Milton Keynes Lightning facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
Franchise history
2002–2019, 2019–present	Milton Keynes Lightning

The Milton Keynes Lightning is an ice hockey team from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team was first started in 2002 and then again in 2019.

The Lightning currently plays in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL), which is Britain's second-highest professional league. They have been in this league since the 2019–20 season. Before that, the team played in the top-tier Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) from 2017 to 2019. They also spent many years in the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) from 2002 to 2017.

The team's home is the Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes, which can hold 2,200 fans. Locals often call it the MK Arena or the Thunderdome.

Club History

How the Team Started

The Milton Keynes Lightning team began in 2002. They took the place of another local team, the Milton Keynes Kings. The Kings had left Milton Keynes after a disagreement with the arena operators.

Early Success (2002–2006)

When ice hockey in the UK was reorganized, the Lightning became a founding member of the new Elite Ice Hockey League. However, they played in the lower English Premier Ice Hockey League. The first Lightning team had many young local players and some international players.

In their very first season, they finished second in the league. They then won the playoff final against Peterborough Phantoms. A strong rivalry quickly grew between these two teams. The Lightning became league champions in 2003–04 and 2004–05. They also won the playoffs until 2006, showing how dominant they were.

Tough Seasons (2006–2008)

The 2006–07 season was harder for the Lightning. They struggled because some key players left and other teams improved. They finished fifth in the league and were knocked out of the playoffs early. The next season, 2007–08, was even tougher, with the team finishing sixth. This led to many changes in the team for the next year.

Back to Winning (2008–2010)

For the 2008–09 season, the Lightning brought in experienced players and new international talent. After a slow start, the team played very well in the second half of the season. They finished second behind Peterborough. They met Peterborough again in the playoff final, but this time Peterborough won.

In the 2009–10 season, the Lightning became the team to beat. They added more strong players, including netminder Alex Mettam. They won the EPIHL league trophy in March 2010, bringing it back to Milton Keynes.

Close Calls and Challenges (2010–2015)

The 2010–11 season was inconsistent, and the Lightning finished fifth. They lost the playoff final to Guildford Flames. The 2011–12 season was similar; they led the league in December but finished fifth again. They lost in the playoff quarter-finals.

The 2012–13 season brought big changes. A key player, Adam Calder, had a career-ending injury. Then, in January 2013, team legend Nick Poole suddenly retired from playing. The team finished fourth and lost in the playoff semi-finals.

In 2013–14, the team had to play their home games in Coventry because the Milton Keynes rink was being renovated. This made it hard for the team to practice consistently. Despite this, they finished a respectable fourth and were runners-up in the cup.

The 2014–15 season also started with games in Coventry. The team struggled early on. The Milton Keynes rink was finished a month into the season. The first game back home was on October 18, 2014, in front of a huge crowd. Even with their return home, the team continued to struggle and finished seventh, their lowest position ever. However, they still made it to the playoff semi-finals.

New Management and Partnerships (2015–2017)

After the 2014–15 season, Nick Poole became the General Manager, and Peter Russell took over as head coach. In May 2015, the Lightning announced a partnership with the Coventry Blaze, an Elite League team. This partnership lasted one season. The team also changed its colors to white, black, and blue.

The 2015–16 season saw a small improvement, with the team finishing fifth. They reached the Play Off final but lost to Guildford Flames. At the end of the season, it was announced that the Milton Keynes Lightning would join the Elite Ice Hockey League starting in the 2017–2018 season.

In November 2016, Nick Poole stepped down as General Manager. The Lightning finished second in their final EPL season. On March 18, 2017, they won their first EPL cup in a penalty shootout against Peterborough. They also won their fifth playoff title, beating Guildford and then Telford in the final.

Elite League Hockey (2017–2019)

The Milton Keynes Lightning officially joined the Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2017–2018 season. The team also got new owners, Graham and Monica Moody. Their first season in the Elite League started well, but poor away games led to them being near the bottom of the table. Coach Peter Russell left the club in February 2018 and was replaced by Doug McKay. The team finished 11th and missed the playoffs.

The 2018–19 season also started poorly, with the team at the bottom of the league. Doug McKay left in November 2018. Players Ryan Lannon and Tim Wallace took over coaching, with Wallace becoming the sole coach in January 2019. In March 2019, it was announced that the Lightning would leave the Elite League. They would play in the new National Hockey League (NIHL) from the 2019–2020 season. This move back to the second tier was for financial reasons. The team finished 11th again.

Supporters Take Over (2019–2022)

After leaving the Elite League, Lewis Clifford was named Head Coach for the new NIHL National league. However, before the season started, there were problems with unpaid wages and debts from the previous owners. Many sponsors stopped supporting the club.

The arena operators, Planet Ice, decided to give the team's contract to a group of supporters called 'Lets Play Hockey'. This group had formed to try and keep the team going. The English Ice Hockey Association confirmed that the team, now run by the supporters, was accepted into the new NIHL National League. Lewis Clifford remained the coach, and the team kept the Milton Keynes Lightning name. The 2019–20 season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the team in sixth place.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020–21 season was delayed. The Lightning played in a special Streaming Series in November 2020. Full league action returned for the 2021–22 season. The team played well but couldn't find the consistency needed to win the title, finishing fifth. After losing in the playoff final, Lewis Clifford stepped down as coach and general manager. Player/Director of Hockey Development Tim Wallace returned for his second time as Player/Coach.

Arena Redevelopment

In March 2013, the Milton Keynes Council approved plans to rebuild the Leisure Plaza, where the arena is located. This project was funded by Morrisons Supermarkets and took 17 months to finish. Because of this, the Lightning had to play their home games in Coventry during the 2013–14 season and part of the 2014–15 season. The team returned to the newly named "MK Arena" on October 18, 2014. The game against Sheffield Steeldogs was sold out, with over 2,500 fans attending.

Club Honours

• 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)

Team Roster (2022–2023)

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 20)	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

Team Records

Most Games Played

These players have played the most games for the Milton Keynes Lightning (up to the end of the 2022 season).

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

Top Points Scorers

These players have scored the most points (goals + assists) for the Milton Keynes Lightning (up to the end of the 2022 season).

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

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for the Milton Keynes Lightning (up to the end of the 2022 season).

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

Top Goal Assists

These players have made the most assists (helping teammates score goals) for the Milton Keynes Lightning (up to the end of the 2022 season).

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

Retired Numbers

Some players have been so important to the team that their jersey numbers have been retired. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

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

Here are the head coaches who have led the Milton Keynes Lightning team.

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

These players have served as the team captain for the Milton Keynes Lightning.

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 Results

This table shows how the Milton Keynes Lightning performed each season.

Other Teams

The Milton Keynes Lightning is connected to these other ice hockey teams:

• Milton Keynes Thunder
• Milton Keynes Storm