2009/10 Season
Squad re-structuring for the 2009/10 season, the Phoenix' first outside of the EIHL, began immediately with the announcement by the organisation that not only would Tony Hand continue to play, but that he had signed a three-year deal as Phoenix Head Coach. Adam Walker, Luke Boothroyd, Carl Graham and Adam Summerfield were also confirmed as having been re-signed from the 2008/09 roster. They would be joined in a Phoenix shirt by returning goaltender Steve Fone as well as exciting British defenceman Joe Graham, young Scottish forward Iain Bowie and Phoenix ENIHL regular Ben Wood.
Soon after Tony Hand would announce an exciting double coup with the addition of experienced EIHL and Calder Cup winner Andre Payette as well as the confirmation of Ed Courtenay in a player/assistant coach role. Ed Courtenay (Retired) And Carl Graham (To Bracknell Bees) have since left the Manchester Phoenix. However, 3 additions to the squad have been made in the form of Ryan Johnson, Stephen Wallace & Max Drakeley.
The team finished the season in 3rd place, and qualified for the EPL post season play-offs. They defeated the Peterborough Phantons 6-5 on aggregate in the quarter finals to progress to the finals weekend in Coventry, where they were defeated in their semi final by the Slough Jets.
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Famous quotes containing the word season:
“As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)