Milton Keynes Lightning

Ice hockey team based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Milton Keynes Lightning

City| Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
League| NIHL
Division| National League
Founded| 1st franchise 2002, 2nd franchise 2019
Home arena| Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes
Colors| Black, Grey & Gold

Owner(s)| Let's Play Hockey Consortium
Head coach| Tim Wallace
Captain| James Griffin
Affiliates| Milton Keynes Thunder
Milton Keynes Storm
Website| mk-lightning.co.uk
Franchise history
2002–2019, 2019–present| Milton Keynes Lightning

The Milton Keynes Lightning are an ice hockey team founded in 2002 and then again in 2019 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The Lightning (2nd franchise) currently play in Britain's second-tier professional league, the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL), since the 2019–20 season. The Lightning (1st franchise) previously turned up in the top tier Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) from 2017–2019 , and the tier-3/tier-2 English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) from 2002–2017. Their home rink is 2,200-seat Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes, known locally as the MK Arena or the Thunderdome.

## Club history

[edit]

### Foundation

[edit]

Founded in 2002, MK Lightning moved into the empty space left by the departure of the Milton Keynes Kings. The MK Kings were involved in a dispute with rink operators Planet Ice, which led to their relocation to Solihull[1] in May 2002. There they became the Solihull MK Kings before being wound up in April 2003, after a single season.[2]

### 2002–2006: The early years

[edit]

The demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague in 2002/03 led to major restructuring of Ice Hockey in the UK. The Milton Keynes Lightning became a founding member of the new Elite Ice Hockey League but competed in the lower English Premier Ice Hockey League. The first Lightning squad was made up mainly of young local players, one Finnish import, Mikko Skinnari and three Canadian imports, Nick Poole as Player Coach, Claude Dumas, and Dwayne Newman. Lightning finished their maiden season in 2nd place, behind Peterborough Phantoms. The two teams met again in the playoff final, with Lightning winning. A rivalry quickly grew between them as they continued to dominate EPL Ice Hockey,[3] MK Lightning were crowned league champions in 2003–04 and 2004–05 as well as dominating the Playoffs until 2006. During this period there was a heavy reliance on Player Coach Nick Poole and Telford born Gary Clarke for points scoring.

### 2006–2008: League struggle

[edit]

The 2006–07 season saw Lightning struggle for the first time. A lack of quality new players, core older players leaving, predictable tactics and an improved opposition being the main drivers. The team ended the season in 5th place[4] and were eliminated from the Playoffs in the first round.[5] 2007/08 saw the situation worsen, with a league finish of 6th. This resulted in a roster overhaul for the new season.[6]

### 2008–2010: Return to success

[edit]

The Lightning squad for the 2008–09 season included several experienced ex-Elite League players, young British talent and new European imports including Lukas Zatopek, Andre Smulter and Joakim Wiklander as an injury replacement for Ales Perez whose career was ended by a serious shoulder injury. After a slow start the team dominated the second half of the season and finished runners-up behind Peterborough.[7] They then met again in the playoff final with the Phantoms winning the encounter.[8] Lightning became the team to beat in 2009–10, despite Elite league Basingstoke Bison and Manchester Phoenix joining the EPIHL. Further squad strengthening in the form of former AIK player Monir Kalgoum and the addition of netminder Alex Mettam helped Lightning dominate and a home win against Swindon Wildcats in March 2010 saw the EPIHL league trophy return to Milton Keynes.

### 2010–2015: Near misses, unexpected changes and disappointment

[edit]

Despite the addition of Slovenian International Blaz Emersic, an inconsistent 2010–11 season saw Lightning finish 5th in the league and lose the play off final to Guildford Flames. 2011–12 fared no better, with the team again finishing 5th; having led the league in December. The team lost in the playoff quarter finals to eventual winners Slough Jets, despite taking a three-goal lead into the away leg. The 2012–13 season brought upheaval when just ten games into the season marque signing Adam Calder suffered a catastrophic hip injury which ended his career. Then in January 2013 Nick Poole who was by now considered a Milton Keynes Lightning legend unexpectedly announced his immediate retirement from playing. Lightning finished in 4th place and lost to Guildford Flames in the play off semi-finals.

The disruption continued in 2013–14 as home games were played in Coventry due to the renovation of the Milton Keynes rink. Due to a lack of practice ice time, the team struggled for consistency but finished in a credible 4th place. They were also the runners up to Basingstoke Bison in the cup. The 2014–15 season started with Lightning continuing to play out of Coventry. Indifferent early form left the team languishing near the bottom of the league. The refurbishment of the Milton Keynes rink was completed a month into the season and the first game back on home territory was played on 18 October 2014 against Sheffield Steeldogs in front of a capacity crowd of 2,500. Despite the return to home ice; Lightning continued to perform poorly. The loss of key players through roster changes and a series of injuries increased pressure on an already struggling team saw Lightning finish the season in 7th place, their lowest ever position. Despite poor league performances, Lightning defeated Guildford in the playoff quarter finals before losing to Manchester Phoenix in the semi-final game.

