It’s almost time to find out whether the Guildford Flames’ 2022-23 squad is stronger than its predecessor.
Paul Dixon’s side were the surprise package at Playoffs Final Weekend in the spring, losing their semi-final against the Cardiff Devils by an agonising one-goal margin.
However, the Flames have since lost star defenceman Jamal Watson to HC Innsbruck and approach the campaign with a new-look roster.
Will Guildford sink or swim in 2022-23?
Guildford Flames 2022-23 Roster:
Last updated at 10:20 on Wednesday, 17 August; bookmark this page to stay up-to-date with Guildford’s latest signings.
Guildford Flames Netminders:
Taz Burman will make his professional debut with the Flames this autumn. The Vancouver-born netminder played his junior career in Western Hockey League before making the jump to USports in 2018-19. He upheld an impressive .919 save percentage through 11 appearances in his senior year with the University of Alberta.
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’1”
- Catches: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Eamon McAdam: Born in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, McAdam was picked in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. After six years bouncing between the ECHL and AHL, he recorded a .914 save percentage through 17 appearances for Danish side Esbjerg Energy last term.
Eamon McAdam, formerly of the Toronto Marlies (Image: AHL)
- Age: 27
- Height: 6’3”
- Catches: Left
- Nation(s): USA
When quizzed about his tandem for 2022-23, Dixon said: “We think it is a great mix with Eamon, who has a long track record of pro hockey and a lot of success over the years, to go with a younger guy in Taz, who is hungry to start a pro career after being a double-overtime goal away from backing his team to a national title, with a solid programme that has produced many of our recent star players.”
Adam Long is back for another season as Guildford’s No. 3 choice in net. He made two appearances last year.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Adam had a great attitude last year in a job that has to be the toughest mental challenge in all of sports, trying to be ready when you don’t know when you need to be ready!”
- Age: 26
- Height: 6’1”
- Catches: Left
- Nation(s): Great Britain
Guildford Flames Defencemen:
New Signings:
Jordan Klimek arrives in the Elite League on the cusp of his fifth season as a professional, joining from Hungarian outfit DEAC. He notched 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 48 Erste Liga appearances last term, his first campaign outside North America.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Jordan is a guy that can handle all kinds of different situations all over the ice, including helping out in the offensive zone, and we think he is a really good fit with what we already have in place.”
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’11”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Bradley Lalonde made his professional debut for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits last season, registering 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 28 ECHL appearances. His résumé also includes impressive spells in USports with Concordia University and the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Victoriaville Tigers, and Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Bradley Lalonde, formerly Concordia University (Image: NCAA)
- Coach’s Verdict: “He made an impressive start at Greenville after an excellent run in university, so we are excited about what he will bring to our back-end group.”
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’1”
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): Canada
Ben O’Connor has amassed 554 appearances and 384 points since breaking into the Elite League with the Basingstoke Bison in 2007-08, collecting numerous titles and individual accolades along the way. He spent the second half of last season playing for SC Csíkszereda, scooping the Erste Liga and Romanian championships.
- Coach’s Verdict: “We want his ability in the line-up of course, but we also want to be able to use his rich experience, domestically and internationally, to enhance our dressing room culture as we look to challenge a little harder against some of the league’s top teams.”
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’1”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Great Britain / Canada
Returning Players:
Michael Crocock: Born in Brantford, Ontario, Crocock registered six points (two goals, four assists) in 31 appearances for the Flames last season. He is a defensive defenceman who spent only six minutes in the penalty box last term, making him a key asset on the penalty kill.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Mike is an elite skater, and he had an impact from the moment he stepped into the lineup in the New Year, and he is very effective at puck retrieval and getting turned around to move us back up the ice.”
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’10”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Kyle Locke is feisty. Last season, he recorded 95 penalty minutes in 54 Elite League appearances.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Kyle is a bigger body and offers a very solid physical presence, but he is a good skater too and is not at all out of place handling or moving the puck.”
- Age: 26
- Height: 6’1”
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): Canada
Alex Yuill, a graduate of Ontario Tech, is back for a second season with the Flames. He registered 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) and was an ever-present member of Guildford’s blueline last term.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Alex just plays a smart game, and he simply does not make all that many mistakes. He moves the puck to the right places, he is not easily beat anywhere on the ice and he is just generally in the right place at the right time.”
- Age: 27
- Height: 5’8”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Guildford Flames Forwards:
New Signings:
Morgan Clarke-Pizzo featured for the Peterborough Phantoms, Milton Keynes Lightning, and Nottingham Panthers last season. This term, he is a full-time Guildford Flame and has his sights set on registering his first professional point.
Morgan Clarke-Pizzo, formerly of the Nottingham Panthers (Image: Panthers Images)
- Coach’s Verdict: “Morgan is showing some real promise as part of the next generation of GB players. He obviously comes from a family background involving hockey, and he really has the mindset of wanting to be a better player.”
