edgars Landsbergs played on the third line. The skating duo did not waste the opportunity to make an impression with Landsbergs [...]
Match Report: AIB MK Lightning 5-3 Bees – 22nd April 2022
Coventry here we come! Bees were stung by two late goals as Milton Keynes Lightning sealed their place at ‘The Dance’ with a 5-3 victory at Planet Ice on Friday. The result meant that Lightning qualified for the final four play-offs with one game – at Telford Tigers – to spare. Tigers join them at the Skydome after defeating Leeds Knights. With home fans chanting ‘Win it for Norris’ from the 86 seconds point – a reference to injured Sean’s shirt number and the injury he suffered in the first game – MK were dealt an early blow when [...]
Match Report: Bees 2-1 AIB MK Lightning – 17th April 2022
A penalty shootout loss at Bees all but put Milton Keynes Lightning through to the Coventry playoff semi-finals weekend in a game marred by an injury to Sean Norris. Norris was stretchered off the ice after taking a big hit in the dying seconds of overtime at Slough while the sides were tied at one apiece. With concerns about the well-being of the popular forward, it was perhaps not surprising that minds may not have been totally focussed on the shootout. Despite that goalie Matt Smital went on to save all but one of the five penalty shots – [...]