### 2015–2017: Management change and new partnerships

[edit]

At the end of the 2014–2015 season it was announced that head coach Nick Poole would take over the duties of General Manager from Vito Rausa and be replaced by Team GB coach Peter Russell. This was shortly followed by the announcement in May 2015 that Milton Keynes Lightning would be forming a partnership with Elite League side the Coventry Blaze.[9] This partnership lasted just one season. The 2015–16 season also saw a change from the traditional white, black, and gold colours to a white, black, and blue combination which reflected the sponsorship of local company Smith Recycling. Despite a promising start, the season ended with MKL managing just a slight improvement on their previous years final position, finishing 5th. Lightning went on to qualify for the Play Off final, losing to Guildford Flames 6–2. At the end of the season it was also announced that from the start of the 2017–2018 season, Milton Keynes Lightning would play in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

In November 2016, Nick Poole stepped down from the role of General Manager, citing that he wanted to pursue new challenges with his family outside of hockey. Lightning secured a 2nd place league finish in their final EPL season and on 18 March 2017 won their first EPL cup in a penalty shootout against Peterborough. In the playoff campaign, Lightning finished 2nd in their group, winning 5 out of 6 games to qualify for the finals weekend. Lightning would then go on to win their 5th playoff title, beating Guildford 8–3 in the semi-final and then defeating Telford in the final 7–2.

### 2017–2019: Elite League Hockey

[edit]

Following the announcement in May 2015, Milton Keynes Lightning formally joined the Elite League for the 2017–2018 season. With this also came a change in ownership. Planet Ice, the Milton Keynes rink operators who had run the franchise since its temporary use of the Coventry Sky Dome during the 2013–2014 season sold the club to the Midlands-based husband and wife team of Graham and Monica Moody. Lightning's inaugural season in the Elite League had a promising start but poor away form and a series of disappointing results left them languishing near the bottom of the table at the turn of the new year. The situation worsened in January when US Import Matt Nickerson had his contract terminated after an altercation with a Guildford Flames fan when leaving the ice. In February 2018 it was announced that Coach Peter Russell would be leaving the club by mutual consent at the end of the season and replaced by Canadian Doug McKay. The team finished 11th in the league and outside of the play off places.

After a poor start to the 2018–19 season, with the team languishing at the bottom of the league, Doug McKay himself parted company with Milton Keynes Lightning in November 2018 citing 'personal reasons'. Coaching responsibilities initially passed to players Ryan Lannon and Tim Wallace, with Wallace taking sole charge for the remainder of the season in January 2019. In March 2019 it was announced that MK Lightning's two-year stay in the Elite League would come to an end and that from the 2019–2020 season the team would complete in the new National Hockey League, a two import league equivalent in the British ice hockey structure to the defunct English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL). The reason behind this return to the second tier of UK Ice Hockey was financial. Lightning finished the season a disappointing 11th, 24 points behind 10th placed Dundee Stars.

### 2019–2022: Back to its Milton Keynes roots and supporters ownership

[edit]

Soon after the completion of the 2018–2019 season and the decision to leave the Elite League, Milton Keynes Lightning announced that Lewis Clifford would be the Head Coach for the inaugural season of the new NIHL National league. Clifford had been a stalwart of the Milton Keynes Thunder team, Assistant Coach to Nick Poole at Lightning and then Head Coach at Thunder. However, before the commencement of the season, preparations were thrown into disarray with revelations of unpaid wages/reimbursements for both former players and off ice staff, outstanding debts to suppliers and poor stewardship by the owners. This led to the majority of the club's sponsors publicly denouncing the situation and declining to provide further support.

The rink operators Planet Ice also decided not to award the ice contract for the 2019–2020 season to Graham and Monica Moody but to the Supporters-based consortium formally known as the Milton Keynes Ice Hockey Club and colloquially as 'Lets Play Hockey' for them to ice a team in the NIHL National League. This consortium had been set up after the announcement that Milton Keynes Lightning would no longer ice in the Elite League and had, with the backing of Planet Ice unsuccessfully applied to operate a Milton Keynes Elite League franchise for the 2019–20 season. Shortly after the announcement, the English Ice Hockey Association confirmed that the team under the management of the Lets Play Hockey consortium had been accepted into the new NIHL National League. Once confirmation of the league place had been made, clarification was provided that Lewis Clifford would continue to be the coach under the new ownership regime. The new owners also confirmed that the team would continue using the Milton Keynes Lightning name. The 2019/20 season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the team sitting in sixth position.

