Saturday 18th January 2019, Face off 7pm, Doors Open 6pm

Tickets available here

Playlist here

Supporter’s Club

50/50:
The 50/50 draw is a cash prize raffle and your chance to win half the pot of the money taken. Last weeks winner took home £554. Tickets are £1 each, 3 for £2 or 10 for £5 and can be bought from the sellers in the blue tabards outside and around the rink.

Shirt Off His Back:
This week’s shirt off his back is #13 Cale Tanaka’s. Fresh from his GB exploits, we also have a signed Sam Russell warm up jersey up for grabs. Tickets are also £1 each, 3 for £2 or 10 for £5 and can be bought from the sellers in the pink tabards outside and around the rink.

Ollie’s Grid:
This week the grid is your chance to win the game worn dark jersey of Tom Carlon that’s been worn by him in many league games this season (and yes it has been washed!) Squares are £1 each and can be bought from Ollie as he makes his way around the rink and entrance.

Chuck A Duck:
As usual Sue will be just inside the rink entrance selling ducks and other assorted animals to chuck onto the ice during the 2nd period break. Buy yours for just £1 each.

Match preview

Second in the league Swindon Wildcats provide the next big test for in-form Smith Recycling Milton Keynes Lightning when they visit Planet Ice on Saturday.

Wildcats are the one remaining team in the National Ice Hockey League top five that Lightning have yet to defeat this season, having gone down 7-0 to the Wiltshire outfit at the Link Centre in October and then losing 5-1 in early November in Milton Keynes.

But that was before the arrival of Liam Stewart and later, Robin Kovar, with the subsequent massive improvement in Lightning’s fortunes which has seen the team leap up the table from bottom spot at one stage to sixth at present.  Stewart and Kovar have instilled a confidence in their teammates which means the team’s performances bear little resemblance to those two losses – other members of the roster also able to improve their scoring rate as a result.  Lightning will also welcome back Sammy Russell who returns from international duty.

Wildcats lean heavily on two key players – Brit Aaron Nell and Polish international Tomasz Malasinski who, between them, are responsible for 54 goals. Nell occupies number two position in the league rankings with 33 goals and 32 assists while Malasinski is third with 21 goals and 37 assists.  Their contributions have helped make Swindon the top scorers in the league while teammates Edgars Bebris and Chris Jones have weighed in with not too shabby figures of 45 points each, the former with 24 goals and 21 assists and the latter with 19 goals and 26 assists.

Other players to look out for include Max Birbraer who spent five seasons with Elite League Cardiff Devils before seeing service with Telford Tigers for a couple of years. He has had an injury interrupted campaign but has amassed 37 points from 16 games – all but eight points coming from assists.

Swindon have won five out of their last nine games – the latest success coming at lowly Raiders on Sunday when they ran out 8-3 winners while on Saturday they edged out Bracknell Bees 4-3.

It’s definitely going to be a stern test for Lightning. Be there to experience the tension and excitement as Lightning bid to take another step in their rise up the table. Book your tickets now as soon as possible on 01908 540020 or online here. Face off is at 7pm.