Carter Hamill enjoyed a standout weekend for the Lightning, earning Man of the Match honours on both Saturday and Sunday after two impressive performances up front.

Saturday saw Lightning deliver a dominant 12–1 victory over the Bristol Pitbulls, with Hamill playing a starring role. The forward registered a hat-trick and an assist, finishing the night with an excellent four-point haul.

He carried that form into Sunday’s away trip to Swindon, finding the net with Lightning’s second goal and continuing to work tirelessly across the ice. His contribution helped the team secure an important away point in a shootout defeat.

This past weekend was quite eventful for our team. Our home game against Bristol was a resounding success, with a score of 12-1. The players displayed exceptional teamwork and skill, capitalizing on every opportunity. It was a solid performance that highlights our strengths and determination.

However, the away game against Swindon brought a different challenge. We fought hard but ended up losing in a shootout. This match highlighted the importance of the little things in our gameplay, our principles more so. It's crucial to understand what really matters, and taking shortcuts can lead to missed opportunities or momentum going the other way fast.

Overall, Sunday was a really good advert for the league and served as an invaluable experience for us. It reinforced the need to stay disciplined, focus on the fundamentals, out work & win our duels in small areas, and ensure we are continually making it difficult for our opponents to play. We will take these lessons forward and continue to improve as a team.

A Lightning favourite, a fearless competitor and a familiar face on the blue line, James Griffin has become synonymous with Milton Keynes Lightning.

Known affectionately as ‘Griff’, the Swindon-born defenceman has been a cornerstone of the club since joining ahead of the 2015/16 season. Standing at 5'11" (180cm), Griffin shoots right and combines strong skating ability with physical play, bringing energy, determination and experience to every shift.

Having previously played in the Elite Ice Hockey League with Coventry Blaze, Griffin arrived in Milton Keynes with valuable top-flight experience. He has since become one of the club’s most recognisable players, surpassing 460 appearances in a Lightning jersey and earning a reputation as a dependable presence in all situations. His defensive work, physicality and ability to contribute at both ends of the ice have made him an important part of the team for more than a decade.

Griffin also celebrated a special milestone with his testimonial season in 2024/25, marking ten years with the club. He played a key role in Lightning’s playoff success that season, scoring the opening goal in the final.

Now back for the 2026/27 campaign, number 15 will once again bring his trademark commitment and intensity as Lightning look to compete for more silverware at the Thunderdome.

Ferrara arrives as Peterborough’s clearest direct scoring threat, a right-shot English forward whose current return combines finishing with a heavy creative contribution. (2026-2027 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 9, G–A–P 9–10–19) That output shows why Lightning cannot defend him solely as a shooter: his assist total is already marginally higher than his goal tally, so passing lanes demand the same attention as his release. His recent Phantoms record also supports the broader warning, with sustained high-end NIHL production across the preceding campaigns and further contributions in playoff and cup action. Ferrara’s career has included EIHL spells with Nottingham Panthers and Coventry Blaze, plus time with Cracovia Krakow and Bordeaux, giving him experience across different levels and styles. For MK, the practical task is to deny him clean possession, keep pressure attached through changes of direction and prevent Peterborough turning controlled entries into touches for their leading forward. If he receives time around dangerous ice, the evidence says he can finish or supply the decisive pass.

Creativity defines Janne Laakkonen’s threat for Peterborough. The Finnish left-shot forward has opened the campaign as an emphatic provider, with assists accounting for the overwhelming majority of his production (2026-2027 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 10, G–A–P 2–16–18). That balance makes his intentions readable in broad terms but not easy to stop: MK must respect the pass before it develops, rather than reacting after a receiver has found space. His previous Phantoms regular seasons follow the same pattern, pairing substantial point totals with assist columns far above his goals output, while he has also produced in the club’s playoff games. Laakkonen brings a varied club record encompassing Mestis with FPS, Erste Liga with UTE, the EIHL with Fife Flyers and Coventry Blaze, and earlier competition in Poland, Norway and the AlpsHL. The key for Lightning is disruption. Closing his options, contesting possession and denying straightforward links to Peterborough’s finishers can reduce the influence of a forward whose statistical signature is built on making team-mates productive.

Familiarity adds an extra edge to Dominik Gabaj’s return as a Phantom. The Slovak left-shot forward played for Milton Keynes Lightning in the preceding NIHL campaign, delivering a strong regular-season return before contributing again in the playoffs. He has since begun productively with Peterborough (2026-2027 • NIHL • Peterborough Phantoms: GP 9, G–A–P 5–8–13, PIM 6). For the home side, that combination of recent Lightning experience and immediate output makes him a particularly relevant matchup. Gabaj is not arriving on the back of an isolated productive spell, either. His record contains sustained NIHL scoring with Berkshire Bees, Bees IHC and Bracknell Bees, alongside earlier spells in France with Caen, Meudon, Brest and Neuilly-sur-Marne, plus Newcastle Northstars in the AIHL. His current Phantoms line also shows both goals and assists, so MK cannot reduce the plan to taking away one route of attack. Tight gaps, pressure on his reception and disciplined tracking are required to stop a familiar forward from converting knowledge of Lightning into tangible influence.

Tonight we’re turning up the Halloween fun – expect spooky music, special Halloween jerseys worn by our players, and we encourage fans to come dressed up!

Get ready for a spell-binding night of ice hockey action at Planet Ice Milton Keynes!