Lightning hit the ice hard last weekend, with the first of the 26/27 pre-season games. The weekend opened with lifestack MK Lightning v Rostock Piranhas, with the team looking like they'd been playing together for years already.

Jarred White took home Man of the Match honours after an impressive first showing against the Rostock Piranhas.

The forward made his mark on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal 32 minutes into the game, assisted by Toms Rutkis.

White’s strong all-round performance highlighted exactly what he brings to the Lightning forward line, combining attacking threat with plenty of energy and intensity. Despite being new to the squad, and Milton Keynes Jarred already looked right at home in the lifestack Lightning lineup, fitting seamlessly into the team and making an immediate impact.

A well-deserved Man of the Match award ⚡

Sunday was the second home-game against Rostock, rounding out a pre-season double header weekend. Liam Stewart took home Man of the Match honours after a standout performance on Sunday

The returning forward found the back of the net twice, making a huge impact in front of the Lightning faithful and showing exactly why he remains such a fan favourite.

After returning to MK Ice, Liam looked as if he’d never left. His energy, attacking threat and natural understanding of the team have made his return feel like a seamless one, and his two-goal performance was the perfect way to remind everyone what he can bring to the Lightning lineup.

A brilliant return, a brilliant performance, and a well-deserved Man of the Match award 👏⚡

After just two or three days of practice together, the team showcased impressive fight and competitive spirit in their first two games. They managed to create good offensive opportunities on both nights, demonstrating effective plays. The players also displayed commendable effort to build our chemistry, adapting well to the conditions. Additionally, the support from the fans was a significant boost, enhancing the atmosphere and contributing to the team's overall morale. The positive experience leaves us all optimistic about their growth and potential as they continue to develop together through coming weeks

#3 Jake Hayward – Defenceman

lifestack Milton Keynes Lightning welcome 20-year-old defenceman Jake Hayward to the blue line for the 2026/27 NIHL National season.

Born in Coventry, Jake developed through the Coventry Blaze junior system before moving to North America to continue his hockey development. He spent time with the Ontario Hockey Academy, Florida Jr. Blades and most recently the Red River Spartans.

Jake enjoyed a strong 2025/26 season with Red River, recording an impressive 33 points in 40 games, including 11 goals and 22 assists. He added a further four assists during the playoffs.

A right-shot defenceman, Jake brings mobility, skill and competitiveness, alongside valuable experience gained from four years playing in North America.

Jake has also represented Great Britain at U18 and U20 level, and was selected for the GB senior men's national team camp.

Head Coach Pete Russell said:

“Jake is a 20-year-old right-shot D with a lot of potential. He moves well, has a solid skill set and competes in key areas. We are delighted to have Jake in our group.”

After four years abroad, Jake is now ready for a new chapter closer to home with the lifestack MK Lightning.

https://www.nihlnational.com/game/1015-mkl-pet

Luke Ferrara gives Peterborough a right-shooting focal point whose latest NIHL return combines finishing with even heavier creative output. The England forward did not merely lead the attack as a scorer; his assists formed the largest part of a remarkable points haul (2025-2026 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 54, G–A–P 44–76–120, PIM 43). That balance is the key warning for Lightning: concentrating solely on his shot leaves room for him to supply another Phantoms finisher. Ferrara’s recent Peterborough record also shows sustained production across successive regular seasons, rather than an isolated peak, while his playoff and cup lines confirm experience across the competition’s different formats. Earlier EIHL spells with Nottingham Panthers and Coventry Blaze add top-flight context to his profile. Listed as Peterborough’s captain in the supplied record, he carries both responsibility and output. MK must deny him comfortable possession and track the passing option as closely as the direct threat.

Janne Laakkonen is the left-shooting Finnish distributor in Peterborough’s forward group, and the latest return makes his primary value unmistakable. His assists overwhelmingly outweighed his goals while driving a huge overall total (2025-2026 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 51, G–A–P 18–93–111, PIM 28). For MK, that means the danger often develops before the finish: Laakkonen can be the player connecting possession to the decisive action rather than the name taking the final shot. His preceding Phantoms regular-season line carried the same assist-led shape, supporting a clear pattern of creation across successive campaigns. The supplied record also brings substantial Finnish grounding through KalPa’s junior sides and later Mestis work with FPS, alongside an Erste Liga spell at UTE. Lightning therefore need disciplined coverage away from the puck and pressure that interrupts his next pass. Allowing him time risks making every available Phantoms target more relevant.

Bradley Bowering presents a different problem from Peterborough’s headline forwards: a left-shooting English defenceman with a record of contributing to attack from the blue line. His latest NIHL line remained assist-led, while also carrying a pronounced penalty-minute total (2025-2026 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 32, G–A–P 4–17–21, PIM 63). That combination gives MK a clear tactical test. Lightning must respect his ability to add distribution from defence, but sustained pressure may also force decisions under contact and create opportunities to draw penalties. The current output sits below his strongest earlier Peterborough returns, yet his longer record contains repeated productive campaigns for a defenceman, with assists consistently forming the larger share of his points. Bowering has represented Great Britain at junior level and has been part of the Phantoms set-up across several stages of his career. His profile is therefore established rather than unfamiliar: close his passing lanes, make him defend repeatedly, and avoid giving Peterborough easy exits through his side.

Theme nights are here!!

We have a packed set of theme nights before Christmas, so make sure to book your tickets when available and join us for even more hockey fun!

This week marks our last pre-season game – the regular season begins next week!

Each game is important, each point and every goal can make a difference when it comes to reaching the treasured Cup.

You don’t want to miss any of this! Big hits, big goals and big crowds – be there or miss out!!

Not only this, but we have a huge range of new merch dropping from this week too, so check out the Supporters Club stand at the game.