With the restrictions placed upon the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the 2020/21 season was delayed. However, Lightning participated in the Streaming Series along with Sheffield Steeldogs & Swindon Wildcats in November 2020 as part of the Return to Play programme. Full post pandemic league action commenced with the 2021/22 season. Lightning iced a strong side and whilst played some excellent hockey, failed to find the consistency required to challenge for the title. The team finished 5th after dropping off the pace with a few weeks remaining of the season. Following defeat to Sheffield Steeldogs in the play off final, it was announced that Lewis Clifford would be stepping down in his duel roles as General Manager & Head Coach following a management restructuring.[10] He was replaced by player/Director of Hockey Development Tim Wallace, who returned for a second spell as Player/Coach.[11]

## Arena redevelopment

[edit]

In March 2013, Milton Keynes Council approved plans to redevelop the Leisure Plaza after failed attempts in 2006 & 2011\. The development of the arena was funded by Morrisons Supermarkets and took 17 months to complete. This forced Lightning to play their home games at the Coventry Sky Dome during the 2013/2014 season & part of the 2014/2015 season. The team returned to the redeveloped rink which had been renamed the "MK Arena" on 18 October 2014 against Sheffield Steeldogs, in front of a sell out crowd in excess of 2,500.

## Club honours

[edit]

* EPIHL League: 3

Winner (3): 2004, 2005, 2010
Runner-up (3): 2003, 2009, 2017

* EPIHL Playoffs: 5

Winner (5): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2017
Runner-up (3): 2009, 2011, 2016

* EPIHL Cup: 1

Winner (1): 2017
Runner-up (4): 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014

* NIHL Playoffs: 1

Winner (1): 2025
Runner-up (1): 2022

* NIHL Cup: 1

Winner (1): 2024
Runner-up (0)

## Club roster 2022–2023

[edit]

Netminders

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Catches  | Date of birth  | Place of birth  | Acquired
1 |  | Jordan Hedley  | L  |  (1996-08-07) 7 August 1996 (age 28) | Walsall, England | 2022 from Coventry Blaze
31 |  | Daniel Crowe  | L  |  (2003-12-16) 16 December 2003 (age 21) | Newcastle upon Tyne | 2022 from Nashville Spartans (USA)
Defencemen

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Shoots  | Date of birth  | Place of birth  | Acquired
3 |  | Tyler Nixon  | R  |  (2001-07-26) 26 July 2001 (age 24) | Rotherham, England | 2021 from Sheffield Scimitars
5 |  | Ben Russell  | R  |  (1994-03-24) 24 March 1994 (age 31) | Milton Keynes, England | 2019 from Streatham IHC
15 |  | James Griffin  | R  |  (1993-04-08) 8 April 1993 (age 32) | Swindon, England | 2015 from Coventry Blaze
19 |  | Leigh Jamieson | R  |  (1985-07-30) 30 July 1985 (age 40) | Milton Keynes, England | 2019 from Streatham IHC
21 |  | Ross Green  | R  |  (1992-02-19) 19 February 1992 (age 33) | Chelmsford, England | 2019 from Milton Keynes Thunder
25 |  | Ed Knaggs  | L  |  (1998-06-13) 13 June 1998 (age 27) | Hemel Hempstead, England | 2020 from Bracknell Bees
33 |  | Milique Martelly  | L  |  (2004-06-05) 5 June 2004 (age 21) | London, England | 2021 from Streatham IHC
39 |  | Sam Russell  | R  |  (2000-08-10) 10 August 2000 (age 24) | Milton Keynes, England | 2019 from New England Wolves (USA)
66 |  | Lewis Christie | R  |  (1989-08-30) 30 August 1989 (age 35) | Edinburgh, Scotland | 2019 from Free Agent
Forwards

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Shoots  | Date of birth  | Place of birth  | Acquired
7 |  | Deivids Sarkanis | L  |  (1994-11-07) 7 November 1994 (age 30) | Riga, Latvia | 2022 from HK Mogo (Latvia)
8 |  | Liam Stewart  | L  |  (1994-09-04) 4 September 1994 (age 30) | London, England | 2019 from Skycity Stampede (New Zealand)
10 |  | Bobby Chamberlain  | R  |  (1995-03-16) 16 March 1995 (age 30) | Hull, England | 2020 from Hull Pirates
11 |  | Callum Field  | R  |  (2004-08-03) 3 August 2004 (age 21) | Northampton, England | 2020 from Sheffield Steelhawks JIHC
12 |  | Zaine McKenzie  | R  |  (2003-08-20) 20 August 2003 (age 21) | Coventry, England | 2022 Bees IHC
14 |  | Hallden Barnes-Garner  | R  |  (1998-02-28) 28 February 1998 (age 27) | Milton Keynes, England | 2019 from Milton Keynes Thunder
16 |  | Mack Stewart  | L  |  (2004-08-18) 18 August 2004 (age 20) | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 2022 from Belfast Giants
23 |  | Jack Hopkins  | R  |  (2004-05-08) 8 May 2004 (age 21) | Nottingham, England | 2022 from Nottingham Panthers
28 |  | Tim Wallace | R  |  (1984-08-06) 6 August 1984 (age 40) | Anchorage, Alaska, USA  | 2022 from Free Agent
86 |  | Sean Norris  | R  |  (1999-09-14) 14 September 1999 (age 25) | Ascot, England | 2021 from Basingstoke Bison
89 |  | Rio Grinell-Parke  | L  |  (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 26) | London, England | 2022 from Raiders IHC
98 |  | Sam Talbot  | R  |  (2001-04-10) 10 April 2001 (age 24) | England | 2021 from Basingstoke Bison