- Role(s): Forward
- Age: 22
- Height: 5’6”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Great Britain
Peter Crinella will play outside the USA for the first time in his career this season. His previous clubs include the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, AHL’S Springfield Thunderbirds, and NCAA’s College of the Holy Cross. He was a solid, middle-six contributor for the Thunder, scoring 111 points (60 goals, 51 assists) in 169 appearances.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Peter had an outstanding season at Wichita and he has a skill set that should translate very well to our bigger ice surface style of game.”
- Role(s): Centre
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’2”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): USA
Ryan Tait is on the rise. He played a defensive role for four seasons in the NCAA with Providence College, registering 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 138 games. He produced 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) for Cergy-Pontoise of Ligue Magnus last term.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Ryan is an excellent skater and will fit right in with the kind of pace kind of game we try to play.”
- Role(s): Centre / Right Wing
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’10”
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): USA
Daniel Tedesco has spent the last four seasons tearing the Alps Hockey League to pieces, contributing 111 points (41 goals, 70 assists) in 85 appearances. He is a versatile forward, capable of excelling on offensive or defensive units.
Daniel Todesco, Guildford Flames (Image: Doriano Brunel)
- Coach’s Verdict: “Everywhere he has been where he has been in a role that offers the ice time and opportunity to succeed, he has been able to score, and we have every reason to believe he can have that kind of impact with us as well.”
- Role(s): Left Wing
- Age: 28
- Height: 6’0”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Italy / Canada
Johan Eriksson joins Guildford with 107 points (61 goals, 46 assists) in 204 Hockey Allsvenskan appearances. He also boasts experience in Ligue Magnus (France) and the International Central European Hockey League (Austria).
- Role(s): Right Wing / Left Wing
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’1″
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): Sweden
Sam Marklund: Born in Skellefteå, Marklund arrives in Surrey following nine seasons Sweden’s second division, scoring 148 points (61 goals, 87 assists) in 340 games.
- Role(s): Centre / Left Wing
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’0″
- Shoots: Left
- Naion(s): Sweden
Returning Players:
Tristan Frei captained the University of Regina for his final two seasons in USports, recording 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists) in 54 appearances. He produced 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 25 appearances for the Flames last time out.
- Coach’s Verdict: “He is a great skating, hardworking player and his character and attitude is unbelievably positive.”
- Role(s): Centre / Right Wing
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’9”
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): Canada
Brett Ferguson: Born in Saskatchewan, Ferguson is part of the furniture in Surrey. After contributing 175 points (54 goals, 121 assists) in his opening 199 appearances for the franchise, he is a clear fan favourite.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Brett acted as a terrific captain, providing leadership in so many different ways so in terms of the things that cannot be measured by stats we have done well to make sure he will be back with the group.”
- Role(s): Left Wing / Centre
- Age: 32
- Height: 6’0”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Owen Griffiths was an important bottom-six contributor for the Flames last season, putting together a career-high nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 52 Elite League appearances.
- Coach’s Verdict: “He is not going to be a guy who lights up the statistical counts, but he goes out and does his job, checks closely, provides top tier penalty killing and just generally puts in a good effort shift after shift.”
- Role(s): Centre
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’10”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Great Britain
Robert Lachowicz is a stalwart of the Elite League with 302 points (106 goals, 196 assists) and 646 appearances to his name. He is back with Guildford for a second season to reprise his bottom-six role.
- Coach’s Verdict: “Rob came in here and did exactly what we expected of him on the ice, but he was also a steady presence in the dressing room.”
- Role(s): Left Wing
- Age: 32
- Height: 5’10”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Great Britain
Ian McNulty: After producing 48 points (24 goals, 24 assists) in 53 appearances last season, McNulty is back for another season in Guildford and will bring his high hockey IQ with him.
- Coach’s Verdict: “This was Ian’s first experience overseas and he certainly put in a good showing and will be even better now that he is more familiar with the situation and can start the season with a level of comfort that is difficult to have when you are arriving to a new place.”
- Role(s): Centre / Left Wing
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’0”
- Shoots: Left
- Nation(s): Canada
Turner Ripplinger joined the Flames midway through 2021-22 and quickly established himself as a clutch contributor. He averaged a goal-per-game in the playoffs. Sizzling.
- Coach’s Verdict: “For a guy who is not very big, he plays very hard and with a little bit of a sandpaper quality to his game. He gets himself to good spots and he chipped in offensively at times when we really needed it. We are looking forward to seeing how he will respond when he has a chance to enjoy a little more comfortable start when he can be with us from opening day.”
- Role(s): Right Wing
- Age: 24
- Height: 5’10”
- Shoots: Right
- Nation(s): Canada
