NEWS CHANNELNICKPoole has freshened up the MKLightning roster to help boost the club’s hunt for trophies this season.
Slovakian forward Juraj Gracik, who was selected as a draft pick by NHL side Atlanta Thrashers in 2004, has been released from the club and Finn Tuomas Tikkanen has been drafted in to replace him for the rest of the season.
Gracik only joined Lightning in the summer but player-coach Poole decided to make the switch to ‘maximise’ Lightning’s chances of claiming silverware this term.
Clubs are only allowed to have four imported players on their books so in order to sign Tikkanen, one of Lightning’s other overseas players had to make way.
Poole said that allowing Gracik to leave was a tough decision but one which had been made with the team’s best interests at heart.
He said: “This decision was extremely difficult,as Gracik has been a true professional from start to finish.
“He’s given us everything he had and fitted in very well with the team ethos – it’s always sad to see a player go who has worked tirelessly for the team.
“Everyone here at the Lightning wishes Juraj the very best for the future and we thank him for all of his efforts while in MK.”
Left winger Tikkanen has played most of his ice hockey in his native Finland but he has also enjoyed spells in France and Sweden.
“He’s very keen to come to the UK and extremely excited about the months ahead,” Poole said.
“We believe Tuomas will provide a big boost to the team both on and off the ice.
“I’m familiar with the Finnish Second Division, having played a year there myself, and Tuomas’ stats in that league speak for themselves. He is a very skillful player who will contribute with goals and create opportunities for his line-mates.
“He’ll take some pressure off of Blaz Emersic and Leigh Jamieson who have been carrying the bulk of our offensive production, and will also boost our power play.”
Lightning won one and lost one this weekend but still sit second in theEnglish Premier League table, meaning they are right in contention for the title.
There is also a two-leg cup semi-final with Sheffield Steeldogs to contend with next month, and the opposition will go into that tie with a psychological edge after beating Lightning 2-0 at Planet Ice on Saturday.
It was the first time in more than a year that Lightning have failed to score a goal as Sheffield took their chances better in a game where both sides conceded several penalties.
Lightning, who welcomed back Ross Bowers but were missing Michael Farn through injury, went behind when two of their players had been sent to the penalty box – Poole for delaying the game and Blaz Emersic for tripping.
Edgars Bebris took advantage of the discrepancy and the dangerous Janis Ozolins later slotted in a second.
The defeat was put to bed on Sunday with a 2-0 away triumph at Basingstoke Bison, thanks to a determined rearguard performance.
Leigh Jamieson scored in the second period after passes from Poole and Ross Green and Green slid home an empty netter late on.
Lightning meet Basingstoke again this Saturday, with a 7pm face-off at Planet Ice.