## Statistical records

[edit]

### Top ten appearances

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | App
1 |  | Adam Carr  | 2003–2017 inclusive  | 687
2 |  | Leigh Jamieson | 2002–2004, 2009–2017 & 2019–2022  | 614
3 |  | Lewis Christie | 2008–2017 & 2019–2022  | 581
4 |  | Grant McPherson  | 2006–2016 & 2019–2020  | 542
5 |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 506
6 |  | Ross Green  | 2008–2016 & 2019–2022  | 494
7 |  | Ross Bowers  | 2002–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2015 & 2019–2021  | 473
8 |  | Michael Farn  | 2009–2017 & 2021-2022  | 439
9 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 385
10 |  | Blaz Emersic | 2010–2017 inclusive  | 382

### Top ten points scorers

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Pts
1 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002–2009 & 2010–2011  | 767
2 |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 728
3 |  | Leigh Jamieson | 2002–2004, 2009–2017 & 2019–2022  | 554
4 |  | Adam Carr  | 2003–2017 inclusive  | 524
5 |  | Blaz Emersic | 2010–2017 inclusive  | 398
6 |  | Greg Randall  | 2002–2006 & 2007–2009  | 260
7 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 259
8 |  | Mikko Skinnari  | 2002–2008 inclusive  | 246
9 |  | Andre Smulter  | 2008–2011 inclusive  | 229
10 |  | Lewis Hook  | 2014–2018 & 2020  | 226

### Top ten goal scorers

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Gls
1 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002–2009 & 2010–2011  | 436
2 |  | Adam Carr  | 2003–2017 inclusive  | 248
3 |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 211
4 |  | Leigh Jamieson | 2002–2004, 2009–2017 & 2019–2022  | 187
5 |  | Blaz Emersic | 2010–2017 inclusive  | 171
6 |  | Andre Smulter  | 2008–2011 inclusive  | 111
7 |  | Lewis Hook  | 2014–2018 & 2020  | 106
8 |  | Ross Bowers  | 2002–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2015 & 2019–2021  | 101
9 |  | Greg Randall  | 2002–2006 & 2007–2009  | 98
10 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 96

### Top ten goal assists

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Ast
1 |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 517
2 |  | Leigh Jamieson | 2002–2004, 2009–2017 & 2019–2022  | 367
3 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002–2009 & 2010–2011  | 331
4 |  | Adam Carr  | 2003–2017 inclusive  | 276
5 |  | Blaz Emersic | 2010–2017 inclusive  | 227
6 |  | Michael Farn  | 2009–2017 & 2021-2022  | 179
7 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 163
8 |  | Greg Randall  | 2002–2006 & 2007–2009  | 162
9 |  | Mikko Skinnari  | 2002–2008 inclusive  | 155
10 |  | Jordan Cownie  | 2013–2017 inclusive  | 142

### Top ten penalty minutes

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | PIM
1 |  | Grant McPherson  | 2006–2016 & 2019–2020  | 1305
2 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 1131
3 |  | Kurt Irvine  | 2003–2008 inclusive  | 1109
4 |  | Leigh Jamieson | 2002–2004, 2009–2017 & 2019–2022  | 1103
5 |  | Lewis Christie | 2008–2017 & 2019–2022  | 699
6 |  | Lukáš Zátopek | 2008–2014 inclusive  | 509
7 |  | Ross Bowers  | 2002–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2015 & 2019–2021  | 479
8 |  | Nick Poole  | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 452
9 |  | Matt Towalski  | 2005–2012 inclusive  | 446
10 |  | Michael Farn  | 2009–2017 & 2021-2022  | 420

