The National Ice Hockey League (2014-Present)
Slough Jets currently play in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) South 1 Britton Division, which is the third tier of UK hockey. [9] After winning NIHL2 league and National honours in the 2018/19 season, Slough Jets senior team moved to a 10 team NIHL1 division for 2019/20 season in a revised English Ice hockey league structure which introduced a new second-tier league called the NIHL National hockey league. [10]
The Slough Jets ENL side had already been formed in 2010 to replace the disbanded Slough Harrier Hawks side and provide a bridge for young players to move from junior hockey to senior hockey. Craig Moran initially took on the Head coach role before resuming his Assistant Manager role for the EPIHL side. When professional hockey ceased in Slough, the Slough Jets NIHL side became the top level of Senior men's hockey at the venue. The coach for the amateur side for the 2014/15 season was Tony Milton. [11]
The 2014/15 season was a success as they stormed to the title losing just one match in regular season play from their 6 team league. Franchise owner and player Zoran Kosic leading the points scoring with 48 points and notable performances from Alan Green and exciting Slough U18 pair Ben and Josh Ealey-Newman. Jets lost in the final of the playoffs however 4–0 to the Bristol Pitbulls. [12]
Ahead of the 2015/16 season, departures affected the side with Zoran Kosic leaving and Alan Green and the Ealey-Newman brothers headed to Oxford. [13] [14] Nathan Darmanin was the top points scorer with 18 points as Jets only won 4 of 19 matches, finished 5 in their 6 team league and didn't make the play-offs.
With the closure of the rink for refurbishment, the team training in Guildford and Bracknell ice rinks and some fixture cancellations, [15] [16] the team struggled throughout the 2016/17 season. Player injuries and fixture congestion [17] due to lack of ice whilst a temporary rink was constructed meant they could only finish bottom of the league with 4 victories to their name. Top points scorer again was Nathan Darmanin with 25 points.
Ahead of the 2017/18 season, it was announced that the former Bracknell Bees and Guildford Flames forward Lukas Smital was joining Slough Jets as player-coach to replace the departing Tony Milton. [18] Smital took on a side who had struggled the previous season and finished bottom of their league of 6 teams. He was joined by former Bee and Slough player Joe Ciccarello as his assistant. Backstopped by impressive veteran Netminder Chris Douglas and with a mix of youth and experienced players, Slough finished a creditable 7th out of 13 teams in an expanded league structure [19] achieving unexpected results against strong Chelmsford, Peterborough and Bracknell sides as Jets turned their temporary rink into a very difficult place to go and get a result.
Lukas Smital himself was top points scorer for the Jets with 67. Chris Douglas and Lukas Smital made the NIHL2 South first All-Star team. [20] Luke Reynolds who joined the club part way through the season from Milton Keynes Thunder made the NIHL2 South second All-Star team [21]
Following their return to the 'Hangar' in the 18/18 season, the team showed good form and produced a series of victories to lead the league. Wins against the Solent Devils home and away being the decisive results. Jets were tied on points with Solent Devils after victory against Peterborough Phantoms 2 in the final match of the season but were awarded the league title due to the head-to-head results.
After achieving the NIHL2 South title, the Slough Jets went to Coventry Skydome to play the NIHL2 North champions Widnes Wild for the NIHL2 National title . Man of the Match Sean Norris did the damage as Slough Jets came out victors 7-1 [22]
The play-offs were less successful as the Slough Jets went out with a heavy 9–3 defeat in the semi-finals to eventual champions Chelmsford Chieftains in a match which was missing influential player-coach Lukas Smital.
Top points scorer for the Jets during the season was Lukas Smital with 84 points. Lukas Smital again made the NIHL2 South first All-Star team. [20] Sean Norris and Sam Talbot made the NIHL2 South second All-Star team [21]
Jets re-signed Lukas Smital and the core of the NIHL2 South title winning side including Matt Smital in net, Lindgren, Reynolds, Rose, Talbot and Norris for the 2019/20 season. In defence the experienced Matt Jordan came in from Bracknell. Lukas Smital announced his retirement from playing at the age of 44. [23] The club also moved to the NIHL 1 South Britton division.
