Press Release

We are delighted that Adam Laishram will join AIB Milton Keynes Lightning for the 2021/22 season.  Adam is a British passport holder, but having spent his career to date in Canada, he is classified as a non-British trained player. 24 year old Adam was born in Ashburn, Ontario, Canada has spent the last 4 years at St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.  Prior to that he spent 4 years and made 225 appearances in the prestigious Ontario Hockey League for Belleville Bulls, Hamilton Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires, picking up 91 points overall.   Most significantly, in the 2016/17 season Adam was a key part of the Spitfires side which won the Memorial Cup which is the national championship of the Canadian major junior hockey leagues.  Adam’s Hamilton Bulldogs coach, former NHL star Steve Staios described Adam as “Terrific” and went on to say: “He does anything and everything you ask him do to at the top level he can.  He is a 10 out [...]

“When you are putting your team together you need to tick a lot of boxes.  You need so many players who can play on the PK, so many who can play on the PP, so many who can be on the ice in the final minute of a 1 goal game.  When you get a player who has all of those attributes you have to keep hold of them as they are a huge asset to the team.”  This is what MKL Head Coach Lewis Clifford had to say about capturing the signature of your MKL Captain Russ Cowley, who returns to the club for another year. 38 year old Russ was born in Edmonton, Canada, and brings with him experience of pretty much everything.  He’s played at Elite Level with Coventry Blaze and Cardiff Devils, and has made tens of appearances for Great Britain as a senior international.  In the 2019/20 season Russ made 34 appearances picking up 53 points. Cliff told us [...]

Completing the AIB MKL defensive lines this season is Mr. Dependable Lewis Christie, who joins MKL for a 12th season.  Welcome back Lewy! 32 year old Lewy was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and began his career with Dundee and Edinburgh before earning his first international callup with GB U18s for whom he iced 9 times.  Lewy then forged his career in the Elite League with Belfast Giants, and a brief stint in Basingstoke, before joining MKL in 2008.  He has remained with the MK hockey family since then, and made 40 appearances for Lightning in the 2019/20 season picking up a goal and 6 assists for his efforts. But it’s not points that define Lewy’s game (although we were lucky enough to see him score a spectacular goal in training the other night), it’s consistency and defensive contribution as MKL Head Coach Lewis Clifford explains: “It would be hard to imagine an MKL team without Lewy on it. I don’t think I need to [...]

He brings cool, calm consistency along with technical excellence and all round leadership.  Please welcome back Ross Green to Milton Keynes Lightning!  Ross is a massive MK ice hockey contributor, with a career which stretches back to MK Storm U16s in 2004.  In the 2019/20 season Ross made 42 MKL appearances, and picked up 13 points.  He’s known for his fantastic skating, cool head, and leadership on and off the ice.  He’s also a fantastic ambassador for hockey in the town, supporting junior development and running hockey camps for a number of years. MK Lightning Head Coach Lewis Clifford told us why he has signed Ross, explaining “Ross is a key part of our club.  He brings consistent, intelligent defensive play built on the foundations of great skating and good reading of the game.  As I’ve said in the past, Sloth is a guy who knows exactly what it means to be an MK Lightning player and is another one of our homegrown crew.  [...]

Brand new to AIB Milton Keynes Lightning...he’s only 22 but brings with him big game experience from the British, Canadian, US and Polish leagues.  Please give a warm welcome to Edgars Landsbergs.  Edgars joins us from MKS Cracovia Krakow in the Poland league where he made 10 appearances in the Covid interrupted 20/21 season, bagging 4 goals and 4 assists for his efforts.  Prior to that, Edgars spent 4 years in the Canadian and US development leagues, racking up 138 games in total.   Edgars was born in Latvia, but spent his junior development in the Coventry Blaze system, where he made appearances at U16 and U18 levels, and also spent a year in the OHA to hone his skills.  This means that he is classified as a British trained player under the NIHL National rules of competition. Edgars  is very excited to be joining Lightning and said: “I really appreciate the opportunity I have been given and I’m just simply excited and ready to [...]

Returning to the MK blueline for 2021/22 please welcome back Ben Russell to the AIB MK Lightning squad.  MK born 27 year old defenceman Ben brings a wealth of hockey experience with him from the UK, Canadian and American leagues as well as international appearances at under 18 and under 20 level.  He returns to the MKL lineup after 41 appearances and 7 points in the 2019/20 season. Ben is pleased to be returning, commenting “I’m really happy to be back with the Lightning again for another year. It’s certainly been a strange time for everyone and this has, without a doubt, been the longest time I have gone without playing. We have been skating a couple of weeks now which is helping to get the cobwebs out and meet some of the new arrivals, as well as show me that I really have missed hockey. The team Cliff is putting together is exciting and I can’t wait to get started properly in the [...]

He’s our second netminder signing and completes our team between the pipes.  Please give a massive MK welcome to Matt Smital!   22 year old Matt was born in Brno in the Czech republic and by virtue of his junior experience with Bracknell qualifies as a ‘British Trained Player’ under league rules.  Matt joins us from Slough Jets where he spent the 19/20 regular season and 20/21 cup series, turning out 39 times over the two years.  He posted a 90.5% save percentage in the regular season, and an impressive 5 shut outs across the 10 games of the cup series.  Matt’s previous experience includes spell with Bracknell and Swindon. Lightning Head Coach Lewis Clifford told us about Matt: “I’m really happy to bring Matt to Milton Keynes. Since the first time I spoke to him I was massively impressed by his attitude and how driven he is to achieve his potential.” A commanding presence in the crease at 6’ 4”, Cliff told is what [...]

Huge News!  He’s a favourite with fans and his team mates alike, and one of the most exciting players in the league.  We’re dancing with joy that our very own Disco, Liam Stewart, has committed to MKL for the 2021/22 season.   Liam is currently down under keeping himself sharp playing for Skycity Stampede in Queenstown New Zealand where he’s picked up 12 goals and 25 points in 10 games helping Stampede sit at the top of the NZIHL.  Well known as one of the most exciting players in the NIHL National, Liam picked up 58 points in 35 games for Lightning in the 2019/20 season and was a key part of a mid-season winning run of form for the team.   His background is top quality.  4 seasons in the WHL with Spokane, to EIHL appearances with Coventry and Guildford (via the ECHL).  He has represented GB at Under 20 and Senior Level, helping secure promotion out of Division 1B in 2016/17.   [...]

On the back of a prolific NIHL Cup Series campaign, AIB Milton Keynes Lightning is delighted to welcome Sam Talbot to the 2021/22 Lightning team. 20 year old Sam spent the majority of his junior career in the Swindon system, with a season in the Ontario U18 system in 2017/18.  On his return from Canada he spent some time working with MKL Head Coach Lewis Clifford as part of MK Thunder, before moving onto Slough Jets where his prolific scoring talents really began to emerge.  After 99 points in 44 league games for the jets, he spent time in the 2019/20 season in the NIHL National with Basingstoke Bison where he picked up 10 goals in 29 games.  Sam has kept his legs moving with some appearances for Slough in the NIHL Cup Series during hte pandemic, where he scored 36 points in 14 games. Cliff gave us the lowdown on Sam’s signing: “I couldn’t be happier to have signed Sam for the upcoming [...]