### Top ten points to game ratio

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Pts
1 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002–2009 & 2010–2011  | 2.03
2 |  | Joakim Wiklander  | 2008–2010 inclusive  | 2.00
3 |  | Robin Kovar  | 2019-2020  | 1.86
4 |  | Greg Owen  | 2002–2003  | 1.74
5 |  | Stefan Ketola  | 2005–2006  | 1.71
6 |  | Monir Kalgoum  | 2009–2011 inclusive  | 1.67
7 |  | Andre Smulter  | 2008–2011 inclusive  | 1.58
8 |  | Tony Alasaarela  | 2007–2008  | 1.50
9 |  | Stan Lascek  | 2013–2015 inclusive  | 1.45
9 |  | Steve Moria  | 2005-2006  | 1.45
9 |  | Antti Holli  | 2016–2017  | 1.45

### Top ten goals to game ratio

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Gls
1 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002–2009 & 2010–2011  | 1.16
2 |  | Greg Owen  | 2002–2003  | 1.10
3 |  | Stefan Ketola  | 2005–2006  | 0.86
4 |  | Liam Stewart  | 2019–2022 inclusive  | 0.80
5 |  | Andre Smulter  | 2008–2011 inclusive  | 0.77
5 |  | Stanislav Lascek  | 2013–2015 inclusive  | 0.77
7 |  | Milan Kostourek | 2014–2015  | 0.75
8 |  | Robin Kovar  | 2019-2020  | 0.73
9 |  | Sam Talbot  | 2021–2022  | 0.70
10 |  | Kamil Tvrdek  | 2012–2013  | 0.65

### Top ten assists to game ratio

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Ast
1 |  | Joakim Wiklander  | 2008–2010 inclusive  | 1.59
2 |  | Robin Kovar  | 2019–2020  | 1.14
3 |  | Monir Kalgoum  | 2009–2011 inclusive  | 1.06
4 |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 1.02
5 |  | Tony Alasaarela  | 2007–2008  | 0.98
5 |  | Antti Hölli | 2016–2017  | 0.98
7 |  | Markku Tathinen  | 2015–2016  | 0.91
8 |  | Ales Perez  | 2007–2009 inclusive  | 0.89
8 |  | Francis Verreault-Paul  | 2017–2018  | 0.89
10 |  | Gary Clarke  | 2002-2009 & 2010-2011  | 0.88

### Top ten penalty minutes to games ratio

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | PIM
1 |  | Kurt Irvine  | 2003–2008 inclusive  | 5.38
2 |  | Matt Nickerson | 2017–2018  | 4.77
3 |  | James Morgan  | 2006–2007  | 4.30
4 |  | Steve Carpenter  | 2004–2005  | 4.06
5 |  | Frankisek Bakrlik  | 2015–2017 inclusive  | 3.63
6 |  | Daniel Croft  | 2007–2008  | 3.59
7 |  | Francis Verreault-Paul  | 2017–2018  | 3.23
8 |  | Michael Wales  | 2003–2012 inclusive  | 2.94
9 |  | Tomáš Káňa | 2019–2020  | 2.83
10 |  | Michael Knights  | 2002-2003, 2004-2005 & 2006-2007  | 2.73

### Top ten save percentages

[edit]

League, Cup, Play Offs & Streaming Series Games; as at End of Season 2022 (Players with under 20 appearances not included)
Player

No.  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Sav
1 |  | Prezemyslaw Odrobny  | 2016–2017  | 92.35
2 |  | Alex Mettam  | 2009–2013 inclusive  | 91.65
3 |  | Jordan Marr  | 2015–2016  | 91.47
4 |  | Barry Hollyhead  | 2002–2004 & 2006–2012  | 91.27
5 |  | Stephen Wall  | 2012–2015 inclusive  | 91.13
6 |  | Allen Sutton  | 2002–2008 inclusive  | 90.97
7 |  | Miika Wiikman | 2017–2018  | 90.22
8 |  | Lee Lansdowne  | 2005–2006  | 90.20
9 |  | Dean Skinns  | 2015–2016 & 2019–2020  | 90.08
10 |  | Patrick Killeen  | 2018–2019  | 89.52

### NHL drafted Milton Keynes Lightning players

[edit]