The Jets made a strong start to their life in NIHL1 by leading the division at the end of the first month with Sean Norris winning Player of the Month. [24] They were unable to carry on this form though and a severe concussion injury to key forward Sean Norris against Oxford City Stars on October 13 [25] put him out of the side for several weeks and a further injury against Milton Keynes Thunder upon his brief return saw him sidelined again before he made a decision to leave the club. Norris left the club to join the NIHL National Basingstoke Bison full time and was followed there in mid-January by Sam Talbot further weakening the Jets side. Despite the loss of two key forward players and injuries to others, the emergence of junior players kept the club competitive and a top 4 spot still looked a possibility. By March the Jets still had several games in hand on other sides in the top 4 as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
After the Elite Ice Hockey League announced it was cancelling the 2019/20 season on March 13 [26] the EIHA made a statement that fixtures for the weekend were expected to continue. [27] Chelmsford Chieftains cancelled the away fixture on March 14 citing players self isolating as well as concerns for player and supporter safety. Slough Jets cancelled their away fixture on March 15 against Bracknell Hornets as it became clear of the risk and concern amongst the players, supporters and their families. The EIHA made a decision to cancel the season the day after on March 16. [28] The EIHA decided to award Bracknell Hornets a 5–0 victory for Slough Jets refusing to travel which moved them above Slough in the table and all other remaining fixtures were marked completed with no points awarded. [29] This resulted in Slough Jets finishing the season 6th in the table.
Despite leaving the Jets mid season, Sam Talbot was voted onto the second NIHL1 South All-Star team. [30]
The 2020/21 regular season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic however as part of a return to play several clubs played in a couple of round robin mini tournaments. First of all was the South Cup [31] with the following teams involved; Haringey Huskies from NIHL2, Milton Keynes Thunder, Solent Devils and Slough Jets. As fans were not allowed in arenas at the time, the matches were streamed over the internet for fans to watch.
The eventual winners were Solent Devils who tied with Slough Jets on points but won on wins in regulation [32]
The next return to play tournament was the Ruggedstock cup [33] which was contested between Haringey Huskies, Milton Keynes Thunder and eventual champions, the Slough Jets.
An NIHL division 1 Cup final was held in Sheffield at the end of the season [34] with two teams from the South in Slough Jets and Milton Keynes Thunder matching up against Widnes Wild and Sheffield Scimitars. The Jets lost in the semi-finals to Widnes Wild to end their season.
In the 2021/22 season, the Slough Jets fielded a youthful side including many U18 junior players and had an average age of just 20. [35] Despite the lack of experience, the Jets started competitively and were particularly strong in the Cup games. A close 2–1 loss away against eventual league, cup and playoff winners Streatham IHC with seven seconds left [36] showed the promise in the side. Slough Jets were the first away side to beat Bristol Pitbulls in their new rink with a 1–0 victory coming courtesy of a goal by Lewis English and a 61 shot shutout for Brett Shepherd. [37]
A number of Jets players were also involved in matches in the NIHL National league. Adam Rosbottom left the Jets to play for the Bees full time in January [38] at which point he was one of the Slough Jets top point scorers. Further departures shortly after were Thomas Banner to Basingstoke Bison and then Solomon Smith towards the end of the season.
Despite being in the top four spots most of the season, Jets failed to get the points to beat off rivals towards the end of the season eventually finishing 5th. Slough Jets failed to make the final of the cup with a narrow 5–4 loss to Invicta Dynamos in the semi-finals over two legs and also didn't make the play off final weekend with a more comprehensive loss 14–7 to Chelmsford Chieftains in the quarter-final over two legs.