Player

Nat.  | Player.  | Active Seasons  | Year Drafted  | Round & Draft Pick  | Team
| Claude Dumas  | 2002–2003  | 1985  | Round 5 Draft Pick 103  | Washington Capitals
| Janne Jokila | 2012–2014 inclusive  | 2000  | Round 7 Draft Pick 200  | Columbus Blue Jackets
| Martti Järventie | 2015–2016  | 2001  | Round 4 Draft Pick 109  | Montreal Canadiens
| Robin Kovář | 2019–2020  | 2002  | Round 4 Draft Pick 123  | Edmonton Oilers
| Ryan Lannon | 2018–2019  | 2002  | Round 8 Draft Pick 239  | Pittsburgh Penguins
| Matt Nickerson | 2017–2018  | 2003  | Round 3 Draft Pick 99  | Dallas Stars
| Andreas Valdix | 2018–2019  | 2003  | Round 4 Draft Pick 109  | Washington Capitals
| Juraj Gráčik | 2011–2012  | 2004  | Round 5 Draft Pick 142  | Atlanta Thrashers
| Stanislav Lascek  | 2013–2015 inclusive  | 2005  | Round 5 Draft Pick 133  | Tampa Bay Lightning
| Tomáš Káňa | 2019–2020  | 2006  | Round 2 Draft Pick 31  | St Louis Blues
| Patrick Killeen  | 2018–2019  | 2008  | Round 6 Draft Pick 180  | Pittsburgh Penguins
| Paul Phillips  | 2017–2018  | 2009  | Round 7 Draft Pick 195  | Chicago Blackhawks
| Christian Isackson  | 2017–2018  | 2010  | Round 7 Draft Pick 203  | Buffalo Sabres
| Robbie Baillargeon  | 2018–2019  | 2012  | Round 5 Draft Pick 136  | Ottawa Senators

### Retired numbers

[edit]

Player

Number  | Nat.  | Player  | Active Seasons  | Acquired
91  |  | Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive  | 2002 from Fife Flyers
18  |  | Adam Carr  | 2003–2017 inclusive  | 2003 from Isle of Wight Raiders
9  |  | Grant McPherson  | 2006–2017 & 2019–2020  | 2006 from Edinburgh Capitals

### Head coaches

[edit]

Coach

Nat.  | Coach  | Active Seasons  | Acquired
| Nick Poole | 2002–2015 inclusive (Player-Head Coach 2002–2013, Head Coach 2013–2015)  | n/a First Head Coach Position
| Peter Russell | 2015–2018 inclusive  | 2015 from Okanagan Hockey Academy
| Doug McKay  | 2018  | 2018 from Orlik Opole (Poland)
| Ryan Lannon | 2018–2019 (Joint Player-Head Coach 2018–2019)  | n/a First Head Coach Position
| Tim Wallace | 2018–2019 (Joint Player-Head Coach 2018–2019, Player-Head Coach 2019)  | n/a First Head Coach Position
| Lewis Clifford  | 2019–2022  | 2019 from Milton Keynes Thunder
| Tim Wallace | 2022 (Player-Head Coach)  | 2022 from Nottingham Panthers

### Club captains

[edit]

Captain

Nat.  | Captain  | Active Seasons as Captain  | Acquired
| Dwayne Newman  | 2002–2007 (Career with club 2002–2007 inclusive)  | 2002 from Solihull MK Kings
| Gary Clarke  | 2007–2009 (Career with club 2002–2009 & 2010–2011)  | 2002 from Basingstoke Bison & 2010 Guildford Flames
| Adam Carr  | 2009–2017 (Career with club 2003–2017 inclusive)  | 2003 from Isle of Wight Raiders
| Kevin King  | 2017–2018 (Career with club 2017–2018)  | 2017 from Rapaces de Gap
| Tim Wallace | 2018–2019 (Career with club 2018–2019 & 2022)  | 2018 from Sheffield Steelers
| Russell Cowley | 2019–2022(Career with club 2019–2022)  | 2019 from Basingstoke Bison
| Lewis Christie  | 2022– (Career with club 2008-2017 & 2019–)  | 2019 from Free Agent

## Season-by-season record

[edit]

| Milton Keynes Lightning season-by-season record

| Season | League | GP | W | T | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | League Position

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2002–03 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 42 | 34 | 3 | 5 | – | 62 | 269 | 113 | 2nd
2003–04 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 32 | 28 | 2 | 5 | – | 56 | 175 | 87 | 1st
2004–05 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 32 | 23 | 3 | 6 | – | 49 | 149 | 75 | 1st
2005–06 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 48 | 25 | 10 | 13 | – | 60 | 201 | 121 | 3rd
2006–07 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 44 | 28 | 2 | 14 | – | 58 | 187 | 132 | 5th
2007–08 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 40 | 22 | – | 16 | 2 | 46 | 160 | 121 | 6th
2008–09 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 34 | – | 14 | 6 | 74 | 221 | 149 | 2nd
2009–10 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 42 | – | 10 | 2 | 86 | 218 | 144 | 1st
2010–11 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 31 | – | 21 | 2 | 64 | 219 | 160 | 5th
2011–12 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 32 | – | 20 | 2 | 66 | 176 | 145 | 5th
2012–13 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 32 | – | 20 | 2 | 66 | 170 | 145 | 4th
2013–14 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 30 | – | 20 | 4 | 64 | 198 | 181 | 4th
2014–15 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 48 | 18 | – | 24 | 6 | 42 | 152 | 186 | 7th
2015–16 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 54 | 26 | – | 17 | 5 | 69 | 197 | 150 | 5th
2016–17 | English Premier Ice Hockey League | 48 | 34 | – | 11 | 3 | 71 | 174 | 124 | 2nd
2017–18 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 56 | 20 | – | 34 | 2 | 42 | 175 | 234 | 11th
2018–19 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 60 | 15 | – | 41 | 4 | 34 | 148 | 246 | 11th
2019–20 | National Ice Hockey League | 50 | 22 | – | 20 | 6 | 54 | 201 | 205 | 6th
2021–22 | National Ice Hockey League | 48 | 25 | – | 19 | 4 | 54 | 197 | 195 | 5th

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime Losses; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against

## Associated teams

[edit]

* Milton Keynes Thunder
* Milton Keynes Storm

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "MK Kings live on in Solihull". Milton Keynes Citizen. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 10 June 2002. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
2. ^ "Solihull MK Kings finally call it a day". Milton Keynes Citizen. Milton Keynes, England: NLA Access Media Limited / Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 14 April 2003. Gale A183389800. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008.
3. ^ "Phantoms renew Lightning rivalry". Peterborough (Evening) Telegraph. Peterborough, England: Johnston Publishing Limited / NLA Access Media Limited. 9 September 2007. Factiva PETBET0020070909e39900009. Gale A169965670.
4. ^ "English Premier League final table", Milton Keynes Citizen, March 2007[dead link]
5. ^ "Lightning win proves to be all in vain", Milton Keynes Citizen, April 2007[dead link]
6. ^ "Lightning Set for New Term Face Off", Milton Keynes Citizen, September 2008[dead link]
7. ^ "Players are positive after great finish to the season, Milton Keynes Citizen, April 2009[dead link]
8. ^ Brookman, Paul (12 April 2009). "Lightning fall at the final hurdle". Milton Keynes Citizen. U.K.: Johnston Press Plc. / Johnston Publishing Limited. Factiva MILKEY0020090414e54c00003. Nexis Uni 7VHS-N5M1-2RFM-X45W-00000-00. Westlaw NewsRoom: 2009 WLNR 6858023.
9. ^ Richardson, Tracey (1 May 2015). "MKL & Blaze announce development partnership". Milton Keynes Lightning. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
10. ^ "Head Coach and General Manager Lewis Clifford leaves AIB MK Lightning". Milton Keynes Lightning Ice Hockey. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023.
11. ^ "Tim Wallace is AIB MK Lightning's Player Head Coach". Milton Keynes Lightning Ice Hockey. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* MK Lightning Homepage
* Wayback Machine archive of old website
* MKIH Forums
* Planet Ice

Preceded by

Guildford Flames

|  EPIHL Playoff Champions
2016–2017  | Succeeded by

n/a

|
|

Preceded by

Peterborough Phantoms

|  EPIHL Champions
2009–2010  | Succeeded by

Manchester Phoenix

Preceded by

Guildford Flames

|  EPIHL Cup Winners
2016–2017  | Succeeded by

n/a

* v
* t
* e

Ice hockey in the United Kingdom

Governing bodies|

* English Ice Hockey Association
* Ice Hockey UK
* Northern Ireland Ice Hockey Association
* Scottish Ice Hockey

Elite League|

* Belfast Giants
* Cardiff Devils
* Coventry Blaze
* Dundee Stars
* Fife Flyers
* Glasgow Clan
* Guildford Flames
* Manchester Storm
* Nottingham Panthers
* Sheffield Steelers

National Ice Hockey League|

| National League|

* Basingstoke Bison
* Bees IHC
* Bristol Pitbulls
* Hull Seahawks
* Leeds Knights
* Milton Keynes Lightning
* Peterborough Phantoms
* Raiders
* Sheffield Steeldogs
* Solway Sharks
* Swindon Wildcats
* Telford Tigers

|

North Division 1|

* Billingham Stars
* Blackburn Hawks
* Deeside Dragons
* Nottingham Lions
* Sheffield Scimitars
* Solihull Barons
* Widnes Wild

South Division 1|

* Cardiff Fire
* Chelmsford Chieftains
* Invicta Dynamos
* Milton Keynes Thunder
* Oxford City Stars
* Raiders 2
* Slough Jets
* Solent Devils
* Streatham IHC

North Division 2|

* Altrincham Aces
* Blackburn Hawks 2
* Bradford Bulldogs
* Coventry Blaze NIHL
* Hull Jets
* Nottingham Lions 2
* Sheffield Titans
* Sutton Sting
* Telford Tigers 2

South Division 2|

* Basingstoke Buffalo
* Guildford Phoenix
* Haringey Huskies
* Invicta Mustangs
* Lee Valley Lions
* Peterborough Phantoms 2
* Solent Devils 2
* Streatham Hawks
* Swindon Wildcats 2

Scottish National League|

* Aberdeen Lynx
* Dundee Rockets
* Edinburgh Capitals
* Kilmarnock Storm
* Kirkcaldy Kestrels
* North Ayrshire Wild
* Paisley Pirates
* Solway Sharks (SNL)
* Whitley Warriors

Women's National Ice Hockey League|

| WNIHL Elite|

* Bracknell Queen Bees
* Kingston Diamonds
* Nottingham Vipers
* Solihull Vixens
* Streatham Storm

|

WNIHL Premier|

* Bracknell Firebees
* Cardiff Comets
* Chelmsford Cobras
* Kingston Diamonds B
* Milton Keynes Falcons
* Sheffield Shadows
* Swindon TopCats
* Whitley Squaws

Division 1 North|

* Grimsby Wolves
* Nottingham Vipers B
* Sheffield Shadows B
* Solway Sharks Ladies
* Telford Wrekin Raiders
* Widnes Wild Women

Division 1 South|

* Coventry Phoenix
* Oxford Midnight Stars
* Peterborough Penguins
* Slough Sirens
* Solent Amazons
* Streatham Storm B
* Swindon TopCats B

British University Teams|

* Birmingham Lions
* Bradford Sabres
* Bristol Lions
* Caledonia Steel Queens
* Cambridge University Blues
* Cardiff Redhawks
* Coventry and Warwick Panthers
* Edinburgh Eagles
* Huddersfield Ice Hawks
* Hull Ice Hogs
* Imperial Devils
* Kent Knights
* Leeds Gryphons
* London Dragons
* Manchester Metros
* Newcastle Wildcats
* Northumbria Kings
* Nottingham Mavericks
* Oxford University Ice Hockey Club
* Sheffield Bears
* Southampton Spitfires
* St Andrews Typhoons
* UCL Yetis
* UEA Avalanche

Competitions|

* League Championship
* British Championship
* Challenge Cup
* Ken Taggart Memorial Trophy and Memorial Bowl
* Knockout Cup
* Varsity Match

Player awards|

* Alan Weeks Trophy
* Best British Forward
* British Netminder of the Year
* Coach of the Year Trophy
* Ice Hockey Annual Trophy
* Player of the Year Trophy
* Vic Batchelder Memorial Award

Defunct leagues
and competitions|

* British Ice Hockey Association
* Ahearne Cup
* Autumn Cup
* British Hockey League
* British National League (1954–60)
* British National League (1996–2005)
* English League
* English League North
* English National League
* English National League (1981–82)
* English Premier League
* Ice Hockey Superleague
* Inter-City League
* Northern League
* Northern League
* Scottish National League
* Scottish Premier Hockey League
* Southern League

Defunct teams|

* Aldershot Bullets
* Ayr Bruins
* Ayr Scottish Eagles
* Blackburn Eagles
* Blackpool Seagulls
* Brighton Tigers
* Cardiff Rage
* Castlereagh Knights
* Dumfries Vikings
* Dunfermline Vikings
* Dundee Comets
* Dundee Tigers
* Durham City Wasps
* Durham Wasps
* Earls Court Rangers
* Edinburgh Capitals (SNL)
* Flintshire Freeze
* Fylde Flyers
* Harringay Greyhounds
* Harringay Racers
* Hull Pirates
* Hull Stingrays
* Hull Thunder
* Humberside Seahawks
* Isle of Wight Wildcats
* Kilmarnock Storm
* Lancashire Raptors
* Liverpool Leopards
* London Canadians
* London Lions
* London Knights
* London Racers
* Manchester Minotaurs
* Manchester Phoenix
* Manchester Storm (1995–2002)
* Medway Bears
* Milton Keynes Kings
* Moray Tornadoes
* Murrayfield Racers
* Murrayfield Racers (2018–2022)
* Newcastle Jesters
* Newcastle Vipers
* Niagara Ice Hockey Club
* Oxford Blades
* Peterborough Pirates
* Princes Ice Hockey Club
* Richmond Flyers
* Sheffield Lancers
* Sheffield Scimitars
* Sheffield Spartans
* Slough Jets ENL
* Southampton Vikings
* Stevenage Oilers
* Stevenage Sharks
* Stevenage Strikers
* Sunderland Chiefs
* Swindon TopCats B
* TDC Northern Stars
* Telford Tigers ENL
* Telford Titans
* Wembley Lions
* Wembley Monarchs
* Wightlink Buccaneers
* Wightlink Raiders
* Wightlink Tigers

Miscellaneous|

* Great Britain men's national ice hockey team
* Great Britain women's national ice hockey team
* British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame
* Ice Hockey Journalists UK

Related
IIHF
IIHF Continental Cup
IIHF European Champions Cup
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template